Lawyer to terrorist suspects

Today we have a lawyer Sohail Mohammed kept on by the 6 men who were preparing to attack Ft. Dix. Luckily the 6 were caught before their plot could come to fruition. Now we have Mr. Mohammed who has previously been an advocate for other detainees on terrorism, especially after 9/11. He also, apparently, enjoys playing fast and loose with the actual law, such as the Geneva Conventions. Here is a bit from CNN on 18 OCT 2003, talking about those being detained at Guatanamo Bay, also on the show hosted by Andrea Koppel was Andrew Apostolou:

APOSTOLOU: [...]

Secondly, with regard to Guantanamo Bay, these people were detained in the theater of operations of combat in and around Afghanistan. Believe me, they weren't in Afghanistan for the skiing. And with regard to interrogating them, the Geneva Convention does allow you to do that.

That's very clear. Even human rights supporters said that.

KOPPEL: Well, that may be true. And certainly the Bush...

APOSTOLOU: No, it's not maybe true. It is true.

KOPPEL: Well, what I'm going to say is that the Bush administration has labeled them enemy combatants for that very reason, because many of the Taliban fighters, let alone the al Qaeda, were not wearing uniforms and therefore could not be easily identified as members of a military. But nevertheless, is it not a valid criticism to say you've had these guys in custody now, in some instances for close to two years. You haven't charged them with my terror-related charges.

When does push come to shove?

APOSTOLOU: Well, there are two issues there. First of all, they are what the U.S. government calls unlawful or illegal combatants, and that is, as you've said, because they violated the most basic rules of war. Let's not forget the Geneva Convention isn't just about prisoner rights. It's about distinguishing combatants from civilians.

These people deliberately blurred all the distinctions. And now they have the cheek to try to arrogate to themselves the protections of combatants.

MOHAMMED: Andrea...

APOSTOLOU: Excuse me. Will you allow me to finish my point? Thank you very much indeed.

They have blurred the distinctions. The U.S. government has given them considerable Geneva Convention rights, and rightly so to. But it would be to damage the integrity of the convention if you were to give them full POW rights. And remember, if you have full POW rights -- and whether you're a legal or a illegal combatant, that doesn't matter -- you can be detained until the end of hostilities. Hostilities are still ongoing. You will recall that American soldiers are being killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban very recently.

KOPPEL: Let's give an opportunity to Mr. Mohammed. You'll have the last word, sir. Do you care to comment?

MOHAMMED: Yes, Andrea. You know, the Geneva Convention provides a mechanism, when, if there is a question about a POW status, it must be resolved by an independent judicial. It's not up to President Bush. It's not up to individual nations to decide...

APOSTOLOU: That is a misquote to the Geneva Convention. That is a misquote to the Geneva Convention.

Yet again, we have the GC brought into things. So let us look at the GC on this very topic. This is covered as follows:

Convention III
Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Geneva, 12 August 1949

Art. 5. The present Convention shall apply to the persons referred to in Article 4 from the time they fall into the power of the enemy and until their final release and repatriation.

Should any doubt arise as to whether persons, having committed a belligerent act and having fallen into the hands of the enemy, belong to any of the categories enumerated in Article 4, such persons shall enjoy the protection of the present Convention until such time as their status has been determined by a competent tribunal.

Competent tribunal. That is a MILITARY TRIBUNAL not a civil court judge nor is it an 'independent judicial' arrangement. And remember that the US has *not* signed the 1977 GC Protocols to encompass terrorists as that infringes on the Power granted to Congress to determine such in the US Constitution. Under the GC any Nation that is attacked and adheres to the GC *must* convene a Military Tribunal to determine if individuals belong in the category of Soldier or Civilian or *other*. Until terrorists came along, that other did and still does mean 'unlawful combatant'. The easier term for it is *spy*.

