Yes, you read me right. Those crazy imams and ayatollahs want to destroy our American way of life and institute Sharia here in the U.S. of A. They plan on dismantling the Constitution and creating an Islamic state in place of our beloved republic. How do I know? Third Jihad tells me so. What’s Third Jihad? Brought to you by the Clarion Fund, the same folks who brought you Obsession. Their new film debuts October 5th. And not a moment too soon I might add, since those radical jihadis are burrowing into the American heartland as I write these words.
As reader Robin wrote, Third Jihad is “Obsession on steroids.” Right from the opening scene displaying the World Trade Center in ruins as ominous Arabic sounding music plays on the soundtrack, this film hammers you with one message and one message alone: radical Islam wants what you love and will do anything to get it.
For those of us who lived through the 1950s and remember the horrible TV shows and movies (i.e. I Married a Communist, I Was a Communist for the FBI, etc.) depicting American Communists insinuating themselves into the very fabric of American life in order to subvert and destroy it–Third Jihad will give you a sense of deja vu all over again (to quote Yogi Berra allegedly). Something there is in a human being which loves a bogeyman, someone to fear, someone who represents almost pure evil. I don’t quite understand this primeval urge that lurks within us. But it is there.
One of the MOs of the producers of Obsession and Third Jihad is to feature a “good,” moderate Muslim informant to “educate” their audience about the evils of radical Islam. In Obsession, those roles are played by faux PLO-terrorist Walid Shoebat, Nonie Darwish and Kahleel Mohammed (who has angrily disavowed the film and his participation in it).
In the new film, the “good” Muslim is played to the hilt by its “star,” one M. Zuhdi Jasser, founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. He is a “devout practicing Muslim” (and he won’t let you forget that to distinguish himself from Christian-Arab Muslim haters, Shoebat and Darwish), former Navy Lieutenant Colonel, physician, and wannabe political thinker. He seems to have no special qualifications for taking on the role of analyst of political Islam, but assume it he does and with a vengeance.
To put it plain and simple, Jasser is a Muslim neocon. It’s a strange animal considering how hostile the Republican right is to Islam and Muslims. But if Jasser didn’t exist then the neocons would have to invent him (which is pretty much what they did in the case of Shoebat–or I should say that the latter re-invented himself to ingratiate himself with his neocon sponsors).
If you read Jasser carefully, he reminds me of the Log Cabin Republicans, American gays who believe that a Republican Party with no gay members is a Party that will treat gay interests even more shabbily than it does already. In other words, Jasser seems to have chosen to become a staunch Republican in order to, in his eyes, advance the Muslim agenda through the ranks of the Republican Party.
AIF’s political agenda is barely concealed radical-right Republicanism (though the group has 501c3 designation):
As United States citizens we support our American armed forces.
As United States citizens we support absolute and literal adherence to our citizenship pledge. [in case you feared Muslims as a potential fifth column]
…We will work to educate the public regarding the current threat to America of radicals who exploit Islam through militancy.
…We will work to express the consistency of the principles of Islam with economic principles of free markets and capitalism.
…We will work to promote the appreciation of the integral role of American patriotism and nationalism in the life of Muslim youth in America.
…we feel it is necessary to make a foundational position statement regarding the state of Israel. We stand in support of the existing unqualified recognition of the state of Israel
Let’s return to that AIF 501c3 designation, which requires the group not to meddle in partisan politics. Given that Jasser is clearly a neocon Republican, that would seem almost a contradiction in terms. Indeed, Jasser has himself publicly participated in the political process. In this endorsement of a far-right pro-Israel Colorado Republican legislative candidate, he strangely takes aim at the candidate’s Republican American Muslim opponent:
A brief word about Mr. Sharf’s primary opponent. Mrs. Rima Barakat Sinclair has no apparent record, prior to this election of…any traditional conservative issues. Previously, her sole political agenda seems to have been anti-Israel activism. Her candidacy seems to be more a product of Islamist politics than of ideas central to conservative American principles and activism. Sadly, candidates out of this mold, who conflate the Israeli-Palestinian crisis with their Islamic identity actually harm more than they help the genuine pluralistic advancement of American Muslims. Most Muslims are actually quite diverse in their domestic and foreign policy politics and do not accept the collectivist agenda of political Islam (Islamism).
It is certainly no accident that Sinclair’s opponent, Joshua Scharf, is a right-wing pro-Israel militant.
In this National Review interview, Jasser enthusiastically promotes a Republican agenda:
Lopez: Do you like what you’re hearing out of any of the presidential candidates?
