"And why by the way did it take Arabs to do what people here should have done a long time ago?"--Michelle Malkin has the rest.

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Hostage taking does two things for terrorist networks. First, it serves as a source of revenue for the organization--for instance the Maoist FARK rebels of South America have kidnapped and ransomed thousands of hostages in the past 30 years. Second, it serves as a form of propaganda to demoralize political opponents foreign and domestic.

But propaganda is a two-way street. Media images can also serve to discredit our enemies, the Islamist extremists who wish for the return of the Caliphate and the imposition of sharia law. Hence, the following message from the terrorist through two Indonesian reporters recently released comes as no surprise. Reuters:

Two Indonesian television reporters who had been held captive by Iraqi guerrillas said on Tuesday their kidnappers asked them after their release to warn foreign journalists not to come to the conflict-ridden country.

"They told us we should tell journalists they should not enter Iraq and that it is not a safe place for them and they also said they were dissatisfied by reports that discredited them," Meutya Hafid, 26, told reporters after her arrival in Amman from the Iraqi border with cameraman Budiyanto, 38, a day after their release.

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I win.

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I think not!

Above: Blogger Erik Svane of No Pasarin makes nice with the local hottie police officers in Mainz, Germany. The pro-American rally was organized by David of the Medienkritik blog who has lots more pics here.

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Ahmed Aziz Rafiq from Adelaide was arrested by Kurdish authorities late last year. He told his parents he was off to Iraq to find a wife before he turned up as a mujahadin fighter. US authorities had planned to turn him over to Australia, but they are now seeking 'clarification' on the man. More here. Of course, that story mentions the Mr. Rafiq was held in the 'notorious' Abu Ghraib prison. Do you think maybe he found a bride there and if so was he the bitch?

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Via Chad at In the Bullpen this Novinite article. The body of the woman maybe that of Raaeda Al-Wazan who was abducted on her way to work at a US funded television station [background here]. This is the first time I have heard that her son was also taken hostage. As of this morning, not a single major media outlet has carried the story:

The beheaded body of a woman has been discovered in the suburbs of the town of Erbil, Northern Iraq, the Iraqi daily Sabah reported. Police say the body might of the journalist who was kidnapped two days ago in the town of Mosul. Raeda Wazzan, a journalist working for a government-funded television station, was kidnapped along with her son, aged 10.

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Our allies, those loveable Pakistanis, are at it again. Remember, Pakistan is a moderate Islamic country. At least this poor man didn't get the maximum sentence. The maximun sentence for blasphemy is death under all systems of Islamic law.

Daily Times via Jane:

Chishtian Civil Judge Muhammad Ashraf Bhatti on Wednesday sentenced Bashir Masih, 30, to seven years rigorous imprisonment on charges of desecrating the Quran.... A court official alleged that Bashir Masih was a magician cum exorcist and police had caught him tearing a copy of the Quran in Chak No 109/Fateh in Bahawalnagar district last year. Bashir was tried under Section 295-B of the Blasphemy Law. The convict confessed to the crime, saying tearing the Quran was part of the magic he was doing.

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1 I wonder how long I'd get for admitting I wipe my ass with pages from the Quran?

Posted by: Andre at February 23, 2005 09:18 PM (2kPXV)

2 What about burning one?

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at February 23, 2005 09:27 PM (JQjhA)

3 Damn. If rippin' up a Quran/Koran/Satan's Book O' Fun is magic...I'm friggin' David Copperfield.

Posted by: ericobaylor at February 23, 2005 11:03 PM (Msghs)

4 Magic or no, if ripping up a book gets you jail time I'm not sure how this is different than Soviet Russia.

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at February 24, 2005 07:58 AM (JQjhA)

5 Yeah, but since they're capturing and killing Al Qaeda members, I don't think anyone in the West really cares.

Posted by: Venom at February 24, 2005 08:45 AM (dbxVM)

6 To quote Ned Flanders, "It's a dilly of a pickle we're in." In the long-run Pakistan will produce more terrorists because of the intolerant ideology of Islamism (Pakistan is a sharia state). In the short run if we don't back the dicatator we get terrorists NOW. Can any one think of a way out of this dilemma?

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at February 24, 2005 08:48 AM (JQjhA)

7 The terrorist problem right now is only as large as it has been because bin Laden is independently wealthy and can pull off the kind of big-scale attacks (as well as with increased frequency) that have put everyone in the West on edge. No big surprise there. The fact is that, as you point out, if you back the current dictator in Pakistan, you have the opportunity to bag a number of Al Qaeda operatives and, hopefully, land the big fish himself. Do that, and the whole terrorist network pretty much comes down on itself without the financial support to keep it up. Pakistan in the long-run may produce a lot of people who are "anti-U.S., anti-West," but I think if you keep supporting them in dismantling the network, you eliminate a lot more problems that would pop up in the future. It's the same as with the discussion of Russia's crackdown on terrorists. I'd be wary of any kind of alliance with either Pakistan or Russia, but since they're doing their part on the GWOT, I guess you can't find fault with that.

