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STOP BY A BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD
Posted on 06/16/2002 8:08:57 PM PDT by Gopblond
In this "war on terrorism", an extremely disconcerting awareness is beginning to emerge in our collective American psyche. We not only have to worry about foreign-born Muslim terrorists, but homegrown ones as well. And Americans are aghast that "the enemy is within", that fellow Americans are among the ranks of Islamic terrorists preparing to perpetrate attacks upon this nation and our troops overseas. It's vital to recognize that the prison system specifically has become a rich "breeding ground" for generating Muslim disciples, especially of the radical variety. And although the vast majority of militant sympathizers will eschew any terrorist involvement, these prison converts will no doubt be attractive targets for recruitment by organizations such as al-Qaeda. And this phenomenon appears to be playing out in other western democracies as well, given that terrorist "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid accepted Islamic fundamentalism while incarcerated in Great Britain.
Here in America, Islamic groups have aggressively sought converts in both prisons and on college campuses, with overall conversions running as much as thirty to fifty thousand per year. Current estimates of the US Muslim population are from 6 to 8 million, and approximately 30% are converts to the faith. Islam is now believed to be one of the fastest growing religions in America. And a recent media account cited that as many as a half-dozen men "of US origin" have been apprehended by American authorities in Pakistan among al-Qaeda and Taliban remnant forces, an indication that we certainly should expect to find other US-born "Jihadists" out there.
Which brings us to the latest case at hand. Intelligence sources allege that American born Jose Padilla, an al-Qaeda operative known as Abdullah al-Mujahir, was planning and conspiring to detonate a "dirty bomb" in the city of Washington, DC. In the common parlance, a radiological bomb is referred to as a "dirty bomb", now deemed a credible threat by terrorist experts due to the relative ease of its construction utilizing a conventional explosive device combined with radioactive materials. Rather than a Weapon of Mass Destruction, a "dirty bomb" is really a Weapon of Mass Terror designed to panic the citizenry since it irradiates the terrain and renders it uninhabitable for a certain period, depending upon the amount of radioactivity successfully disbursed. Contamination would inevitably require long-term cleanup measures.
Noteworthy, al-Mujahir led a violent life of criminality, and was converted to Islam within prison. In the past, he was a gang-member involved in robberies, assaults and even a killing. In more recent times, he appears to be an out-of-control individual given to road rages and aggressive, acting-out behaviors. Regarding al-Mujahir's current dilemma, the FBI arrested him on May 8th as he landed at a Chicago airport from overseas. He was recently transferred to the custody of the Department of Defense, which can hold him indefinitely pursuant to his status as an "enemy combatant" who ostensibly poses a serious threat to US security. Abdullah al-Mujahir's lawyer, Donna Newman, has filed a writ of habeas corpus with the Federal Court in Manhattan, in effect challenging the constitutionality of her client's detention. According to a New York Times article dated 6/11/02, Ms. Newman states, "My client is a citizen...He still has constitutional rights, the right to counsel, the right to be charged by a grand jury. And he has not been charged".
And make no mistake about the significance of what is occurring. Individuals of varying political stripes believe that Ms. Newman's efforts represent principled opposition to the government, since there are now legitimate concerns regarding unintended consequences and a morphing process that does not adequately safeguard innocent individuals. Quite frankly, detaining any citizen for an indefinite period without bringing charges does not sit well with most Americans, an apparent affront to the American system. At least initially, this matter needs to play out in the Federal Courts for the salient issues (regarding al-Mujahir's status and the full implications of that status) to be vetted and addressed in order to preserve his civil rights as an American citizen. Hey, even John Walker often called "Johnny Taliban" is getting a Federal trial. Unfortunately, this al-Mujahir situation has the potential to politically backfire on the Bush administration, which should make them exceedingly wary. At the current time, the Bush administration insists that it has no intention of bringing the detainee before a military tribunal. Moreover, it's quite understandable that our government would be opposed to trying al-Mujahir in a civil venue, given that it would expose and damage our stealth intelligence sources. But then where does that leave al-Mujahir?
Media accounts indicate that high level al-Qaeda lieutenant Abu Zubaydah, now in custody and under interrogation, provided American authorities with information on his former minion Abdullah al-Mujahir. UPI reports that al-Mujahir had been out of the country since 1998, spending much of the time training with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. UPI also noted that al-Mujahir was an expert at wiring bombs, and "did some research on radiological material", as per investigators. Moreover, according to the Washington Post website (AP article), Padilla's travels put him on four continents in a relatively short timeframe. "He left Karachi in early April, and briefly traveled to Zurich, Switzerland, before going to Cairo, Egypt. He spent a month there, went to Zurich again, and on May 8th flew to Chicago, where the FBI arrested him, officials said. US agents had trailed him for some of his journeys. Officials further said that he probably was flying to the United States to scout targets for al-Qaeda. The plot to detonate a dirty bomb was in its planning stages, but probably would have targeted Washington". From what has already been disseminated regarding al-Mujahir or Padilla, or whatever you want to call him, he presents as a dopey, pathetic individual who, in part, hooked onto al-Qaeda to feed his grandiosity and give his life some meaning. Clearly, this two-bit thug wanted to be a "big shot" with all of the other "big shot" players.
