Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.
Monday, August 22, 2011
MEMRI: Egyptians Demonstrating opposite Israeli Embassy in Cairo Sign with Swastika Saying "The Gas Chambers Are Ready"
MEMRI: Footage of Egyptians Demonstrating opposite Israeli Embassy in Cairo Shows Sign with Swastika Saying "The Gas Chambers Are Ready"
#3083 - Footage of Egyptians Demonstrating opposite Israeli Embassy in Cairo Shows Sign with Swastika Saying "The Gas Chambers Are Ready"
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) - August 21, 2011 - 01:14
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Black From Islam: African American Muslim Defectors (Jalila)
Black From Islam: African American Muslim Defectors (Jalila)
A Film by Layla Merritt
Throughout Pro-Black movement of the 1960's and 70's, black Americans converted in droves to Islam. Black From Islam profiles three African American women who were raised in insular, Muslim communities inside America. What they each discovered when they stepped outside led to three fascinating life stories of triumph, tragedy, wisdom, and growth.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Syrian Tribal Leader Ahmad Al-Shlash Threatens to Barbecue the US Ambassador to Syria
"With or Without Salt"
Clip #3036 Broadcast: July 15, 2011
Of the U.S. ambassador, Al-Shlash said:
“That man, sitting in his embassy… I don’t get it. Who does he think he is – Christopher Columbus, exploring the area here? I don’t get it. I would like to convey a message to the security forces and to the entire world. The young people of Deir Al-Zour will not let him set foot in their city. I am talking about my cousins and my tribe. If they let me down, I myself will prevent him from entering Deir Al-Zour. By Allah, over my dead body will he ever enter Deir Al-Zour.
“One of my cousins said: ‘I swear by Allah, we will blow up the ground on which he sets foot. We will turn the road into smoldering coals.’
“Another cousin of mine said to me: ‘We are known for having the best mutton in the world. For the first time, Allah willing, we will be eating American mutton. Whether his flesh is bitter or not, with salt or without salt – we will eat him up.’
“Let me issue a warning. We cannot vouch for this man’s safety if he so much as sets foot on the threshold of Deir Al-Zour.”
ARCHBISHOP: MSNBC, CNN, NEW YORK TIMES ‘UNTRUSTWORTHY’ WHEN IT COMES TO RELIGION
The news outlets CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, and Newsweek have come under fire by Philadelphia’s incoming Archbishop, for a lack of “trustworthiness” where matters of religious faith are concerned.
According to Archbishop Charles Chaput, the media do not “provide trustworthy information about religious faith. ” His comments were made Wednesday during an address on religious freedom before some 10,000 pilgrims at the Catholic World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain.
Archbishop Chaput noted that the media gave a lot of coverage to the so-called “Arab Spring,” involving civil unrest in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. “But very little of that coverage has mentioned that the turmoil in Muslim countries has also created a very dangerous situation for Christians and other religious minorities across North Africa and the Middle East,” he said. “In Egypt, angry mobs have attacked Christian churches and monasteries, burning them to the ground and murdering the people inside.”
Archbishop Chaput also criticized the lack of media coverage for widespread anti-Christian violence in Iraq, Syria, Tunisia, and Pakistan.
“Christians face frequent discrimination, slander, beatings and even murder,” the Archbishop added.
The Archbishop seems to have a point. The White House has not made any public statements whatsoever denouncing the persecution of Christians and Jews during the rise of Islamism in the Middle East.
The Archbishop is pointing out how religious warfare is predominant and common across the globe. Islamism is on the rise and the Western democracies, satiated by their relative economic prosperity, or in these days weakened by economic distress, are too flaccid to respond effectively. Either they do not believe it could happen here, or are too weak intellectually to form a response as the West did during the rise of Communism throughout the Cold War.
In the West, "democracy," and calls for `this is what democracy looks like,' has been evoked to erase the Judeo-Christian heritage of those countries from the public arena. Erasing the Judeo-Christian heritage of the West, along with the intellectual tradition of the Enlightenment--tolerance and pluralism--has forced Judeo-Christian values out of our nation’s public square and out of this country’s public debates which does not serve democracy, nor the sustenance of this Republic. It does not serve real tolerance or pluralism. What it does do is impose a kind of unofficial state atheism, allied with those forces, such as Islamism, which seek to break the people of this country from their heritage. To put it another way, if we ban Christian Churches, Jewish voices, and their spokespersons from taking an active role in our nation’s civic life, we’re really just enforcing a new kind of state-sponsored intolerance — a religion without God, or something perhaps much more ominous and worse, creeping sharia or stealth jihad, at some point perhaps an imposed state religion, which works in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, et. al.
