CAIR-Michigan Sues Over Slaim Imam FOIAs

The Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) Michigan chapter has filed a lawsuit against the Michigan State Police for denying Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the group announced. The FOIAs requested detailed information on the events leading up to the death of Luqman Abdullah, a Detroit imam who was killed in an October 2009 FBI raid. FBI agents say they returned fire after Abdullah refused to surrender and fired first.

A criminal complaint charged Abdullah and ten of his followers with conspiring to sell stolen goods. It also identified Abdullah as a "highly placed leader of a nationwide radical fundamentalist Sunni group" whose goal is to establish an Islamic state in the U.S.

CAIR-Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid defended the group's decision to sue the state police. "Due to the utter lack of transparency shown by various law enforcement agencies involved in this case, we have been compelled to use the courts to obtain what should be public information," he said. CAIR continues to call on the Department of Justice to investigate Abdullah's death.

Since the shooting, CAIR-Michigan has gone to great lengths to try to discredit the FBI's decision to return fire on Abdullah, even hiring a pathologist to do a second independent autopsy of the body. The county medical examiner took issue with the results of CAIR's autopsy, which concluded that Abdullah's jaw was broken by a dog attack and that he had dog bites on his upper body. The second autopsy was performed only by examining photos.

The organization plans to announce more lawsuits at a news conference this afternoon. According to a press release, the organization will announce the filing of several FOIA lawsuits against different law enforcement entities in order to obtain more information about the death of Abdullah.

New Jersey Ruling Invoked in Anti-Shariah Pitch

Though it was overturned on appeal, advocates of anti-Sharia legislation believe a New Jersey judge's decision not to grant a woman a restraining order from an abusive husband because his faith allowed his behavior may help their cause.

Family Court Judge Joseph Charles denied the request in June 2009, even though the woman seeking it made it clear she had been raped by her husband. The husband claimed that, under Islamic law, the wife must submit to him "and do anything I ask her to do." An imam called as a witness backed up the husband, prompting Charles to rule:

"The court believes that [defendant] was operating under his belief that it is, as the husband, his desire to have sex when and whether he wanted to, was something that was consistent with his practices and it was something that was not prohibited."

The appellate court reversed Charles last month, finding religious law does not trump the state.

In an interview with Fox News, the woman's attorney said the case shows how judges may be prone to making similar mistakes. "Clearly here, this judge did walk down that road," said attorney Jennifer Donnelly." He may not have said 'Shariah law.' But I think it's indicative that, in trying to be respectful of religion, judges venture into a very slippery slope."

A ballot measure in Oklahoma would bar consideration of "international law or Shariah Law" in rulings.

Brothers Tap Pink Floyd Classic to Fight the Mullahs

It's been more than a year since Iranian authorities brutally suppressed non-violent protests against alleged electoral fraud. Now, two Iranian brothers in Canada are using a remake of a classic rock anthem to keep the spirit of the counter-revolution alive.

Blurred Vision's "Another Brick in the Wall" has the blessing and support from Pink Floyd front-man Roger Waters, whose anti-authoritarian song came out the same year as the Iranian revolution. Mixing traditional music video images with footage from last year's street protests, the updated version adds new relevance to the line "We don't need no thought control," and slightly amended the punchy, "Hey Ayatollah, Leave Those Kids Alone!"

Blurred Vision musicians Sepp and Sohl's parents fled Iran after the 1979 revolution. They still have relatives in Iran, so they keep their last names a secret.

They see the original song, "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) as timeless, Sepp said, and "we hope that our updated version for the 21st century can open people's eyes to what is happening."

He described an email his brother received from an Iranian who heard about their song:

"This kid was essentially saying, 'You are now our voice, and if you guys stop we'll have no one to speak for us, so keep going.' It just sent shivers down my spine knowing someone so young could be feeling so hopeless in their own nation."

With so many reports of youth radicalization, Blurred Vision's stand for freedom is a welcome sight, and something Pink Floyd fans should appreciate. See the video here.

Shabaab Support Network Shut Down

Federal authorities announced a major break Thursday in efforts to dismantle the international terrorist organization, al Shabaab. As we have previously reported, the past year has seen a substantial increase in Western youth traveling to Somalia to take up arms against African Union forces in the hopes of establishing an Islamic state in the Horn of Africa. The charging documents, naming 14 individuals, reveal the evolving threat posed by al Shabaab.

