Justice Felix Frankfurter once observed that it is neither law, religious creed nor ideology that holds America together; it is, rather, a "binding tie of cohesive sentiment." As a Jew, Frankfurter understood that while "sentiment" was not the most stately concept it had its clear advantages. For, while not totally immune to abuses of power, sentiment is far more resistant than law, theology or ideology. A tyrannical government might condemn today's saint as tomorrow's heretic, but it cannot remove feelings of solidarity and empathy from the hearts and minds of those who see him as one of their own. Not only, however, was Justice Frankfurter a Jew, he was an immigrant. And this too surely helped him see the importance of "cohesive sentiment," even over such lofty concepts as law, equality or democracy.

Muslims too should now be learning about the importance of sentiment. Recently, Chicago attorney Mazen Asbahi was forced to retire as Barack Obama's Muslim outreach advisor, after it was learned that in 2000 he briefly served on the board of an Islamic investment fund with an allegedly "fundamentalist" Imam who was recently named an un-indicted co-conspirator in a case against alleged Hamas fund-raisers. Of course, everyone understood the game that was being played here: Obama's outreach to Muslim-Americans was about to be contorted into an exercise of aiding and abetting Muslim terrorists! In order to preempt this unfounded insinuation, Mr. Asbahi felt obliged to resign, in order, in his words, "to avoid distracting from Barack Obama's message of change."

Most Muslim observers have decried this fiasco as a blatant case of "guilt by association." I think the matter goes deeper. After all, the so-called "fundamentalist" Imam with whom Asbahi was alleged to have ties was found guilty of no wrong-doing. With what guilt, then, was Asbahi supposed to be associated? Rather than any wrong-doing, Asbahi was simply being associated with being a Muslim, the same 'charge' with which some have tried to 'smear' Senator Obama. Parties aiming to exclude Muslims from the American political process simply found a way to strip Asbahi's religious affiliation of all innocence, thereby inviting non-Muslim Americans to give full vent to their anti-Muslim phobia, under the cover of a would-be justification.

The real story in all of this, however, is that this tactic worked. And here we return to Justice Frankfurter's point about sentiment. Muslim-Americans are vulnerable to the attacks of their detractors because they are not sufficiently bound to their fellow Americans by enough "cohesive sentiment" to place a proper burden of proof on their accusers. The way to that sentiment, however, is neither through simple protest nor acts of ostensible public altruism. The way to that sentiment is through becoming a part of the American story, a story of powerful truths, lies and contradictions that have destined America to struggle, to her dying breath, to find that balance between enough remembering and enough forgetting to point her towards redemption. It is a story of America's quest to rid herself of the vile habit of violating her own principles and creating "problem peoples" who fall outside the reach of her lofty ideals. From the founding of the republic and Thomas Jefferson's "We hold these truths to be self-evident…", this quest -- more than anything else – has defined us as Americans. Indeed, this is the struggle that generates the "cohesive sentiment" that binds Americans as a people.

This is why Americans are so excited about the candidacy of Barack Obama: Obama holds out a chance for redemption. Amidst this excitement, however, Americans must remain mindful of the evil of which we have proved ourselves so capable of perpetrating. Muslim-Americans, meanwhile, must come to see that American history, whether we like it or not, is now our history, and that we cannot accept the bounties of her present without sharing responsibility for her past. And we must understand the difference between being a part of American society and being a part of the American story. To be part of the American story is to strive as mightily as other Americans in pursuit of American redemption.

Thus far, however, Muslims remain outside the American story, which is why, despite their positive contributions to society, they seldom enlist empathy when they are jailed, deported or discriminated against. Hopefully, however, it will not be long before Muslims come to understand this. Once they do, while guilt by association may continue, Muslims will be able to fight back. For in this they will be joined by others.

>> So many facist leaders from South America and Asia have sought "asylum"/retirement in the United States.<<

I must add here that nothing America has done in this department compares to Saudi Arabia giving asylum to Idi Amin of Uganda, a man who single handedly was responsible for butchering over 100,000 in his brief 8-year reign setting his nation back a 100 years. What a shame that such a man lived out comfortably for another 25 years in a suburb in Riyadh.

