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Political Leaders Join Muslims To Discuss True Islam

Koran

Oldest annual Muslim conference draws public officials to confront extremism

July 29,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Harrisburg PA, Martin O’Malley, former Governor of Maryland and U.S. Presidential Candidate, is one of many political leaders who will be speaking at the longest running annual Muslim convention in America. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, the nation’s largest and oldest Muslim organization, is hosting its 68th annual Jalsa Salana (Annual Convention) from July 29 to 31 in Harrisburg, PA. Speakers include representatives of the White House, the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom, country Ambassadors, as well as other political, religious, academic and interfaith leaders from around the nation.

This convention seeks to unite leaders and American Muslims in fighting against extremist ideologies and radicalization for a safer nation and world.  With the official designated theme “True Islam: A Campaign Against Extremism,” speakers will discuss how to combat the growing scourge of  violent extremism and the problem of Islamophobia in the wake of rising violence towards American Muslims.

“Extremism and Islamophobia are very real and concerning issues, not only for the Muslim community but for all Americans,” said Dr. Nasim Rehmatullah, Senior Vice President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. “If we want to achieve common peace, we must come together as leaders and American citizens to root out intolerant thinking and behaviors.”

Guest speakers include:

  • Martin O’Malley, Former Governor of Maryland and U.S. Presidential Candidate
  • Ambassador Jackie Wolcott, Commissioner, US Commission on International Religious Freedom
  • Brian Levin, Professor and Director of Center for Study of Hate and Extremism, California State University San Bernardino
  • Nick Miccarelli, Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
  • Zaki Barzinji, Associate Director of Public Engagement, The White House
  • Dr. Milton Boniuk, Founder, Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance, Rice University —  receiving the 2016 Ahmadiyya Muslim Humanitarian Award
  • Dr. Craig Considine, Lecturer, Sociology, Rice University
  • His Excellency Bockari Kortu Stevens, Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the United States
  • His Excellency Tiena Coulibaly, Ambassador of Mali to the United States
  • Sergio Celis, Member of Congress, Republic of Guatemala
  • Carlo Sanchez, Member, Maryland House of Delegates
  • Carol Bianchi, Mayor of Bernards Township, New Jersey
  • George Halcovage, Schuylkill County Commissioner, Pennsylvania
  • Rev. Mark Tonnesen, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Florida
  • Rev. Harold Eugene Thompson, Miami Beach Community Church, Florida

With special messages from:

  • U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
  • U.S. Senator Jeanne Sheehan (D-NH)
  • U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)
  • Tom Wolf, Governor of Pennsylvania
  • Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts
  • Eric Papenfuse, Mayor of Harrisburg
  • Other federal and state lawmakers

When:  Guest session: July 30th, 2016, 4pm – 6pm

Where:  Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N Cameron St, Harrisburg, PA 17110

Media Opportunity: Interviews with above guests and with American Muslim leadership.

More Information:

https://convention.ahmadiyya.us/

www.MuslimsForPeace.org

About Ahmadiyya Muslim Community:

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, reformist and fast-growing international movement within Islam. Founded in 1889, the Community spans over 200 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, established in 1920, is among the first American-Muslim organizations.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the only Islamic organization to believe that the long- awaited messiah has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian, India. Ahmad claimed to be the metaphorical second coming of Jesus of Nazareth and the divine guide, whose advent was foretold by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. The Community believes that God sent Ahmad, like Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice and peace. Ahmad’s advent has brought about an unprecedented era of Islamic revival and moderation. He divested Muslims of fanatical beliefs and practices by vigorously championing Islam’s true and essential teachings.

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Now for the Cover Up : BBC Scrubs ‘Ali’ From Munich Killer’s Name On TV, In Articles, AND On Social Media

Munich shopping centre shooting

BBC Scrubs ‘Ali’ From Munich Killer’s Name On TV, In Articles, AND On Social Media

The BBC has unilaterally chosen not to report the Munich attacker’s full name, in what appears to be an attempt to scrub any Muslim or Islamic heritage link to its coverage of the incident.

Most sources at this point suggest that Ali David Sonboly – the Munich attacker who targeted children and killed nine yesterday – is not connected to radical Islam, but the BBC has gone to extraordinary lengths to try to keep any reference to his heritage out of its coverage, opting to name him only as “David Sonboly”.