While historically confined to Somalia, al Shabaab has recently demonstrated the desire and capability of striking in its neighboring countries. Less than a month ago the organization claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Uganda during the World Cup which killed 74 people. And as the organization becomes a growing threat, the Justice Department has focused on the American support structure for al Shabaab.

The investigation announced by Attorney General Holder on Thursday, spanned at least four states and required the cooperation of local, federal, and international law enforcement officials. It culminated in the indictment of Omar Hammami in Alabama, Jehad Mostafa in California, and 12 more defendants in Minnesota (see here and here). Discussing the case, Holder said:

"these indictments and arrests—in Minnesota, Alabama, and California—shed further light on a deadly pipeline that has routed funding and fighters to al Shabaab from cities across the United States

[…]

As demonstrated by the charges unsealed today, we are seeing an increasing number of individuals – including U.S. citizens – who have become captivated by extremist ideology and have taken steps to carry out terrorist objectives, either at home or abroad."

Hammami is an American from Daphne, Alabama who joined al Shabaab in 2007, has risen through the ranks from foot soldier to lead propagandist, frequently issuing calls for Western recruits in English.

The nation-wide ring was charged, among other crimes, with providing material support to al Shabaab. Primarily, the suspects stand accused of trying to join with al Shabaab forces and with providing financial support to the designated terrorist organization.

Prosecutors allege that the defendants collected funds door-to-door and via teleconference under the guise of "humanitarian aid." Then they funneled it to jihadists in Somalia through informal hawala, or money transferring networks. In one such request for money on Feb. 10, 2009, one of the suspects allegedly told listeners to "forget about the other charities" and focus on "the jihad."

Yet Another American Arrested for Planning Jihad

For the second time in two weeks an American was arrested planning to travel to Somalia and engage in terrorism alongside al-Shabaab militants. Last week it was Virginia native Zachary Chesser, and today it was 26-year old Chicagoan Shaker Masri hoping to travel to kill American soldiers in the name of Islam.

According to federal authorities, the arrest of Masri followed an 18 month investigation during which Masri slowly laid out his plans to join the ranks of other Americans who have gone abroad to wage jihad against the West. And like those who went before him, Masri was radicalized in part by the sermons of American-born al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. So much so, in fact, that Masri expressed hopes "that Awlaki will become an al-Qaida leader."

Believing the United States and Europe to be enemies of Islam, during one conversation with a cooperating witness, Masri reportedly:

"ridiculed protestors advocating Palestinian related causes as ineffectual, stating that only those individuals who are aiming a rifle at the enemy are actually doing something for Islamic causes."

Although details on Masri's background are still forthcoming, authorities have confirmed that he was born in Alabama, raised abroad, and returned to the United States at the age of 18. At the time of his arrest, Masri was working for a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free English language translations of the Quran.

While working at the non-profit, Masri met the man who would eventually help law enforcement authorities arrest him—an unnamed cooperating witness. According to charging documents, Masri repeatedly solicited information about bomb making. In a recorded conversation with the informant, Masri is heard saying:

"I will not stay idle and I wish to know how to the explosive belt is mad and I will wear one and not take it off."

Despite this radical language, Masri was cautious about his activities. At one point, he told his compatriot to keep a low profile as they prepared to depart for Somalia, saying that Chesser was only arrested because he was not careful.

Appearing in a federal court, Masri was charged with, among other crimes, attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization, and faces a maximum of 30 years in prison if convicted of the charges.

Terrorist Rockets Target Jordan, Israel

Terrorists operating from the Sinai Peninsula are believed responsible for a rocket strike that killed a Jordanian cab driver near the Intercontinental Hotel in Aqaba Monday. Six Katyusha rockets were fired at the area on Monday with two landing in Jordan; one near the neighboring Israeli city of Eilat; two in the Red Sea; and one in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Israeli defense sources believe the rockets were fired from the Sinai. Police sappers in Eilat said the Katyushas were Iranian-made, with a range of 12 miles. Israel was investigating the possibility that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) had fired the rockets.

Monday's rocket strikes come one day after the PIJ announced it would resume suicide attacks against Israel. The group, which has carried out dozens of attacks against the Jewish State, said its recent efforts to attack Israel from the West Bank have been hampered by arrests carried out by Israeli and Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces.