A person from Uganda who may have worked 40 of his best years in life in Saudi would be deported back home at the expiry of his visa, but Mr. Idi, or should we say, Brother Idi, who added little to Saudi society instead got to retire comfortably in Saudi Arabia for free after wiping out half the middle class of his country. Pathetic.

Your stupidity is really beginning to show now, sgmiller. In recent decades, Zionists have succeeded in making support for Zionism synonymous with “Jewish.” They have made Israel appear to be a vulnerable country facing annihilation in a sea of bloodthirsty Ay-rabs. Failed attempts at sarcasm won't salvage your argument. These are not merely Jewish names picked out of a hat.
Crying "anti-Semitism" to immunize Zionist Jews from criticism and scrutiny isn't going to work. The war in Iraq(and upcoming war in Iran) was conceived by 25 neoconservative "intellectuals," Zionist Jews, and active for decades to make US policy indistinguishable from Israel :

http://www.alternet.org/story/15481/


>"As for the '5000 year exile........."

I have to say you have lost me here. I guess this is some kind of attempt to comment on Israel and Jews but for the life of me, I don't know what it has to do with Asbahi.<

Oh it was a lot to do with Asbahi. As I've pointed out before the same tactic was used against Salam Al-Maryati by the ADL over a decade ago. Why is that whever an Arab or Muslim name shows up on the political landscape that Jewish extremist groups make the most noise?
Never mind the fact none of these East European Khazar Jews are Semitic, yet complain about the big bad Ay-rabs(the largest group of Semites on the planet). Ofcourse its politically incorrect to point this out. Just as its taboo to bring up that inherent criminality of Zionism and Israel.
The devil lies in the details, and its no coincidence that these outfits like the "Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report" are all part of the same criminal fraternity as Daniel "the Muslims are coming" Pipes and the usual suspects.

>U.S helped boot the Russians from Afghanistan, the Serbs from Bosnia, and the Iraqis from Kuwait as well as rather ineffectively trying to feed Somalians.<

Nothing like historical revisionism mixed in FAUX news kool aid. The US helped arm the Afghans to take revenge on Russian assistance to the Vietcong, Cold war and all. That turned out real well didn't it?
The US did not drive Serbs from Bosnia. The US bombed Serbia in 1999, years after the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, during which time the Bosnians were prevented from arming themselves while the Russians armed the Serbs. The bombing of Serbia was for the expansion of NATO and build military bases deep into East Europe.
Feeding Somalia? Put down the "Blackhawk" down dvd and get a clue. It was a pretext for oil. This makes the Middle East of crucial importance to the U.S. It makes the Horn of Africa strategic, both because of its proximity to the oil, its possible oil reserves, and its location along the oil tanker routes through both the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.
Can I buy you a vowel?

"Crying "anti-Semitism" to immunize Zionist Jews from criticism and scrutiny isn't going to work. The war in Iraq(and upcoming war in Iran) was conceived by 25 neoconservative "intellectuals," Zionist Jews, and active for decades to make US policy indistinguishable from Israel :"

Oh yes, 25 Jews managed to manipulate the entire United States government, news media, military, and American population into doing their bidding...definitely not anti-Semitism. Oh I forgot, you cited alternet as proof..I definitely can learn how to think from you.

"Why is that whever an Arab or Muslim name shows up on the political landscape that Jewish extremist groups make the most noise? "

Your supreme intellect seems to have forgotten about Rashida Tlaib:

http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/index.php?mod=article&cat=Community&article=1430

an Arab Muslim who replaced Asbahi without a word of comment from "Jewish extremist groups" like the Wall Street Journal. Of course, the sign of somebody who actually can think is that when the facts don't fit the theory, he revises the theory. I don't really expect that here.

"Never mind the fact none of these East European Khazar Jews are Semitic, yet complain about the big bad Ay-rabs(the largest group of Semites on the planet)."

Just can't get over the dictionary can you?

"Just as its taboo to bring up that inherent criminality of Zionism and Israel. "

On what planet does this taboo exist?

