• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Hamas-linked CAIR sues Arizona college over prof who told unwelcome truths about Islam and jihad

Jun 5, 2020 11:00 am By Robert Spencer

What Damask taught was true. But Hamas-linked CAIR is determined to obscure that truth, and to make sure as many Americans are as ignorant and complacent as possible about the global jihad threat, and so Damask and Scottsdale Community College must be crushed.

Professor Damask’s troubles began during the current Spring semester, when a student took exception to three quiz questions. The questions were:

  • Who do terrorists strive to emulate? A. Mohammed
  • Where is terrorism encouraged in Islamic doctrine and law? A. The Medina verses [i.e., the portion of the Qur’an traditionally understood as having been revealed later in Muhammad’s prophetic career]
  • Terrorism is _______ in Islam. A. justified within the context of jihad.

Damask explained: “All quiz questions on each of my quizzes, including the ones in question here, are carefully sourced to the reading material. On this quiz, questions were sourced to the Qur’an, the hadiths, and the sira (biography) of Mohammed, and other reputable source material.” And indeed, the three questions reflect basic facts that are readily established by reference to Islamic texts and teachings and numerous statements of terrorists themselves.

Note also how Hamas-linked CAIR invokes Walid Phares, whom they have previously defamed. They use their prior defamation as evidence that he is not to be taken as a reliable authority now. This is a very common tactic, little noted and never resisted by the targets.

And here again, Lorraine Longhi of the Arizona Republic doesn’t think it is worth noting that CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case — so named by the Justice Department. CAIR officials have repeatedly refused to denounce Hamas and Hizballah as terrorist groups. Several former CAIR officials have been convicted of various crimes related to jihad terror. CAIR’s cofounder and longtime Board chairman (Omar Ahmad), as well as its chief spokesman (Ibrahim “Honest Ibe” Hooper), have made Islamic supremacist statements about how Islamic law should be imposed in the U.S. (Ahmad denies this, but the original reporter stands by her story.) CAIR chapters frequently distribute pamphlets telling Muslims not to cooperate with law enforcement. CAIR has opposed virtually every anti-terror measure that has been proposed or implemented and has been declared a terror organization by the United Arab Emirates. CAIR’s Hussam Ayloush in 2017 called for the overthrow of the U.S. government. CAIR’s national outreach manager is an open supporter of Hamas.

Why the silence on all that, Ms. Longhi?

“Muslim student sues Scottsdale Community college and professor over Islam quiz questions,” by Lorraine Longhi, Arizona Republic, June 3, 2020:

A local Islamic group filed a lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court against Scottsdale Community College and one of its professors for teaching material that it says condemns Islam.

A student and the Arizona chapter of the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed the lawsuit, asking that SCC and professor Nicholas Damask stop teaching the materials in question until they “do not have the primary effect of disapproving of Islam.”

The lawsuit comes after the student, Mohamed Sabra, posted three quiz questions from a world politics class to social media last month, igniting a firestorm of online criticism that caused the college’s interim President Christina Haines to apologize for the “inaccurate” and “inappropriate” questions.

Haines also said Damask would apologize to the student and remove the questions from his curriculum. Damask pushed back, saying he had no intention of apologizing and that his academic freedom was being threatened.

The chancellor of Maricopa Community College District, of which SCC is a part, stepped in and said the questions posted on social media were taken out of context and fell within the scope of the course. Chancellor Steven Gonzales said he would launch a Committee on Academic Freedom and pursue an investigation into how the controversy was handled.

David Chami, an attorney representing CAIR, said the group filed the lawsuit to prevent Damask from “continuing to poison the minds of students.”

“We have enough hate in this country. We have enough divide,” he said. “We don’t need our professors inflaming those seeds of hatred in students.”

Damask told The Arizona Republic Wednesday that he had not yet been served the lawsuit and had no immediate comment.

A spokesman for the district said they had not been served the lawsuit and could not yet comment on the allegations.

Controversy sparked by quiz questions

Sabra was enrolled in Damask’s online world politics course, which featured lessons on Islamic terrorism.

According to the lawsuit, Damask repeatedly condemned Islam as a religion that definitively teaches terrorism.

In May, Sabra posted screenshots from the quiz to social media, where they were quickly shared through social media by several influencers and Muslim community members.

