Despite his swift conviction by both political parties and the media for thought crimes against humanity because he wants the U.S. to ban Muslim immigration, Donald Trump is not backing down.
But Friday, Saba Ahmed, who heads something called the Republican Muslim Coalition, invited Trump to visit a mosque so she can disabuse the real estate magnate of his so-called Islamophobia.
“I have found that some of your comments reflect a lack of familiarity with the Islamic faith,” Ahmed wrote today in her letter. “I would like to correct that, if you will permit me.”
Ironically, Ahmed’s background and views — which Politico did not trouble itself to report on when it covered her entreaty — is an argument for Trump to hold his ground. If Ahmed is a moderate Muslim then who needs extremists?
In a 2011 Facebook exchange with an Oregon tea party group, she accused the United States government of committing crimes against humanity in the Middle East and equated Al-Qaida operatives with United States soldiers.
“United States Military and CIA are the most well funded Christian organizations that regularly conduct crimes against humanity all around the world. Currently we are killing / murdering people in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq. etc. with our drones, missiles, bombs, etc.
“What is the practical difference between a soldier who kills and an Alqaida [sic] operative [who] kills??? Both in God’s eyes are taking sacred life…”
Actually, there are a number of differences as anybody but a propagandist or moral nincompoop would readily admit: the U.S. military does not deliberately kill civilians or fly airplanes into office towers.
In a telephone interview, Ahmed claimed she did remember the post but then reiterated most of her points. She said the United States comitted “crimes against humanity” in Iraq and Afghanistan because “we’ve bombed thousands of people.”
“I stand by my anti-war comments that senseless violence around the world needs to end otherwise terrorism will continue to grow exponentially.”
Ahmed was reportedly a family friend of convicted terrorist Mohamed Mohumud. When the Somali-American teenager stood trial for plotting to detonate a bomb at the 2010 Portland, Oregon, Christmas lighting ceremony, Ahmed told reporters that United States Justice Department had incited hate crimes against Muslims with the prosecution.
“This is very irresponsible behavior because now the Muslim community is the one suffering the consequences,” she told The Oregonian.
Ahmed said the report about her friendship with Mohumud was “fabricated” but she never bothered to challenge it because people write so many articles about her.
She had offered to represent Mohamud at his 2011 trial but the public defender’s office was chosen instead. Now, she accepts the jury verdict. “He was found guilty and what he did was horrible.”
Trump’s campaign did not reply to repeated requests for comment but Ahmed said they are reviewing her request.
Would Trump really change his mind about Muslims with just one visit?
Attending prayer services “is the beginning of something,” she argued. “Here is a lot more that needs to be done. have him learn a few things. I don’t think he has ever attended a prayer service that is why he was talking about shutting down a Mosque. We are hoping he would come and join us.”
If the GOP frontrunner takes Ahmed up on her offer he should be careful about which mosque to visit. The Daily Caller News Foundation, citing an independent study, reported last month that 80 mosques nationwide “or their leading clerics have radicalized attendees to become terrorists, supported terrorist organizations, made radical Islamist remarks or hosted others that have, or are financially backed by radical individuals or organizations.”