Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force

America’s First Shariah-Compliant Radio Station

2011-03-03T09:26:00.001-08:00

VAST

The Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Lafferty (703) 931-2324

March 3, 2011

GRANDY OUT AT WMAL AFTER CAIR CAMPAIGN

America’s First Shariah-Compliant Radio Station

Washington, DC – Former Congressman Fred Grandy has been forced to walk away from his popular morning “drive-time” radio talk show on Washington’s WMAL-AM after the station’s management insisted he avoid discussions of radical Islam. The station management also banned Grandy’s wife the outspoken “Mrs. Fred”, a regular guest on his show, from any future broadcasts.

Grandy refused the WMAL management’s terms and Tuesday was his last day broadcasting on the station.

James Lafferty, chairman of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force or VAST – a group which opposes the spread of radical Islam in America, praised the Grandys and criticized WMAL’s management for “caving to the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) once again.” CAIR frequently criticized Grandy for reading FBI reports and court documents on his radio show which labeled CAIR as “an unindicted co-conspirator” in the federal Holy Land Foundation terror finance trial.

“In one cowardly move , WMAL has made history – it has become the first Shariah-compliant radio station in America. No criticism of radical Islam is tolerated at WMAL and neither are articulate women with opinions.

“WMAL has committed a shameful act, an act which earns the contempt of every American who values free speech, the Constitution and the Truth.

“WMAL’s heavy-handed tactics underscore the truth in everything the Grandys have warned us about. Shariah has no tolerance for even a single word of the Bill of Rights and those who question it are labeled enemies and marked for destruction.

“By my count, this is the third time WMAL management has allowed CAIR to veto talk show hosts and silence critics of radical Islam. The station needs to be taught a lesson by free people who value freedom of speech.

“Monday (March 7) and Tuesday (March 8) are “Call Out WMAL Days.” From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each of those days, we are asking people to call WMAL at (202) 895-2350 and (202) 686-3100 and tell them you will not listen to their station until Fred and Mrs. Fred Grandy return. America expects radio stations to be committed to free speech and the Truth. We expect WMAL to grow a backbone and stand up to CAIR and the other radicals.

“Then at 10 a.m. Wednesday, we will meet at WMAL’s studios, 4400 Jenifer St. NW, Washington, DC 20015 with signs to demonstrate our support for Fred Grandy and his wife and their courageous stand against radical Islam.”

(For an interview with Mr. Lafferty, please call 703-931-2324)

Fairfax Hearing on Islamic Saudi Academy Lease –

2010-10-15T09:12:00.001-07:00

Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force

Alexandria, Virginia

(703) 931-2324

Fairfax Hearing on Islamic Saudi Academy Lease – Tuesday, Oct.19

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on the lease for the controversial, Saudi-owned Islamic Saudi Academy (Route 1) at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 19 at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. Members of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force (VAST) and other community groups will testify against renewing the Saudi government’s lease. Contact: James Lafferty, 703-931-2324

COME TO ANTI-CAIR PROTEST

2010-10-06T19:20:00.001-07:00

COME TO ANTI-CAIR PROTEST

The Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force (VAST)

and Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA) will protest the appearance of Ground Zero Mosque developer Sharif el-Gamal who will receive an award at the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Leadership Dinner.

Please join us

Saturday, Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m.

Marriott Crystal Gateway

1700 Jefferson Davis Highway

Arlington, Virginia.

James Lafferty of VAST and Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer of SIOA will be at the protest.

The Ground Zero Mosque is deeply offensive to every American not just New Yorkers.

For more information contact Jim Lafferty at 703 931-2324.

Letter Sent to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

2010-09-27T13:22:00.001-07:00

Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force

(703) 931-2324

jameslafferty@vaantishariahtaskforce.org

September 27, 2010

Michael R. Frey

Supervisor

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

(via e-mail)

Dear Supervisor Frey:

I write to you today to ask that you review your records to identify campaign and other donations which you may have received from groups associated with the radical Islamic Saudi Academy (ISA) as another vote on the ISA lease will occur as early as October 19.

If you, your campaign and any group you direct have received contributions from individuals or groups associated with the ISA then we expect you to rescue yourself from any participation in this vote. If you are free to vote on this issue, we urge you to vote “no.”

