Michelle Malkin » WashTimes: Republicans slam Islamic Society convention Update: Letter and DOJ contact info added

WashTimes: Republicans slam Islamic Society convention Update: Letter and DOJ contact info added

By Michelle Malkin • August 30, 2007 09:07 PM

Will the Justice Department stay stuck on stupid? Audrey Hudson has a follow-up:

Republican lawmakers are urging the Justice Department not to participate in a convention held by the Islamic Society of North America — a group named as an unindicted co-conspirator in an ongoing terrorism-financing case.

In a letter to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, Reps. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Sue Myrick of North Carolina called the Justice Department’s involvement a “grave mistake.”

“In light of the threat that our nation is currently facing from radical jihadists, and because of the president’s commitment to fighting the war on terror on all fronts, we believe it is a grave mistake to provide legitimacy to an organization with extremist origins, leadership and a radical agenda,” the lawmakers said.

Update: The Investigative Project has posted the GOP lawmakers’ letter and adds:

ISNA is an unindicted co-conspirator in the ongoing terrorist financing trial of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) and five of its officials in Dallas. In the letter, Hoekstra and Myrick noted that, shortly after the co-conspirator list was made public, DOJ canceled a June 27 event that was to feature a high ranking ISNA official.

Newsweek reported about that cancellation on Aug. 8, saying officials were concerned that “it could create a new embarrassment for the embattled attorney general.”

On Monday, the Washington Times broke the news that the Justice Department was among the sponsors of this weekend’s ISNA convention. The story quoted unnamed DOJ officials who said they were outraged at the sponsorship, especially since it comes as the HLF trial continues. In addition, the Times notes, one convention session is on “the threat and reality of U.S.-sponsored torture.”

Evidence submitted in the Dallas federal courtroom shows that ISNA was established in 1980 by American members of the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious order founded in Egypt that seeks to establish an Islamic Empire governed by Shari`ah, or Islamic law, that would eventually encompass the entire world. The letter correctly noted that the Muslim Brotherhood has provided the ideological underpinnings for almost all modern Sunni Islamic terrorist groups, including al Qaeda and Hamas.

Other evidence shows that ISNA used a financial subsidiary, the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), to divert funds to top Hamas official Musa Abu Marzook, his wife, as well as Hamas-run institutions such as the Islamic University of Gaza, and the Islamic Center of Gaza, which was founded by Hamas’ late co-founder and spiritual leader, Ahmed Yassin.

ISNA’s support for Marzook during his detention in the U.S. drew thanks from Marzook himself. This came in June 1997; more than two years after the U.S. designated HAMAS a terrorist organization, making any transactions with it or support for it illegal. Marzook was arrested and detained in 1996 after Israel requested his extradition. He wrote that efforts by ISNA and other U.S. groups, including several members of the Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee, had “consoled” him.

Add your voice. Here’s contact info for the DOJ:

Phone: (202) 514-2151 Ask for Rena.

E-mails to the Department of Justice, including the Attorney General, may be sent to AskDOJ@usdoj.gov.

***

Tim Sumner at 9/11 Families for a Safe and Secure America weighs in, and points to an extract from the ISNA’s Program for the convention. For crying out loud.

Jeffrey Imm at the Counterterrorism Blog explains “Why DOJ’s Involvement in ISNA Conference Sends The Wrong Message:”

From a counterterrorism perspective, there are five key facts that are the basis for why DOJ’s involvement in the ISNA conference is wrong:

1. The ISNA organization has a history of ties with Jihadists. This is why ISNA is an unindicted co-conspirator in the ongoing case of US. v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, et. al.

2. Evidence submitted in the Dallas federal courtroom shows that ISNA was established in 1980 by American members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has provided Jihadist ideological underpinning for various Jihad organizations

3. Other evidence showed that ISNA used a financial subsidiary, the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), to divert funds to Hamas’ Musa Abu Marzook, and other Hamas-run organizations, with top HAMAS official Mousa Abu Marzook thanking ISNA

4. ISNA’s conference session on “the threat and reality of U.S.-sponsored torture”

5. ISNA conference main speakers include individuals with a history of dealing with extremist views:
– Muzammil Siddiqi - Steven Emerson’s article “Muzammil the “Moderate” states that “when Siddiqi was President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in 1997, his organization received special thanks from Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook, who wrote that ISNA supported him through his jailing and extradition process, writing that such efforts ‘consoled’ him.” As Steve Emerson’s column points out, “Siddiqi has made numerous pro-jihad statements in the past and has denied that 9/11 was carried about by Muslims.” Muzammil Siddiqui has been a member of Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), whose members have been connected to Islamic extremism and terrorism.
– Siraj Wahhaj - a character witness for convicted 1993 World Trade Center terrorist “blind sheik” Omar Rahman, and a man who reportedly called for replacing the American government with a caliphate
– Abdalla Idris Ali - has been on the board of the American Muslim Council, an organization whose leaders have openly supported terrorist groups, such as Hamas
– Ihsan Bagby: “we [Muslims] can never be full citizens of this country… because there is no way we can be fully committed to the institutions and ideologies of this country.”
– Zaid Shakir: “Every Muslim who is honest would say, I would like to see America become a Muslim country”

Furthermore, the argument over whether DOJ is a “sponsor” rather than a “paying exhibitor” is more semantics than substance.

Read the whole thing.