So, Mr. Mohammed is not just mis-stating the GC, but doing so in attempt to circumvent the normal course of military affairs. It is not the place of a civil court to figure out who or who is not attempting to wage war on the United States: that is given to the US Armed Forces to do via the Geneva Conventions, the UCMJ and the basic division of powers within the Constitution itself. Mr. Mohammed is trying to raise fears about treatment of detainees, just has he has done so before by trying to say that actions taken overseas are raising the hatred of Muslims in the US. This is from Al Jazeera on 27 JUN 2004:

"Since 9/11, every time there is an incident overseas attributed to Muslims or Arabs, we go on orange alert ourselves," said immigration solicitor Sohail Muhammad.

"There are individuals here who are off the wall, who think that every woman who wears a hijab or every man named Muhammad is out to blow things up," he added.

Where are these people you point at anonymously, Mr. Mohammed? I do not see them ranting and raving on the streets and threating individuals with Islamic based names or garb. Before that Mr. Mohammed was on a CNN program that looked at the FBI recruiting people from the Muslim communities in the US and monitoring what was going on at Mosques. From the 2 JUN 2002 transcript we get this:

SOHAIL MOHAMMED, JOB FAIR SPONSOR: Why don't have fair representation of American Muslims in your forces? We ought to be asking why your agencies are suspicious of Muslim activities? Why is our places of worship the focus of your attention, when you know the hijackers were not worshiping at religious centers, but they were hanging out at bars?

Why are we suspicious of what is going on at Mosques and other Muslim activities in America? After 9/11? And even before then we had ample problems with some of the people being brought in from Hamas and other organizations to recruit from Islamic meetings in America. From House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims on 25 JAN 2000 we get this:

United States House of Representatives
Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims
House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims
Hearing on International Terrorism and Immigration Policy

January 25, 2000

· Khalid Mishal, a top leader of Hamas, who, in his speeches in the United States, has called for stabbings


· Kamal Hilbawi, a spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood, who has called for attacks on American targets and who has encouraged carrying out of suicide bombings

· Yusef Al Qaradawi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and active supporter of Hamas and other violent groups, who has called for suicide bombings and taking over the United States

Maybe calling for stabbings, attacks on American targets, suicide bombings and 'taking over the United States' might be a good reason to start monitoring such places where folks like this can congregate and make contacts and preach their violent form of radical islam. Actually that last of calling for taking over the US by a foreigner and aiding and abetting such sounds damned awful. Here is a bit more on another man from that same House document:

Musa Abu Marzook and UASR:

The United Association for Studies and Research (UASR), an Islamic think tank now based in Springfield, Virginia, was founded in 1989 in Chicago, Illinois by a number of prominent Islamic radials living in the US, primary among whom was Musa Abu Marzook.

Musa Abu Marzook, a.k.a. Abu Omar, was the head of the Hamas Political Bureau since 1988, while he was resident in the United States. Hamas (Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia fi Filastin - The Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine) is one of the most militant Islamic groups in the world and is included in the United States Department of State's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations that are outlawed pursuant to the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Hamas has claimed responsibility for numerous suicide bombing attacks within Israel resulting in the deaths of scores of innocent Israelis.

On July 27, 1995, Marzook was arrested at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport because "he played an important role in supervising the activities of the military wing to Hamas [the wing responsible for the terrorist attacks] and in appointing individuals to important leadership roles in the military wing." In the United States, Abu Marzook was "responsible for the Muslim Brothers organization in the U.S. and resigned from this job in order to devote his time to activities dedicated to Palestine" following the foundation of the Hamas. Marzook, who was born in the Gaza Strip, was a close associate of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, the Islamic cleric who founded Hamas as an organization distinct from its parent group Muslim Brotherhood.

Marzook first came to the United States in the late 1970s, although immigration records show that he formally began residing in the United States starting in 1981. Marzook and his family lived in a number of locations during their 14 years in the United States, including Colorado, Louisiana and Virginia. He and his family moved to Falls Church, Virginia in 1991.