Since the 2008 hearing which renewed the ISA lease, VAST has learned that at least one member of the Board of Supervisors received substantial financial support from groups with a vested interest in the ISA’s operation. We also saw the principal of ISA held up by then Board Chairman Gerry Connolly as an exemplary witness subsequently arrested by Fairfax County police for failing to report a sexual abuse case and obstructing justice.

And, finally, after Mr. Connolly’s vicious attacks on witnesses who testified against the ISA, citing official reports of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, we witnessed a June, 2008 letter from Mr. Connolly demanding a Department of State investigation of the ISA.

We find it incredible that Mr. Connolly attempts to justify his role in the ISA lease approval by smearing citizens who testified and then, subsequent to the vote, demands a federal investigation of the ISA.

It is our hope that such an obvious conflict of interest and effort to mislead the citizenry can be avoided this time.

While it is not comprehensive by any means, I have attached an exhibit from U.S. Department of Justice v. The Holy Land Foundation which contains the list of unindicted co-conspirators in that landmark case against terrorist financiers. I hope that you will take the time to review this and compare it to individuals and organizations who have contributed to your campaign, your office or been associated with cash transfers by any means to you.

We oppose the continued operation of the Islamic Saudi Academy in Virginia and elsewhere in America because we believe its purpose is to train the next generation of domestic terrorists.

The issue here is not about religion but about behavior. The ISA operates under and teaches Shariah law to its students who have acted on what they are/were taught. Your responsibility is to protect the people of Fairfax County from the effects of locating such a criminal enterprise in our community.

It concerns us that federal authorities are not moving quickly to close the ISA and prosecute fully those who operate it. But inaction by the federal government will not be accepted as an excuse for similar inaction on your part.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

James Lafferty

Chairman

Press Release

2010-09-27T13:04:00.001-07:00

Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force

Contact: 703-931-2324

VAST Calls for “Full Disclosure” from Fairfax Supervisors Considering Vote on Radical Saudi Academy’s Lease

Connolly Took Saudi Money While Promoting/Voting on Radical School Lease

A Virginia group has called on members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to “fully disclose” donations they have received from groups and individuals with an interest in the October 19 hearing on the renewal of the lease of the radical Islamic Saudi Academy on Route 1.

James Lafferty of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force (VAST) said in a letter to each Supervisor that he was concerned because former Board Chairman Gerry Connolly received numerous contributions to his Congressional campaign as he was shepherding the last ISA lease renewal through the board and attacking opponents.

An Associated Press report on June 17, 2008 stated: “The board’s chairman Gerry Connolly, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 11th District offered a strong defense of the school and accused critics of slander during the meeting in which the lease was approved.”

“Connolly should have recused himself from the process but instead he carried the water for the Islamist radicals and cashed a lot of their checks,” said Lafferty. “Many of the contributions were to his Congressional campaign but , at least, one of them was not reported to the Federal Elections Commission.

“We are asking each Board member to check his/her records and if they have accepted contributions from any entity connected to the ISA and that includes CAIR, the Islamic Society of North America and any other Islamist groups and any individuals or officials of any of the local mosques, we are asking them to comply with the law and recuse themselves.

While promoting the last ISA lease renewal in 2008, Connolly received the following support from those with a strong interest in the radical school operated by the Saudi government:

Nihad Awad donated $500 on January 24, 2008. Awad is a founder of CAIR and stated in a 1994 speech in Florida “After I researched the situation inside and outside Palestine, I am in support of the Hamas movement.”

Yaqub Mirza gave $1,000 on January 12, 2008. Mirza is a prominent leader in the Safa group, a radical Islamist operation in Northern Virginia. Congressman Andre Carson (D-Indiana), a Muslim, returned a Mirza donation to his campaign.

Hisham al-Talib gave $1,000 on January 24, 2008. Al Talib is another Safa leader.

Arab-American Leadership PAC, a group funded partially by the radical Muslim Brotherhood, donated $2,000 during the 2008 cycle.

Connolly also received $18,758 from Qorvis Communications in 2006 through 2008, according to published reports. Qorvis represents the Saudi government. Its Washington and Virginia offices were raided by the FBI after the 9/11 attacks. The embassy of the Saudi government is listed as the owner/operator of the ISA.

“Connolly was busy cashing checks and shilling for the Saudis but we didn’t find out about it until after the vote was taken and after he had called the citizen opposition ‘slanderers’ and ‘bigots’.

