Monday, June 30, 2008

An informed citizen fights back

Robert Spencer

My friend Doc Washburn is a former talk radio host whose show I had the honor of appearing on numerous times. He recently got into a Letter-to-the-Editor dustup with Dr. Hashem Mubarak of Florida's Bay County Islamic Society, in which Dr. Mubarak repeated some soothing half-truths and untruths with which regular Jihad Watch readers will be quite familiar. It happened awhile ago, but I just happened upon it and believe it is illuminating: Doc's reply shows how valuable it is to be informed about the true nature of the jihad threat, so as to be able to keep from falling for the smooth deceptions that are so commonly retailed by those who would prefer that we remain ignorant and complacent in the face of the advancing jihad threat. He also, at the end, refuses to accept the tired "bigotry" charge that jihadists and their allies and dupes always make whenever anyone points out the violence and supremacism jihadists retail on a daily basis.

"Positive proof of terror links exist," from the Panama City News Herald, May 22:

Dr. Hashem Mubarak recently responded to my letter in the 42-cent Forum criticizing the Bay County Islamic Society for bringing in a speaker who is a member of two organizations (Fiqh Council of North America and the European Council for Fatwa and Research) with ties to terrorism ("Suspicious links," letters, April 30). I had also criticized the society for earlier hosting a talk by a representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. In his letter, "Muslims maligned," Dr. Mubarak stated that the Fiqh Council had "issued a religious fatwa explicitly prohibiting all acts of terrorism" and that "none of these organization's members have ever spoken favorably of terrorism" (May 6). He issued a challenge for me or anyone else "to bring a single piece of evidence proving otherwise."

I hereby accept his challenge.

First, the following link is all the evidence anyone would need to establish CAIR's ties to terrorism. It is a 10-part series devoted to CAIR that includes great detail on its origins, funding, ties to Hamas, terrorismrelated indictments of their officials, etc. (www.investigativeproject. org/profile/172).

Second, the fatwa issued by the Fiqh Council (and publicized by CAIR) was anything but explicit. It has been criticized roundly as a bogus document "designed merely to deceive the American public into believing that these groups are moderate." It does not condemn, renounce or even mention the jihad ideology behind Islamic terrorist attacks. It does not condemn by name any person or group responsible for jihad attacks. Although it condemns violence against "innocent men and women," it conveniently ignores what the jihadists keep saying: There is no such thing as an "innocent" non-Muslim (www. jihadwatch. org/archives/ 018961.php).
The fatwa condemns going after "civilians," but again ignores the fact that (as far as jihadists are concerned), the concept of "civilians" does not exist in Islamic law (www.jihadwatch.org/archiv es/007125.php).

The fatwa is so vague that even jihadists could agree with it!

The Fiqh Council's chairman, Taha Jaber Al-Alwani, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case against Sami Al-Arian, who pleaded guilty to the federal felony violation of providing assistance and support to members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist organization. Evidence in Al-Arian's trial showed that Alwani-funded Islamic Jihad front groups in Florida.

Also, Abdurrahman Alamode (a past trustee of the Fiqh Council) is serving a 23-year prison sentence for immigration fraud and illegal financial dealings with Libya. He has been named by the U.S. Treasury Department as having been a financier of al-Qaida. For good measure, he also admitted being a part of a plot to assassinate the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and has expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah (counter terror.typepad.com/ the_counterterrorism_blog/ 2005/07/the_american_is. html).

As I mentioned in my previous letter, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, has been vocal in his support of "suicide bombings." Here is more proof: www.experience festival.com/a/Yusuf_al-Qaradawi_-_Qaradawis _opinion_on_the_Israeli-Palestinian_conflict/id/19555 01 and http://news.bbc. co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3874893. stm.

In his letter, Dr. Mubarak accused me of "ugly bigotry and racism." I did not realize that Islam is a race. He also claimed that I "deliberately lied" and that when I did my radio talk show in Panama City, I "repeatedly incited hatred against the Muslim community and made false, libelous, and defamatory statements." So in closing, I have a challenge for him: Prove it.

Bravo.

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