"Suicide operations require places for training and preparing explosive belts," said Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for the Al-Quds battalions, the PIJ's armed wing. "It's very difficult to do these things because of the policy of security coordination and the arrest of [would-be] suicide bombers."

Eilat and Aqaba have been targeted repeatedly in recent years. In August 2005, rockets were fired at several U.S. Navy ships in Aqaba. The rockets missed the American warships but killed a Jordanian soldier and landed in Eilat. Al Qaida in Iraq said it carried out the attack targeting ships belonging to "crusader American forces – in Aqaba and Eilat."

In April, a rocket was fired into Aqaba, causing no casualties but serving as a reminder that Israel, Jordan, and Egypt have all been terrorist targets in recent years. The mostly deadly attacks in the area occurred on July 23, 2005, when three bombs tore through hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, a popular resort, killing 90 people and wounding close to 240. Al Qaida and another jihadist group claimed responsibility.

Netanyahu Agrees to UN Flotilla Probe

After resisting the idea for two months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that Israel will cooperate in a United Nations investigation into the deadly interception of a flotilla trying to break the blockade on Gaza May 31.

Nine people died on the Mavi Marmara after attacking Israeli commandos as they boarded the ship. A number of the passengers expressed a desire to become martyrs on the ship. In addition, the sponsoring organization, Turkish-based IHH, has deep ties to Hamas and other terrorist groups.

But Israeli officials balked at the UN probe, pointing to the Goldstone report on the 2008-09 war against Hamas in Gaza. That investigation accused Israel of war crimes while overlooking incessant rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza that targeted Israeli civilians.

On Monday, Netanyahu announced Israel would participate, saying "we have nothing to hide."

"Israel's national interest to ensure that the factual truth regarding the flotilla incident would be exposed for the world to see," he said, adding that truth was "the principle we are promoting through this decision."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon then announced that the investigation would be run by former New Zealand Prime Minister Mr. Geoffrey Palmer and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. A representative of Israel and Turkey also will serve on the panel.

On June 14, the Israeli government established the Turkel Committee to examine the events surrounding the incident. The committee includes a former Supreme Court justice, along with experts in military and legal issues. Ban greeted the Committee with "with lukewarm enthusiasm" and continued to push for a UN–led investigation.

The new UN panel will receive reports from the Turkel Committee, also known as the Independent Public Commission to Examine the Maritime Incident of 31 May 2010, a Netanyahu adviser said.

The Israeli Navy already has concluded its own investigation. It found that intelligence reports failed to detect the presence of committed radicals on board the Mavi Marmara and the potential that created for a violent confrontation. When the commandos came under attack, they "acted accordingly" when they fired back.

Palestinian Authority Again Honors Terrorist

The Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to name West Bank institutions after terrorists. Quoting the official Palestinian Authority newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) reports the PA has named a summer camp in Bethlehem after Dalal Mughrabi, who was the leader of the team that carried out the Coastal Road Massacre, the worst terrorist attack in Israel's history.

Fatah terrorists led by Mughrabi, carrying Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenade light mortars and explosives, penetrated Israeli coastal defenses and landed on a beach near Ma'agan Michael on March 11, 1978. They murdered Gail Rubin, an American photojournalist taking nature pictures nearby, and hijacked a bus packed with tourists.

As the bus raced toward Tel Aviv, the terrorists fired and lobbed grenades at passing cars and shot at passengers on the bus. (At one point, they dumped a body out of the vehicle.) Mughrabi's team hijacked a second bus and forced terrified passengers from the first bus to get onboard. At a police roadblock near Tel Aviv, the terrorists exchanged fire with Israeli security forces. At least 37 civilians were killed in the attack, as were Mughrabi and five other terrorists. Read more here and here.

According to a PMW report issued in May, Mughrabi has more than a dozen West Bank institutions named after her. These include "the Dalal Mughrabi Girl's High School" in Hebron, where USAID funded renovations.

The same report cited Mughrabi as one of 46 different terrorists glorified in PA institutions. These include Abu Iyad, responsible for the Munich Olympics massacre in which 11 Israeli athletes were killed, as well as Hamas founder Ahmad Yassin.