“Shortly after the vote was taken, Connolly called on the State Department to investigate the ISA. He tried to have it a variety of ways.

“We want to ensure that no other Board member follows his scurrilous example and gets purchased, leased or rented by the Saudis and their radical operatives.”

VAST is a coalition of citizens and organizations opposed to the spread of radical Shariah influence, law and practices in Virginia and across America. VAST has opposed the expansion of the radical Islamic Saudi Academy in Virginia, the construction of radical mosques in Tennessee and the Ground Zero Mosque in New York. For more information call (703) 931-2324.

Stand for Israel Rally

2010-04-27T13:51:00.001-07:00

The rain didn't dampen the spirits of even one of the 2,000 people who attended the Stand for Israel Rally in New York. I was honored to be among so many brave people who raised their voices against the darkness which threatens Israel and America. God bless Israel and God bless and protect Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the free world.

UPDATED: Protest planned for mosque's fundraiser in Northern Virginia

2010-04-06T07:21:00.001-07:00

Virginia Politics Blog - UPDATED: Protest planned for mosque's fundraiser in Northern Virginia

CBN TV - News Channel Morning Edition: March 12, 2010 - Video

2010-03-12T14:28:00.001-08:00

Muslim Leader Offers Prayer For VA House

CBN TV - News Channel Morning Edition: March 12, 2010 - Video

Dear Member of the House of Delegates:

2010-03-12T14:26:00.001-08:00

Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force

Fairfax, Virginia
(703) 931-2324
jameslafferty@usa.net

March 5, 2010

Dear Member of the House of Delegates:

I hope that you will consider taking some action to withdraw the invitation to Imam Johari Abdul-Malik of the Dar Al Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, Virginia to open the Thursday, March 11 session with a prayer. If the invitation cannot be withdrawn than I ask that you boycott that day’s session.

Our members consider it a grave mistake that Imam Abdul-Malik was invited.

In his public statements, Abdul-Malik demonstrates regularly his contempt for the rule of law and his support for terrorist acts against America. Speaking before the General Assembly is an honor which should be reserved for those who have done something worth honoring. Abdul-Malik praises those who have attacked our country and attempted to kill the President of the United States. No American should honor this man or his disgraceful words and behavior.

Abdul-Malik has defended through his public statements convicted terrorists who had plotted against the United States including the assassination of President George W. Bush.

Abdul-Malik defended Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, a Dar Al Hijrah, member who is serving a life sentence in a federal prison for nine counts of terrorism including plotting to assassinate President George W. Bush, kill members of Congress and bomb restaurants, nightclubs and other public places across America.

''Our whole community is under siege,'' Abdul-Malik told the New York Times (February 27, 2005) ''They don't see this as a case of criminality. They see it as a civil rights case. As a frontal attack on their community.

''The feeling I get here on a daily basis must be what it was like to be a member of Martin Luther King Jr.'s church following the case of Rosa Parks. People always ask, 'What is the latest from the courthouse?'''

Abdul- Malik also defended Ali Al Timimi , a Muslim cleric of Fairfax, Va., who was convicted in April, 2005 and is serving a life sentence in a federal prison for counseling others to wage war against the United States and use firearms and explosives in furtherance of violent crimes.

Abdul-Malik saw it as a free speech issue.

''There is a view many Muslims have when they come to America that you could not be arrested for something you say,'' Abdul- Malik, told the New York Times (April 27, 2005) when asked about the conviction. ''But now they have discovered they are not free to speak their minds. And if our opinions are out of vogue in the current climate, we feel we are all at risk.''

Abdul-Malik was often cited as the spokesman for the Dar Al Hijrah mosque and he used his position there to defend numerous convicted terrorists and question the judicial system in the United States.

We hope that you will take the necessary steps to ensure that this enemy of freedom and the United States is not honored with an appearance before the General Assembly. Failing that we ask that you boycott that day’s session in order to register your disapproval of this man’s behavior and his contempt for the rule of law.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

James Lafferty
Chairman

Virginia Group Urges Lawmakers to Boycott March 11 Session of General Assembly

2010-03-12T14:24:00.001-08:00

Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force

Fairfax, Virginia
(703) 931-2324
Contact: James Lafferty

Radical Imam from “9/11” Mosque Will Open Session

Richmond, Virginia – The chairman of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force (VAST) sent a letter today to every delegate in the Virginia General Assembly urging them to boycott the March 11 session where a radical imam from Northern Virginia is scheduled to open the legislative day in prayer.