"its no coincidence that these outfits like the "Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report" are all part of the same criminal fraternity as Daniel "the Muslims are coming" Pipes and the usual suspects."

Interesting comment from somebody who says he has never read the publication but then again, this is not about rational thought is it?

"Nothing like historical revisionism mixed in FAUX news kool aid. "

Gee, throw in the hilarious "kool aid" comment and you don't have to think any more do you? Putting your kindergarten political theories aside for the moment, why don't you actually read the posts. I was responding to somebody who was commenting about how U.S. Muslims might feel about a village bombed in Afghanistan. The point was that U.S. foreign policy is dictated by perceived strategic/political/moral interests and not by the interests of any ethnic group (sorry, forgot that the Jews were an exception because they control everything). The Muslims who died in Afghanistan didn't die because they were Muslims any more than the Kuwaitis who got freed were liberated because they were Muslims. Despite your fevered grand antisemitic theorizing, the world just isn't about Muslims being persecuted by Jews.

I have to say I have grown tired of this conversation. Any person who actually lives in the real world can see you for what you are which is just another run of the mill anti-Semite with nothing better to do with his time then recirculate the most tired of canards. At least you could try to come up with something original. Worst is that you aren't even honest about your antisemitism which shows some combination of non self-awareness, intellectual dishonesty, and/or ethical deficit. I have no idea about whether you are actually Muslim and frankly don't care. Your comments, demeanor, and thoughts do a disservice to the Muslim community which is represented here. More disturbing is the failure of all but one person on this forum to respond to what was accurately called the "conniving Jew" theory.

Therefore, I think I will sign off on this thread and let you continue to live on in your fevered dream world where Jews are plotting to do you ill. I trust that the world will move on someday leaving you with no place to vent your fantasies but back in the dark corners where all such racism and bigotry will no doubt continue to fester.So go ahead and take the last word because I suspect this is a big part of your life. In my experience, rabid anti-Semites usually don't have much else to do.

The zionist squatter presists in idiotically crying "anti-semitism" yet again to protect members of the Tribe. Drowning in brazen denials. Having a PNAC attack are you?

>Oh yes, 25 Jews managed to manipulate the entire United States government, news media, military, and American population into doing their bidding...definitely not anti-Semitism. Oh I forgot, you cited alternet as proof..I definitely can learn how to think from you.<

Absolutely. Alternet was just one article, there are hundreds of others detailing and documenting who these criminals are and how long they've been around. Its not debatable. Its a cold hard fact, and no amount of your whining and nay saying will change that. Its time for you to graduate beyond the neocon coloring book.
You're not a Semite, neither are the East European Khazar terrorists who have infiltrated and manipulate US foreign policy on behalf of Israel and Zionism. In the meantime stop trying to be something you are not, you are not given to an ounce of sound reasoning, and cling to a joke of a worldview
Do get back to me when you find Iraq's WMD's.

"idiotically crying "anti-semitism" yet again to protect members of the Tribe."

"You're not a Semite, neither are the East European Khazar terrorists who have infiltrated and manipulate US foreign policy on behalf of Israel and Zionism."

Instead of a "kool-aid" might I suggest some Prozac or perhaps counseling? You seem to be losing it.

And on that note...bye bye, its the best help I can offer you because you are now just repeating these sad ravings and its BORING!

sgmiller-Thank you for providing the name of Rashida Tlaib. If you read carefully, she is not a replacement for Mazen Asbahi. She is a coordinator for Michigan, while Mazen was a national coordinator. Since no one has reached out to me in Georgia, I’m not quite sure what that means for the Obama campaign.

Since Rashida earlier in September 2008 won a democratic primary for a state government position, she has been “vetted” more than Mazen in the public sphere. She had been criticized for affiliation with ACCESS (accesscommunity.org), which as an institution serving Muslims, comes under attack in the rabid anti-Muslim sector of the blogosphere.

I think that there is real problem is with the Obama campaign. I just got a survey to fill out regarding voter concerns. There was an ethnicity/affiliation question. There was a category Arab-American, but no category for South Asians. There were categories for Catholic Americans and Jewish Americans, but there was not a category for Muslim Americans. The campaign was late in its appointment of Mazen, then it did not support him when some questioned his patriotism and integrity, and even if today it appointed a qualified Muslim for the national coordinator position, there’s precious little time to get organized.

