Posted on 01/13/2007 10:38:11 PM PST by Nachum
On September 29,2006 at 11:30 AM, Mr. Yousuf N. Shaikh & Mr. Kamel H. Fotough came to my office to introduce themselves to me as the new neighbors. These two gentlemen informed me that they had purchased the adjacent house along with the 11-acre tract of land from the Sacco family on 09/22/06. They asked that I remove my cattle from this 11-acre tract & remove my electrical fence. They said they were going to use the existing house as a community center. Children would be coming to play on the grounds, and as an engineer, Mr. Fotough felt it was unsafe for them to be around the cattle. Since 1995 I had been leasing this property from the Sacco’s to run my Limousine cattle on.
The gentlemen were very friendly, but spoke with a heavy Middle Eastern accent. They told me how much they loved the United States and how they had such big plans for the land. They said that their children had grown up right here in America, and they said that their ultimate dream is to build a parking lot, a new community center, an athletic facility, a school, and a mosque. They felt that they were going to need a total of 25 acres to complete this project, which might take them as long as five years to complete. They went into great detail how they wanted to provide a complete atmosphere where their friends could bring their entire families to worship and to play, and they said they would even provide security for the entire site. They felt that there was no other place on the far west side of Houston that was able to handle their needs.
While I was walking these men out, I offered to give them some granite fill, free of charge for their new driveway that they had planned. Then Mr. Fotough said that it was probably a good idea for me to start thinking about packing up my business, along with my family and moving somewhere further out in the country. They felt that a mosque and a marble shop did not go well together. He told me he was from Egypt and his partner was from Pakistan, and that they were bringing many new families in from as far as 5,000 miles away. He went on to say that many of these new people that they would be bringing in would be unfamiliar with many of the local customs, and/or ways of doing things, and that most would not be able to speak English at first.
Before they left, they provided me with their cell phone numbers so that if I ever had a problem I would be able to get in touch with them. I of course reciprocated the gesture, but I did not say much of anything because I was simply trying to digest what I had heard. I must have had a look of total shock on my face.
When I returned to my office two of my employees asked what was wrong. I told them that the new neighbors had said I should start thinking about packing up and moving out, and I fully explained what was said and what my new neighbor's intentions were. On the following Wednesday, 10/04/06, a new collector's crystal wall clock was delivered to my office as a gift. The card attached said: To: Craig Baker From: New Neighbors .
I immediately typed up a nice thank you note and returned the clock that same day. I had planned on just letting the other matter die of natural causes right then and there.
Per my lease and the Texas Statutes I had the right to leave my cattle and the fence on the property for 180 days from the date I received written notice to remove them. However, I had my employees remove the cattle and the fences the next day.
Approximately a week later the previous owner's huge FOR SALE BY OWNER sign was covered with a brand new yellow banner announcing: COMING SOON KIA COMMUNITY CENTER. Immediately I started receiving calls from a nearby neighborhood asking if I knew what was about to be built on the property. I provided each concerned citizen as much information as I knew. Many of these neighbors asked if they could meet with me to discuss any possible options. I agreed for them to come over to my place of business on the following Thursday night. A total of fourteen people showed up at my office for this meeting, which began at 7:00 PM. I began by detailing my one and only meeting with these new owners. At the meeting there were a couple of lawyers, a president of one of the local Home Owners Association, several neighbors who lived down the street, and several other neighbors who's property backed up to the proposed site for the mosque. To say the least this group of people was extremely concerned. No one had ever heard of this group “KIA” prior to the sign going up. It was agreed that the best course of action was to get the entire community made aware of this group's plan to build.
The following Tuesday a public meeting was arranged at Pattison Elementary School so that the Harris County public officials could inform the public just what could and couldn't be built on the site. At this meeting, three different men from Harris County Commissioner Steve Raddick’s office took questions from the packed gymnasium. These questions pertained to possible problems caused by additional traffic, noise pollution, lights, sewer systems, & most importantly possible flooding. The county employees fielded questions for about an hour. Then these gentlemen left the building.
The program was then turned over to the President of a Home Owners Association (HOA), several were present. He began by stating “Well, we do have a bit of good news-- that being next years tax rate will decrease.” I figured that the remainder of the program was going to be about matters that affected the HOA so I left.