Cf. Blind Spot: When Journalists Don't Get Religion, Paul Marshall, Oxford University Press, (2008); http://www.librarything.com/work/7517845/summary/46467036
Cf. Terror and Liberalism, Paul Berman, W. W. Norton & Company, (2004); http://www.librarything.com/work/7829/23469307
This is an original contribution to an overlooked connection between violence and the Left, along with an insightful study of terrorists amongst the Islamists.
Cf. The Flight of the Intellectuals: The Controversy Over Islamism and the Press
Paul Berman, Melville House (2010); http://www.librarything.com/work/4897258/60815999
Berman convincingly demonstrates that the Western press is not seriously considering Islamist ideas.
“Selling lemonade is not a crime”: August 20 is Lemonade Freedom Day
Electric Power and Light Company, Ad, Life Magazine, May 1947, 4. Annotated by Robert Sexty.
The lemonade stand is a widely used and recognized symbol of capitalism and in particular entrepreneurship. The selling of lemonade on the streets of New York can be traced back to when a New York youngster sold it to thirsty street car riders over 130 years ago. Its connection to youthful entrepreneurship has endured. Today it is often the first entrepreneurial venture of young people and is frequently mentioned as a summertime activity. The operation of a lemonade stand is clearly established as a learning or teaching tool and translates well into games for children, simulations and classroom exercises in most grades. The lemonade stand as a symbol lends itself to story-telling and is the basis of plot development in many children's story-books. It is featured in newspaper and magazine cartoons, media stories every summer, web sites, books and television programs. The lemonade stand as a symbol of capitalism and entrepreneurship is relevant today and endures despite changes in beverage preferences and children's activities.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Allen West: I‘m Here to Lead Blacks Off the Democratic Party ’Plantation’
GOP Rep. Allen West believes that the Democratic Party is akin to a modern-day “plantation.”
In an interview on Wednesday night’s “O’Reilly Factor,” he told guest host Laura Ingraham that he is the “modern-day Harriet Tubman“ and that he wants to lead fellow African Americans away from the the ”21st century plantation.”
West made extremely bold statements throughout the interview, apparently undeterred by any negative response he might receive from the Democratic Party or from fellow African Americans. Commenting on anger that was seen at a Congressional Black Caucus (of which West is the only GOP member) town hall meeting in Detroit this week, he said:
“The people on that plantation are upset because they’ve been disregarded, disrespected and their concerns are not cared about…I’m here as the modern-day Harriet Tubman to kind of lead people on the underground railroad away from that plantation into a sense of sensibility.”
West went on to dismiss some African American leaders as “nothing more than overseers over that plantation” and he stated his belief that white liberals have relied upon people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to support Democratic policies. These individuals, he claims, have failed to addresses important matters. West also discussed recent flash mobs (as per the Huffington Post):
The freshman Republican said the fact that black leaders have done nothing in response to the recent spate of flash mobs in U.S. cities is proof of their disconnect from the black community. This summer has been marked by flash mobs in several cities, including Philadelphia and Cleveland, and are thought to be fueled by growing discontent among unemployed urban youth.
He also went on to say that Republicans have not done well drawing black voters into the conservative movement. That said, he explained that there is an opportunity for conservatives to reach African Americans by connecting with them on the issues of “individual responsibility and accountability, faith and family, [and] hard work ethic.”
Watch West’s comments, below (his Harriet Tubman statement is at 2:35):
Islamists Object to Truthful and Historical Facts on Islam in Chicago
CAIR-Chicago is objecting to a curriculum used in the Chicago school district.
CAIR-Chicago’s complaint?
The worksheets in question, produced by MindSparks, a California based educational resource company, teaches students that the religion of Islam is oppressive towards women, inherently violent, and played an important role in harboring slavery.
CAIR-Chicago claims verses from the Qur’an used in this curriculum are “taken out of context.” This is a typical response from Muslim Brotherhood front organizations like CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations). The problem is, anyone who has ever read the Qur’an knows two things:
1) There is very little “context” to its writings.
2) It does contain numerous passages that make clear women hold second-class status to men, that call for violent jihad against “infidels,” and that sanction the taking of slaves in the prosecution of jihad.
Finally, we see what appears to be a factual rendering of the history of Islam. For instance, the curriculum states, accurately, that “slavery was common in Islam.” Various historians and scholars estimate that between 14 and 18 million Africans were enslaved by Muslims from the 7th century to the 12th century.
CAIR-Chicago clearly wants to rewrite history because it obviously doesn’t want Chicago high school students to be exposed to these “inconvenient truths.”
While the high school is not mentioned in the post below, you can contact the Chicago public schools office via email and thank the school for using this curriculum. Encourage them to retain the curriculum and resist the interference of CAIR-Chicago, which is part of the national CAIR organization. Make sure you mention that CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism financing trial in America’s history and that it has been identified by the Justice Department as linked to the terrorist organization Hamas.
No school district should be paying any attention to CAIR or any of its local affiliates.
CAIR-Chicago’s complaint?