Between 1993 and 1995, Marzook resided principally in Jordan, which deported him in June 1995 for his involvement and senior position in Hamas. In July 1995, after making trips to Iran and Syria, Abu Marzook attempted to reenter the United States at which time he was arrested by customs and INS officials at the request of the Israeli government which sought to prosecute Abu Marzook for numerous crimes in connection with his leadership role in Hamas. In October 1995, acting at the request of the Israeli government, the United States initiated extradition proceedings against Abu Marzook based on pending Israeli criminal charges that included murder, attempted murder and conspiracy stemming from Hamas-sponsored terrorist acts.
At the time of his arrest, Abu Marzook was a permanent resident alien of the United States. In 1990, he and his family received their Green Cards in an INS lottery that offered "permanent legal residency" to potential immigrants. In affidavits filed by Deputy United States Attorney Shirah Neiman, the role of Abu Marzook in Hamas activities was discussed as follows:

In his role as head of political bureau, Abu Marzook financed certain activities of Hamas, including terrorist activities against soldiers and civilians in the Territories and Israel. In addition, he played an important role in supervising the activities of the military wing to Hamas (the wing responsible for the terrorist attacks) and in appointing individuals to important leadership roles in the military wing. Throughout most of the relevant period, he resided in the United States.

What a wonderful fellow, no? Great guy to have had wandering around the US *legally*. Further in that House document we run across another fine specimen of terrorism:

Islamic militants on the lecture circuit in the United States: "The Jews distort words from their meanings…they killed the prophets and worshipped idols…Allah says he who equips a warrior of Jihad is like the one who makes Jihad himself." In Arabic, Wagdi Ghuniem, a militant Islamic cleric from Egypt, mesmerized his audience, with his relentless tirade against the Jews, reminding them of the Jews' "infidelity," "stealth" and "deceit." Known for his folksy deliveries and exhortations to commit violence against the Jews, Ghuniem did not disappoint his crowd, several of whom had come just to hear him. The conflict with the Jews, he said, was not over land but one of religion. "The problem of Palestine is not a problem of belief… suppose the Jews said 'Palestine--you [Muslims] can take it.' Would it then be ok? What would we tell them? No! The problem is belief, it is not a problem of land."

Ghuniem then led his rapt audience, which numbered as many as 500, in a special song, the audience responsively repeating each refrain:

No to the Jews

Descendants of the Apes

We Vow to Return

Despite the Obstacles

The administrators of Brooklyn College would probably have been surprised to learn thattheir campus was the site of an incendiary rally more similar to those held in Gaza than those held in the United States. On May 24, 1998, a special all-day program was held in the Walt Whitman Auditorium of Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, New York. Organized by the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), an American-headquartered front group for Hamas, the program was entitled "Palestine: 50 Years of Occupation." Eleven Islamic organizations co-sponsored the event, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development and the Islamic Circle of North America. To the outside world, this conference probably seemed like one of the many seminars held on campus. Conducted almost entirely in Arabic, the conference featured Islamic speakers from the United States and abroad.

Remember this guy was here *legally* to preach this stuff. What lovely visas the Dept. of State hands out for these religious 'teachers' of hate and terrorism. And, apparently, he hung around a bit:

Still, the question raised by Ghuniem's numerous appearances in the United States is how do terrorists manage to enter the country?

One method has been those who deliberately overstay their student visas, some op who are dispatched from terrorist-supporting regimes. Some of these "students" have acquired visas for the purpose of attaining cover for their illicit activities as activists for terrorist organizations. Others receive advanced degrees in the US and return to their countries where some might work in nuclear, chemical or biological weapons programs. Although there is no official compilation of the number of student visas granted to would-be terrorists and agents of terrorist supporting regimes, one study currently in preparation shows that there are at least 200 terrorists or agents of terrorist regimes and organizations who have received student visas in the past decade to pursue undergraduate or graduate training.

Forgive me if I really don't mind overmuch if a religion that promotes such individuals, hides them and encourages terrorism might just be necessary to keep an eye on. Plus find out exactly what some of these 'students' are up to these days.

From an AP report at MSNBC on 18 JAN 2007, which looks at the television program '24', we get this from Mr. Mohammed:

Sohail Mohammed, a New Jersey immigration lawyer who represented scores of detainees caught up in the post-Sept. 11 dragnet, watched the episode depicting the nuclear attack with an Associated Press reporter.

