THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Qatari Investors Successfully Impose Shariah in Washington DC

Shariah Finance Watch ^ | 26 June 11 | Unattributed

[LSUfan]

Nearly two years ago, SFW published an article in which we uncovered that a Kuwaiti real estate investment concern had successfully imposed Shariah on tenants of its facilities in Colorado by refusing to allow certain types of businesses to operate and activities to take place on their property.

This form of financial Islamic imperialism has now found its way to our nation’s capital in a very similar case, this time involving investors from Qatar, until recently the long-time home of prominent financial jihadist, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

The owner of this development, which will be one of the biggest in all of the District, is Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company. This is the real estate investment arm of the emir of Qatar himself, who rules the Gulf nation.

At this point it may also be worth mentioning that the emir of Qatar has also been involved in funding other projects here in the US. For example, in 2009, he granted $576,000 to the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), the non-profit operated by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his wife Daisy Khan, the primary promoters of the controversial Ground Zero mosque project. The $576,000 grant from the ruling regime of Qatar was by far the largest grant that ASMA received in 2009.

[LyinLibs]

Gee, I wonder if Omoslem’s “justice department” would investigate moslem prejudice against humans.

[Sherman Logan]

a Kuwaiti real estate investment concern had successfully imposed Shariah on tenants of its facilities in Colorado by refusing to allow certain types of businesses to operate and activities to take place on their property.

Private property. Every right to set conditions for those who wish to use it.

[ilovesarah2012]

The islamization of America marches on unabated.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

We must have separation of Christianity-and-State, but we can't have separation of Mosque-and-State because Islam IS the state.

[SW6906]

Why shouldn't they be allowed to dictate what kind of business is conducted on their private property?

If I owned a building, I would want certain tenants Mainstream businesses) and not others (dry cleaners, strip club, abortion clinic). It is my right as the property owner.

[Free Vulcan]

What do you want to bet that there won’t be any pooftahs trying to open a business there and then sue for discrimination against pole smokers when they’re rejected?

[MeganC]

I’m all for them working to strongly assert their private property rights because in doing so they’re also asserting my right not have a mosque or a halal butcher operate on my property if I don’t want it.

[KrisKrinkle]

From the article:

“The owner of this development, which will be one of the biggest in all of the District, is Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company. This is the real estate investment arm of the emir of Qatar himself, who rules the Gulf nation.”

From your post:

“Why shouldn't they be allowed to dictate what kind of business is conducted on their private property?”

Perhaps in this case, because the “they” is basically the ruler of a foreign country and should not be acknowledged to have the right to come into our country, buy property in a community, then dictate standards which are foreign to that community based on his so-called property rights. If he didn't like the community standards, he didn't have to buy property there.

Of more interest: Why do you lump dry cleaners in with strip clubs and abortion clinics?

[tanknetter]

then dictate standards which are foreign to that community based on his so-called property rights

In reading the full analysis, then one of the stories linked to (in the CityPaper), apart from not having a bank I'm not sure what standards are being implemented that are actually foreign to the local community.

For instance, they can't have a dedicated liquor store. People would be hard pressed to find on in the DC central core. They can't have a dedicated bar, but the same thing applies - I've lived in DC for 20+ years now and I've never known of a "pure" bar that's not part of a larger restaurant (even the Tune Inn, which was consistently ranked as one of the "Best Bars" in the US, and which just burned, is a restaurant with a bar).

They do allow the sale of alcohol within the context of restaurants. I don't recall that Sharia (I'm not all that familiar with it, admittedly) differentiates on places of sale when it comes to alcohol - I thought it was expressly forbidden under all circumstances.

I'd assume that if the sale and consumption of alcohol is permitted under the auspices of a restaurant, pork products would be the same. You probably could not have a dedicated pork-rending operation, but then again that's not something that I've ever seen in DC anyways.

Considering that the analysis really has little basis to go on (notice how it just asks a lot of questions and then provides speculative answers), I'd conclude that it's just a bunch of agitative nonsense designed to get people riled up.

[KrisKrinkle]

So your view is that the headline is inflammatory, or at least inaccurate, and that the Qatari investors are not trying to impose Sharai in Washington DC, let alone do so successfully. Okay.

[tanknetter]

So your view is that the headline is inflammatory, or at least inaccurate, and that the Qatari investors are not trying to impose Sharai in Washington DC, let alone do so successfully. Okay.

I'd term it sensationalist and inflammatory, designed to lure readers.

Otherwise, much ado about nothing. The only substantive claims I see in the analysis and associated CityPaper story is that they'll prohibit banks (BFD) and businesses that sell alcohol as their primary business (so liquor stores and pure bars bad, restaurants and grocery stores ok. Again BFD).

As it is, this is only a few square block area of DC. So, yes, you could argue that they are successfully imposing Sharia (or, rather, a creative interpretation of it that still allows the sale of liquor under many circumstances) in DC. But only on land that they own/control. I'd note that Sharia is already being imposed in DC, specifically at the various mosques in town (such as the national Islamic Center on Mass Ave between Dupont Circle and the Naval Observatory).

[bird4four4]

When a party house in NY refuses to host a gay reception, we’ll see how far private property owners can set their own conditions on who can use it.

[Sherman Logan]

I never said private property rights are always properly respected. Only that they exist, and that conservatives shouldn’t throw them under the bus because we dislike the religion of some of the property owners.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks LSUfan.

... Kuwaiti real estate investment concern had successfully imposed Shariah on tenants of its facilities in Colorado by refusing to allow certain types of businesses to operate and activities to take place on their property.This form of financial Islamic imperialism has now found its way to our nation's capital in a very similar case, this time involving investors from Qatar, until recently the long-time home of prominent financial jihadist, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi.