Where was Fake News when Obama restricted the same 7 countries? Why was't Obama accused of enacting a 'Muslim ban'?-Legal Insurrection, Jacobson

1/28/17, "Most claims about Trump’s visa Executive Order are false or misleading," Legal Insurrection, William A. Jacobson 

"Debunking the supposed “Muslim Ban” and other accusations-gone-wild."

"Yesterday Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on refugees and visa entry procedures.

You should read the actual EO, because most of the media and leftist pundits either have not or are lying if they have.

There are some stark policy differences about immigration and refugees over which people can disagree — those were argued at length during the election season. But the hyperbole and frenzy being exhibited in the media and by leftist pundits is hyperbole at best, fakery and lying at worst.

The Hyperbole 

CNN is on overdrive, something appreciated by Clinton loyalist and Democrat operative Peter Daou....

I’ll go over key features of the EO and address the main accusations being peddled. 

“Muslim Ban” 

There is no Muslim Ban, even though the Twitter hashtag #MuslimBan is being used by opponents of the EO....

There is a postponement of entry from 7 countries (Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen) previously identified by the Obama administration as posing extraordinary risks. That they are 7 majority Muslim countries does not mean there is a Muslim ban, as most of the countries with the largest Muslim populations are not on the list (e.g., Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Nigeria and more).

Thus, the overwhelming majority of the Muslim world is not affected.

Moreover, the “ban” is only for four months while procedures are reviewed, with the exception of Syria for which there is no time limit.

There is a logic to the 7 countries. Six are failed states known to have large ISIS activity, and one, Iran, is a sworn enemy of the U.S. and worldwide sponsor of terrorism.

And, the 7 countries on the list were not even so-designated by Trump. Rather, they were selected last year by the Obama administration as posing special risks for visa entry, as even CNN concedes in passing:

"The order bars all people hailing from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Those countries were named in a 2016 law concerning immigration visas as “countries of concern.” The executive order also bans entry of those fleeing from war-torn Syria indefinitely." 

Seth Frantzman has an excellent analysis of this Obama administration background to the list. Please read the whole thing. The short version is that the Obama administration selected those countries — whose names are not mentioned in Trump’s EO.

Franztman provides this image of visa waiver categories, US Customs and Border Protection,* based on the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015: 

"DHS remains concerned about the risks posed by the situation in Syria and Iraq, where instability has attracted thousands of foreign fighters, including many from VWP countries. Such individuals could travel to the United States for operational purposes on their own or at the behest of violent extremist groups. The U.S. Congress shares this concern, and on December 18, 2015, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2016, which includes the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 (the Act). The Act, among other things, establishes new eligibility requirements for travel under the VWP. These new eligibility requirements do not bar travel to the United States. Instead, a traveler who does not meet the requirements must obtain a visa for travel to the United States, which generally includes an in-person interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

(added) Sarah Harvard at Mic also recounts the history:

"So, in a nutshell, Obama restricted visa waivers for those seven Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen — and now, Trump is looking to bar immigration and visitors from the same list of countries." 

Frantzman notes that no one complained when the Obama administration selected these countries: 

"What? So there was a Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 two years before Trump? There was a kind of “Muslim ban” before the Muslim ban? But almost no one critiqued it in 2015 because it was Obama’s administration overseeing it. So for more than a year it has been US policy to discriminate against, target and even begin to ban people from the seven countries that Trump is accused of banning immigrants and visitors from. CNN even hinted at this by noting “those countries were named in a 2016 law concerning immigration visas as ‘countries of concern.’” But why didn’t CNN note that the seven countries were not named and that in fact they are only on the list because of Obama’s policy? …Because mainstream media has been purposely lying, either due to ignorance or because of unwillingness to read the document and ask questions and because they are too ready to accept “facts” without investigating. They want to blame Trump for a “Muslim ban” because they were ready with that script since last year." 

Trump Business Connections 

An offshoot of the “Muslim ban” claim is the claim that Trump deliberately excluded countries in which he does business. This argument is made in order to claim Muslims are targeted even though most of the Muslim world is not affected.... 

The problem, of course, is that Trump worked off of the Obama administration’s list of particularly risky countries for visa entry. To lay the blame on Trump’s business interests is a lie, or as Frantzman puts it, fake news: 

"Most disingenuous, truly bordering on fake news, are the reports that claimed the seven countries were connected to Trump business interests, as if Obama’s DHS picked them because of Trump?" 

It’s an Absolute Ban 

The “ban” is not without exceptions. There are categories of visa holders who still may enter even from those 7 countries:

"Sec. 3(c) To temporarily reduce investigative burdens on relevant agencies during the review period described in subsection (a) of this section, to ensure the proper review and maximum utilization of available resources for the screening of foreign nationals, and to ensure that adequate standards are established to prevent infiltration by foreign terrorists or criminals, pursuant to section 212(f) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f), I hereby proclaim that the immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens from countries referred to in section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12), would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and I hereby suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants and nonimmigrants, of such persons for 90 days from the date of this order (excluding those foreign nationals traveling on diplomatic visas, North Atlantic Treaty Organization visas, C-2 visas for travel to the United Nations, and G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 visas)." 