The worksheets in question, produced by MindSparks, a California based educational resource company, teaches students that the religion of Islam is oppressive towards women, inherently violent, and played an important role in harboring slavery.
CAIR-Chicago claims verses from the Qur’an used in this curriculum are “taken out of context.” This is a typical response from Muslim Brotherhood front organizations like CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations). The problem is, anyone who has ever read the Qur’an knows two things:
1) There is very little “context” to its writings.
2) It does contain numerous passages that make clear women hold second-class status to men, that call for violent jihad against “infidels,” and that sanction the taking of slaves in the prosecution of jihad.
Finally, we see what appears to be a factual rendering of the history of Islam. For instance, the curriculum states, accurately, that “slavery was common in Islam.” Various historians and scholars estimate that between 14 and 18 million Africans were enslaved by Muslims from the 7th century to the 12th century.
CAIR-Chicago clearly wants to rewrite history because it obviously doesn’t want Chicago high school students to be exposed to these “inconvenient truths.”
While the high school is not mentioned in the post below, you can contact the Chicago public schools office via email and thank the school for using this curriculum. Encourage them to retain the curriculum and resist the interference of CAIR-Chicago, which is part of the national CAIR organization. Make sure you mention that CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism financing trial in America’s history and that it has been identified by the Justice Department as linked to the terrorist organization Hamas.
No school district should be paying any attention to CAIR or any of its local affiliates.
Udate: Fatima Abdallah
The Honorable Rick Scott
Executive Office of the Governor
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: (850) 488-7146
Fax: (850) 487-0801
Website: http://www.flgov.com/
Email: http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/
Here is what I wrote: feel free to copy and paste and send to Governor Scott's office:
American Freedom Defense Initiative respectfully requests that you personally review the death of Fatima Abdallah as reported in the Tampa Police General Offense Report, Medical Examiner Report, 911 Dispatch Call Hardcopy report, Prestige Investigations, Inc. reports and Crime scene photos. All of these reports are found online at the links referenced at the bottom of the web page FatimaAbdullah.com and Florida family.org
It is difficult to comprehend how Fatima could have killed herself by repeatedly beating her nose onto a coffee table. It is also difficult to comprehend how the injuries reported in her autopsy (back of the head, broken ribs, hemorrhage around ribs, etc.) could have occurred during such “self infliction” or alleged posthumous CPR.
A private investigator and research team found numerous inconsistencies, errors and omissions with the Tampa Police General Offense Report, Medical Examiner Report and 911 Dispatch Call Hardcopy Report. These inconsistencies are itemized in the INVESTIGATION FINDINGS section below.
A member of the Medical Examiner’s staff has informed us that the medical examiner’s finding of this death as an accident caused great controversy and distress among many staff members because they could not believe that this case was ruled an accident. Information regarding this insider in your office has been posted on various sites. Here is one example: FatimaAbdullah.com
It is our opinion that given the circumstances of Fatima Abdallah’s personal life and the facts surrounding her death that there is a need to reopen this case to fully investigate Fatima Abdullah’s death to determine if her demise was truly an accident or honor killing. I look forward to your response.
Executive Office of the Governor
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: (850) 488-7146
Fax: (850) 487-0801
Website: http://www.flgov.com/
Email: http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/
Here is what I wrote: feel free to copy and paste and send to Governor Scott's office:
American Freedom Defense Initiative respectfully requests that you personally review the death of Fatima Abdallah as reported in the Tampa Police General Offense Report, Medical Examiner Report, 911 Dispatch Call Hardcopy report, Prestige Investigations, Inc. reports and Crime scene photos. All of these reports are found online at the links referenced at the bottom of the web page FatimaAbdullah.com and Florida family.org
It is difficult to comprehend how Fatima could have killed herself by repeatedly beating her nose onto a coffee table. It is also difficult to comprehend how the injuries reported in her autopsy (back of the head, broken ribs, hemorrhage around ribs, etc.) could have occurred during such “self infliction” or alleged posthumous CPR.
A private investigator and research team found numerous inconsistencies, errors and omissions with the Tampa Police General Offense Report, Medical Examiner Report and 911 Dispatch Call Hardcopy Report. These inconsistencies are itemized in the INVESTIGATION FINDINGS section below.
A member of the Medical Examiner’s staff has informed us that the medical examiner’s finding of this death as an accident caused great controversy and distress among many staff members because they could not believe that this case was ruled an accident. Information regarding this insider in your office has been posted on various sites. Here is one example: FatimaAbdullah.com
It is our opinion that given the circumstances of Fatima Abdallah’s personal life and the facts surrounding her death that there is a need to reopen this case to fully investigate Fatima Abdullah’s death to determine if her demise was truly an accident or honor killing. I look forward to your response.