Despite my criticisms of Senator Obama’s campaign, I do vigorously support it. See a previous altmuslim.com post encouraging Muslims not to support Senator Obama. http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/e/2801/

So in summary, I’m not sure that the appointment of Rashida is evidence that there are no “parties aiming to exclude Muslims from the American political process,” which is Dr. Jackson’s original claim to which sgmiller objected. Now, there is no denying that the people who operate the blogs and websites which regularly question the loyalty and morality of Muslim-Americans are supporters of Israel, and that some of these are Jewish and some are not. Pipes, for example, is explicit about Muslims’ enfranchisement in the United States:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Pipes:
In October, 2001 Pipes said, before the convention of the American Jewish Congress. "I worry very much, from the Jewish point of view, that the presence, and increased stature, and affluence, and enfranchisement of American Muslims, because they are so much led by an Islamist leadership, that this will present true dangers to American Jews."

And, if there was a conspiracy sabotaging the relations between Senator Obama and Muslims, there's no need to go after Rashida since the damage is already done. I don't think there is a conspiracy. I look at it more as pro-zionism antibodies active in the U.S. body politic, attacking its Muslim joints just like when our immune systems attack our own joints and cause rheumatoid arthritis. People worked over the last 40 years to develop these antibodies, and now they function on auto-pilot.

Why should the standard for a Muslim to participate in the U.S. political process be that he or she has never supported Palestinian resistance to Israel, and, secondarily, never associated with anyone who has? The problem is the U.S. public’s baseline story is that all things Muslim are evil (and the cause of the Palestinians is somehow in their minds a religious issue rather than a human rights issue), and that’s the story we Muslims, according to Dr. Jackson, have to work to change.

In any event, Rashida seems to be a good person for the position in Michigan. Here are some links about her:

Rashida Wins Democratic Primary
http://feetin2worlds.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/rashida-tlaib-wins-in-michigan-now-the-arab-candidate-must-mend-fences-with-latinos/

Rashida Opposes Ballot Initiative Limiting Affirmative Action in Michigan
http://www.aapf.org/focus/episodes/oct30.php

Rashida Opposes Deportations of Legal Residents for Minor Criminal Offenses
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/printer_2954.shtml

Arab-American Institute Profiles Rashida
http://www.aaiusa.org/arab-americans/3654/rashida-tlaib-service-politics

Nor is it entirely accurate that not a single word of terrorist-linking criticism has been uttered about her appointment.
Jewish Daily Forward Announcement of Rashida Tlaib
http://www.forward.com/articles/14072/

"If you read carefully, she is not a replacement for Mazen Asbahi. She is a coordinator for Michigan, while Mazen was a national coordinator. Since no one has reached out to me in Georgia, I’m not quite sure what that means for the Obama campaign."

Yes, I see that is true but I suspect that since Asbahi is actually still unofficially working for the campaign:

http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=16&issue=20080825

that the two of the are more or less serving that function.

"I’m not sure that the appointment of Rashida is evidence that there are no “parties aiming to exclude Muslims from the American political process,"

My intent was not show that there were no such parties but that was no evidence that "they" were behind the Asbahi affair.

"there is no denying that the people who operate the blogs and websites which regularly question the loyalty and morality of Muslim-Americans are supporters of Israel, and that some of these are Jewish and some are not"

I don't know that all who question this are supporters of Israel but I am not sure what this has to do with Asbahi.

" I don't think there is a conspiracy. I look at it more as pro-zionism antibodies"

That just sounds like an "unconscious" conspiracy.The problem is that still there is no evidence that "Zionists" had anything to do with Asbahi's resignation unless you assume that anybody reporting on the Muslim Brotherhood is a "Zionist."

"Why should the standard for a Muslim to participate in the U.S. political process be that he or she has never supported Palestinian resistance to Israel, and, secondarily, never associated with anyone who has?"

