Cameraman Attacked Outside Mosque of Radical Killed by FBI

Tensions are simmering in the Detroit area as witnessed by this video taken of the attack of a news cameraman by members of Luqman Ameen Abdullah's mosque.

In Memorium

Please click image to enlarge

Random Shots in the Dark (19)

We begin this month with our illustrious Secretary of State, who, it seems has pissed off the Pakistanis, of all people. All I can say to our friends in Pakistan is-get in line. And don't cut in. The line begins yonder-over the mountain and across the sea as the old song goes.

"Go home"



"Is this the I hate Hillary line?"


Nor are folks in Dodgerstan too happy after the Dodgers' "el foldo" against the Phillies this October. To make matters worse, Manny Ramirez decided to catch an early shower in the 9th inning while his teammates were still getting drubbed by the Phils. And if that wasn't enough, Dodgers' owner Frank McCourt is involved in a nasty divorce from his wife-saying that she was involved in an affair with an unnamed Dodgers employee......

The smoking gun

Wait a minute! Manny in the showers....the owner's wife having an affair...

Coincidence? We don't think so.


But back to Secretary Clinton. She was recently asked on TV if she still planned to run for president some day. Of course, her non-verbal communication took over and she cackled in her inimitable way and talked about the great job she has pissing people off around the world. Translation? She still hoping Obama will slip on a banana peel so she can run in 2012 while she's still in her "difficult 60s".

This guy Alan Grayson (D-FL)looks like a real comer in the Democratic Party. I can see him filling Harry Reid's shoes quite nicely after next year's race in Nevada. I figure Reid will pay a heavy price for his bait and switch game with the government option in that monstrosity called a health care bill. He probably has the government option buried on page 1316.

Did'ya hear about that gun-totin' imam in Detroit that got killed in a shoot-out with the FBI?

"Yeh, I did"

To hear CAIR talk about it, this guy was the Father Teresa of Michigan. Just like old H Rap Brown (cop-killer), another imam who killed a cop in Atlanta. CAIR thinks he's innocent too.


"Ya shoulda listened to me, kid."

John Dillinger, gunned down by FBI agents outside a Chicago theater while giving out free movie tickets to the homeless.

And those poor, misunderstood Somali pirates who are kidnapping folks? Why they are really just a bunch of environmentalists trying to protect the waters off Somalia. That's why they took that old British couple hostage for $7 million. They did it for future generations! I think that would be a grand idea for Greenpeace. They could just hoist the old skull and crossbones on their mast and the world would become a cleaner place overnight.

Last night over dinner, my wife turned on an HBO show with Wanda Sykes. Wow! It went something like this:

" That old M...F...er, he don't know sh...! That's why he was F---in' his old lady with an f....in' broom up his a--. Sh--!! He's an ass----! F--- that!"

Then she started talking about education.

"I'll tell somethin' else. Our education system is f----ed up! Damn, We gotta fix it!" (applause from the UC Santa Cruz Community Studies majors in the audience)

Fousesquawk comment: I'll say-and Wanda Sykes is exhibit A.

Then we turned on "Larry King on Life Support". He was talking with a bunch of medians, psychics and ghost-hunters, you know all those folks who communicate with the dead? And guess what? They were all talking to Larry!! Is there a message there?

"Hey Larry, it's wife # 7. She wants to communicate with you."

"I don't think that's funny."


I also saw where Gore Vidal, who I thought had died about 40 years ago, was being interviewed and called the 13-year-old rape victim of convicted child rapist Roman Polanski was a little "whore", and that it was all a big frame up. Someone needs to explain to the erudite Mr Vidal that victims of frame ups don't plead guilty.

"Uhhhh.....yeaaaaah"

Speaking of late, great Gores, guess where the energy expert has shown up this week? On the cover of........................ (drum roll, please)

CostCo magazine (The CostCo Connection).


"He looks so peaceful."
"Just like he's asleep"
"But his eyes are open"
"That's cause he's watching us"

So what is Al Gore doing with Costco? Probably handing out green treats in the aisles, who knows?

Speaking of stupid people, how about Sean Penn? Guess where he has been lately? You guessed it- in Venezuela-kissing the culo of dictator and Fox News critic Hugo Chavez. Why, Penn even said he was going to personally tell Obama not to send any more military advisers to Colombia-you know that bad old country next door whose citizens are being kidnapped by drug-running FARC guerrillas with the support of Dear Old Hugo.

That means Obama has a big decision on his hands-whether to decide first whether to send more help to Colombia or decide first whether to send more help to Afghanistan.

Of course, our Great Leader told American troops this week that if he sent them into harm's way, he would back them to the hilt-except if they asked for reinforcements, that is.

"What'cha gonna doooo, skipper?"

But the most outrageous statement this week comes to us from White House advisor Valerie Jarrett. Asked by a TV reporter if Fox News was biased, she replied, "Of course Fox News is biased". Then asked if MSNBC was biased, she said something like, "Well, I don't want to get into characterizing, but .....blah, blah, blah......, blah, blah, blah, .....but we intend to keep speaking truth to power."


"That's right!"

This just in. It can't be true.


It is true. In Kosovo, they have just unveiled a one ton, gold-covered statue of Bill Clinton (on Bill Clinton Blvd, no less). I'm surprised they didn't put him on horseback. I wonder who he's waving at.

Never mind.

The Shooting of Luqman Ameen Abdullah in Dearborn CAIR in Michigan

Luqman Ameen Abdullah


There seems to be a great deal of consternation in the Detroit/Dearborn Muslim community over this week's shooting death of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah by FBI agents. The shooting erupted when the FBI attempted to arrest Abdullah and other members of his group on charges unrelated to terrorism (illegal possession and sale of firearms and stolen goods).

Below is the reaction of the official weblog of CAIR (Michigan) Director Dawud Walid. It is an editorial today in the Detroit Free Press by Jeff Gerritt, in which Walid is quoted.

Abdullah’s death raises questions and fears

"The funeral of Luqman Ameen Abdullah tomorrow morning will bring Muslim leaders nationwide to Detroit. Abdullah’s life and death have ignited debates on race and religion, police and politics.

People, from Detroit’s east side to South Africa, are questioning how Abdullah died. Left untended, questions like these often answer themselves, sometimes with conspiracy theories or worse. No one should assume government wrongdoing or impropriety, but skepticism, fear and anger have clouded the air. To help clear it, the Justice Department or some outside agency should investigate whether agents properly targeted Abdullah, or could have avoided killing him.

FBI agents killed Abdullah, 53, of Detroit, during a Wednesday raid at a Dearborn warehouse. A 43-page affidavit highlights Abdullah’s alleged hatred of government and police agencies but does not charge him with terrorism. The government described him as an Islamic fundamentalist who advocated violence to establish Muslim rule. Still, for many in the community, Abdullah was a respected imam and neighborhood benefactor.

I spoke last night on Detroit’s east side with two African American Muslims who knew Abdullah and remembered him as a man who took in the homeless and fed the hungry. Neither knew of, or defended, his alleged criminal activities, but they did question whether he had to die and why agents didn’t approach him differently. The account now widely held by community members is that Abdullah was shot repeatedly by agents, after he shot an unleashed police dog, despite official reports that Abdullah fired on the officers.

A spokesman for Dearborn police said today the investigation of Abdullah’s shooting is ongoing and the department couldn’t comment. But Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Michigan, said a government agent also told him that Abdullah died after shooting the dog. “Is this the kind of excessive force that we black Americans are all too familiar with?” Walid asked. Walid is also troubled by the use of informants and what he called agent provocateurs who entice people into criminal activities.

Abdullah’s death may mark the first killing of a religious leader by U.S. government agents since David Koresh died at the Branch Davidian ranch outside Waco, Texas, in 1993. That incident had some tragic ripples. Walid, who has been interviewed by international journalists about the killing, said Abdullah’s death will affect U.S. relations with Muslim countries — a high priority for President Obama. It could also worsen relations between the FBI and the U.S. Muslim community. Abdullah’s funeral will not bury the questions about his life or death. Government, and the people, need the truth."
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As you can see, the editorial writer-and Walid call into question the FBI version of the incident.

