Middle East studies in the News

Leader of Muslim Brotherhood-linked Organization Gets Standing Ovation at Democratic Convention [on Ingrid Mattson]

by Robert Spencer
Jihad Watch
August 25, 2008

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022372.php

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/5551

The Muslim Brotherhood is engaged, in its own words, in "a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and Allah's religion is made victorious over all other religions."

The Brotherhood document from which this quote is taken concludes with "a list of our organizations and the organizations of our friends." Among these organizations is the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). Ingrid Mattson is the President of the Islamic Society of North America. ISNA was also named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case.

Mattson herself has made a series of highly questionable remarks.

"Dems' message: 'Faith is what we live,'" by Aaron J. Lopez for the Rocky Mountain News, August 25 (thanks to Paul):

[...] "With all due respect to the commentators, we don't need to bring faith to the party. Faith is what we live," pronounced the Rev. Leah Daughtry.

"Democrats are, have been, and will continue to be people of faith. And people of faith are, have been, and will continue to be Democrats."

Daughtry, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, served as emcee of an interfaith service - Faith in Action - that attracted about 3,000 people of various ages, races and religions to the Colorado Convention Center.

Among those in attendance were Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and Gov. Bill Ritter, who welcomed the congregation to the first official event of the DNC.

"There is a tremendous intersection of faith and politics," Ritter said. "Politics at its deepest root is moral." [...]

Speakers included Rabbi Steven Foster, of Congregation Emmanuel in Denver; Bishop Charles Blake, of the Church of God in Christ; and Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America. [...]

[Blake] received one of several standing ovations.

Another was reserved for Mattson, who said she tells Islamic leaders abroad that Muslims in the United States still face discrimination constantly.

Despite the difficulties, Mattson said she remains convinced that the United States "is still the best place in the world to practice our faith."

Muslims in the United States still face discrimination constantly? Muslims in the United States enjoy more rights than they enjoy in many majority-Muslim countries. And CAIR's attempts to document "hate crimes" against Muslims in the U.S. have been shown to be tissues of fabrications.

But in making this wild claim before the Democratic Convention, Mattson is laying claim to Protected Victim Status for Muslims, which would place them beyond the scrutiny and criticism that is necessary today to head off the Brotherhood's "grand jihad."

Note: Articles listed under "Middle East studies in the News" provide information on current developments concerning Middle East studies on North American campuses. These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of Campus Watch and do not necessarily correspond to Campus Watch's critique.

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