Charles Johnson’s looking for a Democrat, any Democrat, who’ll join the GOP opposition to the Justice Department’s decision to participate in the ISNA conference.

Posted in: Jihadists

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#1

On August 30th, 2007 at 9:21 pm, ajmontana said:

“It is absolute insanity for the federal government, especially the Department of Justice, to be giving any credibility at all to a group like the ISNA, which has such strong links to Islamic extremism,” Mr. King said.

How can these groups keep operating in the United States? Give me a flippin break.
#2

On August 30th, 2007 at 9:23 pm, Armigerous said:

Why do I get the feeling that whatever DOJ bureaucrat made this decision is a Clinton era holdover and did so deliberately to make the Bush administration look like idiots?
#3

On August 30th, 2007 at 9:29 pm, nbarry said:

Armigerous,

If Alberto Gonzales had a clue, he would have blown the whistle weeks ago. You may be turned off by the manner in which the Democrats have hounded him, but there are times an ill wind might blow us some good.
#4

On August 30th, 2007 at 9:52 pm, Peejz said:

at 9:21 pm, ajmontana said:

How can these groups keep operating in the United States? Give me a flippin break.

You are trying to take away the constitutional rights of these haters..that’s just not right! (sarcasm)

Everytime take a step forward in this country, it seems we go back a mile!
#5

On August 30th, 2007 at 9:54 pm, IrishEi said:

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross at the Counterterrorism Blog has a post up about this. He’s not concerned and explains why:

The Justice Department will in fact have a booth at the convention, but is not a co-sponsor. There will be about 500 booths at the bazaar-style event, including military recruiters, the FBI, and others who want to reach the Muslim community. The DOJ’s civil rights division and community relations service attended the ISNA convention in years past…

Worth the read. It doesn’t make me feel any better. The fact that the FBI and military will be there makes me feel even worse.
#6

On August 30th, 2007 at 9:59 pm, Michelle Malkin said:

Jeffrey Imm’s response at the Counterterrorism Blog is here.
#7

On August 30th, 2007 at 10:14 pm, ajmontana said:

. It is an injustice to American civil rights to view perceived support for terror trial organizations as an option for the cause of “outreach” and law-abiding Americans of all faiths should be outraged.

We are…
#8

On August 30th, 2007 at 10:51 pm, AlohaGuy said:

Send some Conservatives to the conference. That way the Bush Administration will have nothing to do with it.
#9

On August 31st, 2007 at 8:09 am, IrishEi said:

On August 30th, 2007 at 9:59 pm, Michelle Malkin said:
Jeffrey Imm’s response at the Counterterrorism Blog is here.

I apologize, Michelle. I was not trying to derail your post; here’s where I am coming from:

I know I cannot condemn an entire religion based on the actions of a few. I am trying very hard not to, and that is why I linked Daveed’s post. While he admits that ISNA is indeed an un-indicted co-conspirator and has ties to terrorist organizations, he believes that the government is right to try to reach out to the thousands of peace-loving Muslims who will attend the conference. I want to believe that’s possible, but I do not.

I am trying very hard not to blame Mohammedans for the terror that inflicts the world. When others scold me for painting all Muslims with the same broad brush, I acquiesce. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I do not. I want to trust them but I do not. I want to accept them as a peace-loving people, but I do not. I want to believe that the terrorists represent only the proverbial tiny minority, but I do not.

The only Muslims whom I have heard speak out forcefully against the jihadists are apostates (Hirsi-Ali, Waffa Sultan, Walid Shoebat, etc.) Where are the voices of the supposed majority of peace-loving Muslims? It has been six years since Muslims murdered more than 3,000 Americans in the name of Allah. 9,000+ terrorist attacks have occurred throughout the world in the name of Allah since 9/11. Where are they?! I really want to believe that they are out there, but I do not.

My personal contact with Muslims is limited; in fact, it is a grotesque caricature: Muslim families own the 7-Eleven and the gas station in my town. I have supported their businesses for years, yet I cannot even get a “hello” from them. This is a small town where the dry cleaner has called me at home to inquire about the nature of a stain on my suit that he is working on. Their attitude is not just irritating; it is an affront. I want to accept them as neighbors and fellow Americans, but I do not.

Daveed’s idea to reach out to the non-jihadists at the convention seemed like a reasonable approach. I was just trying…again.
#10

On August 31st, 2007 at 11:22 am, roydee43 said:

Thanks for the information and contact address. I sent this request and identified myself.

Department of Justice - Attorney General,

Please enter my request to the proper authorities.

As one who pays taxes that support this department I respectfully request the termination of those employees responsible for the DOJ sponsorship participation in the Islamic Society of North America convention.
#11

On August 31st, 2007 at 11:38 am, rightisright said:

Well said #9…where are they? We keep hearing about them all, but never hear from them. I have to ask myself where is their true allegiance? Answer that and you will be very concerned about the future.
#12

On August 31st, 2007 at 11:50 am, roydee43 said:

I know that letters like the one above do not get serious attention. But for every letter sent they know many more people feel the same. If enough of us take the trouble to make contact - there will be some response.

Ditto to #11
#13

On September 1st, 2007 at 9:21 am, greysheepdog said:

WHAT a surprise!

44th Annual ISNA Convention

Saturday, September 1, 2007. 12:15-2:30pm
Grand Ballroom, Hyatt Regency O’Hare,
Chicago, Illinois

Keynote Speaker: Keith Ellison, US Congressman from Minnesota