AAP FACTCHECK – Social media posts are falsely claiming pro-Israel group the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has listed Christianity as an “extremism” and “terrorism” group.
Posts shared on social media feature a screenshot from the ADL website that features the headline “Christian Identity” and is tagged “Extremism, Terrorism & Bigotry”.
“Did you know? The A.D.L. has listed Christianity as an Extremism, Terrorism & Bigotry group,” one Facebook post reads, with emojis of the Star of David and Israeli flag along with the screenshot.
Some posts specifically reference “Jews” in the captions.
The ADL was founded in 1913 with a mission of “combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry”.
Its website describes “Christian Identity” as a religious ideology or sect, while Encyclopedia Britannica describes it as a new religious movement characterised by “a belief in white supremacy and anti-Semitism”.
According to the ADL, Christian Identity originated in the mid-19th century.
An ADL spokesperson told AAP FactCheck the group had not listed Christianity as an extremist group.
“Online disinformation purveyors are claiming that ADL has listed ‘Christianity’ as an extremist group on our website,” the spokesperson said.
“This outrageous claim is entirely false.
“The article in question refers only to a single longstanding racist and anti-Semitic religious sect known as ‘Christian Identity’, which is widely acknowledged as extremist.”
Christian Identity is labelled “an antisemitic and racist belief system” by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies‘ terrorism centre in California.
It has also been described as containing “elements of racism” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The screenshot being shared online misleadingly only captures the headline of a 2017 ADL article, which is ambiguous without the context of the full backgrounder exploring the origins and violent history of the fringe sect.
“Christian Identity is a religious ideology popular in extreme right-wing circles,” the article states.
“Its virulent racist and anti-Semitic beliefs are usually accompanied by extreme anti-government sentiments. Despite its small size, Christian Identity influences virtually all white supremacist and extreme anti-government movements.
“It has also informed criminal behavior ranging from hate crimes to acts of terrorism.”
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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