MPAC Press Conference on Extremism

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


Below is a video of the news conference held by the Muslim Public Affairs Council yesterday to announce their Safe Spaces initiative, which was described by MPAC President Salam al Marayati (sort of). In my view, it is long on generalities and short on specifics. Also speaking were Muzammil Siddiqi, head imam of the Orange County Islamic Center, Michael Downing of LAPD, Roberta Abner of LASD, and Maryum Ali (daughter of Mohammed Ali).

http://www.veooz.com/videos/ZHS7yuI.html

It all sounds nice, but I don't see any specifics here. It sounds to me like MPAC is saying, "Let us take care of the problem, and if we can't turn people around who look like they are thinking of joining the jihad, then we'll call in law enforcement." He also said that law enforcement has to consider the community as a partner rather than a suspect-that they can't have it both ways. If they do surveillance in the community, they are treating the community as a suspect, according to Marayati. He also said that houses of worship should be sanctuaries. I disagree. Not when we have so many subversive and hateful sermons coming out of so many mosques in the US.

As for Siddiqi, someone needs to give him a training course on how to spot suspects. Two terrorists have come out of his mosque, Adam Gadahn and Sinh Vinh Ngo Nguyen. Siddiqi also failed to "eject" the blind sheikh, Omar Abdel Rahman, in 1992 when he came to Siddiqi's mosque and gave a sermon on violent jihad, which Siddiqi translated in real time. As for Downing, when I related that little tidbit to him in 2012 during a town hall on sharia at Siddiq's mosque, his response was, "Well Gary. Some people change over time."

I should also note that both Siddiqi and Marayati have refused to sign the Freedom Letter by Former Muslims United asking for a simple statement that apostates from Islam in the US not be harmed. At least Siddiqi condemned the treatment of religious minorities and forced conversions, which he said is condemned by Islamic scholars. I am not so sure I agree with that last statement.

Let us also pick apart Siddiei's claim that Islam stands against acts of terror directed against "innocent life" and civilians. That kind of leaves the door open a bit, does it not? What is his definition of innocent and civilians? He also warned of "provocateurs' (informants?)

And if Siddiqi is truly a moderate, why does the book store at his mosque feature works by Yusuf al Qaradawi and Maulana Abul Ala Maududi and his wife?

I also took note of Abner's reference to a recent conference at the Federal law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC-in Brunswick, Ga) which included MPAC. She also referenced the establishment by DOJ of a pilot program in LA, Boston and Minneapolis. (All three of the Americans reported killed recently while fighting for ISIS came from Minnesota, where there is a heavy Somali population. Had it not been for a misguided refugee program that brought some 80,000 Somalis to the US, we would not have that problem.)

I also got  a chuckle out of Downing's reference to all the success LAPD has had with gangs by working with the community. LA is a "sanctuary city", and illegal alien gang members benefit from that policy.

In summary, this is just more propaganda brought to us by manipulators like Marayati and Siddiqi and abetted by useful idiots like Michael Downing.