The standard at this point I would say is that overt support for designated terrorist organizations is going to be a problem for anybody. The same goes for any kind of strong connection to foreign Islamist groups. You many not like it but that is the reality in the post911 world.. However, that certainly does not rule out individuals who support the Palestinian people in other ways.

"Nor is it entirely accurate that not a single word of terrorist-linking criticism has been uttered about her appointment."

I think that coverage was pretty tame and only reported on pre-appointment criticism of her organization. If you do a blog search:

http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?q=Rashida Tlaib&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wb

I think you will see that there has been no criticism. A far cry from what happened AFTER Asbahi had resigned.

Thank you however for conducting a far more civilized discussion than I have experienced before on this site.

Firstly ~ This article is not anti-semitic. It in fact uses a Jewish Judges understanding of American society to postulate the reason for indifference amongst Americans to Muslim suffering around the world, and discrimination/stereotyping against Muslims in the United States. This is evidenced in Media, and particularly in the press. World news presented to American audiences are usually much different than the world news received by the rest of the world (for example).

Yes. You are right, discrimination is no reason to not act. But understanding the root of the ignorance and its surest cure is a good way to overcome it. This article isn't just about why Muslims Americans struggle to be included, but rather how they may overcome those obstacles.

I would like to point out that the Muslim community in the US and in world affairs, will have to present a united front without too many polarities in opinion and without polarising our audience (as is the case with many passionate protest marches)

The author points out that the basis for that discrimination

Secondly ~ I believe that criticism of the State of Israel and the separation of Zionist nationalist ambitions from the practice of the Jewish faith are necessary. Judeofascist is an adaptation of the term Isalmo-fascist, that DrM is using to draw attention that Jewish Fascist ambitions for the colonial Israel are drawn by some members, from their beliefs to make murder, torture and kidnapping kosher to them. Israel is not considered as Fascist as Apartheid South Africa because, as the topic suggests, their supporters manage American public sentiment. Yes, the colonial Israelis are considered alien, and nothing can change that FACT of its ambitions.

Lastly ~ polls are subjective census about subjective topics with subjective meanings. Muslims were very supportive of US involvement in Afghanistan, even though Afghans were used to drain Russian resources in a perpetual bloodbath. And the issue of US involvement in Serbia would have been considered less disingenuous if they had moved to war as quickly as they did in Kuwait (NATO and the UN being obliged to in those circumstances). Mujahideen were fighting in Serbia for at least 3 years before any US involvement.

You view of the US government needs to be broadened to understand its Realpolitik.

" Judeofascist is an adaptation of the term Isalmo-fascist, that DrM is using to draw attention that Jewish Fascist ambitions for the colonial Israel are drawn by some members, from their beliefs to make murder, torture and kidnapping kosher to them. "

Please do not try and convince anybody of rational mind that DrM is not an anti-Semite...its way too late for that.

"You view of the US government needs to be broadened to understand its Realpolitik."

That was the point...that U.S. actions were not directed for or against Muslims per se and that foreign policy is a complicated mix of "realpolitik", domestic politics, bureaucratic output, etc etc. Thats just another reason why these grand antisemitic conspiracy theories are such nonsense.

"Israel is not considered as Fascist as Apartheid South Africa because, as the topic suggests, their supporters manage American public sentiment."

Israel is not considered that way because most reasonable people can see the differences.

>> Israel is not considered that way because most reasonable people can see the differences.

I agree that the politics are complicated. I believe that you undermine the regions, the continent and most post-colonial objectors reasonability. UN reform or some new internationalist movement will demand Palestinian right of return and Israel has only the leverage of the United States effective support. 6million to 5billion.

http://www.shamar.org/articles/right_to_the_land.php
http://samsonblinded.org/titles/Judea.htm

>>And on that note...bye bye, its the best help I can offer you because you are now just repeating these sad ravings and its BORING!<<

That's exactly what you've been doing all along, the same old, tired, dull, foam filled zionist rantings. "Arabs aren't Semites," "Neocons being Jewish Zionists is a pure coincidence," "Zionism has nothing to do with PNAC and the invasion of Iraq." Gotcha, Shlomo!
Like I said, get back to me when you find those Iraqi WMDs...