Also, the EO allows exceptions on a case by case basis from those 7 countries:

"Sec.3(g) Notwithstanding a suspension pursuant to subsection (c) of this section or pursuant to a Presidential proclamation described in subsection (e) of this section, the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security may, on a case-by-case basis, and when in the national interest, issue visas or other immigration benefits to nationals of countries for which visas and benefits are otherwise blocked." 

This Ends Refugees Coming to the U.S. 

There is a halt to refugee processing, but it is temporary, for 120 days. Moreover, for people already going through the process, this is merely a delay not an ending, because they can resume processing once the system restarts in 120 days: 

"Sec. 5. Realignment of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for Fiscal Year 2017. (a) The Secretary of State shall suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 120 days. During the 120-day period, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Secretary of Homeland Security and in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, shall review the USRAP application and adjudication process to determine what additional procedures should be taken to ensure that those approved for refugee admission do not pose a threat to the security and welfare of the United States, and shall implement such additional procedures. Refugee applicants who are already in the USRAP process may be admitted upon the initiation and completion of these revised procedures. Upon the date that is 120 days after the date of this order, the Secretary of State shall resume USRAP admissions only for nationals of countries for which the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence have jointly determined that such additional procedures are adequate to ensure the security and welfare of the United States." 

Anti-Muslim Discrimination 

There are accusations that one particular provision discriminates. It gives preference to those fleeing religious persecution in countries in which they are a religious minority:

"Sec. 5(b) Upon the resumption of USRAP admissions, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, is further directed to make changes, to the extent permitted by law, to prioritize refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality. Where necessary and appropriate, the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security shall recommend legislation to the President that would assist with such prioritization." 

This is being referred to as a de facto discrimination against Muslims because it mostly applies to Christians. 

Well, that’s because Christians are the most persecuted religion in the Middle East, by Muslims. If there were a country in which Muslims were persecuted by another majority religion, they would get preference. 

In fact, this religious persecution test has long been the case in refugee cases, but has been twisted to discriminate against Christians, as this September 2016 column by Elliott Abrams explained: 

"The headline for this column—The U.S. Bars Christian, Not Muslim, Refugees From Syria—will strike many readers as ridiculous.

But the numbers tell a different story: The United States has accepted 10,801 Syrian refugees, of whom 56 are Christian. Not 56 percent; 56 total, out of 10,801. That is to say, one-half of 1 percent. 

The BBC says that 10 percent of all Syrians are Christian, which would mean 2.2 million Christians. It is quite obvious, and President Barack Obama and Secretary John Kerry have acknowledged it, that Middle Eastern Christians are an especially persecuted group.

So how is it that one-half of 1 percent of the Syrian refugees we’ve admitted are Christian, or 56, instead of about 1,000 out of 10,801—or far more, given that they certainly meet the legal definition?

The definition: someone who “is located outside of the United States; is of special humanitarian concern to the United States; demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.”

Somewhere between a half million and a million Syrian Christians have fled Syria, and the United States has accepted 56. Why? 

“This is de facto discrimination and a gross injustice,” Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, told Fox News. Fox notes another theory: The United States takes refugee referrals from the U.N. refugee camps in Jordan, and there are no Christians there." 

Dual Nationals 

The EO does apply to dual nationals, but not in the way people imply, suggesting U.S. citizens would be barred from reentry. Dual nationals who are U.S. citizens are not affected. The EO only applies to dual nationals from the 7 countries who travel on the passport of another (non-U.S.) country. The Wall Street Journal explains:

"It also applies to people who originally hail from those countries but are traveling on a passport issued by any other nation, the statement [by the State Department] notes. That means Iraqis seeking to enter the U.S. on a British passport, for instance, will be barred, according to a U.S. official. British citizens don’t normally require a visa to enter the U.S.

“Travelers who have nationality or dual nationality of one of these countries will not be permitted for 90 days to enter the United States or be issued an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa,” the statement said. “Those nationals or dual nationals holding valid immigrant or nonimmigrant visas will not be permitted to enter the United States during this period. Visa interviews will generally not be scheduled for nationals of these countries during this period.” 

Green Card Holders 

There are reports that holders of Green Cards from those 7 countries may not enter the U.S. This is partially true, but it will be handled on a case-by-case basis, according to CBS News:

"Senior administration officials told CBS News Saturday that for permanent American residents — those holding green cards — from the listed countries, their readmittance to the U.S. will be done on a “case by case exemption process.” 

[Update: On Sunday morning, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus stated that the EO temporary preclusion for the 7 countries “doesn’t include green card holders going forward”
but “you’re going to be subjected to further screening.”] 

Detentions, ETC. 