VAST Chairman James Lafferty said it was “a grave mistake” for the invitation to imam Johari Abdul-Malik.

“In his public statements, Abdul-Malik demonstrates regularly his contempt for the rule of law and his support for terrorist acts against America. Speaking before the General Assembly is an honor which should be reserved for those who have done something worth honoring. Abdul-Malik praises those who have attacked our country and attempted to kill the President of the United States. No American should honor this man or his disgraceful words and behavior.”

The VAST letter included links to newspaper articles in which Abdul-Malik defended convicted terrorists who had plotted against the United States including the assassination of President George W. Bush.

Abdul-Malik saw it as a free speech issue.

Abdul-Malik was often cited as the spokesman for the Dar Al Hijrah mosque and he used his position there to defend numerous convicted terrorists and question the judicial system in the United States

VAST is the organization which opposed the expansion of the radical Islamic Saudi Academy in Fairfax, Virginia and it works closely with other groups who believe shariah laws advocated by radical Islamists are counter-Constitutional and a threat to basic freedoms.

Washington Post Article on Falls Church Man's Sentence in Terror Plot

2009-07-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Falls Church Man's Sentence in Terror Plot Is Increased to Life

By Jerry MarkonWashington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A Falls Church man convicted of plotting with al-Qaeda to kill President George W. Bush was resentenced to life in prison Monday after the judge said his release would threaten "the safety of the American citizenry."

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali had been given a 30-year prison term after he was convicted in 2005 of joining an al-Qaeda conspiracy to mount a series of Sept.

11-style attacks and assassinations in the United States. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld the conviction last year but sent the case back for resentencing, indicating that the sentence should be more severe.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee obliged on Monday, saying he had reevaluated the case and concluded that the danger of ever releasing Abu Ali is too great. "I cannot put the safety of the American citizenry at risk," he said, citing Abu Ali's "unwillingness to renounce the beliefs that led to his terrorist activities."

The resentencing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria marked an apparent end to one of the most emotional and highest-profile terrorism cases since the Sept, 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Prosecutors portrayed Abu Ali, who was valedictorian of his 1999 class at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Fairfax County, as an example of the threat of homegrown terrorism.

His trial was the first in a U.S. criminal court to rely heavily on evidence gathered by a foreign intelligence service.

Security officers from Saudi Arabia, where Abu Ali was jailed for 20 months, provided the bulk of the government's case, testifying via video from the kingdom.

Abu Ali's family, which mounted a highly public campaign for his return to this country, said that he was tortured by Saudi security officers and that U.S. officials were complicit -- allegations that have gained resonance in recent years because of the fierce debate over the Bush administration's treatment of detainees.

But the judge, jury and appellate court rejected that argument. A juror said after the trial that Abu Ali's videotaped confession was "chilling" and showed no sign of coercion.

Before the judge imposed the tougher sentence Monday, Abu Ali said he was being mistreated at the highly secure federal prison in Colorado known as the "supermax," and he blamed "a rogue Justice Department" for his conviction.

"I cannot pretend that this is justice," said Abu Ali, who said he wanted to "remind" the judge "that one day you will go before the divine tribunal.

Allah, he knows the doings of every soul. If you are comfortable with that, then you can decree whatever you want to decree."

As he left the courtroom, Abu Ali smiled and waved to a large crowd of supporters, some of whom called out in Arabic "Salaam aleikum," or "Peace be with you." Abu Ali's parents declined to comment.

His attorney, Joshua Dratel, said in an interview that the life term was "unfortunate" and that the original sentence was reasonable.

"What they are really doing is setting a mandatory minimum term of life in prison for terrorism cases," said Dratel, who had urged Lee to resentence Abu Ali to no more than 30 years. "That's contrary to what the law is."

Prosecutors asked the judge to impose life. "This defendant planned acts of terrorism that were designed to inflict massive casualties on innocent civilians within the United States," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Campbell.

David H. Laufman, who prosecuted the case and is now a Washington defense lawyer, attributed the sentence in part to "Abu Ali's refusal to express even a scintilla of remorse for his conduct," and he said the case "underscores the ability of federal courts to resolve the most complex legal issues" in terrorism matters.

