Expect Zuhdi to tell the Islamophobes what they want to hear.
Who Is Zuhdi Jasser, Star Witness For Rep. Peter King’s Muslim Radicalization Hearings?
By Brian Powell (Media Matters)
Rep. Peter King (R-NY), chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, has officially scheduled the committee’s already infamous hearings on “the extent of radicalization in the American Muslim community and that community’s response” for next Thursday morning, March 10.
King has called three witnesses for the hearing, none of which has any expertise in terrorism, law enforcement or homeland security. The first will be Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a physician by trade who moonlights as a self-described “expert in the contest of ideas against Political Islam.” The others are two unnamed “American Muslims with family members who became radicalized.” The testimony of the latter two will be anecdotal in nature, so a great deal of weight will be given to Jasser’s testimony as the only “expert” fielded before the committee.
With no relevant credentials to speak of, Jasser’s authority in conservative circles as an “expert on radical Islam” seems to be derived from his willingness to frequently attack the Obama administration (whose terrorism advisor Jasser says “deserves honorary membership in the Muslim Brotherhood”) and Muslim-American civil rights groups (“front organizations” for the Muslim Brotherhood, according to Jasser).
Jasser is also conspicuous in his willingness to appear on Fox News to mitigate the effects of their pundits’ anti-Islamic rhetoric. After Fox host Bill O’Reilly went on The View and declared that “Muslims killed us on 9-11,” triggering a walk-off of the show’s hosts, he turned to Jasser, who declared that he was “absolutely not” offended by O’Reilly’s comments and actually thanked the Fox host for making them. Likewise, after NPR fired Juan Williams for his own controversial comments about Muslims, Fox hosted Jasser, who was again “absolutely not” offended.
Given these facts, it should be no surprise that Fox News’ Glenn Beck has dubbed him the “one Muslim that we were all searching for after 9-11″ and said he is “a voice that I trust.” Jasser has appeared on Beck’s show to provide “expert” validation of Beck’s zany apocalyptic conspiracies in the wake of recent unrest in the Middle East.
Before members of Congress rely on the testimony of this so-called “expert” to help shape policy, they should take the time to learn more about Jasser’s credentials and agenda. Unfortunately, between his right-wing rhetoric and his close relationship with Glenn Beck and other right-wing media figures, King’s key witness seems neither credible nor objective — and neither, as a result, do these hearings.
March 4th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
Years ago I was on his email list. Needless to say I am convinced he is doing this for money. Even though I tend to lean politically right, there is no way I would endorse what Beck says on his show
March 4th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
You would think that even Jasser would object to this. Wonder how much he’s getting paid.
March 4th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Zuhdi Ja$$er.
March 4th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Peter King is such a hypocrite. He used to raise money for the Irish Republican Army many years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IAIAWyCDzM
As far as Jasser goes, I knew nothing of this man until your post today. From what you guys say, he seems like a guy who cashes in checks on the side by agreeing with the loons on the right. There is big money in that as Geller, Spencer and Gabriel can attest to with all the money they make off of books and speaking engagements.
We’ll be seeing Jasser on Real Time real soon.
March 4th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Any muslim(which i higher don’t think Jesser is and only in this for the $$)that show up for this hearing to testify should be shunned from the muslim community and mosque. This is in the same line as the Jews of WW2 that acted as guards at concentration camps for the Nazi.You are helping any muslim hurt your own people so you have no place among them.
March 4th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
/\.You are helping them hurt muslims your own people so you have no place among them.
sorry laptop keyboard….
March 4th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
when reprehsible king mentioned that he will have a Muslim testify, my first guess was Zombie Ja$$er! ding ding!
March 4th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
A textbook case of “manufacturing consent.” You provide the speakers to say what you want them to say, make the public think that is what they thought, and then act in the “public’s interest” which was really your interest in the first place. Rinse and repeat. “We’re just doing what the people want. We are their humble servants!” It works every time.
March 4th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
You know, I despise Debbie Schlussel, but she’s had an interesting exchange with this guy. Apparently he gets support from the Clarion Foundation. Check this out.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/5181/the-sad-truth-about-dr-m-zuhdi-jasser-star-narrator-producer-of-the-third-jihad/
March 4th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
isn’t he the guy who made that “informative” film the third jihad or as I like to call it obsession rehash.
March 4th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
What should we call these type of people? Uncle Zuhdi? Uncle Jasser? `Ammo Jasser?!
March 4th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
I guess this guy is the Muslim version of (Uncle Tom)
March 5th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Where is the video of Reza Aslan destroying this clown in a debate?
March 5th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Ali Azizi,
http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/07/reza-aslan-rips-republican-zuhdi-jasser-on-mosque/
March 6th, 2011 at 5:14 am
The sad truth is that, for the anti-muslim movement, Jasser is at best a useful idiot and at worse a taqqiya-practicing jihadist. After years of being the sycophant, the lone moderate joining in the islam and muslim bashing, Jasser finally realized that such a movement would inevitably eat him up as well (after all, he still considered himself a Muslim). He finally, timidly called out Geller recently and the response was predictable:www.jihadwatch.org/2011/02/geller-where-are-all-the-jassers.html
Indeed, an interesting sub-plot of the increased prominence of the anti-muslim movement is the gradual shedding of useful Muslim idiots (like Jasser) who thought they could win favours and perhaps acceptance by denouncing their culture and embracing jwatch & Geller. One example is the egyptian sandmonkey.