The Shine is Off the Divestment Movement

The "Boycott, Divestment, Sanction" (BDS) movement aimed at Israel has attempted to portray itself as a humanitarian organization whose mission is to:

"call upon international civil organizations and people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel, similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era, until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with international law."

But a video the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg highlights paints BDS, in the words of the narrator, as "a venomous, deceitful, anti-peace, anti co-existence movement, that will settle for nothing short of the annihilation of the Jewish State."

The video, posted on YouTube, contrasts BDS calls for peace and cooperation with evidence of a consistent pattern of criticizing attempts at Palestinian-Israeli cooperation and reconciliation. Whether the attempts were educational, economic, or artistic, BDS has stood in the way.

Following the signing of a statement of academic cooperation between al Quds University and Hebrew University, the president of the Palestinian University explained it was "important to create tolerance, pluralism, the ability to listen," and that the program would help in accomplishing that goal. BDS leader Professor Steven Rose responded by calling for a severing of all such educational cooperation.

In 2008, Palestinian and Israeli trade unions signed an agreement which was described by the General Secretary of the Palestinian Trade Union as "promoting the rights of Palestinian workers." BDS leaders criticized the Palestinian Trade Union until it was forced to issue a retraction.

Israel announced the Tel Aviv Film Festival, which would bring together Palestinian and Israeli film makers in a collaborative environment. One Palestinian director involved, Murad Nessar, explained the importance of "trying to reach for peace using artistic and cinematic projects." BDS denounced the film festival and demanded it be boycotted.

BDS leaders throw around phrases like "equality, freedom, and dignity;" "Justice in Palestine;" and "a democratic movement based on the struggle for human rights." But as this video demonstrates, the organization is not interested in peaceful coexistence. Speaking to the matter, BDS founder, Omar Barghouti explained:

"If the occupation ends, let's say, would that end the call for BDS? No, it wouldn't."

Helping Muslim Americans Overcome Islamist Dominance

When a Boston activist took issue with political and religious leaders embracing what he finds to be a radical Islamist group, community and religious leaders fired back. Charles Jacobs was advised in a letter signed by dozens of rabbis "to discontinue his destructive campaign against Boston's Muslim community, which is based on innuendo, half-truths and unproven conspiracy theories."

In a column, Zuhdi Jasser, founder of the anti-Islamist American Islamic Forum for Democracy, advises Jacobs' critics and political leaders to stop treating the American Muslim community as a monolith. It's a mistake to interpret all mosque leadership as representative of their broader communities, Jasser writes:

"From the inside, many if not most of our mosques in American Islam are suffering deeply from the unopposed hegemony of Islamists like the Muslim Brotherhood and toxic foreign petrodollar interests. For exposing this 'tough love,' reformists often pay a heavy price. This is not 'fear-mongering.' It is reality."

Jasser recounts a recent debate he had with Muslim American Society of Boston (MAS) Executive Director Bilal Kareem (see it here). When he raised concern about some toxic elements of Islamism – the merging of mosque and state – Kareem dismissed it as fantasy.

It's not easy for an individual to take on a machine in any circumstance. You can't fight city hall, after all. So when there's a reflexive defense of Islamists by outsiders, the fight facing reformists like Jasser grows more difficult. It's a fight in which the outsiders really should support:

"Only Muslims can bring Islam into modernity. Only Muslims can reform the ideas that led the Imam Anwar Al-Awlakis, Nidal Hasans, and Faisal Shahzads of the world down the slippery slope of anti-Americanism and violent jihad. Only Muslims can counter the sway of toxic transnational ideologies."

Too often, mosque leadership isn't interested in that fight, or may even be part of the problem. Jasser points to one example in which an imam defended two people implicated in terrorist plots. Credit Jasser for wanting to give voice to the majority of Muslim Americans who reject such attitudes:

"We need to do the hard work of finding and promoting Muslim alternatives. Some of us Muslims pray for a day when Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, their progeny, and affiliates are intellectually defeated. That can only happen when the partisan bickering in the U.S. stops and our nation finally takes sides in the global contest between Islamists and liberty-minded Muslims."

Jasser's critics try to minimize his message, but he's far from alone in believing reform-minded Muslims often are being drowned out amid the din created by establishment groups. Read his full column here.

Newer Postings   |   Older Postings