Gaza Quagmire

I have been thinking about commenting on the horrible Gaza situation for some time. I received a friendly email from Mahmoud El-Yousseph letting me know of an article he wrote which is published at MR Zine, Monthly Review. The article decries the deplorable conditions suffered by those in Gaza.

It is with understandable passion that Mr. El-Yousseph writes about the conditions suffered by the habitants of Gaza. What Mr. El-Yousseph does not mention is that the Christian inhabitants are faring even worse than the Muslim in Gaza. They suffer the same indignities of being fenced-off from Israel, but they are also terribly mistreated by the majority Muslims. They are permitted no new churches and are forbidden to repair their churches as they break down 9plumbing, electrical etc.). Many turn away potential Muslim converts in fear for the physical safety of anyone who accepts Jesus as the Son of God and personal Savior. No church bells are permitted, but Muslims loudspeakers calling Muslims to prayer are aimed to blare at Christian churches to disrupt services. Christians are unsafe in their homes from their Muslim neighbors.

Mr. El-Yousseph mentions the (understandable in my view) Israeli concerns about Muslim attacks on innocent Israelis by suicide bombers. Unfortunately, it is dangerous to simply treat the jihadists as the criminals that they are. Jihadists wear no uniforms and permeate the Muslims society. they can arise anywhere. When they spring into action as mass murderers, many innocents get killed. Their prophet Muhammed said, and the sayings of Muhammed have equal weight as the Koran, "The time [of judgment or redemption] will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews and kill them; and the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslims! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him1" [Sahih Muslim book 41, no. 6985] How can anyone in Israel ever feel safe?

The problems of Gaza are horrible and will not be solved until the Muslims of the world openly, clearly and loudly and en mass denounce and disavow the above saying of Muhammed as having any validity to today's world.

Personally, I am not holding my breath.

Mahmoud. el-Yousseph Recognizes America as Muslim-Friendly

Mahmoud el-Yousseph, who has been criticized as a Hezbollah apologist, sent me a letter published in the Marion Star. I would provide a link, but the Marion Star (Marion, Ohio) foolishly inhibits links, so I cannot. However, here are excerpts:

Believe or not, America is more Muslim-friendly since 9/11, and more so than the rest of the western world. In case you have any doubt, please read the three items that were reported this year:

June 2, 2007 AP wire service story about Bilan Nur, a 22 year-old Somali woman from Phoenix, Arizona: She worked for several years for Alamo Rent-A-Car. The company fired her for refusing the take off her hijab (headscarf). Nur registered a complaint at the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC sued the company. A federal jury said the company must pay her $288,000 for firing her for wearing the hijab. ... Yes, Justice is blind in America!

July 20, 2007: According to the Chicago Tribune, two Muslim women from the Cincinnati area were able to get their driver's license photographs wearing the hijab free of charge. This took place after clerks at separate bureau offices wrongly demanded that the women remove the scarves for the photo. Tom Hunter, spokesman for the Department of Public Transportation sent a message to 216 state registrar's offices informing staff that wearing the hijab while taking a photograph is allowed and legally exempt under Ohio law. Mr. Hunter stressed in his message that asking a Muslim woman to remove her hijab is like asking a non Muslim woman to remove her shirt. That is a man of honor and integrity!

Muslims were very proud and will never forget Sept.1, 2001, when the U.S. Postal Service expanded its Holiday Celebrations Series with a new stamp highlighting the Muslim holiday of Eid. The postage stamp was to honor and commemorate two important Islamic celebrations: Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. ...

For many years, the White House, U.S. State Department, the Pentagon, all branches of U.S. military and St. James Episcopal Church of Columbus, Ohio, host such an [Iftar, closing meal of Ramadan] event. They meet Muslims and get to know who they are, which helps break the stereotypes that Muslims face every day. To Muslims, that means recognition and respect.

America does not need to spend millions of dollars on public relations campaigns at Al-Jazeera and other satellite networks in the Middle East to promote a positive image. The aforementioned acts of respect and goodwill gestures I mentioned will win the hearts and minds of Muslims here and abroad. Thank you, America, for making this my best Eid ever!

