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| Senate Will Probe Saudi Distribution Of Hate Materials | |
| 2005-10-05 | |
WASHINGTON - The American government is demanding that Saudi Arabia account for its distribution of hate material to American mosques, as the State Department pressed Saudi officials for answers last week and as the Senate later this month plans to investigate the propagation of radical Wahhabism on American shores.
The flurry of activity comes months after a report from the Center for Religious Freedom discovered that dozens of mosques in major cities across the country, including New York, Washington, and Los Angeles, were distributing documents, bearing the seal of the government of Saudi Arabia, that incite Muslims to acts of violence and promote hatred of Jews and Christians. A Washington-based group that is part of the human rights organization Freedom House, the Center for Religious Freedom also found during its yearlong study that the Saudi-produced materials describe democracy and America as un-Islamic. They instruct recent Muslim immigrants to consider Americans as enemies and the materials urge new arrivals to use their time here as preparation for jihad. The documents also promote the version of Islam officially embraced by Saudi government and several of the September 11, 2001, hijackers, Wahhabism, as the only authentic Islam. In response to the Freedom House report and as part of the Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2005 sponsored by Senator Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania, the Judiciary Committee - of which Senator Specter is chairman - will be holding hearings into the hate materials on October 25, a spokesman for the senator, William Reynolds, said yesterday. The Accountability Act, introduced in June, says its purpose is "to halt Saudi support for institutions that fund, train, incite, encourage, or in any other way aid and abet terrorism, and to secure fully Saudi cooperation in the investigation of terrorist incidents." The legislation is highly critical of the House of Saud for its support of terrorist activity and cites the January Freedom House report as evidence of the kingdom's complicity in the spread of radical Islamist ideology. As part of the Accountability Act, Senator Specter has in the past held Judiciary Committee hearings into Saudi financing of terrorism and Saudi Arabia's role in injecting ideology into textbooks for Palestinian Arab schoolchildren. Many of the details of the Judiciary Committee hearing later this month, Mr. Reynolds said, are still being arranged, including a final witness list. In the meantime, the committee expects testimony from the State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Freedom House, and terrorism experts. The committee will press to determine whether the Saudi government has taken steps to stop the distribution of the materials, and will cull from witnesses recommendations to prevent their future dissemination, Mr. Reynolds said. Also demanding answers about the hate materials is the State Department's undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, Karen Hughes. During a high-profile trip to the Middle East last week, Ms. Hughes said American representatives had addressed the propagation of Saudi hate material in America during private meetings with government officials. In a State Department briefing held en route to Ankara, Turkey, from Saudi Arabia last Tuesday, Ms. Hughes was asked why she had raised the issue that day during a public meeting with Saudi journalists, becoming the first American official to do so publicly. "We had been raising the issue privately," Ms. Hughes said, "and as part of raising difficult issues that we need to discuss, I felt it was appropriate." The undersecretary did not elaborate on the results of the private meetings, but the degree to which Saudi Arabia is making efforts to stop the propaganda will be a subject of the Senate hearings, Mr. Reynolds said. Requests for comment from the Embassy of Saudi Arabia yesterday were not returned. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #15 Hrm, hrrm. no mesSin' around That's what I get for trying to be too idiomatic... ;-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-10-05 18:44 |
| #14 He made an interesting response to that question at yesterday's press conference, didn't he? Yes indeed, Eric. Clearly, he looked at the Katrina debacle as a warm-up for a real, no mesin' around this time, full-blown national emergency. And the bird flu is a much better topic-of-opportunity than another 9/11... or even an Oklahoma City explosion. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-10-05 17:46 |
| #13 Hey we need more Bubba's to clear out these folks that don't like our way of life here. With legal immigration don't they check out these details? Geez. |
| Posted by: Jan 2005-10-05 16:48 |
