VOA appears to give Kamal Nawash a platform

[Moses]

www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2005-05-13-voa38.cfm

(by Andrew Baroch)

[Moses]

Kamal Nawash’s Very, Very Strange Bedfellows[/color]


Hussein Ibish is Vice-Chair of the Progressive Muslim Union of North America (PMU)

This item is located at:
www.muslimwakeup.com/main/archives/2005/05/kamal_nawashs_s.php





By Hussein Ibish

On Saturday, May 14, "Free Muslims Against Terrorism," the group set up to stop criticism of Kamal Nawash by right-wing Zionists like Daniel Pipes and bolster his failed career as a Republican party candidate for local office in Virginia, is holding a “March against Terror” rally in Washington, DC (for more background on Nawash and “Free Muslims” see this). Representatives of most major Arab American and American Muslim groups in Washington received invitations to participate in the March, but all declined given Kamal’s unsavory background and activities, and his close association with and open courting of those most hostile to these communities such as the professional bigot Daniel Pipes and others. Indeed, one of the purposes of the March may be to force the mainstream groups to choose between having to join this unsavory figure and give his appalling efforts undeserved credibility, or decline and face future accusations from the likes of Pipes that their failure to join Kamal’s March indicates some sort of secret support for terrorism against the United States.

Nonetheless, Kamal has been vigorously promoting, with the help of his patrons Pipes, David Horowitz and other enemies of the community, the March and a growing list of “endorsers.” In an effort to inform the public, and to examine more closely who is willing to get into bed with whom, I have assembled the following notes on the organizations he says endorse his “March.” To call it a bunch of strange bedfellows does not really do this list justice. We are looking at everything from clothes shops in Arizona, Moonies, right-wing Zionists, and Christian fundamentalists, to Iranian monarchists, Iraqi supporters of the occupation, Darfurian exiles and Lebanese Pphalangists. A few are legitimate organizations, many are fakes and some are certifiable. Some are blogs, some are empty websites, and many are individuals or small groups listed twice or thrice. At least one, the Muslim Canadian Congress, has repeatedly demanded to be removed from the list, but, true to form, Kamal persists in listing them. Almost all are tiny and on some fringe or other especially a grab-bag of ultra-right crackpots, and many are openly hostile to Islam and Muslims. Stranger than fiction, these are the groups that will be rallying in Washington against terrorism on May 14 under the banner “Free Muslims against Terrorism.”

[Moses]

Profiles of the “Endorsers”:

American Family Coalition of Virginia
Front for the noted criminal and charlatan Sun Myung Moon. AFC declares itself to be supported by the Washington Times Foundation, which was established in 1984 by the “Reverend”“ Moon. Its brochures are filled with the ravings of this bizarre right-wing megalomaniac and personality cult figure. The tip of the Moon iceberg: on March 23, 2004, at a "coronation ceremony" at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Moon and his wife were given bejeweled crowns by Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL), and Moon once again declared himself to be "the Messiah." According to one authoritative account, "Moon announced that he would save everyone on Earth as he had saved the souls of even such murderous dictators as Hitler and Stalin — who had received 'the Blessing' through him. Moon said the reformed Hitler and Stalin vouched for him from the spirit world, calling him 'none other than humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent.'" Now that’s an endorsement!

American Islamic Congress
A very small Iraqi-American group founded and led by Zainab Al-Suwaij. Spent most of its time and effort lobbying on behalf of the US invasion of Iraq. On this basis, it is well-regarded by the neoconservative movement, and other elements of the far-right.

American Lebanese Coordination Council
Florida-based group of Lebanese Maronite immigrants, whose website features quotes from the late Phalangist militia leader Bashir Gemayel, darling of the extreme Maronite ultra-right. The group reflects severe national and sectarian chauvinism, proclaiming “the land of the cedars” to be “the only beacon of freedom and enlightenment in a region foreign to such concepts.”