The quiz included statements such as “Contemporary terrorism is Islamic” and “Terrorism is justified within the context of Jihad in Islam.” The quiz also asserted that Islamic terrorists strive to emulate the Prophet Muhammed.

The lawsuit says that Sabra answered the questions based on how Muslims practice their religion, but the answers were marked as incorrect.

“Mr. Sabra was forced to make a decision; either disavow his religion or be punished by getting the answers wrong on the quiz,” the lawsuit says.

The district-commissioned investigation details an email exchange between the professor and the student about the quiz questions.

Damask attempted to explain that the goal of the quiz was to discuss the motivation of terrorists, not whether something is right or wrong under Islamic doctrine, according to the report.

“The course may outline these beliefs but that doesn’t make it acceptable to teach this misinformation to other student[s] who aren’t fully educated,” Sabra responded. “Please review the questions I’ve attached and get back to me ASAP.”

By the time Damask responded the next morning, the student had posted the questions on social media, prompting backlash to the school.

Misinterpreting Islam?

The lawsuit says that Damask asserted in his course that peaceful interpretations of Islam were false, quoting Damask’s course material as saying, “Contentions that Islam does not promote warfare or violence cannot be supported on either theological or historical grounds.”

Damask also presented several statistics that did not contain citations to academic material, according to the lawsuit. One of those statistics cited in the lawsuit compares killings by Islamic terrorists to slayings by groups like the Ku Klux Klan, saying, “Islamic terrorists kill on average more people every 90 days than the number of blacks killed by the Ku Klux Klan in its entire 120+ year history.”

Damask never included any discussion of the Ku Klux Klan, Nazis, militant fascism or neo-conservativism and their “scripture-based terrorism” against minorities in the United States, according to the lawsuit.

“It is an unquestionable fact that the Ku Klux Klan espoused Protestant Christian ideologies to wage terror in the United States in an attempt to create their own nation-state, and even believed that Jesus was the first Klansman,” the lawsuit read. “However, none of this material is discussed in any of Defendant Damask’s modules, despite its impact on national and international politics.”

CAIR said the course’s only reading material came from articles written by anti-Islam extremists, including an excerpt from the book “Future Jihad” by Walid Phares.

Phares has served as a commentator on terrorism for Fox News and as an adviser to Mitt Romney and Donald Trump during their presidential campaigns. Phares was a high-ranking official in a religious militia that was responsible for massacres during Lebanon’s 15-year civil war, according to an investigation by Mother Jones.

In 2012, the New York Times reported that Phares “regularly warns that Muslims aim to take over American institutions and impose Shariah, a legal code based mainly on the Koran that can involve punishments like cutting off the hands of a thief.”

In its lawsuit, CAIR calls Phares “a known Islamophobe who openly promotes anti-Muslim ideologies.”

“Don’t you think you should have disclosed that to your students or put a disclaimer?” Raees Mohamed,an attorney representing CAIR, said. “What we see is an utter lack of true academic discussion.”…

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: academia, CAIR, Featured, free speech Tagged With: Nicholas Damask, Scottsdale Community College


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Comments

  1. Walter Sieruk says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 11:25 am

    That Hamas linked Muslim power organization CAIR can not and will not tolerate any one who speaks up truthfully about Islam ,as for example the brutal cruel oppressive misogyny of this religion.As well as violence and killing that is instructed, for devote Muslims towards people who are not Muslims in the”holy book” of Islam the Qu ‘ran. As found in 5:33. :9:111,123. 47:4.

    Very obviously CAIR doesn’t’ want the actual truth about Islam becoming known to the college students as well as to the American public. CAIR definitely has things to hide- about their religion

  2. Dude says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 11:27 am

    I know a twenty-something muslim Pakistani who professes to know nothing about jihad, hijra, dhimmi, etc.

    Just pray five times a day and that is his professed Islam. A true Meccan.

    Of course it’s probably a ruse, but the guy is pretty slow. However his posture indicates the typical delusions of grandeur required to believe that he is the greatest and God wants him to murder, rape, rob, and enslave all non-muslims for Him.

    He wants to be a cop, if he can finally pass the tests. Your worst nightmare: a jihadi with a badge.

    Maybe the student who complained here is just naive. But let’s face it: more likely he’s just facing the trauma of us all knowing what scum he is.