“I was shocked,” he said. “Somewhere, some lunatic out there watching this will do something to an innocent American Muslim because he believes what he saw on TV.”

Dear, me! A topical storyline that features Muslims in a bad light as terrorists, after the article has already pointed out that the show has had multiple different ethnicities and cultures shown as having terrorist activities? And you have to love that AP spin on 'post-Sept. 11 dragnet' which caught up all of 1,200 people in it and almost all of them *released* because they had not been associated with terrorist groups. Yes indeed suspicion had fallen on the Arab Muslim population. 9/11 was *caused* by radical Arab Muslims! Also note that Mr. Mohammed is *still* putting out the line on endangering innocent Muslims years after he first started it up and we still have so very few reports of any sort of crime like that it would stand out if it *did* happen.

Now it just so happens that Mr. Sohail Mohammed is counsel for the American Muslim Union, as seen in this article on the USAPATRIOT Act from 2002. Over at Discover the Networks we get this quick rundown of the AMU:

Based in Paterson, New Jersey, the American Muslim Union (AMU) is "dedicated to serving the American Muslim community and its unique needs." Five of AMU's current and former directors and executives have held, or still hold, leadership positions at the Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC), which was co-founded by Hamas fundraiser Mohammad El-Mezain. AMU's President, Mohamed Younes, is a member of ICPC's Board of Trustees.

At an October 2001 event, AMU hosted the pro-Hamas attorney Stanley Cohen. In March 2004, AMU's invitation to an interfaith event was revoked after two Jewish organizations complained about the group's ties to Islamic terrorism.

AMU views the post-9/11 anti-terror legislation passed by the U.S. government -- particularly the Patriot Act -- as a coordinated assault on the civil liberties of Americans, especially those of Muslim heritage. AMU Executive Director Waheed Khalid has called the Patriot Act "an extremely dangerous piece of legislation" that, "under the guise of 'national security,'" tramples on "our nation's more than 200-year-old Constitution."

In December 2001 -- three months after the 9/11 attacks -- AMU joined forces with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Human Rights Education & Law Project, and the Council of New Jersey Mosques in a campaign to provide immigration attorneys for any Muslims in New Jersey who were questioned by law-enforcement officials in connection with Justice Department terrorism investigations.

AMU chose not to endorse or participate in the May 14, 2005 "Free Muslims March Against Terror," an event whose purpose was to send "a message to radical Muslims and supporters of terrorism that we reject them and that we will do all we can to defeat them."

Yes, yet another of those pro-Hamas groups! They can't even put on the window dressing of wanting to end support of terrorism. This lovely NY Sun article from 29 MAR 2004 looks at who was hobnobbing with the AMU at a sponsored event:

Rep. Bill Pascrell and Senator Corzine, both Democrats of New Jersey, addressed an annual “community brunch” last month co-sponsored by 11 Muslim organizations, including a mosque that has allegedly raised funds for Hamas and another New Jersey mosque whose former imam was convicted last year for smuggling more than a half-million dollars to an Egyptian group that the American Treasury Department subsequently designated a terrorist organization.

Mr. Pascrell has also received campaign contributions and fund-raising support from the president of the event’s primary sponsor.

The American Muslim Union’s Annual Community Brunch on February 21, 2004, was co-sponsored by 10 other organizations, including the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Islamic Center of Passaic County of Paterson, the El Tawheed Islamic Center of Jersey City, and the Dar-ul-Islah Islamic Center of Teaneck.

The co-sponsor with the most apparent ties to radical Islam, including allegedly raising funds for Hamas and hosting as a speaker last year an alleged Hamas figure, is the Islamic Center of Passaic County. The American Muslim Union, though, appears to have close ties to the Islamic Center of Passaic County, as five of its current and former directors and executives have held or still hold leadership positions at the Islamic Center.

The American Muslim Union insists it is a mainstream group, and Mr. Pascrell says he doesn’t regret the appearance. Neither Mr.Pascrell nor Mr.Corzine generally vote outside of the Democratic mainstream on Israel or terror-related matters.