American Libyan Freedom Alliance
A group of Libyan Americans understandably opposed to the appalling regime of Qadhaffi, but who completely reject the recent US-Libya deal on WMDs and denounce all forms of normalization with Libya. They take essentially the same attitude towards Libya and Qadhaffi as the Cuban-American right has towards Cuba and Fidel Castro.

Assyrian American National Federation
Another organization of mainly Iraqi Americans, strongly supportive of the US invasion of Iraq.

Assyrian Media Center
Seems to be a branch of the Assyrian American National Federation.

Canadian Israeli Students Association at the University of Calgary
No information on the web about them other than the march – do they really exist at all, one has to ask.

Council of Volunteer Americans, Inc.
Right-wing fundamentalist anti-Clinton group best known for their “peaches for impeachment” campaign of handing out fruit in an effort to support the removal of Bill Clinton as president. These nutcases were the parent group behind so-called “Clinton Investigative Commission,“ which claimed to have proof "beyond all shadow of a doubt" that the late White House Deputy Counsel Vincent Foster was murdered, implicitly by or on the orders of Clinton himself. They are led by the notorious Eugene Delgaudio, who was responsible for the "Ted Kennedy Swim Team" (to highlight the Chapaquitic tragedy), the “Barney Frank Housesitting Squad" (to highlight the gay congressman’s embarrassing liaison with a male prostitute), "Deserters for Dukakis," and "Pornographers Against Helms" (an effort to create the impression that a group of pornographers were supporting Jesse Helms’ political opponent, Michigan Democrat Carl Levin). It is not hard to imagine that the idea for the Nawash march may have originated with Delgaudio, given this background.

Damanga, Coalition for Freedom and Democracy, (DCFD)
A group of Sudanese Americans understandably upset about the situation in Sudan in general, and in Darfur in particular.

DiversityWorking.com
An apparently apolitical employment website.

Fairfax Area Young Republicans
The name says it all.

Flag of Freedom of Iran
Described as “an underground nationalist movement which advocates the establishment of parliamentary democracy in Iran,” so underground that, like several other “groups” on this list the only reference to it that can be found on the web is its connection to… the march itself.

Foundation for the Study of Abrahamic Religions
Again, almost no information about this “group“ is available, except that they are sponsors of the march, and that it was founded by Khaleel Mohammed, who argues that the Quran proves that Palestine belongs entirely and exclusively to the Jewish people by gift of God. Brilliant!

Government of Free Vietnam
As the name suggests, these jokers actually think they are the legitimate government of Vietnam. That’s because their leadership is composed mainly of former officials of the “Republic of Vietnam” (RVN), also known as “South Vietnam,” a puppet state set up by the fleeing French colonialists in Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City) and preserved for a number of years by the United States at the cost of 55,000 dead Americans and an untold number of Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians, before collapsing under its own weight. The “President” is Ngo Trong Anh, a former Minister of Transportation and Public Works of the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), and (you’ll be glad to know) also a member of the Government of Free Vietnam (GFVN) National Security Council. Also serving on the “National Security Council” are: “Minister of Justice” Nguyen Huy Dau, a former RVN judge and diplomat; “Vice Prime Minister (for overseas)” Linh Quang Vien, a former RVN general; “Minister of National Culture and Education“ Cao The Dung, who (as his name might suggest) was the former Agriculture honcho for the RVN; “Minister of Information” Nguyen Khac Chinh; “Minister for Foreign Affairs“ former RVN Admiral Lam Ngoun Tanh; Ha The Ruyet, a former RVN economist; and, of course, the former RVN Deputy Ambassador to Washington, Phan Van Thinh. Their website does not mention where they buy their drugs.

Institute on Religion and Public Policy
Another Moon-Nawash connection? According to a June 2001 article from Le Monde Diplomatique, “Europe resists American religious cults“ by Bruno Fouchereau, “The members of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, warmly recommended by the State Department, include ultra-conservative congressmen, Moonies and cult guru Sri Chinmoy. This institute has set up shop a few blocks away from the White House and openly campaigns for the rights of Scientology, the Moon sect, and other ‘minority religions‘ in Europe.” On the other hand, the IRPP was a strong supporter of the campaign to revoke the visa of the villainous Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, earlier this year.