Jasser: (First a necessary caveat — the following is my personal opinion only and in no way that of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy).
Yes, I think most of the Republican presidential field is much more honest than the Democrats in articulating the real stakes in this war of ideas of the free world versus the Islamists. While most of the Republican candidates are in the right anti-Islamist arena, only a few have been able to articulate it clearly enough and with enough candor to get my attention. I am far from making up my mind on a candidate yet, but am encouraged by a lot of what I see from some of the candidates.
I am most heartened by what I am hearing from Rudy Guliani’s campaign, with Governor Mitt Romney very close behind in my mind. Mayor Guliani understands the toxicity of the Saudis and their Wahhabis…He is not afraid to articulate the conflict in ideas between Western freedom and Islamist theocracy…He names our enemies by name, and is not afraid to stand for principle and substance in foreign policy over diplomatic platitudes (i.e. against the Saudis, Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood), and other Islamists.
Governor Mitt Romney’s campaign has also demonstrated a willingness to mince no words when discussing the ideologies we are facing. He identifies jihadists as our enemies and uses his important position of national and global leadership to clearly frame the debate as one between the ideology of Islamism (Caliphism, jihadism, and theocracy) versus freedom.
…John McCain’s articulation of the stakes in the Iraq war has always been very impressive, and I hope that other candidates can look to his clarity on the issue as an example of principle.
His disclaimer is a laugh since the group’s website lists him as founder and president. Only one other individual is listed on the entire website as a staff member of the group. No board members are listed (though he refers to the existence of one). So Jasser IS AIF. If Jasser is a right-wing Republican, so is AIF. Which makes a 501c3 designation problematic.
This blog post notes that the author heard Jasser speak at a Republican women’s group dinner.
If you review Jasser’s credits, he largely inhabits the right-wing media universe: he’s appeared on Fox News and Glenn Beck, and in the pages of the Washington Times and National Review. He is a member of Podhoretz-Dechter creation, the pro-Israel and neocon Committee on the Present Danger. He has spoken before the Hudson Institute. He writes for Family Security Matters, a far-right website graced also by the elegant stylings of Rachel Neuwirth, my failed libel accuser. It’s a veritable who’s who of the neocon political-media universe.
Jasser has also been attacked from within the Muslim community. Apparently, he denies Islamic clerical authority (not just radical clerics), a system built over fourteen centuries. Islam, according to Jasser, provides complete freedom to the individual Muslim to interpret Koran as he wishes. No need to grapple with ideas and analysis from generations of Islamic scholars who’ve preceded. Just do your own thing. It’s quite a wild and radical idea. Especially coming from someone who freely concedes he has no training in the field.
I hope everyone reading this will put out the word that Third Jihad is an anti-Muslim train wreck of a film. That it reeks of partisan political bias. That it has no place in any fair political discourse. Let’s put Third Jihad back in the toilet bowl where it belongs.
I have put this post up on Digg.
I fear that, even if Obama wins in Nov., we will see much more of this type of hatred, especially as the economy turns downward.
Hopefully, McCain and his entire group of neocons — who will only be satisfied when the US is at war with the entire Muslim world of 1.4 billion people in 57 countries — will go down to defeat in November. The neocons realize that the Republicans will finally drum them out of the party, so they are desperate.
Interestingly, looking AIFD’s 990 up on Guidestar reveals that for the three years they filed, 2003-2006, they asked for extensions, each time for the same reason: “Awaiting additional information to complete a complete and accurate return”
2006 shows that their budget to be for the year
Bank charges 17
Consulting fees 100
Licensing fees 10
Supplies 244
Website Development 2,275
_____
3,146
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2006/710/940/2006-710940051-03885429-Z.pdf
So, Jasser sets up a 501(3)(c) with not much at all on the books, “dues” (from who?) are the main source of income, no travel expenses noted, he just does it all out of the kindness of his heart and each year for three years can’t quite figure out what is required to fill out his “charity’s” 990.
Gada, his wife is listed as “director”, Aiche is apparently his mother. All in the family.
There is a “vice president” noted, Zakwan Alzein, not much to find on him except for a political contribution to Sydney Hay, Republican candidate, donation $250
Sid Shahid is listed on the AIFD’s website as a “research fellow” Did he fill out an application and receive a grant? No records in the three years of 990’s did he receive any monies from AIFD. What a lofty title for this guy.
