Article: Keith Ellison's offended foot-soldiers and what didn't offend the Muslims?

Three former Islamic militants from the Middle East, Walid Shoebat, Kamal Saleem, and Zachariah Anani, now reformed and warning the West of the danger of radical Islam, were to speak at the University of Michigan yesterday (30th January) in a public forum, billed as "The 3 Ex-Terrorists." They have fought for the militant wing of PLO in Palestine and had participated in acts of violence and terrorism against Israel. Shoebat had bombed an bombed Israeli Bank as a teenager. Anani was a teen militia fighter, where he was trained to kill Jews, according to www.3xterrorists.com claims to have killed 223 people.

As usual the proposed forum offended the Muslims. It should be added that Anani have received 'death threat' for his plan to participate in the event. Speaking about the danger of radical Islam is also a form of hate to the Muslims:

".. the head of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Imad Hamad, said "this is another form of hate...in the name of fighting terrorism."

Hamad met today with university officials to express the community's concern about the event.

Keith Davies, organizer of the program, however, disregarded Mr. Hamad's concerns asserting: "It has nothing to do with hatred of any certain people, but there's a certain ideology we have a problem with, and that's what we need to expose." [Detroit Free Press; 29 Jan, 2007]

When that didn't wash, the group switched to questioning whether it's possible to reform a terrorist. "If they were once terrorists", the ADC said, "they should always be treated as terrorists" [DetNews.com]. The strangest fact is that ADC head, Hamad himself "has been promoting the terrorist cause by supporting Hamas and Hezbollah in media interviews." The same ADC had earlier sponsored a Hamas/Hezbollah conference targeted against Israel in the same campus.

Hamad was also a suspected member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Communist faction of Palestinian terrorism, responsible for countless homicide bombings and the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi in October, 2001. [Digital50.com]

Little did the organizers know that they cannot disregard the concerns and discontent of the Muslims so easily! About 300 local Arabs and Muslims from the neighboring Dearborn flooded the building to protest against holding the forum. The discussion was finally conducted amid disruptions by hecklers, shouting and a staged walkout by the protesters. This whole episode clearly points to how the familiar scenes of the Islamic countries in religiously sensitive issues are being cloned by the Muslims in the heart of the Western world.

Yet, it is worthwhile to take stock of what other issues across the Western world that did not offend the Muslims over the last couple of weeks. First, Taj ed-Din al-Hilai, the Egyptian-born chief Imam of Australia's biggest mosque in Sydney, raised furor by claiming that the Muslim immigrants in Australia have grater rights there than the white Aussies, who descended from the convicts. Also dubbed as the 'uncovered meat' Imam after he had raised another outcry last year by calling the liberally dressed Australian women as 'uncovered meat' who tempts men to raping them, he further slammed the Australian as the "biggest liars" who are bent on "bringing the Muslim community on its knees" - referring to the uproar over his 'uncovered meat' comment. [Reuter; 12 Jan, 2007]

The replacement cleric at Mufti Hilali's Lakemba mosques, Yahya Safi, gave the last Friday's sermon, stirring his own controversy. Hilali's understudy, as reported offered prayers "for our brothers in Iraq", appealing to God to destroy the enemies of Islam. "God destroy the oppressors, destroy the aggressors, destroy the hypocrites, destroy the despotic tyrants," read the sermon [Sydney Morning Herald; 27 Jan, 2007].

Within a week, another firebrand Islamic top Imam, Lebanese-born Sheikh Feiz, was found to preach violence and hatred in DVDs which were in sale in Muslim shops in Australia. The Cleric called the children to violent Jihad against infidels, urged Muslims to kill the enemies of Islam and praised the dead in Jihad as the martyrs. He further describes "the inmates of Guantanamo Bay as better Muslims than those in Australia, who would not forsake their lifestyles for martyrdom." [Townsville Bulletin; 20 Jan, 2007]].

Yet again another Indonesian firebrand cleric, Dr Ismail Yusanto, outlined his plan for instituting Sharia laws, the absolute form of Islam, to a crowd of about 500 Muslims gathered at the Islamic Khilafah Conference in Lakemba. He urged his audience that violent Jihad or civil war may be necessary to institute such an Islamic superstate (caliphate). Spilling blood on the streets would be necessary. "No pain, no gain", he said. [News.com.au; 28 Jan, 2007]

Then over in Europe, undercover cameramen of UK's Channel 4 recorded video statements of top Imams, known to promote moderate Islam, preaching extreme hatred towards the British people and culture [Channel 4 Dispatches, 15 Jan].

He captures chilling sermons in which Saudi-trained preachers proclaim the supremacy of Islam, preach hatred for non-Muslims and for Muslims who do not follow their extreme beliefs - and predict a coming jihad. "An army of Muslims will arise," announces one preacher. Another preacher said British Muslims must "dismantle" British democracy - they must "live like a state within a state" until they are "strong enough to take over."

Such preaching of extreme hatred and violence by the respectable Islamic clerics against the people and society that have offered them a "good life" across Australia and Europe did not offend the Muslims at all. Only after a media outcry, some meek condemnations were widely circulated in the Media which is nothing but a tactical damage control exercise by some deceptive Muslims. We have never seen a big group of Muslims heading to the hate-preaching Imam's mosque to stage a demonstration, submit a letter for the Imam's resignation or stage walkout from prayers or abstain from taking part in it in any of the mosque. Neither any demonstrations nor protests were held at the residence of the concerned clerics.

Let us recall here that the first Muslim congressman Keith Ellison, who created a storm by demanding and persisting on taking oath by the Koran, had the excited the same Muslims of Dearborn last month (Dec'06) in his mission of instituting justice in America.

Mr. Ellison, who thinks that America does not have justice and equal protection to citizens, addressed a Muslim conference in Michigan (23-24 Dec, 2006):

"Muslims can help teach America about justice and equal protection", suggesting that Muslim activists may be part of God's plan.

In his firm plan to institute Allah's justice and truth in the American soil, he exhorted the Muslim crowd:

"How do you know that you were not brought right here to this place to learn how to make this world better? How do you know that Allah, sallalahu aleyhi wasallam," (meaning peace be upon him) "did not bring you here so that you could understand how to teach people what tolerance was, what justice was?... How do you know that you're not here to teach this country?"

Mr. Ellison exhorted the Muslim audience to strive hard with faith in Allah to institute the perfect justice:

"You can't back down, you can't chicken out, you can't be afraid, you got to have faith in Allah, and you got to stand up and be a real Muslim."

The same Dearborn Muslims, ecstatic with inspiration, roared: "Allahu akbar" (Allah is great).

The latest incidence in Michigan University campus is probably the first sign of how the Muslims are going to the bring justice and equality to the American soil as espoused by Keith Ellison. The Congressman, who firmly believes Muslims came here with a mission from Allah, must be delighted about the fact that his Muslim foot-soldiers undertook the cause of his mission almost forthwith.

The 'Three ex-terrorists' should not grudge about failing to hold the talk smoothly. They should, instead, hope for more such botched programs to send their message to Westerners much more effectively.