    • Linde Barrera says

      Jun 6, 2020 at 12:13 pm

      To Dude- It is not that student Mohamed Sabra is a scum. It is that his professed religion, Islam, is scummy. Muslims get very angry when infidels point out verses of the Quran that say to kill infidels and hate Jews. My question is: if this makes Muslims angry, why do Muslims believe in such a nasty doctrine?

      • James Lincoln says

        Jun 6, 2020 at 2:28 pm

        Linde Barrera says,

        “Muslims get very angry when infidels point out verses of the Quran that say to kill infidels and hate Jews. My question is: if this makes Muslims angry, why do Muslims believe in such a nasty doctrine?”

        Likely because the truth of their doctrine is being pointed out – and they don’t like transparency…

      • gravenimage says

        Jun 8, 2020 at 10:01 pm

        Linde, some Muslims are embarrassed, but many more just don’t want the Infidels to find out how ugly Islam is.

  3. Sam says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 11:50 am

    Al takiya

    • Sam says

      Jun 5, 2020 at 11:53 am

      Yes, the Muslim boy wants to perform
      👉 Al-taqiya
      Fooling people around the world..
      Thanks to social media 👍

  4. mortimer says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 11:53 am

    The methodology of Damask was too precisely conclusive and thus left him open to criticism, but his quotations from the ‘Islamic Trilogy’ were correct. However, Islam is not always that clear-cut in the way it deals with kafirs … Islam is subtle and conceals its ultimate intent so in order to keep the kafirs confused. That is what CAIR is doing in their deceptive attack on an honest teacher.

    Islam is subtle and dualistic … ambiguous. No simple plain statement can cover Islam’s doctrines, because Islamic teachings are ‘balanced’ with a contradictory, opposing statement that abrogates the first statement.

    Teacher Damask should not have given simply-worded either/or or multiple-choice answers to his students, but require essay-style answers with points to support the conclusion of the student.

    Damask should have made sure that ABROGATION was at the center of his course. That would have introduced students to the subtlety and craftiness of Islam’s dualism.

    He should have introduced them to the six ways that Islam allows deception: 1) taqiyya, 2) kitman, 3) tawriya, 4) taysir, 5) darura, 6) muruna.

    We see a number of these deceptions used by Muslims in the articles about and postings by Muslims on JihadWatch every day.

    • libertyORdeath says

      Jun 5, 2020 at 10:10 pm

      I follow your logic, but this was a basic world politics class and hence probably not the best place for a deep dive into islamist ideology. The questions were valid, backed up by historical documents, and appropriate for the course. If there was a section on the IRA I doubt it would have included info on the particular ideology of the “Continuity IRA”. Theres just no need to explain subjects that have such clear evidence to reference.

  5. mortimer says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    Islam is dualistic, so when you ask, ‘Is Islam a religion of peace or a religion of warfare against disbelievers?’ … the answer is ‘Yes! … yes, Islam can be both depending on which one advances Islam better.’

    When Muslims are in the minority, they are peaceful and make deals. When they are in a position of superior numbers and strength Muslims are not peaceful or conciliatory. That is the pattern of Islamic history.

    Damask tried to simplify Islam’s dualism too much.

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 6, 2020 at 12:39 am

      Damask didn’t actually get anything about Islam wrong.

  6. ELEE says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 1:51 pm

    Anybody know the legal theories behind these complaints? I would love to hear that the truth of the professor’s statements are an actual issue for adjudication in this case. Bring on the facts!

  7. james sang says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 3:02 pm

    File an anti-slapp motion to dismiss CAIRE’s lawsuit and ask for attorney fee;s.

  8. GreekEmpress says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 5:56 pm

    I’m calling FIRE first thing Monday morning to see if they will be representing Professor Damask again. They, along with the chancellor got the college to back down; maybe this time they can get CAIR to back off.

  9. keith O says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    I can see two possible outcomes here.
    1. The truth about how Islam works and its intrinsic links to terrorism come out in a public court of law. This will force into the open the realities of terrorism in the world and who is causing it, enabling measures to be taken to eradicate this scourge from the world.

    2. They go before a judge who doesn’t want to be seen as Islamophobic and bows down before pressure from the social engineers of the left. In which case we, as a civilization are screwed.

