Judge blasts Muslims Ford, Battle as 'first-class traitors'

Portland Tribune ^ | 11/25/2003 | Janine Robben and Ben Jacklet

[ex-Texan]

Judge blasts Ford, Battle as 'first-class traitors'

Songs, tears mark dramatic sentencing of two Portland 7 members

Defendants say laws of Islam supersede the laws of the U.S.

A dramatic sentencing hearing -- in which one defendant broke down into tears and the other burst into song -- ended Monday morning with U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones denouncing Patrice Lumumba Ford and Jeffrey Leon Battle as "first-class traitors to this country."

Ford and Battle, each sentenced to 18 years in prison, were the first defendants among the so-called "Portland Seven" to be sentenced for their now-admitted conspiracy to support Afghanistan's fundamentalist government, the Taliban. They are the only members of the Portland Seven who refused to cooperate with the government in exchange for lighter sentences.

With long, passionate speeches that praised Allah and slammed the U.S. government, they took full advantage of their first opportunity to explain the motives behind attempting to join the Afghan resistance against invading U.S. soldiers in the fall of 2001.

Both African-American converts to Islam, the men said they were compelled by their beliefs to "help the weak to stand up to the strong," as Ford said.

Battle, 33, said he was prepared to make the "ultimate sacrifice" by dying in battle to defend the people of Afghanistan from U.S. forces. "Islam is about coming to the aid of your brothers," he explained.

The defendants read from prepared statements and declared that they considered the laws of Islam to be above the laws of the United States.

Ford read so quickly that the court reporter had to ask him to slow down. He slowed his pace, then read a letter to his 2 1/2-year-old son. As he described the time he will lose as a father, he began to weep.

Ford, 32, said he hoped his son would one day understand "the value of the principles for which I went to prison."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Gorder Jr. responded, "Mr. Ford is the saddest case in this group because he had a future."

Noting that Ford held an advanced degree in Far East studies and was fluent in Mandarin, Gorder suggested that Ford "should be working for the State Department" rather than heading off to prison.

"A sentence of 18 years is appropriate for what he did," Gorder said.

Jones took issue with Ford using religion as a motive for treason. "You are an insult to the Muslim religion," he declared, prompting the defendant's half-brother, James Britt, to storm out of the courtroom for the second time in less than 10 minutes.

"You come to a place like this, you expect justice," Britt told the Tribune in the hallway outside of the proceedings. "What we got was bull----."

Britt called Jones' comments "something you'd expect from an arrogant white man. ... I'd be willing to bet that Judge Jones has no friends who are Islamic and hasn't read any books about Muslims, at least in the last six months."

Inside the courtroom, Jones continued his barrage. He even attacked Ford's letter to his young child, saying, "I wonder if you have poisoned your son."

Jones chided Ford further: "You can't blame your family for where you are. You can blame one person, and that is yourself."

Upon hearing that, Ford's mother, Sandra Ford, who has silently sat through previous proceedings without a comment and turned down numerous requests for interviews, interrupted the judge.

"His family loves him and honors him and respects him," she said.

A bailiff walked over to Sandra Ford and whispered in her ear. She did not speak again.

Song contrasts with statements

Not only did Battle speak, he sang. His voice rang out through the courtroom as he crooned his way through at least five verses with the refrain "Free is the only way to be."

Battle spoke with the vigor of an expressive man who has been forced to be silent for months, while his recorded words have brought havoc. He is the defendant who was caught on tape saying that he would consider bombing a synagogue and taking out hundreds or even thousands of Jews.

Battle's recorded statements also include boasts about how he and other Muslims "cased" Portland area synagogues and Jewish schools and considered "popping a cop" who had found the co-defendants practicing shooting at targets at a gravel pit in rural Washington state.

"I never intended to bring harm to anyone in the Portland community," Battle said Monday. "Not in the Jewish community, not in the law enforcement community."

Battle said the person who recorded him, in cooperation with the FBI, deliberately riled him with terrible images of massacred children in Israel's occupied West Bank. "I would say things inspired by the shocking images I saw," he said.

He added that he regretted many of his statements but considered them protected under freedom of speech. "I have the freedom of speech whether you agree with what I say or not."