One does wonder if Mr. Pascrell or Corzine is looking for 'moderate' terrorists. Because the AMU certainly has hosted them! Yes, indeed, from a reprint 12 AUG 2004 WaPo article at Militant Islam Monitor, we find a camp hosted by the AMU:

NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J., Aug. 11 -- Mazen Mokhtar, a computer professional trained at Johns Hopkins University, is a familiar face to young activist Muslim men in New Jersey, often delivering what acquaintances describe as mild speeches extolling marriage and religious piety.

But Wednesday, Mokhtar, an Egyptian-born American citizen, found himself issuing a statement denying government accusations that he has aided violent terrorists. Some of those who know him expressed surprise at allegations that he worked with a British man who is accused of soliciting funds for terrorism by operating jihadist Web sites.

"I do not support and I have never supported any action that harms innocent people," Mokhtar, 36, said in the statement, released by his attorney. "I have never knowingly assisted any terrorist group."

Mokhtar has often lectured to youth groups at mosques, has spoken at Rutgers University rallies supporting the Palestinian cause and was invited to speak later this month at a summer camp run by the Young Muslims of North America.

[...]

Nearby, in a working-class area of New Brunswick, about two dozen men filed into the storefront Masjid Al-Huda mosque Wednesday for midday prayers. Imam Abdul Basit, who came from Pakistan three years ago, said Mokhtar occasionally leads the Friday prayers.

"We sometimes invite him to come and give [a] sermon," Basit said. "If we knew from any day that he is saying something bad, we would stop him immediately." But, he said, "I never hear anything bad, only how we can be a good Muslim."

Magdy Mahmoud, president of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Mokhtar is one of many young men on the lecture circuit, "a wise man in the community, a humble man." Mahmoud said Mokhtar visited several mosques in New Jersey and was not affiliated with just one.

Mahmoud said Mokhtar distinguished himself by the "balanced views" he presented to his audience. "People with radical views don't usually attract large audiences," he said.

Mohamed Younes, president of the American Muslim Union in Paterson, N.J., said Mokhtar's lectures there were benign. "Compared to others, he was much more moderate," Younes said.

And what, exactly, was Mazen Mokhtar doing? Just hosting duplicate of an al Qaeda website as seen in this FrontPage mag 29 DEC 2005 article:

The other featured speaker for the MAS Retreat is Mazen Mokhtar. Mokhtar is the Youth Division Head of MAS-New Jersey and the Khateeb (sermon-giver) of Masjid Al-Huda and the Institute of Islamic Studies. Mokhtar is also associated with the terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

In August of 2004, shortly before he was to speak at a Young Muslims camp in Pennsylvania (‘A Few Good Men’), the U.S. government accused Mokhtar of assisting Al-Qaeda through the use of a web site he had created. The web site was www.minna.com, and it was a “mirror site” (replica) of www.azzam.com (Azzam Publications), a site named for Abdullah Azzam that was soliciting funds and recruiting Taliban, Chechen and Al-Qaeda mujaheddin (holy warriors) for terrorist operations overseas. Mokhtar’s site was to be used as a back-up for Azzam Publications, when Azzam was shut down after the 9/11 attacks, so that fundraising and recruitment could continue.

On Azzam Publications, in an “APPEAL FOR PROFESSIONAL WEB DESIGNERS,” it is stated, “…we hope inshallah, that Allah would reward you for any time or effort spent in assisting our aspiration of providing an independent media source from the Islamic perspective.” It seems that Mokhtar answered the appeal.

His reward? A search was conducted on the New Jersey home of Mokhtar, and copies of Azzam Publications sites were found on his computer’s hard drive and files. These sites were being run by a British citizen named Babar Ahmad, a man thought to have been part of an operation headed by captured Al-Qaeda mastermind, Khalid Sheik Mohammed.

