GOP Vixen

Muslims protest terror

On May 14, in Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., key foot soldiers in the War on Terror gathered in a historic event: the March Against Terror organized by Free Muslims Against
Terrorism. The aim was to send an unwavering message that terrorism cannot be justified in what was billed as the first-ever march of its kind in Washington led by Muslims and Middle Easterners.

Kamal Nawash, president of Free Muslims Against Terrorism, told me before the event that several of the more prominent Muslim activist organizations in the U.S. were invited to attend or endorse the event. They declined.

I contacted the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which was missing from the endorsement list. Spokesman Ibrahim Hooper confirmed that they were not endorsing the march for reasons he wouldn't state on the record, adding, “CAIR and American Muslims have condemned terrorism consistently before and after the 9-11 attacks.”

However, dozens of smaller groups heard about the march and contacted Nawash about participating or lending their endorsement, ranging from Lebanese and Iranian groups to an Israeli student organization to the Vietnamese government in exile and Vietnam vets. The march also had the backing of my favorite demonstration-crashers, the Protest Warriors.

One Muslim who marched was Abed Jlelati, a Los Angeles-area resident, Syrian native and president of the California chapter of Free Muslims Against Terrorism. “Unfortunately, a lot of Muslims around the world have been silent about what extremists are doing,” he said. Why did he going to D.C.? “I'm standing up and I want to be counted.”

The march aimed to unite all those who feel that way. “We want to be an example to all the Muslim organizations who are trying to find a voice,” said Nawash.

So why now? “You have people who feel a real sense of urgency,” he said, adding that the Lebanese, now that Syria is out, want to oust Hezbollah and the Iranians want to get rid of the mullahs. “It is an ideological battle and the only ones who can really win an ideological battle are Muslims themselves. This is why the rally was organized.”

Nawash said that for years, the ultra-conservative Muslim groups in the U.S. were the only ones organized. And, he said, if the Muslim community got a bad name, it was deserved as theocratic extremist organizations exerted influence. Hence, the Free Muslims Against Terrorism and other small groups sprang up in the past few years, advocating a zero-tolerance policy. “Other groups want to make exceptions, like for Hamas,” said Nawash, a Palestinian.

A unique feature about the group -- one that has led to accusations that the Free Muslims are under the thumb of the CIA or the Mossad -- is a page on its Web site called “Eye on Extremism,” where tips about terror can be submitted. “Tell us about individuals, organizations, student associations, religious leaders, mosques or any other group or individual of influence that advocates Muslim extremist ideology, engage in apologetic support for terrorist organizations or advocates Jihad,” the site states.

Suspicion and distrust remain a huge hurdle for well-meaning Muslim groups to overcome. I found one blogger speculating before the march that it was simply a front to pull off a large suicide bombing attack on D.C.

But countering this are the progressives, such as the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a March Against Terror participant that held a rally against terrorism in Phoenix last year. “A major component in the war on terror is the intellectual deconstruction of the claim Islamo-fascists have upon the religion of Islam,” says a group statement. “AIFD was formed as an unmistakable expression of American liberty and freedom in an attempt to take back the faith of Islam from the demagoguery of the Islamo-fascists.”

“What you're seeing here is the evolution of Islam in America that can ultimately be exported to the Muslim world,” Nawash said. I asked Nawash if there were any concurrent marches planned outside of D.C. He replied he'd gotten about 200 e-mails asking the same question. “We'll finish this (march) first, then move on to other states,” he said.

Lovebirds feather nest

Hat tip to Wonkette for this link to the wedding gift registry of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, who tied the knot on May 20 in one of those rare happy endings for sex offender and victim. It looks like they got most of the dinnerware they wanted, the Kate Spade barware, and seven of the 12 five-piece place settings of Waterford flatware they requested (how big *is* their social circle?). They got the Belgian waffler and the rice cooker, but no one sprang for the knives. They didn't get much in the way of bedding, though perhaps guests remembered the couple's fondness for backseats. And maybe the nuptials made everyone feel sort of dirty, since the newlyweds got all the bath towels they desired.

Hamas offline

Every once in a while I check out the Hamas Online site to get new material, watch terror training videos and mock bad terrorist poetry. However, when I checked today the site is gone. I believe there was an effort by World Net Daily to get U.S.-based companies to stop carrying Hamas' many sites across the Web, but it seems to just be shuffled to other sites based out of other countries and still in English.

The Palestinian Information Center site has many features the old Hamas site has, including news updates, tributes to the latest Hamas-ites who meet with Israeli rockets and blathering on and on about "Zionist terrorism." They criticize the Middle East "road map" and, sure enough, their lesson on the geography of Palestine shows Israel not existing. Is Mahmoud Abbas really, seriously going to get anything done there?

The site has an e-mail link for visitors to submit comments. My question to them: Is it the People's Front of Judea or the Judean People's Front? (Major props to those who get this reference!)

Blame Canada

Starting June 1, overdose and wrist-slashing urges will only be permissible between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Prince Edward Island. The province claims its 24-hour suicide hotline is too expensive, so will now mostly be catering to businessmen thinking of plummeting from ledges during business hours. Apparently, not enough people are trying to kill themselves to warrant round-the-clock service. Mental-health groups are going crazy.

"Idol" results fixed?

