Posted on 12/18/2006 3:27:36 AM PST by Doctor13
HOMELAND INSECURITY
Quantico mosque leader promoted
Pentagon honors Wahhabi-trained Muslim chaplain
In a special ceremony, the Pentagon recently promoted a Wahhabi-trained Muslim chaplain who catered to al-Qaida detainees at Guantanamo and fought to establish the first mosque in Marine Corps history.
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, right, personally decorates Navy Muslim chaplain Abuhena Mohammed Saifulislam.
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England personally promoted Navy chaplain Abuhena Mohammed Saifulislam from lieutenant to lieutenant commander. Saifulislam also received a Joint Service Commendation Medal at the Pentagon ceremony held on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Pentagon officials say the ceremony was unprecedented.
"It's unusual for a deputy secretary to personally promote an officer of that rank," said one official who wished to go unnamed. "No one has known of such a high-level dignitary doing that."
Chaplain Lt. Abuhena Saifulislam, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and Marine Corps Gen. Michael Hagee unveil a plaque at a Marine Islamic Prayer Center.
England also earlier this year personally dedicated a new Islamic center at Marine headquarters in Quantico, Va., on the advice of Saifulislam, a Bangladesh immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 1995.
The Muslim chaplain, who is stationed at Quantico, recited verses from the Quran in Arabic and English at the summer dedication ceremony, which included representatives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, several leaders of which have been convicted on terrorism-related charges.
Saifulislam, which is Arabic for "Sword of Islam," received his religious training at a radical Islamic school raided by federal agents after 9/11. The Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, based in Leesburg, Va., is run by Taha Jaber Al-Alwani, an unindicted co-conspirator in the Sami al-Arian terror case. A federal affidavit used to obtain a warrant to search the school alleges Al-Alwani gave at least $50,000 in jihad money "to support suicide bombings."
Saifulislam insists he is moderate and condemns "terrorism," but critics say his Wahhabi background and associations should give the Pentagon pause.
"The Pentagon is giving him a permanent, taxpayer-supported platform from which to convert grunts to Islam," said terror expert Paul Sperry, a Hoover Institution media fellow and author of "Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives Have Penetrated Washington."
"With the Quantico mosque, the Pentagon is facilitating the study of the holy text the enemy uses, heretically or not, as their manual of warfare."
Saifulislam's promotion along with the dedication of his new Quantico mosque – the first of its kind in the 230-year history of the Corps – comes on the heels of a Muslim spy scandal at Gitmo involving another Muslim chaplain.
Army Capt. James "Yousef" Yee, who ministered to al-Qaida detainees, was charged with mishandling classified information. Yee, a convert to Islam, quit the Army and the charges were dropped. But two of his Muslim military friends at Gitmo were convicted of espionage-related crimes.
Yee's predecessor at Gitmo was Saifulislam, who was first assigned to the terrorist prison camp after 9/11. While at the Cuban base, the Navy imam privately counseled al-Qaida prisoners in their native tongues of Urdu and Arabic. "I must give hope for them to cope," Saifulislam said at the time.
He set up the diet and prayer regimes for the detainees, recommending they be served halal meals – including traditional dates and lamb – prepared according to Islamic dietary law. Gitmo detainees can now choose from a menu of 113 Muslim-appropriate meals.
In addition, Saifulislam saw to it that detainees receive copies of the Quran and have access to prayer beads and skull caps. Saifulislam also set up a program to train guards to be more sensitive to the religious customs of their Muslim prisoners.
West Point bows to Mecca
Multiculturalism appears to trump concerns about Islamist infiltration of the military. Following the Marine's lead, the Army in October dedicated a new mosque at West Point.
The U.S. Military Academy's first worship hall for Muslims boasts green carpets, shoe racks and a pulpit facing Mecca. Officials agreed to set up the mosque, large enough for dozens of followers, after Muslim leaders complained that the office where Muslim cadets gathered for Friday prayers had become too crowded.
The Army has been recruiting international cadets from Muslim countries such as Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. Muslim enrollment at the academy in New York has jumped to 32 from just two in 2001.
"We live in a world where everyone is looking at the United States saying, 'You're anti-Islam,'" explained West Point Chaplain Col. John Cook. "But here at West Point, that's not what we do."
The U.S. military now boasts more than 10,000 Muslim soldiers, many of them black converts. On the eve of the Army's push into Iraq, Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar, a black Muslim convert, fragged commanding officers at a military camp in Kuwait. He killed two of them and wounded 15 others.
Akbar, recently convicted of murder and given the death sentence, said at the time he did it out of loyalty to the umma, or global community of Muslims.