I Went to a Fight Last Night and a Basketball Game Broke Out: Americans Get Butt Kicked by Chinese in Basketball, Fans Attack
The fight between the Georgetown University men's basketball team and the Bayi Rockets forced the game on Thursday night in Beijing to end early.
Reports and pictures from the basketball match showed an unidentified Bayi player pushed Georgetown's Aaron Bowen to the ground before repeatedly punching the sophomore guard while sitting on his chest. Chairs and water bottles were also thrown [from the crowd] as the Georgetown players left the court with about nine-and-a-half minutes remaining in the final quarter.
Majority of Young Hispanics Say Cut Spending, Liberate Private Sector
Generation Opportunity is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to both educate and organize young Americans on the challenges facing our nation. We are committed to addressing and working toward solutions on immediate challenges, such as a lack of job opportunities, as well as the broader, underlying issues that impact our economic future and sustainability.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
‘Cubs of Waziristan’: Jihadists Release Their Own Cub Scouts Training Video
Jihadists released video of children training with firearms at a camp in the Taliban-controlled Waziristan region in Pakistan's tribal areas.
The seven-minute-long video, which is titled 'Cubs of Waziristan,' was distributed by the Al Ansar Mailing List and recently released on jihadist websites. An edited version of the video and a translation are provided by the SITE Intelligence Group. The location of the camp and the date the video was taken were not disclosed.
At the beginning of the video, a group of 16 jihadists, including what appears to be six trainers armed with assault rifles and 10 young recruits, is seen standing in a semicircle. An older fighter, who seems to be the leader, cites a verse from the Koran that says Muslims must prepare for war against "the enemy of Allah and your enemy."
"In obedience of this divine command, we are doing this and preparing militarily and Shariah- and faith-wise," the fighter says. "In this way, we are erasing ages of humiliation that we tasted and in which we grew up. At times we were scared of match sticks, and now, thanks to Allah, here are the children of the Muslims getting trained in weapons that special forces are trained in using. This is an embodiment of the extirpation of the defeatist moral that was planted in the Islamic Ummah [community]."
The children are then seen undergoing firearms training with pistols, assault rifles, and machine guns. The boys are conducting shooting drills in lanes, with paper targets tacked up on posts. A few of the smaller kids are seen having difficulty handling the recoil of the assault rifles. The video ends with the trainers and the young recruits, who are now armed with assault rifles, standing in line, raising their weapons, and shouting "Allah is Great."
While no group has been directly linked to the video, the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, the Islamic Jihad Group, and a jihadist alliance known as the Fedayeen-i-Islam are known to run camps in Waziristan that are used to train children.
Qari Hussain Mehsud, the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan commander who indoctrinates and trains children and others to conduct suicide attacks, ran camps in the Spinkai Ragzai area of South Waziristan for a time. But after a Pakistani Army offensive targeted his Taliban faction in an operation in South Waziristan in October 2009, he moved his camps to North Waziristan.
In the past, the Islamic Jihad Group has released videos of small children training for jihad. The IJG is currently based out of the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan.
Mir Ali also hosts at least three suicide training camps for the the Fedayeen-i-Islam, an alliance between the Pakistani Taliban, the anti-Shia Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Earlier this year, a Fedayeen spokesman claimed that more than 1,000 suicide bombers, including young men, have trained at three camps. One failed suicide bomber corroborated the Fedayeen spokesman's statement, claiming that more than 350 suicide bombers trained at his camp.
Jihadists train the 'Cubs of Waziristan'
By Bill RoggioAugust 15, 2011
Update: Honor Killing of Fatimah Abdallah
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi received your email expressing your concerns about the local investigation into the death of Fatimah Abdallah.
Attorney General Pam Bondi asked that I respond.
This office appreciates hearing from you, and we will keep your comments under advisement. However, in regard to a criminal investigation, section 16.01(3), Florida Statutes, sets forth the powers and duties of our office.
Further information about the Attorney General's Office is online at:
http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/4492d797dc0bd92f85256cb80055fb97/dd177569f8fb0f1a85256cc6007b70ad!OpenDocument
In Florida the local police or sheriff and the elected state attorney in each of the twenty judicial circuits investigate and prosecute crime at the local level. Those offices operate independently and are not a part of the Attorney General's Office. The investigative and prosecution decisions of a local police agency and elected state attorney are not subject to the authority of this office. Please address concerns about a criminal investigation in the Tampa area to the following:
Tampa Police Department
3818 West Tampa Bay Boulevard
Tampa, Florida 33614
Phone: (813) 354-6600
Website: http://www.tampagov.net/dept_police/contact_us/
The Honorable Mark Ober
State Attorney, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
800 East Kennedy Boulevard
Tampa, Florida 33602
Telephone: (813) 272-5400
Website: http://www.sao13th.com/
We understand that you are requesting an investigation of "the Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office." If you are
requesting an outside investigation of local officials, you may wish to contact the Governor's Office. The Governor has the power to appoint what is known as a special prosecutor to investigate criminal allegations outside a state attorney's normal circuit when there are concerns about possible conflicts of interest. The Governor may also direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to perform special investigations and investigations on public officials and agencies. Please see the FDLE website for more information on in that regard:
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/getdoc/53610fa0-2560-4969-ab64-9c36afe42c69/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx
The contact information for the Governor's Office is:
The Honorable Rick Scott
Executive Office of the Governor
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: (850) 488-7146
Fax: (850) 487-0801
Website: http://www.flgov.com/
Again, thank you for contacting the Attorney General's Office.
