Islamism & Islamophobia Abroad - News & Analysis

[vishvak]

^^ Aiyoo...it was not a communal saffron principal but another oppressed minority community which issued this decree onlee. Tricky sitaution onlee!

Thats why this didnt make the headlines. If the religion of the headmaster was from a communal majority, this same news article would have been splashed all over DDM by now in bold letters

Secularism wherein only Hindus have chance to be called communal while others can make whatever is convincing as this will never get resolved for thousands of years.

[JE Menon]

>>Kilmeade recalled a Pakistani professor who said he didn’t mind being profiled at the airport because he wants to be safe.

Akbar Ahmed

On a separate note, guys do not bring "communal saffron" and GoI into this discussion. The thread topic is clear and the mandate is clear. Consider this a caution to you both, sum and vishvak

[member_22872]

Why is that some people like the Tsaraev brothers who are caught in Boston bombings who are relatively educated, who can reason, feel that Islam is found on very strong foundation that they are ready to give up everything? what is the root cause of such a fatal attraction that one is ready to kill others who don't believe? if say a person X who is not a muslim wants to study islam, he takes up Quran earnestness to study it and understand, what factors makes him think that Quran is logical or makes sense? say if he comes across a verse in Quran which roughly translates to "Hey faithful, if your wife misbehaves, you punish her..." doesn't it ring a bell in him and questions what he reads? what makes him think, such is the word of God? it beats me. Why will God think it's okay to hit a woman, that he has the power to punish her? but there are 1 billion Muslims who think there is nothing wrong with line of thinking?

Okay fine, if you think all muslim men like the freedom Islam gives to males in general to have N >1 wives and it fun to procreate, then what about women? what makes them think Quran is the best religion? a religion which looks down on them? is it fear? just thinking aloud.

[arun]

Not unexpectedly a Mohammadden link to the Boston Marathon terrorist attack emerges:

Boston suspect's web page venerates Islam, Chechen independence

With the emergence of the link, attempt by some Mohammadden to deflect blame for the terrorist attack onto a “Hindu Brahmin” comes to naught:

Boston bombing: How an Indian-American family was dragged through hell by reckless cyberjunkies …………….

To others who were worried that the Boston bombing would be tied to Islamist extremism, he was a "Hindu brahmin." One cyberwarrior tweeting under the handle @DrAQ_Khan gloated: "The alleged suspect for Boston bombings was a Hindu Sunil Tripathi. We urge Western media to now showcase all Hindus as Terrorists." ……………………………………

US officials confirm that the suspected Boston Marathon bombers were motivated by their adherence to Mohammaddenism:

Officials: Boston suspects motivated by religion

[arun]

The threat of Mohammadden Terrorism continues to haunt North America as Canada thwarts an attack which received “"direction and guidance" from al-Qa'ida members in Iran”:

Two men due in court after Canada thwarts al-Qa'ida-linked plot to blow up US-Canada rail line

[MurthyB]

"Relative" is the word for education. The older fellow was a boxer; 'nuff said. Most boxers seem pretty dull witted (I mean just to take up a sport where you might get pounded on your head and face doesn't seem that smart to start with). Given all the blows to the head he took in that time, it's quite possible that Islam seemed quite logical to him. That sort of head injury also leads to impulsive behavior.

There is a deep sense of persecution, and glorification of past "achievements" that leads to this behavior I think. That's why most other societies have developed strong liberal/anti-fascist/progressive viewpoints that is very suspicious and reactive towards any feelings of pride or chauvinism, to such an extent that it might actually be leading to unnecessary guilt and low self esteem. With Hindus, no sooner than some Hindu expresses pride in "Hindu" things will a chorus of people rise up to swat him/her down. To a large extent, that is also true of most white societies now, where a lot of remorse and introspection has occurrred for their atrocities. But in Islam, there are no such issues. Glorification of past, glorification of muslims is all allowed and encouraged. Muslims have gone from being glorious jihadis of the past to instant suffering victims. And those stories are about showing the kuffar their proper place. If everyone thinks like that, it is not surprising that a few, every now and then, will take it to the next step.

Why is that some people like the Tsaraev brothers who are caught in Boston bombings who are relatively educated, who can reason, feel that Islam is found on very strong foundation that they are ready to give up everything? what is the root cause of such a fatal attraction that one is ready to kill others who don't believe? if say a person X who is not a muslim wants to study islam, he takes up Quran earnestness to study it and understand, what factors makes him think that Quran is logical or makes sense? say if he comes across a verse in Quran which roughly translates to "Hey faithful, if your wife misbehaves, you punish her..." doesn't it ring a bell in him and questions what he reads? what makes him think, such is the word of God? it beats me. Why will God think it's okay to hit a woman, that he has the power to punish her? but there are 1 billion Muslims who think there is nothing wrong with line of thinking?

Okay fine, if you think all muslim men like the freedom Islam gives to males in general to have N >1 wives and it fun to procreate, then what about women? what makes them think Quran is the best religion? a religion which looks down on them? is it fear? just thinking aloud.

[RajeshA]

"Relative" is the word for education. The older fellow was a boxer; 'nuff said. Most boxers seem pretty dull witted (I mean just to take up a sport where you might get pounded on your head and face doesn't seem that smart to start with). Given all the blows to the head he took in that time, it's quite possible that Islam seemed quite logical to him. That sort of head injury also leads to impulsive behavior.

Not always the case!

Not Dr. Ironfist: Vitali Klischko

In 1996, he graduated from the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky Pedagogical Institute (Ukraine) and was accepted into the postgraduate study program at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. On 29 February 2000, he presented his doctoral thesis on "talent and sponsorship in sports" at the "Kyiv University of Physical Science and Sports" and his PhD in Sports Science was conferred.

Both Vitali and his brother are avid chess players. Vitali is a friend of former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik and the two have played, with Kramnik always winning. Vitali has commented that "chess is similar to boxing. You need to develop a strategy, and you need to think two or three steps ahead about what your opponent is doing. You have to be smart. But what's the difference between chess and boxing? In chess, nobody is an expert, but everybody plays. In boxing everybody is an expert, but nobody fights."

Vitali and his brother also have been involved in charitable activities dedicated to support the needs of schools, churches and children. In 2002, the Klitschko brothers announced that they had agreed to work for UNESCO.