Posted by: Venom at February 24, 2005 09:00 AM (dbxVM)

8 That's a Quran lighting not a Quran burning. And when I'm not wiping with Quaran Pages I like to use the remaining pages to get the old smoker BBQ started. So many uses so few pages.

Posted by: Andre at February 24, 2005 09:35 AM (2kPXV)

9 Andre is obviously fishing for a fatwa!

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at February 24, 2005 10:59 AM (JQjhA)

10 I'm begging for one, oh, I had the sniffles a bit earlier and my nose was all filled up with runny stuff so I took a Quran page out and blew my nose into it. There, 3 uses for Qurans: 1) TP for the bunghole 2) kindle for a smoker BBQ 3) Klenex for the nose. Maybe a fourth one would be a paper walk way on carpets to keep the carpet clean. Just don't know if that can be done with just one Quran, I'll have to try that inorder to know for sure.

Posted by: Andre at February 24, 2005 11:55 AM (2kPXV)

11 We're on a roll! Use number 5 for pages torn from the Oh-So-Holy Koran: Pooper scooper. In my city it's a law that if one's dog craps on somebody else's lawn, the owner has to clean up. I've found Koran pages to be just the perfect size, thickness and texture for wrapping a big old steaming hot turd, just like Arafat's kaffiyah.

Posted by: spaztastic at March 29, 2005 07:01 PM (BW/DU)

12 Use #6 of the holy Quran: I just recently got a new puppy, and it's in the "house breaking years." I only get the Sunday paper, so I didn't have much to work with... so I shredded the Quran and smothered my dog's cage with it... works quite well might I add... PLUS! I got to actually read the paper for once.

Posted by: sartina at April 27, 2005 07:46 PM (7tIoo)

13 i think rather than using the Quran on all things mentioned above, I'll bet the Damn Holy Bible would be of better suggestion. And another it is also good to shove it up you people assess... )

Posted by: zulu at August 12, 2005 02:19 AM (YYkrZ)

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Just when you thought all of the beheading posts had ended, Iraqi television broadcasts a confession of a man who trained the mujahadin to behead their victims. There's more: he's a Syrian military offier.

A little birdie keeps telling me that the reason there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction found in Iraq was because they were moved to Syria. I have tended to downplay that suspicion. Oddly, with each passing day that theory seems more and more plausible---even likely.

AP:

Iraqi state television aired a video Wednesday showing what the U.S.-funded channel said was the confession of a captured Syrian officer who said he trained Iraqi insurgents to behead people and build car bombs to attack American and Iraqi troops.

The video also showed an Iraqi who said the insurgents practiced beheading animals to train for decapitating hostages.

In the video, the man, identified as Lt. Anas Ahmed al-Essa of the Syrian intelligence service, said his group had been recruited to "cause chaos in Iraq Â… to bar America from reaching Syria."

"We received all the instructions from Syrian intelligence," al-Essa, 30, said on a video broadcast by state-run Iraqiya TV, which can be seen nationwide.

The tape was apparently made in the northern city of Mosul but no date was provided.

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Iowahawk forces me to break out the gaybell!!! More Gannon-bell, please!!!! more...

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JS Online Editorial Headline:

"No need to fear Islamist"

Right.

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Via VOA news this interesting development. I was under the impression that al-Jaafari was a shoe-in for the PM post. I guess I was wrong:

Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced he is forming his own coalition to challenge Ibrahim al-Jaafari for the prime minister's job. Mr. Al-Jaafari is one of the interim government's two vice presidents and head of the conservative Shi'ite Muslim party, Dawa.

The party won the most seats in the January elections, but still needs support from other electoral groups if it hopes to place Mr. Al-Jaafari in the prime minister's chair. Dawa has a more forthright religious orientation, while Mr. Allawi's party, the Iraqi List, is secular in tone. The minority Sunnis, in large part, boycotted the elections.

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It's not that I don't appreciate the hits coming from Pal Talk any less than the hits coming from Front Page Magazine. I value all hits equally. It's just that, you know, since the mass murder of the Armanious family in New Jersey I've been taking the death threats a little more seriously.

Pal Talk is the online forum which Hossam Armanious, a Coptic Christian, would discuss theology with members of the Religion of Peace. It's also the place where death threats were issued against him. Many now suspect the murder of Hossam Armanious, his wife, and two daughters were related to those chats.

Does any one have access to Pal Talk? For all I know I'm getting compliments on my Gannon related satire and not on my criticisms of Islam.

Maybe somebody could let me know what they're saying about the Jawa over there? I have no idea how to use the service.

And if I have finally had a fatwa issued against me, let me just say, it will be time for some serious cowbell !!!