There are anecdotal reports of people being detained while trying to enter the U.S., or pulled off planes, or not allowed to board. It’s hard to know whether these reports — if true — are the result of policy or confusion. As with any large bureaucratic endeavor, there seems to be administrative confusion, as the NY Times reported in a story recounting some of these reports:

"But the weekold administration appeared to be implementing the order chaotically, with agencies and officials around the globe interpreting it in different ways." 

Syrian Refugees 

It is true that Syrians seeking refugee status are barred entry, and that there is no current time limit on that. Rather, resumption will take place only after security assurance are in place: 

"Sec. 5(c) Pursuant to section 212(f) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f), I hereby proclaim that the entry of nationals of Syria as refugees is detrimental to the interests of the United States and thus suspend any such entry until such time as I have determined that sufficient changes have been made to the USRAP to ensure that admission of Syrian refugees is consistent with the national interest." 

This is consistent with what Trump said during the campaign. 

Conclusion: Policy Differences Don’t Justify Fake News 

It is possible to criticize the EO and Trump visa/refugee policy without hyperbole and fakery. That opponents feel the need to make false and misleading accusations is a signal that they fear losing the policy argument on its merits." 

"[* the wording of this sentence was changed and the quote added after publication to clarify the source of the image]"

———————–
Update: 

Related post, Federal Court issues temporary partial stay of Trump Executive Order (Update: Copy of Order)



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United Arab Emirates placed two US Muslim groups on terror list: CAIR and Muslim American Society. Along with Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State, and others-Nov. 11, 2014

Nov. 15, 2014, "UAE Cabinet approves list of designated terrorist organisations, groups," Emirates News Agency, wam.ae, Dhabi

"The UAE Cabinet has approved a list of designated terrorist organisations and groups in implementation of Federal Law No. 7 for 2014 on combating terrorist crimes, issued by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Cabinet's own resolution on the designation of terrorist organisations that provided for the publication of the lists in the media for the purposes of transparency and to raise awareness in society about these organisations.

The following is the list of  organisations designated as terrorist that has been approved by the Cabinet:

:: The UAE Muslim Brotherhood.

::  Al-Islah (or Da'wat Al-Islah). 

:: Fatah al-Islam (Lebanon).

::  Associazione Musulmani Italiani (Association of Italian Muslims).

:: Khalaya Al-Jihad Al-Emirati (Emirati Jihadist Cells).

:: Osbat al-Ansar (the League of the Followers) in Lebanon. 

:: The Finnish Islamic Association (Suomen Islam-seurakunta).

:: Alkarama organisation.

:: Al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb  (AQIM or Tanzim al-Qa idah fi Bilad al-Maghrib al-Islami).

:: The Muslim Association of Sweden (Sveriges muslimska forbund, SMF)

:: Hizb al-Ummah (The Ommah Party or Nation's Party) in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula

:: Ansar al-Sharia in Libya (ASL, Partisans of Islamic Law).

:: Det Islamske Forbundet i Norge (Islamic Association in Norway).

:: Al-Qaeda.

::  Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST, Partisans of Sharia) in Tunisia.

:: Islamic Relief UK.

:: Dae'sh (ISIL).

:: Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (HSM) in Somalia ( Mujahideen Youth Movement)

:: The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) in Britian.

:: Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

:: Boko Haraam ( Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad) in Nigeria. 

::  Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) of the  Global Muslim Brotherhood.

:: Jama'at Ansar al-Shari'a (Partisans of Sharia) in Yemen. 

:: Al-Mourabitoun (The Sentinels) group in Mali.

:: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (Taliban Movement of Pakistan).

::  The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) organisation and groups. 

:: Ansar al-Dine (Defenders of the faith) movement in Mali.

::  Abu Dhar al-Ghifari Battalion in Syria.

:: Jama'a Islamia in Egypt (AKA al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya, The Islamic Group, IG). 

:: The Haqqani Network in Pakistan. 

:: Al-Tawheed Brigade (Brigade of Unity, or Monotheism) in Syria. 

:: Ansar Bait al-Maqdis (ABM, Supporters of the Holy House or Jerusalem) and now rebranded as Wilayat Sinai (Province or state in the Sinai).

:: Lashkar-e-Taiba (Soldiers, or Army of the Pure, or of the Righteous).

:: Al-Tawhid wal-Eman battalion (Battalion of Unity, or Monotheism, and Faith) in Syria.

::  Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt) group.

:: The East Turkistan Islamic Movement in Pakistan (ETIM), AKA the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), Turkistan Islamic Movement (TIM).

:: Katibat al-Khadra in Syria (The Green Battalion). 

::  Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen Fi Aknaf Bayt al-Maqdis (the Mujahedeen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem, or MSC).

:: Jaish-e-Mohammed (The Army of Muhammad).

:: Abu Bakr Al Siddiq Brigade in Syria. 

:: The Houthi Movement in Yemen. 

::  Jaish-e-Mohammed (The Army of Muhammad) in Pakistan and India.

:: Talha Ibn 'Ubaid-Allah Compnay in Syria.