Sincerely,
Office of Citizen Services
Florida Attorney General's Office
PL-01, The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050
Attorney General Pam Bondi asked that I respond.
This office appreciates hearing from you, and we will keep your comments under advisement. However, in regard to a criminal investigation, section 16.01(3), Florida Statutes, sets forth the powers and duties of our office.
Further information about the Attorney General's Office is online at:
http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/4492d797dc0bd92f85256cb80055fb97/dd177569f8fb0f1a85256cc6007b70ad!OpenDocument
In Florida the local police or sheriff and the elected state attorney in each of the twenty judicial circuits investigate and prosecute crime at the local level. Those offices operate independently and are not a part of the Attorney General's Office. The investigative and prosecution decisions of a local police agency and elected state attorney are not subject to the authority of this office. Please address concerns about a criminal investigation in the Tampa area to the following:
Tampa Police Department
3818 West Tampa Bay Boulevard
Tampa, Florida 33614
Phone: (813) 354-6600
Website: http://www.tampagov.net/dept_police/contact_us/
The Honorable Mark Ober
State Attorney, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
800 East Kennedy Boulevard
Tampa, Florida 33602
Telephone: (813) 272-5400
Website: http://www.sao13th.com/
We understand that you are requesting an investigation of "the Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office." If you are
requesting an outside investigation of local officials, you may wish to contact the Governor's Office. The Governor has the power to appoint what is known as a special prosecutor to investigate criminal allegations outside a state attorney's normal circuit when there are concerns about possible conflicts of interest. The Governor may also direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to perform special investigations and investigations on public officials and agencies. Please see the FDLE website for more information on in that regard:
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/getdoc/53610fa0-2560-4969-ab64-9c36afe42c69/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx
The contact information for the Governor's Office is:
The Honorable Rick Scott
Executive Office of the Governor
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: (850) 488-7146
Fax: (850) 487-0801
Website: http://www.flgov.com/
Again, thank you for contacting the Attorney General's Office.
Sincerely,
Office of Citizen Services
Florida Attorney General's Office
PL-01, The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050
Sharia, or, American Laws for American Courts
American Public Policy Alliance Spokesman Stephen Gelé Responds
to CAIR-MI Attacks on American Laws for American Courts
Washington, DC, August 16th, 2011 - Stephen Gelé, spokesperson for the American Public Policy Alliance, issued the following statement in response to the mistaken protests in Michigan against HB 4769:
Rep. Dave Agema has been unfairly attacked by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization that was identified as a Muslim Brotherhood front group and named an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism financing conviction in U.S. history. CAIR falsely characterizes Rep. Agema’s HB4769 American Laws for American Courts bill for Michigan as “unconstitutionally” targeting “Islamic principles.”
The American Laws for American Courts bill’s sole objective is to protect all U.S. citizens and residents from the application of foreign laws when the application of a foreign law will result in the violation, in the specific matter at issue, of a liberty guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States or the public policies of the state in question. Such violations would include infringements on due process, freedom of religion, speech, or press, equal protection, and any right of privacy or marriage as specifically defined by the constitution of the state.
Rep. Agema’s bill is constitutional, facially neutral and in the two years since its passage in three other state legislatures it has never been challenged in court.
Reviews of court records provide extensive evidence that foreign laws and legal doctrines have been introduced into U.S. state court cases, including, notably, Shariah law, which is applied in courts in dozens of foreign nations.
Unfortunately, because state legislatures have not been explicit about what the public policy is relative to application of foreign laws in state courts, the courts and the litigants have repeatedly failed to recognize that granting comity to a foreign judgment may be at odds with our state and federal constitutional principles in the specific matters at issue.
The American Laws for American Courts bill is carefully limited in scope, recognizing the need to balance individual liberties with other legal principles:
• The American Laws For American Courts bill does not apply to a business entity that contracts to subject itself to foreign law in a jurisdiction other than the state or the United States.
• The American Laws for American Courts bill does not interfere with the right of any individual to freely exercise his or her religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
• The American Laws for American Courts bill does not conflict with any federal treaty or international agreement to which the United States is a party.
The goal of HB 4769 is a clear and unequivocal application of what should be the goal of all state courts: No U.S. citizen or resident should be denied the liberties, rights, and privileges guaranteed in our constitutional republic.