"You guys are coming into our countries," he said, "and you're going to rape our women and kill our children."
Within months of Akbar's traitorous 2003 attacks, the Defense Intelligence Agency issued an internal report warning that Muslim soldiers pose a possible security threat, according to national security reporter Bill Gertz in his new book "Enemies."
It was also in 2003 that Yee was accused of spying for the enemy while serving as a Muslim chaplain at Gitmo. Yee graduated from West Point, site of the Army's new mosque.
L
"They want to co-exist until they can control, dominate and then, if need be, destroy."
We, because of political correctness, continue to shoot ourselves in the foot.
"We live in a world where everyone is looking at the United States saying, 'You're anti-Islam,'" explained West Point Chaplain Col. John Cook. "But here at West Point, that's not what we do."
And to think, these are to be our future leaders.
Check that. He's a dangerous fool.
L
I wonder how many US Marines would have been permitted to worship at Shinto shrines in 1943.
My guess is none.
L
WTF?!
You assume that we are at war with Islam as a whole. No. We are at war with a heck of a lot of them, but not all of Islam. I don't believe in Islam, and I definitely don't like extreme Islam, but I also don't think this is a war between religions. We are the good guys; we have restrictions the other side does not. However, we will win in the end because we are the good guys and we have not justified the means by the ends.
The outcry from bleeding heart liberals would have the good Chaplain's head on a platter!
With all due respect to the politically correct liberals, Barney Frank them. I want what's best for the military because I want to win this war.
I assume it because it's true.
I don't believe in Islam
What you believe or don't believe in is irrelevant. They believe in it and they believe in it to the point they'll kill you for not believing in it.
but I also don't think this is a war between religions
It's a war between civilizations. islam isn't a religion. It's a political ideology dressed up as one. Big difference.
However, we will win in the end because we are the good guys and we have not justified the means by the ends.
That's dangerous thinking and it'll get thousands of people killed.
L
"everyone is looking at the United States saying, 'You're anti-Islam"
What's wrong with that?
We're also anti murder, anti pornography, anti cocaine (well a lot of us are). In WWII we didn't build Nazi parade grounds and reviewing stands for dictators, or Shinto shrines for Japanese prisoners.
What's wrong with America? It sounds like termites are already so far into our woodwork as to be running our house their way.
The Sperry article on this was posted 6 months ago just after the promotion took place.
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:Rr8vr0Ib2cYJ:www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1652372/posts+Abuhena+Mohammed+Saifulislam&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=24
I know "Saif," as we call him. Despite his background, he is well liked among the chaplain corps and Navy in general.
So, this makes him a good little Nazi?
Even spiders know how to lure prey into the web.
Semper Fi
Prior to Clinton there was no endorsing agent for muslims. These fifth columnists lobbied him to start the program.
Part of my research included face time with Chaplains here and overseas. Asking about muslim Chaplains pushes their buttons big time.
Hooo-ah akbar.
"You assume that we are at war with Islam as a whole."
We are. All Muslims? No. Islam, yes.
"Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it again" ping
Bethelgrad, After reading your "about" information and your post, I will defer my opinion on this issue until someone can establish that this man will be harmful to our country.
Thank you for your service Marine and have a Merry Christmas.
What the hell is wrong with these people?
Great, now they're infiltrating the military. Once that goes, we're doomed for sure. When push comes to shove, they'll turn on us because they're brought up to have their loyalty first and foremost to Islam and they're allowed to lie to infidels if it furthers the cause of Islam.
Lunacy run amok!
A wahabbist iman converting our troops for seditious activity while in uniform as a Marine Officer?
I guess they'll later tell us he's a double agent for the Corps...yeah...that's it.
when you're deployed or out in the bush, you can make it so that people want to get transfered out and away.
If that's politically incorrect... so sorry. If it isn't the American way.... so sorry. If it's not the Christian way.... I'm a bad, fallen and sinful Christian... so sorry.
You might want to reconsider the "nothing to worry about".
The man is a practicing member of the most virulent form of Islam. The ones who are busy building mosques around the world where hatred of all non muslims can be preached.
Can you say "fifth column" at one of our oldest and most prestigious military organizations? How much information could that "Chaplain" pass on to our enemies? We are stupid beyond belief...that's like inviting the mugger in for a snack!
"Osama Bin Laden, named by US officials as the main suspect in the 11 September attacks against America, is Saudi-born and a Wahhabi.
Many people are accordingly asking about the character of "Wahhabism" and debating whether it is an inherently radical form of Islam.
In fact, the term is properly used to describe an Islamic revivalist movement which sprang up in the Arabian peninsula in the 18th century.