Other news organisations including the Wall Street Journal, Independent, Daily Mail, and Sky News named the attacker as “Ali David Sonboly” or “David Ali Sonboly”. CNN even referred to him simply as “Ali Sonboly

https://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/07/23/bbc-scrubs-muslim-name-ali-munich-killer-article/

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9 Steps Successfully Counter Jihad

AMIE GLAZOV

by JAMIE GLAZOV12 Jul 2016300

While the Obama administration continues to allow the Muslim Brotherhood to direct American foreign policy and, therefore, to implement “strategies” that render America defenseless in the face of Jihad and stealth Jihad, there are some alternative strategies that have the potential to turn this catastrophic situation around completely in America’s favor.

Below are 9 concrete steps that, if implemented by a future American administration, would make a big difference in preserving our civilization and in defending Americans from terrorism:

1. Label the Enemy and Make a Threat Assessment.

The Obama administration continues to refuse to label our enemy and, therefore, it continues to enable our defeat in the terror war. It is urgent that we name our enemy (i.e. Islamic Jihad) and definitively identify what ideology inspires our enemy (i.e. Islamic law).

2. Scrap “Countering Violent Extremism.”

“Countering Violent Extremism” is the pathetic and destructive focus of the Obama administration in allegedly fighting the terror war. On the one hand, this “focus” is vague to the point of being meaningless and completely incapacitates us. On the other hand, this focus allows the administration to perpetuate the destructive fantasy that there are other types of “extremists” — who just happen to be the Left’s political opponents — that pose a great threat to the country.

For example, as Stephen Coughlin has revealed, the “violent extremists” the administration is clearly worried about are the “right-wing Islamophobes” whom the administration obviously considers to be the real threat to American security.

The “Countering Violent Extremism” is trash and needs to be thrown in the garbage.

3. Stop “Partnering” With Muslim Brotherhood Front Groups.

The government needs to stop cooperating with, and listening to, Muslim Brotherhood front groups such as CAIR and ISNA immediately. The Muslim Brotherhood document, the Explanatory Memorandum, has made it clear that the Brotherhood’s objective is to destroy our civilization from within by our own hands with the influence of these groups. Moreover, as Robert Spencer advises, there needs to be legislation that will bar all such groups and affiliated individuals from advising the government or receiving any grants from it.

4. Implement a Concrete “Countering-Jihad” Strategy.

After discarding the “Countering Violent Extremism” absurdity, a concrete Counter-Jihad strategy must become an official policy. It must specifically register that Jihadists are the enemies and that Islamic law (Sharia) is what specifically motivates them.

Most importantly, as Sebastian Gorka urges in Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War, the government needs to lay down a vision, an actual “threat doctrine analysis” in a thorough document, just like George Kennan’s Long Telegram and NSC-68 did in laying out the strategic foundation to fighting communism in the Cold War. It is absolutely mind-boggling that nothing of this sort exists today in our terror war — and it is a reflection of the Left being in charge and of the destructive defeat that it is sowing.

4. Launch Our Own Counter-propaganda Campaign.

The Left and Islamists engage in propaganda 24/7. What does our propaganda war entail? Zilch.

Sebastian Gorka is crucially correct, therefore, when he recommends a national counter-propaganda campaign that involves a two-part approach: the first being the bolstering of efforts to define our enemy (Steps #1 and #4 above) and, second, the strengthening of our allies and partners in their own counter-propaganda efforts – which must include our empowering of Muslims who are trying to form an anti-Jihadist version of Islam.

Consequently, educational programs have to be set up everywhere, from public schools to universities to workplaces, in businesses and numerous other institutions. These programs must crystallize what exactly Islamic Law is and how it inspires and sanctions violence against unbelievers. This has to also involve, as Gorka urges, “a nationwide program of education that includes the armed services as well as federal, state, and local police forces and the intelligence community.”

The education campaign must also focus on the second part of Gorka’s counter-propaganda campaign, which is to help strengthen Muslims who seek to seize Islam from the jihadists’ hands.

6. Affirm Sharia’s Assault on the U.S. Constitution as Seditious.

Once the truth is accepted that jihadis are inspired and sanctioned by their Islamic texts, it must logically become required that mosques, Islamic schools and groups have to immediately curtail any teaching that motivates sedition, violence, and hatred of unbelievers (i.e. remember how CAIR advised Muslims not to talk to the FBI). Indeed, once the government discerns and labels the elements of Islamic law that threaten the American Constitution, any preaching and spreading of those elements in America must be labelled as seditious.

