This Saturday, (04/05/08) in downtown Binghamton, NY, some Jamaat ul Fuqra Muslims from nearby Islamberg, will be celebrating the birthday of Mohammad with a parade. If that sounds slightly alarming, calm yourself. It’s an “interfaith” event. There will be some dhimmis involved:
After the parade, activities are scheduled in front of the old Broome County Court-house. The list of guest speakers includes the Rev. Douglas Taylor of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton and Diane O’Heron, a professor at Broome Community College.
If you’re wondering what Islamberg is, it’s the national headquarters of Jamaat ul-Fuqra a suspected terrorist organization that follows the teachings of Sheikh Gilani. This is the group that had me so exercised when I first heard about them last summer.
Muslim leaders at an encampment in the Catskill Mountains called “Islamberg” have been granted a permit by the city of Binghamton, N.Y., to hold a parade Saturday in honor of Muhammad’s birthday.
The holiday, called Milad-un-Nabi, will be celebrated by a group of families who live at the nearby property owned by Muslims of the Americas Inc.“We’re trying to do an interfaith thing, we’re reach out to the community to do a program based on unity,” Maryam Rahim, a spokeswoman, told the newspaper. “We haven’t been very well known. …We want everyone to come out and celebrate, may ask questions.”
City spokesman Andrew Block said the group secured the appropriate permits to hold the celebration, and the city will close down one lane of the downtown’s main street for the parade.
It sounds innocent enough if you don’t consider the disturbing connections of the group:
Muslims of the Americas Inc., a tax-exempt organization, has been directly linked by court documents to Jamaat ul-Fuqra. The organization operates communes of primarily black, American-born Muslims throughout the U.S. The investigation confirmed members commonly use aliases and intentional spelling variations of their names and routinely deny the existence of Jamaat ul-Fuqra.
Jamaat ul-Fuqra itself openly recruits through various social service organizations in the U.S., including the prison system. Members live in compounds where they agree to abide by the laws of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, which are considered to be above local, state and federal authority.
An investigation of the group by the Colorado Attorney General’s office in the early 1980s found several of the communities operate covert paramilitary training compounds, including one in a mountainous area near Buena Vista, Colo.
Neat, huh?
Here is Islamberg’s promotional video for the parade:
Oh, and here’s another charming favorite at Islamberg’s Youtube site.
Others posting on this:
Gates of Vienna (Had it first).
Hat tip: The Jawa Report
UPDATE: (April 5):
I just found out, (through Gates of Vienna) about a website called Al-Fuqra Exposed which is dedicated to monitoring and reporting on the activities of Jamaat ul-Fuqra and the Muslims of America. It’s currently covering the trial of Ramadan Abdur-Rauf Abdullah, a member of Jamaat ul-Fuqra. He’s on trial for the 2001 murder of a sheriff’s deputy.
I’m adding it to my blogroll.
Be sure to visit their Youtube page if this stuff fascinates/horrifies you. Check out this favorited video:
Take note of the nutzoid “illuminati” talk from Gilani in the Islamberg video sent to the news station. That got my attention because one of the favorited videos at the Islamberg Youtube site was this gem:
We are talking weapons grade crazee, here.
UPDATE:
Video of the parade, here.
Nice Deb 