:: Hezbollah al-Hijaz in Saudi Arabia.

:: Al Mujahideen Al Honoud in Kashmor/ India (The Indian Mujahideen, IM).

:: Al Sarim Al Battar Brigade in Syria.

:: Hezbollah in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

::  Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus (Caucasus Emirate or Kavkaz and Chechen jidadists).

:: The Abdullah bin Mubarak Brigade in Syria. 

:: Al-Qaeda in Iran. 

:: The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).

:: Qawafil al-Shuhada (Caravans of the Martyrs).

:: The Badr Organisation in Iraq.

:: Abu Sayyaf Organisation in the Philippines.

:: Abu Omar Brigade in Syria.

:: Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq in Iraq (The Leagues of the Righteous).

:: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

:: Ahrar Shammar Brigade in Syria (Brigade of the free men of the Shammar Tribe).

:: Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq. 

:: CANVAS organisation in Belgrade, Serbia. 

:: The Sarya al-Jabal Brigade in Syria.

:: Liwa Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas in Syria.

:: The Muslim American Society (MAS).

:: Al Shahba' Brigade in Syria.

:: Liwa al-Youm al-Maw'oud in Iraq (Brigade of Judgment Day).

:: International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS).

:: Al Ka'kaa' Brigade in Syria. 

:: Liwa Ammar bin Yasser (Ammar bin Yasser Brigade).

::  Ansar al-Islam in Iraq.

:: Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe.

:: Sufyan Al Thawri Brigade.

:: Ansar al-Islam Group in Iraq (Partisans of Islam).

:: Union of Islamic Organisations of France (L'Union des Organisations Islamiques de France, UOIF).  

:: Ebad ar-Rahman Brigade (Brigade of Soldiers of Allah) in Syria.

:: Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front) in Syria. 

:: Muslim Association of Britain (MAB).

:: Omar Ibn al-Khattab Battalion in Syria.

:: Harakat Ahrar ash-Sham Al Islami (Islamic Movement of the Free Men of the Levant).

:: Islamic Society of Germany (Islamische Gemeinschaft Deutschland).

:: Al-Shayma' Battaltion in Syria.

:: Jaysh al-Islam in Palestine (The Army of Islam in Palestine)

:: The Islamic Society in Denmark (Det Islamiske Trossamfund, DIT).

:: Katibat al-Haqq (Brigade of the Righteous).

:  The Abdullah Azzam Brigades.

::  The League of Muslims in Belgium (La Ligue des Musulmans de Belgique, LMB)

 

WAM 2230  2014/11/15

END"

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VOA News:

11/17/2014, "UAE Includes 2 US Muslim Groups on Terror List," voanews.com

"The United Arab Emirates has included two U.S. Muslim organizations on its list of more than 80 terrorist movements worldwide. 

The UAE named the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group known as CAIR, as well as the Muslim American Society, in a list that also included al-Qaida, Islamic State, the Muslim Brotherhood and Boko Haram.

Neither CAIR nor the Muslim American Society is a designated terror group by the U.S. government. 

Their inclusion drew swift protests from the American groups. CAIR put out a statement that said it is seeking clarification on its "shocking and bizarre" inclusion on the list, while the Muslim American Society said that it had "no dealings with the United Arab Emirates" and was "perplexed by this news."

On Monday, the U.S. State Department said it would be seeking more information from the UAE."

 

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Added:  Earlier in 2014 Saudi Arabia also declared Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group:

11/15/14, "UAE lists Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist group," Reuters, Dubai

"The United Arab Emirates has formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood and local affiliates as terrorist groups, state news agency WAM reported on Saturday citing a cabinet decree....

Saturday's move echoes a similar move by Saudi Arabia in March and could increase pressure on Qatar whose backing for the group has sparked a row with fellow Gulf monarchies.

It also underscores concern...about political Islam and the influence of the Brotherhood, whose Sunni Islamist doctrines challenge the principle of dynastic rule....

So far efforts by members of the GCC, an alliance that also includes Oman and Kuwait, to resolve the dispute have failed.

The three states mainly fell out with Qatar over the role of Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Gulf officials say the three want Qatar to end any support for the Brotherhood."... 

-----------------------------------

Added: UAE praised Saudi Arabia declaring Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group:

3/9/2014, "UAE backs Saudis with Muslim Brotherhood blacklist," AP, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

"The United Arab Emirates has thrown its support behind neighboring Saudi Arabia's decision to label the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, increasing Gulf Arab pressure on the Islamist group.

Saudi Arabia listed the 86-year-old Brotherhood along with several other groups, including Al Qaeda affiliates, as terrorist organizations on Friday. Those who join or support the groups could face five to 30 years in prison under the new Saudi policy. 

The Gulf moves against the Brotherhood follow an Egyptian decision to label it a terrorist organization in December. The move by the military-backed interim government in Cairo comes amid a crackdown on the group following its July ouster of the country's first elected president, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi....

The Western-allied UAE, a seven-state federation that includes the cosmopolitan business hub of Dubai, said it will cooperate with Saudi Arabia to tackle "those terrorist groups through liquidating all forms of material and moral support."

