Members of Congress Blast Claims That Muslim Interns are 'Spies'
Mainstream media ridicule fringe right-wing GOP members
CAIR, America’s prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, applauded statements by members of the U.S. House of Representatives rejecting claims made by several of their GOP colleagues that Muslim congressional interns are "spies."
On Oct. 14, four right-wing members of Congress, with a long history of fringe or bigoted statements, launched a book called "Muslim Mafia" and asked for an investigation of Muslim "spies" on Capitol Hill. One of these bigoted members of Congress is Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) who earlier has expressed concern about the number ofMuslims running convenience stores throughout the United States and also asked the State Department to revoke former President Jimmy Carter's passport. An article in Politico said the alleged spying by Muslims was in fact a "fairly straight forward public relations and lobbying strategy," with the goals of "'placing Muslim interns in congressional offices' and registering people to vote."
In a statement, CAIR said:
"It is troubling that right-wing elected officials would serve as publicity agents for extremists who seek to bar an American minority from exercising its constitutionally-protected rights. We applaud those who stand up for the right of all Americans to participate fully in our nation's political system.”
Watch these short media interviews on this issue:
CAIR Video: Rachel Maddow Exposes Anti-Muslim Extremists (MSNBC)
Round 2 of Rachel Maddow Exposes Anti-Islam Extremists in Congress (MSNBC)
CAIR Rep Discusses ‘Manchurian Interns’ on CNN
In response to the right-wing smears, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called CAIR a "mainstream, all-American civil liberties and advocacy group." An article on Salon.com called the actions of the elected officials who launched the anti-Muslim book the "most despicable domestic political event of the year."
The demand for a probe of Muslim "spies" in Congress drew condemnation from other elected officials, one of whom called it a "witch hunt."
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) issued a statement, which read in part:
"I am appalled by this request [for an investigation of Muslim 'spies' in Congress], and the insinuation that Muslim-Americans are somehow conspiring against this country through their work on Capitol Hill. As a strong advocate for diversity and religious freedom, I find these claims to be outrageous and offensive. I urge the rest of my colleagues to join me in denouncing this witch hunt, which is clearly intended to create fear and distrust in our Capitol Hill community."
House Judiciary Committee ChairmanJohn Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) issued the following statement in support of American Muslim congressional interns:
"It shouldn't need to be said in 2009, and after the historic election of our first African-American president, but let me remind all my colleagues that patriotic Americans of all races, religions, and beliefs have the right - and the responsibility - to participate in our political process, including by volunteering to work in Congressional offices. Numerous Muslim-American interns have served the House ably and they deserve our appreciation and respect, not attacks on their character or patriotism."
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, stated in part:
“These fallacious allegations implicate the existence of a society still struggling with anti-Muslim sentiment. My Muslim colleagues in the House of Representatives, along with the highly qualified, patriotic and committed Muslim staffers and interns that have worked with my office and with CAPAC, contribute mightily to our democratic process. Any slander against these fellow patriots is slander against democracy and religious freedom.”
Dave Gaubatz, the anti-Islam blogger who co-authored "Muslim Mafia," has a long history of bigotry targeting Islam and Muslims. Gaubatz has called Islam an "evil ideology" and worked for a racist group that sought to make "adherence to Islam" punishable by a 20-year prison term.
In the past, Gaubatz has been questioned by state and federal law enforcement authorities for actions that were perceived as those of a stalker. CAIR has filed a criminal report against Gaubatz over materials he and his son say they stole from the civil rights group's offices.
Gaubatz has also called President Obama a "crack head" and wrote that "a vote for Hussein Obama is a vote for Sharia Law." He also called Islam a "terminal disease that once spread is hard to destroy."
It is unfortunate that there is a fringe segment of Americans who wish to promote hatred against American Muslims and intimidate them from exercising their rights to engage politically. Despite the attempts of this new McCarthyism, CAIR and the American Muslim community remain committed to encouraging dialogue, protecting civil liberties of all Americans, and promoting justice and mutual understanding.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Members of Congress Blast Claims That Muslim Interns are 'Spies'
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
United American Committee Aims to Disunite Michigan Through Billboard
If anyone drove out of Detroit on southbound I-75 last winter and passed through Erie Township, they might have seen the bold-colored “SHARIA LAW THREATENS AMERICA” billboard that the United American Committee (UAC) funded at Exit 6 by Luna Pier Road.
Claiming to be “working for a better, safer tomorrow,” the UAC hoped to drive locals toward their website, which was noted at the bottom of the sign. Instead of logging on to a reputable and inspiring webpage, the organization’s web address morphs, and directs users to a low-budget, remedial-quality “antijihadresistance” chat forum. The “Jihad Chat Portal” conveniently contains an entire section on “CAIR/Anti-CAIR Issues,” and is dripping with misinformation on Islam. Like many individuals and groups who aim to discredit Muslims and/or Islamic institutions, the UAC chose the medium of a large-scale billboard, which they hoped would be effective in publicizing their “SHARIA” smear campaign.
