February 24, 2005

Let's see a Leftist score with a hottie police officer after a Bush=Hitler rally!

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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Australian Jihadi Held in Iraq

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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Beheaded Body of Woman May be that of Iraqi Journalist

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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February 23, 2005

Christian Sentenced to Seven Years in Pakistan for Tearing Up Quran

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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Syrian Officer Admits Training Terrorist to Behead on Video

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.

It seems that this is just one in a series of videos [background here] made by the new Police Chief in Mosul [background here] as a counter-propaganda measure to all the beheading videos being produced by the terrorists.
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.

[ht: Charles Johnson]

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Democratic Underground Ouija Board

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

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Editorials Unclear on the Concept

JS Online Editorial Headline:

"No need to fear Islamist"

Right.

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Allawi Challenging Al-Jaafari for PM Job

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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Rusty Shackleford Being Targetted by Online Jihadis? Cool

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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You know what this site needs? More Gannon-bell!!!

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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The Muslim Brotherhood Connection to Bush Assassination Plot

omarfatenali.jpgDid 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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WTW: Jerry Springer Interviews Incestious Luke and Leia Skywalker (Updated)

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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More Revelations About "Terror High"

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."

From another article in Karala Next:
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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February 22, 2005

Terrorist Son of Saudi Embassy Worker Attended Saudi Run School (UPDATED

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.
From their About Us page:
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.
Tolerance in Saudi Arabia is expressed by not allowing freedom of religion. The death penalty is prescribed for those who leave Islam for another religion and for those who preach Christianity.

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.

There is also a link to al-Islam with an entire section devoted to The Superiority of Jihad:
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 on the Superiority of the Mujahadin:
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.

From the Saudi Institute:
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.

From Campus Watch reprinting a WND article:
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.

Warriors for truth reports:
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.

Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs also points out this Front Page article:
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.

While the Saudi government has instituted reforms in their education system in the past two years, it will be noted that Ahmed Omar Abu Ali is 23, thus he would have gone through the system before any such reforms.

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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Man Charged in Presidential Assassinination Attempt Valedictorian of Radical Islamic School in Virginia Supported by Saudi Government

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.
From their About Us page:
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.
Tolerance in Saudi Arabia is expressed by not allowing freedom of religion. The death penalty is prescribed for those who leave Islam for another religion and for those who preach Christianity.

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.

There is also a link to al-Islam with an entire section devoted to The Superiority of Jihad:
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 on the Superiority of the Mujahadin:
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.

From the Saud Institute:
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.

From Campus Watch reprinting a WND article:
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.

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Unclear on the Concept: Palestinian Man Celebrates His Brother's Release from Israeli Jail by Shooting Bystanders

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.

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Muslim-American Indicted for Bush Assassination Plot (UPDATED)

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.

h/t: First Broken Angel

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.


Update: In answer to Number 2 Pencils question. NY Times:
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: Aylward notes this article which suggests his father might work for the Saudi Embassy. That would explain why he went to the Islamic Saudi Academy.

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.
From their About Us page:
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.
They keep using that word tolerance, I do not think that word means what they think it means.

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.

There is also a link to al-Islam with an entire section devoted to The Superiority of Jihad:
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 on the Superiority of the Mujahadin:
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.

Last Update: More on in this post 'Man Charged in Presidential Assassin Attending Radical Islamic School Supported by Saudi Government'

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

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C-3PO Comments On Paris Hilton and Other News

parishiltonjabbahutc3po.jpg

If you would like C-3PO to comment on one of your blog posts, just send a trackback or e-mail me.

C-3PO comments on images found on Paris Hilton's hacked Sidekick: "Oh my!"

On Jeff Ganon/James Guckert's plans to sue Media Matters: "R-2 says the chances of winning are seven-hundred and twenty-five to one."

On Bill Burkett plans to sue CBS News for publishing his phony memo:""Sometimes I just don't understand human behavior."

On the USA Next advertisement: "Good heavens, gay you say?"

On former Kerry advisers working for the UN and making anti-Fox News ads:"I believe they think I'm some sort of god."

