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Bin Laden supporters/U.S. hate conference in Houston?
Two Saudi Arabian extremists, both supporters of Osama bin Ladenâs al-Qaida terror network, have canceled plans to visit the U.S. this month to speak at an Islamic conference in Houston. However, one will still make an appearance through a satellite television hookup from Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is asking the State Department to expel two Saudi diplomats scheduled to appear at the conference. A rare moment when I agree with Chuck. According to the Saudi Information Agency, an independent news service critical of the Riyadh regime, at least two Saudi diplomats will join the conference to hear Sheikh Abdallah Ibn Jebreen, the bin Laden-praising Wahhabi cleric. A second cleric, Muhammad Saalih al-Munajid, who runs a website that promotes intolerance of Christians and Jews and calls for holy war on Shiite Muslims, has canceled his appearance. In a recent audiotape obtained by SIA and recorded in October, Ibn Jebreen called bin Laden a great warrior in the path of God: "Osama is a man who fought in the path of God for a long time. May God aid him and bring victory to him and by him." SIA said Ibn Jebreen issued at least two fatwas in support of the Taliban and encouraged young people to enlist in al-Qaida. He issued another fatwa calling on Saudis to aid Iraqis fighting U.S. forces. The two Saudi diplomats listed as attending the conference are Sheikh Yousef Al-Shubaily and Ibrahim Al-Kulaib. A third diplomat, Jafar Idriss, was set to speak at the conference but was asked to leave the U.S. two weeks ago for violating diplomatic conduct. Schumer is also raising questions about whether the Saudi Embassy is sincere about following through on its pledge last week to stop sponsoring Islamic-affairs programs that spread fanatical Islam. A report this week by the Saudi Press Agency quotes the Saudi Islamic affairs minister, Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdulaziz, denying the Islamic-affairs programs will be closed and declaring them "part of the kingdomâs message." Schumer, in a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell, said heâs "disappointed that Saudi Arabia appears to be retreating from one of its most promising signs of cooperation in the war on terror." Schumer asked Powell to expel two clerics with embassy credentials who are set to speak at a three-day Islamic conference in Houston beginning Dec. 24. Another cleric scheduled to speak via video hookup is Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman al-Arifi, a student of Abdur-Rahman Baraak, a well-known cleric who has also praised bin Laden. U.S. law-enforcement officials have complained that a large number of Saudis with diplomatic visas do not have legitimate diplomatic business in this country. A Saudi official has said that Riyadh, concerned about the promotion of religious extremism, will close Islamic-affairs offices in its embassies and no longer will provide diplomatic status to Saudi clerics teaching overseas. Somebody please tell me when I woke up in Europe? Where is the DIPLOMATIC and RELIGIOUS outrage over this âconferenceâ? I am all for freedom of speech but donât we have our fair share of âwe hate Americaâ in Hollywood and in the Democratic party? I am advocating them, but if this were a skin-head or Nazi party meeting there would be OUTRAGE. I bet the Houston City Council would pass a resolution that any group advocating hate speech cannot hold a meeting in the city limits. Why are these people given a pass? The only way to confront them is to throw their racists and Anti-American diatribe back into their face. Also the State department needs to PNG anyone that attends this conference. WE DONâT NEED HATE SPEECH FROM ANY SECTOR OF SOCIETY. Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2003-12-16 |
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