The UAC’s YouTube.com channel states that the group is, “An educational, non-profit, grassroots organization of thousands of Americans against the threat of radical Islam.” An attempt at a firm connection between the religion of Islam and its legal system and anti-American radicalism is created in order to incite fear and hatred in the hearts and minds of Michiganders. Furthermore, the UAC is hoping to ride on the myths and misunderstandings surrounding Islamic law, such as the idea that non-Muslims would be subject to its jurisdiction in the case that it was the governing law of a land.
Uploaded on November 26, 2008, the channel provides an ABC Channel 13 Action Newscenter television broadcast covering the billboard “controversy,” where news reporter Zack Ottenstein states that the UAC chose that particular location on I-75 for the first billboard of their project “because of our significant Muslim population.” The location of the billboard further reflects UAC’s lack of funding and support. A billboard closer to Toledo, Ohio or Metro-Detroit would have enabled their message to reach a far greater breadth of Muslims and their neighbors.
The television news coverage further provides a note from the group stating, “We hope this message inspires the Muslims of America who came to this country to escape Sharia, to stand up against it.” Is the UAC really trying to inspire Muslims or attack their faith? Moreover, why is the UAC assuming that all Muslims in their audience “came to this country,” and were not in fact born in Michigan from families that have resided in the area for decades or even a hundred years? In research published by Gallup, Inc. in 2009 on Muslim Americans, for example, indigenous Americans were cited as making up at least thirty-six percent of the Muslim population in the United States.
As a fear-based perpetrator of hate, the ultimate objective of the group was clearly to disunite local residents of Michigan – to leave non-Muslims fearful of the presence of Muslims in their communities by utilizing an often misused media flag-word that is frequently entirely misunderstood, and to inherently reinforce the idea that Muslims are not American.
In light of the fact that many Metro-Detroiters never even noticed the “SHARIA billboards,” and gave minimal reaction to the ineffective propaganda, one of smearcasting.com’s own “Dirty Dozen,” David Horowitz, provided the little-known group with an additional platform to advertise their “Islam-o-phobic” views. Horowitz’s FrontPage Magazine published an interview on December 22, 2008 with an individual who helped plan the billboard project who called CAIR an “Islamist” group that was scared to address the presence of the new billboard, and described prayer leaders of the Muslim communities as “theocratic thugs,” “two-bit religious leaders,” and “bullies.”
News Alert to the United American Committee: name-calling and insulting prayer leaders is not a shining American example of unifying behavior. Spreading hatred through fear and propaganda amongst your fellow countrymen and directing them towards a bigoted and misinformed chat room is not educational.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Schlussel Blog Posting Incites Death Threat Against Dearborn Muslim
This particular post, however, appears to show the effect of her bigotry to incite or at the least release hatred in the form of a death threat. See below what was written by one of her devotees named Rick:
Posted by: supercargo at May 12, 2008 08:01 AM
Nuke Detroit.
Posted by: Rick at May 12, 2008 10:01 AM
I live very close to michigan. I'm going to drive there and murder this b****.
Posted by: Infidel Pride at July 11, 2007 11:53 PM
Instead of that, just deport the whole lot of them to Mecca, and then send an ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missle) to follow them there.
We have learned that these comments were sent to local and federal authorities. Unfortunately for Rick, even if Schlussel erases these comments, law enforcement can retrieve them and use them for prosecution purposes. A man who sent a similar type of e-mail to Bazzy's imam in Dearborn was prosecuted and found guilty by a federal court.
Joe Kaufman - Founder of an "Oxymoron [...] Hate-Spewing " Organization
As recipient of the dubious Onion Award, Joe Kaufman's disgusting and dangerous slander makes him an anti-Muslim bigot. Considered a clown in disguise, Kaufman gets trashed left and right. He is made fun of more than many others, because of his highly incompetent ability to properly and impartially understand religious and cultural ideology.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State gave Joe Kaufman the Onion Award in March of 2006, an unfavorable and comic award that goes out to "nut-jobs." Bob Collette of Americans United for Separation of Church and State discusses Kaufman and the Onion Award as he states:
This is a man (Kaufman) who founded an organization called Americans Against Hate. It's the [...] Oxymoron, because all it does is spew hate!
Americans Against Hate is a website that was created to propagate anti-everything that is associated with Islam and Muslims. Just like many other self-righteous bigots, Kaufman is considered to be a right-wing extremist with ties to Israeli terrorist organizations that are listed by the U.S. Department of State, and even has his blog articles prohibited in the Jewish Israeli Magazine due to his loyalties to Kach and Kahane Chai radical groups. (See "A Kahane Legacy Lost," written by Joe Kaufman under radicalwatch.blogspot.com)
On an interview with the Fox News television show Hannity & Colmes on August 23, 2007, Joe Kaufman is once again bashed by the media, as Colmes debates Kaufman's false assumptions:
Colmes: One of the things you've been protesting is this school as we talked about in the beginning of the introduction, and by the way, you understand that this is an Arabic language and cultural school, it is not an Islamic school, you understand the distinction, right?!
