Jamie Glazov is Frontpage Magazine's editor. Heholds a Ph.D. in History with a specialty in Russian, U.S. and Canadianforeign policy. He is the author of Canadian Policy Toward Khrushchev’sSoviet Union and is the co-editor (with David Horowitz) of The HateAmerica Left. He edited and wrote the introduction to David Horowitz’sLeft Illusions. His new book is United in Hate: The Left's Romance withTyranny and Terror. Email him at jglazov@rogers.com.
Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Brigitte Gabriel, founder of the nonprofit organization ACT! for America,and one of the leading terrorism experts in the world. Her expertise issought after by world and business leaders. She has addressed theAustralian Prime Minister, members of The British Parliament/House ofCommons, members of the United States Congress, The Pentagon, The JointForces Staff College, The US Special Operations Command, The USAsymmetric Warfare group, the FBI, and many others. She is the authorof the new book, They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It.
FP: Brigitte Gabriel, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
Gabriel: It’s always a pleasure.
FP: I would like to talk to you today about thepetition you are organizing against CAIR. This is part of your battleagainst Islamic jihad on our territory, which we just saw on horrifyingand tragic display at Fort Hood.
What are your thoughts on that jihadi massacre on our own territory?It could have been prevented if it were not for our society’s andcitizens’ fear of organizations such as CAIR right?
Gabriel: You have that right Jamie.
The horrific massacre at Ft. Hood has exposed the degree to whichpolitical correctness impacts government and military action — andmedia coverage.
For days immediately after the massacre the media went out of itsway blaming every syndrome except radical Islamism on the real reasonfor Hasan’s actions. Everyone avoided the word Jihad as if it wasnuclear. This despite the fact Internet postings in Hasan’s name monthsearlier compared suicide bombers to heroic soldiers who throwthemselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.
The blood of the dead American soldiers is on the hands of themilitary leaders and personal who kept their mouths shot about Hasan,just as it is on his hands.
Here’s the disturbing question that needs to be asked: Could thisact of terrorism have been prevented had there not been such apolitically correct reluctance to act on what was known about Hasan?
Imagine if the Army had acted. It’s easy to envision the Council onAmerican-Islamic Relations (CAIR) indignantly blasting the Army withstatements alleging “discrimination.”
Yet if the Army or law enforcement authorities had stepped in, takenaction months ago, and brushed aside the typical and predictable rantsfrom groups like CAIR, is it possible that twelve dead soldiers and onedead police officer would be alive today?
Why are so many in government and the military apparently afraid of“offending” a group like CAIR, which deserves to be investigated forits many questionable activities and ties to terrorists, notaccommodated?
But in the aftermath of this terrorist act, too few in the media orgovernment have been willing to call it that. There has been adesperate search for another motive, the most common focusing on hismental state.
FP: Give us an example of this political correctness in the media.
Gabriel: Edina Lekovic, communications director forthe Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), appeared on Fox News just theother day. Lekovic was unequivocal in her remarks, claiming Hasan was“clearly disturbed” and comparing him to the killers at Virginia Techand Columbine.
Remarkably, only a minute or so after making this unsubstantiatedclaim as if it were fact, when asked about any possible connection toIslam, she warned we must not “rush to judgment.”
But isn’t that precisely what Lekovic did when she asserted Hasanwas “clearly disturbed?” Is she a psychiatrist? Did she examine him?
Of course not. What qualifies Lekovic to assert Hasan was like the Columbine killers? Nothing.
She did exactly what she is warning others not to. She “rushed tojudgment.” And while anyone who is contending that this massacre hasall the earmarks of a terrorist attack is challenged, no one on the FoxNews program challenged Lekovic’s unverifiable claim.
Why not? Political correctness?
More political correctness. Prior to killing 13 people on Thursday,Hasan gave away furniture and Korans, a telltale sign of a jihadistpreparing for martyrdom.
So how does a Washington Post story characterize Hasan’s giving furniture away? As an act of kindness.
But the tide may be turning. Facts are stubborn things. There arejust too many signs that Hasan was in fact a radical Muslim bent onjihad. Too many signs to be ignored.
ABC News the other day ran a headline asking if the Army missed signs that Hasan was an Islamic extremist.
