Some exceedingly important information on the Sami Al-Hussayen case from Michael P. Tremoglie at FrontPage. An activist judge running wild may be a more accurate picture of this case than the usual one of an innocent Muslim victimized by racism, etc.:
Al-Hussayen, a Saudi national, was charged with using the website of the Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA) to promote terrorism. Specifically, Al-Hussayen, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to support terrorism, one count of providing material support to terror groups and eleven counts of visa and immigration fraud.
Among the messages posted by Al-Hussayen to the websites were four fatwas – or religious edicts blessing suicide missions. One specifically mentioned a kamikaze type mission using an airplane. This was prior to 9-11.
According to US Attorney Kim Lindquist, as quoted in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the websites were “part of his passionate, religious commitment to violent jihad – not to legitimate violence, but to suicide operations and to terrorism.”
His defense was that he was merely the moderator and not concerned with the content of the messages, only posting them. It is important to note that the founder of IANA, Bassem K. Khafagi, already pled guilty to bank fraud and visa fraud in relation to his activities with IANA, which is believed to be financing terrorist activities.
One juror, John Steger a retired U.S. Forest Service worker, who was interviewed afterwards provided some insight as to why Al-Hussayen was acquitted. He referred to Judge Lodge’s instruction – that the Constitution protects speech even if it advocates the use of force or violation of the law unless imminent lawlessness occurs – as influencing his choice.
Steger said ninety-five percent of what Al-Hussayen posted was “innocent” and said the “inflammatory” articles did not lead to an “imminent act. … According to the First Amendment, that is all right.” When he was asked if it could lead to a terrorist act, he said, “I don’t know.”
There is much more about how judges and journalists jimmied this case. It’s a story that is nothing less than shameful.