Obama's Muslim Outreach Director Resigns
Mazen Asbahi Steps Down After Revelations Of Connections To Fundamentalist Imam
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Mazen Asbahi started as the campaign's outreach coordinator on July 26, and he resigned in a letter to the campaign Monday. He said he was stepping down "to avoid distracting from Barack Obama's message of change."
Asbahi, an associate at the Chicago law firm Schiff Hardin, said in his letter that he served on the board of the Dow Jones Islamic Index Fund for a few weeks, but resigned "as I became aware of public allegations against another member of the board."
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the other board member during Asbahi's tenure in 2000 was Jamal Said, imam at a fundamentalist-controlled mosque in Illinois. The Justice Department named Said as an unindicted co-conspirator in the racketeering trial last year of several alleged Hamas fundraisers. The case ended in a mistrial. The newspaper said the connections were first exposed by an Internet newsletter.
Obama, who is a Christian, has been fighting false Internet rumors that he is a Muslim. Asbahi, in a post on the Obama campaign blog last week, said that had created "added sensitivities" between the campaign and the Muslim community, and he encouraged Muslims and Arab-Americans to get involved.
The campaign previously conducted outreach to the community through its interfaith outreach program and the Muslim American outreach desk at the Democratic Party. Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said the campaign is searching for a new volunteer coordinator to replace Asbahi.
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Michigan chapter, said Asbahi was a victim of Internet rumors.
"This incident just shows how Islamophobic the political climate is right now," Walid said. "Baseless smears about a Muslim with a very good reputation was used to marginalize not only him but the community from the political process.
"If someone like Mr. Asbahi can't be vetted to work for the Obama campaign, then who can?"
A message was left Wednesday afternoon for Asbahi by The Associated Press seeking comment.
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More From Politics
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
Indeed, he clearly states that most of the inhabitants of hell are women who were ungrateful to their husbands (though he never suggests that ungrateful husbands will receive similar a punishment). This means that, after being admonished, banished to a separate bed, and beaten by her husband, all a willful woman can look forward to is an eternity in hell: And she will never know if she has been good enough to make it to paradise..
yep sure sounds like a peaceful religion to me.
You see shaheed92 because of Sep 11th, many of us who are the hated because we are infidels have taken a look at why you do what you do, why you hate us so much to want to kill us, so perhaps it is about time that Muslims who dont know their own holy books should take a look at what is in there as we have... and perhaps they will be just as horrified as we have been while we studied these many versions..
What''''s the name of that muslim organization that they keep putting of Fox? CIAO or something like that (or is that Italian for goodbye.)???? Anyway, it''''s a front organization designed to push muslim ideology on the US taxpayer.
Foot washing fountains at airports, special schools, ROOMS for workers who are muslim to go ''''pray''''......give me a fvcking break!!!!!
I''''m ready to start getting medieval on these muslims arses.....every single one of them!!!! Don''''t like the US, get the fvck OUT or die trying!
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CAIR its a TAXED EXEMPT ORGANIZATION, many of there members have been known to be tied to terrorism. Look it up. Google CAIR and Terrorism. Why Americans put up with this is beyond me. The Muslims are using our laws against us. And the Liberals are backing them up.
The contributions also raise numerous questions about the Obama campaign''''s lax online donation form, which apparently allows for the possibility of foreign contributions.
Last week, the Atlas Shrugs blog outlined a series of donations in 2007 made to Obama''''s campaign from two individuals, Monir Edwan and Hosam Edwan, totaling $29,521.54.
In an online form on Obama''''s campaign site, the Edwans listed their street as "Tal Esaltan," which they wrote was located in "Rafah, GA."
Rafah is not a city in Georgia. The Atlas blog immediately raised concerns that the money may have been donated from the Gaza Strip town of Rafah.
The Edwans'''' donations are listed in both FEC filings and other election filing sites, such as CampaignMoney and donordata.org.
Monir made 20 donations ranging from $717 to $2017.50 from October through November 2007. His donations totaled $24321.41. Hosam made seven donations ranging from $508.63 to $1725.96, totaling $5,200.13, all in October 2007.
What''s the name of that muslim organization that they keep putting of Fox? CIAO or something like that (or is that Italian for goodbye.)???? Anyway, it''s a front organization designed to push muslim ideology on the US taxpayer.
Foot washing fountains at airports, special schools, ROOMS for workers who are muslim to go ''pray''......give me a fvcking break!!!!!