There is absolutely no connection between testing physical prowess and a religion. Sri Krishna too used to indulge in wrestling/boxing.

Generally speaking such arguments are made by intellectually gifted by psychologically weak people, who think that their intellect can compensate for their lack of physical strength and training. Wrong assumptions. Both are important.

[MurthyB]

RajeshA,

I don't want to compare what Sri Krishna what did or did not do with what a two-bit muslim terrorist trained as. While there may be modern boxers who also have their intellect intact, the vast majority seem dull, violent, and impulsive, like Mike Tyson used to be. In modern society, that type of physical prowess is only required if you are in jail attempting to shove off the buggery you are likely to receive otherwise. Otherwise, might as well pack some heat and use that instead.

[Agnimitra]

Burma Accused of ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims

Increasingly, the violence has not been limited to Rohingya Muslims. In the wake of last year’s violence, the Kaman, a distinct Muslim ethnic group, was also targeted.

---------------

Islam film by Iranian director

Majid Majidi's films are lovely. Bu here once again we find that Iranian intellectuals, artists and academics are at the forefront of influencing Western and world opinion about what Islam is and its subtle culture. Unlike Majidi, many such Iranians are settled in the West. Many declare themselves agnostic, even as they occupy professorial positions in US acad in areas such as Islamic studies, Middle Eastern affairs, etc. But I have noted that even many such Iranian intellectuals who are "agnostic" freely advocate a Shi'ite identity or even a pan-Islamic identity as an essential component of Iranian nationhood in their Persian language publications. Some of them admit that there are some internal conflicts between the Shi'ite emphasis and the extended Sunni nationalities in Greater Iran. But it is rare to come across any Iranian intellectuals who are willing to break out of the Islamic cyst. Those that are are often maverick Shahi supporters. Lastly, there are many Iranians in the West who are leading lights of several Sufi fora that do a great deal of conversion work.

[Theo_Fidel]

But in Islam, there are no such issues. Glorification of past, glorification of muslims is all allowed and encouraged. Muslims have gone from being glorious jihadis of the past to instant suffering victims. And those stories are about showing the kuffar their proper place. If everyone thinks like that, it is not surprising that a few, every now and then, will take it to the next step.

Yes, very selective memory is followed. Only glorious victories are remembered, none of the glorious defeats and the craven surrenders.

Ultimately it comes down to the lack of any self-correcting mechanism. All religions have within the ability to tack back to the center. But due to selective nature of racist and bigoted history muslims are taught and remember, they alone amongst the large modern groups lack a self-correcting mechanism. So a permanent hard tack to the right it is….

[Prem]

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/ ... ?mobile=nc
Fox News ‘Liberal’ Calls For Banning Muslim Students From Entering The Country
(Parde Mei Rehne Dho ,Parda Naa Oothao, Parda Jo Ooth Gya Tho Bhed Kul Jayega )

ob Beckel, the supposedly left-leaning voice on Fox News’ afternoon show The Five, said that the United States ought to bar foreign students from entering the country if they’re Muslim.
“We’re going to have to cut off Muslim students from coming to this country for some period of time,” Beckel said on Monday’s broadcast, discussing the bombings in Boston. The former campaign manager for Walter Mondale’s 1984 presidential campaign went on to say we should vet all Muslim students currently in the country “and decide whether some of the people here should be sent back home or sent to prison.”
BECKEL: We know now, there’s been enough research done, we know that one bottom line: in the Muslim communities around the world, they do not like us. They recruit people from poor areas and they turn them into terrorists. [...] It’s not hard to recruit though because the hatred for the United States runs deep. That’s why I get back to my point. I think we really have to consider, given the fact that so many people hate us, that we’re going to have to cut off Muslim students from coming to this country for some period of time so that we can at least absorb what we’ve got, look at what we’ve got, and decide whether some of the people here should be sent back home or sent to prison.Beckel isn’t the only Fox News figure blaming all Muslims in the world for the actions of a few. Frequent guest host (and radio personality) Laura Ingraham argued on Monday as well that the United States shouldn’t allow any immigrants from majority-Muslim countries to enter the United States. “I would submit that people shouldn’t be coming here as tourists from Chechnya after 9/11,” Ingraham said. “Dagistan, Checnya, Kyrgyzstan, uh-uh. As George Bush would say, ‘None of them stans.’”

[MurthyB]

But in Islam, there are no such issues. Glorification of past, glorification of muslims is all allowed and encouraged. Muslims have gone from being glorious jihadis of the past to instant suffering victims. And those stories are about showing the kuffar their proper place. If everyone thinks like that, it is not surprising that a few, every now and then, will take it to the next step.

Yes, very selective memory is followed. Only glorious victories are remembered, none of the glorious defeats and the craven surrenders.

Ultimately it comes down to the lack of any self-correcting mechanism. All religions have within the ability to tack back to the center. But due to selective nature of racist and bigoted history muslims are taught and remember, they alone amongst the large modern groups lack a self-correcting mechanism. So a permanent hard tack to the right it is….

I was thinking some more about this and came up with this characterization:

• People doing well currently <---White European, control most historical narrative. Their impulse for being viciously racist and genocidal based on their achievements has given way to some liberal enlightenment in the last 2-3 decades.
  
  People not doing well currently, and people who have never done well <---- Blacks, Africans. In the standard narrative, no group is as maligned as this one, with nothing out of history attributed to their glory or greatness. Very difficult for black fascism to emerge or construct a convincing narrative for. Even if it happens, effects will be localized.
  
  People not doing well currently, but who may have done well in the past <--- Hindus. Whether they did well in the past is generally questioned, especially by a very large, vocal subset of self-hating Hindus themselves. A small minority of western Indophiles may support their glory of the past, but mostly thought to never have done well. Caste, sati, superstition etc.
  
  People not doing well currently, but who did well in the past <---Chinese. Chinese themselves have a strong belief in this, and they appear to have no 5th columnists disputing it. Communist China has adopted this as their narrative and most Chinese believe it. In addition, most Western narrative supports it, and the Islamics also believe it, since Mo himself commanded them to seek knowledge from China.
  
