Joe “nuke ‘em” Kaufman was on Fox and Friends saying Muslim Family Day was a terrorist sponsored event.
Fox & Friends’ latest vicious attack on Islam targets Muslim Family Day
July 20, 2010 1:48 pm ET by Justin Berrier
On what is rapidly becoming a regular feature, Fox & Friends this morning continued their incessant attack on Islam. Co-host Alisyn Camerota this morning hosted anti-Islam blogger and founder of the ironically named Americans Against Hate organization Joe Kaufman to attack Muslim Family Day at Six Flags Great Adventure. Camerota called it “insensitive” that they would host the event on September 12, “just hours after the anniversary of the September 11th attacks,” and added “but what’s even more controversial are the allegations that the Muslim group organizing the event could have been involved in financing the September 11 terror attacks.” Kaufman went further, employing what is becoming a familiar phrase among anti-Muslim bloggers: “The fact that they’re having it on September 12th, I believe they are actually spitting in the face of Americans.”
So what evidence did Kaufman give to back up Camerota’s claim that the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), who is sponsoring this event, “could have been involved in financing the September 11 terror attacks?” His first piece of evidence is a message from former ICNA President Dr. Muhammad Yunus making “a request calling on supporters to give ‘material support to groups associated with al-Qaida and the Taliban.” Here is what Yunus actually said, in an image hosted on Kaufman’s website: “Remember fellow Chechnyan Muslims in Eid Celebrations. President ICNA Dr. Muhammad Yunus has requested all Muslims around the world to include Chechnyan Muslims in their special Eid-ul-Fitr prayers. We must show our spiritual and material support for our brothers and sisters being oppressed by Russian forces.” For Kaufman, this justifies making the claim that “they may be themselves involved in financing 9/11.”
In case the name Muhammad Yunus sounds familiar, by the way, that would be Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus, developer of the microcredit and microfinance concepts.
Kaufman went on to try to associate ICNA with Hamas through more tenuous ties. According to his website, in 2006 ICNA was listed as a donor to the Al-Khidmat Foundation, a Pakistani charitable organization that, according to their website, “is dedicated to the services of humanity all parts of the world without any discrimination of creed, religion and political associaltion [sic].” They provide funding for clean water projects, diagnostic centers, orphan homes, and other community-based programs. According to Kaufman, while ICNA was one of their donors, the Al-Khidmat Foundation made a one-time donation to Hamas. Kaufman of course has no evidence that ICNA was involved in the gift, or that their money was part of the gift, or that they had anything to do whatsoever with the gift. Kaufman has been pushing this connection for years, and even the Anti-Defamation League isn’t buying it. An October 5, 2007 Dallas Daily News article reported on Kaufman’s allegations. At the time, he was protesting a different Muslim Family Day at Six Flags Over Texas. They reported (accessed via Nexis):
Mohammad Barney, president of the Dallas chapter of ICNA, said the accusations are troubling and untrue.
According to its Web site, ICNA supports Islamic culture and education while promoting justice and understanding.
“It’s disturbing that they are writing false statements like that,” said Mr. Barney. “People have the right to say whatever they want, but that doesn’t make it true.”
The Anti-Defamation League – a pro-Jewish group – seems to agree. ICNA is not listed as a threat on its Web site.
“We don’t involve ourselves in that kind of activity,” said Mark Briskman, regional director of the league, who said his group would not participate in the protest. “He made a lot of claims … without clear documentation of those claims. His statements are problematic.”
So other than making what appear to be baseless accusations about an organization sponsoring a family outing, why would Fox & Friends bring Kaufman on to attack Muslim Family Day? Well, what he lacks in expertise or insight, he makes up for in dedication. What Kaufman failed to mention is that, while Muslims may be “spitting in the faces of Americans” for holding the event on September 12, he attacked the event in 2007, when it was being held on October 14. Kaufman and Fox also ignored that the reason why the event is being held on September 12 this year –the same reason it was held on October 14 in 2007 –is that it falls on the first weekend after Ramadan ends.
In a FrontPage article titled “Fanatic Muslim Family Day” Kaufman wrote of the October 2007 event:
ICNA’s Muslim Family Day that will occur on October 14, 2007 is nothing but a charade, created to spread hatred, but veiled in a way to make the sponsoring organization look harmless. Six Flags will play host to this dangerous farce. If events, such as these, are allowed to continue, more and more Americans could become desensitized to those groups – fifth columns within our borders that wish to do us harm. It is up to those concerned to speak out against these travesties that threaten our way of life.
He may have been on to something. Looking back at previous events, I was able to find evidence of ICNA members spreading hatred. Witness the horror:
July 22nd, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Do you see how jittery and nervous he acts because he know he has no basis or evidence against ICNA. In fact he makes Jews look bad, because his voice sounds like he is whining and shrill, and he constantly shaking and nervous, when most Jews don’t sound and act like him.
July 22nd, 2010 at 4:57 pm
LOL….It wasn’t even ON 9/11. How long will these pathetic losers keep trying to milk 9/11 even when its not 9/11…haha
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:50 pm
At first, I want to laugh, because Fox and Friends is a stupid show and Joe Kaufman is a lunatic. Then, I want to cry, because so many people take them seriously.
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Nothing new here, Joey “Kahane JDL” Kaufman pulls this every scam single year, with the 4 to 6 member “Judeofascists For Hate.” The local Muslims ought to band together take the bastard to court for defamation.
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Amazing this bigot is actually admitting to protesting infront of an amusment park where families with kids would just to have fun. Can’t we muslims just go to a park without having controversy and 9/11 trailing us, it sad what this world has come to.