Like many revivalists in the course of Muslim history, Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab, the founder of the movement, felt that the local practice of Islam had lost its original purity.
The modern Saudi state is founded on the 18th-century alliance between the Wahhabi religious movement and the House of Saud - the family that has ruled the Saudi kingdom since its creation in the 1930s.
In daily life, the Saudi religious establishment - the ulema - have imposed strict segregation of the sexes, an absolute prohibition of the sale and consumption of alcohol, a ban on women driving and many other social restrictions.
The rules are enforced by the "mutawa", or religious police, who patrol the streets and shopping centres on the look-out for anyone breaking the rules.
"You might want to reconsider the "nothing to worry about".
Excuse me Ms expert, but where exactly does my post say "nothing to worry about."?
You actually should read other posts before replying with all of your military and religious expertise.
"I will defer my opinion on this issue ***until someone can establish that this man will be harmful to our country***".
My response was right on target....the very fact that this man is a Wahhabi serving at a premier US military institution IS cause for concern.
Sorry to offend you with facts. Do feel free to keep your head in the sand.
This is the "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" school of thought. It may be a strategy that works or it may not be. Problem is that if it doesn't work, then we have given the Wahhabis the appearance of legitimacy and have allowed them to infilitrate our military structure. Moreover, we haven't just backed a "mild & benign form of Islam" (if there is such a thing, I don't believe that there is) but rather the most radical form of Islam. What does that say to "moderate Muslims"? Only a 9/11 gets you respect? And preferential treatment?
It appears that the US is "not at war with Islam", but that doesn't mean that Islam is not at war with us. If you are not "Dar al Islam" (a Muslim country), then you are automatically considered "Dar al Harab" (the House of War) -- their words, not ours --it's Islam's inherently aggressive worldview. Until we all start bowing toward Mecca, then we are all in "the House of War" to them whether we like it or not!
It is a mistake to see Islam solely as "a religion" -- or even soley as "a political philosphy". Much as for many years we have tried to spread "American culture" accross the globe, Islam -- particularly Wahhabism -- has tried to spread "Arab culture" across the globe. For a Muslim, if you can't recite the Koran in Arabic, you aren't really and fully "a Muslim". If you take a look at Darfur, you see this in its most radical form -- virtually all the people killing and getting killed are Muslims -- but it is the Arab Muslims killing the African Muslims that has created this bloodbath. In Iraq, the civil war is the same -- Arab Sunnis at war with Persian (non-Arab) Shiites. What exists in Wahhabism is "a perfect storm" of an Arab worldview -- "spreading Arab culture and political philosphy world-wide (including by force if necessary) because Allah (God) demands it and authorizes it". Even if we were to try to be inclusive with some form of Islam, this is the worst possible choice of Islamic candidates to be inclusive of, because it is the most radical and violent one.
The only thing that I see in this action of including Wahhabis into our military chaplaincy is Saudi petro-dollars at work in our government -- they are infilitrating our military because they have already infiltrated our government. Greedy politicians have already sold us out in return for getting their campaign coffers stuffed by the Saudis -- and now they are simply taking the next logical steps to gain control, infiltrating our military.
Swell, we have a mosque at West Point now BTTT
Hey, I serve with the guy. He's willing to take care of our Marines--Marines who would never come to a Christian chaplain. You can call him all the names you want--buy he takes care of Marines and is well respected.
So tell me -- were those Marines Christian, or non-Christian?
If Christian, WHY wouldn't they visit a Christian chaplain?
Were they Muslim, or did they become Muslim?
I wasn't "name calling", just making the observation that most pious Muslims are still focused on completing the Nazi "Final Solution" for Jews -- with the added ambition of applying that "solution" to ALL non-Muslims...
I've yet to hear anything about this very "special" cleric to make me feel any better about recognizing a murderous cult like Islam and calling it a respectable "religion"...
Semper Fi
Even the Marine Corps is eaten up with Political Correctness these days. (Although, technically, the Navy Chaplain's Corps furnishes the Marine's Chaplains).
Not sure I'm tracking with your question(s). I was speaking of Muslim Marines whose spiritual needs are taken care of by providing them a Muslim chaplain. We do the same for our Protestant and Catholic Marines.
Like it or not, we do have Muslim Marines--because of time/space limitations imposed on all of us by virtue of our humanity, I do not know when they converted, before or after joining the Marines--does it matter?
Not name calling? I think I remember you calling him a Nazi. I'm not asking you to recognize Islam (I don't), but I think it's important not to generalize and say they all support exterminating Jews (they don't).
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