On Taliban giving up in Afghanistan:""Wait a minute! Where are you going!"

On the British Navy recruiting the gays:"Are they in need of a protocol robot?"

On Congressman Hinchey's retreat from reality: "Oh switch off!"

On Elizabeth Hurley in new Harry Potter movie: "Fabulous."

On Japan considering outlawing knives: ""Are you sure this thing is safe?"

On ex-Turkish PM on trial for fraud and corruption: "I believe it's some sort of Jawa dialect, sir."

On Simon's Asian blog roundup: "I am programmed in over 6 million languages, sir."

On the New Blog showcase:"We have found the computer outlet sir."

On the Llama Butchers:"The above photo-shop is designed primarily for Steve's screensaver? I'm not telling him that."

Update: On the Earthquake in Iran: "It's against my programming to impersonate a deity."

Update II: On efforts to remove life support from Terry Schiavo:"See above."

On Ward Churchill getting tenure by mistake:"I'm sorry, sir, my irony circuits seem to be on overload."

Update III: On the Editor's engagement to be married:"I say, good show."

On Hawaii outlawing the consumption of dog and cat meat:"Oh no the Rancor!"

Update IV: On Bush efforts to reforge old alliances: "Do take good care of yourself."

On President's day:"R2d2 You know better than to talk to a strange computer."

On Democratic Underground Hunter S. Thompson conspiracy theories:"Good heavens, no!"

UPDATE 2/23: On Michael Schiavo's attempts to kill his wife Terry: Click to here

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Al Jaafari Shiite's Nominee for PM

The AP reports that Interim Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen as his Shiite ticket's candidate for Iraq's next prime minister Tuesday, after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid.

Al-Jaafari has sent mixed signals about his Islamist ties. He is brother-in-law to the Grand Ayatollah Sistani, the most powerful cleric in Iraq. His ties to Iran are also deep. After a failed rebellion against Saddam Hussein in the 1970s, al-Jaafari fled to Iran in 1980 where he lived in exile until 1989. He then moved to London where he became the chief spokesman for theh Dawa party in exile until the US led ouster of the Baathist regime. His wife and children remain in London.

On the one hand he has stated that he believes Islam should be the only source of Iraq's fundamental law. A chilling statement for Iraq's Christian minority who would be forced to live in legal dhimmitude--or second class citizenship--if even moderate sharia law were imposed. For instance, Islamic law forbids the free expression of religion and prescribes the death penalty as the maximum sentence for Muslims who leave the faith. But even if the maximum penalty were not given any society that forbids apostasy as a matter of law is not free.

On the other hand Al-Jaafari has been generally supportive of Kurdish autonomy. He is expected to become Prime Minister with the support of the Kurdish ticket which came in second in the elections. He has also been a critic of Wahhabi style laws which restrict women from voting or even driving. He supported the US invasion and was part of the original governing body appointed by the Coalitin Authority.

More from Wikipidia and BBC.

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February 21, 2005

The REAL MEDIA MATTERS Agenda

kosagenda.jpg

Markos 'Screw Them' Zuniga takes offense at the above advertisement by USA Next running at The American Spectator, former home of one David Brock--the man who owns Media Matters and employs a number of prominent left-wing bloggers.*

Apparently his readers take offense, too, and he has inspired a number of 'clever' photoshops. The America(it's all about the gay cock)blog actually has a funny photoshop (inspired by Atrios) and is the least offensive. Dohiyi Mir and Suburban Nomad so 'cleverly' comes up with a photoshop of Bush's 'real agenda' of torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib and stomping out the Constitution, inspired, no doubt by Kos' use of the word fascist to describe the GOP today.

I, on the other hand, propose this less offensive photoshop that Kos, Atrios, and Media Matters in general has inspired.

kosagendafinished.jpg

UPDATE: Kevin Drum and Digby chime in on those Swift Boat liars. (via Meme Random)

UPDATE II: James Joyner has a good run-down on the controversy.

*For the record the banner ad is pretty lame and inflamatory. But mostly it's just gay.

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