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I think I've found the perfect animation to replace Ace's cowbell. Call it Goldstein inspired. I'm not sure whether to call it gaybell or Gannon-bell? Either way, some one really ought to forward it to the Media Matters gang.

While your thinking about the deep significance Gannongate has on the structural dominance embedded in the pseudo-imperialist capitalism of the right-wing military-industrial MSM, why not pay Goldstein a visit and give him some cash? No cash? Why not do him a solid and click on some of his advertisors?

And if you have any questions for Jeff Gannon you might want to drop them in Ace's comments. Now that is going to be a post in need of some Gannon-bell!!

Warning: Not Safe For Work more...

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Did Omar and Faten Ali and know of their sons jihadism?

The jihadi connection only gets deeper. From this NY Times article (ht: Katherine) we learn that Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the man indicted on charges of working with al Qaeda to plot the assassination of the President of the US, taught Islamic studies to children at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center while still in high school. According to the Washington Post, the Center has been a gathering place for Islamist and jihadi activity in the US.

Two of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers worshiped at the mosque and several of the group's founders were active in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. It is no surprise that the Muslim American Society pushed for Ahmed Abu Ali's release and its members showed up in force to laugh at the judge during Ali's indictment. The Muslim American Society is also associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the original al Qaeda. Al-Ikhwan, as it is known in Arabic, was started in 1928 as an Islamist organization with the goal of seeting up the world-wide Islamic state. The radical goals of the Muslim Brotherhood and the political teachings of its founder were the inspiration behind Ossama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization.

Are we to believe that Mr. Omar Abu Ali was not aware of the Salafiyya dogma being taught at the Mosque he attended? A dogma which calls for the introduction of sharia law into the Muslim world? A dogma which calls for violent jihad against regimes in the Middle East?

And is it just a coincidence that Faten Ali, [pictured above] hides behind a veil?

Please!

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Click to Enlarge

What better way to celebrate White Trash Wednesday than to share this vidcap I took of the lost Star Wars incest episode of Jerry Springer? Jerry interviews galactic white trash, Luke and Leia Skywalker. Sparks fly as Jerry brings Leia's secret lover, Han Solo, on to the stage to confront Luke in a battle for Leia's heart.

Classic Springer. Classic white trash.

UPDATE: Jerry Springer, Luke, and Leia now speak on today's news and blogosphere events. If you would like Jerry, Luke, or Leia to comment on one of your posts, just link this post and send a trackback. If you are not trackback enabled, drop me a line.

Luke Skywalker on Hincheypalooza:"Right! Next you'll be telling us that Darth Vader is our father."

Jerry Springer on effigy maker Steve Pearcy:"Do they have an agent? We're doing a confrontations show: Effigy Makers Meet US Soldiers."

Jerry Springer on "intersex" individuals:"Where can I find some for a show?"

Visit these other sites celebrating White Trash Wednesday:

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Yesterday we broke the story of the connection between would-be Presidential assassin Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the Islamic Saudi Academy, and the Royal Saudi Embassy. Those ties run deep.

Today, the MSM begins to pick up the story. A couple of stories of note follow.

This Philadelphia Daily News story uses the catchy phrase of 'Terror High' to describe the school. An added bonus is that the astute reporter thought to give Daniel Pipes a call. Here are some highlights:

The school's former comptroller, arrested last year after videotaping the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland, has been labeled by federal agents as a high- ranking member of the terrorist group Hamas....

Daniel Pipes, director of the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum and a well-known advocate of aggressive anti-terror policies, said the school is like "having a little piece of Saudi Arabia" in northern Virginia. He claimed the Islamic Saudi Academy is a classic case of pitting free speech against protection from future attacks.

"It's like the Nazis having little Hitler schools in America during the 1930s," Pipes said last night. Fifteen of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudi, although the oil-rich nation is a close ally of the Bush administration....

In March 2002, another graduate of the school, Mohammad Usman Idris, then 24, was charged with lying to a grand jury probing plots against Israel.

Pipes said last night that the fact that the school is funded by the Saudis does not seem to give the United States much leverage in dealing with it.

He noted that the oil kingdom "is not really a friend and not really an enemy" and that "we need to sort it all out."

The private school's teachings have come under scrutiny since the Sept. 11 attacks. Federal court documents in a case against another academy graduate suspected of terrorism indicate that student discussions following Sept. 11 took an anti-American bent and that some students considered the attacks legitimate "payback" for American mistreatment of the Muslim world.

UPDATE: Northern Virginiastan has more background.

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The connection between indicted terrorist Ahmed Omar Abu Ali and the Saudi government grow deeper with each new revelation. Abu Ali was indicted in a federal court today on six charges linking him with an al Qaeda plot to assassinate the President of the United States.

While an American citizen by birth, his father Omar Abu Ali is a naturalized US citizen but works as a systems analyst at the Royal Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, DC. Further, the web page of the school attended by Ahmed Omar Abu Ali indicates that admissions priority is given to the children of Saudi diplomats (h/t: Kevin Aylward).