American Laws for American Courts is needed especially to protect women and children, identified by international human rights organizations as the primary victims of discriminatory foreign laws.
Far from targeting those practicing the Islamic faith, the American Laws for American Courts legislation actually seeks to ensure that American Muslim families have the same constitutional protections and liberties as other Americans.
Opponents of the American Laws for American Courts bill exhibit indifference to American Muslim families who have already been denied equal protection and due process by American courts applying shariah law from the legal systems of foreign, oppressive regimes. Indeed, every concern raised by opponents at today’s press conference was irrelevant to the legislation.
The legislation, designed to protect American litigants from the application of foreign legal doctrines, recognizes that, for decades, through a misguided use of comity (a deference to foreign legal judgments), American courts have applied laws from nations such as Pakistan, Lebanon, Egypt and even Iran, often denying Americans their constitutional rights. These Americans, nearly all women, often came to America to escape the harsh and discriminatory doctrines of Shariah law, only to have those doctrines enforced in our state courts. A report entitled “Shariah Law and American State Courts,” addresses 50 sample cases (http://www.shariahinamericancourts.com) involving shariah law in American courts. Ten of those cases are briefly summarized below (see “Ten American Families and Shariah in American State Courts”).
Despite the completely unfounded accusation laid by CAIR, these cases enforcing shariah do not involve the exercise of religion, but issues of secular law commonly adjudicated in American courts, such as sexual assault, divorce, spousal support and child custody. Shariah rules governing issues of family law are regularly enforced by the authority of the state as a legal code in numerous foreign countries. Judgments from these courts have repeatedly reached American shores to be imposed upon Muslim families in our state courts.
Critics, such as CAIR, not only ignore the dozens of published legal cases involving the application of shariah law in American courts, but also misinform Americans regarding easily verifiable facts, such as the actual content of this protective legislation. Rather than acknowledging the relevant jurisprudence, and accurately describing the curative legislation, CAIR impugns their fellow Americans who seek to ensure constitutional equal protection, due process and civil liberties for all Americans, especially American Muslims who are denied their rights through courts imposing foreign laws contrary to our Constitution.
Below are ten cases (excerpted from “Shariah Law and American State Courts“).
In cases 1-3, the Appellate Courts upheld Shariah law; in cases 4-7, the Trial Courts upheld Shariah, but the Appellate Courts reversed (protecting the litigant’s Constitutional rights); in cases 8-10, both Trial and Appellate Courts rejected the attempts to enforce Shariah law.
Ten American Families and Shariah in American State Courts
Joohi Q. Hosain (FKA Malik) V. Anwar Malik, (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=124 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, Maryland, 1996: Trial and Appellate Courts upheld foreign Shariah law and denied mother custody. She lost custody because going to custody hearing in Pakistan would have risked prison, torture or execution.
Laila Adeeb Sawaya Malak v. Abdul Latif Malak (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=77 ), Shariah law of Lebanon/UAE, California, 1986: Appellate Court upheld foreign Shariah law and denied mother custody, reversing Trial Court.
Parveen Chaudry v. M. Hanif Chaudry, M.D., (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=155 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, New Jersey, 1978: Appellate Court upheld foreign Shariah law, overturned Trial Court. Wife denied support and child support and division of property; prenuptial agreement signed by parents giving her only $1,500 from marriage upheld by Appellate Court.
In re the Custody Of R., minor child. Dato Paduka Noordin v. Datin Laila Abdulla, (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=228 , Shariah law of Philippines, Washington, 1997: Trial Court upheld foreign Shariah law of Philippines (which has parallel Shariah court system) granting father custody; Appellate Court reverses, allowing mother to contest Philippines Shariah court custody decision.
S.D., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. M.J.R., (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=197 ), Shariah law of Morocco, New Jersey, 2010: Pregnant mother is beaten and raped by her husband, Trial Court refuses restraining order citing foreign Shariah law, Appellate court reverses and grants restraining order.
Pamela Tazziz VS. Ismail Tazziz (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=133 ), Shariah law of Israel, Massachusetts, 1988: Trial Court upheld foreign Shariah law of Israel (which has parallel Shariah court system ) requiring mother of four children to bring family to Shariah hearing; Appellate Court reversed.
Saida Banu Tarikonda, , v. Bade Saheb Pinjari (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=139 ), Shariah law of India, Michigan, 2009: The Trial Court accepted a Talaq divorce (the husband says “I divorce you” three times, no prior notice to wife required). The Appellate Court reversed.
Irfan Aleem v. Farah Aleem (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=126 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, Maryland, 2007: Trial Court rejected argument permitting a foreign Shariah law Talaq divorce to prevent community division of property; Appellate Court upheld.
