Free Speech Vs. Lawsuit Terrorism

IBD ^ | April 14, 2008

[Kaslin]

Islamofascism: Suicide bombs aren't the only chilling weapon Islamists are using in their war to the death with Western civilization. Exploiting the free world's laws on libel and so-called hate speech, they intimidate truth-telling writers.

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When American Center for Democracy director Rachel Ehrenfeld in 2003 authored "Funding Evil: How Terrorism Is Financed — and How to Stop It," she was intellectually taking part in the global war on terror. But she also ended up becoming enmeshed in an international legal war.

Saudi banker and suspected al-Qaida financial supporter Sheikh Khalid bin Mahfouz and his sons were named in the book and Mahfouz sued Ehrenfeld for libel in Britain — although only 23 copies of the American-published "Funding Evil" were purchased there, online.

British libel law is notoriously geared to the advantage of the plaintiff. So Ehrenfeld chose not to defend her case, and in 2005 High Court Justice Sir David Eady pronounced a default judgment ordering Ehrenfeld to apologize and pay $225,000.

Ehrenfeld countersued in the U.S., but the courts ruled they had no personal jurisdiction over Mahfouz under New York state law. As a result, Ehrenfeld is now discouraged from traveling abroad to promote her important, potentially life-saving work. And publishers, too, will be discouraged from printing her future books by the fear of being sued for large sums of money.

This is but one case in an intensifying global jihad against those who dare to exercise free speech to expose the tactics of terrorists, or criticize Islamic extremism.

[TBP]

This is hte saem battle Michael Savage is fighting in his legal battle to bring down the terrorist front group CAIR.

[Cindy]

JIHAD WATCH.org: "SPENCER ON THE SUPPRESSION OF DISCUSSION OF ISLAM" (April 13, 2008)

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