I have written the Saudi Embassy and asked two questions.

1) Does Mr. Omar Abu Ali carry diplomatic credentials?
2) Does Mr. Omar Abu Ali carry a valid Saudi Arabian passport, making him a dual citizen?
-------
CRITICAL UPDATE: No answer from the Saudi Embassy, but this NY Times article (ht: Katherine) claims that Omar Abu Ali and his wife are from Jordan, and not from Saudi Arabia as other reports had indicated.

Scroll to the bottom for more updates
-----------------------------
The Royal Saudi Embassy is also connected to the Virginia high school which Ahmed Omar Abu Ali was valedictorian of. The school is linked at the Saudi Embassy's web page here. A webpage since removed by the Saudi Embassy but which was cached by Google also claims "The Academy is an independent, non-profit educational institution, funded by the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

Various press accounts have overlooked the Islamic Saudi Academy's ties to the Saudi Embassy. Further, press reports have overlooked that school's long history of teaching radical Islamist doctrines to its pupils.

Could Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the man accused of being involved in an al Qaeda plot to assassinate President Bush be simply following the dictates of a conscience tempered by a radical Islamic education in suburban Virginia?

Was the Saudi government reluctant to press charges against Abu Ali because his father was a diplomat?

Was the Saudi government so slow in turning the suspected al Qaeda member over to American authorities for so long because of the embarassing connections between the Embassy, the school, and the House of Saud?

An investigagion of the Islamic Saudi Academy reveals that the following.

From the Islamic Saudi Academy website. Here is a portion of their Mission Statement:

The AcademyÂ’s educational mission is threefold: 1) to develop all students in mind, body, and character enveloping Islamic values and the Arabic language and culture; 2) to prepare students for further education both in the United States and abroad; and to prepare them to be contributing and responsible citizens of the world.

Since its establishment, the Islamic Saudi Academy has viewed its relationship with the community and culture as vital to the mission of the school. ISA not only promotes respect and mutual understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, Arabs and Americans while keeping within the Muslim faith, it strives for its staff and students to uphold tolerance, honesty, integrity and compassion, qualities that represent the best of both American and Arabic cultures.

You'd think that the Valedictorian would have learned the core values of the school? From the school's course of studies you might realize why the man turned out to be a jihadi:

The Islamic Studies Program is unique and comprehensive. It stresses Islamic culture, tradition, heritage, and identity. It challenges the students academically and fosters an atmosphere conducive to the development of Islamic morals, values and ideals. With this foundation, students will continually seek knowledge, think critically, and become active learners. The program prepares students for the challenges they will face as they proceed in their educational and professional careers.

The Islamic Saudi Academy believes that it is important for all students to learn Arabic. Arabic is the language of the Holy Qur'an and Muslims are expected to be well versed in it and fully aware of its usage. Fluency in Arabic keeps students in close contact with their Arab heritage and culture through written and oral communication. The Arabic language is becoming more and more popular in cultural, political and economic world events; moreover, it has become one the major languages used at the United Nations. In general, the Arabic program follows the curriculum, syllabus, and materials established by the Saudi Ministry of Education.

Let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter, To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah - whether he is slain or gets victory - soon shall We give him a reward of great (value)....

Not equal are those Believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) hath Allah promised good: but those who strive and fight hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward.

And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah loveth those who do good.

Those who spend their substance in the cause of Allah, and follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury, for them their reward is with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

Saudi School in Alexandria Promotes Religious Intolerance"

By Erik Ruselowski - The Saudi Institute

“For the teacher: Explain that all religions, other than Islam, are false, including that of the Jews, Christians, and all others.” Not a good example of tolerance and freedom of religion as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and echoed in classrooms across America! However, at the Islamic Saudi Academy, hostility toward Jews and Christians is embedded in the curriculum. The opening line is taken from a book given to first graders at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Virginia....

The Islamic Academy is a private institution wholly financed by the Saudi government. The director, Ibrahim Al-Gosair, and his Saudi staff are given diplomatic status. In fact, because of diplomatic immunity, the school lies only under the jurisdiction of the State Department. Saudi citizens constitute 50 percent of the student body while the remaining half includes Arab and Muslim-Americans. The Saudi Academy teaches an intolerant form of Wahhabi Islam to young Muslim children.

A top textbook consultant shaping classroom education on Islam in American public schools recently worked for a school funded and controlled by the Saudi government, which propagates a rigidly anti-Western strain of Islam, a WorldNetDaily investigation reveals.

The consultant, Susan L. Douglass, has also praised Pakistan's madrassa schools as "proud symbols of learning," even after the U.S. government blamed them for fueling the rise of the Taliban and al-Qaida.

