The Muslims are Coming! The Muslims are Coming!

I came across a pretty amazing story today, the roots of which stem from the publishing of a new book that is described like this by acorcoran on the blog "Refugee Resettlement Watch":

In the mold of ACORN undercover investigators James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles, another young brave man has infiltrated CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations), in this case as an intern, and has come out with mountains of documentation that the supposed Muslim civil rights group is really just a front for the radical Muslim Brotherhood in the US.

See New English Review or World Net Daily for the details on this amazing breakthrough that confirms what many of us have been assuming all along. I’ve just ordered my copy of “Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That’s Conspiring to Islamize America.”

and on top of the release of this book, some GOP members of the House have done this (from TPM):

Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC)...Myrick and three other members of the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus came to a news conference today armed with Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America (WND Books, $22.95). They called on the sergeant at arms to investigate whether, as Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) put it, a group that "is connected to or supports terrorists [and] is running influence operations or planting spies in key national security-related offices."

WorldNetDaily describes the premise of the new book, i.e. the co-author's son getting into the Muslim advocacy group the only way he knew how, as a "bearded Muslim convert"

Uh-oh! Are scary Muslims really infiltrating our government to try and legitimize terrorism and convert us all to Sharia Law?

Michael J.W. Stickings has some thoughts from over at The Reaction:

Oooh. Ahhh. Even Politico admits that a much-ballyhooed CAIR strategy document "basically lays out a fairly straight forward public relations and lobbying strategy." And yet these GOP McCarthyites are still targeting this group, sullying its reputation and making some pretty damning accusations. It would be one thing if they actually had evidence. Without it, this just looks like profiling, an assault on a legitimate organization. And why? Because it's Muslim. And we all know what these bigots think of Muslims.

and what does Glenn Greenwald have to say about this?:

CAIR is a non-profit organization of American citizens who are Muslim and their "mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding." They stand accused of plotting to influence members of Congress and trying to help interns obtain positions in Congress in order to advance their political agenda. That's consistent with what virtually every political advocacy group in the nation does; it's normally called activism and democracy. But because, in this case, it's a group of Muslims who are doing this, these House Republicans are depicting it as some sort of nefarious espionage plot against the U.S. that demands a criminal investigation.

[...]

Just to underscore how extremist the House GOP caucus is, this hysteria is all based on a new book entitled "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America." That's the source which these House members are using. In fact, one of the GOP House members, Rep. Sue Myrick of North Carolina, wrote the foreword to the book. One of the two authors of that book, Dave Gaubatz, maintains this website, where he's hawking the book through Paypal. Here's his mission statement at the top of the page:

"The donations will assist in exposing Islamic terrorist operations in America. The goal of the organizations: An Islamic Ummah (Nation) Worldwide, Under Islamic Sharia Law. These goals are widely distributed across America, yet ignored by most of our politicians and the Department of Homeland Security."

The entire site is filled with the most extreme and repugnant anti-Muslim paranoia imaginable, claiming that "CAIR represents the ideology of terrorist groups"; warning that "CAIR places 'insiders' into Congressional offices in order to push the CAIR and Islamic terrorist agendas"; displaying a photograph of Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim-American elected to Congress, with this caption: "One of your leading elected officials (supporter of CAIR) with researcher Chris Gaubatz. How much information do we have on Carson and Congressman Keith Ellison?; and warning that "Young Muslim children are being taught across America to engage in violence against non Muslims and Muslims who do not uphold Sharia law."

[...]

This is the ranting, insane hatemonger who House Republicans are now using as their expert source to demand an investigation into CAIR's villainous plot to place interns on Congressional committees. It would be darkly humorous if it weren't so ugly and dangerous.

This kind of fear-mongering that is being advanced by these four GOP representatives is ridiculous considering that all that CAIR is being accused of, is lobbying Congress and trying to establish members in positions of power. As Greenwald points out, this is precisely what every advocacy group tries to do, the only difference is that CAIR is a Muslim organization. What the scary aspect of this story is, is that members of the House GOP are taking this kind of nonsense seriously.

Around the Horn: Reactions from the Blogosphere on Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

My reaction is here. Here are some reactions from the blogosphere:

The TOXIC Mud Pit:

What a joke. Such a huge slap in the face to those who have actually accomplished something for peace. As WaPo notes, two other US presidents have won…but in their second terms and after, ahem, actually achieving something. I thought giving it to Gore amounted to making it worthless, but this takes the cake.

Bungalow Bill:

Let's face it. The Nobel Prize means nothing. It's a silly peace of metal. Obama has done more to hurt peace by giving credibility to some of the most evil dictators in the world while lowering the security of peaceful nations everywhere. This isn't worthy of a metal. It's worthy of the western world laughing you out of office.

Cosmic X at Cosmic X in Jerusalem:

The Nobel Peace Prize became a joke ever since it was awarded to Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres and Yitzchak Rabin in 1994 for the ill fated "Oslo Agreements". The Norwegians continue to prove that they have a poor sense of humor by awarding the prize to Mr. B.O. I am not laughing.

Mr. Trend at AlterDestiny:

In that regard, I think he's more deserving of the award than many. Is it too soon? I think that's a fair argument. Is it confusing? A bit (even after having awakened after a cup of coffee). Is there room for improvement? Of course - show me one person who's already perfect. That said, I think this is in part about Obama, and the (what I think is very real) change he brings to American foreign policy. But to focus on it just being about him is to miss the larger point, I think; it's also about embracing a major change in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the world at large, a change that the U.S. initiated under the leadership of a particular man. And I'm fine with that.

Adam T. Rossi at Political Junkie:

But thank god the Nobel Prize committee does not except money from lobbyists, which allows them, if nothing else, to preserve the idea of peace on earth. Which would probably explain why the war mongering, in it for themselves, swine's of the Republican party are usually being lectured by the Nobel Peace Prize committee and not praised. I can just imagine what Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck will have to say about this. We'll probably be talking about a Tea Party rally in front of Noble Prize committee's Norwegian head quarters next week (Rabble Rabble Rabble), maybe even the total annihilation of Norway all together.

But enough about those sick bastards, because while they sulk over our president's monumental win (like they would if he reached world peace, stopped global warming and cured cancer), the rest of us should be proud that we now have a president, who is praised by the Nobel committee, instead of being chastised for unilateralism like his predecessor George W. Bush had been.

Taylor Marsh:

For Pres. Obama’s outreach to the Muslim community, which is nothing less than historic, especially looking through the prism of Bush-Cheney; when you look at his preliminary preparations for Middle East dialogue; when he took the bold step to demand a freeze in Israeli settlements. Barack Obama foreshadows what could be if partners come forth, even if nothing concrete has manifested. In Afghanistan, his determination to help the Afghans help themselves, but particularly the women of that country rise up.

Coralville Courier:

Never mind that the deadline for submitting a nobel nominee ended two weeks after Obama took office. So what's the deal, are we to believe that Obama won based on campaign trail talk?

Gee, what an accomplishment!

The award has truly lost its prestige, as Obama really hasn't contributed anything to global peace yet. Can you say, "Rigged?" I think you can.

And peace? Obama said he would end the Iraq war but he hasn't delivered as he promised on the campaign trail. In Afghanistan, the president is seriously considering ramping up the U.S. troop presence there - a surge. He's authorized predator drone strikes in Pakistan and helicopter attacks in Somalia.