Sunday, March 25, 2007
[(If you're looking for a run-down in full on the ISB's lawsuit, Daniel Pipes has an extensive page with history going way back, here: The Islamic Society of Boston & the Politicians' Red Faces]
In October of 2005, the Islamic Society of Boston filed a major lawsuit alleging, in significant part, that they had suffered monetary damages due to a supposed conspiracy among individuals, activists and news outlets. Separating out the wheat from the chaff of the complaint (link to PDF of lawsuit), the money is the most significant thing in the 77 page document -- no money, no damages, no lawsuit. No damages, and all this thing becomes is a massive attempt to abuse the courts to squelch free speech.
From page 53, paragraph 98 of the original complaint:
Timing is important here. Remember that this suit was filed in October 2005. It alleges damages from events that were occurring back in 2003 and 2004.
Yet I am in possession of an email dated July 18, 2005, that's just three months before the ISB filed its lawsuit alleging damages, that says, and I quote, "Fundraising has been robust, and the ISB has $2 million in cash toward that amount [of $3 million]...."
The email is from ISB Director Dr. Yousef Abou-Allaban, and is quoting a letter drafted by ISB attorney Albert L. Farrah. So Farrah went from drafting a letter bragging that fundraising was robust and they had $2 million in cash in the bank, to three months later being one of the lawyers filing the lawsuit alleging that the ISB was suffering damages.
The lawsuit repeatedly uses the word "devastating," but the only devastating thing in this lawsuit has been the effects on the privacy and personal lives of a laundry list of concerned individuals.
Here is a screenshot of the email in question (click to enlarge):
Here is the entire document in PDF.
The amended complaint alleges (paragraph 3) that "the Defendants' campaign has substantially delayed the completion of the ISB's project..." Paragraph 177 states that "As a result of the Defendants' conspiracy, the ISB has suffered monetary losses."
According to current ISB spokesperson Jessica Masse, in her Boston Globe op-ed of January 24th of this year:
...For Muslims, obtaining interest-free (sharia-compliant) funding is a religious mandate. Therefore, traditional funding has not been an option. With donations trickling to a halt because of unscrupulous charges of ties to radicalism by groups in opposition to the mosque, the society was compelled to seek assistance funding the partially built structure...
Yet in late 2005, according to the information above, in a letter drafted by one of the architects of the lawsuit, "Fundraising has been robust." So much for claims of damaging conspiracies.
No surprise, frankly. Wahhabists are very adept at using our societal institutions against us.........
If at first you don't succeed....
try taqquia, taqquia and more taqquia.
The e-mail states that the ISB was considering funding from non-islamic banks (presumably loans with interest), but the other statement says the ISB was required to use only interest-free Sharia compliant loans.
"Follow the money!"
Fundraising has been robust...I'll bet! The people who want to destroy Israel and the United States are swimming in dollars. Now we just need to see what percentage of the donations come from Saudi benefactors.