Friends in high places (newspaper links Islamic Jihad leader Sami Al-Arian to Norquist)

St. Petersburg Times ^ | MARY JACOBY

[Asclepius]

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

You don't say. Why would anyone want to comment on this six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon steaming pile of non-news.

[princess leah]

I would have thought that anyone getting near the President would have their backgrounds checked for any possible links that might be "embarrassing" later...

[sinkspur]

Bush needs to visibly cut Norquist loose.

Now.

[aristeides]

One example of the White House's poor judgment, conservatives say, was inviting an imam named Muzammil Siddiqi to preside over an interfaith prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington, three days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Siddiqi's sermon at that service, which curiously lacked any condemnation of bin Laden, was one of the first things that started to make me suspicious of Moslems in this country.

I don't know if the posts I made in the immediate hours and days after 9/11 are accessible, but I was warning at that time against following the policy we had had in 1942 of interning a group. Events changed my mind.

[Sabertooth]

Siddiqi's sermon at that service, which curiously lacked any condemnation of bin Laden, was one of the first things that started to make me suspicious of Moslems in this country.

How could anyone not trust Siddiqi?

As we gather here today, our hearts are filled with sadness. On our minds are the terrible scenes of suffering of our people in Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkaram and many other areas of our beloved and sacred land of Palestine. In the last few weeks Israeli armies committed massacres of innocent children, women and men. They did not spare even the young babies, aged men and women. Homes were bulldozed along with their occupants. Rescuers were barred from reaching to the victims. Palestinian refugees, the poor people uprooted from their homes for decades cried for help and Israelis did not allow any one to reach them. People died asking for water. Little children rushed to broken pipes to catch some drops of water to quench their thirst. This all happened before the eyes of the world, but no one helped.

The UN special envoy called the devastation in Jenin as "horrific beyond belief." "It is totally destroyed, it looks like an earthquake has hit it. It is totally unacceptable that the government of Israel for 11 days did not allow search and rescue teams to come. This is morally repugnant," said Roed-Larsen, the UN Special Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories.

What we have seen is not new. It has been happening not only for the last 11 days, not for the last 19 months, not for the last 35 years; it has been happening for the last 55 years. Before Jenin there were many other massacres in Sabra and Shatila, in Deir Yasin and in many other places. During these 55 years hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, millions have been uprooted and dispersed from their homes and their land.

Our American government and media say very little about the real cause of conflict in the middle east. They focus on the sporadic horrible reactions of some individual Palestinians. No doubt killing any innocent people is wrong and we do not condone any acts of violence against any civilians whether they are Arabs or Jews. However, it is important to understand the real causes and real reasons behind suicidal attacks and violence. It is injustice and horrible social, economic and political conditions that are leading people to some desperate actions. We are asked again and again by the media why do you not condemn "suicide bombings." We do condemn all terrorism and all attacks on non-combatant civilians. We have explained our Islamic position on this issue many times. But we ask our media to condemn the state terrorism of Israel also. We ask them to condemn the racist, oppressive, apartheid state of Israel and its terrorist leader Ariel Sharon.
Suffering in Palestine and Our Responsibility
Islamic Society of North America
Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi - April 19, 2002

As the Israelis were busy hosing pools of blood off the streets after the latest murder-suicide bombing at Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda market, the Palestinian propaganda machine was busy churning out yet another Big Lie: the "massacre of Jenin."

Palestinian mouthpieces claim that the Israeli military killed as many as 500 civilians in Jenin, a stronghold of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. When the Israelis cleared the booby traps and allowed Western media into the city on Monday, the reality turned to be completely different: difficult door-to-door infantry fight; 23 Israeli soldiers fallen in battle; dozens of terrorists killed. No massacre.
Jenin: The Big Lie Fighting the media war.
National Review Online
Ariel Cohen - April 16, 2002

No, really... what's not to trust about Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqi?

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[JCG]

You don't say. Why would anyone want to comment on this six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon steaming pile of non-news.

If one of ours is playing footsie with the likes of Sami Al-Arian it is news. Norquist is off the reservation and should receive the presidential boot.

FWIW, Al-Arian's son, Abdullah, was on the staff of former Congressman, David Bonior. That ought to be sufficient heads up for everyone on FR.

America's Fifth Column ... watch Steve Emerson/PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
New Link: Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

Who is Steve Emerson?

[swarthyguy]

".. unjustified violence against innocents"...was the mealy mouthed weasel word phrase Siddiki used at the Cathedral.

The definition of unjustified and innocents was not made. No condemnation of anybody. I remember railing at the TV and people next to me said, what's wrong? He condemned the attacks, they said. I disagreed.

At least i planted a seed in the mind of some there and gradually, like you, they came to agree about the duplicity and questionable loyalties of these arab types.

[swarthyguy]

Good Find. Keep the fire burning and the heat turned up!

[Sabertooth]

If one of ours is playing footsie with the likes of Sami Al-Arian it is news. Norquist is off the reservation and should receive the presidential boot.

Well, Grover Norquist has charged that anyone who questions the terrorist sympathizers, supporters, and co-conspirators with whom he's been hobnobbing (and for whom Grover and his crowd have been gaining White House access), is just a racist and an anti-Muslim bigot.

Shouldn't that be the final word on the matter?

[joesnuffy]

Another 3rd way emmisary from hell

[Victoria Delsoul]

One example of the White House's poor judgment, conservatives say, was inviting an imam named Muzammil Siddiqi to preside over an interfaith prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington, three days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Twelve days after the service, Bush was photographed in the White House with Siddiqi, apparently unaware that the imam is a key figure in Saudi-funded organizations that have spread the harsh fundamentalist brand of Saudi Islam known as Wahhabism.

Wow, all I can say is that GW wasn't well advised regarding the Muslims visiting the WH.

[Sabertooth]

Bingo. Someone needs to answer for this.

[Fred Mertz]

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

If they ignore it, maybe it will go away.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[WRhine]

"The White House did not respond to a request for comment."

If they ignore it, maybe it will go away.

Just like our borders.

[Valin]

Shocking news....not

[Valin]

How could anyone not trust Siddiqi?

Mind-numbed robots? That would be My first guess.

[WRhine]

If one of ours is playing footsie with the likes of Sami Al-Arian it is news. Norquist is off the reservation and should receive the presidential boot.

I'm curious as to why you and others think Norquist is off the reservation? The way I see it, Norquist is very much ON the “Bush Reservation”. A Reservation that stands FOR Open Borders, massive 3rd world Immigration (particularly from Middle Eastern Nations—9/11 notwithstanding) and the non-enforcement of our immigration laws.

Really, I don't think it takes much arm twisting at all from Norquist to get Bush to foolishly pander to the poisonous Muslim elements in this country. Look at how he jumps whenever Vincente Fox and his fellow Banditos unilaterally demand some sovereignty destroying favor from the U.S.

If there is any group of people that are off the Bush Reservation it is the many millions of tax-paying American Citizens that have to foot the bill for all his goofy One World Idealism that is tearing this country apart.