Troubling Islamist Associations for NJ Democrat

Pages: 1 2

More recently, under Qatanani’s leadership, ICPC has invited others either rhetorically supportive of or directly linked to Hamas. In 2003, ICPC hosted a lecture by Abdelhaleem Ashqar, who was identified as a prominent Hamas member in FBI documents declassified not long after 9/11. Ashqar was sentenced to 11 years in prison for criminal contempt and obstruction of justice after refusing to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Hamas support in the U.S.

Radical Egyptian cleric Wagdy Ghoneim also lectured on multiple occasions around that same time at ICPC, as indicated by the archived page from the ICPC web site, which can be seen here. In November 2004, Ghoneim was arrested on immigration violations and held without bond, according to ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice, “based upon Department of Homeland Security concerns that his past speeches and participation in fund-raising activities could be supportive of terrorist organizations.” He voluntarily agreed to be deported in 2005.

In a 2010 appearance on Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV, Ghoneim reportedly said, “We are a nation that excels in the production of the art of death… I will die anyway, so I should be creative to make sure my death is for the sake of Allah,” according to the translation provided by Middle East Media Research Institute. He also reportedly clarified by explaining, “We pray to Allah that we be terrorists, if terror means Jihad for the sake of Allah.”

American Muslim Union

Pascrell has also been very close over the years with the American Muslim Union, a NJ-based political organization that has shared many officers and directors with ICPC, according to a March 2004 New York Sun news story. Pascrell repeatedly has attended the main annual gathering for AMU, even receiving an award from the group in 2007. Longtime AMU President Mohamed Younes and his wife have given over $8,000 over the years to Pascrell.

AMU co-sponsored a 2002 rally in Times Square that called for, among other things, an “immediate withdrawal of Israeli army from occupied lands” and to “end US Aid to Israel.”

This happened shortly after the rally in Paterson, NJ, where El Filali led the crowd in cheers comparing Israel to Nazis, at a time when he was an AMU official. In an interview in which the AP identified El Filali as an “Executive Committee member” of AMU, he pointedly refused to condemn Palestinian suicide bombers. “I am not in their shoes,” he explained. “My house has not been destroyed; my brother has not been shot dead.”

El Filali’s sentiment was similar to comments made by longtime AMU board member Waheed Khalid, who said of Hamas in a 1998 interview with The Bergen County Record, “They are trying to get the occupiers out of their home.”

Khalid, whom Younes said in an interview for this story still serves on AMU’s board, has also given a rather strange defense of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the notorious Russian forgery that purported to catalog Jewish attempts at world domination. Khalid told the New Jersey Jewish Standard in 2002, “[W]hile he heard one person say that the Protocols ‘didn’t seem genuine,’ most people seemed to either believe the book was true or wonder whether it could be. Khalid said that he did not want ‘to make any comment about the authenticity’ of the book.”

Important Questions

The Democratic primary today, June 5, is likely to be very close. Because the district is deep blue, the winner is all but assured of victory in November. The largest political difference between these left-wing Democrats seems to be Middle East policy.

While Pascrell has voted in favor of foreign aid for Israel, he has also engaged in caustic Israel bashing, such as signing on to the so-called “Gaza 54” letter, the Keith Ellison-led effort which accused the Jewish state of collective punishment against Gaza.

It would also seem reasonable for voters to ask Pascrell why he has kept associating for at least a decade with figures such as El Filali, who refused to condemn suicide bombers but gleefully led public chants comparing an Israeli leader to Hitler, or why he has locked arms year after year with AMU, an organization whose leaders have justified Hamas terrorism.

These questions have been asked repeatedly by local media outlets, but Pascrell has brushed them off. For example, he called the questions about AMU “pure crap.”

Of course there is no problem with courting support in the Arab and Muslim community. But there seems to be a troubling pattern with the associations Pascrell has chosen to cultivate in garnering that support. Should a congressman be condoning – by accepting contributions and other support – the most radical elements as part of his outreach?

Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here.

Pages: 1 2

  • StephenD

    Pascrell is a pig. Wherever he can be fed is where his heart is. The Muslims fed him…he smiles on them. He freely and openly associates with the likes of Ellison and is a supporter of Hamas friendly Imam's. I'd say this borders on treason. But then again, we have a President that does the same. November can't come soon enough.