The CAIR Michigan website, like the CAIR national website, is silent on the incident, but Walid is also quoted by the Detroit media as saying that Abdullah was not part of CAIR and was only known as a "respected imam within the Muslim community".

Abdullah was affiliated with a group known as "Ummah", which preached the establishment of an Islamic state within America, which would be under the leadership of Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, formerly known as 1960s Black Panther Party leader H. Rap Brown, currently serving a life sentence for killing a police officer in Atlanta. (CAIR, as a national organization, has participated in Al-Amin's legal defense and appeal, according to the just-published book, "Muslim Mafia".)

Abdullah himself had a well-documented history of making violent statements, especially in regard to killing police.

In Washington, a organization called the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections has called for an independent investigation of Abdullah's death. The group is an umbrella organization whose members include the American Muslim Alliance, American Muslims for Palestine and CAIR.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/muslim-coalition-calls-for-probe-into-fbi-shooting-death-of-mich-muslim-67748692.html

A Book to Read-"Muslim Mafia"

" This is not a book about Islam or Muslims in general. It is about the threat from Shariah Islam and violent jihad propagated by a criminal class of Muslims known as the Muslim Brotherhood or the "Ikhwan mafia". This secretive organization dominates most established Muslims groups and mosques in America while exploiting, manipulating, and even victimizing law-abiding Muslim Americans. Only a small share of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are part of this dangerous group. This book is about them." (Note of caution from the authors in the front of the book.)
------------------------------------------------------

I have just finished the controversial new book entitled: "Muslim Mafia-Inside the secret underworld that's conspiring to Islamize America". It is written by P. David Gaubatz and Paul Sperry. It is a book that should be read by every American. The allegations contained therein are alarming, to say the least.

David Gaubatz, a former agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations has centered this book around the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the most well-known Muslim advocacy group in America. As part of the research, Gaubatz's son, Chris, posing as a Muslim convert, went to work as an intern in CAIR's national hqs, where he came into possession of numerous documents he had been assigned to shred. It is this book that has led to a group of Republican congressmen and women to demand an investigation into the organization. One of the congresswomen, Sue Myrick, wrote the foreword to the book.

According to the authors, CAIR is one of several subversive organizations in this country-along with the Islamic Society of North America and the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood, that is trying to bring about an Islamic nation in America under Shariah law through a variety of long-term methods, including phony out-reach programs, education, political connections, lawsuits, intimidation and infiltration of American institutions. CAIR was identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in the recent Holy Land Foundation trial in Dallas, which exposed certain Islamic charities as fronts for transferring money to Jihadist groups oversees as well as Hamas.

The book is also based on interviews with numerous law enforcement agencies, on and off the record.

CAIR denies the content of the book and has launched a public relations drive to discredit David Gaubatz as an Islamophobe, which can be found on their website.

Of course, a book does not constitute a criminal conviction in a court of law, and the reader should keep that point in mind. But if there is anything to the book's allegations, then it would be incumbent for the government to investigate CAIR and its associates as a matter of urgent national security. If the allegations are untrue, I have faith in our institutions that this would come out. I would also add, as a responsible citizen, that this should be no reason for anyone to harass or otherwise victimize innocent Muslim Americans.

However, there must be an investigation.

ACORN and the Combined Federal Campaign

Several months ago, I wrote a critical article on the Combined Federal Campaign based on my 25-year- experience as a federal employee.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2008/09/when-government-gets-involved-in.html

As you can see from that article, I got a testy response from a certain Bill Huddleston, who was a CFC honcho.

The CFC is back in the news this week with a Capitol Hill report that the ACORN Institute-an ACORN affiliate-is still included on the list of "charities" or organizations that federal employees can contribute to. This in the wake of of Congress stripping ACORN of much of its federal funding in Congress.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/28/acorn-eligible-donations-governments-combined-federal-campaign/

Go figure.

I wonder if I will be hearing from Mr Huddleston on this one. What say you, Mr Huddleston?

Celebrity Endorsements- Rahm Emanuel for the New York Times

Rahm Emanuel

"All the fish that's fit to wrap"

Rahm Emanuel here for the New York Times. You know, that counter-revolutionary Sean Hannity over at Fixed News is always on my case about having sent a dead fish to one of my enemies. What he doesn't know is that I always wrap my dead fish in style before sending them to people I don't like.

I wrap them in the New York Times.

That's right. After I get through reading the articles about John McCain scandals and editorials by my favorite writers, such as Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich, Paul Krugman, and Tom Friedman, I don't throw good paper away. No Sir, I use it to wrap up my dead fish and send it to all those folks who SHOULD be reading the New York Times.

Oh, by the way, they do have a straight news section with no bias whatsoever. It's called the sports page. Straight news here, folks. You know, Yankees lose to Phillies 6-1, stuff like that.

So if you want to read the paper that the White House reads, do what I do; subscribe to the New York Times. Because every dead fish deserves a great wrap. They even offer free home delivery.

(Fish is extra.)

Or You Can Dine at Windy's

Windy Pelosi

Not to be outdone by Harry's Jr, Windy Pelosi has unveiled her own turkeyburger.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/29/pelosi-unveiling-health-govt-option/


Windy's bill being "drafted"

"She said the bill will lower patient costs and reduce the national deficit."




"The Affordable Health Care Act will ensure, again, affordability for the middle class, security for our seniors, and responsibility to our children," Pelosi said, adding that the legislation puts a major emphasis on preventative care.

"The Affordable Health Care Act"

The New 6 Trillion Dollar Turkeyburger

Introducing the new $6 trillion turkeyburger from Harry's Jr.

Harry


With government option, opt-out, co-op........


and a sesame seed bun.

Chalk One Up for the Good Guys

Guess what happened in Dearborn, Michigan today.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,570146,00.html

I am, however, genuinely sad to hear about the death of the police dog. And I mean that sincerely.

Dearborn, Peoria, (Phoenix) Arizona, Chicago, New York. These stories are starting to add up. It is time to be vigilant. In addition, it is time for our decent, America-loving Muslims to start burning up the phone lines to the police.

Stand with us!

Alan Grayson-A "Congressman With Guts"?

When loudmouth Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) was campaigning a few months ago, his website described him as "a congressman with guts". See below.

http://www.congressmanwithguts.com/

Well, in recent weeks, Grayson has shown his "guts" by making inflammatory statements about Fox News, Republicans and some woman in Washington, who he called a "K-Street whore". Now that's gutsy!

Apparently, he wasn't so gutsy when Fox reporter Griff Jenkins shoved a microphone in his face this week and asked him to comment about his recent outbursts. Watch this:



Jenkins appeared on the O'Reilly Factor tonight and said that the "congressman with guts" was overheard in his office yelling for Capitol Police to remove the Fox reporters-only to be told that the corridors were public space.

Congressman with guts, indeed. And President Obama called this guy "a great congressman" this week at a fundraiser in Florida.

ZOA Response to New University (UCI) Article on Viva Palestina

In response to the New University (UC-Irvine campus paper) article on the UC-Irvine controversy over George Galloway and his Viva Palestina money collection on May 21, (see my previous post) the Zionist Organization of America has responded to the New University. That response is attached below.
_______________________________________________

"_________________'s (I am deleting the name of the student journalist) article contains several errors and key omissions. First, the article says that the ZOA has no “direct disputes with the MSU.” That is not accurate. To clarify, the ZOA’s legal action on behalf of Jewish students at UCI was not filed against the MSU. It was filed against UCI for failing to ensure a campus environment free from anti-Semitic harassment and intimidation, in accordance with federal law.

That is not to say that the ZOA has no issue with the MSU. We do have an issue with this group, because the harassment and intimidation that Jewish students have faced comes primarily from the MSU and the hateful and bigoted programs and speakers it routinely sponsors on campus, which promote demonizing lies about Jews and Israel.

