Bachmann strikes out: leads with her chin and blunts anti Muslim Brotherhood efforts (well, how's that for a bunch of mixed metaphors....).
Michele Bachmann (R-Min) did harm to the efforts to highlight and counter pressure for Sharia law in the US.
The other day she questioned the patriotism of Huma Abedin, the long-time aide to Hilary Clinton with accusations that tie her to a conspiracy of the Muslim Brotherhood to infiltrate the US government.
I take no view on the patriotism of Ms Abedin and am quite willing to stipulate that she has, as John McCain says, "substantial personal merit and her abiding commitment to the American ideals that she embodies so fully."
The bigger problem, apart from Ms Abedi's wounded feelings, is that Bachmann allows a free punch to the counter-counter Jihad movement. And they wasted no time. Free hit!
Here's the New York Times in an editorial headed "McCarthyism Redux". Nothing as sure to shut up the opposition as the slur of "McCarthyism". Well, unless it's "racism" or "Islamophobia". The leader finishes up with a condemnation of "Know Nothingism"; apt, many would say, as it was a Protestant, xenophobic movement of the 19th century, afraid of the hordes of Catholics swamping the US and not sharing its values. Change "Catholic" to "Muslim", and bingo: Know Nothings redux.
The NYT was not alone. In a top-Google outcome of "Michelle Bachmann Muslim Brotherhood" is a link to this. The author Matt Coker makes a number of statements that are wrong -- know nothing, if you will -- but which will resonate because of Bachmann's stupidity in taking aim at Ms Abedin:
For example:
"... the letter reportedly claims...." about a 1991 letter retrieved by the FBI in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation trial. There is no doubt the letter exists, and what it "claims" is not "reportedly" claimed, it is in fact in the Brotherhood letter and it's this:
"... eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers...." [ref]
And, Coker quoting a guy he doesn't much like: "He [Ibrahim El Houdaiby] claimed the document was a forgery and insisted that the Muslim Brotherhood had no presence in the U.S. -- both lies".
Well they are both lies. The Muslim Brotherhood does have a presence in the US and the letter of 1991 is not a forgery: no Muslim Brotherhood representative has denied its veracity.
And:
"While wondering how Muzammil Siddiqi could have acted on a request he did not receive--as well as how many evangelical Christian leaders and gay-conversion advocates like Bachmann's husband would sign a pledge that American Christian apostates should not be harmed by Christians--it occurs that at least Fouse is an equal-opportunity critic."
The request in question was for Siddiqi to sign a pledge that American Muslim apostates should not be harmed. Perhaps Siddiqi did not receive the letter of request. But even if he didn't, shouldn't he have made his position clear in any case (if indeed it was that Muslim apostates should not be harmed), rather than quibble that he didn't receive the letter? Unless, of course he knew -- as surely he must -- that the Islamic legal requirement for apostates is death. [Ref]
After all Siddiqi is Chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America. The Fiqh Council is one of the signatories attesting to the authority of the "Umdat Al-Salik", the Classic Manual of Islamic Jurisprudence, which sets out the basis of Sharia Law. And here's what Sharia says about apostasy, as authorised by the Fiqh council, of which Siddiqi is Chairman. (In short: death by stoning).
More: does Coker seriously believe that even an evangelical Christian, as Bachmann is, would call for harm for Christian apostates? I know of no fundamentalist Christian who has made such a call.
As for Siddiqi, who Coker lauds as someone "honored last year because he truly deserves it": note this: that Siddiqi has called for Sharia law in the US (through "patience, wisdom and hard work") and that "homosexuality is a disease". Some role model to be honored!
It's a pity Bachmann chose to take aim at Huma Abadin.
It's allowed a free kick from those real Know Nothings, or See Nothings, who want to wish away the increasing role of the Muslim Brotherhood in the US, and give honors to Siddiqi-style homophobic promoters of Sharia law and killing of apostates.