JPJ Fashions
Appears to be some sort of clothing store in Arizona. Could anyone be desperate, foolish and shameless enough to have a clothes store in the southwest “endorse” a political rally in DC? Yes… Kamal could.

Lebanese Information Center
Another group of extreme right-wing Lebanese Maronites, brimming with hatred for all things Muslim. The following representative sample illustrates where the LIC is coming from: “These people [American Muslims] to whom the United States has offered freedom and prosperity have their allegiance to Islam before America. Considering the grizzly circumstances at 9/11, the reaction of all Americans was the most civilized and sensible towards all Muslims while Islam, by the attestation of the perpetrators themselves, is the ideology behind this act and other acts of terrorism. Upon the shoulders of the Muslims lies the burden of proving the contrary.“

March Against Terror International
A California-based website that purports to “have determined that one important way to fight terror around the world is to financially support companies who oppose it and boycott those companies who do otherwise. MAT International will find those companies and make them known to the public.“ It does not appear to have ever done, or even said, anything. It conveniently but indefensibly defines terrorism as limited to actions by “subnational groups or clandestine agent,” so those doing business with states that practice rampant terrorism need not fear the wrath of MAT, and their mighty international coalition, or whatever.

Marion Meadows Entertainment
Is this the self-described “Smooth jazz-styled soprano saxophonist Marion Meadows”? Please tell me it is!

Muslim Canadian Congress
A serious and really existing Canadian Muslim group that wants nothing to do with the march and which has repeatedly asked Nawash to remove their name from the list. Of course, so far he has failed to do this. What a surprise.

Muslim Dialogue Group, Palos, Illinois
Your guess is as good as mine.

(continued)

[Moses]

New Islam Foundation
Front for the Canadian author and media personality Irshad Manji, whose book “The Trouble with Islam,” blames all the ills of contemporary Muslim societies and practice on the Arabs and “the desert culture of Arabia.” She plainly detests the Arabs in general and the Palestinians in particular, but loves the Israelis. She has simply inverted a common form of pseudo-religious stupidity among Muslims to be pro-Arab and anti-Jewish as a misguided expression of religious solidarity. Rather than rejecting prejudices based on ethnicity, she reverses the process and emerges as pro-Israel and anti-Arab (in an odd echo of fellow idiot Khaleel Mohammad’s re-reading of the Quran to mirror mis-readings of the Torah which make God the real estate attorney of the Jewish people). Irshad and Kamal were made for each other.

Organization For Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom For Iran
Same very shadowy deal as the Flag of Freedom for Iran. Both groups are led by Manouchehr Ganji, former minister of education in Iran under the shah, from 1976 to 1979. Not clear whether or not they are actual monarchists.

Pakistan Medical Organization
No information seems available. Again, does this really exist?

Pakistani American Congress
Describes itself as a “a nation-wide umbrella entity of Pakistani Americans & Pakistani Organizations in North America since 1990.”

Public Advocates of the U.S. Inc.
Hey, if Manouchehr Ganji can have himself listed twice in Kamal’s rally, why shouldn’t crackpot Eugene Delgaudio? Yes, this is the same clown as Council of Volunteer Americans, Inc.

Rask Law Office
Yes, I know, I know. But there IS a “Pearson Rask Law Office“ in Saskatoon, Canada (no, I don’t know where that is either). One and the same? Why not! Have a drink, and make mine a double.

Reform Party of Syria
Another Chalabi-wannabe, Farid Ghadry, hoping that the US will invade a country and put him in charge. Ghadry is probably the only Syrian to have ever been a dues-paying member of AIPAC. He’s also been furiously sucking up to the neocons by joining the preposterous Committee on the Present Danger. Like most other exiles bent on “regime change,” Ghadry will say just about anything to push the dialectic. His site continues to promote the fiction that Iraqi WMDs were shipped to Syria just before the US invasion, even though the final Dulfer report on that to the US government specifically says there is no evidence whatsoever suggesting anything of the kind took place. Where does the “Party“ stand on peace with Israel and the Golan Heights? Its FAQ says, “We know that when Israel is given real peace, Israel will respond in kind.“ Where does the “Party“ stand on the Palestinian Issue? “The Palestinians have been struggling against the State of Israel for close to 50 years with no hope in sight that the struggle will yield any positive results for their people. In fact, the Palestinians today have lost so much more to what they used to have. When a certain action does not yield a wanted result, then one should try different action: Peace.“ God, why didn’t I think of that?