Kym Thoumaked asked us many questions about the two Jewish students whom we know left UCI because of the hatred and bigotry that the MSU promoted on the campus. We gave Ms. Thoumaked many details about what these students faced before they decided that they could no longer endure the hostility and transferred elsewhere. For instance, we told her that one Jewish student was screamed at, “Go back to Russia where you came from” – even though this student’s father was from Lebanon and his mother was from Syria – “burn in hell,” and “f_ _king Jew.” We described to Ms. Thoumaked that the other student was called such epithets as “dirty Israeli” (he was actually Egyptian), “dirty Jew,” and “f_ _king Jewish bitch,” and his life was threatened. None of this was even mentioned in the article.

Second, the article says that “Steven Emerson, a distinguished terrorism expert, is investigating Viva Palestina.” In fact, Mr. Emerson’s Investigative Project on Terrorism completed its investigation and issued a 31-page report about it. Mr. Emerson concluded that “the Viva Palestina campaign is more about supporting and legitimizing Hamas than it is about providing aid to the needy. In their speeches and in the delivery of their supplies, Viva Palestina’s most visible leaders call for the elimination of the State of Israel to pave the way for a ‘one state solution' to the [Palestinian Arab-Israeli] conflict. They treat Hamas leaders as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and provide both material and moral support to the terrorist organization.”

Third, this article disseminated the falsehood that the MSU has been promoting – that the ZOA is attempting to suppress the MSU’s free speech rights. That is patently false. We have our own free speech rights, entitling us to speak out against the MSU’s hateful and bigoted conduct, and to decry the harmful impact it has had on the UCI community.

The article notes the MSU’s letter to UCI’s chief campus counsel in which the MSU launches a vicious and baseless attack on the ZOA and other groups, accusing the ZOA of violating the MSU’s First Amendment rights. We answered these claims in a detailed response, which the article neglects even to mention. Interested readers can access it here: http://www.zoa.org/sitedocuments/pressrelease_view.asp?pressreleaseID=1730.

What is most significant about this article is that it highlights the fact that the MSU has not denied that it solicited funds for Viva Palestina, that Viva Palestina provided support and resources to the terrorist group Hamas, and that such conduct is illegal. It is also significant that the MSU has admitted that it violated UCI’s policies on fundraising. As the article makes clear, the MSU simply shrugs off its misconduct by belittling UCI policies as mere “technicalities,” and contending, without proof, that other student groups violate these policies, too.

Many like us believe that university policies should be fully and fairly enforced. This situation certainly cried out for strict compliance with UCI policies. By failing to comply with them, the MSU may have aided and abetted a violation of federal law, by soliciting funds for a group that provided material support to Hamas, an organization that our government recognizes as a terrorist organization."

New University (UCI) Article on Viva Palestina Event

British member of parliament George Galloway

"I saw what you did, George"


This week, UC-Irvine's campus newspaper, New University, has published an article regarding the controversy over George Galloway's appearance at UCI May 21 and solicitation for funding for Viva Palestina. I was interviewed for the article last week, but nothing I said was used or quoted. Here is the text of the article:
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UC Irvine Muslim Student Union Under Investigation



In May 2009, the Muslim Student Union (MSU) at UC Irvine, hosted the school-sponsored event, “Israel: The Politics of Genocide” on campus, where over 850 people attended.

Present at the event was guest-speaker, and a member of the British Parliament George Galloway, notorious for his fervid support of the Palestinians in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The event promoted Galloway’s cause “Viva Palestina,” a humanitarian organization that sends convoys with aid to the Gaza strip. The MSU sent out collection boxes at the event to support Viva Palestina.

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) posed complaints against the MSU because they believed that the convoys supported the Hamas, a group identified by the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

The ZOA deemed the event as anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic. They informed UCI and the U.S. Justice Department of complaints that they have received in response to the May conference. ZOA’s president and director authored a lengthy letter to UCI Chancellor Diane F. Geocarris with courtesy copies to other high officials, including UC President Mark Yudof and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The correspondence strongly encouraged an investigation of MSU for possibly funding Hamas and practicing anti-Semitism. The ZOA accused the MSU on further grounds of violating university technicalities with the fundraiser.

In a retaliating correspondence addressed to the UCI’s chancellor, the MSU does not deny that they had violated university technicalities.

“As undoubtedly have every student organization on campus as well as university administrators,” commented MSU representatives in a letter to Chief Campus Council at UCI, Diane Geocaris,

However, according to MSU’s President, Mohamed Abdelgany, it was in their knowledge that all fundraising efforts were in support of a humanitarian aid convoy, as described on Viva Palestina’s Web site.

“All items will be delivered and donated to one or more non-governmental organizations/committee of organizations to be dispersed within the medical community in Gaza based on need,” according to the Web site.

Abdelgany explained his understanding of the Web site’s statement afterward.

“We did have collection boxes at the event. Viva Palestina, in our understanding, is a convoy for humanitarian aid, to alleviate suffering. [We were] trying to help donate to NGOs,” Abdelgany said.

MSU is among many organizations that contributed to Galloway’s Viva Palestina convoy. Abdelgany believes that the ZOA’s primary focus on the Muslim union is another attempt to suppress and limit their first amendment rights to free expression.

In the aforementioned correspondence, the MSU stated that the Zionist Organization’s complains made things personal.

“ZOA’s complaint is not about rectifying MSU’s wrong, but rather it is about what it has always been about: censorship, defamation and malicious prosecution,” said MSU representatives.

The Director of the ZOA’s Center for Law and Justice, Susan Tuchman, says that they have no direct disputes with the MSU but are more so concerned with the university’s “lack of action.” She believes that the university should live up to certain obligations in response to such complaints.

ZOA’s national president Morton Klein commented on the state of the investigation as a result of this conference. “Steven Emerson, a distinguished terrorism expert, is investigating Viva Palestina,” Klein said.

UCI Assistant Vice Chancellor, Susan L. Menning confirms that there is an FBI investigation as well as the university’s own investigation of the allegations.

“We will notify the school and students after the investigation is complete. However, we are unable to disclose any information right now,” Menning said.
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Fousesquawk comment: If anyone investigating this May 21 event needs a witness- here I am. I was present on May 21 and observed the collection of funds that were used to purchase goods and supplies that were eventually delivered by Galloway and his radical friends to Hamas in Gaza.

Late update: New University's website, which contains the above report, received a response from one Ernesto Cienfugos, a writer for La Voz de Aztlan, the online outlet for Nation of Aztlan. This is a tiny group of radicals I recently wrote about. They have jumped on this issue even to the point of sending one of their members and writers to Gaza with the Viva Palestina convoy. What is significant here is that the MSU and Galloway insist there is no anti-semitism involved in their movement. If that is so, then they should publicly disavow any support from Nation of Aztlan, which is openly anti-semitic.

Administration Comes Down on Right Side of "Defamation of Religions" Issue at UN

Amid all the criticism that this site has given to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, it is time to recognize them when they get it right on an issue. Such is the case with the efforts of the Organization of the Islamic Conference's effort to get the UN Human Rights Council to pass a defamation of religions resolution, which could in effect, lead to worldwide criminal penalties against those who criticize one religion-Islam. Yesterday, the Obama administration and the US State Department came out strongly against this measure to their credit.

Our government has taken a position saying that the measure would take away free speech and thus, go too far.

"Some claim that the best way to protect the freedom of religion is to implement so-called anti-defamation policies that would restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of religion," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters. "I strongly disagree."

Clinton added that the US was opposed to negative depictions of specific religions and would fight against faith-based discrimination. But she said a person's ability to practice their religion was entirely unrelated to another person's right to free speech.

"The protection of speech about religion is particularly important since persons of different faith will inevitably hold divergent views on religious questions," Clinton said. "These differences should be met with tolerance, not with the suppression of discourse."


Michael Posner, the assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Human Rights, Democracy and Labour, said the resolution "goes too far."

"The notion that a religion can be defamed and that any comments that are negative about that religion can constitute a violation of human rights to us violates the core principle of free speech," he said.

"There are limits to free expression and there are certainly concerns about people targeting individuals because of their religious belief or their race or their ethnicity," Posner added.

"But at the same time, we're also clear that a resolution, broadly speaking, that talks about the defamation of a religion is a violation of free speech."