"Gotcha, Shlomo"

Just another in your long of vile antisemitism. Can you imagine the reaction in civilized circles if somebody claimed to have a serious though in their head and signed their post "Gotcha Abdul?"

You conduct here is a continued stain on this forum which seems to tolerate it. This kind of racism and bigotry however does untold damage to a professed concern for racism and bigotry.

I think if that's an offenisve comment it should be deleted. Ask the editor. I'm not familiar with Jewish slurs so I wouldn't know. For what it's worth, he's called me far worse.

>Just another in your long of vile antisemitism. Can you imagine the reaction in civilized circles if somebody claimed to have a serious though in their head and signed their post "Gotcha Abdul?"<

Don't you mean "Gotcha Haji"? LoL Seriously, quit making a fool out of yourself with this one trick pony response of "antisemitism." Rather sensitive for a Zionist who like to drop rubbish like "Islamists" on people...I wonder if I go around calling Judeofascists "Jewists" now?
You do know there is such a thing as an Arab Jew don't you?

>I think if that's an offenisve comment it should be deleted.<

Its not. Shlomo is a typical Jewish name. I use it to show the usual suspects that the tables can be easily turned. The word "islamist" is a Western invention, no Muslim calls themselves an "islamist" or "muhammedan", these are insults, just how "haji" is someone who takes a trip to mecca, yet it's also a racial slur when used insultingly.

"one trick pony response of "antisemitism."

As I've said already, way too late for backtracking now. I will let any future readers scroll up and make up their own minds on this.

"Rather sensitive for a Zionist"

Just more evidence for the evaluation.

"no Muslim calls themselves an "islamist""

Just shows how poorly read you are in this area since you seem unaware of the Muslim scholars who do in fact use this term which you have define as insulting.

"Shlomo is a typical Jewish name. I use it to show the usual suspects that the tables can be easily turned."

It takes some mental mysteries to equate constant slurring remarks about my ethnicity (somebody you actually know nothing about) with "Islamists" a term used by scholars to try and distinguish the misuse of Islam from the religion.

"You do know there is such a thing as an Arab Jew don't you? "

I know that if I cite this, it will provoke another senseless riff on "Semites" but I suppose this is yet another pointless attempt to demonstrate a lack of antisemitism which, like it or not, is known by the community of sane people as anti Jewish prejudice.

In total, once again I will let readers scroll up to see how you turned what started as my attempt to provide some facts on the Asbahi situation to your platform for hurling vile insults based on your assumptions about my ethnicity/religion. I am not sure of the point of this conversation any more. You clearly do not believe you are anti-Semitic which is not surprising since I never met a racist who believed there were. You also have offended at least one other in this forum who has already spoken. Your statements here speak for themselves and can be judged by anybody who cares to read them.

I tried to add some perspective on the Asbahi affair and instead ended up wasting a fair amount of time engaging with somebody who, in the end, probably derives some sort of satisfaction by provoking people, believing that this reflects well on them. Well, I am sorry to break it to you, though I doubt I am the first, you are neither interesting, provocative or thoughtful. Actually, you are simply a bore who I doubt has accomplished anything of significance.

Cheerio.

>As I've said already, way too late for backtracking now. I will let any future readers scroll up and make up their own minds on this.<

Backtracking? You wish. Readers can more then make up their minds that you are just one of the dime-a-dozen Israel firsters whose familiar and failed cry of "antisemitism" has now become a predictable joke without a punch line. Of course you whole heatedly insist that neocons being Jewish Zionists is a pure coincidence and that Arabs aren't Semites which in itself reveals your true colors and the racism embedded in your psyche.
Not to mention your fictitious romanticizing of gun totting "humanitarian" missions.

>"Islamists" a term used by scholars to try and distinguish the misuse of Islam from the religion.<

Rubbish. "Islamist" is a totally stupid meaningless word that attempts to Anglicize an Arabic word, advertise it as intellectual and with deep meaning while actually only superficially pretending to bypass the connotations that are invariably associated with it by its religious context. In reality, it's those connotations and the religious context which are being manipulated to put the religion of Islam in new, hateful, bigoted, misrepresented terminology. Used by scholars you say? "Scholars" like Daniel "brown-skinned peoples cooking strange foods and not exactly maintaining Germanic standards of hygiene" Pipes.
Yet you complain about "Shlomo," thanks for taking the bait and proving your hypocrisy.