RIGHTALK.com
From the preposterous to the truly revolting. This is hard-core right wing talk radio, streamed over the internet. It‘s clearly a bottomless pit of hatred and vitriol, aimed above all at Islam and the Muslims. On Fridays at 1 pm, for example, we can all listen to your friend and mine, Paul M. Weyrich, co-author of the masterpiece, Why Islam is a Threat to America and the West (Free Congress Foundation, 2002), along with fellow professional jerk William S. Lind. Their pamphlet states plainly "we do believe Islam is at war with the Christian West, and we are proud to be considered spokesmen for that view." "Christendom is again in peril" from Islam, they warn. The authors pose as experts on, or at least serious students of, Islam but their sources are entirely drawn from two web sites -- an extremely obscure British Muslim student site and a virulently anti-Islamic Christian fundamentalist site called Answering-Islam.org. Drawing on such impeccable sources, the authors proclaim that "Islam is, quite simply, religion of war. While there are lax Islamics [sic], there is no such thing as peaceful or tolerant Islam." Moreover, they misinform their readers, “the two principal sources of Islamic belief, the Koran and the Hadith, ooze war and blood." Weyrich and Lind declare that "the history of Islam has been a history of violence against non-Islamics [sic]. It started with Mohammed himself. Not only did he personally wage war, he repeatedly called for ‘hits’ on anyone he did not like, in the manner of Mafia don." Islam, they conclude, "is a religion made for the 21st century -- as, perhaps, in some corner of Hell, it was." You’ll be glad to know that not only these views but those of Cal Thomas, Dennis Prager, “Dr.“ Laura, Joe Farah, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, and, of course, Michelle “in defense of internment” Malkin are all on offer at RIGHTALK.com. So glad to know that these are the voices joining the march and lending their support. Marvelous.

Salam Sudan Foundation
A DC-based interfaith group working on Sudan-related issues. Appears to be entirely legitimate and sincere, and therefore somewhat out of place in this list.

Saltzman International
Who can say?

Sartain Institute
Make your own up. Insert fake name below. Add number.

Scentual Fragrance
Another weird Arizona connection: “scentual fragrance“ is owned by someone called Veronica C. Armstrong, and listed to a PO Box in Phoenix, AZ – could there be a connection to the mysterious clothes store? Who cares? At any rate, “At Scentual Fragrance we specialize in affordable custom blended fragrances. Each fragrance is made to order and designed with our clients in mind.” So, obviously, we make a habit of endorsing political rallies by obscure organizations in DC. Yeah.

(continued)

[Moses]

Solidarity USA
I’m sorry, but there are so many groups to which this could refer, I can’t be completely sure which this is. The best bet seems to be the “Solidarity USA“ which, at one time at least, was based at 1220 L Street, N.W. #100-400, Washington D.C. But then, their only know action has been support for the Australian man David Hicks imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on charges of being an al Qaeda member. Or is this the Sami Al-Arian support group? Or are those two the same? Not sure, on either count to honest. Is this the organization founded by Abdelrhaman Alamoudi, the imprisoned former client of Kamal? Only he knows for sure, and, really, does it matter? I guess, in the eyes of those of those who are supposed to be impressed by the march, yes indeed. Inquiring minds want to know. But hey, it‘s another name, right?

The American Islamic Forum for Democracy
This group IS M. Zuhdi Jasser in the same way that Kamal IS Free Muslims Against Terrorism – there’s nothing else there. Jasser is a guy in Arizona who held the first “Muslim march against terrorism“ some while back, and who Kamal is running to copy in DC. I would speculate that Jasser is also the common thread which brings Arizona-based clothes stores and perfume-makers to endorse rallies in Washington.