7. Put Pressure on Mosques, Islamic Groups and Schools.

Authorities have to start subjecting mosques and other Islamic institutions to surveillance — and discard the suicidal leftist notion that it is “racist” and Islamophobic to do so. Islamic institutions have to be made to buffer their lip-service against terror with actuallydoing something about it. As Robert Spencer counsels, this has to involve introducing programs that teach against jihadists’ understanding of Islam — and these programs have to be regularly monitored by the government. (This will be a part of Gorka’s suggested counter-propaganda campaign discussed in Step #5).

Spencer rightly stresses that the paradigm has to become that Muslim communities have to win the “trust” of intelligence and law enforcement agents, rather than the other way around, which is, absurdly and tragically, the case right now.

8. Bring Counter-Jihadists into the Government.

Instead of having Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers like Mohamed Elibiary serving on the U.S. Homeland Security Advisory Council (he “resigned” in Sept. 2014 under mysterious circumstances), and Muslim Brotherhood-linked individuals like Huma Abedin serving as the right-hand woman of Hillary Clinton, we need to bring in people who actually love America and want to protect it. We all know who these noble and courageous individuals are – and some of them are referenced in this article. The government must also bring in brave Muslim individuals who genuinely reject Jihad and empower them in propagating their anti-jihadist vision for Islam.

(P.S. Yes, there is an argument to be made that Islam cannot be Islam without Jihad. But the debate over this belongs in another forum. And whatever the answer, it does not mean that the effort to empower Muslims who want to make the anti-jihadist Islamic vision possible should not be made.)

9. Ridicule the Enemy.

Ridicule is a vicious and potent weapon. There is a baffling and shameful silence in our culture’s sphere of comedy, especially in Hollywood and our media, with regard to the myriad ingredients of Sharia and Jihad that merit at least a million hilarious satirical sketches.

Bill Maher, for whatever unappealing drawbacks he has in conservatives’ eyes, has set a bold standard in this respect in his Burka Fashion Show skit. American comedians need to start writing scripts that follow in Maher’s footsteps and Americans need to encourage and equip them to do so – and to also vigorously defend them from the attacks and slanders they will inevitably receive from totalitarian leftist and Islamic forces.

We must never underestimate the crippling effect of comedy on the totalitarian Mullahs of the world. Indeed, the contemptuous, snickering and roaring laughter of people, as they gaze at the pathetic rules and lives of Sharia’s gatekeepers, poses a danger to tyrants like no other.

Jamie Glazov is the editor of Frontpagemag.com. He holds a Ph.D. in History with a specialty in Russian, U.S. and Canadian foreign policy. He is the author of United in Hate, the host of the web-TV show, The Glazov Gang, and he can be reached atjamieglazov11@gmail.com.

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Garrett votes to ensure U.S. banks never finance airplane sales to Iran

Scott_Garrett_theridgewoodblog

July 15,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05), Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, today voted for three pieces of legislation before the Financial Services Committee to stop the sale of U.S. aircrafts to Iran from entities like Boeing.

“It’s crazy for the Obama Administration to allow U.S. companies to sell airplanes to the largest state sponsor of terror in the world, Iran, and it’s even crazier to allow the U.S. financial system to finance these transactions or use taxpayer dollars to back these deals,” said Garrett. “Since the president is willing to put the needs of Iran before our national security, and entities such as Boeing and the Export-Import Bank are more concerned about profits than stopping terrorists, Congress must put an immediate stop to this dangerous idea. The legislation before the Financial Services Committee today will ensure that taxpayer money and the U.S. financial system is never used to assist an Iranian regime that wants to destroy the United States and its allies.”

Legislation before the committee:

H.R. 5729, Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from licensing the export of commercial aircraft to Iran.
H.R. 5711, Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from authorizing transactions by U.S. financial institutions in connection with these sales.
H.R. 5715, Ensures that no taxpayer dollars will back these sales in the form of Ex-Im financing by codifying and strengthening a current prohibition on Ex-Im support for Iran contained in annual appropriations language and closing a loophole that could allow for indirect Ex-Im financing of aircraft deals with Iran through third-party leasing companies.