The Organization of the Islamic Conference is a 56-nation bloc of predominantly Islamic nations that is trying to push this measure within the UN. Though the measure, on its surface, would apply to all religions, make no mistake. It would only be enforced when the religion "defamed" is Islam. It is one not so small step toward the imposition of Shariah law directed against non-Muslims.

Kudos to the Obama administration and Department of State for speaking out against it. It is hoped that they will continue to oppose this dangerous measure.

Fousesquawk NFL Update- Washington All-Stars Lose (Again)!

After last week's 14-6 loss to the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, Washington All-Stars (I can't call them the Redskins anymore) owner, Daniel Snyder, took away offensive play-calling duties away from Head Coach Jim Zorn (a former NFL quarterback). Tonight, while unveiling their new "Three and Out" offense, the Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 27-17.

"Ah wunnerfull, ah wunnerful ah!!"


There are rumors swirling around the All-Stars' organization that Mr Snyder will call the offensive plays in the next game.


Washington All-Stars owner and offensive coordinator Daniel Snyder
"Go deep!"

What is Going With Off-Shore Drilling, Secretary Salazar?

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar with President Obama,
"Fousesquawk says, 'Drill, baby, drill'".


Today, I got an e-mail from "American Solutions" (That's Newt Gingrich's organization for all you UC Santa Cruz Community Studies majors.) It was regarding something I had signed onto that they had sent to the Interior Department regarding off-shore oil drilling. I thought I would share it with you.

"Dear Gary,

Over one month ago we submitted your comments in favor of drilling offshore to the Interior Department. In fact, we submitted 90,358 of them. Remember why?

It was because Secretary Salazar said he wanted feedback from the public about offshore drilling before he made any decisions. He pledged that these decisions would not be made "behind closed doors."

Well sources have now told us that of the 530,000 comments submitted overall, those in support of drilling won out by more than a 2-1 margin. Yet, as of this writing, there has not been a public announcement of the final results.

After all the talk about transparency, this just begs the question: why are they hiding the final results?

Today, we decided to get to the bottom of this.

So this morning, we submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, asking Secretary Salazar's department to hand over any internal documents related to the public comment period, and the final results. They're required by law to respond to within 20 business days.

Please take a moment to read exactly what we requested by going here.

http://www.americansolutions.com/drill/2009/10/what-does-secretary-salazar-have-to-hide.php


It's not acceptable for the Obama Administration to sit on news about the number of Americans who support offshore drilling.

It's time to get moving on a real American energy policy. And it's also time to hold the Obama Administration accountable for its pledge of transparency and open government.

Thanks for all you do, and we'll be sure to let you know what happens next."

Sincerely,

Vince Haley
Vice President for Policy
American Solutions
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Well, I wonder what Secretary Salazar will say in his response. Stay tuned.

Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan

DEA Wall of honor, DEA Hqs


While we were mourning the loss of 14 Americans lost in separate helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, it was learned that three of them were DEA agents working with the military in anti-drug operations. Afghanistan is the world's largest supplier of opium, which is used to produce heroin, and the opium crop has become a huge source of revenue for the insurgents. Accordingly, DEA has sent a large number of agents to that country in a parallel effort to combat the heroin traffic.

DEA is a relatively small agency compared to the FBI. When we lose an agent in the line of duty, we learn of it immediately all over the world, wherever we are. In many cases, we personally know the agents killed. Since I have been retired 14 years, it is likely I did not know any of them. Their names have not yet been released.

I salute these brave agents just as I salute their comrades in the military who died with them. As always, I am proud that I was a DEA agent.

Who Sent the Letter?

I don't spend a lot of time reading e-mails that forward messages around the Internet for several reasons, one of which being the authors are often anonymous. After reading this one, however, I decided to post it for whatever reaction the reader deems appropriate.

There is a great deal of confusion about who actually wrote the letter. One person apparently identified in error was a school teacher from Missouri who has denied being the author. She claims that she received the letter and forwarded to friends. Others have named a Maryland man as the probable originator of the letter.

Whoever wrote it hit the nail on the head. So, notwithstanding the mystery of who actually wrote it, I think it bears disseminating.

------------------------------------------------------------------

April 17, 2009




The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500




Mr. Obama:
I have had it with you and your administration, sir. Your conduct on your recent trip overseas has convinced me that you are not an adequate representative of the United States of America collectively or of me personally.


You are so obsessed with appeasing the Europeans and the Muslim world that you have abdicated the responsibilities of the President of the United States of America. You are responsible to the citizens of the United States .. You are not responsible to the peoples of any other country on earth.


I personally resent that you go around the world apologizing for the United States telling Europeans that we are arrogant and do not care about their status in the world. Sir, what do you think the First World War and the Second World War were all about if not the consideration of the peoples of Europe ? Are you brain dead? What do you think the Marshall Plan was all about? Do you not understand or know the history of the 20th century?


Where do you get off telling a Muslim country that the United States does not consider itself a Christian country? Have you not read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States ? This country was founded on Judeo-Christian ethics and the principles governing this country, at least until you came along, come directly from this heritage. Do you not understand this?


Your bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia is an affront to all Americans. Our President does not bow down to anyone, let alone the king of Saudi Arabia . You didn't show Great Britain , our best and one of our oldest allies, the respect they deserve yet you bow down to the king of Saudi Arabia . How dare you, sir! How dare you!


You cant find the time to visit the graves of our greatest generation because you don't want to offend the Germans but make time to visit a mosque in Turkey ... You offended our dead and every veteran when you give the Germans more respect than the people who saved the German people from themselves. What's the matter with you? I am convinced that you and the members of your administration have the historical and intellectual depth of a mud puddle and should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you..


You are so self-righteously offended by the big bankers and the American automobile manufacturers yet do nothing about the real thieves in this situation, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Frank, Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelic, the Fannie Mae bonuses, and the Freddie Mac bonuses. What do you intend to do about them? Anything? I seriously doubt it.


What about the U.S. House members passing out $9.1 million in bonuses to their staff members on top of the $2.5 million in automatic pay raises that lawmakers gave themselves? I understand the average House aide got a 17% bonus. I took a 5% cut in my pay to save jobs with my employer. You haven't said anything about that. Who authorized that? I surely didn't!


Executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be receiving $210 million in bonuses over an eighteen-month period, that's $45 million more than the AIG bonuses. In fact, Fannie and Freddie executives have already been awarded $51 million not a bad take. Who authorized that and why haven't you expressed your outrage at this group who are largely responsible for the economic mess we have right now?


I resent that you take me and my fellow citizens as brain-dead and not caring about what you idiots do. We are watching what you are doing and we are getting increasingly fed up with all of you.


I also want you to know that I personally find just about everything you do and say to be offensive to every one of my sensibilities. I promise you that I will work tirelessly to see that you do not get a chance to spend two terms destroying my beautiful country.


Sincerely,

Islam4UK Group Demanding Shariah Law in UK

Things are heating up in the UK. The link below is to the Sunday Express of October 25, 2009 reporting on a march to be held in London October 31 organized by a radical Islamist group called Islam4UK. The purpose of the march is to demand that the UK accept Shariah law.


http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/134080/Now-Muslims-demand-Give-us-full-Sharia-law#

Below is radical Islam's number one spokesman in the UK, Anjem Choudary, making the announcement of the march and "inviting" non-Muslims to join Islam. Actually, this is a relatively calm appearance for Choudary, who is a vicious, hateful figure, who seeks the total submission of the UK to Shariah law.



The English Defence League is planning counter marches on October 31 to protest the radical Islamists. Hopefully, England's peaceful Muslims will make it a point to stay home on October 31.

Fox is Conservative-So What?

With all the uproar over the White House attacks on Fox News, I thought I would consider the oft-repeated charge that Fox is to the right and not really "Fair and Balanced". I have thought a lot about Fox's "fair and balanced" claim, and to be honest, I think it is not quite accurate. In my mind, Fox definitely leans to the right, and most of the comment you hear on Fox News is conservative. Fair and balanced? It depends on your point of view.

