Rumpled Academic Update. In today's lead article at FrontPage, I explore the implications of the maximum sentence that Al-Arian just received (news links in the original):
Sami al-Arian, the former University of South Florida professor, has been a master manipulator for years, gaining strong and vocal support for the American Left. But his luck has now completely run out. When he pled guilty not long ago to “conspiracy to make or receive contributions of funds to or for the benefit of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Specially Designated Terrorist” organization, the maximum sentence was set at four years, nine months. But on Monday Judge James Moody, according to the St. Petersburg Times, “shocked the courtroom when he ignored the recommendation of prosecutors and defense attorneys for a lower sentence,” and slapped al-Arian with the maximum.Moody also didn’t hesitate to tell al-Arian what he thought of him. Referring to al-Arian’s claim that he was raising money only for Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s “charity for widows and orphans,” the judge declared: “Your only connection to orphans and widows is that you create them.”
When al-Arian tried the old manipulation games that had served him so well for so long, speaking of his “belief in the true meaning of a democratic society...and the integrity of the jury system,” Moody was having none of it. “Dr. al-Arian,” he said, “as usual, you speak eloquently. I find it interesting that here in public in front of everyone you praised this country...but that’s just evidence of how you operate...You are a master manipulator.”That he is. For his respect for democracy and trial by jury rings rather false to those whose ears are still ringing with his calls for “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” and such statements as this one documented by Steven Emerson in American Jihad: “Let us damn America. Let us damn Israel, let us damn their allies until death. Why do we stop?” Does he simply quarrel with current American policy but actually hold to democratic principles? Not likely. Emerson also quotes him as saying:
Muhammad is our leader. The Koran is our constitution. Jihad is our path. Victory to Islam. Death to Israel. Revolution! Revolution! Until victory! Rolling, rolling to Jerusalem.Many on the American Left have been all too eager to be manipulated. On August 22, 2002, Phil Donahue featured al-Arian as a guest on his short-lived talk show, and apologized for asking him about his genocidal statements: “So, one more time, sir, and I know that you’re probably getting tired of these same questions – death to Israel did not mean you wanted to kill Jews, do I understand your position?”
Al-Arian agreed and suggested that his statement was comparable to Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death!” Donahue ate it up, stating: “The law of innocent until proven guilty doesn’t seem to exist for Professor Sami al-Arian…You are swimming upstream, professor, and this must be quite a shock to you. I know that your life has been threatened. I assume you have security.”
Donahue wasn’t alone, as I noted in a February 2003 FrontPage article. When the University of South Florida fired al-Arian from his job as associate professor of computer engineering, the Chronicle of Higher Education published a cover story called “Blaming the Victim?” and featuring a photo of al-Arian. Academic Islamic apologist John Esposito noted, “the University did a thorough independent review several years ago which found no merit in accusations made at that time” and worried that al-Arian was a victim of “anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bigotry.”
Other encomiums to al-Arian appeared in the New York Times, Salon, and elsewhere – and al-Arian himself pitched in on August 26, 2002, with a self-exculpatory piece in CounterPunch entitled “Fighting for Right of Dissent & Due Process.” In it, he speaks of being “fascinated with the American system of government” as a young man and describes himself as “under the threat of being fired for controversy stemming from activism for the Palestinian cause.” Sounding all the right notes for the Left, he writes ominously that “in a number of ways my case is indicative of the status of civil liberties in post-9/11 America.”
He seems in this article to make an unequivocal renunciation of suicide terror attacks: “I have never once in my life advocated the killing of innocent civilians. I abhor terrorism at all levels, against all people. I condemn all violence against civilians – regardless of the faith of the perpetrators – whether they are in pizza parlors, bus stations or refugee camps. It’s wrong not only politically, but, more important, on religious, moral and ethical grounds.” Of course, this statement is utterly empty if al-Arian holds to the common view among jihadists that there are no civilians in Israel, much less any innocents. But the readers of CounterPunch were unlikely to know that; they were, apparently, all too happy to be manipulated.
On Monday Judge Moody was in no mood for any such manipulation. He told al-Arian, “You continue to lie to your friends and supporters, claiming to abhor violence.” He scored the former professor’s murderous activities: “Your children attend the finest universities this country has to offer,” he said to al-Arian, “while you raise money to blow up the children of others.” He noted that al-Arian used the suicide bombings in Beit Lid, Israel in January 1995 merely as an “opportunity to solicit more money to carry out more bombings,” while “anyone with even the slightest bit of human compassion would be sickened” by these murderous attacks.