Battle said he has been misrepresented in court and in the news. He isn't a terrorist, he insisted, just an "in-your-face Muslim" who loves women and children and music.

"The only thing I can terrorize is a refrigerator," Battle said. "I show no mercy on a bowl of butter pecan ice cream."

< -- Snip -- >

[ex-Texan]

Note Bene: Patrice Lamumba Ford is highly educated and worked as an aide to Mayor Vera Katz before he took off for Afghanistan. 'Nuff said.

[Chummy]

"...Defendants say laws of Islam supersede the laws of the U.S...."

Uh, no.

Not in a US Court.

[Paleo Conservative]

'Nuff said.

Well you could have said that the Portland city hall should have been added to the list of targets for USAF and USN bombers.

[ex-Texan]

Think we will hear that refrain more and more as we move forward (add my own signing voice here) 'Into the future . . . '

Hogwash. Bovine squat.

[bjcintennessee]

We really need to let these guys speak out more -- they bury themselves with their rhetoric.

[I still care]

"Battle said he has been misrepresented in court and in the news. He isn't a terrorist, he insisted, just an "in-your-face Muslim" who loves women and children and music. "

So he was going to Afghanistan to fight for the Taliban? I am sure he wasn't aware that women are treated like dirt in old Afghanistan, and if he was caught listening to music, he would probably get 100 lashes.

[hosepipe]

EDUCATED!.?..

Mohammed referred to Blacks as "Pugnosed Raisin Heads". (Sahih Al Bukhary vol. 1, no. 662 and vol. 9, no. 256)

(Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 516) Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night."

SURA 9:29 , Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

JIZYA("punishment") <<--A tax paid for being NON-muslim sometimes 80%+ of earned income.... a simply wonderful example muslim tolerance

NEXT----> slavery by the islamese... Nah!... thats enough..

A black american turning to islam !.... His education MUST be questioned..

[river rat]

"The defendants read from prepared statements and declared that they considered the laws of Islam to be above the laws of the United States. And, therein lies the problem... If these clowns reflect the true position of Islam -- Islam is incompatible with the world outside of Islam, and can not live in peace with the civilized world... Semper Fi

[joesnuffy]

"His family loves him and honors him and respects him," she said.

Sounds like the "Manson" family

[VOA]

bump

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

A black american turning to islam !.... His education MUST be questioned..

I wonder what it is about Islam that attracts such malevolent miscreants, and, especially here in the USA, malcontent antisocial blacks. Seems to me there is a connection between people who have been enculcated in victimhood, blaming their failure to succeed on others, and the ROP. This "religion" seems to grasp an easy hold on the uneducated, the lazy, the underachieving, the irresponsible, the angry, the malevolent, the mad.

[Grampa Dave]

Wow, what a great judge.

I hope he gets to be the judge if and when Vera Katz is tried for treason.

[ABrit]

"If these clowns reflect the true position of Islam"

Sadly they do reflect the true position of Islam.

To a Muslim there are two parts of the world, the first is ruled by Islamic law, the second is to be conquered, by whatever means, until it to observes Islamic law.

It is a Muslims duty, under Islam to struggle (Jihad) by whatever means to conquer the non Muslim part of the world.

Whatever part of the world is under Muslim law will tolerate non Muslims, provided they accept a reduced status, pay extra taxes, and are subservient to Muslims.

Sadly, we have been mislead by Muslim "scholars", and our own religeous leaders, who portray Islam as a religeon of peace, and tolerance.

[VOA]

ex-Texan and other posters/lurkers,
Is this getting the virtual news embargo treatment?
The LA Times did have a short article on this bunch a month or so ago (buried
deep).
But is this getting any real national coverage?

[hosepipe]

[ This "religion" seems to grasp an easy hold on the uneducated, the lazy, the underachieving, the irresponsible, the angry, the malevolent, the mad. ]

IN ISLAM--->>>> NO SIN, NO responsiblty, NO Law, No PITY, NO Mercy, NO Love, NO goodness, NO rightousness, NOthing HOLY... Is it any wonder islam is very popular in american prisons... Duuuh!..