First, let's not forget that Fox's CEO is Roger Ailes, a conservative. One of their top anchors, Britt Hume, is conservative. Then there are Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck (the latter recently having moved over from CNN). Both are unabashedly conservative and critics of President Obama. There is no pretense of straight reporting here. Theirs are commentary shows. Bill O'Reiily, controversial in his own right, defines himself as an independent "traditionalist", who can come down for or against anybody. There is no question, however, that he is down on the far-left.

Hannity's show, in my opinion, was better when he had Alan Colmes there to debate with him. He still does manage to fit in a liberal or two and engage in healthy debate with them.

In the financial area, which I don't follow because I don't understand it very well Fox does seem to have a bevy of critics of the Obama Administration's fiscal policies.

Fox does, however, have several liberal, Democratic voices including Colmes, who makes regular guest appearances. One could hardly call Geraldo Rivera, Juan Williams, Bob Beckel or Greta van Susteren right wingers.

But let me concede here that Fox has a decidedly conservative bent.

So what?

It is the only news network that doesn't lean solidly to the liberal, Democratic side. Against Fox, you have arraigned ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and MSNBC. The latter, with characters like Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz don't even bother to engage in debate with opposing voices. Chris Matthews has all but admitted that he wants to have Obama's baby. But let us play tit for tat and use Hannity and Beck to cancel out Maddow and Olbermann. My question remains; why is Fox considered such a threat by the left? Is it because Fox's ratings are way higher than CNN and MSNBC combined? Is that why Olbermann refers to Fox on air as "Fixed News" and regularly includes Bill O'Reilly in his nightly "Worst Persons" award?

And don't forget that in addition to all the liberal news networks, Fox is under attack by other forms of media. Most of the major newspapers are liberal, and in the case of papers like the New York Times and LA Times, not even making a pretense of being fair and balanced. Then there is Hollywood, whose vapid, empty-headed "stars" fall all over themselves to tell us common folks how to live (the liberal way).

Have I mentioned the universities? Yes, actually, about a thousand times.

It all comes down to this, in my view. Why do the liberals have a problem with conservative folks having their one news outlet-(along with talk radio-open to all but dominated by conservatives)? It's bad enough that the various news outlets feel compelled to attack a rival outlet. It's a hundred times worse when you have the all-powerful White House trying to isolate and discredit a major news outlet because it is virtually the only outlet that is offering any criticism of an administration that does not tolerate criticism. Can you imagine the White House having a web page that has a link to "Read more Fox lies"? It is downright Nixonian (or Nixonesque, if you prefer).

I want you liberals out there-especially the ones who were so upset about George W Bush "shredding the Constitution" and wiretapping suspected terrorists, as well as all that water boarding stuff-to ask yourselves this question. With the blatant attacks on Fox News by the White House and the looming Fairness Doctrine that would put an end to talk radio altogether, is this what you want to see-the elimination of all media outlets that criticize the current administration? Or is that actually part of the entire "progressive" agenda?

Whatever the Bush Administration did that upset you "rights" advocates was done to prevent future 9-11s and save lives. Can anyone honestly claim that this administration is going after its opponents to save lives? Or is it to protect their power?

But I digress. I say let Fox be Fox, and let MSNBC be MSNBC. I have slammed the latter on numerous occasions, but I would never support a conservative administration trying to destroy it. There is a reason Fox's ratings are so high-and rising higher. Somebody in the news media has to be there to criticize and keep this administration honest.

Have You Seen This Man?

This is a Fousesquawk public service announcement


Faleh Hassan Almaleki

Faleh Hassan Almaleki is being sought by Arizona authorities on suspicion that he ran down his 20-year-old daughter, Noor, and a friend in a parking lot. Motive? Police say it was because Almaleki, an Iraqi, was angry at his daughter for becoming "too Westernized".

Faleh Almaleki was driving a grey or silver 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Arizona license plate ADS-9192. Anyone with information should call Silent Witness or the Peoria Police Tip Line at 623-773-7045.

Joe Klein- "Mr Anonymous" Speaks Out on Fox News

Joe Klein aka Anonymous
"It ain't me!!"




Time writer Joe Klein has come out with this posting on Fox News on Time's blog.

"Let me be precise here: Fox News peddles a fair amount of hateful crap. Some of it borders on sedition. Much of it is flat out untrue."

But I don't understand why the White House would give such poisonous helium balloons as Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity the opportunity for still greater spasms of self-inflation by declaring war on Fox.

If the problem is that stories bloated far beyond their actual importance--ACORN's corruption, Van Jones's radical past--are in danger of leaching out of the Fox hothouse into the general media, then perhaps the Administration should be a bit more diligent about whom it hires and whom it funds.

If the problem is broader--that Fox News spreads seditious lies to its demographic sliver of an audience--the Administration should probably be stoic: the wingnuts will always be with us. The best antidote to their garbage is elegant, intelligent governance. The next-best antidote is occasional engagement: I thought Obama came away from his O'Reilly and Chris Wallace interviews much the better for it. (Though you don't want to sit down with a thug like Hannity or a weirdo like Beck.)

The problem with war is that it diverts attention from the actual news. The Administration has tried to pursue a sophisticated, difficult domestic and foreign policy. It doesn't offer the quick-fix irresponsibility of a tax cut or an invasion. It needs space, time and patience to explain. This is an enervating, midstream moment. It's not certain that the President's efforts from health care to Afghanistan will succeed. We'll know a lot more in a month, but I really hope the White House hasn't launched this attack to fill the public space while the other issues are being sorted out. The long-term costs of stooping to Fox's level are not just bad posture; they are a diminution of the office and its primary occupant."

Do you remember Joe Klein? If not, here is a reminder of who Joe Klein is from his Wikipedia entry:

"In January 1996, Klein anonymously published the novel Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics, based on the 1992 Democratic presidential primary. The book spent nine weeks as number one on the New York Times bestseller list, with its author listed as "Anonymous". Several people, including former Clinton speechwriter David Kusnet and, later, Vassar professor Donald Foster correctly identified Klein as the novel's author, based on a literary analysis of the book and Klein's previous writing. Klein lied, denying authoring the book and publicly condemning Foster.[2][3] Klein denied authorship again in Newsweek, speculating that another writer wrote it. Washington Post Style editor David von Drehle, in an interview, asked Klein if he was willing to stake his journalistic credibility on his denial, to which Klein agreed.[4] On July 17, 1996, Klein admitted that the speculation had been correct.[5]"

-Wikipedia

"Much of it is flat out untrue"

So much for the credibility of Joe Klein. He chose to write a political novel based on the 1992 presidential primary, but didn't have the courage to affix his name to it. Even when confronted with the identity of the author (himself), he denied and denied-then fessed up a'la his hero, Bill Clinton.

What kind of hypocritical worm is Joe Klein that he now attacks the credibility of anyone in the news business?

SF State to Host Israel-Basher November 3

Omar Barghouti


San Francisco State University will be putting on one of those bash-Israel sideshows on November 3. Of course, it will be labeled (falsely) as some sort of seminar or discussion. The featured speaker will be Omar Barghouti, and the event is entitled: "Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: A Quest for Justice, Human Rights and Peace". And who is Omar Barghouti, you ask?

You don't want to know, but I will tell you anyway.

Omar Barghouti was born in Qatar in 1964, grew up in Egypt, was educated at Columbia University in electrical engineering and now lives in Ramallah (West Bank). He more recently turned up a couple of years ago as a PHD candidate in philosophy at Tel Aviv University, a fact which raised a lot of hackles among many Israelis since he basically calls for the end of Israel as a nation.

“My studies at Tel Aviv University are a personal matter and I have no interest in commenting.”- Barghouti replying to an Israeli newspaper. (But he wants American universities to boycott Israel academically.)


Barghouti identifies himself as a Palestinian since, according to him, his parents "fled a West Bank village" to which they always longed to return". (They live today in Jordan.) He is now described as an independent Palestinian researcher. commentator, and human rights activist and more coherently, as a founding member of the Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

(With a resume like that, SF State should be charging $1,000 a plate for admission.)