| #12 Trailing, Not to mention trying to prepare for an avian flu epidemic. He made an interesting response to that question at yesterday's press conference, didn't he? |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2005-10-05 14:38 |
| #11 Material that promotes, condones, or incites acts of violence should be addressed with the current laws that forbid the dissemination of such filth. Equally the purveyors of this shit, if convicted, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. But make no mistake about it, Hate Crime laws for the most part are PC Bullshit! |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2005-10-05 13:32 |
| #10 last Tuesday, Ms. Hughes was asked why she had raised the issue that day during a public meeting with Saudi journalists, becoming the first American official to do so publicly. Since all diplomats are supposed to be mouthpieces of the Executive, and since Karen Hughes was appointed by Bush to be his special envoy, I think we can assume that Bush is aware of the Saudi princelings' duplicity and that he is in on the current effort to confront them. Bush has been a busy little beaver lately: two hurricanes handled in ways that revealed the abilities of the various state hierarchies to deal with crises, one judge nominated and confirmed to the Supreme Court, a second name put up for a pending vacancy (both of which, it sounds like, could significantly change the character of the Justices' discussions), the bad guys revealing themselves in the light of coordinated Coalition/Iraqi armed forces attacks -- and ever more Iraqi troops and police proving capable of handling their tasks in the face of active opposition, Syria openly accused, Iran openly accused... If one didn't know better, one would think Bush had a list, and was ticking things off! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-10-05 13:30 |
| #9 Does anyone think the radicalization of muslim as happened in Europe, Southeast Asia, anywhere Wahabis set up won't happen in the US. The Saudis (and Iranians) have had 25 years to work their plans in mosques, madrassas, and airwaves in those areas and anywhere else there are muslims. In the US, 80% of mosques are Wahabi controlled/influenced and the result will be similar even if the time table is slower. Get off the oil teat and deport the muslims. We have the technology and capital to do it, we only need to wake up and summon the will. Otherwise get used to a perpetual war on civilians committed by the muslim fifth column with the backing of the worldwide ummah. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-10-05 13:19 |
| #8 BrerRabbit, you've achieved Redneck Status. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-10-05 13:13 |
| #7 Golly gee ... the Saudis aren't our friends after all. Who'd a ever thunk it? Seems like the White House had a really tough time wrapping their minds around what's been common knowledge here at Rantburg, like, for f&*king evah. Mebbe it's time to have the Saudis spend an equal or greater amount of money distributing literature promoting religious tolerance and unconditionally condemning violent jihad. If they prove incapable of such, I'd vote wholeheartedly for immediate confiscation of that wee strip of Saudi land .com has been making such a fuss about. That oughta finance all the reparations needed. Any of you who doubt the article need to Google on Prince Faisal Ben Turki Al Abdullah. |
| Posted by: Mister Reverse PC Mentality 2005-10-05 12:55 |
| #6 In SA you are required to live by their beliefs or you will be arrested by the Muttawa. What's fair is fair. When they come to our land they should be required to own a hunting dog, eat ribs, drink beer, oggle football chearleaders etc. If they refuse they should be arrested by our religious police, the Bubbas, and taken fishin' (if you know I mean). |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2005-10-05 12:25 |
| #5 Oh-oh. Looks like the new ambassador better get over there with his magic goodie bag. The extra large one. Pronto! |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-10-05 11:52 |
| #4 You read that stuff they put out and know they are talking about YOUR mother, father, brother, wife, etc. You know damn well nothing is being done. Anywhere. |
| Posted by: hodiak47 2005-10-05 11:18 |
| #3 Over the line, folks. Deport everyone involved with this; those that have citizenship should be up on treason charges; any with diplomatic immunity should be PNG'd and sent home without a chance to pack their bags. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-10-05 10:36 |
| #2 Amen. Political Correctness for us targets as civilian suckers for the powers that be. The Islamic Hate Machine is unimpeded. Yes, KILL EM. |
| Posted by: hodiak47 2005-10-05 10:33 |
| #1 Wait a MINUTE???? Their immigrating here and we welcome them w/ open arms and THEN their taught to HATE AND KILL AMERICANS????? I say we start FIRST!!!! You see em' with hate material KILL EM"!!!! VERY SIMPLE!!!!!!! |
| Posted by: ARMYGUY 2005-10-05 10:27 |