But al-Arian’s supporters dug in. “The judge’s words – that al-Arian supported violence – contradict the very basis of the jury’s acquittal and the plea agreement, and raise questions about fundamental fairness,” declared David Cole of Georgetown University. One of al-Arian’s attorneys, Linda Moreno, said flatly, “there was no mention of violence in the plea agreement, which the judge approved.” Yet in fact the plea agreement stipulates that al-Arian raised money for Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and that he “was aware that the PIJ achieved its objectives by, among other means, acts of violence.”
Al-Arian, as well as Cole, Moreno, and the Florida jihadist’s other remaining supporters should come clean. The time for such deception and denial is over. The fact that Moody gave al-Arian the maximum sentence is a positive indication that perhaps henceforth Americans, Left and Right, will not be so easily fooled by the likes of Sami al-Arian, and will move resolutely to resist their efforts to foster the goals of the worldwide Islamic jihad on American soil.
Robert
I listened to you this morning on Lee Rodgers & Melanie Morgan's show, covering both this, and other stories that have surfaced here in recent weeks. This time, you were brilliant, and covered all bases - not only al Arian, but CAIR's links to Hamas (particularly the point about explaining to advertizers how CAIR no longer denies such links, and shares with Osama the goal of achieving Shariah in the US), the Muslim attitudes towards Egypt's pre-Islamic past and the Coptic church in Cairo.
But the point that I love being made was the one about the mythical "Moderate Muslims". I loved Lee's quotation amounting to "The Jihadists want to wage the war now, whereas the Moderates think that it's pre-mature".
Such appearances by not just you but others as well should be more common. I regret that Serge Trikovic missed the show last Friday. However, a Classics professor from Fresno State, Bruce Thornton did appear on this show a while back and outlined some of the acts that Mohammed did when he ran things, and Brian Sussman (who substitutes for Lee on Mondays) plugged him quite heavily. I'm glad that there are a few hosts who see things so clearly.
Al Arian is a perfect example of a lying, sneaking Muslimist. Now, if the realization that there are many of these people living among us continues, we'll be getting somewhere.
The Judge hit the bird on the beak when he called this bug a master manipulator
Re Rumpelstiltzkin-
I detect in this denial of reality on the part of his supporters something that has to do with their class biases. The privlaged al-Arian and family are of their own class. He certainly means more to them than any GI in Iraq-certainly means more to them than reality. Just a hunch....
They (his supporters) will be the last to see and then admit to seeing reality re Rumpelstiltzkin. They see Rumpled Academic.
Moody also didn’t hesitate to tell al-Arian what he thought of him. Referring to al-Arian’s claim that he was raising money only for Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s “charity for widows and orphans,” the judge declared: “Your only connection to orphans and widows is that you create them.”
Thank you Mr. Moody! The powers that be need to take note and remember it everytime there is a bombing, and murdering of the innocents. This goes for every muslim group, and supporters. They ARE the ones creating widows and orphans all over the world. Can they not see that?
Years ago when I was going through a bad divorce I had some pretty evil thoughts for revenge. Then I met a man at a Promise Keeper's convention that had done hard time in prison as a mob enforcer. His words gave me the peace I was looking for. He stated that "No matter what I could dream of doing to my ex, it would in no way compare to when she has to eventually answer to God".
Locking Sami up forever, denying him his religon and contact with his peers is the proper solution.
Then let God deal with him.
"Locking Sami up forever, denying him his religon and contact with his peers is the proper solution."
-- from a posting above
The worst punishment would not be prison. The worst punishment (short of capital) would in this case be to force him and above all his children to leave America forever, never to be re-admitted anywhere in the Western, Infidel world, and forced to endure an Islamic society after having lived in America, and realising, every day, that it was all a result of what Sami al-Arian plotted. The best punishment is more Islam, Islam all the time, after having enjoyed Infidel freedoms and rationality. There is nothing Arab Muslims want more than to send their children to the Infidel West, not only to be educated, but also to live. That desire should always and everywhere, from now on, be thwarted. And where some have managed to obtain permission, all kinds of economic boycotts, of their enterprises or of those who employ them, can have an effects. Attempts at taqiyya-and-tu-quoque "dialogues," mosque outreach, infiltration of universities (that has already occurred but can be reversed) can also be relentlessly undercut and thwarted. But first one needs to learn about the usual repertoire used on unwary Infidels (2.256, "there is no compulsion in religion," postcards of pretty mosques, lots of distracting discussion of Ramadan, "we revere Jesus and Moses," etc. -- the standard stuff), to have understood and thoroughly assimilated such methods (including ridiculous appeals for sympathy -- "we are the new Jews" etc.).