The American Kurdish Information Network
A long-standing Kurdish group in Washington, led by a Kurd from Turkey, Kani Xulam. The group is extremely sympathetic to former PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, which again raises serious questions about what it is that these groups are rallying for and against. While no state has oppressed the Kurds as viciously as Turkey, and Kurds have extremely legitimate grievances against Turkey and many other states, Ocalan’s approach would seem to fit anyone’s definition of terrorism, and involved extreme violence against Kurds who did not agree with him or who he found in some way threatening. What is this march about again?

The Center For Freedom in The Middle East
No surprise here, but… wait for it… there is no Center. Only the website of a conference of marginal groups of Middle Eastern origin, separatist movements, religious and ethnic minorities, etc., that was organized by right-wing Lebanese Maronite academic and activist Walid Phares and held in DC on October 1, 2004. The purpose, in the end, seems really to have been to organize some sort of Middle East-related support for the Bush-Cheney ’04 campaign, and its main product was an open letter of endorsement. Sadly, as revealed by mis-directed confidential emails that became public knowledge, Kamal was not allowed to sign that letter, proof-positive of the success of his masterful strategy.

The Friendship Caravan
A project to take Americans across the Middle East on camels, or go across the United States on camels, or both, or something. It‘s led by a nice guy called Micheal Kirtley, who really ought to know better. Maybe I’ll give him a call. Or not.

The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace
An Israeli organization that poses as a “peace” group. In August its having a conference in Los Angeles where the first keynote address will be from a mad-woman called Nonie Darwish who is one of the most vicious bashers of Islam in the United States. A small sample of her ideas should suffice: “Islam is cruel, anti-women, anti-religious freedom and anti-personal freedom in general. How could you sympathize with a religion that kills adulterers, homosexuals and people who convert out of Islam? How could you present Islam with such affection? … How could you defend a religion that inspired 9/11?“ Ah yes, the warm glow of fellowship and reconciliation… Oh, and did I mention her website, www.ArabsForIsrael.com? Of course, that’s what the literature and culture peace is all about. Silly me.

The Law Offices of Andrew Pakis
I guess that means there’s a lawyer out there named Andrew Pakis.

The Nawash Law Office
Another cruel fiction. Unless there actually is one, in which case God help the clients.

The Objectivist Center
Now this is really gross. This is the US organization dedicated to promoting the hideous philosophy of piss-poor Russian novelist Ayn Rand. I debated several people from this outfit on Middle Eastern-related issues, and found them all to be among the worst racists (as one might expect given the philosophy at work). Their suggestion : “American Muslims are in a unique position to export to their brothers overseas a more enlightened Islam that will vanquish the hate on which terrorism is based and help replace savagery with civilization in countries like Iraq.” Here’s how the Objectivist Center’s website sees the Israeli occupation: “The Arabs, in opposing the occupation, are essentially asking Israel to let go of the grip so that they can have the freedom to destroy it. Israel wants to survive, and therefore has no choice but to keep control of the contested territories. Capturing land has been imposed on the Jewish State by its enemies.“ Or this piece of wisdom: “Conflict has been raging in the land of Canaan since before Jehovah made that infamous bargain with Abraham, and Colin Powell won’t stop it.” I think you get the idea, you backward, primitive ape, you.

U.S. Alliance for Democracy In Iran
A predictable alliance of neoconservatives and likudniks with Iranian monarchist exiles. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, the ADI is meant to be an “opposition umbrella group that would act as a ‘clearing house’ for US taxpayers’ money dedicated to advancing the cause of democracy.” Far from a democracy, though, ADI is seeking a referendum to restore the monarchy, overthrown in 1979, under the former Shah's revolting son, Reva Pahlavi. This group, and others like it, are openly pushing for a US military attack against Iran and an Iran Freedom and Support Act, along the line of the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act. The group is led by monarchist Kamal Azari, and its shady chairman, the bankrupt real estate magnate Bahman Batmanghelidj (AKA, “Batman”). It is under the direct influence of neocon super-hawk Michael Ledeen, and strongly supported by Jerome Corsi, the professional liar responsible for the fantastically dishonest Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth campaign against John Kerry, and who is now leading the charge towards war with Tehran. Also linked are the likes of former DCI James “World War IV” Woolsey and the disgraced but shameless profiteer Richard Perle.