On Mokhtar’s Minna site, in the page titled ‘Jihad in Chechnya,’ a video CD depicting terrorist operations was being sold through the website. On the bottom of the page, it states, “Any enquiries regarding the content of this CD should be directed to the Islamic Army of the Caucasus, to Field Commander Shamil Basayev, Field Commander Khattab or their spokesman Movladi Udogov.” In September of 2004, Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for the Beslan school massacre in Russia, which left over 300 dead, mostly children.

Acquaintances of Mokhtar’s expressed “surprise” at the notion that he would be affiliated with something such as this -- that his speeches were “mild,” not extreme. However, when one looks at his past, prior to his involvement with Al-Qaeda, one gets an entirely different picture.

On an Internet newsgroup forum, from the years 1992 to 1996, Mazen Mokhtar had made some very disturbing (and somewhat comical) remarks about the terrorist group Hamas and the concept of suicide bombing. Some of his statements are as follows:

• “One of the reasons of my support for Hamas is that they have very high moral standards… If their standards were lax, they would have lost my support, and moral standards can't get any more lax than killing those who are innocent.”


• “Bombing houses is best left to the IDF (IOF?) they are the experts in the field. Hamas prefers to invest its limited resources in doing good.”


• “I have read the [Hamas] covenant. I support the covenant…”


• “Hamas’s path is the only path in the history of the Palestinian struggle against Israel that has produced results, and the results are impressive, I must say. I think it is clear that Hamas has the wider vision and the better plan.”


• “…the operations of HAMAS are heroic.”


• “In any action of mass self defense, there is the possibility that some innocent people will die… I have enough trust in Hamas to feel that no one is killed before being identified as a collaborator.” “Yes, [suicide bombing is allowed], assuming that the targets are legitimate (and the suicide bombing is a sacrifice, not a suicide.)”


• “[Blowing yourself up is not considered suicide], because it’s an effective method of attacking the enemy and continuing jihad… These are not people [sic] committing suicide because they are fed up with life, these are people who are sacrificing their lives for Allah.”

The Muslim American Society of Tampa cannot plead ignorance, with respect to the views of the two featured speakers it is sponsoring at its retreat. This is the case not just because MAS has associated with these two in the past, but because quite simply, the viewpoint of the organization is identical!

I believe we are coming close to the Democrat's goal to find 'moderate' terrorists! Thus Mr. Sohail Mohammed is associated with an organization that brings in a pro-Hamas speaker who also runs a terrorist support website for a publication that was closed down in the UK for supporting terrorism. Of course the AMU also supports defeatism, as seen from this anti-semitic, racist website document:

August 16
Bring the Troops Home NOW!
Vigil/Car Caravan/Press Conference
[Thanks to Elaine B, who sent this in.]
Wednesday, August 16, 2006, will mark the 1st anniversary of the weekly Bring the Troops Home NOW vigil in Teaneck, NJ.
It will mark the “debut” of the newest Support our Troops. Bring them home. NOW! billboard in Hackensack.

[..]

Speakers:
John Fenton (whose son, Matthew, was killed in Iraq)
Amanda Schroeder (whose brother, Augie, was killed in Iraq)
Al Zappala, Gold Star Families Speak Out (His son, Sherwood, was killed looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.)
Military Families Speak Out -Bergen County - members whose sons are in Iraq and Afghanistan
State Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, District 37
State Assemblywoman Valorie Huddle, District 37
Teaneck Peace and Justice Coalition representative
Ken Dalton, Veterans For Peace, Chapter 21, NJ
Tom Urgo, Vietnam Veterans Against the War
Waheed Khalid, American Muslim Union

Yes, supporting defeat for heading onto a year now along with other Leftist organizations, is the AMU. Nice to see the VVAW is still hobbling along with its ancient clap-trap, too. Any bets on the party affiliation of the Assemblybeings?

But, Mr. Sohail Mohammed really *does* support the right of free speech, doesn't he? Well, Precinct333 would have some quibbles with him as a Newsday article is quoted there with Mr. Sohail Mohammed featured after the murder of Coptic Christians in NJ:

Sohail Mohammed, the lawyer for the American Muslim Union, wrote to Attorney General Peter Harvey Wednesday seeking an investigation of comments made by some in the Coptic community in the days following the slaying of the Armanious family in January.