"The significant step taken by (Saudi Arabia) in this critical moment requires concerted efforts and joint collective work to address the security and stability challenges that threaten the destiny of the Arab and Muslim nation," the UAE said in a statement carried by official news agency WAM late Saturday. 

The Saudi terrorist designation also blacklisted Al Qaeda's branch in Yemen and its former affiliate in Iraq, the Syrian al-Nusra Front, Hezbollah within the kingdom and Yemen's Shiite Hawthis.

The Brotherhood condemned the Saudi move against it Friday as a "complete departure from the past relationship" with the kingdom and insisted that it does not interfere in matters of other nations.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the two largest Arab economies, have increasingly clamped down on the Brotherhood in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings.

They along with the tiny kingdom of Bahrain last week withdrew their ambassadors from nearby Qatar to protest what they saw as its failure to uphold a deal to stop interfering in other nations' politics and supporting organizations that threaten the Gulf's stability. Analysts say the move in large part reflects Qatar's support for the Brotherhood and its supporters.

The Emirates has jailed dozens of people allegedly linked to Brotherhood-affiliated groups on state security charges over the past year. It accuses Islamist groups of trying to topple its Western-backed ruling system.

The nation's top court last week sentenced a Qatari doctor to seven years and two Emiratis to five years in prison for collaborating with an illegal Islamist group. The same court in January convicted 30 men, most of them Egyptian, of setting up an illegal Brotherhood branch in the UAE. They received prison terms ranging from three months to five years.

Another 69 people were last year sentenced to up to 15 years behind bars after being convicted of links to Al-Islah, an Islamist group suspected of ideological ties to the Brotherhood."


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Added: 2004 Chicago Tribune article on growth of Muslim Brotherhood across the United States:

In 1962 the Muslim Brotherhood began operations in the US. "Over time, the Brotherhood gained notoriety for repeatedly attempting to overthrow the Egyptian and Syrian governments and for spawning violent groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Palestinian group Hamas."

9/19/2004, "A rare look at secretive Brotherhood in America," Chicago Tribune, Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, Sam Roe and Laurie Cohen, Tribune staff reporters

"Over the last 40 years [since 1960s], small groups of devout Muslim men have gathered in homes in U.S. cities to pray, memorize the Koran and discuss events of the day.

But they also addressed their ultimate goal, one so controversial that it is a key reason they have operated in secrecy: to create Muslim states overseas and, they hope, someday in America as well.

These men are part of an underground U.S. chapter of the international Muslim Brotherhood, the world's most influential Islamic fundamentalist group and an organization with a violent past in the Middle East. But fearing persecution, they rarely identify themselves as Brotherhood members and have operated largely behind the scenes, unbeknown even to many Muslims.

Still, the U.S. Brotherhood has had a significant and ongoing impact on Islam in America, helping establish mosques, Islamic schools, summer youth camps and prominent Muslim organizations. It is a major factor, Islamic scholars say, in why many Muslim institutions in the nation have become more conservative in recent decades....

In recent years, the U.S. (Muslim) Brotherhood operated under the name Muslim American Society, according to documents and interviews. One of the nation's major Islamic groups, it was incorporated in Illinois in 1993 after a contentious debate among Brotherhood members.

Some wanted the Brotherhood to remain underground, while others thought a more public face would make the group more influential. Members from across the country drove to regional meeting sites to discuss the issue.

Former member Mustafa Saied recalls how he gathered with 40 others at a Days Inn on the Alabama-Tennessee border. Many members, he says, preferred secrecy, particularly in case U.S. authorities cracked down on Hamas supporters, including many Brotherhood members....

When the leaders voted, it was decided that Brotherhood members would call themselves the Muslim American Society, or MAS, according to documents and interviews.

They agreed not to refer to themselves as the Brotherhood but to be more publicly active. They eventually created a Web site and for the first time invited the public to some conferences, which also were used to raise money.... 

An undated internal memo instructed MAS leaders on how to deal with inquiries about the new organization. If asked, "Are you the Muslim Brothers?" leaders should respond that they are an independent group called the Muslim American Society. "It is a self-explanatory name that does not need further explanation."

And if the topic of terrorism were raised, leaders were told to say that they were against terrorism but that jihad was among a Muslim's "divine legal rights" to be used to defend himself and his people and to spread Islam.

But MAS leaders say those documents and others obtained by the Tribune are either outdated or do not accurately reflect the views of the group's leaders. 

MAS describes itself as a "charitable, religious, social, cultural and educational not-for-profit organization." It has headquarters in Alexandria, Va., and 53 chapters nationwide, including one in Bridgeview, across the street from the mosque there....

MAS collected $2.8 million in dues and donations in 2003--more than 10 times the amount in 1997, according to Internal Revenue Service filings.