  People not doing well currently, but who did well in the past <---- Muslims. Like the Chinese, this is an axiomatic Muslim belief about themselves. But Western intellectuals and scholars have also supported it, with "golden age of islam that preserved Greek advances" type of stuff, perhaps as a way of giving ungli to their own Christian philistines who did inquisitions, crusades, witch-burnings, and killed Galileo. Many Hindus who want to be secular also believe this.

So of the 5 main groups of janata in the world, Muslims and Chinese are most alike, with Hindus a little bit less. Chinese claims of glory in the past is based on Chinese society concentrated around the yellow river doing well. Same with whatever Hindu glory the small minority of Hindus believes; all centered in India, with Hindus living in an advanced society, and building this society themselves, and not lording over someone else.

But the muslim model of glory and greatness is all mostly based on conquest and spread of Islam. It is not based on creating a great society in Arabia, although some current day talibunnies may claim to be inspired by the 5.2 years there was perfection under the 4th caliph or whatever. Much of the so-called 'moderate' muslim narrative as been to glorify past muslim expansionism. Just like Pak apologists claim that Pureland was not about Islam, but about creating a space for muslims, so too is history not about imposing Islamic law on kaffirs but subjecting them to muslim rule and dominance. They are excited by Ottoman Greece, Balkans, european kaffir slaves in markets in Baghdad and Damascus, Mughal Delhi, Moorish Spain etc. Atish Taseer points out how Salman Taseer, even though a non-observant muslim, is excited by this muslim history. And there has been no challenge or corrective to this in any muslim society. Instead it gets support from the lota-carriers of other groups who will support this narrative even as they feel shame for their own groups supposed violent and savage behavior.

So that narrative can be a powerful necessary condition to give a current day muslim a sense of victimization, and a model from the past to follow. While most muslims will receive this narrative and worldview, ultimately, becoming a terrorist requires motivation and application. Not everyone will have it in them to do it, but some will. But this narrative is a necessary first step that provides a certain model that muslims should attain.

I think statistics will show that the prevalence of white racist violence against non-whites in USA has gone down significantly in the last 3 decades as a liberal, non-racist narrative and model has taken hold. But even before, it was not like all whites would commit violence against non-white. But most of them had a racist and contemptuous world view, which was necessary for some to take the next step.

One hope is that the same liberal, progressive force will force muslims to confront that narrative and beat it down, as it has happened in white society. It will need lots of Tarek Fatahs and Parachas to do that. In an ideal, non-right wing view, all societies will have a robust, inward looking liberal narrative that quashes fascism or glorification of any sort. It's like the Dining Philosophers problem where the Philosophers all keep thinking instead of needing to eat..

[ramana]

Can we refrain from bringing in Hindu icons, motifs and ideas while discussing Isalm?

Thanks, ramana

[Varoon Shekhar]

Excellent article by Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star columnist. Hard to see an article like this in an Indian newspaper. Without besmirching Indian Moslems, it's the tone and content of the article that is impressive. She identifies the problem as a not insignificant section of Canadian Moslems.

By: Rosie DiManno Columnist, Published on Tue Apr 23 2013

The other is us.

The other is in our midst.

The other lives in our neighbourhoods, attends our schools, prays in our mosques and temples, alongside a broader community that would be appalled if aware of what they were contemplating.

The other breathes our air but inhales as well the toxic messages spread so easily via the Internet.

The other is enthralled by alien causes.

The guy next door — on a quiet suburban Toronto street, allegedly conspiring to derail a VIA passenger train with operational direction from Al Qaeda in Iran.

Radicalized high school students from London, Ont., lured to a distant desert in Algeria by the siren song of violent spectacle, but their toxic views spawned here, in a Canadian town, under the nose of their unknowing parents.

A young man from the GTA suspected of leading a suicide attack in Mogadishu.

Somali Canadians from Edmonton who’ve vanished into the jihad wind, seduced by the very turmoil their betrayed mothers and fathers sought to leave behind.

The Toronto 18, dismissed as delusionary and slapstick incompetent.

Born Canadians, naturalized Canadians and — in Monday’s stunning revelation — non-Canadians, one living in Toronto and one in Montreal, who purportedly found traction here to set about launching their scheme, foiled by joint intelligence services acting upon a tip originally disclosed by sharp-witted members of the Muslim community.

Also from TheStar.com:

· The road to radicalization

· MPP Margarett Best’s absence from legislature remains a mystery

· Does the world exist (in Canada’s foreign policy)?(in Canada’s foreign policy)?

They are still a mere few. Yet that’s all it takes, as we have seen in just the past week — a pair of hapless brothers with just enough tactical wherewithal to construct crude bombs aimed at the “soft target’’ of the Boston Marathon.

Apart from nuclear reactors, airports, government buildings considered prime targets — the White House, Parliament, military bases — everything is a soft target. The world is made up of soft targets and soft flesh.

In another era, before we came to understand that foreign militancy — the roiling of extremism generated thousands of miles away — could quite easily metastasize here, the soft target was Air India Flight 182, blasted out of the skies over the mid-Atlantic after departing from Montreal, killing 329 people. Only one individual, with contacts to domestic Sikh militant groups in this country, was ever convicted in that atrocity.

We knew terrorism long before the horror of Sept. 11.

Canada has never been immune, though too many have since 2001 continued whistling past the graveyard, even as our troops bled out in Afghanistan, a theatre of combat where a majority of Canadians didn’t want us to be, lest this country be drawn into the crosshairs of a foreign war that purportedly had nothing to do with us.

We got all huffy when some American politicians wrongly claimed the Sept. 11 hijackers had entered the United States through Canada. The accusation was utterly incorrect though not necessarily as illegitimate a proposition as framed at the time. This is a country that shares the longest border on the planet with the most powerful country on the planet. Only a fool would believe that Al Qaeda, however diminished, might never contemplate getting at the Great Satan via entry points on that border.

The Maple Leaf — a train jointly operated by VIA and Amtrak — crosses that border every day on the 11-hour trip between Toronto and New York City. I’ve taken it many times, most recently on New Year’s Day, casually wondering about the efficacy of slapdash security procedures that require passengers to remove their bags at the “frontier’’ for sniffer-dog checks, then getting back on.

It’s a train that goes directly into Penn Station.

At a news conference Monday afternoon that raised more questions than it provided answers — Canadian officials always reveal less than their American counterparts because the U.S. is less secretive, at least when addressing its own population — the RCMP announced it had derailed a plot to derail a VIA train in the GTA, reportedly the Maple Leaf.

