Muslims seen as asset in war on terror

Washington Times ^ | Sunday, November 28, 2004 | By Guy Taylor and Jon Ward

[JohnHuang2]

The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com

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Muslims seen as asset in war on terror

By Guy Taylor and Jon Ward
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published November 28, 2004

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The head of a California-based Muslim organization accused of being soft on terrorism dismisses his critics and says Muslim Americans should be nurtured as a key intelligence asset capable of fingering potential terrorists in their midst.
    "We need the Muslim community, especially the immigrant community, to help us get that tip that would prevent the next terrorist attack," said Salam al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).
    A relationship should be established with law-enforcement authorities in which Muslims "don't fear any repercussions when they come forward," he said in a recent interview with The Washington Times.
    MPAC is promoting its National Grassroots Campaign to Fight Terrorism. While it calls for more positive interaction between police and Muslims, Mr. al-Marayati says another of the campaign's priorities is to amplify Islam's criticism of terrorism.
    Despite his remarks, Mr. al-Marayati often is criticized by some pro-Israel organizations and terrorism analysts who say he publicly condones terrorist acts and promotes too radical a view of Islam.
    The Zionist Organization of America calls him an "extremist" who has attempted to "blame Israel for the September 11 attacks."
    Another outspoken critic is Steven Emerson, author of "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us," who calls MPAC "a militant group masquerading as a civil rights or moderate group."
    "They're not moderate at all," said Mr. Emerson, who appears regularly on NBC as a terrorism analyst.

[fire_eye]

Okay, but for a moozelim to "come forward" with information about an impending terrorist attack, they have to want the attack to not happen... (duuh...)

[self_evident]

A relationship should be established with law-enforcement authorities in which Muslims "don't fear any repercussions when they come forward," he said in a recent interview with The Washington Times.

Ok. But to be effective, we also want a relationship were they DO fear repercussions if they DON'T come forward.

[Stallone]

'Muslims seen as allies in War on Terror'.

Funny, I see them more as 'targets'.

[Prime Choice]

The head of a California-based Muslim organization accused of being soft on terrorism dismisses his critics and says Muslim Americans should be nurtured as a key intelligence asset capable of fingering potential terrorists in their midst.

There they go again...putting the cart ahead of the horse.

I have a better idea. I suggest Muslims stop coddling terrorists and terrorist sympathizers in their mosques. When they turn out those mongrels in their midst, they'll be taking a great stride to win our trust. Until such time, I ain't gonna hold my breath.

[tkathy]

What a joke! They need to change Islam so it never commits another despicable terrorist act in the name of religion.

[Snapple]

Muslims are providing tips. But they are necessarily doing this secretly. Many work as translators and teachers. And of course, some Arabs are Christians. Many Palestinians in America are Christians.

Most Muslim parents would not be anxious for their kids to get involved in these Islamist movements.

Many American Muslims are middle-class and successful in America. Most of these people do not identify with the extremist tendencies. In Europe, the Muslims are poor and more alienated.

I am all for going after the terrorists. And much of our success will be due to loyal American Muslims. Vilifying all Muslims as terrorists will alienate Muslims. If young people feel that they have no place in American society they may gravitate to the fundamentalist strands.

Some posters here are doing Osama's work for him when they trash all Muslims.

[Freebird Forever]

muslims are essential for the war on terror.

Without that ideology corroding societies all over the planet, the WOT would have no basis.

[dagnabbit]

Step one for our government: Stop pouring Islam into our homeland!

Steps two through five hundred: Fix the Islam that's already here.

[skimbell]

"We need the Muslim community, especially the immigrant community, to help us get that tip that would prevent the next terrorist attack,"

Barring this "unlikely" participation by our resident members of the "religion of peace", I see nothing wrong with the authorities grabbing a few mewslims and using them for decoys.

[hadaclueonce]

Radical Muslims will only be stopped until sane Muslims clean up their own back yard. They good ones cannot sit back and not speak out against the evil that a small percentage of their religion represent.

Not condoning evil acts is the same as supporting it.

[Snapple]

How would you know if Muslims were talking to the FBI?

[Snapple]

Many Muslim would say that people like Osama are no more Muslims than someone like Jim Jones is a Christian.

Regular Muslims are the main target of the radicals.

They are the victims of these extremely violent people. They are fighting and dying every day.

Thier writers, their politicians, police, soldiers, and civilians are dying.

[Snapple]

Some young men sent over to the US by terrorist organizations get settled in the US. They marry, get good jobs, have a family and lose their stomach for working with the terrorists.

They want to come in out of the cold.

They were totally brainwashed, but when they live in America they start to see things differently. These people should feel that if they come forward and tell what they know that they can have a future in America.

[hadaclueonce]

'Many Muslim would say that people like Osman are no more Muslims than someone like Jim Jones is a Christian.'

Amen Brother! I think this argument was used against the Klan.

The Klan who claimed to have God on there side, were only stopped when when a majority of Christians came out against them.

Radical Muslims want us to believe they way they do, or they will kill all the none believers.

As a none believer in their insanity, I believe we have two choices, get Sane Muslims involved and stop the insanity, or number two, hunt the Radicals down one by one and kill them.

I am hoping for option one. Option two will take generations.

[skimbell]

[Iscool]

I am all for going after the terrorists. And much of our success will be due to loyal American Muslims. Vilifying all Muslims as terrorists will alienate Muslims. If young people feel that they have no place in American society they may gravitate to the fundamentalist strands. Some posters here are doing Osama's work for him when they trash all Muslims.

Nonsense...The only way this could happen is if the muzlims left their cult altogether...Their "bible" tells them that ALL non-muzlim people (men, women and even babies) are infidels and worthy of death at the hands of the muzlims...

Their loyalty is to their anti-American allah, not the United States...Lies and deceit are encouraged within their "bible" to give the infidels a false sense of security...Let's not coddle them, let's ship them out...

[Snapple]

Well, if you want to believe that you can. I live in DC, and Muslim people are also fighting against the terrorists.

The normal Muslims are Osama's main victims. He kills them everywhere he goes.

Your bigotry is like Osama's.

He hates Muslims just like you do.

[Snapple]

Mslims do not consider Christians and Jews infidels. They are people of the book.

Your interpretation is consistent with Islamist interpretation, not regular Muslims.

[Snapple]

Most Muslims even in Iraq do not support the terrorists.

Proof of this is in the terrorists' desterate efforts to prevent the elections.

If they thought that people supported them, they would not be bombing the police, the army, the politicians and trying to wreck the elections. All these targets are Muslims.

Probably you are some Islamist posting here to stir up hatred between different religions.