Douglass, routinely described as a "scholar" or "historian," has edited manuscripts of world history textbooks used by middle and high school students across the country. She's also advised state education boards on curriculum standards dealing with world religion, and has helped train thousands of public school teachers on Islamic instruction.

In effect, she is responsible for teaching millions of American children about Islam, experts say, while operating in relative obscurity.

WorldNetDaily has learned that up until last year Douglass taught social studies at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va., which teaches Wahhabism through textbooks that condemn Jews and Christians as infidels and enemies of Islam. Her husband, Usama Amer, still teaches at the grades 2-12 school, a spokeswoman there confirmed. Both are practicing Muslims.

The Saudi government funds the school, which has a sister campus in Fairfax, Va.

"It is a school that is under the auspices of the Saudi Embassy," said Ali al-Ahmed, executive director of the Washington-based Saudi Institute, a leading Saudi opposition group. "So the minister of education appoints the principal of the school, and the teachers are paid by the Saudi government."

He says many of the academy's textbooks he has reviewed contain passages promoting hatred of non-Muslims. For example, the eleventh-grade text says one sign of the Day of Judgment will be when Muslims fight and kill Jews, who will hide behind trees that say: "Oh Muslim, oh servant of God, here is a Jew hiding behind me. Come here and kill him."

Al-Ahmed, a Shiite Muslim born in predominantly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, says the school's religious curriculum was written by Sheik Saleh al-Fawzan, a senior member of the Saudi religious council, who he said has "encouraged war against unbelievers." Al-Fawzan has authored textbooks used in Saudi schools.

Eleventh-graders at the elite Islamic Saudi Academy in Northern Virginia study energy and matter in physics, write out differential equations in precalculus and read stories about slavery and the Puritans in English.

Then they file into their Islamic studies class, where the textbooks tell them the Day of Judgment can't come until Jesus Christ returns to Earth, breaks the cross and converts everyone to Islam, and until Muslims start attacking Jews....

"I wouldn't be surprised if some teachers are sometimes anti-American or anti-Semitic," said Abdulwahab Alkebsi, whose 12-year-old daughter attends the Islamic Saudi Academy. "But I don't want it to be that way....

The Islamic Saudi Academy does not require that U.S. history or government be taught, offering Arabic social studies as an alternative. Officials there said that only Saudis who intend to return home do not take U.S. history, though a handful of U.S.-born students who plan to stay in this country said they opted against it, too.

School officials would not allow reporters to attend classes. But a number of students described the classroom instruction and provided copies of textbooks.

Ali Al-Ahmed, whose Virginia-based Saudi Institute promotes religious tolerance in Saudi Arabia, has reviewed numerous textbooks used at the academy and said many passages promote hatred of non-Muslims and Shiite Muslims.

The 11th-grade textbook, for example, says one sign of the Day of Judgment will be that Muslims will fight and kill Jews, who will hide behind trees that say: "Oh Muslim, Oh servant of God, here is a Jew hiding behind me. Come here and kill him."

Several students of different ages, all of whom asked not to be identified, said that in Islamic studies, they are taught that it is better to shun and even to dislike Christians, Jews and Shiite Muslims.

Some teachers "focus more on hatred," said one teenager, who recited by memory the signs of the coming of the Day of Judgment. "They teach students that whatever is kuffar [non-Muslim], it is okay for you" to hurt or steal from that person.

Other teachers present more tolerant views, students said. Usama Amer, a veteran math teacher, is popular not only for his math skills but also for regularly allowing students free debate about topics within Islam.

The Islamic Saudi Academy (ISA) in Northern Virginia forthrightly states that even though it exists on U.S. soil, it is "subject to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

Students at ISA are not required to study U.S. history or government. They do, however, receive instruction in Wahhabism.

Outsiders are not permitted to observe Wahhabism lessons or any other classes at ISA. But early this year, students at the academy told two Washington Post reporters some of the things they learn at school. Among other things, students discover the intricacies of Judgment Day.

One event on that formidable day will be that Muslims will fight and kill Jews. The cowardly Jews will seek refuge behind trees. Much like the trees in the forest scene from the Wizard of Oz, these trees will become animated and aggressive. They will call out to the righteous: "Oh Muslim, Oh servant of God, here is a Jew hiding behind me. Come here and kill him."

Students also said they are taught "it is better to shun and even to dislike Christians, Jews and Shiite Muslims." Furthermore, students learn, it is okay to hurt or steal from a non-Muslim.

The Saudi-supplied textbooks at this and other Wahhabi schools state that Muslims are obliged to consider all infidels the enemy. Certain enemies are not even acknowledged in geography class. Wahhabi schools in America are notorious for doctoring maps of the Middle East, and hanging them in classrooms - with Israel blotted out.

UPDATE 2/23 AM: I have a new post up in which Daniel Pipes chimes in. Since so many of you are new to The Jawa Report and may not be familiar with site navigation, I will include the full text of that post below. more...