Aside from Barghouti, this one-sided event is being hosted by the following groups (among others):

International Solidarity Movement, ANSWER, US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, Middle East Children's Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

Don't be fooled by the "Jewish" connotations on a couple of the above outfits. These groups are all solidly anti-Israel.

This one-sided event is also being sponsored by the SF State College of Ethnic Studies (who else?). The welcoming address will be given by the Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at SFSU, Kenneth Monteiro. In case you care, this event, which will advocate for an end to Israel as a nation, will be funded with California taxpayer dollars. (What the Hell. Everything else is.)

So in case you are unable to attend this side show, I'll tell you exactly what will happen.

Barghouti will speak and condemn the nation that allowed him to study at Tel Aviv University. He will tell you that a two-state solution is off the table. In the meantime, he will encourage everyone to boycott Israel academically and economically. American universities must divest themselves from any financial interest in Israel. I imagine he will also have harsh words for the nation that allowed him to come here and study at Columbia University. (Maybe that's where he learned that America is a bad place. After all, we are Israel's "enabler".)

In addition, rest assured the lecture hall will be packed with Palestinian supporters, academic leftists, impressionable young students in the middle of their college experience being brain-washed by their wacko leftist professors, and other anarchists with nothing else to do on November 3.

Have I left anyone out, Dr Monteiro?

Oh yes! There MAY be a handful of Israel (or America) supporters, who, if they deign to ask critical questions of the learned Mr Barghouti, will be jeered, heckled, insulted or shouted down. (I know. I've been there and done that-several times. It's actually fun.)

So if you are a member of the local community, and you are interested in what goes on on American college campuses, you might want to stop by and watch what passes for higher education these days.

Rifqa Bary Ordered Returned to Ohio

Rifqa Bary


Rifqa Bary, the 17-year-old Sri Lankan immigrant who converted to Christianity and fled to Florida in fear that her father would kill her, has been ordered by a Florida judge to be returned to Ohio. Florida authorities have disregarded her fears of death. It appears at this point that she will be transferred to a foster care facility in Ohio. Left unresolved is documentation as to whether her family is in the US legally.

The fate of this girl is a story that we should all follow. The family of this girl has denied that they intend to do her any harm over her conversion. We shall see. The couple that sheltered Rifqa in Florida is claiming that a Facebook site has asked for volunteers to carry out an "honor killing" and quickly received over 100 volunteers before shutting down the site.

To me, there are two important issues at play here. First and foremost is the fate of Rifqa. Her safety should be the most important consideration. There is a legitimate fear that there are people in this country, possibly among her family or circle of friends, who intend to do her harm, as punishment for converting from Islam.

It also seems to me that this case is a matter for concern among American Muslims in general. Obviously, they must be cognizant of the fact that if harm comes to this girl over her conversion, it will be a stinging indictment of Islam in America. The very idea that a human being in the United States would be killed because of religious conversion is contrary to everything we stand for as Americans. The idea of religious freedom is a pillar of our nation-notwithstanding our Judeo-Christian heritage. We accept the freedom to practice the religion of one's choice or no religion at all.

All I can hope for and pray for is that Rifqa is allowed to continue her life in safety and be free to worship as she pleases. That she be allowed to do so would be a credit to the American Muslim community as a sign that they are assimilating into American society and accepting American values as organizations like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) are always telling us.

Make no mistake, however. Should harm come to Rifqa Bary, we will make sure that her case gets the widest dissemination possible-including CAIR's alleged role in representing the Bari family in this matter behind the scenes.

We are watching this case very closely.

The Fox and the Chickens

"Let me in!"

News item: White House tries to exclude Fox News from an interview with Pay Czar Kenneth Feinberg. (They relented after the other networks protested.)

Col. Richard Kemp UN Speech in Defense of Israel

(Video by UN Watch)

Above is the speech before the UN Human Rights Council by British Colonel Richard Kemp on October 16, 2009 in his reply to the Goldstone Report, which was a one-sided condemnation of Israel during the recent fighting in Gaza.

The text is:

"Thank you, Mr. President.

I am the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. I served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; and participated in the Gulf War. I spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee.

Mr. President, based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.

Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian population.

Hamas, like Hizballah, are expert at driving the media agenda. Both will always have people ready to give interviews condemning Israeli forces for war crimes. They are adept at staging and distorting incidents.

The IDF faces a challenge that we British do not have to face to the same extent. It is the automatic, Pavlovian presumption by many in the international media, and international human rights groups, that the IDF are in the wrong, that they are abusing human rights.

The truth is that the IDF took extraordinary measures to give Gaza civilians notice of targeted areas, dropping over 2 million leaflets, and making over 100,000 phone calls. Many missions that could have taken out Hamas military capability were aborted to prevent civilian casualties. During the conflict, the IDF allowed huge amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza. To deliver aid virtually into your enemy's hands is, to the military tactician, normally quite unthinkable. But the IDF took on those risks.

Despite all of this, of course innocent civilians were killed. War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes.

More than anything, the civilian casualties were a consequence of Hamas’ way of fighting. Hamas deliberately tried to sacrifice their own civilians.

Mr. President, Israel had no choice apart from defending its people, to stop Hamas from attacking them with rockets.

And I say this again: the IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.

Thank you, Mr. President."
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fousesquawk comment: I hope someone from the Obama administration, American UN Amabassador Susan Rice, perhaps, was listening to Col. Kemp and taking his words to heart.

The Viva Palestina Fundraiser at UC-Irvine-ZOA Responds to the Muslim Student Union

George Galloway at UC-Irvine May 21, 2009

Reference is made to my previous reports regarding the controversial May 21 event at UC-Irvine in which British Member of Parliament George Galloway solicited funds for his Viva Palestina drive to deliver supplies and funds to the government of Gaza (Hamas). As previously reported, the Zionist Organization of America had formally requested the US Justice Department to launch an invesitigation into whether US laws had been broken. A parallel request was sent by ZOA to UC-Irvine asking them to conduct an internal investigation into whether university rules had been broken by the fundraising event. In response, the UCI Muslim Student Union, which sponsored the event in question, wrote to the university complaining of harrassment and violation of their rights. Today, ZOA issued a press release in response to the MSU letter. The press release is attached below:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

In response to the troubling concerns that the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) recently raised about the questionable and disturbing conduct of the Muslim Student Union at the University of California, Irvine, the Muslim Student Union sent a hateful, rambling letter to Diane Fields Geocaris, UC Irvine’s Chief Campus Counsel, filled with threats, name-calling and false accusations against the ZOA, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other so-called ZOA “allied affiliates.” Yet the Muslim Student Union never refuted the ZOA’s charges. The group posted its letter, dated October 13, 2009, on its Web site.

These actions followed shortly after the ZOA sent letters to UC Irvine and the U.S. Department of Justice, raising concerns about whether the Muslim Student Union, a registered student group at UC Irvine, solicited funds on campus in violation of University policy, and used the campus as a base for fundraising for the terrorist group Hamas in violation of federal law.

The Muslim Student Union Reportedly Solicited Funds for the Viva Palestina Convoy to Gaza


Last May, the Muslim Student Union sponsored radical Israel-bashing British politician George Galloway on campus to talk about his group, Viva Palestina, which organizes convoys of vehicles, goods and supplies to Hamas-controlled Gaza. According to several witnesses and a videotape of the event, the Muslim Student Union and Galloway solicited funds from the audience for Viva Palestina.

There is evidence that these convoys to Gaza furnished material support and resources to Hamas, a group that the U.S. State Department has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, which would violate federal law. Based on records produced by the University, the Muslim Student Union and Galloway solicited funds for Viva Palestina without University approval and without complying with numerous University policies regarding fundraising on campus. In fact, University documents show that the Muslim Student Union misrepresented in writing to UC Irvine that the Galloway/Viva Palestina event was not going to be a fundraiser. Several University officials were present at the event and knew or should have known that the solicitation of funds had not been authorized. None put a stop to the misconduct and – at least according to records produced by the University – none reported the misconduct to senior UC Irvine officials.

