THE GROUND ZERO MOSQUE
TAX DOLLARS FOR GROUND ZERO MOSQUE? – Sharif el-Gamal, the erratic Muslim developer who is a key figure behind the Ground Zero mosque, now wants tax dollars for its construction. This is the same Sharif el-Gamal who has failed to pay taxes on the property and who was just evicted from his offices for failure to pay $39,000 in back rent. His side-kick in the scheme, Imam Feisal Rauf, just had an apartment building that he owns taken over by a court because of his failure to provide a safe environment for tenants. Both men have failed to pay property taxes when due in New York.
The request for tax dollars is rather odd because Sharif el-Gamal and Feisal Rauf have not as yet even formed the corporation that will own and operate the mosque. Apparently he has requested the funds, as the developer, from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC). In his letter he says the funds will be used to pay for construction as well as “Arabic language classes, a variety of consultation and referral services, a homeless veterans’ rehabilitation program, and a series of art exhibitions.” In his application he claims that the funds will not be used for the “prayer room.”
When the project was announced, the building was said to be a mosque for use by Muslims. The public was told that the funding would come solely from the “millions of Muslims” within the United States, with no foreign help. Within months it was discovered that Imam Rauf was raising funds in the Middle East for the construction of the Ground Zero mosque. The reason is obvious; there are not “millions of Muslims” in the United States. Most of those of Arab descent in the United States are Christians who escaped Islamic persecution.
You may recall that Rauf and el-Gamal first named the proposed building Cordoba House in remembrance of the domination of Spain by a Muslim Caliphate in the Middle Ages. When the obvious affront of using the term Cordoba became apparent to the public, considering the attacks of 9/11, the name was changed to Park 51. The media was told it was a mosque, yet by Islamic law a mosque can only be one story tall. This is a 13 to 15 story building that has several floors of dormitory rooms for young men, plus restaurants and swimming pools, and is more akin to an Islamic rabat that is built to assist in conquering the lands of infidels.
The funds requested by Sharif el-Gamal for the Ground Zero mosque would come from a special fund set up to assist in the reconstruction of lower Manhattan after the total destruction of numerous buildings in the Islamic jihad attack on the United States on 9/11.
Let’s make the context clear: Muslims are asking that tax money set aside for Lower Manhattan to recover from a Muslim terror attack be handed over to them. The LMDC has refused to comment or even disclose the names of any other organizations requesting funds. How is that for transparency in government?
As an aside, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his city government have made it clear that they will not assist in any way the reconstruction of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church which was totally destroyed during the 9/11 jihad attack.
SHARIF EL-GAMAL IS NBC “PERSON OF THE YEAR” – In the last Chairman’s Report, I featured the marriage of the far left, the political elites, and Islam, illustrated by a party photo of Arianna Huffington, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Imam Feisal Rauf. The so-called “mainstream media” is a part of this strange marriage trio; for example, NBC News just named Ground Zero mosque developer Sharif el-Gamal as their “Person of the Year.”
The announcement by NBC came the same week that it was learned that el-Gamal had requested tax dollars from a 9/11 reconstruction fund to help build the Ground Zero mosque. So far this year this NBC Person of the Year and his company, Soho Properties, has been sued by the Valley National Bank for $95,778 plus interest on a credit line on which he defaulted. His company had a $100,000 line of credit that El-Gamal personally guaranteed. He exercised the credit line, took the money and did not pay it back as required.
In addition El-Gamal’s company moved out of its headquarters in the middle of the night just as his landlord began eviction proceedings. According to the landlord, El-Gamal was delinquent to the tune of $39,000 in back rent. As for the site of the mosque itself, El-Gamal failed to pay $270,000 in back taxes. He has now signed an agreement for a payment plan with the city, but if he can’t pay his rent where will the money come from to pay the taxes?
NBC’s “person of the year” has a long history of this kind of activity and of criminal behavior. El-Gamal claims that he had problems in his “youth” but not after he became closer to Islam after the 9/11 jihad attack. Yet, just five years ago in 2005 El-Gamal broke the nose and cheekbone of a renter who owed him money. When he was arrested, El-Gamal denied he socked the renter, Mark Vassiliev, but later in court said, “[Vassiliev's] face could have run into my hand.” He has a long history of thuggery that includes seven arrests. Those arrests include DUI, disorderly conduct and soliciting a prostitute.
El-Gamal once sent out a message on Twitter that said, “When you beat up someone physically you get exercise & stress relief; when you assault him verbally on the web you just harm yourself.” That sums up Sharif el-Gamal, a typical Muslim thug.
PRESIDENCY
OBAMA, MUSLIMS AND THE HAJ – In November during a Muslim “holy” time President Obama had a message to those traveling for the “Haj,” or pilgrimage to Mecca. It is considered a sacred duty of every Muslim to travel there at least once. (Note: non-Muslims are not allowed inside the city limits of Mecca) President Obama said, “On behalf of the American people, we extend our best wishes during this Hajj season – Eid Mubarak and Hajj Mabrour.”
The pilgrims of the Haj had a message for Obama as well: “God is the Greatest”, “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” were the among anti-Western, anti-Christian and anti-Semitic slogans chanted in unison as nearly 2 million Muslims gathered in the Desert of Arafat near Mecca awaiting their turn to go into the city.
There is a total disconnect from reality on the part of the political elite and their view of Islam. During the Bush Administration we heard the chant of “religion of peace” over and over again. Now we are told by the media and political elites that most Muslims want democracy. Haj pilgrims represent mainstream Islam and the message is clear, and it is not about democracy.
