New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s nomination of Sohail Mohammed to be a state judge shows the governor’s tin ear for radical Islam. Not only did he appoint a longtime mouthpiece for radical Islamists to be a judge, but Christie has also turned a blind eye to the activities of one of Mohammed’s clients – radical imam Mohammed Qatanani, head of one of New Jersey’s largest mosques.
Qatanani has a history of Hamas support and was related by marriage to a leading Hamas operative in the West Bank. This fall, Qatanani will return to a New Jersey immigration court, where the Department of Homeland Security is fighting to have him deported. In his initial application for a green card filed in 1999, government lawyers say Qatanani failed to disclose a conviction in an Israeli military court for being a Hamas member and providing support to the terrorist group.
Oddly, Christie – a Republican who was then the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey – sided with Qatanani against DHS, allowing a top lieutenant, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles McKenna, to testify as a character witness at Qatanani’s first immigration trial, and publicly embracing the imam at a Ramadan breakfast at his mosque. Christie later appointed McKenna as New Jersey’s head of homeland security..
As general counsel to the American Muslim Union (AMU), Mohammed often represented clients subject to government allegations concerning terrorists. The AMU often is highly critical of U.S. counter-terrorism efforts.
One online newsletter even included a claim that a “Zionist commando orchestrated the 9/11 terrorist attacks” and shows support for a “Rabbi” from the extremist Jewish organization Neturei Karta, which denies the right of Israel to exist and supports its dismantling.
[…]
During a lecture given a year earlier, Qatanani included the HLF defendants in a prayer for relief from oppression. “Oh Allah assist our brothers and sisters in Philistine [Palestine], and Iraq and Chechnya,” he said. “O Allah remove occupation and oppression and o Allah improve the matters of our community … to assist our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land Foundation, ask oh Allah … to assist them and to remove the difficulty that they have been inflicted with all of the brothers and sisters in this country, oh Allah to prove them non-guilty.”
Additionally, Mohammed publicly defended Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative Sami Al-Arian following a 2003 indictment which alleged he was a North American leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Appearing on MSNBC, Mohammed criticized the fact that it took years of investigation before the indictment was issued. “It all points out to the distrust that the Muslim community have, which is this is nothing but a witch-hunt,” he said. “This is nothing but a politically motivated indictment, and all you are waiting for is the right opportunity to indict the person, the climate is right.”
Al-Arian, a longtime professor at the University of South Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide goods and services to the PIJ. In sentencing him, a federal judge said the evidence made it clear he was “a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. You were on the board of directors and an officer, the secretary. Directors control the actions of an organization, even the PIJ; and you were an active leader.”
In addition to defending accused terrorists, Mohammed is defensive about acknowledging their motivations. He was critical of a case brought by Christie’s office when the governor was U.S. Attorney. The Fort Dix defendants were accused, and later convicted, of plotting a mass casualty attack on the New Jersey military base as an act of jihad. Dix. Mohammed objected to the use of the phrase “Islamic militants” in the government’s case.
“Don’t equate actions with religion,” he said.
[…]
Christie’s support for Islamists such as Qatanani and Mohammed betrays either naivete or calculation. Either is troubling.
As Governor of NJ, Chris Christie is a very good New Jersey governor.
As a conservative role model, though? Well, let’s just say that he’s perhaps apt to let a fancy meal and a little access get in the way of certain important principles…
Pragmatism.
if the mountain will not come to Mohammed that’s ok you can still count on chris christie
I agree
Imam Rauf is in process of being disappeared from the MurderGroundMosque project with little stir. Gov. Christie may ought to speak up on the good man’s behalf, eh?
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mark grip, Andrea Harris. Andrea Harris said: But remember to say "Sarah Palin is unfit to run for president" so your peepees won't fall off, guys. http://t.co/PljgGdY […]
What. The. Fuck. Is. That?
Dude.
Christie is not a conservative of the kind we usually speak. He is a Democrat who has very good fiscal discipline.
I like him for the you-tube spending-cut pron. Otherwise, he makes a good New Jersey governor, like you said.
He is a Democrat who has very good fiscal discipline.
Which puts him head and shoulders above a lot of our erstwhile “friends” in government. Still, his sense in fiscal matters doesn’t shield him from criticism on stunts like this.
Not convinced Christie is that fiscally disciplined considering his tax-and-cap shell game he played to fill NJ bloated budget-but then again perhaps this is what fat bully mobsters do to cover their corruption:
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/03/gov_chris_christie_to_use_cap-.html
The money was already there. Do you think he could have removed the program entirely? I’m not sure about that. If he could have, he should have, but if not, the money is probably better spent elsewhere since if that green energy crap were viable it would already be used. The fact that it is not cost-effective means it’s a waste of money.
I think he’s a good governor for New Jersey and I have no interest in him running for president as a Republican. I have no interest in defending the man.
Well now we know why Christie was squishy on the Ground Zero Mosque.
Doesn’t matter anyway, Christie had no chance being in the running for 2012. Conservatives and republicans should work on getting a strong candidate that wins in 2012 and hold the job through 2020.
I detect a note of dislike in Susan’s comment. Is today an in-service day for NJ schools?
“The money was already there”
Of course the “tax and cap business” money was there, Christie is a big supporter of Tax ad Cap legislation (which is why he endorsed Mike Castle).
Regrettably because of Chris Christie’s ballessness, Tax and Cap Businesses scam is permanately integrated into NJ budget.
If I had a business in NJ I’d flee to China.
when it says christie “publicly embraced” the imam does that mean hugs? Hugging an imam is very very bucket list I think.
when christie got on the youtube and looked me in the eye and said he endorsed Mike Castle cause Mike the cap n trade whore would fight for limited government, I decided right then that Christie was a lying liar
Yes Squid I dislike bamboozlers, con-artists, swindlers, cheaters and liars.