Background:

By authorizing aircraft sales to the ayatollahs, the Obama Administration would materially aid what its own State Department calls the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Just last month, Iran Air flew “known weapons resupply routes to Syria” three times. This is the very airline President Obama wants to receive new Boeing airplanes. Additionally, neither the Treasury Department nor Boeing has provided assurances that Iran Air will not transfer planes to other airlines.

Under current law, Ex-Im may indirectly finance planes being exported to Iran, particularly by providing support to aircraft leasing companies. This is a loophole that Congress must close. When selling the nuclear deal, the Obama Administration has explicitly stated that Iran will not have access to the U.S. financial system. Any authorization of U.S. financing for aircraft exports would show that the Administration has been misleading the public.

Garrett has been an outspoken critic of the Ex-Im bank and the Iran nuclear deal.

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Photo of Obama in Muslim garb shows deep ties to faith, O’Reilly says

Obama in Muslim garb

Published July 07, 2016
FoxNews.com

President Obama and Islam

Newly unearthed photos of President Obama in Muslim garb underscore his deep ties to the faith — and possibly help explain his reluctance to call out radical Islam, Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly said Wednesday.

The photos, aired on “The O’Reilly Factor,” were taken at the wedding of Obama’s half-brother, Malik Obama, in Maryland sometime in the early 1990s, O’Reilly said. They were not offered as evidence that Obama is Muslim, as some of his critics insist, but to show his “deep emotional ties” to the religion of his father and stepfather, O’Reilly said.

O’Reilly said the photos, taken in the 1990s, underscore Obama’s deep ties to Islam. (Fox News Channel)

“There is no question the Obama administration’s greatest failure is allowing the Islamic terror group ISIS to run wild, murdering thousands of innocent people all over the world, including many Muslims,” said O’Reilly. “Mr. Obama has never, never acknowledged that mistake, nor does he define the ISIS threat accurately.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/07/07/photo-obama-in-muslim-garb-shows-deep-ties-to-faith-oreilly-says.html

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A Saudi Imam, 2 Hijackers and Lingering 9/11 Mystery

9/11 wtc

By MARK MAZZETTI and SCOTT SHANEJUNE 17, 2016

WASHINGTON — Inside an opulent palace in Riyadh late one evening in February 2004, two American investigators interrogated a man they believed might hold answers to one of the lingering mysteries of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks: What role, if any, did officials in Saudi Arabia’s government play in the plot?

The man under questioning, Fahad al-Thumairy, had been a Saudi consular official based in Los Angeles and the imam of a mosque visited by two of the hijackers. The investigators, staff members of the national 9/11 commission who had waited all day at the United States Embassy before being summoned to the late-night interview, believed that tying him to the plot could be a step toward proving Saudi government complicity in the attacks.

They were unsuccessful. In two interviews lasting four hours, Mr. Thumairy, a father of two then in his early 30s, denied any ties to the hijackers or their known associates. Presented with phone records that seemed to contradict his answers, he gave no ground, saying the records were wrong or people were trying to smear him. The investigators wrote areport to their bosses saying they believed Mr. Thumairy was probably lying, though no government investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks has ever found conclusive evidence that Mr. Thumairy — or any other Saudi official — assisted in the plot.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/18/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-sept11-classified-28-pages.html?_r=0

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Radiohead Listening Party in Istanbul Attacked by Islamists

Radiohead

Variety Staff

A group of radical Islamists attacked a listening party in Istanbul where Radiohead was holding a listening party for fans in support of their new album.

The men reportedly stormed the record store, Velvet Indieground, in Istanbul, Turkey, and used pipes to violently beat fans running away from the venue for drinking alcohol during the holy month of Ramadan.

“Our hearts go out to those attacked tonight at Velvet IndieGround in Istanbul,” Radiohead said in a statement. “We hope that someday we will be able to look back on such acts of violent intolerance as things of the ancient past. For now, we can only offer our fans in Istanbul our love and support.”

It’s unknown how many people were injured in the uproar or the severity of their injuries.

One of the store’s owners allegedly posted about the encounter on Reddit, saying, “I am the person that’s speaking in that video. I am the owner of that periscope account. They were determined to kill us. We were beaten by more than 20 men with pipes in their hands, beer bottles were broken on our heads. I don’t even know how we made it out. I will share the details later guys, just hoping that no one will die.”