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Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the man charged with plotting an assassination attempt against President George W. Bush was the valedictorian of a radical Islamic school in Virginia supported by the Saudi government.

According to the Washington Post and reprinted in the NY Times, he attended the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria Virginia. While family and friends feign that he is the victim of anti-Muslim discrimination, the Jawa Report can reveal that the school in question follows the radical Wahhabi curriculum of the Saudi Ministry of Education. Until recent protest by the US goverment, this curriculum has included anti-Semetic and anti-Christian bigotry and overt calls to jihad. Thus Ahmed Omar Abu Ali is likely to be an ideologue who actually believed what he was taught at school

From the Islamic Saudi Academy website. Here is a portion of their Mission Statement:

The AcademyÂ’s educational mission is threefold: 1) to develop all students in mind, body, and character enveloping Islamic values and the Arabic language and culture; 2) to prepare students for further education both in the United States and abroad; and to prepare them to be contributing and responsible citizens of the world.

Since its establishment, the Islamic Saudi Academy has viewed its relationship with the community and culture as vital to the mission of the school. ISA not only promotes respect and mutual understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, Arabs and Americans while keeping within the Muslim faith, it strives for its staff and students to uphold tolerance, honesty, integrity and compassion, qualities that represent the best of both American and Arabic cultures.

You'd think that the Valedictorian would have learned the core values of the school? From the school's course of studies and you might realize why the man turned out to be a jihadi:

The Islamic Studies Program is unique and comprehensive. It stresses Islamic culture, tradition, heritage, and identity. It challenges the students academically and fosters an atmosphere conducive to the development of Islamic morals, values and ideals. With this foundation, students will continually seek knowledge, think critically, and become active learners. The program prepares students for the challenges they will face as they proceed in their educational and professional careers.

The Islamic Saudi Academy believes that it is important for all students to learn Arabic. Arabic is the language of the Holy Qur'an and Muslims are expected to be well versed in it and fully aware of its usage. Fluency in Arabic keeps students in close contact with their Arab heritage and culture through written and oral communication. The Arabic language is becoming more and more popular in cultural, political and economic world events; moreover, it has become one the major languages used at the United Nations. In general, the Arabic program follows the curriculum, syllabus, and materials established by the Saudi Ministry of Education.

Let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter, To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah - whether he is slain or gets victory - soon shall We give him a reward of great (value)....

Not equal are those Believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) hath Allah promised good: but those who strive and fight hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward.

And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah loveth those who do good.

Those who spend their substance in the cause of Allah, and follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury, for them their reward is with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

Saudi School in Alexandria Promotes Religious Intolerance"

By Erik Ruselowski - The Saudi Institute

“For the teacher: Explain that all religions, other than Islam, are false, including that of the Jews, Christians, and all others.” Not a good example of tolerance and freedom of religion as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and echoed in classrooms across America! However, at the Islamic Saudi Academy, hostility toward Jews and Christians is embedded in the curriculum. The opening line is taken from a book given to first graders at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Virginia....

The Islamic Academy is a private institution wholly financed by the Saudi government. The director, Ibrahim Al-Gosair, and his Saudi staff are given diplomatic status. In fact, because of diplomatic immunity, the school lies only under the jurisdiction of the State Department. Saudi citizens constitute 50 percent of the student body while the remaining half includes Arab and Muslim-Americans. The Saudi Academy teaches an intolerant form of Wahhabi Islam to young Muslim children.

A top textbook consultant shaping classroom education on Islam in American public schools recently worked for a school funded and controlled by the Saudi government, which propagates a rigidly anti-Western strain of Islam, a WorldNetDaily investigation reveals.

The consultant, Susan L. Douglass, has also praised Pakistan's madrassa schools as "proud symbols of learning," even after the U.S. government blamed them for fueling the rise of the Taliban and al-Qaida.

Douglass, routinely described as a "scholar" or "historian," has edited manuscripts of world history textbooks used by middle and high school students across the country. She's also advised state education boards on curriculum standards dealing with world religion, and has helped train thousands of public school teachers on Islamic instruction.

In effect, she is responsible for teaching millions of American children about Islam, experts say, while operating in relative obscurity.

WorldNetDaily has learned that up until last year Douglass taught social studies at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va., which teaches Wahhabism through textbooks that condemn Jews and Christians as infidels and enemies of Islam. Her husband, Usama Amer, still teaches at the grades 2-12 school, a spokeswoman there confirmed. Both are practicing Muslims.

The Saudi government funds the school, which has a sister campus in Fairfax, Va.

"It is a school that is under the auspices of the Saudi Embassy," said Ali al-Ahmed, executive director of the Washington-based Saudi Institute, a leading Saudi opposition group. "So the minister of education appoints the principal of the school, and the teachers are paid by the Saudi government."