Prison means nothing for the True Belieber. But his childrens' future -- condemning them to the solitary confinement of Dar al-Islam -- now that is real punishment.
Hugh,
I have no concern for Sami or his ilk. They need to be disposed of as the vermin that they are. People who act subhuman (and are not declared insane) need to be treated as such.
No revenge needed, just disposal.
After living less than a quarter mile down the street from the Al-Arian founded mosque and school since before the opening of both, I had always had a bad feeling about the places. The supporters have been very vocal about his innocence and his poor family. The local news gave his wife and children plenty of airtime and printspace to spew their lies. The local CAIR office is also nearby and has had plenty of opportunity to speak regarding this case and other local issues such as trying to get the school board to allow two official school holidays for their special holy days.
Most folks around here keep to themselves and there are never any protests around the mosque or CAIR office. The thing is, here in the south, most people love their arms and plenty of concealed permits to go around. So no need to let them know we are on to them.
The result of their request to have their holy days recognized was the school board took away our Easter holiday, a four day weekend. The outrage was highly publicized and CAIR said "That was not our goal!". Still, the school board has scheduled NO Easter days off next year, fully caving to them and removing our tradition. It is supposed to be voted on again next year, wonder what will happen?
Our family is glad to see the ax come down on what we knew was evil going on near us. It still pains us to drive by and see their freedom and teaching of who knows what at the school. They have open houses twice a year and allow the infidels to come see and understand them. Although I would love to see what the world map looks like at the school, I can't bring myself to put a scarf on my head and check it out. We hope that the FBI still has the school and mosque under the microscope and their jihad activities have been curtailed by the removal of Al-Arian and his leadership of jihad fundraising right down the street.
No more dhimmitude!
whalewoman
To clarify, they did not get their holy days off because the local policy has always been that any student could have religious days off with prior notice to the school. So to pacify them, the school board took OUR Christian holiday away and has moved even further toward no mention of religion in their calenders or business. Liberalism at work in your public schools!
Not only did they not get what they wanted, they stirred the locals up real bad. Not so good for them here in the Bible belt.
whalewoman
"They have open houses twice a year and allow the infidels to come see and understand them. Although I would love to see what the world map looks like at the school, I can't bring myself to put a scarf on my head and check it out."
-- from a posting above
No, do go. Check out the bathrooms with the watering-cans, stuff the "Free Palestine" and "Kashmir" and other booklets into your pockets, carefully note (bring a concealed little camera and tape-recorder) everything with great interest, and enjoy the spicy chicken and the honeyed dessert. Listen carefully to the spiel; take notes. Bring friends and distribute yourselves throughout the audience. Ask a few questions: about the Hadith, about the Sira. Ask about Aisha, about Asma bint Marwan, Abu Akaf, the Khaybar Oasis. Ask about Sura 9.29 and 9.5. Hell, just bring a whole list of Jihad passages and a half-dozen hadith, and read them, and explain with a furrowed brow, expressive of the "gosh darn it, I have a problem with some of this stuff" -- and make sure your friends do exactly the same thing. Keep it up.
Ruin the evening. Ruin all such evenings. But be sweet, be polite, be innocent. Make it work for you. And then make sure you discuss with other attendees --- the real naifs -- what you have learned. Oh, if you want you can bring a book ro two just to quote from it. How about one by Spencer?
Do go. A good time will be had by all.
Hugh you have great ideas, l missed one such get together by local immans in April. they did not have it in a mosque but a local German club. guess too many infedels, but l read about later in the local paper editorial, and had a difficult time to get my breakfast down.
l think to make it work you need several innocent infedels to work in union with each other to make the point. l am sure another round of cartoons we'll have another gettogether about the religion of pieces will be on display.
I second the motion, I saw his daughter today on TV, and was disgusted. Speaking flawless English, well educated and totally Hijabed (in a colorful one at that).
Transcript here (puke)
Daughter of Sami Al-Arian Says Family "Devastated" by Father's Continued Imprisonment, Blasts Media Coverage
And next interview was with Sami Al-Arian Co-Defendant Sameeh Hammoudeh Still in Jail, (he was none the less allowed to place TWO phone calls for his interview) and turns it into the typical "AntiZionista" propaganda rant.
And of course everything is a lie.
Just like the so called torture of detainees, just arresting them is torture, panties on head, pile naked in a heap, on a leash..that's torture (only for a Muslim) elsewhere's they have people who pay for that treatment, it's called "Bondage".
Torture is what they do to the kaffiri, when they parade them before cameras, force them to "confess" before they jump on them and behead them, now that's torture.
Seems to me that the Ummah is not a signatory to the Genevea convention, hence not protected.