Magda Sobhy Ahmed Amin v. Abdelrahman Sayed Bakhaty (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=114 ), Shariah law of Egypt and Lebanon, Louisiana, 2001: Mother convicted under foreign Shariah law of Egypt for leaving Egypt with child for U.S. without husband’s permission; Under Egyptian Shariah law, father files for divorce and custody; Trial Court and Appellate court do not grant comity.
Bita Donboli, Respondent, and Nader Donboli (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=236 ),Shariah law of Iran, Washington, 2005: Mother is dual citizen of U.S. and Iran, alleges beatings, not allowed to leave Iran with son without husband permission, and refuses to comply with foreign Iranian Shariah law custody decree. Trial and Appellate Courts uphold her position.
The study’s findings suggest that Shariah law has entered into state court decisions, in conflict with the Constitution and state public policy. Some commentators have said there are no more than one or two cases of Shariah law in U.S. state court cases; yet we found 50 significant cases just from the small sample of appellate published cases.
Others have asserted with certainty that state court judges will always reject any foreign law, including Shariah law, when it conflicts with the Constitution or state public policy; yet we found 15 Trial Court cases, and 12 Appellate Court cases, where Shariah was found to be applicable in these particular cases. The facts are the facts: some judges are making decisions deferring to Shariah law even when those decisions conflict with Constitutional protections.
Cf. http://shariahinamericancourts.com/ Shariah in American Courts
to CAIR-MI Attacks on American Laws for American Courts
Washington, DC, August 16th, 2011 - Stephen Gelé, spokesperson for the American Public Policy Alliance, issued the following statement in response to the mistaken protests in Michigan against HB 4769:
Rep. Dave Agema has been unfairly attacked by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization that was identified as a Muslim Brotherhood front group and named an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism financing conviction in U.S. history. CAIR falsely characterizes Rep. Agema’s HB4769 American Laws for American Courts bill for Michigan as “unconstitutionally” targeting “Islamic principles.”
The American Laws for American Courts bill’s sole objective is to protect all U.S. citizens and residents from the application of foreign laws when the application of a foreign law will result in the violation, in the specific matter at issue, of a liberty guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States or the public policies of the state in question. Such violations would include infringements on due process, freedom of religion, speech, or press, equal protection, and any right of privacy or marriage as specifically defined by the constitution of the state.
Rep. Agema’s bill is constitutional, facially neutral and in the two years since its passage in three other state legislatures it has never been challenged in court.
Reviews of court records provide extensive evidence that foreign laws and legal doctrines have been introduced into U.S. state court cases, including, notably, Shariah law, which is applied in courts in dozens of foreign nations.
Unfortunately, because state legislatures have not been explicit about what the public policy is relative to application of foreign laws in state courts, the courts and the litigants have repeatedly failed to recognize that granting comity to a foreign judgment may be at odds with our state and federal constitutional principles in the specific matters at issue.
The American Laws for American Courts bill is carefully limited in scope, recognizing the need to balance individual liberties with other legal principles:
• The American Laws For American Courts bill does not apply to a business entity that contracts to subject itself to foreign law in a jurisdiction other than the state or the United States.
• The American Laws for American Courts bill does not interfere with the right of any individual to freely exercise his or her religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
• The American Laws for American Courts bill does not conflict with any federal treaty or international agreement to which the United States is a party.
The goal of HB 4769 is a clear and unequivocal application of what should be the goal of all state courts: No U.S. citizen or resident should be denied the liberties, rights, and privileges guaranteed in our constitutional republic.
American Laws for American Courts is needed especially to protect women and children, identified by international human rights organizations as the primary victims of discriminatory foreign laws.
Far from targeting those practicing the Islamic faith, the American Laws for American Courts legislation actually seeks to ensure that American Muslim families have the same constitutional protections and liberties as other Americans.
Opponents of the American Laws for American Courts bill exhibit indifference to American Muslim families who have already been denied equal protection and due process by American courts applying shariah law from the legal systems of foreign, oppressive regimes. Indeed, every concern raised by opponents at today’s press conference was irrelevant to the legislation.
The legislation, designed to protect American litigants from the application of foreign legal doctrines, recognizes that, for decades, through a misguided use of comity (a deference to foreign legal judgments), American courts have applied laws from nations such as Pakistan, Lebanon, Egypt and even Iran, often denying Americans their constitutional rights. These Americans, nearly all women, often came to America to escape the harsh and discriminatory doctrines of Shariah law, only to have those doctrines enforced in our state courts. A report entitled “Shariah Law and American State Courts,” addresses 50 sample cases (http://www.shariahinamericancourts.com) involving shariah law in American courts. Ten of those cases are briefly summarized below (see “Ten American Families and Shariah in American State Courts”).
Despite the completely unfounded accusation laid by CAIR, these cases enforcing shariah do not involve the exercise of religion, but issues of secular law commonly adjudicated in American courts, such as sexual assault, divorce, spousal support and child custody. Shariah rules governing issues of family law are regularly enforced by the authority of the state as a legal code in numerous foreign countries. Judgments from these courts have repeatedly reached American shores to be imposed upon Muslim families in our state courts.
