Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Released Hikers Feted By Islamist Group -Thank ISNA, Muslims And Quote Koran
Released Hikers Feted By Islamist Group -Thank ISNA, Muslims And Quote Koran
October 18, 2011
ISNA was an unindicted co conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation Hamas funding trial and tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.
In a WND article Aaron Klein wrote that:
" ISNA was founded in 1981 by the Saudi-funded Muslim Students' Association. The two groups are still partners. WND previously attended an association event at which violence against the U.S. was urged by speakers… According to terrorism expert Steven Emerson, ISNA "is a radical group hiding under a false veneer of moderation" that publishes a bimonthly magazine, Islamic Horizons, that "often champions militant Islamist doctrine." http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=184189
Also present at the event was Naeem Baig, an official of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) which is linked to the terrorist groups Hamas,Al Qaeda and Jamaat-e-Islami.
In his book. ‘American Jihad' Steven Emerson wrote that;
"The ICNA openly supports militant Islamic fundamentalist organizations ,praises terror attacks, issues incendiary attacks on western values and policies, and supports the imposition of sharia, (Islamic code of law)."
MIM: Expressing their heartfelt gratitude to Islamists is hardly surprising given the fact that the first statements issued by leftists Bauer, Fattal and Shourd before returning to the United States were anti American, blaming the United States policies towards Iran for their plight and calling for the release of "unjustly imprisoned people in America and Iran".
In an article entitled "Useful Idiot's Stockholm Syndrome" counter terrorism expert Robert Spencer wrote:
"Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, the leftist American hikers who unwittingly ventured across the Iran/Iraq border and were convicted of espionage and imprisoned for two years in Iran, have been freed – and at a press conference Sunday, revealed that they were none the wiser for their ordeal.
They indulged in some moral equivalence: "Two years in prison is too long, and we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in America and Iran." They assured the right-thinking world that their hearts (obviously not their minds) were in the right place: said Bauer, "The irony is Sarah [another hiker who was freed earlier], Josh and I oppose U.S. policies towards Iran which perpetuate this hostility."
They thanked some of the world's leading enemies of freedom and Useful Idiots for fighting for their freedom, including Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez , limousine leftist Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Code Pink's manipulative propagandist Cindy Sheehan, hard-Left America-hating pseudo-scholar Noam Chomsky , and the addle-brained actor/activist Sean Penn....For above all, Bauer said: "The only explanation for our prolonged detention is the 32 years of mutual hostility between America and Iran."
The "only explanation"? Really? Well, actually in other remarks Bauer made it clear that he thought that America was more culpable than Iran: "In prison, every time we complained about our conditions, the guards would immediately remind us of comparable conditions at Guantanamo Bay. They would remind us in other parts of the world and the conditions that Iranians and others experience in prisons in the U.S. We do not believe such human rights violations on the part of our government justify what has been done to us. Not for a moment. However, we do believe these actions on the part of the U.S. provide an excuse for other governments, including the government of Iran to act in kind."
http://frontpagemag.com/2011/09/27/useful-idiots%e2%80%99-stockholm-syndrome/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome Home to American Hikers Josh, Shane, and Sarah
ISNA President gathers with friends and
family of Shane, Josh, and Sarah
(Oct 13, 2011) The Islamic Society of North America and American University welcomed home the American hikers who were freed from Iran by hosting them for a luncheon yesterday in Washington, DC. The welcome was presented on behalf of the American Muslim community, and other leaders present included Naeem Baig of the Islamic Circle of North America, Imam Talib Shareef of Masjid Muhammad, and Imam Faizul Khan of the Islamic Society of Washington Area.
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun, Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, gave introductions at the celebration and presented the full history of how the hikers' families first got in touch with American Muslim leadership. He explained how ISNA and others played a pivotal role in mobilizing the community for this cause.
ISNA leadership and other American Muslims have been very vocal in advocating for the release of Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal, and Sarah Shourd on the basis of Islamic mercy and compassion, and have written several letters appealing for their release to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. In May 2011, ISNA organized a press conference to publicly appeal for Shane and Josh's release, and three-time World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali traveled to Washington, DC for the event. He previously sent two letters on his own requesting their release. Sarah was released on September 14, 2010 and Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer were finally freed after over two long years on September 21, 2011.
During the lunch, Josh Fattal remarked how incredible it was that the American Muslim community, who is currently dealing with anti-Muslim bigotry and a host of other issues affecting its own community, would take the time to help the hikers, who are not Muslim. He found it personally uplifting that American Muslims were speaking out for justice, not because of his religion or other identity, but because he was a human being in need of help.
Shane Bauer expressed how moving it was to hear, while in prison, that the American Muslim community was coming to his defense. One of his goals in life has been to help all Americans better understand who Muslims are, and to hear that this work was happening around him was an inspiration. You can view the full statement of thanks from Josh, Shane, and Sarah below.
ISNA President Imam Magid expressed his delight at the hikers' return home to America after over two long years, stating, "It is the religious duty of the American Muslim community to stand for justice and is in the pursuit of such justice that we and so many others in America advocated for the freedom of Shane, Josh and Sarah."
Statement of Thanks From Hikers to American Muslim Community
Sarah Shourd speaks about her
experience in Iran at the luncheon
The three hikers released this statement thanking the American Muslim community for its efforts:
We would like to extend our deepest thanks to ISNA, Dr. Akbar Ahmed, the Muslim-American community and Muslims throughout the world for their powerful support throughout our detainment.
You recognized our innocence and your selfless commitment to our freedom brought the message of compassion and justice to the Iranian government.
We would also like to offer special thanks to Dr. Akbar Ahmed for the emotional support and guidance he lent to our families throughout this long ordeal.
While we were in jail, other prisoners insisted that their religion was on our side. At risk of severe punishment for talking to us, they whispered to us the verses from the Quran that inspired them most, verses like 2:165: "And if only the oppressors would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to God and that God is severe in punishment."
In prison, we read the Quran in it's entirety. One of our favorite passages was verse 3:92: "You will not obtain righteousness until you give from that which you love." This quote brings to mind all of the selfless support we've received over the last two years.
http://www.isna.net/articles/News/Welcome-Home-to-American-Hikers-Josh-Shane-and-Sarah.aspx
Printer-friendly version 
Email this item to a friend