U.S. probes jail ministry for Muslims: Critics say some chaplains spread extremist views

Chicago Tribune ^ | August 10, 2003 | Dan Mihalopoulos

[sarcasm]

WASHINGTON -- Prompted by complaints that fundamentalist Islamic clerics are spreading an anti-U.S., potentially violent ideology in federal prisons, the Justice Department's inspector general is investigating how prison officials are selecting Muslim chaplains.

The complaints, including some from moderate Islamic groups, focus on the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' policy of relying on endorsements from two organizations that critics say promote the hard-line viewpoints shared by Osama bin Laden and other anti-American, Muslim extremists.

One of these groups is the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, whose Virginia offices were raided last year by Customs Service agents investigating possible financial links to suspected terrorist groups.

< SNIP >

"The whole thing is a smear job," said Nancy Luque, an attorney for the Graduate School. "[Schumer] is only doing it for political gain."

The customs investigation of the school will come to nothing, she said, adding, "My clients are well-known moderates. They're Republicans. They've been to the White House."

[sarcasm]

ping

[lainde]

bttt

[prairiebreeze]

Since I refuse to go through the process of registering at the Chicago FIBune's site, I won't be able to read the entire article. From what is posted here, I'd say taking a look at prison Muslim programs and their clerics is long overdue.

Recruitment of islamic terrorists from US prisons is one of the tactics in Al Quaeda's handbook. Some people think that investigating into it isn't fair? Tough.

Prairie

[sarcasm]

You have mail

[Savage Beast]

"We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality."
Ayn Rand

Face the facts, folks!

[Valin]

The complaints, including some from moderate Islamic groups,

ANN ARBOR, MI - On Tuesday, May 13, ISCA Chairman Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani led a delegation to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' annual chaplains' conference, where he delivered a speech on the growing threat of Islamist radicalism within America's corrections system. ISCA representatives also used the opportunity to meet with the heads of the federal penal system to discuss ways to promote traditional Islam and counter this dangerous trend.
ANN ARBOR, MI - On Tuesday, May 13, ISCA Chairman Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani led a delegation to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' annual chaplains' conference, where he delivered a speech on the growing threat of Islamist radicalism within America's corrections system. ISCA representatives also used the opportunity to meet with the heads of the federal penal system to discuss ways to promote traditional Islam and counter this dangerous trend.

http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.org/bin/site/wrappers/isca_inside.asp?pane_2=content-activities-bop051303
If your intrested in hearing the speech

[DoctorMichael]

Oh, don't worry. The ACLU will show up to protect them and at the same time make sure any Christian messages are strictly banned.

[EggsAckley]

I'm with you about registering just to read the article. I also agree that the Muslim prison thing is an outrage and should be closely inspected. How about a "plant" in the system? An undercover agent who operates as a Muslim in prison, and can really translate and report on what is happening.

[Redwood71]

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Is not speaking out against the US government and threatening violence, by using the teachings of Bin Laden that dictate violence, considered treason and is punishable by imprisonment at the least?

[Jay D. Dyson]

How can this be? We keep getting told that Islam is a "religion of peace"!!

/sarcasm

[Valin]

I wouldn't be at all suprised if a "plant" isn't already in place. At least I hope so, this seems like a no-brainer to me.
On the assumtion that this is happening, a problem we are STILL having is comunicating the info to where it will do the most good. Way to many people in the Federal Bureaucracy are still operating like it is 9-10-01.