The sandmonkey was a long time supporter of Geller until the recent events in Egypt where he reported on twitter that the protests had nothing to do with the Islamist movement:
“today’s protest is NOT about Muslim Brotherhood & shouldn’t be portrayed as such.”
He was of course promptly ignored by his friends Geller and Spencer as everyone on here knows. After a while, contradictions further sharpened when Sandmonkey dared to timidly suggest that there may be changes to the Israeli-Egyptian relationship.
This, as everyone knows is unforgivable. Only unconditional support to Israel in all her policies (unless they’re insufficiently anti-islamic)is acceptable. Geller decided it was time to get rid of her useful Muslim idiot in a post entitled “et tu sandmonkey?”
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2011/02/et-tu-sandmonkey.html
Of course, atlas readers went into the familiar accusations of Taqqiya and etc. (how could it be otherwise?). Sandmonkey came in to defend himself but it was clear that he still does not understand the nature of the anti-muslim movement and the murderous hatred that motivates Geller, Spencer and so many others.
Lets hope Jasser figures it out before its too late.
March 6th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
I used to go on the Sandmonkey blog years and years ago and left since I got fed up with his constant asskissing to the neocon right.
Glad he saw the light and realized how snarky these people are. After all, Charles Johnson of LGF fame did and look where it got him…he is now enemy #1 by Islamophobes.
March 6th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
For someone who claims to champion progressivism and secularism in the Muslim world, the tool known as Zudhi Jasser associates with an inordinate amount of far-right clowns—Ultra-Zionists, Neo-Conservative war mongers, racists, and Christian Dominionist’s, to name a few. What’s also odd is that someone like Professor Laromeaux could like this guy (but then again, he also likes the even loonier Debbie Schlussel).
March 6th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
mp11, Dan:
sandmonkey should not be forgiven for his pro-Bush, neocon anti-Muslim politics. If there was no Egyptian revolution, he’d still be up to his usual games. He saw an opportunity with the Egyptian protests to raise his profile and steer to the mainstream. So he changed his tune. And it worked. His twitter followers shot up to 20,000+ and he was invited to speak about the uprising on CNN and other media outlets. But he will always be a lying opportunist. I don’t believe he saw the light, just saw a situation he can exploit to his benefit as he did with post-9/11 hysteria and Iraq. I wouldn’t trust him.
March 9th, 2011 at 12:05 am
For a textbook case on useful (in this case ex-muslim) idiots see Aymenn Jawad and his recent exchange with Robert Spencer. Aymenn is only able to condemn Spencer after a long drawn-out exchange and finally lets out:
“keep on hosting articles by your colleague, whom you admire uncritically, calling for a crackdown on Egyptian protestors as happened at Tianenman Square and by all means continue having this site advocate stirring up sectarian tensions in Iraq.”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/03/responding-to-a-friendly-fire-attack.html#comments
But why did it take a fight with Spencer for Aymeen to see what Spencer was all about? Is it that difficult for ex-muslims or uncle toms like Jasser to understand that robert spencer and his allies are hate mongering fascists? Do they just ignore the writing of Fitzgerald and Shirk? Are they oblivious to Robert Spencer’s support of the EDL, Vlammsblok, OFP etc?
Dont they understand that the Taqqiya libel means that they too are potential suspects and that eventually they will be accused of being secret Muslims practicing Taqqiya?
March 11th, 2011 at 10:26 am
I am not related to this Buffon, but he seems to be another Fouad Ajami. he knows nothing about Islam and Muslim and works as a hired gun and ringer to advance racist ideas. Please do not Judge us based on an opportunist who makes a living from idiots who pay him to adavanced their agenda using a muslim name.
March 14th, 2011 at 1:21 am
Is it just a coincidence that both he and that loony woman Wafa Sultan both came from the same country?
March 27th, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Hussam is 100% right about the self proclaimed Sand Monkey, the clown is a lying opportunist. He ran off after just one exchange with me on the Altmuslim site years after I demolished his nonsense.
Just another overweight white washed frat boy from Egypt’s elite pretending to be the voice of the average Egyptian. Not only did he support Bush, but also the Danish hate cartoonists and israel’s assault on Lebanon and Gaza.
April 11th, 2011 at 5:06 am
As predicted, anti-Islam moderates or ex-Muslims are eventually turned into jihadists when they are no longer useful.
“And I regard the efforts by Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, whose pro-jihad (at least in the Balkans and probably elsewhere as well) and sentiments are now clear”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/04/discord-among-counter-jihadists-a-call-for-unity.html#comments
Once a Muslim always a Muslim, right?
April 11th, 2011 at 6:26 am
Leave it to Spencer to turn ex-Muslims into Jihadis…
April 11th, 2011 at 6:27 am
“Leave it to Spencer to turn ex-Muslims into Jihadis…”
Indeed, he has few equals