Project Smooth — a co-operative undertaking between Canadian and U.S. security agencies — resulted in the arrest of two individuals: Raed Jaser, 35, of Toronto, and Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, of Montreal. No details were provided on where these non-Canadians are from, though various reports said one hailed from Tunisia and the other from the United Arab Emirates.

They had intent.

They had capacity.

They had conducted surveillance on trains and railways in the GTA.

They had support and guidance, allegedly, from Al Qaeda in Iran. Iran is indisputably a state sponsor of terrorism. Their diplomats were booted out of Ottawa last September and Canada closed its embassy in Tehran — much to the displeasure of those in this country who promote Iran’s aspirations.

It is unclear, at this stage of the investigation, whether the Iranian regime — endlessly meddlesome in the politics of its regional neighbours, ideologically aligned with Shiite insurgents beyond its border — had any knowledge or provided any strategic assistance to the alleged plotters.

“Had this plot been carried out, it would have resulted in innocent people being killed or seriously injured,’”’ said RCMP assistant commissioner James Malizia.

We are to be soothed by declarations that at no time was the public in imminent danger; presumably that means the plotters were under surveillance throughout — apparently an entire year — as they went about the business of conceiving and conspiring mayhem, “for the benefit of a terrorist group.”

At the very least, the bubble of immunity and inviolability under which too many Canadians have laboured since Sept. 11, lulled into a false sense of security, has been pierced. Al Qaeda has long tentacles, can reach out and bite into the bosom of even so peaceful and embracing a country as Canada.

Tell me now about root causes of terrorism, as if they can’t ever be nurtured here and, if so, might be averted by moral and religious intervention wisely applied.

Tell me now about an exaggerated and counterproductive “war on terrorism” unleashed by the U.S.

Tell me now that Al Qaeda is a diluted and degraded ideology, operationally incapable of even imaging an overseas strike.

Tell me again how we’re so different from London, Madrid, Bali, Moscow, Nairobi, Mumbai, Karachi . . .

Tell me again how Canada is so damn exceptional.

Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

[Agnimitra]

Canadian terror plot linked to al Qaeda in Iran

The "Al Qaeda in Iran" bit is being dismissed derisively. But Iranian state media is often supportive of Islamism across the Arab world, and even in Pakistan - even where it entails genocide of local Shi'a populations. Also, post-Afghan war, Iran has also been more supportive of the Taliban and making close kissing noises with Pakistan - quite different from pre-9/11 days.

Need to keep a closer watch on this. Iranian expat "intellectuals" and "experts" in the West always advocate a policy of softness and diplomacy w.r.t. Iran and Pakistan...but are generally seen to be anti-Israel and anti-Arab.

Iran denies links to al Qaeda, but links are well established

Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's Foreign Minister, described the claims of the Canadian police linking the plotters to al Qaeda in Iran as "ridiculous."

"If the news that you are announcing is true, this is the most hilarious thing I've heard in my 64 year [sic]," Salehi said, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency.

He also described al Qaeda in Iran as "a new fake issue and a really ridiculous word."

Iran's ties to al Qaeda are well documented, however. In recent years, the US government has added several Iran-based al Qaeda leaders and operatives to its list of specially designated global terrorists, and even noted a "secret deal" between the Iranian government and al Qaeda.

In January 2009, the Treasury Department designated senior al Qaeda members operating in Iran. The January 2009 designation included Mustafa Hamid, the father-in-law of top al Qaeda operative Saif al Adel; Saad bin Laden, one of Osama's sons, who was later killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan; Muhammad Rab'a al Sayid Al Bahtiyti; and Ali Saleh Husain.

Treasury described Hamid as "a senior al Qaeda associate who served as a primary interlocutor between al Qaeda and the Government of Iran." During the 1990s, Hamid "reportedly negotiated a secret relationship between Osama Bin Laden and Iran, allowing many al Qaeda members safe transit through Iran to Afghanistan." Hamid also "passed communications between Osama bin Laden and the Government of Iran." In late 2001, Hamid negotiated with the Iranians to relocate al Qaeda families to Iranian soil. Saif al Adel, Hamid's son-in-law, was among them. Al Adel has been wanted since late 1998 for his involvement in al Qaeda's embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.

According to the 2009 designation, Saad bin Laden "facilitated the travel of Osama bin Laden's family members from Afghanistan to Iran" beginning in late 2001. He also "made key decisions for al Qaeda and was part of a small group of al Qaeda members that was involved in managing the terrorist organization from Iran."

In July 2011, the Treasury Dept. designated an al Qaeda leader known as Yasin al Suri along with five other terrorists who operate from Iranian soil to move funds and recruits from Iran's neighboring Gulf countries to South Asia and elsewhere. Al Suri's network assists not only senior al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan, but also al Qaeda in Iraq.

The Treasury Dept. said that al Suri's network operates as part of a "secret deal" between al Qaeda and the Iranian government. In December 2011, US authorities announced a $10 million reward for information leading to al Suri's capture.

Also included in the July 2011 designation was Atiyah Abd al Rahman, who commanded al Qaeda in northern Pakistan. Rahman was killed one month later, in a US drone strike in August 2011. The Treasury Dept. noted that he "was previously appointed by Osama bin Laden to serve as al Qaeda's emissary in Iran, a position which allowed him to travel in and out of Iran with the permission of Iranian officials." Rahman had received safe haven inside Iran after the Sept. 11 attacks.

In February 2012, the Treasury Dept. designated the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) "for its support to terrorist groups." Al Qaeda and its affiliate, al Qaeda in Iraq, are among the terrorist groups supported by the MOIS, which is Iran's chief intelligence agency.

"Today we have designated the MOIS for abusing the basic human rights of Iranian citizens and exporting its vicious practices to support the Syrian regime's abhorrent crackdown on its own population," Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen explained in a press release. "In addition, we are designating the MOIS for its support to terrorist groups, including al Qaeda, al Qaeda in Iraq, Hizballah and HAMAS, again exposing the extent of Iran's sponsorship of terrorism as a matter of Iranian state policy."

The MOIS is assisting al Qaeda in a variety of ways. According to Treasury, the "MOIS has facilitated the movement of al Qaeda operatives in Iran and provided them with documents, identification cards, and passports."