I''m ready to start getting medieval on these muslims arses.....every single one of them!!!! Don''t like the US, get the fvck OUT or die trying!
However, on CBC''s The National television program on the same day, this part of the poll was fleshed-out and the results are alarming.
Fully 12% of Muslim Canadians polled by Environics said the alleged terrorist plot -- that included kidnapping and beheading the prime minister and blowing up Parliament and the CBC -- was justified.
Predictably, the CBC managed to find a talking head -- in this case York University sociology professor Haideh Moghissi -- who dismissed this disturbing revelation.
"It''s really negligible that 12 percent feel that the attacks would be justified," said Moghissi. "I don''t think it even warrants attention."
Clearly, other news agencies and those who put the poll results on the CBC website agree with Moghissi.
But just how "negligible" is 12% of 700,000 people.
Well, if Moghissi knew arithmetic like she knows denial, she''d know if this poll is accurate, 84,000 Canadian Muslims think it''s justifiable to behead our democratically elected prime minister and blow up the very symbol and centre of our democracy!
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So with 8 Million Muslims, that means there are 2 million who support terrorism thru suicide bombings to protect there religion. If it was such a great religion, why is there a need to protect it. Islam is an ancient Cult, does not belong in the USA.
Posted by Obama8years at 02:59 PM : Aug 07, 2008
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Your nonsensical statements reveal such ignorance and stupidity, forgive me if I fail to reply to any more of your garbage, but they deserve no response.
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Is this statement nonsense. Are you a Member of the ISM? Are you one of the ISLAM Supporters who believe in this.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About one-quarter of young American Muslims believe to some extent that suicide bombings can be justified to defend Islam, while nearly 80 percent of all U.S. Muslims reject such attacks, a survey showed on Tuesday.
Posted by Obama8years at 02:59 PM : Aug 07, 2008
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Your nonsensical statements reveal such ignorance and stupidity, forgive me if I fail to reply to any more of your garbage, but they deserve no response.
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All of your posts are nothing more than childish copying and pasting of gibberish. Grow up; get a life.
I have to agree. Not every Muslim is a terrorist, but when polls were taking Millions of Muslims in America and Canada Support Sharia Law and would support terrorist. So the polls give pause to what Muslims are doing in this country. And after 911 , I am More cautious about Muslims makes me a racist, than so be it. I urge every American to alert authorities to any suspicious activity, especially by young middle eastern men.
Posted by Obama8years at 02:57 PM : Aug 07, 2008
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There are over 8 million Muslims living in this country. And not one case of domestic terrorism has resulted in a conviction of any domestic Muslim. The same cannot be said of the Jews: The attack on Congressman Darrell Isa of California committed by members of the JDL. The JDL in Florida to kill an American doctor. Maybe all Jews should be deported also. In fact, maybe anyone who cannot trace their ancestry back to the Native American should be deported. Does that include you?
Led by a Palestinian Christian pastor named Naim Ateek, Sabeel%u2019s purpose is as part of the ISM
But Obama%u2019s association with the ISM through his church and lobbying in Chicago goes even deeper than just his past links to Al Awda and Ali Abunimah. His pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, are both equally involved with the ISM.
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There are Millions Behind you, Look at London and ask yourself is this what you want for your country. I welcome Middle Eastern People of all faiths except ISLAM. We didnt embrace Nazis, so why would we embrace ISLAM. THAT IS A GUTTER IDEOLOGY.
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
John Adams 1795 Treaty of Tripoli
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What does Adams say about Muslim Terrorist Crashing Planes in too Buildings
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
John Adams 1795 Treaty of Tripoli
GOT IT???
Posted by johnbush2 at 11:29 AM : Aug 07, 2008
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So what%u2019s wrong with Muslims? Do you know there are over 1.4 billions Muslims in the world, more than they have Catholic. In your puny mind do you think all Muslims are terrorists; are all Catholics paedophiles, do all Hindus believe in self-immolation, and what about Mormon people, atheists, etc. all different from you. Are you a racist bigot, a religious bigot, or just plain stupid?
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I have to agree. Not every Muslim is a terrorist, but when polls were taking Millions of Muslims in America and Canada Support Sharia Law and would support terrorist. So the polls give pause to what Muslims are doing in this country. And after 911 , I am More cautious about Muslims makes me a racist, than so be it. I urge every American to alert authorities to any suspicious activity, especially by young middle eastern men.