Interesting bit. I am sure the event will be seen through whatever colored glasses one prefers.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/09/2...h-florida.htmlMIAMI — Islam and tea party activism clashed at a raucous meeting Monday night when a group of Broward County Republicans blocked a Muslim activist as a member of the party's executive committee.
Republicans, who changed their rules to publicly vet Nezar Hamze and then vote on his application by secret ballot, said they didn't oppose him because he was a Muslim - but because he is associated with the Center for American-Islamic Relations, whose Washington-area affiliate was an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal terrorism indictment.
Hamze, CAIR's South Florida director, said his local group had nothing to do with the suspect activities in Washington. He said CAIR advocates for civil rights for Muslims, who have been unfairly targeted ever since 9/11.
"I'm aligned with Republican values. And I want to serve the party," Hamze said, who earlier told a reporter that any effort to block him was the result of anti-Islamic "bigotry."
At times, when he addressed the packed room at the Sheraton Suites in Fort Lauderdale, a few members shouted out among the crowd of about 300.
"Terrorist!" said one man.
"Let him speak!" said another.
Members of Broward's Republican Party said Hamze was making a mockery of their rules and was trying to become a member as a publicity stunt.
"I don't have a positive impression of Mr. Hamze. I don't think he will be an asset to our party," said Scott Spages, who is involved in programs concerning radical Islam at his church, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale.
In the end, the Broward Republican Executive Committee voted 11-158 to block him from committee membership. He can still attend meetings, but as a general member of the public.
"Wow," he said afterward. "If I had realized it would be like that, I wish they had just sent me a letter saying I was denied."
One Broward Republican member, blogger Javier Manjarres, objected to the process. "They singled him out," Manjarres said. "It was a set up."
Aside from questioning his motives, there was also a dispute about how long he had been a Republican. Party Vice Chair Collen Stolberg said Hamze became a registered Republican only since August and that before then he was registered with no party affiliation.
Hamze said that wasn't true. He said he changed his address in August, but has been a registered Republican for about a decade.
Of the 11 applicants for the party, only Hamze was rejected - the first time anyone in the room could recall that happening in a county where Republicans complain about how outnumbered they are by Democrats.
Prior to deciding the new-member applications, a Republican successfully moved to change party rules and require that applicants say how long they've been a Republican and to take five minutes worth of questions for the crowd.
Hamze called it "The Hamze rule."
A new litmus test was then born: Do you support Rep. Allen West? The tea party Republican has repeatedly denounced Islam and clashed with Hamze. So has Joe Kaufman, chairman of the group Citizens Against Hate and the vice-chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition of South Florida.
"Are you willing to support Congressman Allen West ... as a Republican?" Kaufman said loudly in the microphone. "Will you denounce terrorism? And your organization has been named a terrorist organization."
Hamze said he couldn't comment on the politics of CAIR because it's a nonprofit, nonpartisan group. He later said he denounces terrorism and that he's not involved in any terrorist activities.
Hamze said he was considering filing a complaint with the Republican Party of Florida because the county party's cons ution says that a "vacancy shall be filled" by a qualified Republican - that is, one who is a registered Republican who lives in the county.
But the cons ution also says that a vacancy "shall be filled by majority vote." And he lost that badly.
Before the meeting, a group circulated a pe ion bashing Hamze.
Tom Trento, executive director of a group called The United West, shook hands with Hamze and had a friendly chat with him - even though Trento thinks CAIR is involved in terrorism.
"Did CAIR tell Muslims not to cooperate with the FBI?" asked Trento.
"No," Hamze responded. "We said they should have a lawyer present, which is their cons utional right."
"What do they have to fear?" asked Trento.
"Good question," Hamze said. Trento smiled.
After the vote to deny membership, Broward Executive Committee Chairman Richard DeNapolis said simply: "Mr. Hamze, your membership has been denied."
The crowd cheered loudly.
I will however withhold judgment. It may indeed be a publicity stunt, but the general nastiness directed at the guy says a lot to me. If the members thought it was a publicity stunt, the best route would have been to simply accept him and avoid the opportunity to paint them as intolerant jackasses.
If he were "aligned with Republican values," as he claimed; he wouldn't be the Director of CAIR's South Florida operation.
CAIR is committed to ins uting Sharia law in place of the Cons ution and they are an unindicted co-conspirator in a terrorism case.
No kidding.
Care to back this up?
so any muslim should pass the 'republican values' litmus test.. how inclusive of the GOP..
No kidding.
I would pretty much think you would want members of the party's executive committee to share your platform. Yes.so any muslim should pass the 'republican values' litmus test.. how inclusive of the GOP..
No one will ask him not to vote Republican next year.
Was he interrogated about his support of the party platform?
Sure, whatever you say.
Proof?
This will be a fun dance to watch.
Just helping Yoni keep up with the posts is all
Yoni is still MIA....
Once a muslim wins a Republican straw poll, then it's like "See? We supported muslims all along"
"CAIR is committed to ins uting Sharia law in place of the Cons ution "
"Christian" dominionists: exactly the same, they want to replace US law with Ten Commandments and the Bible, and turn the US into a theocracy, with, of course, dominionists running the country and people's lives, just like other religions that dictate complete lifestyles (eg, Mohammedism)
Still waiting for the CAIR do ent or any reference that their objective is to install Sharia in US.
right-wing paranoids, esp law enforcement paranoids, have added Sharia-scare to their silly red-scare. A Muslim under every bed!!
Last edited by boutons_deux; 09-27-2011 at 01:09 PM.
I would give a four pack of Trois Pistoles to anyone who can find a quote from Yonivore that says that the good judge is an undercover agent ready to ins ue sharia law...
Depends, Is he talking about this judge? If so, I'll give you the quote right here.
New Jersey Judge Rules Islamic Sharia Law Trumps U.S. Law
Still waiting to backup:
CAIR is committed to ins uting Sharia law in place of the Cons ution
There are quotes sourced to a 1993 Minneapolis Star-Tribune and a 2003 radio show where CAIR Co-founder and Spokesman, Ibrahim Hooper, stated as much but, I can't until I can link to the archives of both or either.
Still waiting to backup:
There are plenty of sources reporting the quotes but, until I can show it to you in the linked source of the quote, I don't care to engage in the debate over whether or not it was actually said.
I heard him say it on the 2003 radio program but, I'm sure you would want independent verification of that, no?
Be patient, I'll do my best.
As for CAIR being an unindicted co-conspirator in a terror case:
Islamic Groups Named in Hamas Funding Case
No, I want to see direct links to "CAIR committed to ins uting Sharia law in place of the Cons ution"
Coincidentally, I'd like to know how you think that's even possible to achieve.
You know what unindicted co-conspirator is, right?
Do you know what an allegation is? What happened with that case that dates back to 2007?
I guess this "Hamze" fellow is a recent convert to the GOP. He only just submitted his pe ion to join the Broward GOP executive board in August.
Same guy getting into it with "fellow conservative" Allen West, back in February.
Nice thread though.
No kidding
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