In addition, the MOIS has "provided money and weapons to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI)...and negotiated prisoner releases of AQI operatives."

Iran also supports the Taliban

Treasury has also noted Iran's support for the Taliban, as in August 2010 it added two top Iranian Qods Force commanders to its list of specially designated global terrorists for directly providing support for the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan.

General Hossein Musavi is the commander of Qods Force's Ansar Corps, "whose responsibilities include IRGC-QF activities in Afghanistan," the Treasury stated. "As Ansar Corps Commander, Musavi has provided financial and material support to the Taliban." Colonel Hasan Mortezavi is described as a senior Qods Force officer who "provides financial and material support to the Taliban."

Qods Forces' Ansar Corps is the command that is assigned to direct operations in Afghanistan. The Ansar Corps is based in Mashad in northeastern Iran. Al Qaeda is known to facilitate travel for its operatives moving into Afghanistan from Mashad, and also uses the eastern cities of Tayyebat and Zahedan to move its operatives into Afghanistan [see LWJ report, Return to Jihad].

Iran's support for the Taliban can be seen in Coalition and Afghan military operations against the Afghan terror group. Coalition and Afghan forces have targeted Iranian-supported Taliban commanders in at least 14 raids in western Afghanistan between June 2009 and February 2011, according to Coalition press releases compiled by The Long War Journal. ISAF inexplicably stopped reporting on raids against Iranian-supported Taliban commanders in early February 2011; LWJ's queries to ISAF on this subject have gone unanswered [see LWJ report, Taliban suicide assault team kills 36 Afghans in western city].

[shiv]

Why is that some people like the Tsaraev brothers who are caught in Boston bombings who are relatively educated, who can reason, feel that Islam is found on very strong foundation that they are ready to give up everything?
<snp>
Okay fine, if you think all muslim men like the freedom Islam gives to males in general to have N >1 wives and it fun to procreate, then what about women? what makes them think Quran is the best religion? a religion which looks down on them? is it fear? just thinking aloud.

It is the Islamic method of upbringing that instils into every child between age 1 and 5, long before formal education starts the idea that they are special. God made the world for Muslims. others (non Muslims) are bad and men are superior to women. Once that is instilled into every boy and girl by age five, nothing else will erase that and any new or different information only causes cognitive dissonance and anger and a tendency to stay with the earliest belief you have,

I think the biggest difference between Islam and other religions is upbringing and indoctrination into a belief of entitlement because they are Muslim and grievance that kafirs are spoiling things for them if they do not get what they want. If you tell your child that he is entitled to everything simply because he is Muslim and that if he can't get what he wants the fault is with Kafirs, and that women are inferior to men- it would be called a biased upbringing everywhere else. But not in Islam. Generations of spoiled brats who cannot be hauled up because of secularism and sensitivity to religion.

[wig]

about 500 Europeans fighting in Syria

The EU's anti-terror chief has told the BBC that hundreds of Europeans are now fighting with rebel forces in Syria against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Gilles de Kerchove estimated the number in Syria at about 500.

Intelligence agencies are concerned some could join groups linked to al-Qaeda and later return to Europe to launch terrorist attacks.

The UK, Ireland and France are among the EU countries estimated to have the highest numbers of fighters in Syria.

"Not all of them are radical when they leave, but most likely many of them will be radicalised there, will be trained," Mr de Kerchove told the BBC.

"And as we've seen this might lead to a serious threat when they get back."

Across Europe, intelligence agencies have stepped up investigations, says the BBC's Europe correspondent Duncan Crawford.

In Britain and Belgium they have increased efforts to track how people are recruited.

In the Netherlands, officials have raised the terror threat level there to "substantial" - partly over concerns about radicalised citizens returning from Syria.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22275456

[Agnimitra]

‘I am sorry, O Prophet…’

Former Dutch Islamophobe and a former leading member of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ party Arnoud Van Doorn visited the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to pray and say sorry for becoming part of a blasphemous film.

Doorn was among the Freedom Party leaders who produced the blasphemous film, Fitna. Last month he reverted to Islam after an extensive study about the religion and the Prophet (peace be upon him).

He said that the worldwide outrage against the film made him study about the Prophet (pbuh) and that eventually led to his conversion.

He headed for Makkah to perform Umrah after meeting the two imams of the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Ali Al-Hudaifi and Sheikh Salah Al-Badar, who enlightened him on how to lead the life of a good Muslim and confront challenges facing Islam in the West.

A member of the Dutch parliament and The Hague City Council, Doorn announced his decision to accept Islam on his Twitter profile. He also posted a tweet in Arabic declaring that “there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.”

At first, other users took the news as a joke. After all, an active supporter of a notorious Dutch hater of Islam, Wilders, he repeatedly approved Islamophobic statements and public actions, and personally participated in them.

But Doorn, who now serves as a regional adviser at the City Hall in The Hague, personally confirmed his decision to practice Islam in an official letter to the city mayor.

Most recently, the politician filed a formal application to the mayor of the city to allow him to perform prayers obligatory for Muslims during his working hours.

“I can understand people are skeptic, especially that it is unexpected for many of them,” Doorn told Al-Jazeera English satellite channel.

“This is a very big decision, which I have not taken lightly.”

“In my own close circle people have known that I have been actively researching the Qur’an, Hadith, Sunnah and other writings for almost a year now,” he said.

“In addition, I have had numerous conversations with Muslims about the religion.”

Driven by his party’s anti-Islam discourse, Doorn decided to dig in for the truth about the religion himself.

“I have heard so many negative stories about Islam, but I am not a person who follows opinions of others without doing my own research,” he said. “Therefore, I have actually started to deepen my knowledge of Islam out of curiosity.”

The 46-year-old has continued on The Hague Council as an independent candidate since splitting from Wilders’s party. Doorn’s decision to embrace Islam has won mixed reactions in the Netherlands.

“According to some people I am a traitor, but according to most others I have actually made a very good decision,” he told Al-Jazeera.

“The reactions are generally positive and I also received quite some support via twitter.

“It feels good that people who do not know me personally have understanding of my situation and support me in my choice.”