The event was part of a global listening party in support of Radiohead’s new album, “A Moon Shaped Pool,” and included specially curated playlists, games, and limited-edition vinyls.

https://variety.com/2016/music/news/radiohead-listening-party-in-istanbul-attacked-by-islamists-1201798367/

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Why the ‘lone-wolf’ terrorist is a myth

Rolling_Stone_Cover_with_Boston_Bomber

By Paul Sperry

June 18, 2016 | 3:20pm

President Obama says don’t worry, the Orlando terrorist was just another “lone actor” operating in isolation, unconnected to any larger group of supporters. In fact, these so-called “lone wolves” are running in packs, and suggesting otherwise gives the public a false sense of security.

Yet Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson echoed Obama, saying Omar Mateen was “self-radicalized” without any religious, ideological or operational support from friends, family or others in the Muslim community.

“What we do know at this point is it appears this was a case of self-radicalization,” Johnson said. “He does not appear to have been part of any group.”

A more accurate picture is that Mateen, an Afghan-American, was part of a disturbingly large Muslim family of sympathizers, supporters and even co-conspirators.

For starters, his wife could face criminal charges in the attack on the gay Orlando nightclub, the deadliest act of terrorism in the US since 9/11. Noor Zahi Salman, who wed Mateen in 2011, reportedly told the FBI she knew about her husband’s planned attack and even drove him to the site of the massacre as part of a scouting operation. She also is said to have helped him case the Disney Springs shopping complex. What’s more, Salman allegedly was with Mateen when he bought ammo and a holster used in the attack.

https://nypost.com/2016/06/18/why-the-lone-wolf-terrorist-is-a-myth/

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Candlelight Vigil Saturday in Ridgewood to honor those who lost their lives in Orlando

memorial-candle

FLAGS FLY AT HALF-STAFF JUNE 17

As per Executive Order from Governor Chris Christie, the flag of the United States of America shall be flown at half-staff on Friday, June 17, 2016, in recognition of the life and in mourning of the 49 innocent lives taken during the June 12th terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL – SATURDAY, JUNE 18TH

The Interfaith Clergy will hold a Candlelight Vigil on Saturday, June 18th at 9PM in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square to honor those who lost their lives in Orlando this past weekend.  All are invited to attend.

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Christie says US leaders should acknowledge ‘radical Islam’ inspires violence

gov christie press lrg2

 

A day after the largest mass shooting in American history, Governor Christie urged leaders to strengthen the country’s fight against terrorism – including acknowledging “radical Islam” as an inspiring source of the violence. Dustin Raciopi, The RecordJRead more

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Congressmen Scott Garrett offers prayers for the victims of the Orlando terror attack

islamic Jihad gay night club

June 14,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Congressment Scott Garrett offers prayers for the victims of the Orlando terror attack,  “My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of everyone in Orlando and throughout the United States who are mourning the senseless loss of so many promising young lives. The cowards who perpetuate this kind of violence against innocent people should know that we will never back down and we will never give in to their warped view of the world. We are Americans, and we stand together to defend freedom and liberty. I thank the first responders who responded to this tragedy for their bravery in the face of unspeakable violence.”

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Ultimate sleeper cell: U.S.-born kids of immigrants are fertile jihadist recruiting grounds

Rolling_Stone_Cover_with_Boston_Bomber

By Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times – Monday, June 13, 2016

While immigrants draw much of the attention, it’s their children who are proving to be the most fruitful recruiting ground for radical jihad in the U.S., accounting for at least half of the deadly attacks over the past decade.

The latest instance of the second-generation terrorist syndrome played out in Orlando, Florida, over the weekend when Omar Mateen, son of immigrants from Afghanistan, went on a jihad-inspired rampage, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

Authorities said Mateen had flirted with other terrorist groups but declared his allegiance to the Islamic State on Sunday morning as he began his horrific spree.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/13/second-generation-americans-proving-most-fruitful-/

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Jane Clementi : “My heart simply breaks for the victims and their families”

pray for orlando

June 14,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Jane Clementi, Founder and Board Member of the Tyler Clementi Foundation issues a statement on the Orlando night club terror shooting:

“My heart simply breaks for the victims and their families. When will people open their eyes and see the horrific impact of their misguided teachings of bias, discrimination and hate that devalues the human spirit, whether it is in the dramatic physical actions of taking another life or in the slow and steady emotional toll of ongoing bullying. Love will win and these outrageous acts of evil will stop.” – Jane Clementi, Founder and Board Member of the Tyler Clementi Foundation (June 13, 2016)