Mohammed said those comments might have been designed to dissuade Muslims from attending the funeral, and could have been intended to stir up anti-Muslim sentiment.

He noted that many Muslim leaders stayed away from the funeral. The handful who did attend were greeted with abuse and several had to be escorted by police officers from the church hall where the funeral was being held for their own safety, he said.

"We are concerned that those comments were deliberately intended to incite the public," Mohammed said. "If it was intentional, we want Mr. Harvey to do an investigation and determine if it was a bias crime. If there was bias related to it, it becomes a bias crime."

Bias crime? Having a bias is a crime? I am biased towards civilized behavior. Is *that* a crime? Biased comments? Say what? Hasn't Mr. Mohammed heard of 'freedom of speech'? He can't even figure out the First Amendment or the Geneva Conventions, it appears. Plus that political activism angle by the AMU is none too savory.

But then the AMU has a history of that! Why, yes, the AMU is part of the American Muslim Alliance. Those folks were just a tad upset by the 2001 campaign of Jim McGreevy in NJ and here is a bit of that:

COALITION OF NEW JERSEY MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS DISMAYED BY ANTI-MUSLIM BIGOTRY IN REMARKS BY THE MCGREEVEY CAMPAIGN CAIR-(Newark, NJ, July 23, 2001)

A coalition representing nine major Muslim groups issued a joint statement today expressing its dismay over anti-Muslim bigotry in remarks made last week by the campaign of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim McGreevey. This bigotry was manifest in attempts to ostracize the American Muslim Alliance, a mainstream American Muslim civic organization. The broad coalition represents a significant portion of the more than 400,000 Muslims in New Jersey and includes the Majlis Ash-Shura of New Jersey (Council of Mosques and Islamic Organizations), American Muslim Alliance - New Jersey Chapter, American Muslim Council - New Jersey Chapter, American Muslim Union, Islamic Public Affairs Council, Arab American League of Voters, Muslim American Society - New Jersey Chapter, the Islamic Institute, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

That found at arabmedia.com. Yes, you did read that right: 23 JUL 2001! So pre-9/11, and they are griping about what Democratic candidate for Governor Jim McGreevey is saying. And just what was that? Well time to dig a bit more... and come up with the National Jewish Democratic Council on 21 JUL 2001 and its defense of Jim McGreevey:

NJDC Defends McGreevey Against Attack from Arab-American Coalition
July 22, 2001

AMA's Claims of Candidate's Bigotry Unfounded, While Bigotry of Coalition Members is Well-Documented

Washington, DC: The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) today defended New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee James McGreevey against a coalition of Arab-American advocacy groups, which claims that McGreevey has made "anti-Muslim" remarks. The coalition's statement was made in reference to McGreevey's criticism of the American Muslim Alliance, whose members have made incendiary comments about Jews and Israel in recent years.

The coalition's press release states that McGreevey has attempted to ostracize one of the coalition's members, the American Muslim Alliance (AMA), by refusing to attend that organization's events and accept contributions from its members. The statement adds that the coalition hopes McGreevey "will not continue to succumb to pressure from those who seek to exclude American Muslims from both political debate and the political process."

AMA leaders have claimed that UN resolutions give Palestinians the right to armed resistance against Israelis, and they have called on the United Nations to establish a "war crimes tribunal" for Israel, stating that "Palestinian towns and villages are besieged by Israeli forces in a manner that can easily be compared to such historic tragedies as the creation of the Warsaw ghetto." During an AMA conference in 1997, the AMA also distributed Holocaust revisionist literature written by AMA officials.

The press release was issued by the American Muslim Council (AMC), an organization whose members have vocally supported the terrorist groups Hamas and Hizballah. In January, the Secretary of the Board of the AMC participated in what the U.S. State Department referred to as a terrorist conference with a "destructive agenda," which included the participation of leaders of Hamas, Hizballah, Islamic Jihad, and Osama Bin Ladin's organization.