I was wrong, because shortly after I left, the subject returned to my new neighbors. A spokesman for the KIA got up and went to the podium and gave a short speech about what was planned on the site. He further informed the group that he was a Muslim. He said he was originally from Chicago, and had fought in the Vietnam War so that people would have the right to practice any religion they chose. It was clear to him as well as the other members present that the neighbors were against the building of the mosque simply cause they were Muslims. Among the many other people at the meeting were the KIA owners, along with several of their members. One of my friends stood up and asked why the owners told Craig Baker that he should consider packing up and leaving. The Muslim speaker said that they never would say something like that. My friend stood up to state that he has known me for many years, and if Craig Baker said something, then he knew it was true. On the tape recording that was being made of the meeting, you can hear “well then Craig Baker is an out right liar." I learned of this the following day.
Now, my family has deep roots here on Baker Rd. Houston, TX. As a matter of fact, a Baker has been living right on this land as far back as the early 1800’s. We are fast approaching 200 years being settled on this piece of land. The Baker family has not always found it easy living here. In the 1940's the Baker family lost most of its land to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers through a process known as eminent domain. The land was worth approximately $150.00 per acre, the Bakers received $3.00 per acre. Our government had to create a reservoir for the sprawling metropolis of Houston, which was some twenty miles away. This reservoir would allow part of the Buffalo Bayou to be dammed off in certain situations to prevent the flooding of the entire city.
Each of the family members was able to keep their immediate homesteads. One of the Bakers headed to Colorado, but most stayed on for many years. In 1979 I bought my first piece of Baker Rd. property. The piece I bought was only three quarters of an acre to move my brand new business onto. I bought the property from my grandparents, James Mayes Baker Jr. & his wife Anna H. Baker. Since then, as property in the area was put up for sale I have made every effort to purchase it. I have bought a total of eleven small tracts from remaining family members and others. This includes my grandmother's two acres and a small family cemetery that sits adjacent to my home. My grandmother was given a lifetime estate and still lives in the same home she has since 1949. With Houston pushing further outward the price of property has sky rocketed. The only land I have ever sold off was to my best friend Don. I cut off two acres next to my home so he could build his home, and of course he still lives there today. Although it is not a huge amount of land, I have tried to put the parcels back together and create a small farm like atmosphere for my children to grow up in. I have always kept thirty to forty head of cattle on my property.
Upon learning that I was called a liar I became determined to make a statement to everyone that I was not leaving. Not only that, I am taking a stand. I will use my property as I see fit. I went to a local printing shop and had a huge banner made up. The banner states “COMING SOON WEEKLY FRIDAY NIGHT PIG RACING.” I also put up some pig pens on the north east corner of my property, which just happens to be the closest point to my new Muslim neighbors. So far I have bought 24 pigs and put them in the pens. Additional pigs will be delivered soon, and the pig racetrack is under construction, as well as the starting gates.
I have sent two separate letters to Mr. Shaikh and Mr. Fotough to try to find a way to resolve this crisis -- one on 10/14/06 and the other on 11/28/06. I offered to act as a facilitator to assist in selling their property to the neighborhoods, which in turn would turn the vacant land into a public park. I did not receive a response until 12/01/06, which came in the form of a demand letter from their attorney Mathew Kornhauser. Kornhauser made the demand that I remove my pigs from my land immediately. Should I fail to do so his client will contact the appropriate authorities and take what ever measures necessary to protect their interest. Further Kornhauser demanded that I remove the website http://www.katyislamicassociation.net. Since I have absolutely no control over this website, his demand is ridiculous and absurd. His threat to eradicate the website should I fail in his demand to remove it is laughable. He claims again that his clients did not state that I should move out, and that is “totally false." Now I have made the offer in writing, on the radio, and on TV that I will pay for three lie detector test. One for each of the owners, and one for me. The sole question to be asked is: Did they, on 09/29/06 tell me that I should consider packing up my business and my family and moving?
Then we will see who is lying and who is telling the truth.
My Moslem neighbors have decided to take their fight with me to the media, hoping that by making this fight public I will come off as a red neck racist from Texas. On 11/29/06, ABC Channel 13 News reporter Ted Oberg came out to check on a dispute between neighbors. Oberg sat in my office filming me for over two hours to produce a 3-minute segment. Since that time I have done two other TV interviews one with CBS Channel 11, and one with Fox Channel 26. I also gave interviews for the print media to the Houston Chronicle, the Katy Times, and the Associated Press. I have done one live radio interview for the Fox News Radio with Spencer Hughes. On Thursday 11/30/06 Rush Limbaugh made mention of this for almost three minutes, then again on 12/07/06 Rush brought the matter up again. The situation was talked about by Michael Savage on 11/30/06 and was found on his website.