In 2004 the vice president of note for AIFD was Asim Ameer, column writer for the Arizona Republic. He attended a nice fund raiser at the home of Barry Goldwater Jr. in support of Barry Wong, GOP candidate for corporate commissioner of Arizona. Note what it states:
Last year, Arizona Governor Napolitano appointed Mr. Wong to be the corporate commissioner to fill a temporary vacant position. He will now be running to return to this position for the next four years.
The Pakistani community as well as other South Asian communities, are supporting Mr. Wong, because they have stakes in corporate investments, utilities, oil and gas, and in-corporation handled by the office of the Arizona Corporate Commission. Mr Arif Kazmi played a key role in bringing these communities together in support of Mr. Wong.
Too bad he’s not “VP” for AIFD any more, he could say, “the following is my personal opinion only and in no way that of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, but I throw my support behind Mr. Wong for the good of Arizona”
Just some added info on this Republican neo-con HACK charity.
I don’t get Richard’s POV on this, since he makes such a big deal about the “settlers” based on the Sternhell attack, and all the implications about what the “settlers” stand for and the extremism that exists among them and so forth. But he won’t draw conclusions about a worldwide movement consisting of tens of millions of people, radical Islam, which has carried out attacks all over the planet, 9/11 being merely the most spectacular. He makes no sense.
You don’t have to guess at my opinion, Richard.
The new wave of “Obsession” that has recently hit mail boxes in my area has spurred me on into a whole new “jihad” of my own. Even my poor old grandmother’s recent AARP mail – seniors no longer have to worry about arthritis and medicare – not even tornados and earhquakes! But, rather, nuclear, chemical and biolgical terror “preparation” tips are being sent out.
I’ve had it with the “Islamic Terror” BS. With or without “Third Jihad”, “Obsession” was a good clue. They have to use streams of FRAUD (like “shoebat”, etc) – to shine a light on the “truth”? Ho-hum. We’ll see about that.
@Yoni:
Radical Islam consists of “tens of millions???” Where do you get this? There are at most a few thousand Al Qaeda types in the world. To get you to your number you have to be truly paranoid/delusional about Muslims. You’ve been watching too much Obsession.
I wouldn’t think I’d make much sense to you. Nor do you make much sense to me.
The good news is these free dvds will probably be treated like aol cds, by most people.
“To get you to your number you have to be truly paranoid/delusional about Muslims”
Really? If 1% of Muslims support/sympathize with terrorism, that’s 15 million people. And it’s more than 1%.
“There are at most a few thousand Al Qaeda types in the world.”
I’ve seen videos of imams calling for the destruction of the West and the Jews in mosques containing thousands of people at once.
Also, according to a Pew poll that I just googled, 51% of Pakistanis want Osama bin Laden to be world leader. That’s 90 million right there. 60% of Jordanians, about 4 million, 35% of Indonesians, another 80 million, and 25% of Moroccans, another 8 million. Thus according to Pew, 182 million Muslims want bin Laden to be the world leader from those countries alone.
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?PageID=814
It’s just strange that your reactions to the attack on Prof. Sternhell and the Radical Islam are mirror images of each other:
on the one hand, it is in fact extremist settlers who probably number in the thousands and exist in a tiny incy wincy area called the West Bank, while extremist Muslims number in the hundreds of millions and take up virtually entire countries like Pakistan. Yet you made a whole post about the danger of extremist settlers based on a lightly injured professor, but play down a documentary that talks about world wide extremist Muslims who number in the hundreds of millions and have slaughtered millions from Sudan to Algeria to Indonesia.
Nice post Richard. This guy is a complete useful idiot. He has written that he “is not an expert in Koranic Arabic, or Sharia.” Yet he has the gall to call himself an “expert.”
If you allow I also wrote about him earlier here:
http://mtakbar.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/zuhdi-jasser-who-does-he-really-work-for/
Thanks,
-MT
@Yoni: Oh really this is preposterous. You’re seriously attempting to gauge the number of radical Islamists in the world by pulling numbers out of a hat???
Just because someone has the idiotic idea that Osama bin Laden should be their leader or a world leader (and I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt in accepting the Pew poll says what you claim it does–which could be a dangerous assumption for me to make knowing yr track record), that doesn’t mean they’re prepared to kill on behalf of radical Jihad. Similary, I’ve sat through some idiotic sermons and college lectures in my life. Does that mean that every lame idea I heard there I took seriously? Just because a Muslim heard an imam cry “death to America” again doesn’t mean that person has become a human shahid, ready to martyr himself on behalf of Islam.