Spending often is aimed at schools, teachers and children, the filings show. The group has conducted teacher training programs, issued curriculum guides and established youth centers. It also set up Islamic American University, largely a correspondence school with an office in suburban Detroit, to train teachers and preachers.

Until 18 months ago, the university's chairman was Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a prominent cleric in Qatar and a spiritual figure of the Brotherhood who has angered many in the West by praising suicide bombers in Israel and Iraq. The U.S. government has barred him from entering the country since late 1999. He says that action was taken after he praised Palestinian militants.

In the Chicago area, MAS has sponsored summer camps for teenagers. Shahzeen Karim, 19, says a camp in Bridgeview inspired her to resume covering her hair in the Islamic tradition.

"We were praying five times a day," Karim says. "It was like a proper Islamic environment. It brought me back to Islam." 

At a summer camp last year in Wisconsin run by the Chicago chapter of MAS, teens received a 2-inch-thick packet of material that included a discussion of the Brotherhood's philosophy and detailed instructions on how to win converts.

Part of the Chicago chapter's Web site is devoted to teens. It includes reading materials that say Muslims have a duty to help form Islamic governments worldwide and should be prepared to take up arms to do so.

One passage states that "until the nations of the world have functionally Islamic governments, every individual who is careless or lazy in working for Islam is sinful." Another one says that Western secularism and materialism are evil and that Muslims should "pursue this evil force to its own lands" and "invade its Western heartland."... 

Brotherhood has grown in influence

The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt more than seven decades ago, is among the most powerful political forces in the Islamic world today.

1928: The Muslim Brotherhood is formed in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna to promote a return to fundamental Islamic beliefs and practices and to fight Western colonialism in the Islamic world.

Late 1930s: The Brotherhood starts forming affiliated chapters in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.

1948: The Brotherhood is implicated in the assassination of Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud Nuqrashi, who had banned the group. Al-Banna denies involvement.

1949: The Egyptian government retaliates for Nuqrashi's assassination by killing al-Banna.

1954: A Brotherhood member tries to assassinate Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and fails. Nasser executes several of the group's leaders and incarcerates thousands of its followers.

1962: The Cultural Society is created as the first Brotherhood organization in the United States. Society members help establish numerous Islamic organizations, mosques and schools.

1966: Sayyid Qutb, a Brotherhood ideologue who urged Muslims to take up arms against non-Islamic governments, is executed by Nasser's regime.

1982: In Hamah, Syria, at least 10,000 people are killed by government troops suppressing an uprising by the Brotherhood.

1993: The Muslim American Society, initially based in Illinois and now in Virginia, is created to be a more public face of the Brotherhood in the U.S.

2001: The U.S. names Brotherhood member Youssef Nada and his Swiss based investment network, allegedly established with backing from the Brotherhood, as terrorist financiers. Nada denies any terrorist links.

2002: Tens of thousands of Brotherhood supporters fill the streets of Cairo during a funeral for group leader Mustafa Mashhour on Nov. 15. 

2003: U.S. authorities investigating alleged terrorism funding describe Virginia businessman Soliman Biheiri as the Brotherhood's "financial toehold" in the U.S. Biheiri denies any terrorist links.

2004: The Egyptian government rounds up dozens of Brotherhood supporters, freezes members' assets and ousts one of its backers from parliament."

"Tribune foreign correspondent Evan Osnos, staff reporter Stephen Franklin and Hossam el-Hamalawy contributed to this report." 

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More on UAE, CAIR, and MAS:

11/17/2014, "UAE Designates CAIR, MAS as Terrorist Groups," Breitbart, Leahy

"The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) cabinet approved a comprehensive list of 83 designated terrorist organizations Saturday, the WAM Emirates News Agency reports. The list includes various al-Qaeda affiliates and the Islamic State. 

But the UAE also considers the Muslim Brotherhood and some of its global affiliates as terrorist organizations. The list includes the Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR) and the Muslim American Society (MAS). 

The UAE action follows a decision last spring to follow Saudi Arabia’s decision to label the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.... 

The Muslim American Society (MAS) also serves as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in America. A 2004 Chicago Tribune story describes how MAS was formed as the Brotherhood’s U.S. arm after a debate about whether to stay underground. In 2012 testimony, Abdurahman Alamoudi, once the most politically influential Islamist activist in the country, said the connection between MAS and the Brotherhood was well known in Islamist circles. 

CAIR’s standard response to criticism, and to questions about its roots in a Muslim Brotherhood-created Hamas support network, is to accuse the source of “Islamophobia.”"...

 
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General Motors will cut 625 jobs in Canada and move them to Mexico. Union pres. says NAFTA is responsible for the move-Reuters, 1/27/17

1/27/17, "Union: GM to cut 625 auto jobs in Canada, move to Mexico," Reuters, Susan Taylor and Alastair Sharp

"General Motors Co will cut 625 jobs at its auto assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, by the end of July and move some production work to Mexico, the president of Canada's largest auto workers union said on Friday.

"This came right out of left field," said Jerry Dias, the president of the union, Unifor, in a phone interview. "This is NAFTA, this has nothing to do with Trump, but it has everything to do with NAFTA."