Now, to be perfectly frank, I couldn't care less about all of that. My only objective here is to protect my property rights and the American values and traditions that the Baker family has enjoyed on Baker Road since the early 1800's.
It is high time that we as Americans “Take A Stand”
MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA
Craig A. Baker
Thanks for this post. Was wondering where this stood after the first pig race post last month.
LBT
-=-=-
With a little luck, the new mosque will be downwind from the porkers...
I think we should severely limit the number of Muslims coming to the US. I say this with a sad heart but if we don't we will have the same problem that Europe is having now in the next 20 years. The only difference is that we won't let our policemen be beat in the streets and our cars be burned. The difference here is that there will be a civil war.
how do you know we won't let our police be beat in the streets? (I wouldn't) but a great majority of this country's population are younger and have already been conditioned into the crap the media is spewing out and I'm afraid that they will follow along. don't think it can't happen here.
save
We won't because at that time I and my sons and my friends and others of like mind will stop them or die trying. THAT is what it means to be American. I don't give a damn what the liberals think. They are morons and weak cowards. They are only safe while we refuse to stand together against them. Thomas Paine would not have flinched at the threat, he and others of his time knew what their very souls called them to do. They were small in number but built a nation.
America, as an assimilating civilization, is on the decline, with the vultures already picking over the carcass (the 'Moslem' neighbors are part of the flock). When we decided to make second language available rather than assimilation as requirement, we lost the direction of our nation. Now, such idiotic terms as 'african/american' are not even noticed yet such idiocy is crucial to maintaining fracture instead of assimilation.
When we decided to allow PC to dictate we change our society rather than have immigrants assimilate to our norms, we lost the advance of our society. We are now an obsolete approach and the replacement of 'US' is well at hand.
I agree, but are their enough like us?
I agree, there is no reason not to do it. Muslims are not needed.
I think there are. People have not awoke because they do not have a leader. Leaders lead common men to do great things. They speak from a place not born of man and are not afraid because they do not speak to please men. We have not leaders but a nation of appeasers and those who are masters of doublespeak. It sickens me thinking of it.
I think this dude needs to print up some American Pig Races t-shirts and sell them on the net :)
What a creepy pair of neighbors. Here is a good-luck wish to the Bakers from far-away Oregon!
Heh. "Don't mess with Texas."
You know, I believe this guy's story that they told him to start thinking about packing up and moving out. Another example of culture clash -- they probably thought they were being practical, not realizing that was the fastest way to get his back up. So now they have pig races next door. My heart is just breaking for them.
I recently retired and am of modest means, but I am motivated by your plight.
Is there any change I could invest in your pig farm?
I'm serious.
"I think this dude needs to print up some American Pig Races t-shirts and sell them on the net :)"
He does on his website.
Islam is more than a religion, it is a political organization and needs to be treated as such. In doing so one has more options in halting it.
I agree, but are their enough like us?
Let there be no mistake about that! There are.
The difference between our cultures is that we can and do act individually; we do not need government to force us to do anything, or to refrain from acting when necessary.
The most compelling argument to support the fiction that most muslims are peaceful, is that they do nothing to stop the tiny minority of killers among them out of fear (all 150,000,000 of them!). Yet if we Christians were to try to build a church in any muslim country, we would be certainly killed by their government, or by neighbors forced to do so by their government. Yes, there are enough Americans like us. And not just in Texas! You can take that to the bank.
I did not travel to your country to create a confrontation, Achmed; you came to mine.
He does on his website.
The only mention of a web site by Mr. Baker clearly states that he has no control over it:
http://www.katyislamicassociation.net
Is that what you assume is his web site? I'm interested, since I wish to buy a few of those shirts to wear in California.
Thanks. I'll go check it out :)
It's the original url for this thread.
http://www.americanpigrace.com/
frightening.
But the races need to be held at noon on Friday, when the prayers are going on, not Friday night.
Exactly!!!
And tell all of our like minded friends as well, spread the word and post this neighbors link everywhere we can to help get the word out. I for one also intend to hop on my bike and attend some of these pig races to help show my support for what he is being forced to put up with. Damn, how I love eating pork. I'll also be sending out this guys web site link in all of my outgoing email for the next few weeks. Spread the word.
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