Now hold on a minute there! The AMC which is an umbrella over the AMU had a Secretary of the Board that was in a meeting and supported al Qaeda?!? WTF? In JAN 2001, no less. And the AMC has the AMA under its umbrella, which also has the AMU under that same umbrella so it has no problems being a part of an organization with them?

Dear, me!

Of course that highly Hamas supporting Islamic Center - Passaic Chapter, remember them from further up? - they had the great and good fortune not only to lead the NJ Senate in Prayer on 16 DEC 2000 but Mr. Mohammed had just a little to say on that:

NJ Senate Starts with Islamic Prayers

Trenton (New Jersy): The Senate of the State of New Jersy in US began its winter session with Islamic prayers on December 16. Islamic scholar Mohammad Qarnani led the house in a prayer at the start of the session here. The prayers were organized coinciding with the Holy Month of Ramadan and in recognition of nearly 400,000 Muslims in the state. Qarnani leads the Islamic Center at the Pesic county in the state.

Attorney Suhail Mohammad who is trustee and legal advisor for the local organization American Muslim Union welcomed the Senate gesture. President of the Union Mr. Yunus also held the event as a significant one in the history of the state.

Such a very nice gesture of the NJ Senate to welcome in a scholar from the terrorist supporting Islamic Center to lead them in prayers, isn't it? So nice of the AMU to support that, isn't it?

But I do know that Mr. Sohail Mohommed has a soft spot in his heart. Yes, he will come to the defense of a fellow shark... mmmm... lawyer! That's it lawyer! Like he did on 11 JUN 2003:

NYC: An Evening for Attorney LYNNE STEWART
"First they came for the immigrants,
then they came for their lawyers."

June 11, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
Judson Memorial Church,
55 Washington Square South

An evening of information, discussion, cultural performance and celebration of resistance

In support of Lynne Stewart, the human rights attorney now under indictment by Ashcroft for "materially aiding terrorism" in violating punitive prison administrative rules in connection with her Arab prisoner client.

Special presentation of the Refuse & Resist! "Courageous Resister Award" to Lynne Stewart.

Also speaking/performing:
Clark Kissinger, Refuse & Resist!
Laura Whitehorn, former political prisoner
Randy Credico, comedian
Richie Havens, musician
Sohail Mohammed, General Counsel to American Muslim Union

Sponsored by: Lynne Stewart Defense Committee, Refuse & Resist!, National Lawyers Guild

Of course it is a fellow terrorist supporting lawyer Lynne Stewart who was convicted of helping the Blind Sheikh Rahman pass information to the Muslim Brotherhood during his incarceration after the 1993 WTC bombing. A bit from an article at Strategypage:

The recent disbarment of Lynne Stewart is one of the latest examples of what is wrong with using the law-enforcement approach to dealing with terrorism. Not only is there the fact that all too often, treating terrorism as a criminal matter to be dealt with by law enforcement agencies, leads to terrorists going back onto the street, but there are problems with the lawyers.

Stewart was convicted for providing material support to terrorists while she was representing Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman during his terrorism trial. One of the things she did was pass messages to Rahman's supporters – including exhortations to kill those who opposed his brand of Islamic fundamentalism. Also, during Rahman's trial, evidence was turned over to his attorneys. At least one of the documents handed over in accordance with rules of discovery ultimately found its way to al Qaeda headquarters in the Sudan. That document contained a list of people who were on the government's radar screen – and thus alerted al-Qaeda to the possibility of surveillance. This was an intelligence disaster.

And the Muslim Brotherhood created Hamas, so it is all one, big, happy family! All of that outlining was done in a previous article of mine looking at Rep. Hoyer trying to find 'moderate' terrorists. Went all the way to Egypt when he could have found them in New Jersey, instead. And the Muslim Brotherhood? They had a guy who had been one of their trainees and he was in Albania back in the late 1990's.

Who was that?

Detailed that in this article I did a bit further back on Iranian influence in Bosnia and some of the interconnections there.

His name?

Osama bin Laden.

One big, happy family.