On Fox News Sunday, Bill Kristol referred to an AP story that quotedcolleagues of Hasan at Walter Reed Hospital who admitted they did notreport his suspicious actions due to fear of appearing to bediscriminatory toward Muslims.
It may well be determined that Hasan had emotional problems. It may also turn out that he didn’t.
But as Brit Hume stated on Fox News Sunday, even if Hasan hademotional or psychological issues, the facts clearly point to theconclusion that Hasan was a radical Islamist who acted on his beliefs.
FP: So let’s talk about the petition you are organizing, calling for an investigation against CAIR.
Gabriel: Jamie, as you and I’m sure most of yourreaders know, CAIR has hit some pretty rough patches the past year. Inaddition to being named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy LandFoundation terrorism financing trial, the FBI cut official ties to CAIRdue to its ties to Hamas.
Now, thanks to the new blockbuster book Muslim Mafia it’s clear that not only were these actions against CAIR justified, but that more investigation of CAIR is desperately needed.
This is why ACT! for America has launched anational petition calling for a government investigation of CAIR. Iurge everyone reading this article to please join us in signing thispetition at ActforAmerica.org and become a voice affecting your community and our nation.
Based on a daring months-long undercover operation, Muslim Mafiacontains stunning allegations that reveal just how far CAIR has gone incompromising our national security. CAIR cultivated moles inside aWashington-area law enforcement agency, which resulted in a countypolice officer searching a classified police database and then tippingoff a fellow Muslim who had been under surveillance as a terroristsuspect.
CAIR has been fighting back desperately, and there has been a virtual major media blackout of Muslim Mafiathus far. The grassroots voice of America needs to speak out and demandthat the government launch an investigation of CAIR. At the very leastit appears that CAIR is violating its non-profit tax status. This iswhy, in the first step of our campaign to demand an investigation ofCAIR’s actions, ACT! for America has launched thisnew petition. We can read articles, we can get educated but unless wetake action nothing is going to change. This is why I am urging peopleto speak with a loud collective voice to our elected officials throughsigning our petition at ActforAmerica.org to investigate an organization with shady founders and associates whom have been convicted on terror related charges.
CAIR is hoping that this dust storm will settle and they can sweepeverything under the rug. We can’t let this happen. We need to send avery strong message to our elected officials and to CAIR that theAmerican public is alive and well and will not put up with traitorsoperating in our midst wishing to do us harm. If our elected officialsare not going to see the light, we are going to make them feel the heatand get their attention regarding this matter.
FP: CAIR has filed suit against the David Gaubatz, one of the Muslim Mafia authors. What do you think about this?
Gabriel: CAIR’s lawsuit is noteworthy on twofronts. First, CAIR filed the suit without any press fanfare. This isout of character for CAIR. They normally try to get press attentionfor anything they do. In this case it appears CAIR does not want anyattention drawn to the book.
Second, the suit does not dispute the revelations in the book nor does it allege defamation by the authors.
It seems to me that CAIR is going to do everything it can to sweep this under the rug. This is one reason why ACT! for America launched its petition, calling for a government investigation of CAIR. I urge your readers to log on to ActforAmerica.org and add their names to this petition.
FP: Let’s conclude why Muslim groups like CAIR get away with all of this behaviour on our territory.
Gabriel: Like I’ve discussed in this interviewJamie, it’s political correctness and fear. Too many in the media areso indoctrinated in a “blame America first” mentality that they turn ablind eye to real and serious threats to our nation. Too many in ourgovernment are more concerned about being called an “Islamophobe” thantaking the steps necessary to protect us. And the Fort hood Massacre isthe result.
Groups like CAIR exploit this fear in our country, immediately usingthe propaganda technique of name calling to disparage any critic ofradical Islam. How much evidence do those in government and the medianeed about CAIR to acknowledge, even grudgingly, that this organizationand its ties to terrorism is a threat to America?
It’s clear to me the grassroots of America are going to have to riseup and demand that our government do what’s necessary to protect us.
FP: Brigitte Gabriel, thank you for joining us and thank you for your fight for America.
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[To get the whole story on the nature of the jihadi threatand why the liberal Left forbids the naming of it, read Jamie Glazov’snew book, United in Hate: The Left’s Romance with Tyranny and Terror.]