You have problem with that?
… and Catholics?
I knew I’d seen Susan before. Thanks, bh.
The “what fat bully mobsters do to cover their corruption” sounded trollish enough for me to do a search.
Wait…You mean Mohammed appeared on MSNBC?!?!? Well that tells me all I need to know!
Seriously though, I’m a bit surprised by Chritie’s appointment of this fellow, especially considering his past associations and clients. I can only wonder, in light of Mohammed’s comments about Muslim “mistrust” of NJ courts and law enforcement that the move is intended to remedy that by demonstrative inclusion or something like that; it’s estimated that 2.5% of the population is Muslim in NJ.
But I must admit that this is a baffling move by Christie; but as mentioned upthread may cast more light on his non-committal responses to questions about the GZM issue.
I agree that Christie is more like an 60’s/70’s conservative Democrat more than he is a liberal, Rockefeller, Rethug! I still don’t view his endorsement of Castle as any being any more than a response to an NRSC request for a popular regional figure to do Castle a solid; I don’t necessarily think they’re sympatico. But what’s also puzzling is the fact that he was the only GOP governor to be invited to, or at least to agree to attend, the fete for the leader of our nation’s economic and strategic adversaries. It does make one pause and wonder…
He ain’t running in 2012 anyway, but I’m sure if he seemed so inclined, the MFM would give him the full McMav tongue bath; at least until the primaries were over.
Wait…You mean Mohammed appeared on MSNBC?!?!?
They blurred him out, since showing an image of him might have caused riots among his peaceful followers.
And I must beg Susan’s forgiveness for jumping to the conclusion that her description of Christie as a “fat bully mobster” was equivalent to a certain rodent’s “hoochie Christer cumslut” formulation.
(P.S. You forgot flim-flam men.)
The next purge will be of Republicans who are friends with brown people.
I mean, that would be totally OUTLAW!!!1
sometimes I can be very expressive about my disdain for people such as the Sarah Palin and various of the other more useless Team R ones
it’s a thing
Consider yourself retorted, bitches.
Remember, kids — there are 5 A’s in RAAAAACIST!
Good luck to you Jeff, I know you are trying your best but with so many Pragmatists on this site your OUTLAWS will go nowhere.
PS If I am to understand where Squid and Cranky are coming from it is that even though the Catholic lied to me about Catholics not reading the Bible I am the ‘eviler’ one for taking the Catholic at her word?
Pile on PRAGMATISTS
“The next purge will be of Republicans who are friends with brown people.”
Brown people?
You call us brown?
I am sorry my friend, we are not “broowwn”. We are olive skinned! And I’ll thank to to remember that!
RAAAAACIST!!
Stupid avatar…
I’m only half-pragmatist. On my Mom’s side.
By the way, never take a Catholic at their word. It can lead to being eviler.
Everything that’s outside and should be inside is gross.
Agoraphobe.
No, Susan, you just come off as a troll is all, a frothing one that apparently lacks some basic reading comprehension skilz.
But, it doesn’t matter much to me. So, rant away!
That was even pathetic for AJB.
Susan,
With all due respect, what are you going on about?
PS If I am to understand where Squid and Cranky are coming from it is that even though the Catholic lied to me about Catholics not reading the Bible I am the ‘eviler’ one for taking the Catholic at her word?
I’m thinking more stupid.
By the way, never take a Catholic at their word. It can lead to being eviler.
Or, the idea that a Catholic doesn’t speak monolithically for all Catholics. Unless that Catholic is the Pope. And still …
You’re trying to confuse me with your clever Papist lies, Carin.
No dice, chicken warden.
Eviler? You!
this is an interesting post:
link
Why does this remind me of Barrett and Tunisia?
or Tom and Katie
“… and Catholics?”
The Outlaw halls are the wrong place to be painting grafitt.
Good work bh!
You should be careful hf, the Church of Scientology is not something to mess with.
that would be grafitti. (I guess my subconsience wouldn’t allow another I;)
they really are kind of scary I do go to one of their restaurants a lot though cause they have tasty breakfast foozle and my sister likes “Jen’s Big Sammich” cause she can save half of it for laters and it’s just a really nice breakfast place really and they do french press
In the context of:
Who sent Jeffery Immelt?
Yeah, now we’re all looking at you Jack.
the Chamber applauded his selection… no whore like a Chamber whore as they say
ok they don’t really say that but they probably should
i like the O!’s fascism. nice crease & crony capitalism.
Roberts attends.
Alito stays home. Or maybe goes to Clarence’s house for a poker night.
“…the Church of Scientology is not something to mess with.”
especially if you need (or even if you dont need) dental work.
Roberts attends….
… and when Obama looks his way Allen West is sitting next to him with a steely stare so intense that it causes Obama to pee his pants, shorting out the teleprompter, forcing him to cut his speech short and leave thru the back entrance.
…Why does this remind me of Barrett and Tunisia?…
It shouldn’t, the closest he’ll ever get to Tunisia is some take out baba ghanouj, but it will be ironic baba ghanouj.
“Roberts attends. ”
take a seat in public areas
I’ll be thinking the adults are in charge when MSNBC gives John Yoo an hour show to teach Constitutional theory in prime-time. Til then, not so much.
Christie speaks as much truth to our current problems that he can get away with. He will be stoned to death eventually. I can’t imagine what would happen to a real truth speaker – nailed to a cross comes to mind, but no political leader even comes close to that.
If you seek perfection in a politician you will be greatly disappointed every minute of your life.