Most Americans seem to believe in angels & all manner of claptrap. So what does it signify beyond the fact that they hold some strange personal ideas?
@Yoni: If you mean to claim that Jewish extremist settlers are of less danger to Israel and Middle East peace than Muslim jihadis, I don’t accept the premise.
And by the way, the only reason that lightly injured professor didn’t lose both legs to amputation was that his suitcase, situated between his body and the bomb, absorbed most of the blow. Isn’t it convenient for Yoni, who has advocated the hanging of Ehud Olmert, to minimize an assassination attempt against one of the most distinguished professors on the faculty of the Hebrew University. After calling for Olmert’s execution he also attempted to minimize the impact of what he’d said. Sorry to say it but you’re an enabler of Jewish terrorism.
“AIF’s political agenda is barely concealed radical-right Republicanism (though the group has 501c3 designation):
As United States citizens we support our American armed forces.
As United States citizens we support absolute and literal adherence to our citizenship pledge. [in case you feared Muslims as a potential fifth column]
…We will work to educate the public regarding the current threat to America of radicals who exploit Islam through militancy.
…We will work to express the consistency of the principles of Islam with economic principles of free markets and capitalism.
…We will work to promote the appreciation of the integral role of American patriotism and nationalism in the life of Muslim youth in America.
…we feel it is necessary to make a foundational position statement regarding the state of Israel. We stand in support of the existing unqualified recognition of the state of Israel”
I don’t know about you, but I think these are pretty reasonable demands to be made on ANYONE of American citizenship. Hardly qualifies as “radical-Republican” thinking here.
Pretty amazing when you are reading a web page and see your name mentioned when you least expect it. Here is the straight skinny on Robin’s comment. In 2002, I was approached by Dr. Jasser with the idea of starting a ‘progressive Muslim think tank’. This think tank would be instrumental in bringing world class speakers to Phoenix and discuss issues pertaining to Muslims in general and American Muslims in particular. It seemed like a good idea at the time and I and a couple of others signed up for this. The fact that four members of the Board were immediate members of Dr. Jasser’ family (wife, father and mother along with him as Chairman) was a red flag. Soon it became apparent that this so called ‘Muslim think tank’ was just a phony front for a neo-con organization that was bent upon bashing mainstream Muslim organizations such as CAIR, MPAC, MAS, ISNA and others. I and two other Board members of AIFD resigned after recognizing the fact that this was a sham neo-con organization that did not have any plans for bringing about positive meaningful change. Over the years Dr. Jasser has been harshly critical of all mainstream Muslim organizations without exception. Oddly enough, his organization is the only ‘Muslim’ organization that does not have any kind of a following within mainstream American Muslims and will continue not to have a following because he is so anti Muslim himself. You have heard of self hating Jews, well here is a self hating Muslim. There is no pleasing this man unless or until all Muslim American organizations bow down to his master’s way of thinking (Iraq war was a great idea for one, never mind the losses of US soldiers and Iraqi civilians).
If a lie is told enough times, it eventually becomes the truth. Dr. Jasser has a high profile in the Phoenix media because he presents himself as a ‘reasonable’ voice who criticizes ‘Islamists’, ‘Islamofascists’ and other dubious titles he confers on Muslims he disagrees with. He is regularly featured on Phoenix area talk shows as a ‘Muslim expert’ when he isnt remotely qualified to be one. Simply put, he is invited to mostly conservative talk shows, because he tells the host what he wants to hear, not what he should hear.
An example, when 6 Imams were removed from a US Airways flight in Minneapolis he was critical of them for filing a lawsuit against the airline blaming them for playing the ‘victim game’. What he never mentioned was that the lawsuit was filed not for the Imams being removed from the aircraft but for US Airways refusal to let them board any flight, after they had been vetted and cleared by Homeland Security and Minneapolis Airport police as not being a threat to anyone. In addition, in a recent interview on a TV show, he said with a straight face that the Clarion Fund was a ‘group of concerned citizens’ At 4:24 of the video it gets interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXjufiJ5OsE
You be the judge how he dances around the truth. If Dr. Jasser wants to bring about meaningful change, he should work with other organizations and do it. He is regularly denounced by interfaith groups for his extreme views. He cannot take potshots at organizations with memberships in the thousands and denigrate them when his organization boasts of maybe a handful of people? Simply put, the AIFD is a front for neo-cons and Dr. Jasser has bought into this hook line and sinker and continues to be used by them.