[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]

Saffuri alleges: "Pipes refused to condemn the shameful interment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II. "


Actually, Dan said he had not written about it and therefor did not want to speak to it. A different thing. He was beign baited on a radio show by a wire reporter who happened to work for CAIR, and he suspected it in the line of questioning, And sure enough! "Gotcha" Maybe Nick and Bob will be upset about that gameplaying.....

He aslo says Pipes, " has branded all major American Muslim political and advocacy groups as terrorist fronts ...."

No , just ones that are, many of which have subsequently had their key officers arrested and in some cases already convicted as well, notably CAIR and AMC. Others will be rolled up within the next few months, making Pipes as precient as Gaffney on these matters.

This is typical of the Saffuri/ Norquist twist and accuse approach. Saffuri, by the way, earlier tried to get himself appointed to the Commission on Regigious Freedom, but failed; in som doing he said the Muslim on the Commission (a woman) was unrepresntative of Muslims. Agian the effort to exclude and denigrate all non-Wahhabis. There are hundreds of such examples I could site, all of which would make puffballs of the some of the dissembling "benefit of the doubt" types hereabove.

In the happy event, Pipes was recess appointed. Anyone could go the the Campus Watch website and see what a great service Pipes provides in tracking the work of the largely left, and largely Saudi-funded by the way, Middle East Studies professoriat. All national security conservatives I know suppor the effort as one more vital area re the fight against liberals on campus and the fight against radical Islam.

That is why Saffuri and Norquist hate it and him, and why they opposed the President's nominee, someone who is emminently qualified as a scholar ,author ,and I might add, a former Reagan Administration senior advisor to the Secretary and Undersecretary of State-- his father, in contrast to Khan's and Tulbahs, was not a Wahhabi activist, and did not help raise money for AlQaeda, but was President Reagan's Assistant on the NSC for Russia and Eastern Europe. Just want to be fair about the fathers thing:)