U.S. Copts Association
There are a number of perfectly respectable Coptic organizations in the United States who represent a significant element of the Arab American community and who give voice to the important cause of fighting serious discrimination faced by Coptic Christians in Egypt. Sadly, the US Copts Association is not one of them. The extreme irresponsibility of this organization, and their anti-Muslim attitude, was starkly revealed in a Jan. 18 press release it issued regarding an appallingly brutal killing of a family in New Jersey, entitled “U.S. Copts Association Decries Slaying By Muslim Extremists of Coptic-American Family.” It reads, in part: “‘Muslim extremists' gruesome slaying of an innocent Coptic family is not only appalling, but disturbing in its implications for the Coptic-American community,‘ said Michael Meunier, president of the U.S. Copts Association.“ It added, “The Armanious family members are modern-day martyrs in Islamic fundamentalists' war on Christianity and the freedom it advocates. Al-Qaeda is not only in the Middle East but in New Jersey and we call on the FBI to hunt down the killers and bring them to justice." The US Copts Association was undeterred by repeated public statements by authorities that there was no evidence pointing in the direction of al Qaeda, or any other group of Muslims. They continued to stoke the fires of sectarian outrage, and the story was duly picked up by the worst haters and defamers: worldnetdaily.com, frontpagemag.com, jewishworldreview.com, etc. [/b]In the end, police confirmed their repeated statements that the killings were probably related to robbery and not religion or politics by arresting the upstairs neighbors who killed the family for their credit cards. None of this has deterred the US Copts Association from continuing, until the time of writing this article, to post on their website the press release blaming “Muslim extremists” for the murders of the family. (http://www.copts.net/detail.asp?id=617)
(continued)

[Moses]

United American Committee
A far-right wing group extremely hostile to immigration from Arab and other Middle Eastern states. Their “platform” states that “Those who reside in America [presumably meaning the United States] who are aliens, whether documented or undocumented, and who are not citizens, who are from countries with governments which have known ties to Islamic extremism [this crucially is left undefined], shall not only be subject to American laws, but shall be subject to strict immigration laws… Any violation of these laws must be dealt with by immediate deportation… Furthermore only those who are escaping persecution from their governments shall be considered for entry to America from such countries.“ The Committee is convinced that large numbers of American Muslims are plotting violence against their own country. “Constantly in America, plots by Islamic extremists are being thwarted. Most of these plots are planned out by Islamic extremists who are U.S. citizens,” the site warns. The group’s “official blog“ continues to prominently feature article, including one by Daniel Pipes, blaming unidentified Muslims for the Armanious murders, including one titled, “Muslim Kills US Christians in NJ.” Obviously, it provides its readers with no information about the subsequent arrests of non-Muslims in the case, which has proven to be about robbery and not politics or religion. The hysterical nature of the site is perfectly conveyed by the following claim: “Muslims wearing green Hamas armbands, and sashes which say ‘shahada‘ (the Arabic word for suicide bomber). Think it's in Palistine, no it's at U.C. Irvine, California.“ Apart from the inability of the United American Committee to correctly spell Palestine, the accusation is entirely false. The graduating Muslim students’ armbands had no connection or reference to Hamas of any kind, nor did they say “shahada,” which refers not to “suicide bomber” but to the profession of the Muslim faith, “There is no god except God and Muhammad is God’s messenger.” This was actually written in Arabic on one side of the sash with “God, Increase my knowledge” on the other side, thus the shahada as such was written on the armbands, but not the word shahada. To call the “controversy” absurd would be too kind. Nonetheless, proof positive of terrorist tendencies for the United American Committee. But, what more can one expect from an organization that lists ultra-likudnik Frank Gaffney’s Center for Security Policy and Robert Spencer, proprietor of the venomously anti-Muslim website jihadwatch.org, as official “partners?”

