[AnnaZ]

This week on Unspun...

 

Makes you think twice (and three or four times) about the "moderates" allowed to represent the rest. An overly informative, and not undepressing, work.

In other words, post-reading Mr. Timmerman's first-hand research, it's a bad week to have seen this article.

I have no opinion either way in regards to Mr. Norquist, he most certainly may be (most hopefully) an innocent dupe. But any cavalier attitude in regards to an Islamic 5th column in America can only be based on ignorance or willful blindness.

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[Sabertooth]

Makes you think twice (and three or four times) about the "moderates" allowed to represent the rest.

Doesn't it?

July 23, 2003

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC

Dear President Bush:

I write to express serious concerns of the American Muslim community to the nomination of Daniel Pipes to the United States Institute for Peace, a taxpayer-funded think tank. Pipes is an upsetting nomination for such an institution, and his published views -- more often than not -- oppose the goals of your administration.

Through his writings and speeches, Daniel Pipes has demonstrated a virulent perspective against Arabs and Islam. He called for the monitoring of all American Muslims in public service and has maliciously questioned the patriotism of American Muslims who serve in your administration. In trying to marginalize the growing American Muslim vote, Pipes has branded all major American Muslim political and advocacy groups as terrorist fronts and has vocally criticized you for making a careful distinction between Islam and terrorism. Most recently, after calling for federal surveillance of all Muslim organizations and mosques, Pipes refused to condemn the shameful interment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II.

Throughout his career, Pipes has justified his campaign of hate, stating that "(The) increased stature, and affluence, and enfranchisement of American Muslims...will present true dangers to American Jews." (American Jewish Congress Convention, 10/21/01). Furthering this paranoia, Pipes has established a "blacklist" of American academics and writers who he believes are too critical of the State of Israel. Incredibly, Pipes opposes your Road Map for Peace as he opposed all previous peace efforts including the Oslo, Madrid and Wye peace efforts.

The U.S. Institute for Peace was established by Congress to promote international peace. Nominating Pipes is like asking David Duke to discuss race issues or Louis Farrakhan to discuss Judaism. The Washington Post, the Forward, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, numerous experts on the Middle East and countless others interested in peace oppose Pipes' nomination.

The nomination of Daniel Pipes to head the U.S. Institute for Peace will not contribute to the mission of the Institute. On the contrary, his approval will only serve to further divide people and nations rather than to bring them together to foster peaceful resolutions of conflicts.

Sincerely,

Khaled Saffuri
Chairman
Enclosures: (3)
IslamicInstitute.org

I imagine now we'll be told it's ok for Khaled Saffuri, Norquist's partner, to compare Daniel Pipes to David Duke and Lous Farrakhan, because he didn't unduly influence anyone, in this instance.

[Trollstomper]

"I have no opinion either way in regards to Mr. Norquist, he most certainly may be (most hopefully) an innocent dupe. But any cavalier attitude in regards to an Islamic 5th column in America can only be based on ignorance or willful blindness"


Quite right about the latter. Abuot the former, as I think we have demonstrated amply in this thread, Norquist was not an innocent dupe, and even if one were to have given him that benefit 3 or 5 years agon, one no longer can. If he were, by the way., he would be less likely to lie repeatedy, attack any questioners as ipso facto "racists and bigots," and to still be doing the same work with the same people (the ones not yet jailed). Ken will disabuse any listener of that. He is almost as close to this as I am and clearly more facile on the facts than my antagonists hereabove. Chapter 10 is particularly useful for this discussion and maybe some of the Groverites here could constrain themselves to reading it. They will find a bit about Norquist, Gaffney, Keene, etc., and the money trail.He also spent a good deal of time trying to squeeze the truth out of Khan and others in the immediate aftermath of the AlArian arrests and the revelations of his White House visit. Happy reading, especially for Danger and Bob.