Kaufman: I understand that, but there are a lot of, uh, shall we say Islamic radicals that have been associated with this school, uh, we have no problem with...(cut-off by Colmes)
Colmes: Who? Who for an example? Who are you calling a radical?
Kaufman: Well, I think the fact that the, that the, Principle designate [...] uh, had, had, uh, had supported these T-shirts calling for a violent uprising, or intifada, in New York City, uh, and she, she eventually resigned for that, uh, I think that would, that would pretty much...(cut-off by Colmes)
Colmes: Well, she interpreted it differently, she didn't say she supported violent uprising! And by the way, she's not a radical! And furthermore, why do you suppose this school was named [...] a peaceful Christian? As opposed to a Muslim, and someone who practiced and promoted peace? Why would you suspect that would be the case?
Kaufman: Well it's just like, uh, it's just like inviting someone that calls himself or herself a Rabbi to their events (referring to Rabbi Michael Feinberg, who after being verbally assaulted by Kaufman, the Rabbi responded with the comment below) they, they invite them, and then they send out a, a press release saying that they had a Rabbi at their event, uh, be just to make it, so that, so that they look like, they look like they like Jews. You know, uh, wink wink. But in reality, uh, either, uh you or uh, Shawn could put Yarmulke's on your head, and call yourself Rabbi's and you'll be just as much of a Rabbi as this fool.
(The incident being referred to occurred prior to the H&C interview with Kaufman.)
Rabbi: I don't have to indict myself to you Nazi's! Listen, I've seen you with other groups too, you're some extreme right-wing nut-job! (Then speaking to nearby security...) Can you have that person removed and his camera from my face?!
Hannity: [...] is it accurate in your mind to call this school a Madrassa?
Kaufman: [...] Absolutely
Colmes: By the way, Madrassa means school, number one! Number two, in the 21-year history of this parade (referring to the Muslim Day Parade) can you cite 1 incident that's been a threat to security? In the 21 years they've done this parade?
Kaufman: Well, the, well the, first of all, Madrassa's are all throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan...(cut-off by Colmes)
Colmes: Which means school! It means school.
Kaufman: And that's were people like Osama Bin Laden have, have, gotten their learning as well.
Colmes: Alright in terms of this parade there's no evidence in the 21 years of anything other than the peaceful association and an assembly, I thank you very much.
Kaufman: Well, as, as I said, the groups are radical that are barred of this, uh part of this parade.
Colmes: As I said, there's no evidence of anything other than peacefulness during this parade. Thank you for being with us.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Debbie Schlussel, the Bigoted "Know-Nothing Nut"
As a registered attorney for the State of Michigan, Schlussel has not only shown to be bigoted and racist toward the establishment and prosperity of Muslims, but has also been found to engage in professional misconduct, in which attorneys are held to a higher ethical and moral standard here in the United States.Schlussel's repeated and often misinformed slander and ethnically offensive remarks has civil rights attorneys and news reporters calling her a "know-nothing nut" (see Detroit News Editorial, August 19, 2006) with a lot of time on her racist hands.
In relation to the professional misconduct, Schlussel has been found to "Masquerade in an Islamic disguise as Zeinab Saleh," (see photograph above) a clear violation of the guidelines set out in Rule 6.5 (a) of the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct, as the Michigan Rules state:
"A lawyer shall treat with courtesy and respect all persons involved in the legal process. A lawyer shall take particular care to avoid treating such a person discourteously or disrespectfully because of the person's race, gender, or their protected personal characteristics."
According to The Detroit News, an editorial written August 19, 2006 states:
"Spelling lesson needed Shameless self-promoter and would-be commentator Debbie Schlussel is now calling Dearborn "Dearbornistan. Schlussel is nothing more than a chubby Ann Coulter, a shrill demagogue who gets in front of the camera only because she's willing to say the most offensive, obnoxious and outlandish things. Ignore this know-nothing nut."
Michael O'Brien wrote in The National Review, a conservative publication on August 7, 2007 that she is "the ever-irrational Debbie Schlussel."
Ari Berman of The Nation, in his article written on April 10, 2008 entitled LA Times Revives Obama Smear, referred to her as, "Debbie Schlussel, an inflammatory right-wing blogger and originator of the 'Obama is a Muslim' lie."
Schlussel's rampant and redundant slurs and slander not only demonstrate her lack of knowledge in relation to foreign affairs, but also describe her personality as a self-centered and close-minded individual with some of the most hateful and hate-creating remarks ever conceived.
Eventually, all the work she has been doing will only spiral off into a large web of hatred - a cesspool of views and slander where she will have the potential to create an everlasting hatred within the fabric of American society.
Schlussel needs to recognize that she is responsible for creating a hatred that will only divide Americans and politicians further and further, thus enacting a self-evolving web of fear, anger and frustration.
