Recently, this author wrote of his discovery concerning the role the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) has played in the financing of Hamas. In less than one month, ICNA will be holding its national convention in coordination with the Muslim American Society (MAS) in Hartford, Connecticut. Also taking part at the venue will be ICNA’s youth group, Young Muslims (YM). Question: If ICNA has been found to be associated with Hamas, would YM reflect that support? The answer may have some looking to shut both groups down.
On July 6th through the 8th, ICNA and MAS will be having their national convention at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The theme of this year’s affair will be ‘Muhammad, Mercy to Humanity and Beyond...’ and it will include such speakers as ‘Unindicted Co-conspirator’ Siraj Wahhaj and Parvez Ahmed, the National Chairman of CAIR, which itself has been named by the government as an unindicted co-conspirator. The event is being billed as the groups’ 32nd convention. Indeed, the two groups have been combining their efforts for many years.
Both ICNA, an umbrella organization for South Asian-oriented mosques and Islamic Centers throughout the United States and Canada, and MAS, an American Muslim activist organization, were founded by members of the radical Muslim Brotherhood. [ICNA was created to mirror the Muslim Brotherhood of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami.] Being as such, both groups have supported Hamas, a Brotherhood member organization. [Hamas is the violent offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood Palestine, Al-Jamiya Al-Islamia, a.k.a. Islamic Society or Islamic Association.]
On the website of the Minnesota headquarters of MAS, one reads: “[T]he Palestinian cause required an Islamic flag that would gather people around it, uniting them in one: this has come about since the outbreak of the revolution in the mosques and the Intifada [uprising]... and has been crystallized in the steadfast, brave, aware Islamic resistance movement ‘Hamas.’ Hamas is an embodiment of the Palestinian People’s belief in its Muslim and Arab origins, and a testimony that this people is still alive and will never die and that its jihad will be carried on by pure hands and clean hearts until victory is achieved with the will of Allah.”
As advertised by the groups, during the convention, Young Muslims will be holding a parallel youth conference at the same venue. On the YM Brothers website’s forum, members have been discussing the finer details of the event, such as possible speakers and themes. Unfortunately, this is not all that’s being discussed. Terror talk has become a favorite topic on the forum, specifically with regard to Hamas.
According to the YM site, “Moderators oversee specific forums. They generally have the ability to edit and delete posts, move threads, and perform other manipulations.” However, not only have the Moderators refused to edit or delete posts concerning support for terrorist groups, but they have contributed to and, many times, created the posts themselves.
In June of 2006, amidst fighting between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza, which left many dead and wounded, a YM Moderator who goes by the username Salafisticated, began a thread, entitled ‘Another enemy of the Palestinian People...’ In it, he wrote, “Fatah are [a] bunch of MUNAFIQS. That includes the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade [military wing of Fatah].” Munafiq is the Arabic term for a Muslim that practices Islam only for show, while not believing in the faith (literally hypocrite). Munafiqs are considered traitors to Islam, worse than non-Muslims, and bound for hell. He continued, “Fatah is a secular party which only works for nationalistic power struggles. They can’t stand to see someone come into power that will establish Islam in the land...” Another user, BigUmar, mournfully replied, “So much for uniting against a common enemy [Israel].”
Also in June 2006, Junior Member, Osman, stated his belief that “the United States government is responsible for most of the terrorism around the world today” and that “the US - Zionist forces have brainwashed us into thinking WE deserve all the blame for defending ourselves.” In the same breath, he said, “We should not portray Muslims around the world as barbaric (in the case of the peaceful cartoon protesters), nor should we slander them (like in the case of Hamas).”
In April of 2006, Salifisticated lamented about how the world had cut off aid to Hamas. He stated, “Interestingly the only thing the world is watching is whether the Hamas government will give up its right to using violence to resist the occupation. A group that holds to the theory of violence in self defense seems more dangerous to peace than those that employ violence in offense every single day. Because of that they have halted all aid.” In reply to this, Senior Member, HasanMahmoud, said, “They should refuse the aid from the kuffar [non-Muslims] 100%. Even when the kuffar were willing to give it to them, they should not accept it.”
In February of 2006, Moderator, LivingShaheed, began a thread entitled, ‘Venezuela is going to receive Hamas.’ Elated about this, he wrote, “This is awesome.” Senior Member, Egyptian Gumbo, followed that up with, “Oooo mashaAllah I knew I always liked Venezuela... and of course the Jews are going to ‘urge Latin American Countries not to welcome Hamas.’ Is that even anything new?”
In January of 2006, whilst Hamas was running in the Palestinian elections, Senior Member, Reggae Powered DC2, started the thread, titled ‘Hamas May Win Elections!’ Moderator, QasYM, replied, “Oh man.. I can hear [sic] there anthem playing in my head right now on the day they win.. ‘Hamas ya Noor al-Ain ya noori fil gehad...’” [Translation: Hamas, is the (gliscening) light on the spring. It is my light in the jihad.] Days later, LivingShaheed proudly proclaimed, “Hamas has won!”
In September of 2005, YM Sister Hizb-ul-Rahman, began a thread, entitled ‘Celebration in Palestine,’ discussing the Jewish synagogues that were torn down by Hamas mobs, following the Israeli withdrawal of Gaza. She stated, “I was watching BBC WORLD NEWS and they had a story about the Palestinians and how they were ecstatic that the settlers were gone... The part i liked the most was how the jewish gov’t refused to demolish their synogogues, so the palestinian men decided that they’d do it...” Brother Abdul Majeed replied, “Pay back for what tha settlers have done to tha palestinians.” HasanMahmood chimed in, “We take revenge by kicking them out of Palestine.” And LivingShaheed replied, “If the Zionist extremists really wanted peace they wouldn’t have left those [sic] structers there, but they are our enemies and of course [sic] there going to make life as hard as possible for Palestinians and Muslims every chance they get...”
With respect to the previous thread, Moderator LivingShaheed continued his rant, but while doing so, he wound up issuing a threat against Israel and the United States. He wrote, “There would be no violence if it wasn’t for the Israeli state... I pray to Allah that I would become violent if someone stole my home, or killed my brother or sister, or denied that I existed or even had a history... Israel and America have to be made to [sic] realise that a JUST PEACE is the only solution, even if it means they [sic] realise it at the barrel of a gun!”
Well before any of this talk, in November of 2004, another YM Moderator, who goes by the username MujahideenRyder, uttered his own threat, one that seemed much more sinister than all of the above. He stated, “Let’s go al aqsa martyrs brigade! Where u at hamas? Where my hezbuallah brothaz at? Iz all good brothers and sisters, [sic] they'll be more yahoodi [Jewish] blood.”
When ICNA, MAS and YM congregate in Hartford, Connecticut, they will be doing so under the guise of moderate, mainstream Muslim organizations, when in fact they are nothing more than support networks for terrorists overseas. On the Young Muslims Sisters website, there is a countdown to the opening of the convention. For the sake of the United States, its citizens and all her friends around the globe, that countdown should, instead, be one towards the closure of all three groups for the financing and/or support of Hamas. As of now, there are just over 20 days left for the government to do the right thing.
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Americans Against Hate (AAH) will be protesting the ICNA-MAS convention, outside the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, at noon, on Sunday, July 8, 2007. At the rally, AAH will be calling on the United States government to freeze ICNA’s bank accounts and place the Muslim Brotherhood of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami, on the State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). If you would like to get involved, contact AAH, at info@americansagainsthate.org
Siraj Wahhaj (Wahaj)
Omar Mohammedi (a.k.a. 9/11's Lawyer)
Keith Ellison