U.S. President Donald Trump met with the chief executives of the Big Three U.S. automakers earlier this week, urging them to build more cars in the United States while investing less in Mexico.

He has vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Unifor's Dias said that GM will move assembly of its GMC Terrain sports utility vehicle to Mexico and slow the pace of production of its Chevrolet Equinox crossover.

A spokeswoman for General Motors Canada said the company had provided the union with advance notice of the labor impact, as it phases out older models and the Ingersoll plant begins production of a new Equinox model."





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UK PM Theresa May peed on the carpet of her host the United States. The priceless global microphone and captive audience graciously provided to Ms. May were trashed by her selection of a BBC hater to lecture the President of the United States. To Ms. May and cronies: The template that Americans can be kicked around, laughed at, and pissed on expired Jan. 20, 2017

1/28/17, "'You don't speak for Britain' Anger at BBC political editor's Trump question," Express.co.uk, Katie Mansfield

"BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg has been condemned and praised for questioning Donald Trump’s views on Russia and Muslims during the US President’s first joint press conference with Theresa May. 

The BBC journalist caused a stir with her direct line of questioning forcing Donald Trump to joke she had caused the end of the UK-US special relationship.

Ms Kuenssberg said: "Mr President, you've said before that torture works, you've praised Russia, you've said you want to ban some Muslims from coming to America, you've suggested there should be punishment for abortion.

"For many people in Britain those sound like alarming beliefs. What do you say to our viewers at home who are worried about some of your views and worried about you becoming the leader of the free world?" 

Pointing to Ms Kuenssberg and turning to Theresa May, Mr Trump said: "This was your choice of a question?"

 

Leaning in to the microphone with a smile, he added: "There goes that relationship."

 

The grilling prompted laughter in the room but some viewers branded Ms Kuenssberg’s questioning as “rude” and an “embarrassment” 

Controversial commentator Katie Hopkins said: “I guess @bbclaurak speaks for the people of Britain in the same way @lilyallen apologises for the people of Britain. Not in my name.”

 

Donny Brexit branded the incident an “utter embarrassment to the UK, liberal lefty bubble question”.

Others praised the journalist for her work.

Natalie McCormack said: “Bloody brilliant! Glad to see someone call him out. Shame our Prime Minister can’t do the same”.

Jane Northedge said: “You’re a star. Show him what what it means to have a free press. Thank you”.

 

"Adam Paulson said: “Brave and necessary. Well done.”"..

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Comment: "A free press?" The UK has no "free press." It bans you from even entering the country if you're a member of the US media whose opinions aren't in line with politically correct UK globalist dogma. At least 3 members of the American media are banned from entering the UK merely for their non-violent views. Radio host Michael Savage, and authors and activists Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer--all private citizens and all who provide a public service--are banned. Not even for statements made in the UK--statements made in the US.

 

The BBC is overseen by 12 trustees all of whom are appointed by the Queen. It's a public sector entity meaning it won't go out of business if it doesn't make a profit. It's close enough to the government that "the Government asked the Corporation to change the way it reported stories about the militant group ISIS. Chris Grayling, a member of the Cabinet and leader of the Commons, said the broadcaster should start referring to ISIS as ‘Daesh’." (7/6/2015) BBC is funded by mandatory fees required of all UK citizens with a tv who can be jailed if they don't pay. ($182. per year in US dollars, 145.50 UK).

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http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/759987/donald-trump-laura-kuenssberg-bbc-theresa-may-washington-press-conference 

 

 

 

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Not one more refugee until there are zero homeless veterans in US-Sign outside Buffalo, New York Trump rally, April 18, 2016

Buffalo, NY Trump rally 4/18/16

"Not one refugee until there are zero homeless vets," Trump supporter sign 

4/18/16, "I spotted one pro-Trump protester outside the rally in Buffalo...," Jenna Johnson twitter, Washington Post reporter

April 18, 2016: Sign at Trump rally in Buffalo, NY: 'Not one refugee until there are zero homeless vets.'  

Buffalo, NY is 4th poorest city in US, poor school graduation rates. Its struggling school system is deliberately made worse by flooding it with foreign refugees: 

Added:

Buffalo is the 4th most impoverished city in the country. Yet, "Buffalo has become one of the top locations for refugee resettlement in the nation." (July 2015) Burma and Somalia are top countries of origin of refugees placed in Erie County, 2002-2014. Since 2003, US has placed 3600 homeless Somali refugees in  New York State, many in Buffalo. 705 came in 2014. Why? Why send refugees to Buffalo schools which are already dramatically sub-par? Buffalo's poor high school graduation rate is even used to blame low on-time graduation rate of foreign language speakers. (p.2). As to local children, why should they be faced with Somali children who've, for example, been raised to believe in female genital mutilation, sometimes referred to as "female circumcision"? (p. 5) Refugee aid groups function largely on tax dollars. Such aid groups refer to refugees as their "clients." The US government pays aid groups at least $1850 per refugee, as of 2013, item 22. If the US wants to help, it should help create a large safe area in Africa for displaced persons. Africa is a large continent with abundant natural resources. Why move people to a different continent, away from their culture, language, and heritage? Answer: Because it's an easy way to rob defenseless Americans of their own country. "The money the U.S. spends bringing one refugee to the U.S. could have helped 500 individuals overseas in countries where they currently reside."