>my attempt to provide some facts on the Asbahi situation to your platform for hurling vile insults based on your assumptions about my ethnicity/religion.<

You haven't provided any facts on the Asbahi case. You didn't even read the article from the WSJ you touted, sourced back to "Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report," a zionist disinfo(in the tradition of Rita Katz's SITE) group allied with the same neocon criminals whose existence you deny.
Perhaps you fellows can start your own group "the Cheetos-Eating in My Mom's Basement While enjoying the Internet Porn Institute for the Defense of Israel, Free Enterprise, and Western Civilization." Kinda long, but we get the idea.

"Backtracking? You wish"

I let any poor slob who wants to read this sad, sad threat make up their own minds about you and as to whether I actually said of of the things you credited me with.

"sed by scholars you say? "Scholars" like Daniel "brown-skinned peoples cooking strange foods and not exactly maintaining Germanic standards of hygiene" Pipes"

No...scholars like Bassam Tibi who, unlike you, actually has credentials. Don't suppose you ever heard of him.

"You haven't provided any facts on the Asbahi case"

Actually, if you check back the facts I provided were actual facts in the sense of things that we know as opposed to things that you create in your fevered fantasies. Those facts are surprisingly few which were that the newsletter wrote about Asbahi's membership on some boards followed by an email from the Journal which was followed by his resignation.

"You didn't even read the article from the WSJ you touted,"

I didn't? Interesting..I must have been hallucinating when I read it.

" "Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report," a zionist disinfo(in the tradition of Rita Katz's SITE) group allied with the same neocon criminals whose existence you deny. "

Now you must be hallucinating. How exactly did you come up with this since you have never read the publication nor can identify any of the people behind it but I suppose this is your idea of a fact. No need for evidence...just repeat yourself endlessly.

"Perhaps you fellows can start your own group "the Cheetos-Eating in My Mom's Basement While enjoying the Internet Porn Institute for the Defense of Israel, Free Enterprise, and Western Civilization."

Wow...good one....very thoughtful...shows your academic credentials.

Oh yes, I thought I better throw in some background on Bassam Tibi, you know, one of those non-existent Muslims who writes about Islamists:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassam_Tibi
http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~uspw/iib/tibi_eng.htm

but I suppose he is just another "East European Khazar terrorist"? Oh sorry, problem for you is that he is a world-renowned Arab Muslim scholar form a distinguished Syrian family with advanced degrees and numerous publications who lectures all over the world whereas you are what exactly?

sgmiller, you realize that the position from which Mazen Abashi resigned was the Muslim outreach coordinator, don't you? Seems prudent to me that the person who serves in that capacity BE Muslim. The fact that he was replaced by an "acceptable" Muslim drives home a good point: only people who are considered "marginally" Muslim or "mainstream" can expect to have a voice in a campaign. What is really fascinating is that you quoted an article that states, "Tlaib said she's already faced some offbeat criticisms and attempts to connect her to some form of extremism, as happened to former national Arab and Muslim outreach coordinator Mazen Asbahi, who resigned after accusations of distant, brief connections to an imam labeled a fundamentalist."
Just another case of Americans demanding that they define Islam, and what is acceptable in it, rather than Muslim Americans.
I don't agree that it was Jews/Zionists that forced Abashi to resign, but I do think that the pressure for him to do so was unethical.
And it strikes me ironic, for lack of better word, that Muslims are no supposed to see any kind of conspiracy about people who are asked to resign because of some made up association with a violent group but at the same time our government asks the entire world to turn a blind eye to the atrocities committed in such places as Iraq. I'm sorry, but it doesn't sit well with me at all.
It is because the violence of that particular group is done with some kind of wrongly labeled Islamic virtue in mind that Abashi stepped down, not because the group was simply violent. Let's not forget here that in the US certain types of violence perpetuated against certain groups is still very much accepted by the American people and the media, whether they are conscious of it or not.