THE CONGRESS
TWO AGENDAS – Since the November 2nd election, Congress returned to Washington for a week and then departed on a Thanksgiving recess. During the short time they were here, Nancy Pelosi was assured that she would remain the leader of the Democrats in the House despite a resounding defeat that saw 62 Democratic seats lost to the Republicans. Her reelection as the Democrat leader shows that her party will continue its social path regardless of defeats, and Senate Democrat leader Harry Reid confirms that.
During the short time Congress was in session Republican leaders announced they wanted to extend the current tax code to prevent a huge tax increase on January 1st for Americans, and also to eliminate congressional earmarks. Democrat leader Senator Harry Reid said his first priorities were to allow homosexuals to openly serve in the military and to pass the Dream Act to allow the children of illegal aliens to receive subsidized college educations. Reid also affirmed his desire to continue the spending path of the government.
Americans at the polls made it clear that their greatest concern was the huge and growing government debt. As of now, 40 cents out of every dollar the government spends is borrowed. This is all money that our children and grandchildren must somehow repay with interest.
CULTURE AND RELIGION
CAIR SUES TO FORCE SHARIA LAW – Almost 70% of Oklahoma voters approved the “Save Our State Constitution” Amendment which required that judges not consider non-US laws or sharia law in determining the outcome of cases before them. The Council for American – Islamic Relations (CAIR) immediately filed a lawsuit to stop the implementation of the law. If Muslims do not intend to overturn the Constitution of this nation and install Islamic law, why would they file such a suit? The answer is simple, and that is that most Muslims in the United States do not respect our laws and want to replace them with Islamic laws that all Americans would be forced to adhere to.
A BOY, A BIKE AND OUR FLAG – A convoy of motorcyclists followed Cody Alecia to school, all displaying flags after his victory over his school which had told him he could not display a U.S. flag on the back of his bike on the way to school. The Liberty Counsel had threatened legal intervention against the Denair Middle School in California (who would have guessed this could happen in California?) barred the U.S. flag because they felt it would insult Mexicans who had come to this nation to live. (No — I can’t explain this logic and neither can any other sane person.)
INTERNATIONAL
CATHOLIC CHURCH SPEAKS OUT – Since the beginning of the Second Gulf War the Church has been silent as persecution of Christians in Iraq escalated. Catholic Church officials believed that speaking out would only make the situation worse for Christians there. However, after the bombings of school buses in northern Iraq and the invasion of a Baghdad Church last month the Catholic Church is becoming more vocal. In November Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, promoted a Day of Solidarity with Iraqi Christians. On Sunday, November 19th all Catholic Churches were to include prayers for persecuted Iraqi Christians.
As the Catholic Church has become outspoken about the persecution of Christians in Islamic nations, Pope Benedict demanded that a Christian Pakistani mother of five, Asia Bibi, who had been sentenced to death for criticizing Mohammed, be released. The charges were falsely leveled against her because of a dispute with a Muslim woman over a drinking bowl. The European media also called for release of Asia Bibi, who had been jailed for more than 18 months on the false charge of blasphemy. As a result Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari pardoned her, but the blasphemy law stays on the books and still carries the death penalty.
(BREAKING NEWS: The Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, Khawaja Sharif, barred President Asif Ali Zardari from pardoning Asia Bibi. She is still sentenced to death on the accusation of blasphemy.)
American liberals point to the Pakistani Constitution guarantees of freedom of religion as proof that the Muslim nation is moderate; however, a separate article of the Constitution states that all laws must conform to Islamic sharia law.
Even if Asia Bibi is freed, she will not be safe. In my experience those who have been freed because of Western outrage over blasphemy laws are soon tracked down and murdered at the direction of imams.
AFGHANISTAN PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS - Since the United States first became involved in Afghanistan, numerous Christians have been charged and convicted of “apostasy” or “blasphemy” by the new “democratic” government we installed. The newest case is that of Sayed Mossa, a father of six, who only has one leg. He has suffered in an Afghan prison, often beaten for no reason, for some time. The Religious Freedom Coalition and other organizations have been working for several weeks with congressmen to obtain his release.
OUR MISSION TO IRAQI CHRISTIANS - For many years the Religious Freedom Coalition has partnered with a ministry located in Amman, Jordan to assist Iraqi Christian refugees. Those in need include refugees in Jordan and Syria, as well as internally displaced persons in Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians need help.
An aid organization in the United Kingdom agreed to ship a 40 foot sea-going container of food stuffs and seeds to our ministry partner in Jordan for distribution to Christian refugees in Jordan and Syria. The seeds are for planting on Christian owned farms in northern Iraq. The total value of the shipment is 323,896.00 British pounds, which comes to $514,282.00 in US dollars. The UK group covered the shipping costs to the Jordanian port of Aqaba. The Religious Freedom Coalition agreed to pay port costs including customs and brokerage fees as well as the shipment of the goods from Aqaba to Amman, Jordan. The Religious Freedom Coalition is also raising funds to assist in the distribution of the foods in Jordan and the seeds to Iraqi Christian farmers in northern Iraq.
All port and delivery fees have now been paid by the Religious Freedom Coalition; however, funds are still required to finish distribution.
William J. Murray, Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition, 601 Pennsylvania Ave, NW #900 , Washington, DC 20004 * (202) 742-8990
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