As noted in a recent Sun-Times article, Jose Padilla's mother worried because her son (AKA Abdullah al-Mujahir) had become a "member of a cult" -- a clear reference to his connection with al-Qaeda. And she is absolutely correct in her assessment. The al-Qaeda terrorists are adherents of a highly militant form of Islam called Wahhabism, initially established in the eighteenth century in Saudi Arabia. Wahhabism certainly garnered increasing momentum during the past thirty years, and has been highly promulgated throughout the Middle East during this time, even influencing individuals around the globe such as John Walker (Johnny Taliban) from California. Religious cults have certain commonalities or characteristics, as noted by myriad experts in the field including, but not limited to, the following: 1) A cult indoctrinates its adherents in dogma, suppresses critical and independent thought, and often utilizing rote learning. 2) It views itself as an elite group that is noble, enlightened and above reproach. 3) It believes "the end justifies the means" in the enactment of holy endeavors. 4) Its leader is charismatic, but demands complete submission by adherents.
Although it's a stretch to say that Wahhabism "hijacked Islam" (as some in the media are apt to say), certainly mainstream Muslims do not condone murder or suicide, a distinction made by respected Muslim clerics. And at the risk of appearing politically incorrect, there is no denying that many Americans are questioning traditional Islam's oppression of women, acceptance of slavery and despotic regimes among Islamic nations (dogmatically enforcing the law of the Qur'an-Koran), hostility toward modernity, and history of "holy wars" and violent confrontation with non-Muslims or infidels. As noted by a Washington Times article, a survey conducted by the "Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life" released 5/01/02 demonstrates American ambivalence toward Islam - with only 51% of those polled indicating that they "do not believe that Islam encourages violence". However, it must be underscored that Wahhabism is clearly fringe, radical even among the traditional faithful of Allah. And integral to this new-style al-Qaeda Wahhabism, the cult-of-death has proliferated with a firm belief that those who die in the process of their "Jihad" efforts are expedited straight to paradise with a reward of 72 virgins, and the like, awaiting them.
Here in America, the prison system has become the primary disseminator of this Islamic extremism, which is in full sympathy with the notion of "Jihad" or holy war on western civilizations. But why have prisons become "breeding grounds" for this pernicious, cult-like faith? Because criminals are often angry, disillusioned, and disenfranchised individuals that refuse to take responsibility for their unacceptable behaviors. And western civilization, (particularly American society dubbed the "Great Satan" by Islamic fundamentalists), becomes a convenient scapegoat, the ostensible reason for their difficulties in life. Possessed by grandiosity as "special" and "saved", these criminals/Islamic extremists obtain vicarious satisfaction from seeing "evil" and "corrupt" America suffer at the hands of the terrorists. And if a criminal is successfully recruited as a terrorist, he has the opportunity to perpetrate immense evil against America, all in the name of "Allah" and godliness. Moreover, on some level, these violent criminals welcome the opportunity to retaliate or "get even" with the American system that has "wronged" them. Direct involvement with militant Islam would surely provide a criminal sociopath with a further sense of empowerment.
Criminals in prisons, especially those with a propensity toward violence, have a history of being actively targeted by extremist elements. If you go back forty years ago, the Black Panthers and other radical groups organized in prisons, so today's recruitment efforts by al-Qaeda is not original. And the New Black Panther Party continues to spew anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric, as noted by journalist Michelle Malkin and others. Do these hate groups and members of Islamic fundamentalism have a right to articulate their venomous ideology? Of course they do! But the truth is that radical types will inevitably be subjected to FBI surveillance and similar scrutiny by other intelligence organizations to determine if they pose any threat in this wartime environment. And joining a terrorist group such as al-Qaeda or Hezbollah, or acting out their hate in any manner will yield grave consequences for these former prisoners. Undoubtedly, there will also be greater onus on government to monitor and curtail malevolent anti-American influences within prisons, including radical Islam.
It remains to be seen. The jury is still out. The great majority of Arabs seem to approve of hijacking, murder, and suicide as long as the man who kills himself takes a few infidels with him. Moreover, many of the worst characteristics of fanatical Islam are found in Mohammed himself, who was guilty of murder, betrayal, violation of his sworn oath, and lying to his enemies, not to speak of having ten wives, one of whom was only nine. Even more, Islam has been violent, aggressive, tyrannical, and intolerant for most of its history.
Some Muslims may disapprove of such conduct, but it is not clear how many of them, or whether like Mohammed they are merely speaking tactically, until they have a chance to overwhelm their enemies.
Or look like Tim McVeigh.
Kinda' wonder if Ms. Carol Devine-Molin is doing their homework, or just jumping on the mudslinging band wagon out of laziness?
MMM--America is not corrupt.
Islam hates the West because Islam is poor, hates itself and is angry about it.
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