    • choi

      Pascrell is more than a pig,he's a POS.

  • Schlomotion

    This is the more fair and balanced article about this same subject:
    http://freebeacon.com/jersey-roar

    The more fair and balanced view of this issue is that Jews and Arabs are fighting over a candidate. Caucasians aren't. Afro-Americans aren't. Asian-Americans aren't. Regular old Americans aren't. The author of the article featured on Frontpage is trying to make Jews look like an US and Arabs look like a THEM. You are both a THEM squabbling over a New Jersey Democrat.

    • reader

      You don't even know what "Cacausian" mean, dufus.

    • Zionista

      get lost islamonazi butt sucker

    • HoR_Emperor

      Shut it, anti-Semitic cretin.

  • SCREW SOCIALISM

    Tomorrow, June 6, is the 44th anniversary of the assassination of US Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.

    RFK was murdered by one of Schlockys heroes, a paleswinian.

  • SCREW SOCIALISM

    The same people who support Pascrell support murderous paleswinian assassins and savages.

  • wctaqiyya

    So, let me get this straight, is the author of this article suggesting that Muslims in NJ are opposing a Jewish candidate, because he is Jewish? That's amazing. Don't the Muslims know that most Jews vote for the same politicians who increased the importation of Muslims? That's gratitude for ya. Be interesting to see how long it takes the Jews to learn they are slicing their own necks every time they vote for a democrat candidate. At least the Muslims know what they want and they aren't confused about demanding it. That's why they are winning all over the world and why their candidate will win in NJ. Ah yes, and Congress is pondering the wisdom of granting special privileges and protections in the law tor Muslims. The wisdom is just overflowing in America these days.

    • Ted G

      A rabid or rogue wolf wins for while too, until he kills to many sheep…then its usually hunted down and killed.

      • Ted G

        If I may also add that once the decision to begin the hunt is made it is carried out without apology and without remorse. Its just something that needs to be done.

        • wctaqiyya

          Sure, but hunting several million wolves is a slightly different matter. Specially when they have legal protections from the sheep they live among. Further, just who is gonna be doing the hunting? All those morons who believe so deeply in cultural diversity, gun control laws and tolerance and equal rights for anything that's anti-American? Which, incidentally includes most republicans. That's what I thought. And, as I predicted, Pascrell won by a comfortable margin.

          The slide into a Sharia ruled America is going to happen faster and faster now. First, the NYPD had to stop investigating terrorists in NJ. Then, the FBI apologizes for doing the same thing and trains all of it's people to believe Islam isn't the problem and not all terrorists are Muslim. Even though they are. Then, the Muslims elect more politicians to Congress. Since they already have a Muslim in the White House, I guess I would say the tide has taken a turn for the worse. Do you still believe there's gonna be a hunt for wolves?

          • Ted G

            I prefer to remain optimistic. We are millions upon million ourselves.
            I would also say that they are currently afforded political cover by traitors, not legal protections based on our laws.
            Having said that I also do know the difference between someone either calling themselves or being forced to call themselves muslim and the ideology of islam itself and its true followers.

            My metaphor about the wolf above will only come true if our political class continues to lie to the people while also continuing to do nothing to address the problem.

          • wctaqiyya

            Well, I won't knock you for being optimistic. Hope for a better tomorrow is a good thing.

  • mlcblog

    Must be a buddy of NJ Gov. Chris Ghristie.

    • Beatrix

      They do like the Arabs in New Jersey.

  • Beatrix

    The election result wasn't even close. With 90% of the vote counted, Pascrell got 64% and Rothman 36%.
    “Commentary” called both men “pro-Israel,” while mentioning that one Arab supporter of Pascrell's accused Rothman of being an “Israeli Firster,” which Pascrell ignored. And they added that Pascrell signed the pro-Hamas petition.

    The NY Times omits any mention of Arab support of Pascrell or Rothman's support of Israel.
    This was a primary. In the general election, Pascrell will run against a Republican Rabbi, who obviously doesn't stand a chance.