Mahmoud, could tell CAIR about this? It would not make CAIR happy to know that America is already more Muslim-friendly that the rest of the Western world. And it certainly differs from CAIR's protrayal of America.

Mr. El-Yousseph Responds

David,

Lest we learn from history, we are doomed to make the mistake again. The same demogouge was said of Japanese American fellowing the attack on Pearl Harbor. We did not trust them, we put them in concentration camps. Then we send their men to fight for us in the southPasific and they were performed heroically and were highly decorated units.

You will never question the loyalt of Jewish American to the US when they express support and sympathy to Israel. Even their support is sending to money to built illegal settlemnet- which is illegal under U.S. law. What about spying by some of them and giving our top secrets to foreign nation? What about demand of every U.S presdient since 1985 the release a spy [Johnathon Pollard] who is serving life-sentence in U.S. jail.

At least I encouraged my oldest son the join the US miltary, where as they encourage their sons and daughters to join the Israeli defense forces. That is the forces who killed in cold blood 34 of our sailors, and injured 172 other not long ago.

And what did you do when a 23 years old American peace activist name Racheal Corrie was crushed to death by 10,000 lb bulldozer by the Israeli army in Rafah, Palestine 6 years ago?

If you answer is nothing, then we are on a different wave length.

After all, I did not attend a rally in Kansas to protest military funeral,where I stepped on the old glory, carrying signs that read, " America is Doomed", "Thank God for IED", "Thank God for Maimed soldiers"

I did not say after 9/11, America get what it deserve! Jerry Farewll did

I did suggest that someone should

fire a missile into the U.S. State Dep.! Pat Robertson did.

Yet all the 3 example mentioned above, people were exercising their first amandment right. Had I said or did any of the mentioned above, I will be serving time in Gitmo, Cuba. So why have two standards. Why is being hypocrical David. I was hoping I will be having an open and fruitfull debate. Sadly not.

Yours,

Mahmoud

I leave it to the reader to decide whether Mr. El Yousseph ever explains how one can be loyal to the United States and at the same time support an organization that has declared, and acted upon, enmity with the United States. Clearly, the response voices opposition to Israel.

As I said, one can loyally oppose United States policy. That is every American's right.

My quarrel is NOT with opposing policy, it is with supporting an organization that is a declared enemy of the United States and has terrorized and killed United States citizens as part of its policy. As I read his response, Mr. El-Yousseph fails to address that critical issue.

Update: Mr. El-Yousseph informs me that the letter I published above was not intended to be his response. I apologize to him if I misunderstood. I will be pleased to publish has actual response, unedited, as this letter was.

Open Letter to Mahmoud El-Yousseph

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Reference: Your support of Hezbollah as Reported Here and Here.

Dear Mr. El-Yousseph

I do not believe that you INTEND to be disloyal to the United States. You have vigorously and often proclaimed your allegiance, you served in the country's military, and your son is serving now. I concede your sincerity.

But here is my problem. Your apparently sincere loyalty to the United States is in direct contradiction to your support for Hezbollah. Hezbollah has declared its enmity with the United States. Hezbollah has attacked and terrorized United States civilians and military several times.

I understand that you disagree with the policies of the United States in the Middle East. That is your right. You have the right to voice that objection, demonstrate, write your Congressman, write letters to the editor, and whatever. But whatever you preferred policies in the Middle East, any support for Hezbollah as an organization (or Hamas for that matter) is necessarily disloyal to the United States, because Hezbollah has declared itself an enemy and has acted upon that declaration.

You may loyally support the ultimate goals of the likes of Hezbollah and loyally oppose and seek to change the United States goals in the Middle East. But supporting an enemy organization is quite a different thing. Supporting an enemy is disloyal. I cannot se it any other way.

You may feel free to respond. If you do, I will publish your response.

[Mr. El Youssef's defense to his support for Hezbollah has so far been to threaten legal action against those who point it out, specifically Patrick Poole. See here. The above open letter is an attempt to generate reasoned discussion.]