Vietnam Veterans for Academic Reform
Extremely strident right-wing group that seems to be based on the fringes of the The University of Kansas. It lists Leonard Magruder, who seems to be barking mad, as its “founder/president,” but again, it is likely to just be him and his modem. Magruder detests Islam and all Muslims, writing, “We must end the delusion in the West that the terrorists are a breed apart from the rest of the Muslim world. They are the direct product of Islamic theology, and the whole Muslim world is now predisposed in that direction. Islam rests on the foundation, ‘Kill the unbelievers,‘ on Jihad. The world must turn its back on, and totally isolate if not totally destroy, a religion as monstrous as this.“ According to Magruder, “all [Muslims] have copies of The Protocols of Zion.” He advocates a nuclear attack against Mecca in response to any use of WMDs by terrorists in the United States, mocks the concept of evolution, and thinks John Kerry is the spawn of Satan.

World Lebanese Cultural Union
World Secretary General… Walid Phares. There’s a theme developing here.

www.antiprotester.com
Preposterous far-right wing blog run by someone with the unlikely name of Rocco DiPippo. The blog seems closely linked with David Horowitz’ insane www.discoverthenetwork.com site which links everyone from Roger Ebert and Ruth Bader Ginsberg with Abu Musab Al Zarqawi in a grand conspiracy between liberals and salafist-jihadists plotting to destroy the United States and all that is good and holy.

www.atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com
Another blog, again linking Ayn Rand worshipping “objectivism” with right-wing Zionism of the most vicious variety. Includes original witticisms such as “Kofi Annan aka Coffee Enema.” The blogger thinks that “Arab Israelis are the most affluent and best educated of all Israelis“ – we’ll be sure to let them know. Fair minded too: “This Pollard thing is a perverse miscarriage of justice, and wreaks of punitive anti-Semitism.” As for peace in the Middle East: “Geez, how many Jooooooooooooos have to die, how many Oslos have to fail until we get this d**n thing right? We gotta win the war first! You can't negotiate a peace on a war that has not yet been won”

www.coexistcreations.com
A blank website – what better endorsement could anyone ask for?

www.libanlink.org
Yet another doubling-up, this is the parent organization for the diversity job site.

www.middle-east-info.org
Extreme right-wing pro-Israel propaganda: “The state of the Jews survived against all odds and made democracy and the desert bloom in a climate hostile to liberty and greenery. In Arab and Iranian dictators' propaganda there is almost no problem that is not caused by the existence of Israel, the Middle East’s sole democracy. Most of the Arab and Muslim states do not recognize Israel's right to exist.“ This is then illustrated by an image of a little girl thingycat being menaced by a line of large dogs. Even the Israeli Foreign Ministry would be embarrassed to be associated with this garbage. But not Kamal.

www.mideastweb.org
Another Israeli website, this one apparently left of center, but very busy, confused and confusing.

www.muslimrefusenik.com
Ladies and Gentlemen, will you welcome please once again, Irshad Manji…

www.ndu.edu.lb
The website of Notre Dame’s Lebanese campus. Worth looking into who on that end agreed to endorse this and why.

www.netwmd.com
Extreme right-wing neocon website. Perfectly repulsive. I’m looking at the current front page as I type: articles by Meyrav Wurmser, Daniel Pipes and Kamal Nawash. That pretty much says it all.

www.peacefromharmony.spb.ru
Weird Russian site linked to the phony Israeli “peace” group through the professional charlatan Ada Aharoni, “President of the International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace (IFLAC),“ based in Haifa, and who writes for this outhouse of a website dedicated to “Implications of Tetrasociology, as a scientific theory of the natural order of social harmony of four sphere classes of the population, for an information (global) society.” By the way, “A naturally occurring 'harmony of spheres' is the central focus and key premise of tetrasociology.” Of course!

www.phxnews.com[/b]
Another Arizona, and probably Jasser, connection, this is a low-level right-wing Arizona website.