Carrie Underwood has been named this year's "American Idol" though runner-up Bo Bice is, um, more talented. Unlike past years, Ryan Seacrest didn't tell how many votes separated the pair. And Vote for the Worst, the Web site that helped keep babymama-beater Scott Savol in the running for way too long, has an interesting story on its site. The U.K.'s Independent posted a story Sunday on its Web site about Britain's BusinessWeek stars, including "Simon Fuller, the pop impresario whose American Idol TV competition was won this year by Carrie Underwood." The article, reports Vote for the Worst, has since been taken down, but they snagged an image of the page before that happened.

I remember, too, thinking it was odd during the auditions that Fox showed footage of Carrie toting around pails, etc., at her Oklahoma farm -- footage later repeated in her bio reel. At the audition stage, Fox wasn't going to anyone else's home -- particularly so far from the nearest audition site, in her case St. Louis -- to shoot footage. Out of all the auditions, 193 people were chosen to go to Hollywood. This field was cut to 44, at which point the audience finally started getting a say. Simon Cowell hasn't tried to hide his preference for Carrie throughout the season, even stating that she would sell more records than any other Idol.

Why would the Idol folks skew it to Carrie? Out of the three prior Idols, Kelly Clarkson has had the most longevity and sales. They probably wanted another easily molded perky pop-ette.

A high point of the show was a skit spoofing ABC's kettle-stirring expose of Paula Abdul allegedly cavorting with an ex-contestant. One of the low points of the final show was the opening number with the other sherbert-color-clad Idol finalists, a medley of surf songs including the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann." Savol, clad in an orange coat that made him look like a pumpkin, hit horrifying solo high notes that inspired many to hit mute buttons.

The reality show I'm really waiting for is "Tommy Lee Goes to College," premiering on Aug. 9 on NBC and following the Motley Crue drummer at the University of Nebraska. It has to be better than VH-1's extreme makeover of Vince Neil.

Dis' the hee-haw

Here's hoping Bo Bice wins "American Idol" tonight. Yes, Oklahoma farm girl Carrie Underwood has a good voice, if relying too much on high notes to make her point. But Bice is a performer, the total package sought by record labels. He has charisma, a "cool" factor, a great voice, and major stage presence. Carrie seems like a nice enough girl, but on stage she's got a dry personality. There's no "it" factor.

It also comes down to rock vs. country, and I will be extremely distressed if country wins out. What's more American than rock? Last Thursday Fox played "Idol" audition clips from around the world -- there are versions in 30-something countries, including Kazakhstan -- and when the contestants pick American songs to perform, they pick rock such as Elvis. Yes, Bo will have a record contract whether he comes in first or second. But it would be nice to make a symbolic point along the way -- rock reigns.

R is for recidivism

Remember Lionel Tate, the kid who beat a 6-year-old to death when he was 12 and claimed he was just imitating wrestling moves? Remember how soooo many people were outraged when he got a life sentence? Then he went free five years later on a deal that put him on a year of house arrest and 10 years of probation. Last September he violated the terms of his probation and got another five years added on.

Now 18, the bundle of sunshine has been arrested on charges of pulling a gun on a pizza driver and beating up his friend. Will all the bleeding hearts who cried for mercy after Tate body-slammed a little girl to death wake up and smell the recidivism? They were waiting for some magic line of culpability for Tate to cross, not paying heed to the fact that many of the most notorious killers showed signs early on (often the trifecta of firesetting, bed-wetting and animal torture). When a kid shows such violence and kills, there's more going on than horseplay. Put protection of society first.

Crazy like a Fox

Now Vicente's done it. After the Mexican president's dumb comment that Mexicans in the U.S. do the work that "not even blacks" will do, he refused to apologize. Last Wednesday, Jesse Jackson visited. On Monday, Al Sharpton cornered him. The AP reports on the visit here; Sharpton says, "We didn't throw chairs at each other." Good start. Fox accepted an invitation to meet with black leaders in New York.

Fox's statement was lousy and insensitive and he should apologize. But I think Shapton also owes an apology -- or at least a revamp of his agenda -- for his statement: "I think that Mexicans and African-Americans and Latino-Americans need to be on the same side on everything." Along with pigeon-holeing minorities, he implies that minorities don't have their own minds and own thoughts on issues, their own hopes and dreams, and because of skin color should automatically have an agenda that falls into lockstep with ... his! Can we stop all the political racism, please?

No trespassing

When the New Ipswich, N.H., police kept running across illegal immigrants on traffic stops and in other routine business, they would call federal immigration officials -- who didn't want to pick up the illegals. So police chief W. Garrett Chamberlain started applying the only statute he could think of to the undocumented immigrants: trespassing. These people were fully admitting they were in the country -- and state of New Hampshire -- illegally, so they were trespassing on the land. Soon after, police chief Richard E. Gendron of Hudson, N.H., followed Chamberlain's lead and started charging illegals with trespassing.

The first guy charged with trespassing, Jorge Mora Ramirez, 21, had pled guilty, according to the New Hampshire Union-Leader, but reversed his plea after the Mexican consulate intervened. His bench trial is set for July 12. And the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union is butting in, claiming the trespassing charges are a misinterpretation of the law and fearful other jurisdictions will follow the tiny towns' suit.

It's disturbing that the agencies that are supposed to enforce immigration law completely disregard local authorities when they report illegals. Kudos to the police chiefs for getting creative. Let's see how this plays out.

Sowing blog oats

Trey Jackson over at Jackson's Junction has asked me to lend my voice to his blog, so check out my diabtribe on filibusters today. Jackson's Junction is also home to fellow Angeleno and uber-blogger Dirty Harry, so there's always something new to check out there. This blog remains the home base of GOP Vixen, though; much love to the loyal readers!