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Showing posts with label Hudson Institute. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hudson Institute. Show all posts

Friday, April 17, 2009

Islamism Series: The Brotherhood

With the new kinder, gentler Obama administration becoming more and more entrenched by the week, their media apparatus and their own actions have thus far been successful in lulling us to sleep. To ignore the presence and growth of radical Islam here in the United States, to sleep the sleep of the dreamers who believe that a simple regime change here in America has made any difference to those radicals whatsoever, places us all in greater danger. On Monday, April 6th, 2009 the Hudson Institute, one of the most respected research think-tanks in the world, issued a report on 'The Muslim Brotherhood in the United States'. In short, the report states that "Leadership of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood has said that its goal was and is jihad aimed at destroying the U.S. from within." The report goes on to talk about the stated means of making this happen, by establishing Islamic organizations here in the U.S. that are under the control of The Brotherhood. The organization has for more than four decades been building a wide-ranging and elaborate cadre of front groups while denying publicly that it has any desire to topple the American governmental structure. The Hudson report, written by Steven Merley, says that the current operating goal has been in existence for at least two decades, and that is one of the concept of 'Settlement'. This benign-sounding term basically means the establishment, organization, and growth of Islam here in America. The reality behind this soft-sounding term of 'settlement', as a 1991 document published by U.S. Brotherhood leader Mohammed Akram said, is quite simply "a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within." The Muslim Brotherhood is to be at the forefront of that jihad here in the U.S., propped up by a covert infrastructure that supports a series of public organizations. Merley's Hudson report goes on to describe the growth of the Brotherhood in Europe prior to its coming to America, and then goes on to elaborate on that move here to the U.S. and its growth here since the 1960's. The wrap-up is the truth that the Brotherhood continues to publicly deny: it has a radical Islamic history, it has supported radical Islamic groups with ideology, money, and legal support, and it has made no efforts to reform itself. In short, the Muslim Brotherhood remains an organization committed at its very core to infiltrating the American government and society, and slowing but surely seeking and finding ways to overthrow democracy, capitalism, and freedom itself, replacing it with rule by fundamentalist Sharia Islamic law. Since taking office, some have claimed that Mr. Obama has allowed this organization to find a footing with him in Washington, including Douglas Farah at the Counterterrorism Blog who recently posted an article titled 'The Inroads of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration'. It is difficult to make that leap, that Brotherhood members, whether pronounced or covert, are in any way a part of the Obama administration. What is not difficult to examine, however, is the general attitude towards security and intelligence that the administration is taking. There is an article in today's Wall Street Journal by Gen. Michael Hayden, director of the CIA from 2006-2009, and Michael Mukasey, who was the U.S. Attorney General from 2007-2009 which is headlined 'The President Ties His Own Hands on Terror' and which basically claims that Obama's actions are making us less likely to be able to effectively monitor groups like the Brotherhood here in America. They talk about a book by Jack Goldsmith titled 'The Terror Presidency' in which Goldsmith speaks of "cycles of timidity and aggression": politicians, such as the Obama people are doing today, pressure the intel community to push legal limits, then accuse these people when aggressiveness goes out of vogue, thereby incurring no risk to themselves, while then being able to call the intel community timid in the wake of a 9/11-type attack. This is just one of many dangers with the Obama administration. They will talk tough, but tie the hands of intel and security people publicly, then will quietly tell them to do whatever they can to ensure our national security, and will either take praise if all goes well or shift blame to that intel and security community if things go poorly or a major attack happens. The 'intel' community didn't get that moniker from nowhere, they aren't stupid, and so they see how this game is being developed by the Obama folks, who have had a near-impossible time attempting to fill many of their highest-level job positions in these areas. One has to hope that it won't take a 9/11, or worse, for the Obama folks to wake up and realize the true danger that groups like the Muslim Brotherhood pose to America, its people, and our traditional way of life. While Obama plays political games with intel and security, the Brotherhood continues to operate towards its stated objective of one day lowering the American flag, and raising an Islamic flag over the White House. NOTE: As always, the title of this piece is a link to further information on the topic, this time to Steven Merley's Hudson Institute report.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

America's Secular Challenge

At Christmastime we are supposed to be celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and the majority of Americans will be doing just that. But there is a relatively small yet growing segment of our population that does not realize, or does not care, that it was the values taught by Him which formed the basis of our very national existence. These 'secularists', 'humanists', 'atheists' and others want any references to Jesus Christ, God, or anything else religious kept out of the public sphere. They certainly feel that displays of religion on public property should be considered not only inappropriate, but illegal, even during a specifically religious holiday time such as Christmas or Easter. They especially and more vociferously fight against such displays or references when it comes to Christian religious holidays, knowing full well that most Americans self-identify as Christians, that America itself was founded on Judeo-Christian values, and that if they can knock off the big boy they essentially win victory over all organized religion. It is the challenge of normal, everyday, faithful, God-loving Americans to stand up against these groups and individuals. That is the message of a new book by Herbert London titled "America's Secular Challenge" from Encounter Books. London is a noted writer of numerous books and articles in almost every major publication. He is also the President of the influential Hudson Institute, a non-partisan policy research organization 'dedicated to innovative research and analysis that promotes global security, prosperity, and freedom.' At just 97 pages, London's effort is more of a booklet or lengthy essay, and yet there is nothing missing on an intellectual level. He moves through all of the relevant topics involved in the issue of the secularists attacks on organized religion, especially Christianity, in a very readable and informative way over just six chapters: "Secularism: America's New Religion", "Truth as a Relative Concept", "The Limitations of Science", "Government's Rational Largesse", "Patriotism as a Moral Problem", and "Tolerance, Discrimination, and Discernment." He has some specific messages for we Catholics, words that we have heard before but really need to take to heart: "Catholicism, despite many new converts, is culturally in retreat, not only as a religion, but as an authoritative voice of moral conviction." He goes on to quote Pope Benedict XVI as he spoke to one youthful audience: "The great challenge of our time is secularism...The first necessity: that God becomes newly present in our lives." He draws distinctions between such things as infamy and fame, and talks about how our current culture misuses those words and misidentifies individuals with those labels. London weaves in references to the French Revolution, Vietnam, and the current struggle against Islamism in presenting his idea that in order to survive, America "must recognize and defend its religious heritage." An excellent book that won't take up a lot of your time, but will contribute greatly to your understanding of the issues in and the problem of "America's Secular Challenge."
NOTE: As all entries are, the title of this article is a link to further information. This particular title will link you to purchase the book at Amazon.