Counterterrorism Blog: US Justice Dept to Co-Sponsor Convention of ISNA - Unindicted Co-Conspirator in HLF Trial: Print This

The Washington Times reports today that the Justice Department (DOJ) is co-sponsoring a convention held by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in Chicago. U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison will also be the keynote speaker at this conference on September 1.

ISNA is an unindicted co-conspirator in the trial against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF).

According to the Washington Times, DOJ's acting deputy chief of the Voting Rights Division Mrs. Lorenzo-Giguere sent an email stating that the DOJ would be sending government lawyers to man a booth at the ISNA convention as an opportunity to reach a "very much discriminated against" group. The Washington Times also reports that DOJ spokesman Erik Ablin confirmed that DOJ participates in the annual convention.

Per the Washington Times article, one of the DOJ lawyers responded to Mrs. Lorenzo-Giguere's email, "seems like an odd time for one part of DOJ to lend credence and visible support to ISNA at the same time DOJ prosecutors will be called on to defend their decision to name ISNA as a conspirator. Presumably the prosecutors have determined that they might need that testimony admitted; I hope we don't undermine their position...Needless to say, [the Holy Land Foundation trial] is a very significant case."

The ISNA convention program lists a 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m session on September 1, Session 4B, titled "Ending U.S. Sponsored Torture: A Concern for All People of Faith" - where the "threat and reality of U.S. sponsored torture" will be discussed. Per the ISNA convention program, "[t]his session will describe the nature of U.S. sponsored torture, the effects of torture on its victims, the efforts of the U.S. religious community, and what you can do to help end U.S. sponsored torture."

The ISNA Chicago Convention main speakers will include:

-- Muzammil Siddiqi - Steven Emerson's article "Muzammil the "Moderate" states that "when Siddiqi was President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in 1997, his organization received special thanks from Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook, who wrote that ISNA supported him through his jailing and extradition process, writing that such efforts 'consoled' him." As Steve Emerson's column points out, "Siddiqi has made numerous pro-jihad statements in the past and has denied that 9/11 was carried about by Muslims." Muzammil Siddiqui has been a member of Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), whose members have been connected to Islamic extremism and terrorism.

-- Siraj Wahhaj - a character witness for convicted 1993 World Trade Center terrorist "blind sheik" Omar Rahman, and a man who reportedly called for replacing the American government with a caliphate

-- Abdalla Idris Ali - has been on the board of the American Muslim Council, an organization whose leaders have openly supported terrorist groups, such as Hamas

-- Ihsan Bagby: "we [Muslims] can never be full citizens of this country... because there is no way we can be fully committed to the institutions and ideologies of this country."

-- Zaid Shakir: "Every Muslim who is honest would say, I would like to see America become a Muslim country"

Sources:

August 27, 2007: The Washington Times - "U.S. sponsors Islamic convention"

ISNA: 44th Annual ISNA Convention - Keynote Speaker: Keith Ellison, US Congressman from Minnesota

ISNA: 44th Annual ISNA Convention Program

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, CR NO. 3:04-CR-240-G, Attachment A - List of Unindicted Co-conspirators and/or Joint Venturers

Muzammil the "Moderate" -- by Steven Emerson

Backgrounder On the Fiqh Council of North America and the Council on American-Islamic Relations -- discusses Muzammil Siddiqi

The DAVID Project: The Silencing -- discusses Siraj Wahhaj

Salon: Islam's flawed spokesmen -- discusses Siraj Wahhaj