[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Petrodollars for peace

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
Petrodollars for peace
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1171137930.shtml


   Leftist organization [1]International ANSWER's slogan is "Act Now to
   Stop War and End Racism." Like most activist's mission statements,
   their claim has been proven false many times. That doesn't stop them
   from repeating it.

   Their claim to be 'anti-war' was most notably when their connection to
   the [2]World Worker's Party and to the [3]supporters of [4]Kim Jong Il
   was exposed.

   ANSWER/WWP's supporters, and their history, including their "love
   affair with Slobodan Milosevic" and their description of reports of
   Serb atrocities against Muslims as "imperialist lies." caused a split
   within the anti-war movement. On December 12th United For Peace and
   Justice, announced their decision "not to coordinate work with ANSWER
   (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) again on a national level."

   According to Lennie Brenner's Jan. 2006 article, published in NYC
   indemedia and Counterpunch, titled: [5]The War Within the Antiwar
   Movement: Not Dealing with Zionism is Like a King Kong Movie Without
   the Ape:

     [United for Peace and Justice's] national committee complained that
     ANSWER reneged on the organizations' plan for structuring the demo.
     But beyond proclaiming that "the souring of the political
     atmosphere is largely due to ANSWER, which, in our experience,
     consistently substitutes labels ('racist,' 'anti-unity') and
     mischaracterization of others' views for substantive political
     debate or problem solving," UFPJ gave us nothing substantial re the
     coalitions' political differences.

   In the article, Leslie Cagan, UFPJ's national coordinator, recieves
   the harshest of criticism - implications that her "political
   differences" with ANSWER are a form of collaboration:

     "Leslie is dedicated to peace. But if she is to retain her
     reputation, she must be able to justify UFPJ's position, now, when
     she knows that the Israeli ambassador is happy because it refuses
     to work with ANSWER."

   Brenner notes that both ANSWER and United for Peace and Justice are
   both silent on the issue of Saudi Arabia:

     I've asked Leslie if UFPJ has a position on US money & weapons to
     Saudi Arabia: "Perhaps we need to develop one?" ANSWER also doesn't
     say much about Saudia. Now high oil prices, awareness that it was
     Al-Qaada's breeding ground, & total subjugation of women, make it
     the most unpopular US ally. Muslims bow 5 times a day in the
     direction of Mecca. But Wall Street bows once a second towards
     Saudi Arabia. The antiwar movement should get those wonderful April
     photos of Bush & Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah holding hands at the
     Texas ranch & put them up everywhere. The 3 classic goals for
     progressives are get the people mobilized, organized & educated.
     Wars, exploitation, oppression make folks begin to think & we can
     mobilize some in the streets. But the antiwar split proves that we
     haven't gotten our act together organizationally. The reason?
     Precisely because neither UFPJ or ANSWER is into serious education.

   ANSWER may not be into serious eductation about Saudi Arabia because
   apparently they're recieving some serious Saudi money.

   Saudi donations to the Stalinist Left follow an old path, through
   terrorism's financial center, the group the [6]Christian Science
   monitor calls "a popular social and political group that wants rule by
   Islamic law" the [7]Muslim Brotherhood.

   According to International Assessment and Strategy Center's report:
   [8]The Little Explored Offshore Empire of the International Muslim
   Brotherhood

     Almost from the inception of the modern Islamic banking structure
     (early 1980s), the international Muslim Brotherhood set up a
     parallel and far-flung offshore structure that has become an
     integral part of its ability to hide and move money around the
     world. This network is little understood and has, so far, garnered
     little attention from the intelligence and law enforcement
     communities tracking terrorist financial structures.

     The fundamental premise of the Brotherhood in setting up this
     structure was that it is necessary to build a clandestine structure
     that was hidden from non-Muslims and even Muslims who do not share
     the Brotherhoodâs fundamental objective of recreating the Islamic
     caliphate and spreading Islam, by force and persuasion, across the
     globe...

     ...In 2003 Richard Clarke said âthe issue of terrorist financing in
     the United States is a fundamental example of the shared
     infrastructure levered by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al Qaeda, all of
     which enjoy a significant degree of cooperation and coordination
     within our borders. The common link here is the extremist Muslim
     Brotherhoodâall these organizations are descendants of the
     membership and ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.â[5] However,
     this understanding has not taken root in the intelligence, law
     enforcement and policy communities, nor has the financial network
     of the Brotherhood come under intense scrutiny.

     Public records show the Brotherhoodâs financial network of holding
     companies, subsidiaries, shell banks and real financial
     institutions stretches to Panama, Liberia, British Virgin Islands,
     Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Cyprus, Nigeria, Brazil, Argentina,
     Paraguay and beyond. Many of the entities are in the names of
     individuals who, like Nada, Nasreddin, al-Qaradawi and Himmat, have
     publicly identified themselves as Brotherhood leaders.

     A senior U.S. government official estimates the total assets of the
     international Brotherhood to be between $5 billion and $10 billion.

   Although they are apparently 'stateless', terrorism's military and
   support structure is similar to any other army's structure. The armed,
   trained soldiers are one branch, the political spokesmen and leaders
   are another branch and the finanical supporters of this military
   structure are another branch. All are part of the same organization,
   and all are working together to wage war.

