Friday, September 26th ended a week in which thousands of copies of Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West -- the fear-mongering, anti-Muslim documentary being distributed by the millions in swing states via DVDs inserted in major newspapers and through the U.S. mail -- were distributed by mail in Ohio. The same day, a "chemical irritant" was sprayed through a window of the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton, where 300 people were gathered for a Ramadan prayer service. The room that the chemical was sprayed into was the room where babies and children were being kept while their mothers were engaged in prayers. This, apparently, is what the scare tactic political campaigning of John McCain's supporters has led to -- Americans perpetrating a terrorist attack against innocent children on American soil.
I read the story as reported by the Dayton Daily News, but this was after I had received an email written by a friend of some of the victims of these American terrorists. The matter of fact news report in the Dayton paper didn't come close to conveying the horrific impact of this unthinkable act like the email I had just read, so I asked the email's author for permission to share what they had written. The author was with one of the families from the mosque -- a mother and two of the small children who were in the room that was gassed -- the day after the attack occurred.
"She told me that the gas was sprayed into the room where the babies and children were being kept while their mothers prayed together their Ramadan prayers. Panicked mothers ran for their babies, crying for their children so they could flee from the gas that was burning their eyes and throats and lungs. She grabbed her youngest in her arms and grabbed the hand of her other daughter, moving with the others to exit the building and the irritating substance there.
"The paramedic said the young one was in shock, and gave her oxygen to help her breathe. The child couldn't stop sobbing.
"This didn't happen in some far away place -- but right here in Dayton, and to my friends. Many of the Iraqi refugees were praying together at the Mosque Friday evening. People that I know and love.
"I am hurt and angry. I tell her this is not America. She tells me this is not Heaven or Hell -- there are good and bad people everywhere.
"She tells me that her daughters slept with her last night, the little one in her arms and sobbing throughout the night. She tells me she is afraid, and will never return to the mosque, and I wonder what kind of country is this where people have to fear attending their place of worship?"
"The children come into the room, and tell me they want to leave America and return to Syria, where they had fled to from Iraq. They say they like me, ... , and other American friends -- but they are too afraid and want to leave. Should a 6 and 7 year old even have to contemplate the safety of their living situation?
"Did the anti-Muslim video circulating in the area have something to do with this incident, or is that just a bizarre coincidence? Who attacks women and children?
"What am I supposed to say to them? My words can't keep them safe from what is nothing less than terrorism, American style. Isn't losing loved ones, their homes, jobs, possessions and homeland enough? Is there no place where they can be safe?
"She didn't want me to leave her tonight, but it was after midnight, and I needed to get home and write this to my friends. Tell me -- tell me -- what am I supposed to say to them?"
When acting as a representative of Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that I work for, I cannot engage in political activities. The distribution of Obsession, however, although a political campaign scheme, clearly crosses over into the mission of MRFF. So, I'm going to make two statements here -- one in my capacity as MRFF's Research Director, and another as an individual whose disgust at the vile campaign tactics of John McCain's supporters completely boiled over when I opened up the email about children being gassed.
My statement as MRFF's Research Director:
The presidential campaign edition of the Obsession DVD, produced and currently being distributed by the Clarion Fund, carries the endorsement of the chair of the counter-terrorism department of the U.S. Naval War College, using the name and authority of an official U.S. military institution not only to validate an attack the religion of Islam, but to influence a political campaign. For these reasons, this endorsement has been included in MRFF's second lawsuit against the Department of Defense, which was filed on September 25 in the Federal District Court in Kansas.
My opinion as an individual and thoroughly appalled human being:
John McCain has a moral obligation to publicly censure the Clarion Fund; to denounce the inflammatory, anti-Muslim message of Obsession; and to do everything in his power to stop any further campaign activities by his supporters that have the potential to incite violence.
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There's (hopefully
Doesn't erase my disgust with the Clarion Fund, either. Still vile.
I saw a speaker once who was standing in for the scheduled person, a self-claim
Neandertha
Yesterday on theindepen
"TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE". It basically covers how muslim prisoners were & are treated without having trials and hearings and the tortures they went through! you could call it confession
Please do watch this documentar
Currently in Egypt, there is a situation where a Christian man left his Christian wife and children, converted to Islam, remarried, and now is fighting for custody of his 13-year-ol
In Islamic countries, Muslims who convert to any other religion may be killed.
Mohammed spread Islam by the sword.
We Westerners are slow to believe these atrocities because we are used to the
post-Chris
Of course, most Muslims do not act violently. Most are decent, friendly human beings who are willing to live and let live and convert by persuasion
This does not justify the gassing.
Christiani
Fix the problems in your own country. Egypt doesn't claim to be the "leader of the free world". Pakistan doesn't initiate wars to spread its own notion of what amounts to the best form of government
http://www
do you ever stop and think why? why are we not accepted? and some ignorant people here have such little education about islam that they do not wish to pick up literature and teach themselves
Obviously this needs full in-depth reporting. Interviews with anyone who was taken to an area hospital, on camera interviews with the police and mosque members. We have freedom of the press in the US and unfortunat
Has anyone contacted the Anti-Defam
What has happen to our nation?
-Bradley B. Benson
This is a national tragedy. Some of these children were Iraqi refugees!!
One way to fight the war on terror: Practice peace and tolerance at home!
http://www
Mosque board member Tarek Sabagh said many people within the mosque speculated that the incident was the result of a DVD about Islamic radicalism titled "Obsession
"We are not linking the two at all," Sabagh said.
We now have a much bigger paper looking into the story and are going to get to the bottom of this. I can't give any details yet, but this is far from over.
Vote Obama-Bide