The ZOA Reports Concerns about the Muslim Student Union’s Actions to UC Irvine and the U.S. Justice Department

The ZOA provided UC Irvine and the U.S. Justice Department with detailed evidence supporting the ZOA’s claims, including a 31-page report about Viva Palestina recently issued by the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT). The IPT’s Executive Director, Steven Emerson, is one of the foremost experts on domestic terrorism in the U.S.

The IPT report debunked the claim that Viva Palestina’s goal is to provide for the needy. The report states that “Viva Palestina’s most visible leaders call for the elimination of the State of Israel . . . They treat Hamas leaders as the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people and provide both material and moral support to the terrorist organization.”

The ZOA also furnished UC Irvine and the U.S. Justice Department with information from a participant in the Viva Palestina convoy of July 2009, for which the Muslim Student Union reportedly solicited funds at UC Irvine. The participant confirmed that the convoy’s resources went to Hamas. Given the seriousness of the alleged wrongdoing at UC Irvine and the possibility that a federal anti-terrorism law was violated, the ZOA sent copies of its letters to several public officials, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, U.S. Congressmen Brad Sherman and John Campbell of California, California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, and leaders and members of several U.S. congressional committees who would be particularly concerned about the possibility that American college campuses are being used as a base to solicit funds for U.S.-designated terrorist groups like Hamas.

The Muslim Student Union Responds by Publishing a Letter to UC Irvine’s Chief Campus Counsel, Lodging False and Malicious Accusations and Threats against the ZOA

Significantly, in its letter to UC Irvine’s Chief Campus Counsel, responding to the concerns raised about its conduct, the Muslim Student Union never refuted the ZOA’s allegation that the Muslim Student Union may have used UC Irvine as a base of fundraising for the terrorist group Hamas. In its letter, the Muslim Student Union never refuted the ZOA’s allegation that the Muslim Student Union solicited funds for Viva Palestina in violation of University policy, and that in fact, the Muslim Student Union misrepresented to the University that the Galloway event was not going to be a fundraiser. Indeed, the Muslim Student Union ridiculed the University’s protocol for fundraising, calling the detailed policies “university technicalities” – which the Muslim Student Union acknowledges having likely breached, both now and in the past. In its letter, the Muslim Student Union never refuted the evidence that the ZOA provided to the University and to law enforcement – that the convoy to Gaza in July 2009, for which the Muslim Student Union reportedly solicited funds, provided support and resources to the terrorist group Hamas.

Instead, the Muslim Student Union launched a baseless and vicious attack on the ZOA, the ADL, the Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism, StandWithUs, and nameless “others,” all of whom the Muslim Student Union has called the ZOA’s “allied affiliates.”


The Muslim Student Union Challenges the ZOA’s Right to Fight Israel-Bashing and Anti-Semitic Bigotry, Claiming it has “Taken the High Ground” and Shown “Moral Restraint”


The Muslim Student Union’s first line of attack was to condemn the ZOA for exposing the Muslim Student Union’s anti-Semitic and Israel-bashing actions, and for helping Jewish students at UC Irvine enforce their right to an educational environment free from the demonization of Israel and anti-Semitic hostility. According to the Muslim Student Union, the ZOA, as “an external organization with no registered connections to UCI or its student population,” has no right to try to rectify the wrongs committed by this campus group that regularly promotes hatred and bigotry against Jews and Israel.

The Muslim Student Union’s contention is completely nonsensical. For years, the ZOA has had connections with UC Irvine students, faculty and administrators, as well as with members of the Irvine community who oppose the Muslim Student Union’s divisive conduct that is antithetical to the community’s values of tolerance and respect.

The ZOA’s “registered connections” to UC Irvine are in any event irrelevant. As the Muslim Student Union should know, in this country, civil rights protections were fought for by many groups and individuals outside the class and location of the victims. Groups like the NAACP, comprised of persons of every color and religious background, have fought against racists and racism. Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman were young men from New York who traveled south to Mississippi in order to fight against racists and racism, and to protect African Americans’ right to vote. As a college student in the 1960’s, ZOA National President Morton Klein traveled from Philadelphia to Mississippi also to fight against racists and racism and to protect African Americans’ civil rights. Would the Muslim Student Union condemn Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and Morton Klein as outside agitators because they fought against discrimination?

The Muslim Student Union’s claim, that the ZOA must have “registered connections to UCI” in order to advocate for students whose civil rights are being threatened and violated, makes no sense. It is a long-held American tradition to go wherever we are needed to fight against discrimination and injustice.

The Muslim Student Union claims to have, up until now, “practiced moral restraint, seeking to take the high ground.” Moral restraint and taking the high ground are not characterizations that most people would associate with this group. There would certainly be a fair and moral way in which the Muslim Student Union could express its political views, by showing respect for the facts and historical truths. Instead, this group has a long history of expressing its views by promoting falsehoods and unfairly demonizing a people and a nation.

The Muslim Student Union falsely, maliciously and repeatedly accused the ZOA and its “affiliates” of “a bad faith intent at denying MSU [the Muslim Student Union] their constitutional First Amendment rights of speech, religion, and association.” The Muslim Student Union falsely and maliciously claimed that the ZOA’s legal effort on behalf of Jewish students at UC Irvine – launched to redress the Israel-bashing and hostile anti-Semitic environment at UC Irvine that this group fostered and promoted – was an “attempt to forcibly silence MSU [the Muslim Student Union].”

In fact, the ZOA has taken no action to interfere with the Muslim Student Union’s free speech rights, its religious practices, or its right to freely associate. Rather, with the backing of Jewish students at UC Irvine who had suffered years of Israel-bashing and anti-Semitic harassment and intimidation as the result of the programs and speakers that the Muslim Student Union regularly sponsored on campus, the ZOA chose a peaceful and legitimate course of action – enforcement of our federal civil rights laws – in order to redress a longstanding hostile campus environment for Jewish students. The legal action – filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights – was instituted after Jewish students’ numerous informal efforts to resolve problems with the Muslim Student Union had failed.

In the United States, civil rights laws exist precisely to protect victims of harassment, intimidation and discrimination. The ZOA used a legitimate legal tool to enforce and secure the rights of Jewish victims of harassment and intimidation, not to deny the rights of any group or individual, including the Muslim Student Union.

The Muslim Student Union Misrepresents the Office for Civil Rights’ Conclusions in the ZOA’s Legal Action on Behalf of Jewish Students

The Muslim Student Union mischaracterized the conclusions of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the ZOA’s legal action. OCR did not find that the ZOA’s allegations were “false.” OCR also never endorsed the Muslim Student Union’s actions; in fact, OCR found that Muslim Student Union speakers “made broad generalizations about Jews,” and that Jewish students were offended, intimidated and harassed by the Muslim Student Union’s events. OCR never investigated many, if not most of the ZOA’s allegations, in large part because OCR concluded that it lacked jurisdiction over the students’ claims. The outcome of the legal action was certainly not an endorsement of the Muslim Student Union’s actions.

The Muslim Student Union’s Speakers and Programs Promote Hatred of Jews and Israel

The hostility that Jewish students at UC Irvine have faced as the result of the Muslim Student Union’s conduct is not “crying wolf,” as the Muslim Student Union alleged in its letter. The Muslim Student Union regularly sponsors speakers and programs that demonize and promote falsehoods about Jews, Zionism and Israel. A Muslim Student Union-sponsored speaker endorsed terrorism against Israeli Jews and called for the destruction of the State of Israel. In May 2006, this speaker, who is a frequently invited guest of the Muslim Student Union, said, “The apartheid state of Israel is on the way down. They are living in fear . . . and it is about time they live in fear. The truth of the matter is: Your days are numbered. We will fight you until we are martyred or until we are victorious.”

Muslim Student Union speakers have accused the Jews of arrogance, of being “a den of spies,” and of controlling the government and the media. The Office for Civil Rights noted several statements by Muslim Student Union speakers concerning Jews, which offended, intimidated and harassed Jewish students, including this, from May 2006:

“Liars. Straight up liars, Rupert Murdock, Zionist Jews. The Zionist Jews own Fox News. They say that it’s anti-Semitic if you say that the Zionists control the media . . . They got the media; they got Congress . . .”