    Which ever way the ball bounces, it will be VERY interesting to watch. Given that within the American legal system, victory, quite often goes to the party who put forward the best story rather than which side is telling the truth.

    • James Lincoln says

      Jun 5, 2020 at 7:51 pm

      Excellent analysis, keith O.

  10. Ren says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 8:29 pm

    Wonder why muslims are so afraid of the truth…

    • Dude says

      Jun 5, 2020 at 9:58 pm

      Deep down inside they all know it’s all a bunch of nonsense masquerading a bandit credo, which they really don’t want to give up, because that would leave them with nothin’.

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 6, 2020 at 12:42 am

      Ren, Muslims don’t want *us* learn about the truth.

  11. gravenimage says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 9:34 pm

    Hamas-linked CAIR sues Arizona college over prof who told unwelcome truths about Islam and jihad
    ……………

    I hope this goes down in flames.

    • DazzleMe says

      Jun 8, 2020 at 9:39 pm

      +1

  12. Jack Holan says

    Jun 5, 2020 at 10:42 pm

    Since CAIR is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood all you need to do is read the Charter of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas and CAIR are seemingly joined at the hip, read the HAMAS Charter. HAMAS is a baby creation of the Muslim Brotherhood and the World goes round and round. In so far as CAIR, the Propaganda, legal defense and Advocacy Front for all the extreme Muslim Organizations seeking to change the West (INSA, MAS, JVP, … and USA in particular your policy of using stealth is failing and more Americans will become aware of the true nature of your mission.
    You will fail

  13. Jerry says

    Jun 6, 2020 at 3:17 am

    The Qur’an should be made more easily accessible and as cheap as possible to get.

    Prining it on toilet paper rolls would do the trick.

    And it would be better suitable for the purpose than the dry river pebbles recommended by the fake prophet author.

  14. OLD GUY says

    Jun 6, 2020 at 8:56 pm

    ISLAM can not stand up to freedom of speech and the truth about its violence and hatred. Islam is a dictatorship using “religion” as part of its justification for dominance and rule.

    • DazzleMe says

      Jun 8, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      +1

  15. Madeleine says

    Jun 7, 2020 at 2:04 am

    Interesting, College Middle Eastern studies depattments offer classes that rely soley on antiZionist ideas and view of the history of Israel. They have no problem with academic integreity when it comes to Jews.

  16. Martin Slann says

    Jun 7, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    Whoever tells the truth about the islamic death cult is immediately maligned and smeared.

  17. Del says

    Jun 7, 2020 at 12:35 pm

    Pointing out that Islam is a barbaric evil cult that gains members through violence and fear is not insulting Islam, it is describing it.

  18. PRCS says

    Jun 7, 2020 at 4:50 pm

    Per the lawsuit:

    The lawsuit says that Sabra answered the questions based on how Muslims practice their religion, but the answers were marked as incorrect.

    *There are more than a billion Muslims–around the world. The notion that EVERY Muslim practices Islam in the same manner–everywhere–is ludicrous. The lawsuit will surely make note of that.
    —–
    “The course may outline these beliefs but that doesn’t make it acceptable to teach this misinformation to other student[s] who aren’t fully educated,” Sabra responded.

    *The lawsuit will, IMO, also demonstrate–to Muslims and ‘filthy unbelievers’ alike–that Damask’s quizz questions do NOT misinform.
    —–
    CAIR provided “The Message of The Qur’an” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Message_of_The_Qur'an) during the many years of its ‘Explore the Qur’an’ campaign’. Rather than tap-dancing around the amputation of a thief’s hand (Qur’an 5:38), it explains why and under what circumstances that ‘divine’ punishment is to be carried out (Page 174).
    The lawsuit provides an excellent opportunity to challenge CAIR to either agree or not with that book’s ‘message’.

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • gravenimage on Uighur leader: ‘We’re actually quite worried’ about what Biden might let China get away with
  • OLD GUY on Iranian top dogs approve bill to end UN nuclear inspections, increase enrichment
  • gravenimage on Uighur leader: ‘We’re actually quite worried’ about what Biden might let China get away with
  • OLD GUY on UK: Woman converts to Islam, distributes Islamic State jihad terror videos
  • OLD GUY on Al-Qaeda Calls on Jihadis to Kill Non-Muslims With Poisoned Coronavirus Masks

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.