Asked if he now regretted joining the Freedom Party, he replied: “I have learned that every experience in life has a purpose. However, with the knowledge I have today, I would have undoubtedly made a different choice.”

For the Dutch politician, finding Islam was finally guiding him to the true path in his life. “I have made mistakes in life as many others. From these mistakes I have learned a lot,” Doorn said.

“And by my conversion to Islam I have the feeling that I finally found my path. I realize that this is a new start and that I still have much to learn as well.”

---------------------

Islam Coexists?

There is an enormous irony contained in the Boston Marathon bombing. When the jihadi Tsarnaev brothers carjacked a Mercedes, it had a Coexist bumper sticker.

[Prem]

The Media: We Can’t ‘Demonize The Entire Religion Of Islam’ Due To Radicals
Dhimmism Spreading: watch The Video

Since the Boston bombing, much of cable news quite naturally has taken to discussing various issues surrounding terrorism and radicalization. Morning Joe on Wednesday was no exception. Joined by The Daily Beast’s Tina Brown, the panel also took a look at media portrayal — stressing that we can’t “demonize” all of Islam when we talk about radicals.“The whole family was becoming radicalized, and perhaps by their inability to fit in this culture,” Brown remarked, speaking about “home-grown” terrorism and the Tsarnaev family.As the discussion turned to what exactly “self-radicalized” means, James Peterson asserted, “I want us to be able to go through this process in a way that does not demonize the entire religion of Islam.” He pointed to how social media “distorted” aspects of the Boston story, and how we should be able to trust newspapers now more than ever — but Joe Scarborough interjected to note that some newspapers and cable news networks “really screwed this up.” Specifically, only the New York Post‘s name was tossed out.Brown went on to stress the need for credible news sources to do their “due diligence,” bringing Peterson back to his main point. When discussing “radicalization,” we need to “make sure we do so in a way that is particular to the profile of folks that are in this case — and that’s not used to sort of superimpose over an entire culture or entire religion.That, he added, is where some news outlets “got it wrong.”Everybody goes “to the extremes on both sides,” Tom Brokaw chimed in, “and that is a big part of the problem.” Noting the “enormous gap between the Western values and nderstanding the Islamic faith,” he argued the need to understand each other bette

[Theo_Fidel]

Generations of spoiled brats who cannot be hauled up because of secularism and sensitivity to religion.

Secularists indeed have not hauled them up to confront this racism and bigotry parading as religious rights. But secularism by itself is silent on this. The criticism has to start from secular folks to begin the behavior modification. It is clear muslim folks lack self correction and are unable to give up their racism and bigotry on their own.

[sanjaykumar]

I think the biggest difference between Islam and other religions is upbringing and indoctrination into a belief of entitlement because they are Muslim and grievance that kafirs are spoiling things for them if they do not get what they want. If you tell your child that he is entitled to everything simply because he is Muslim and that if he can't get what he wants the fault is with Kafirs, and that women are inferior to men- it would be called a biased upbringing everywhere else. But not in Islam. Generations of spoiled brats who cannot be hauled up because of secularism and sensitivity to religion.


Is there any reason this does not apply to Christians or god's other chosen people, Jews.

An exclusivity in a tribe's covenant with god is the hallmark of a primitive people.

[Theo_Fidel]

um! islamism thread??

[Mukesh.Kumar]

males in general to have N >1 wives and it fun to procreate, then what about women? what makes them think Quran is the best religion? a religion which looks down on them? is it fear? just thinking aloud.

Funny that you mention it. Had been dating a Tunisian girl, late twenties, single, living in a different country away from family, dresses in Western attire, open about premarital sex- you see all the trappings of being 'liberated'. Yet somehow when the question came to religion she was dogmatic- Islam is the best. She claimed to have left her ex-fiancee because he made a play at her cousin, but then she said because Islam says its OK for a man to have multiple wives. Trying to play with her mind, I asked her, if that's OK, why can't a woman have multiple men? And her expression was like I don't know what to say, how can this be possible.

The point is that somehow Islam saps the willingness to think. Even when confronted with evidence (or in the lady's case her personal revulsion to her ex-fiancee), people are unwilling to challenge dogma.

[Agnimitra]

97 Filipinos embrace Islam in one night

RIYADH: ARAB NEWS
Wednesday 24 April 2013

The Dawa and Guidance Office in Riyadh has achieved a new record when it helped 97 Filipinos to embrace Islam in one night.

Mohammad Al-Dosary, head of the minorities department at the dawa office, said his men are engaged in educating expatriates about the beauty of Islam.

“We coordinate with company officials to find the best time for the employees to visit them. Once someone embraces Islam, we take his contact details and call him later to educate him further about the message of Islam,” he said.

-------------------------

‘Radical Islam Is Regenerating’: Sen. Graham Isn’t Letting Up On The ‘Enemy Combatant’ Argument

In recent days, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has made it abundantly clear that he favors treating Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as an enemy combatant. Even though the White House said yesterday that they will not do so, Graham took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to reiterate his case. Tsarnaev’s ties to “radical Islam,” he argued, are justification enough.

Citing past cases, Graham noted, seeking to demonstrate that the move would not set a concerning precedent, that “the courts have blessed the holding of American citizens as enemy combatants.” With the current process, and Tsarnaev allowed to lawyer up, the senator contended intelligence gathering is controlled by the suspect and his attorney — which isn’t smart.

He then went on to draw the connections to “radical Islam.”

“We’re at war with a radical ideology that hates everything that we stand for,” Graham said. “As a matter of fact, radical Islam is regenerating. And the way they are coming after us, is to find people in our own backyard and turn them against us. How could we have missed this?”

[kmkraoind]

It’s the doctrine of jihad, stupid - Toronto Sun - Tarek Fatah

The fact is these terrorists are motivated by one powerful belief — the doctrine of armed jihad against the “kuffar” (non-Muslims).

It is worth noting that not a single Muslim cleric since 9/11 has mustered the courage to say the doctrine of armed jihad is defunct and inapplicable in the 21st century. They rightfully denounce terrorism, but dare not denounce jihad.

The armed jihad launched against the infidels, is clearly promoted by the 20th-century writings of such Islamists as Syed Qutb and Hassan al-Banna of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the late Syed Maudoodi of Jamaat-e-Islami of Indo-Pakistan.