He says many of the academy's textbooks he has reviewed contain passages promoting hatred of non-Muslims. For example, the eleventh-grade text says one sign of the Day of Judgment will be when Muslims fight and kill Jews, who will hide behind trees that say: "Oh Muslim, oh servant of God, here is a Jew hiding behind me. Come here and kill him."

Al-Ahmed, a Shiite Muslim born in predominantly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, says the school's religious curriculum was written by Sheik Saleh al-Fawzan, a senior member of the Saudi religious council, who he said has "encouraged war against unbelievers." Al-Fawzan has authored textbooks used in Saudi schools.

Posted by: Rusty at 05:10 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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In the air. Shoot in the air. JPost:

According to a preliminary investigation conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, the incident occurred when Eyad Tawfiq, 30, arrived at his house in the village after he had been released from jail.

His brother-in-law, 28-year-old Haibat Taha, welcomed him by firing into the air from his M16 rifle. When he put the rifle back on his shoulder, a number of live bullets hit four men standing nearby. One of them, Salah, was killed by a live bullet in the abdomen.

Posted by: Rusty at 04:38 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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1 Thanks for posting this; I've added it to my site, and linked back to you.

Posted by: Isaac B2 at February 22, 2005 05:01 PM (VIPXX)

2 Dumb ass. A 3-layer yellow cake with chocolate icing would have been a better 'welcome home from prison you terrorist you' gift than that.

Posted by: Bubbe at February 22, 2005 05:16 PM (4BlQ+)

3 Don't you know, bullet flying upwards out of barrel will come back down at the same speed it went up with ? Still, doesn't this guy know that bullets kill people?

Posted by: karrde at February 22, 2005 05:30 PM (YtZsx)

4 Why didn't he shoot more bullets into the air? NEXT TIME FIRE THE ENTIRE MAGAZINE!!!!

Posted by: mike at February 22, 2005 06:06 PM (nyxv/)

5 "live bullets"...oxymoron, if there ever was one. Since when is a bullet "live"??? Flying bullet is more like it.

Posted by: Laura at February 22, 2005 09:33 PM (ptOpl)

6 jerks - that's why I say GET RID OF ALL THE GUNS.

Posted by: firstbrokenangel at February 22, 2005 11:14 PM (PEKrh)

7 I saw somewhere, that there have been more "Innocent" people killed in the Middle East, especially Palestine, by bullets fired into the air either in celebration and mourning, than the Israelites have killed on purpose. E.G. During the Funeral and Burial of Yasser Arafat, there were 16 Fatalities from bullets coming back down! Wotta buncha F----n' Idiots!

Posted by: large at February 23, 2005 12:58 PM (VRK2g)

8 Can I send him more bullets?

Posted by: greyrooster at February 23, 2005 05:57 PM (CBNGy)

9 send bigger bullets please.

Posted by: eye 4 an eye at February 24, 2005 11:05 PM (2PJMl)

10 Get rid of all the guns. Yea sure. I'll turn mine in the day after the terrorists do. Will you people quit telling the ragheads that bullets return to earth.

Posted by: greyrooster at February 25, 2005 04:37 AM (CBNGy)

11 We need to fight political correctness and make as many people as possible know the true nature of Islam.

Posted by: athinker at February 26, 2005 10:06 PM (KTodt)

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American born Muslim goes to Saudi Arabia to study Islam. While there he becomes converted to Jihad. Joins al Qaeda. Plots to kill President Bush. For now his only defense has been that the Saudis tortured him and he is the victim of religious persecution. Typical.

His family had been circulating this petetion to free him from Saudi jails.

The full indictment can be read here.

UPDATE: From the indictment, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali is charged with:

1) Conspiracy to provide material support and resources to foreign terrorist organizations (al Qaeda)

2) Providing material support and resources to foreign terrorist organizations (al Qaeda)

3) Conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

4) Providing material support to terrorists.

5) Contribution of services to al Qaeda.

6) Receipt of funds and services from al Qaeda.

Another Update from the indictment: Left out of the Fox News are several key things. For instance, Fox says that Ahmed Ali was found with "Audio tapes in Arabic promoting violent jihad and the killing of Jews". The actual indictment reads, "Audio tapes in Arabic promoting violent jihad, the killing of Jews, and a battle by Muslims against Christians and Jews."
---------

Fox News:

An American citizen was charged Tuesday with conspiring to assassinate President Bush and with supporting Al Qaeda .

If convicted of all the charges, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 23, faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison....

An indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Alexandria on Feb. 3 was unsealed Tuesday. There are 10 alleged co-conspirators in the indictment.

Abu Ali faces six counts n the indictment: conspiracy to provide material support and resources to Al Qaeda; providing material support to Al Qaeda; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists; providing material support to terrorists; contribution of services to Al Qaeda; and receipt of funds and services from Al Qaeda.