For years, U.S. officials have been debating whether to bring such cases before the criminal justice system or to military tribunals.

The 4th Circuit judges who reviewed Abu Ali's conviction indicated they thought some terrorism cases should remain in the federal courts.

The prosecution of Abu Ali was among a series of major terrorism cases in the Alexandria federal court after Sept. 11.

Jurors convicted Abu Ali, then 24, on all nine counts, including conspiracy to assassinate the president. Prosecutors said Abu Ali had taken credit for originating the plot against Bush, which had not advanced beyond the talking stage.

They said the plot included crashing airplanes, killing members of Congress, and bombing nightclubs and public gatherings.

Saudi security officers arrested Abu Ali in 2003 on suspicion that he was connected to a bombing that killed 23 people in that country.

His incarceration triggered a flurry of legal and diplomatic activity, with Abu Ali's parents insisting that he be returned to the United States.

Check it out:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072701384.html

FRC Article on Islamic Saudi Academy

2009-07-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Gym, Geometry...Jihad?

A group of Virginians who are outraged about the plans to expand a Muslim school may have just gotten the ammunition they need to block the project.

The Academy, whose activities were suspicious enough to warrant an investigation by a federal commission, has been incredibly controversial since its doors opened.

After last year, the U.S. panel actually recommended the school, which is funded entirely by the Saudi Arabian government, be closed.

Among other things, reporters found that the textbooks encouraged Muslims to kill adulterers and converts from Islam.

According to curriculum obtained by MSNBC in 2008, the Islamic Saudi Academy has been a breeding ground for terrorists.

School officials have denied the claims, but that may prove difficult after yesterday's court ruling. At the insistence of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, a U.S. District judge increased the sentence of Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, an Al Qaeda operative who was convicted for plotting to assassinate President Bush, from 30 years to life.

It turns out that Ali was the valedictorian of his 1999 class at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Fairfax County.

So much for teaching peace and tolerance! These schools are fueling the very ideas that made terrorists fly planes into the twin towers!

Meanwhile, residents are doing everything they can to stop the plans, even forming an official coalition.

The request to expand the Academy is so unpopular in Falls Church, Virginia that 46 people have asked to speak at an upcoming hearing.

In a New York Times article earlier this summer, the head of the group, James Lafferty, said, "We feel that it is really a madrassa, a training place for young impressionable Muslim students in some of the most extreme and fanatical teachings of Islam.

That concerns us greatly." And it should concern all of us who don't want to experience another 9-11 before our government takes this home-grown extremism seriously.

Check it out: http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU09G19&f=PG07J01

News Article for VAST

2009-07-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Iconoclast
Thursday, 16 July 2009
"The world is watching:" a conversation with Jim Lafferty of VAST
Jim Lafferty of the Virginians Against Sharia Task Force (VAST) discussed Monday’s Fairfax County Board of Supervisors hearing on ‘rubber stamping’ the County Planning Commission recommended expansion of the controversial Islamic Saudi Academy (ISA).

Lafferty was a colleague when we worked last year on the original protests against the hateful Islamic Studies texts prepared by the Saudi Education Ministry and used by students at the ISA . Those protests were chronicled in several NER articles and Iconoclast posts.

The media reports on Monday’s hearing included those of FoxNews, Christian Broadcasting Network and local TV news affiliates of commercial channels.

Not much appeared in the Washington, DC metro area dailies, although Lafferty indicated that he had been interviewed by the Washington Times. He made a point of noting the presence at the Fairfax County hearing of a stringer for the New York Times, who might possibly write a piece to be published this weekend.

Lafferty described Monday’s session as being a virtual turnabout from the previous County Planning Board session. At the prior hearing probably two-thirds were parents and supporters of the ISA from the radical Muslim community in Northern Virginia.

The anti-ISA protesters including Lafferty, Denise Lee and Catherine Martin from the ACT! For America Northern Virginia chapter, Christine Brim of the Center for Security Policy and John Cosgrove of the Virginia chapter of United American Committee. They were in the distinct minority.

Lafferty remarked that how many of these ISA supporters gave the protesters, the proverbial “Bela Lugosi stare.”
However, as Lafferty pointed out, this time VAST widely distributed flyers opposing the ISA expansion at the Owl’s Head site and held seeding conversations with Fairfax Republican women’s groups.