Young Muslims across Canada and the U.S. are given booklets titled Towards Understanding Islam, written by Maudoodi. In the booklet, Maudoodi exhorts ordinary Muslims to launch jihad, as in armed struggle, against non-Muslims

[Agnimitra]

Tarek Fatah calls them 'Shariah Bolsheviks':
SocialistWorker.org -
The lies they tell about Islam

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, the Bush administration and the media found a scapegoat in Arabs and Muslims. In this article, which first appeared in the October 19, 2001, issue of Socialist Worker, Lee Sustar exposes the media's fanatical and racist hysteria about Islam and Islamists.

"Protesters stand in solidarity with Muslims against Islamophobic attacks" -

---------------------

The Reluctant Fundamentalist: How a Nice Islamic Guy Got Mixed Up in Terrorism
--------------------

Simplicity of Islam attracted me

Colonel Donald S. Rockwell was born in Illinois, United States. He completed his studies in universities of Washington and Columbia where he received many honorary degrees. He was a poet, literary critic as well as editorial director at Radio Personalities.

He gained the rank of colonel while participating in conscription during World War II, when the US fought against Germany and Japan. As a writer he wrote the book, “Beyond the Brim” and “Bazaar of Dreams.” Equality in Islam always attracted Donald. The rich and the poor have an equal right on the floor of the mosque, kneel in humble worship.

In his book, he wrote down his views on Islam and why he ultimately chose to embrace Islam.

--------------------

Not 'brainwashed': American women who converted to Islam speak out

[Prem]

GOP Congressman Says Islam Will ‘Motivate People To Murder Children’

He was one of the major Paki Snake Feeder in 80s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... IHmC3U4T4U

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) during a hearing on Friday said that he believes that Islam as a whole is a threat to the United States, labeling it as a religion that will “motivate people to murder children.”During a hearing he chaired on “Islamist Extremism in Chechnya: A Threat to the U.S. Homeland?” Rohrabacher continually referred to the 2004 Beslan hostage situation — in which Chechen extremists took control of a school in Russia resulting in the death of more than 180 children — as an example of the threat that Islam poses. At one point, the California Republican sought to clarify that he wasn’t opposed to any religious group gaining power within a region — only Islam. “What we need to worry about is if it happens to be a religion that convinces people that part of their faith is to go off and murder other people’s children,” he said, referring to Islam broadly. Later in the hearing, Rohrabacher was more clear:
ROHRABACHER: At the end of the Cold War, I was the Soviet Union’s worst enemy, nemesis, because I believe that free people need to determine who their number one enemies are and work to try to defeat them. And that doesn’t mean that the people you work with are perfect, et cetera. We did bring down the Soviet Union and we worked with a lot of people who had a lot of faults. Today radical Islam and China appear to be the main adversaries, the main threat to the free world. I hope we all work together against a religion that will motivate people to murder children and other threats to us as a civilization.

[Prem]

CAIR Director on Fox's 'O'Reilly Factor' to Challenge Stereotyping of

[shiv]

GOP Congressman Says Islam Will ‘Motivate People To Murder Children’

He was one of the major Paki Snake Feeder in 80s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... IHmC3U4T4U

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) during a hearing on Friday said that he believes that Islam as a whole is a threat to the United States, labeling it as a religion that will “motivate people to murder children.”During a hearing he chaired on “Islamist Extremism in Chechnya: A Threat to the U.S. Homeland?” Rohrabacher continually referred to the 2004 Beslan hostage situation — in which Chechen extremists took control of a school in Russia resulting in the death of more than 180 children — as an example of the threat that Islam poses. At one point, the California Republican sought to clarify that he wasn’t opposed to any religious group gaining power within a region — only Islam. “What we need to worry about is if it happens to be a religion that convinces people that part of their faith is to go off and murder other people’s children,” he said, referring to Islam broadly. Later in the hearing, Rohrabacher was more clear:
ROHRABACHER: At the end of the Cold War, I was the Soviet Union’s worst enemy, nemesis, because I believe that free people need to determine who their number one enemies are and work to try to defeat them. And that doesn’t mean that the people you work with are perfect, et cetera. We did bring down the Soviet Union and we worked with a lot of people who had a lot of faults. Today radical Islam and China appear to be the main adversaries, the main threat to the free world. I hope we all work together against a religion that will motivate people to murder children and other threats to us as a civilization.

The same guy will tell us that Islam practiced with moderation as happens in Pakistan is absolutely fine. These fellows may be American patriots but the are morons. IMO and all that.

[shiv]

The world is divided up between two types of people, Muslims, and bigots. Kill the bigots

[JE Menon]

Fat and ugly left-leaning white women... The most dangerous species on the fu(king planet. Always seeking attention, at any cost... Feminism unfortunately does not cut it these days, so it's this sh1t. The paradox and irony involved in the message in the placard and the act of these semi-literate idiots carrying them no doubt is lost on them.

One good thing for the rest of us, especially men: they will be the first to get bundled in black when what they wish for comes to pass!!! You won't have to resist retching on sight!!!

[RajeshA]

JE Menon saar,

Left-leaning, on-dole and young stupid white women are the most lucrative target for Love-Jihadis in the West, including for residency papers. Usually these lef-leaning and on-dole women are not the most beautiful and would have it difficult to compete with the beauty standards so they are easy prey. The young stupid too are easy prey.

All those women who are rejects in their society are in fact easy prey for Love-Jihad and there are too many of these.

[JE Menon]

Somebody should ask that idiot, what about Muslim bigots? Aren't there any, and what's your position on that?

Her answer would probably be "missionary, to begin with"!!!

[Mukesh.Kumar]

Her answer would probably be "missionary, to begin with"!!!