   According to this Department of Treasury Report:

     Bank Al Taqwa, for which Nasreddin is a director, was established
     in 1988 with significant backing from the Muslim Brotherhood. They
     have been involved in financing radical groups such as the
     Palestinian Hamas, Algeria's Islamic Salvation Front and Armed
     Islamic Group, Tunisia's An-Nahda, and Usama bin Laden and his Al
     Qaida organization. Bank Al Taqwa was established in the Bahamas
     and is a close affiliate of the Al Taqwa Management Organization,
     which changed its name in the spring of 2000 to the Nada Management
     Organization. In 1997, it was reported that the $60 million
     collected annually for Hamas was moved to Bank Al Taqwa accounts.
     As of October 2000, Bank Al Taqwa appeared to be providing a
     clandestine line of credit to a close associate of Usama bin Laden
     and as of late September 2001, Usama bin Laden and his Al Qaida
     organization received financial assistance from Youssef M. Nada

   The Muslim Brotherhood's [9]front in the United States is called
   [10]The Muslim American Society (MAS). 

   The [11]Muslim Brotherhood-led and Saudi-financed activities:

     ...effect a wide range of affairs, from daily minutia to public
     policy. Consider these examples:

     ⢠On June 6, 2006, a Minnesota Muslim American Society (MAS) fatwa
     ordered Muslim drivers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport not to
     transport passengers carrying alcohol, to avoid "cooperating in
     sin.â Most Muslim drivers there originate from Somalia, where
     carrying alcohol in a bag was never a problem. But by August 2006,
     some 77 passengers per month, carrying duty-free bags containing
     sealed alcoholic drinks were refused by Muslim cab drivers
     complying with the MAS fatwa. At first, Minnesotaâs Metropolitan
     Airports Commission considered their demands and offered two-tier
     taxi system; one for alcohol carriers and a second for the others.
     Only public outrage forced the Commission to kill their proposal...

   The Muslim Brotherhood/Muslim American Society calls itself "a
   charitable, religious, social, cultural, and educational,
   not-for-profit organization..a pioneering Islamic organization, an
   Islamic revival, and reform movement that uplifts the individual,
   family, and society."

   Given their mission statement, and given their supposed support of
   Muslim groups, including the Muslims in Bosnia, [12]their reaction to
   United for Peace and Justice's rift with ANSWER is odd:

     (Washington, DC) - Over one hundred prominent Muslim leaders and
     National organizations have indicated that there is only one rally
     and march in Washington, DC, on September 24. And it will not be
     the "Segregation" March proposed by United for Peace and Justice
     (UFPJ). Responding to what has been categorized as a patronizing
     elitist and separation agenda that has long been a divisive issue
     in the anti-war and peace movement, prominent leaders in the Muslim
     and Arab community made it clear that they will not allow groups
     like the United for Peace and Justice set the agenda for American
     Muslim involvement in the peace movement. Thus the idea that UFPJ
     will attempt to hold a separate March and Rally on September 24 in
     Washington, DC, and not join in principle the September 24 National
     Coalition for the March on Washington is viewed by many as a
     "segregationist counter-rally". Why? The answer is simple. It is
     all about having a principle position on Palestine. When it is all
     said and done UFPJ has paid mere lip service to the Palestine issue
     and struggle as being part and parcel of the American Peace
     Movement. They have ignored the insistence of authentic voices in
     the Muslim and Arab community that ending the occupation of
     Palestine and other regions of the world should not be decoupled
     from ending the occupation in Iraq.

     Mahdi Bray, Executive Director, MAS Freedom Foundation stated, "The
     days when a few elitists with a few surrogate persons of color can
     stymie the hope and aspirations of millions of American Muslims
     concerning a principle agenda and response to what takes place in
     the Muslim world is over. Letâs get real here, UFPJ called for a
     segregated March in DC after the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition made the
     initial call. They listed all kinds of excuses why they can't join
     a unity effort.

   Not coincidentally, Mahdi Bray's [13]MAS Freedom Foundation, has been
   working very closely with ANSWER for years. The Muslim Brotherhood
   [14]The Muslim Brotherhood's English language site, ikhwan.tv, proudly
   describes one of these co-sponsored marches:

     The National Emergency March on Washington is co-sponsored by the
     A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition and the
     National Council of Arab Americans (NCA).

     Your support is vital! Send your generous donations today addressed
     to:

     MAS FREEDOM FOUNDATION
     1050 17th Street NW, Suite 600
     Washington, DC 20036

     The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "For every day the
     sun rises, (God grants a reward to) the one who establishes justice
     among people." Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Hadith 870.

   ANSWER, ("Act Now to Stop War and End Racism."), which is financed by
   one of the most racist regimes in the Middle East, has another
   [15]petrodollar-funded 'anti-war' march scheduled for March 17th.
   They'll be marching with the Muslim Brotherhood's
   corporate-petrodollar-funded "not-for-profit organization", the Muslim
   American society, reconfirming the fact that, for many 'anti-war'
   organizations, Orwell's 1984 was a how-to guide. War=peace

   Oh, and no blood for oil!

References

   1. http://www.internationalanswer.org/
   2. http://www.infoshop.org/texts/wwp.html
   3. http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=5039
   4. http://www.awakenedwoman.com/cora_weiss.htm
   5. http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2006/01/63126.html
   6. http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1123/p08s02-comv.html
   7. http://www.ummah.net/ikhwan/
   8. http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.102/pub_detail.asp
   9. http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1122353137.shtml
  10. http://www.masnet.org/
  11. http://www.terrorfinance.org/the_terror_finance_blog/2006/11/the_muslim_brot.html
  12. http://www.masnet.org/takeaction.asp?id=2621
  13. http://www.masnet.org/index_publicaffairs.asp
  14. http://www.ikhwan.tv/Home.asp?zPage=Systems&System=PressR&Press=Show&Lang=E&ID=4908
  15. http://answer.pephost.org/site/News2?abbr=ANS_&page=NewsArticle&id=8107