And about the date Eid al Fitr is based on the islamic lunar calendar if the lunar, i don’t think the moon spitefully declared eid on the 12th of September just to spite people. Seriously Mr. Kaufman get a life instead of picketing amusement parks.
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Oh the horror thhhhheee absolute horror of those kids D: (in case you couldn’t tell I’m being sarcastic) but seriously, if you are going to say things like that, have better evidence at least.
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:42 pm
“In case the name Muhammad Yunus sounds familiar, by the way, that would be Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus, …”
Are they pointing out that this is a different Muhammad Yunus to THE Muhammad Yunus of Grameen Bank fame? The wording is a bit ambiguous.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Was this piece of garbage introduced as the founder of an anti-hate organization? hahahaha….I should have hit the stop button right there. If this guy and this news organization are not the definition of loons, no one is
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:47 pm
http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2010/07/19/violence-erupts-in-dudley-at-english-defence-league-demonstration-65233-26880484/
July 23rd, 2010 at 2:28 am
Wow. So mainstream outlets like FOX actually buy into these baseless allegations? You don’t have to be an expert in Islam to see that Joe Kauffman is full of it. Five minutes of research is enough to debunk this loon.
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:28 am
Its becoming rather common now to claim such and such a group is linked to haas, HZebollah or the Muslim brotherhood. It is a frequent claim when a mosque is getting buiolt or some muslim event.
These people will target muslims no matter how innocent their motives are for something.
It just shows how rabid their hatred of muslims and islam has become. They are becoming more bolder in their hatred, and its being tolerated sadly, under the guise of freedom of speech.
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:54 am
Emperor, quick question. Are you certain Dr. Muhammad Yunus of ICNA and Muhammad Yunus nobel prize winner are the same person? You are probably correct, but I just want to make sure. Thanks.
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:35 am
JustAFan
That bit stuck me as odd too. As far as I know, Dr. Muhammad Yunus (of Grameen Bank)does not even live in America, and if her were to be a speaker at a event it would likely be a LOT more widely publicized.
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:52 pm
You have to admit though, scheduling this family day for Sept 12 is moronic at best. ICNA, ISNA, MAS, all these organizations have done an extremely poor job when it comes to public relations and improving the image of the Muslim community. This mosque in WTC for instance – who didn’t see the uproar coming in response to building a mosque 2 blocks from the WTC site?
As for the likes of Pamela Geller manufacturing lies to slander every individual Muslim and every Muslim organization…There are hundreds of thousands of very educated and articulate Muslims in America. Why can’t they organize and respond to these anti-Muslim bigots? No single statement defaming a Muslim or the Muslim community at large should go unchallenged. Where’s the Muslim equivalent of the anti-defamation league?
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:54 pm
BTW, Pamela Geller’s book is on sale on Amazon, and you can review it. If you’ve read the book, or can get it at the public library in the near future, please give a deservingly scathing review of it to discourage people from poisoning themselves with her psychotic hate speech.
July 23rd, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I am not sure if you all have heard but Joe Kaufman has links to Hamas.
It is true. I have no evidence but the fact that I say it makes it true, right. This seems to be the logic Fox News uses. I have also heard that the FCC has told Fox News that they have to change their name to Faux News. The truth is in the pudding.
P.S. If you have to call your self an Anti-Hate Group then you most likely are a Hate Group. Kind of like when some one says I am not calling you a liar. They are calling you a liar.
July 23rd, 2010 at 6:24 pm
I get the feeling these are two different Muhammad Yunuses. You may need clean up that line from your post.
July 23rd, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Just so everyone knows, ICNA is against all forms of terrorism and has backed the North American Fiqh Council’s fatwa against terrorism.
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Firstly, it is Kauffman/Fox who is spitting in the faces of americans by constantily bringing up the 9/11 attacks, not allowing people to heal. It is a common tactic, and it is distastful and disgusting that they would use people’s deaths to discriminate, and oppress another.
Secondly, everyone is acting like there is an invisable shield around 9/11-NY”ground zero” Muslims can’t have a community centre within the sacred “ground zero” muslims are not allowed to have any kind of celebration around the sacred 9/11, muslims should lock themselves inside their homes so the precisous americans can “mourn” their dead, then come out when told to. Then americans can go back to being passively-aggresive racists.
July 24th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Why is it one never sees “peaceful” “moderate” Jews denouncing this evergrowing host of Jewish Islamophobes?
July 24th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
These loons have no idea about the Muslim family day. It started in year 2000, 1 year before 9/11/2001. One of the founder organiser died in 9/11 (in twin towers) attacks that is the reason they could not organise MFD for few years.
Also, if one check the event calendar of Six Flags Great America, there is a “2nd annual Xtreme Spirit Cheer and Dance Competition” on 9/11/2010. Why can’t these loons attack those who are organising a CHEER and DANCE event? Who can cheer and dance on 9/11?
July 25th, 2010 at 2:13 am
@nat and JustFan,
No they are not the same person. They do, however, have the same name.
July 30th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Muhammad Yunus the Nobel Prize winner is not the same as the head of ICNA. They share the same name that is it.
It is poorly worded but that is what I assume Media Matters was trying to point out, that they have the same name.
September 4th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Well im sure americans would be angry if icna made MFD on the 10th,11th,or 12th.Those 3 days are when Eid is celebrated, so thats when they can hold the event.Next year the event wont be around 9/11, but theyl probably still talk like this.Its just horrible how they blame all Muslims for the acts of i believe 19 hijackers who claim they are muslims, when they disobey the Quran’s teachings of peace.
Oh and ill be attending this event, and i cant wait