Humour apart, it is a significant recruitment policy- attacking the soft underbelly of Western civilization

[Haresh]

Boston Bombing and western weakness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMjE-OS ... ded#t=224s

Courtesy of the Jewish Defence League UK
https://www.facebook.com/JDL.UK?fref=ts

[Prem]

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/09 ... s-radical/

FBI Teaches Agents: ‘Mainstream’ Muslims Are ‘Violent, Radical’

This is one area where i want america to take the leadership role ASAP. Doc, Check the Diagrams and charts in the link

The FBI is teaching its counterterrorism agents that “main stream” [sic] American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers; that the Prophet Mohammed was a “cult leader”; and that the Islamic practice of giving charity is no more than a “funding mechanism for combat.”At the Bureau’s training ground in Quantico, Virginia, agents are shown a chart contending that the more “devout” a Muslim, the more likely he is to be “violent.” Those destructive tendencies cannot be reversed, an FBI instructional presentation adds: “Any war against non-believers is justified” under Muslim law; a “moderating process cannot happen if the Koran continues to be regarded as the unalterable word of Allah.”The FBI’s Islam Training Documents
Militancy Considerations
Strategic Themes and Drivers in Islamic Law
Doctrinal Basis for Jihad
Chart: Violence and Adherence to the Torah, Bible and Koran
These are excerpts from dozens of pages of recent FBI training material on Islam that Danger Room has acquired. In them, the Constitutionally protected religious faith of millions of Americans is portrayed as an indicator of terrorist activity.“There may not be a ‘radical’ threat as much as it is simply a normal assertion of the orthodox ideology,” one FBI presentation notes. “The strategic themes animating these Islamic values are not fringe; they are main stream.”
The FBI isn’t just treading on thin legal ice by portraying ordinary, observant Americans as terrorists-in-waiting, former counterterrorism agents say. It’s also playing into al-Qaida’s hands.Focusing on the religious behavior of American citizens instead of proven indicators of criminal activity like stockpiling guns or using shady financing makes it more likely that the FBI will miss the real warning signs of terrorism. And depicting Islam as inseparable from political violence is exactly the narrative al-Qaida spins — as is the related idea that America and Islam are necessarily in conflict. That’s why FBI whistleblowers provided Danger Room with these materials.
Over the past few years, American Muslim civil rights groups have raised alarm about increased FBI and police presence in Islamic community centers and mosques, fearing that their lawful behavior is being targeted under the broad brush of counterterrorism. The documents may help explain the heavy scrutiny.
They certainly aren’t the first time the FBI has portrayed Muslims in a negative light during Bureau training sessions. As Danger Room reported in July, the FBI’s Training Division has included anti-Islam books, and materials that claim Islam “transforms [a] country’s culture into 7th-century Arabian ways.” When Danger Room confronted the FBI with that material, an official statement issued to us claimed, “The presentation in question was a rudimentary version used for a limited time that has since been replaced.”But these documents aren’t relics from an earlier era. One of these briefings, titled “Strategic Themes and Drivers in Islamic Law,” took place on March 21.The Islam briefings are elective, not mandatory. “A disclaimer accompanied the presentation stating that the views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. government,” FBI spokesman Christopher Allen tells Danger Room.“The training materials in question were delivered as Stage Two training to counterterrorism-designated agents,” Allen adds. “This training was largely derived from a variety of open source publications and includes the opinion of the analyst that developed the lesson block.”Not all counterterrorism veterans consider the briefings so benign. “Teaching counterterrorism operatives about obscure aspects of Islam,” says Robert McFadden, who recently retired as one of the Navy Criminal Investigative Service’s al-Qaida-hunters, “without context, without objectivity, and without covering other non-religious drivers of dangerous behavior is no way to stop actual terrorists.”Still, at Quantico, the alleged connection between Islam and violence isn’t just stipulated. It’s literally graphed.

[chetak]

Meet the man told to leave Saudi Arabia for being ‘too handsome’

‘A festival official said the three Emiratis were taken out on the grounds they are too handsome and that the Commission members feared female visitors could fall for them,’ Arabic newspaper Elaph reported.

Concerned women might suddenly start stripping naked and throwing themselves at the men, police seemingly decided the best option was to remove them from the country.

Others have speculated the men may have been asked to leave because of the unexpected arrival of a female UAE artist.

‘Her visit to the UAE stand was a coincidence as it was not included in the programme which we had already provided to the festival’s management,’ said Saeed Al Kaabi, head of the UAE delegation.

[Prem]

GOP Rep. Gohmert: Obama Admin Full Of ‘Muslim Brotherhood Members’ Who Reject War With ‘Radical Islam’

http://www.mediaite.com/online/gop-rep- ... cal-islam/

But the most shocking moment of the interview came when Gohmert suggested that the Obama administration is somehow being guided by the Muslim Brotherhood. “It’s very clear to everyone but this administration that radical Islam is at war against us,” he said. “This administration has so many Muslim Brotherhood members that have influence that they just are making wrong decisions for America.”Finally, Gohmert accused Obama of allowing the Boston bombings to happen by failing to “secure to border” to immigrants. “The president has refused to do his job in securing the border. It’s his obligation. He has an oath to fulfill,” he said. “But he is holding off adequately securing the border until he can get what he wants. The right thing to do would be to say, ‘Mr. President, enough. There are enough dead Americans from people who have been let in wrongly.’”Just two days after the attacks in Boston, Gohmert made headlines for stoking fear over immigration on C-SPAN by saying that Al Qaeda members positioned on the Mexican are being “trained to come in and act like Hispanic, when they are radical Islamists.”

[Agnimitra]

GOP Rep. Gohmert: Obama Admin Full Of ‘Muslim Brotherhood Members’ Who Reject War With ‘Radical Islam’

http://www.mediaite.com/online/gop-rep- ... cal-islam/

Just two days after the attacks in Boston, Gohmert made headlines for stoking fear over immigration on C-SPAN by saying that Al Qaeda members positioned on the Mexican are being “trained to come in and act like Hispanic, when they are radical Islamists.”

When I speak with Mexican immigrants in the US, most of them well connected with their community in the Us and back in Mexico do acknowledge that there is a significant and increasing presence of Islamist immigration into Mexico, mostly from the Middle East, West Asia, etc. When asked about conversion activities, they say that they are very active in that regard, especially via marriage (what some might call 'love jihad'), but also via "business". They add that these Islamists create business liaisons with the Mexican mafia and then quite often mafia bosses and entire factions convert and join the faith. They add that those connections are used to then infiltrate the US via illegal immigration networks active along the border. Illegal Mexican immigrants whom I spoke to also told me about this Islamist-mafia connection. They acknowledge that Mexico is used as a staging ground by Islamists to enter the US. the Mexican mafia is active in two areas of interest to them - pushing in immigrants, and narcotics.

[pgbhat]

^Sounds like an episode of Sleeper Cell.