www.quillnews.com
Another unknown right-wing blog.

www.sonorandiaries.4t.com
Very strange site (“I am Nefertiti here at your service. Want to chat?”), that seems to mainly consist of links to that day’s stories from the fundamentalist site worldnetdaily.com which, along with frontpagmag.com, is the most venomous anti-Arab and anti-Muslim commercial site on the internet.

www.steveberen.com
Bargin-basement version of David Horowitz, convert from the idiotically left to the pathologically right. Yet another fundamentalist.

www.Thedeadhand.com
A deservedly obscure right-wing blog.

www.theflorentineorder.org
Just when you thought you’d hit rock bottom: “The Florentine Order is a new religion based upon Faith in the Truths discovered by the Great Minds of Humanity. We work to bring Peace and Cooperation to our Beautiful Planet Earth.”

Zanzibari-American Association
I hope the name says it all, because the web offers nothing further.

---

Hussein Ibish is Vice-Chair of the Progressive Muslim Union of North America (PMU)

This item is located at:
www.muslimwakeup.com/main/archives/2005/05/kamal_nawashs_s.php

[Moses]

www.aaiusa.org/countdown/countdown.htm

Tolerating Intolerance

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Conference on "Anti-Semitism and on Other Forms of Intolerance" in Cordoba, Spain will include what can only be described as a disappointing representation from the United States.  In a bizarre effort to include a Muslim and Arab voice in the official delegation, the State Department has selected Kamal Nawash, President of the "Free Muslim Coalition Against Terrorism."  We have reported in the past Nawash's refusal to condemn Daniel Pipes and Michelle Malkin's bigoted attacks on the Arab, Muslim, and Asian American communities as well as his gratuitous attacks on his own community.  Surely the State Department can find a more appropriate representative to speak on intolerance.  Another notably poor choice is Sander Gerber, a member of the national board of directors of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)[/color].  Addressing last year's AIPAC conference, Gerber said, "The 22 Arab nations that are members of the Arab League that surround Israel, not a single one is democratic.  Why is that?  Is it the desert heat that makes people grumpy?  Are the ideals of liberty and individual determination somehow incompatible with today's virulent strains of Islam?"  The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs promotes the conference as a means towards "mutual respect, tolerance, dialogue and, thus, peaceful coexistence"...the genius who came up with this group ought to go back to the drawing board. 

[tombldr]

A perspective which has been deliberately suppressed is: the Zionists, the Neocons, and many 'murkans who've been duped into the whole "Arabs as terrorists" meme; are all anti-Semitic. Because both Jews and Arabs are Semitic people. So there is indeed a new & brazen anti-Semitism among TPTB in the US and Israel. Look no further than the civilian slaughter and genocide of the Iraqi and Palestinians civilians.

But the ADL/AIPAC crowd continues to try to "own" the idea of anti-Semitism, and use it (dishonestly of course) as a flame thrower to send everyone scattering whenever there is criticism of the policies of Zionist Israel. A good writeup about this matter exists here, scroll about 70% down the page to "An Open Letter to the Anti-Defamation League".

[Moses]

All the letters on that page are excellent and informative, and the letter to the ADL very informative about the history of Anti-Semitism and its real sense being the European expulsions, pogroms, and such. (The Crusades are mentioned, but the Crusaders also slaughtered Christians, depending on their nationality, ethnicity, locale, or sect). The letter points out that morphing the term to apply to opposition to Israeli occupation of Arab lands is inappropriate and disingenuous.

This use of the term derives from Israel itself, I have read, and was first used against Israeli opponents to policies of occupation, and was worked up in Israel for use in America. (long story short?)

But of course the use of Kamal Nawash as a front man is also a tried and true Israeli ploy, and now he is chosen by the United States Government, which should tell you all you need to know about who controls things in the Bush Administration. The power of the neocons has been consolidated through purges and through the horrific centralization and institutional changes that have been pushed through, like the NID. There is also a letter relating to that (the NID being a proposal of the stacked 9/11 Commission) on the same page linked in Tom's post.