Sources:

7/14/15, "Immigrants, Refugees, and Languages Spoken in Buffalo," archives.ppgbuffalo.org, and

"Somali Refugees in Buffalo," partnership for the public good, Buffalo, NY. ppgbuffalo.org

"Catholic Charities of Tennessee," Refugee Resettlement

Added:

"The money the U.S. spends bringing one refugee to the U.S. could have helped 500 individuals overseas in countries where they currently reside." Item 20, 2013 data, Refugee Resettlement Fact Sheet

Added:

Among comments to Jenna Johnson twitter above:

"Should this man be called a protester? He's a pro-Trump guy with a pro-Trump position at a Trump rally. He's a supporter. Linda Suhler, Ph.D. ‏@LindaSuhler 32m32 minutes ago. @wpjenna"

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.............
Reference: Buffalo 4th poorest city in US:

4/16/16, "In NY, voters adjust to something new: attention," Poughkeepsie Journal, Joseph Spector, Albany Bureau Chief

subhead, "Tale of two cities"

"Rochester and Buffalo rank third and fourth, respectively, in the U.S. for poverty, a report in 2014 found.

Only Detroit and Cleveland were worse."...

....................................

 
4/18/16, Thousands rally for Trump in Buffalo, NY, ABC News 

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Added: Why do oil-rich Arab countries refuse Muslim refugees? Why is it assumed that only western countries will take Muslim refugees? "Muslim countries know that the West will take care of their mistakes so they don’t have to avoid the negative consequences of their actions. Western countries quickly come to the rescue, open their wallets and land to prove to the world that they are not Islamophobes." 

9/4/2015, "WHY DID OIL-RICH ARAB COUNTRIES ABANDON MUSLIM REFUGEES?" Frontpage Mag, Nonie Darwish 

"Western media is reporting on the Muslim refugee crisis as a humanitarian problem that the West must deal with. But where are the media’s questions about the huge financial and land resources available to oil rich Arab and Muslim countries? Where are the Islamic solutions in this equation?

The world is often lectured to about the urgency of respecting Arab and Islamic brotherly love, but where is the Arab action to rescue fellow Muslims and Arabs from the claws of ISIS? 

Where are Arab feminists, especially those who demonstrated against France for banning the hijab? They are silent and doing nothing to rescue thousands of women that are victims of Islamic jihadist rape and enslavement. The only compassionate women helping women in the Middle East are the Christian mother Teresas and Kayla Muellers of the western world.

 Where are the mighty Arab armies who waged dozens of wars against Israel? Why aren’t they fighting ISIS and building tent cities in the vast deserts of Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the wealthy Gulf States? They are all claiming they are “moderate” Muslims and that they are against ISIS. But is one substantive thing they have done?

Where are the thousands of Islamic human rights groups operating in the West, the likes of CAIR and ISNA, who are dedicating their energy and millions of dollars to stop discrimination against Muslims and “Islamophobia” in the West? This is the same West that their refugees are escaping to. 

Where is the wealthy Arab League to coordinate safe cities on Arab land that extends from Morocco to Iraq and from Northern Syria to Sudan?...

Below are some of the reasons why Muslim countries...rely on the West to rescue victims of Islamic jihad:
 
Muslim countries know that the West will take care of their mistakes so they don’t have to avoid the negative consequences of their actions.

Western countries quickly come to the rescue, open their wallets and land to prove to the world that they are not Islamophobes.

Arab countries lack compassion and action to rescue each other despite the rhetoric of Arab/Islamic unity. Saudi Arabia and Gulf nations never open their borders to poor Muslims in distress. Even Egypt rejected the Darfur refugees who were later forced to go to Israel, which took them.

Oil rich Arab countries make it very difficult for other Arabs to visit except for haj. They are very tribal and refuse to dilute their culture with influx of foreigners. Third world country workers are treated inhumanely and are rarely given permanent residency, citizenship or equal rights.

Arabs would rather spend their petrodollars on expanding their influence in the West rather than making life better for their own citizens or supporting other Muslim nations who are financially less fortunate.

Islamic groups believe that refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan will spread Sharia in Europe, which is the main goal of jihad.

By clearing the area from the opposition and citizens who are not contributing to the empowerment of ISIS, clears the way for ISIS to expand beyond Syria and Iraq. Europe and America are absorbing the opposition to ISIS, so why stand in the way?

Life and saving lives and avoiding human tragedy are not more important than jihad in Arab culture.

I hope the West will think twice before accepting the thousands of Muslim refugees from the Middle East."

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