The resulting turnout at the County Board of Supervisors’ session was a complete reversal. Two thirds of the attendees were on the anti-ISA/Sharia side.

The balance was from national and local CAIR chapters and the radical Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church.

What resulted from VAST’s efforts was the crystallization of a national and global anti-Sharia movement. Several stalwarts of the Jacksonville ACT! For America chapter drove up from Florida expressly to attend this hearing and demonstrate solidarity.

Key members of that group attended the protest against Muslim Day, at the Florida State Capitol in March. Lafferty noted that a number of Germans called Fairfax County to protest the hearings that, according to him, the Board of Supervisors found jarring. While the hearing record will be open until August 3rd, Lafferty believes that the roiling controversy may extend the closing date for comments.

The message conveyed by these international protests may have triggered a growing movement against the threat of ‘creeping Sharia’ here in the US and certainly abroad in Europe.

Lafferty told of developments from both sides of the aisle in Congress. Rep. Frank Wolf of Northern Virginia, because of his ranking membership on the State Operations Appropriations Subcommittee in the House, has been critical of the State Department’s less than forthcoming efforts to condemn the hate texts supplied by Saudi Arabia.

This was based on several reports by Nina Shea and others at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Lafferty noted that Rep. Anthony Wiener (D-NY) had picked up the issue and commented on it in a press release.

On Tuesday, Lafferty’s wife, Andrea, had the opportunity to brief New York Senator Charles Schumer on the matter. Lafferty saw this as evidence that the anti-Sharia message has moved beyond partisan political concerns.

One curious disclosure came from the Fairfax hearings. Lafferty noted that they couldn’t verify who the applicant for the ISA's Owl’s Head campus site expansion is.

“There is no ISA, Inc. of record on the application, ” he told us. That begs the question as to whether, as we had uncovered last year, the Royal Saudi Embassy in Washington is the actual sponsor.

The Saudi embassy currently pays the lease on a former County Board of Education middle school in Alexandria. Thus, the inquiries of Rep. Wolf to our State Department on whether the Saudi Embassy is the sponsor. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the sponsor of 20 such private schools in countries across the globe.

During a “Glen Beck Show “segment on Tuesday, Lafferty was a guest. He referred to the Saudi national, Raed Abdul-Rahman Al Saif, a former ISA student, caught at Tampa airport last month with a seven inch butcher knife about to board a flight.

We commiserated with Lafferty about the remarkable coincidence between the four murdered American Somali young men and the quartet of ISA graduates. Both groups were Jihadis. The dead Somalis were the equivalent of Shahids or Martyrs in Islam.

The four former ISA graduates included Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, an American Muslim and Class of 1999 Valedictorian. He joined al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, was captured and convicted in a US federal court of a plot to assassinate former President Bush and was sentenced to 30 years in a federal penitentiary.

Mohammed Osam Idris and Mohammed el Yacoubi, graduates of the ISA were intercepted upon entering Israel in 2001 intent on becoming Shahid suicide bombers.

They were sent back to the US for prosecution. The Saudi national, Al Saif, arrested at Tampa Airport last month has been arraigned without bail on terrorism related charges.

The common thread between both groups of Jihadis, the home grown Somali terrorist recruits and the ISA graduates, is the Wahhabist hate-filled doctrine conveyed in radical Mosques in Minneapolis and via school texts at the ISA.

The conclusion that Lafferty reached about this turn of events in the war against “creeping Sharia” can be summed in a 1960’s expression, “the world is watching.”

Let us hope that the Fairfax Board of Supervisors takes note of that when they review the record of the ISA expansion hearing. Otherwise, Sharia will continue to rise in America threatening to contravene our Constitution and deprive us of our liberty and freedoms in the name of Jihad.

Get to know James Lafferty

2009-07-15T09:15:00.001-07:00

James Lafferty is a veteran political/public relations consultant based in Washington, DC. At various points in his career he has worked as an award-winning investigative newspaper reporter, a public relations executive in New York and Washington and served in both the Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations in senior positions.

He served as Communications Direct and Press Secretary in the House Majority Whip’s office in 1994. Prior to that service, he worked as Press Secretary for the Joint Economic Committee of Congress.

Currently, Mr. Lafferty is President and a founding partner of The Policy Communications Group, a political and public relations firm in Northern Virginia which provides counsel to a number of corporations, foreign governments and political campaigns.