Critics, such as CAIR, not only ignore the dozens of published legal cases involving the application of shariah law in American courts, but also misinform Americans regarding easily verifiable facts, such as the actual content of this protective legislation. Rather than acknowledging the relevant jurisprudence, and accurately describing the curative legislation, CAIR impugns their fellow Americans who seek to ensure constitutional equal protection, due process and civil liberties for all Americans, especially American Muslims who are denied their rights through courts imposing foreign laws contrary to our Constitution.
Below are ten cases (excerpted from “Shariah Law and American State Courts“).
In cases 1-3, the Appellate Courts upheld Shariah law; in cases 4-7, the Trial Courts upheld Shariah, but the Appellate Courts reversed (protecting the litigant’s Constitutional rights); in cases 8-10, both Trial and Appellate Courts rejected the attempts to enforce Shariah law.
Ten American Families and Shariah in American State Courts
Joohi Q. Hosain (FKA Malik) V. Anwar Malik, (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=124 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, Maryland, 1996: Trial and Appellate Courts upheld foreign Shariah law and denied mother custody. She lost custody because going to custody hearing in Pakistan would have risked prison, torture or execution.
Laila Adeeb Sawaya Malak v. Abdul Latif Malak (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=77 ), Shariah law of Lebanon/UAE, California, 1986: Appellate Court upheld foreign Shariah law and denied mother custody, reversing Trial Court.
Parveen Chaudry v. M. Hanif Chaudry, M.D., (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=155 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, New Jersey, 1978: Appellate Court upheld foreign Shariah law, overturned Trial Court. Wife denied support and child support and division of property; prenuptial agreement signed by parents giving her only $1,500 from marriage upheld by Appellate Court.
In re the Custody Of R., minor child. Dato Paduka Noordin v. Datin Laila Abdulla, (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=228 , Shariah law of Philippines, Washington, 1997: Trial Court upheld foreign Shariah law of Philippines (which has parallel Shariah court system) granting father custody; Appellate Court reverses, allowing mother to contest Philippines Shariah court custody decision.
S.D., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. M.J.R., (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=197 ), Shariah law of Morocco, New Jersey, 2010: Pregnant mother is beaten and raped by her husband, Trial Court refuses restraining order citing foreign Shariah law, Appellate court reverses and grants restraining order.
Pamela Tazziz VS. Ismail Tazziz (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=133 ), Shariah law of Israel, Massachusetts, 1988: Trial Court upheld foreign Shariah law of Israel (which has parallel Shariah court system ) requiring mother of four children to bring family to Shariah hearing; Appellate Court reversed.
Saida Banu Tarikonda, , v. Bade Saheb Pinjari (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=139 ), Shariah law of India, Michigan, 2009: The Trial Court accepted a Talaq divorce (the husband says “I divorce you” three times, no prior notice to wife required). The Appellate Court reversed.
Irfan Aleem v. Farah Aleem (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=126 ), Shariah law of Pakistan, Maryland, 2007: Trial Court rejected argument permitting a foreign Shariah law Talaq divorce to prevent community division of property; Appellate Court upheld.
Magda Sobhy Ahmed Amin v. Abdelrahman Sayed Bakhaty (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=114 ), Shariah law of Egypt and Lebanon, Louisiana, 2001: Mother convicted under foreign Shariah law of Egypt for leaving Egypt with child for U.S. without husband’s permission; Under Egyptian Shariah law, father files for divorce and custody; Trial Court and Appellate court do not grant comity.
Bita Donboli, Respondent, and Nader Donboli (http://shariahinamericancourts.com/?p=236 ),Shariah law of Iran, Washington, 2005: Mother is dual citizen of U.S. and Iran, alleges beatings, not allowed to leave Iran with son without husband permission, and refuses to comply with foreign Iranian Shariah law custody decree. Trial and Appellate Courts uphold her position.
The study’s findings suggest that Shariah law has entered into state court decisions, in conflict with the Constitution and state public policy. Some commentators have said there are no more than one or two cases of Shariah law in U.S. state court cases; yet we found 50 significant cases just from the small sample of appellate published cases.
Others have asserted with certainty that state court judges will always reject any foreign law, including Shariah law, when it conflicts with the Constitution or state public policy; yet we found 15 Trial Court cases, and 12 Appellate Court cases, where Shariah was found to be applicable in these particular cases. The facts are the facts: some judges are making decisions deferring to Shariah law even when those decisions conflict with Constitutional protections.
Cf. http://shariahinamericancourts.com/ Shariah in American Courts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Texas May Opt Out of ObamaCare
Healthcare Update: TX May Opt Out of ObamaCare; Rep. Intros Bill to Privatize Medicare
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