“You all definitely don’t love children and you know why? Because you all kill them . . .”

“They have taken the concept of chosen people and fused it with the concept of white supremacy. Once you take the concept of chosen people and white supremacy and fuse them together, you will get a people who are so arrogant that they will actually make a statement and imply that ‘we are the only Semites.’ That’s arrogance and that’s the type of arrogance they display every day and that’s the same type of arrogance that’s getting them into trouble today.”

Last May, a Muslim Student Union-sponsored speaker compared Jews to “Shaytan – Satan,” accusing Jews of “lik[ing] to operate behind closed doors. Satan is slick, he operates in the shadows, in the dark.” Also last May, the Muslim Student Union mocked and debased the greatest tragedy in history, the Holocaust, posting a photo of Anne Frank wearing a Palestinian Arab scarf or keffiyeh, and falsely and absurdly comparing the systematic murder of Jews by the Nazis to the situation that currently exists in Gaza, which is largely of the Palestinians’ own making. The fact is that it is Hamas and Arabs in Gaza who have been launching thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel with the goal of murdering innocent Israeli Jews.

Many Have Criticized the Muslim Student Union and its Promotion of Hatred and Bigotry

The Muslim Student Union calls the content of its speeches and programs “political critique.” But none of it is legitimate political discourse about Israel and the conflict in the Middle East. It is false and demonizing rhetoric plainly intended to incite hatred of Jews and Israel, and the impact on Jewish students has been serious. At least two students left UC Irvine and transferred elsewhere because they could no longer endure the anti-Semitic hostility promoted in large part by the Muslim Student Union. In the spring of 2008, 19 UC Irvine students signed a statement in which they expressed their “deep[] concern about the anti-Semitism at UCI.” In January 2009, in a plea for help and support from the community, the then-president of the pro-Israel group on campus said that “UC Irvine has been a hotbed for anti-Israel and anti-Semitic activism over the past seven years.”

An independent group of Jewish and non-Jewish academic, professional and religious leaders in the Orange County community – called the Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism – was commissioned by the Hillel Foundation of Orange County to investigate allegations of anti-Semitism at UC Irvine. Although Hillel eventually discontinued its sponsorship, the Task Force completed its year-long investigation, including approximately 80 hours of interviews of students, faculty, administrators and community members, a document review, and first-hand observation of campus events and activities. This independent group found that anti-Semitic acts on campus “are real and well documented. Jewish students have been harassed. Hate speech has been unrelenting.” As to the Muslim Student Union, the Task Force found that the group “is agenda driven and unchecked by the bounds of propriety. It allies and identifies itself with terrorist groups that are enemies of the United States.”

In May 2008 and again in May 2009, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) wrote letters of concern to UC Irvine’s Chancellor Michael Drake about the Muslim Student Union’s programs. The Muslim Student Union may call its events “political critique,” but Congressman Sherman characterized the Muslim Student Union’s events in May 2008 and May 2009 as “appear[ing] intended to encourage violence against the State of Israel and propagate the spread of anti-Semitism.”

Also concerned, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations –the umbrella group for 52 national Jewish groups from across the religious and political spectrums – wrote to the then-head of the Office for Civil Rights. The Presidents’ Conference urged OCR to reconsider its decision in the ZOA’s case against UC Irvine because OCR applied an overly restrictive reading of the law, which could have serious consequences for Jewish college students facing anti-Israel and anti-Zionist attacks and other forms of anti-Semitism.

Now, plainly with the intent of intimidating the ZOA and its so-called “affiliates,” and to squelch the ZOA’s own freedom of speech, the Muslim Student Union has falsely and maliciously accused the ZOA of being a “vigilante group” that has acted illegally. Nothing could be further from the truth; all of the ZOA’s actions have been peaceful and lawful.

Concerned, UC Irvine Refers Muslim Student Union Matter
to Law Enforcement and Initiates an Internal Probe

UC Irvine now shares the ZOA’s concerns about the Muslim Student Union’s conduct. When the ZOA brought its concerns to Diane Fields Geocaris, the University’s Chief Campus Counsel, Ms. Geocaris immediately responded that “UC Irvine takes very seriously all allegations of wrongdoing. We appreciate your [the ZOA] bringing this to our attention.” UC Irvine was so concerned that the University “has referred that matter to law enforcement officials,” according to Ms. Geocaris, and had “initiated an internal review” into the Muslim Student Union’s conduct and the conduct of University officials who witnessed the Muslim Student Union’s actions but did not intervene or report them.

It is noteworthy that despite the Muslim Student Union’s unrelenting sponsorship of speakers and programs on campus that promote falsehoods about Jews, Zionism and Israel, the Muslim Student Union’s cold and uncaring disregard of the impact its hateful rhetoric is having on fellow students and the campus environment, and the Muslim Student Union’s solicitation of funds that may well have gone to a terrorist group committed to killing Jews and to Israel’s destruction – it is the Muslim Student Union accusing the ZOA of “planting the seeds of hate and discord on campus.” The claim is ludicrous. It is the Muslim Student Union planting those seeds.

The Muslim Student Union claimed that Muslim students face a hostile environment at UC Irvine, and that Muslim Student Union members receive hate mail and threats. If in fact there are Muslim students at UC Irvine who are being threatened and harassed, then we support and encourage those students to report the incidents and ensure that there are consequences for the perpetrators. No student should face harassment or intimidation on his/her college campus or anywhere else. But it cannot be called harassment when the ZOA shines a light on the Muslim Student Union’s conduct and criticizes it for the harmful impact it is having on others.

The Muslim Student Union claimed that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there was an “upsurge of ‘Islamophobia’,” and that “Muslims have become the most discriminated against religious group in the nation.” The evidence – hate crime statistics collected on an annual basis by our government – contradicts these claims.

After the Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990 was passed and at the Attorney General’s request, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been gathering and publishing hate crime statistics every year since 1992. The Muslim Student Union is correct that after 9/11, anti-Islamic religious bias incidents increased, according to the FBI. But anti-Jewish incidents were even higher that year and were by far the highest among all the religious bias incidents. Out of the 1828 religious bias incidents reported by the FBI in 2001, 1043 were against Jews; there were only 481 incidents against Muslims. Each year thereafter, the FBI reported that the group subjected by far to the most religious bias incidents was Jews. In 2007, the most recent year for which the FBI has published statistics, there were 1400 religious bias incidents; 969 of them were anti-Jewish and only 115 were anti-Islamic. (See http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm.) In light of these statistics, if the Muslim Student Union genuinely “deeply sympathizes with individuals who are victimized based on their religion, ethnicity, or race,” then it would be reasonable to expect the Muslim Student Union to finally stop promoting hate and bigotry against Jews, the single most victimized religious group in this country, and to fight against the bigotry.



Morton A. Klein, the ZOA’s National President, Dr. Michael Goldblatt, Chairman of the ZOA’s National Board of Directors, Steven Goldberg, Esq., Vice Chairman of the ZOA’s National Board, and Susan B. Tuchman, Esq., Director of the ZOA’s Center for Law and Justice, criticized the Muslim Student Union for its intimidation tactics and praised UC Irvine for initiating an internal probe and seeking an investigation by law enforcement: “We once again thank UC Irvine for responding quickly and appropriately to the Muslim Student Union’s deeply troubling conduct. The Muslim Student Union’s attacks on the ZOA are nonsensical and plainly calculated to scare into silence those who, like us, abhor all forms of bigotry, including bigotry against Muslims. Promoting falsehoods about the ZOA, ADL and others, does not obscure the fact that in its letter, the Muslim Student Union has not denied that it solicited funds at UC Irvine for Viva Palestina in violation of University policy and without the University’s authorization. In its letter, the Muslim Student Union has not denied the fact that Viva Palestina furnished support and resources to the terrorist group Hamas. If these allegations are found to be true, and the Muslim Student Union’s role in the solicitation of funds is proven, then federal law and University policy have been violated and the Muslim Student Union should be disciplined for its serious misconduct, including by losing its status as a registered student group at UC Irvine.”
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