The federal indictment said that in 2002 and 2003 Abu Ali and an unidentified co-conspirator discussed plans for Abu Ali to assassinate Bush. They discussed two scenarios, the indictment said: one in which Abu Ali "would get close enough to the president to shoot him on the street" and, alternatively, "an operation in which Abu Ali would detonate a car bomb." ...

Abu Ali was born in Houston and later moved to Falls Church, Va., where he was valedictorian of his high school class. He allegedly went on to pursue religious studies in Saudi Arabia in 2000 and federal prosecutors say Abu Ali joined an Al Qaeda cell in Saudi Arabia in 2001. The alleged Bush plot occurred while he was studying in that country, the indictment says.

Sometime around September 2002, Abu Ali allegedly returned to Saudi Arabia (search) and told an unnamed co-conspirator that he was interested in joining Al Qaeda. The indictment alleges that Abu Ali intended to become a planner of terrorist operations like Muhammad Atta and Khalid Sheik Muhammad.

Abu Ali allegedly decided at one point to go to Afghanistan to take part in a violent jihad against American military personnel there. He applied for a visa to travel to Iran as a means to enter Afghanistan but his application was denied, according to the indictment.

Abu Ali also received money from another co-conspirator and Al Qaeda member to buy a laptop computer, a cell phone and books, the indictment says. Abu Ali is said to have purchased all the equipment.

At some point, this alleged Al Qaeda member who gave him the money discussed with Abu Ali establishing an Al Qaeda cell in the United States. Abu Ali received training in weapons, explosives and document forgery from Al Qaeda members, the indictment says.

According to the indictment, Abu Ali obtained a religious blessing from another unidentified co-conspirator to assassinate the president. One of the unidentified co-conspirators in the plot is among 19 people the Saudi government said in 2003 was seeking to launch terror attacks in that country, according to the indictment.

He was arrested in Saudi Arabia on June 9, 2003.

UPDATE: (via Charles Johnson) Not surprisingly, the Muslim American Society calls for his release. Would it be possible for Muslim groups to just once support the detention of a terrorist? MAS:

"We're deeply grateful to the Almighty for the return of Abu-Ali the United States of America," said Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation Executive Director Mahdi Bray. "However, I am still greatly troubled and concerned about the manner in which our government has dealt with Abu Ali and his family.

"Nothing short of his release and return to his family is acceptable to us," stated Bray.

The Washington Post reported in 2003 that Mr. Ali was valedictorian of his 1999 high school class at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, where school officials described him as "an exceptional student," with special talent in mathematics and science.

UPDATE: Andrew Cochran confirms Abu Ali's father worked for Saudi Embassy.

Another Update: From the Islamic Saudi Academy website. Here is a portion of their Mission Statement:

The AcademyÂ’s educational mission is threefold: 1) to develop all students in mind, body, and character enveloping Islamic values and the Arabic language and culture; 2) to prepare students for further education both in the United States and abroad; and to prepare them to be contributing and responsible citizens of the world.

Since its establishment, the Islamic Saudi Academy has viewed its relationship with the community and culture as vital to the mission of the school. ISA not only promotes respect and mutual understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, Arabs and Americans while keeping within the Muslim faith, it strives for its staff and students to uphold tolerance, honesty, integrity and compassion, qualities that represent the best of both American and Arabic cultures.

You'd think that the Valedictorian would have learned the core values of the school? Check out the rigorous course of studies and you might realize why the man turned out to be a jihadi:

The Islamic Studies Program is unique and comprehensive. It stresses Islamic culture, tradition, heritage, and identity. It challenges the students academically and fosters an atmosphere conducive to the development of Islamic morals, values and ideals. With this foundation, students will continually seek knowledge, think critically, and become active learners. The program prepares students for the challenges they will face as they proceed in their educational and professional careers.

The Islamic Saudi Academy believes that it is important for all students to learn Arabic. Arabic is the language of the Holy Qur'an and Muslims are expected to be well versed in it and fully aware of its usage. Fluency in Arabic keeps students in close contact with their Arab heritage and culture through written and oral communication. The Arabic language is becoming more and more popular in cultural, political and economic world events; moreover, it has become one the major languages used at the United Nations. In general, the Arabic program follows the curriculum, syllabus, and materials established by the Saudi Ministry of Education.

Let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter, To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah - whether he is slain or gets victory - soon shall We give him a reward of great (value)....

Not equal are those Believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) hath Allah promised good: but those who strive and fight hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward.

And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah loveth those who do good.

Those who spend their substance in the cause of Allah, and follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury, for them their reward is with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

Others with a great deal more to tell: James Joyner, The Baron, Number 2 Pencil, In the Bullpen, Wizbang, Josh Poulson, White Pebble, Truth Quante-fied, Jane at Armies of Liberation, Joe Gandelman, Rob at Say Anything, The Political Teen, A little about everything, La Shawn Barber, Lorie Bird

Posted by: Rusty at 01:02 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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