A Muslim religious leader with alleged ties to the terrorist group Hamas is scheduled to address President Barack Obama's inaugural prayer service on Wednesday.
Given the recent hostilities in Israel surrounding Hamas, irrespective of a just-announced ceasefire, one has to wonder how much attention this matter will get from Obama-loving media which are also largely pro-Palestinian.
Although Politico is getting credit for breaking this story, the American Thinker appears to have been the first to unveil the truth behind Ingrid Mattson Saturday (photo courtesy AP via Politico):
Politico's Josh Gerstein reported the following a bit later in the day Saturday:Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), will deliver a prayer at the National Cathedral during the National Prayer Service on January 21st. The event is part of the festivities for the inauguration of Barack Obama, which occurs January 20. A convert to Islam, Mattson directs the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary.ISNA has close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamist group, and was named an un-indicted co-conspirator in U.S. v Holy Land Foundation, a case that uncovered covert financing of the terrorist group Hamas.
Mattson’s group calls itself “the largest Muslim umbrella organization” in North America. However, in May 2007, federal prosecutors included ISNA on a list of nearly 300 co-conspirators filed in a criminal case charging that the Holy Land Foundation of Richardson, Texas, funneled more than $12 million to Hamas.
The U.S. government designated Hamas as a terrorist group in 1995.
A trial in Dallas in 2007 for the foundation and five of its leaders ended with acquittals and mistrials. However, Holy Land and the five officials were convicted of all 108 charges in a second trial last year. [...]
The court has not ruled on the groups’ motion, but in a brief filed last July, federal prosecutor James Jacks said there was ample evidence of the Islamic groups’ ties to the Holy Land Foundation.
“During last year's trial, numerous exhibits were entered into evidence establishing both ISNA's and NAIT's intimate relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestine Committee, and the defendants in this case," Mr. Jacks wrote . "They were intimately connected with the HLF and its assigned task of providing financial support to HAMAS. ... That ISNA and NAIT appeared in these documents and share a common history with these defendants is a reflection of the evidence, not any attempt to 'disparage' or 'vilify.'"
Through 1PM EST Sunday, a Google News search identified the Associated Press as the lone major American news outlet besides Politico to print this story, although others have noted Mattson's scheduled appearance at the prayer service without addressing her Hamas connections.
I wonder why.
By contrast, AT's Richard Moran pointed out Sunday that Fox News has reported the full story about Mattson.
Color me unsurprised.
In the end, it will be very interesting to see what coverage this matter gets in the coming days if any.
Stay tuned.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
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Comments Policy
I hope she concludes her prayer with a nice rousing Allah Akbar.
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:29 ET by superconulululululululululuaaaaa .
The lefties flip out over Rick Warren and call him all sorts of nasty names but they wouldn't dare utter a peep about this lady.Why doesn't someone ask her what her views on Prop.8 in California were.
"Well that's because they have a strict Islamic culture and we should respect that."
Because with a name like Obama... you know it has to be good.
"I hope she concludes her
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:39 ET by Blazer"I hope she concludes her prayer with a nice rousing Allah Akbar."
You forgot: " and Death to Israel !!"
That would be worth watching.
If I were Bill Ayres, I would be livid at not getting an invite right now.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
He's not worried....
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:52 ET by supercon"If I were Bill Ayres, I would be livid at not getting an invite right now.
"
He'll show up soon enough. The sixties are back and it will just as bad as the first time.
Because with a name like Obama... you know it has to be good.
Good. Maybe Billy boy will
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:56 ET by BlazerGood. Maybe Billy boy will get his hands on a bad batch of acid and take a dive off a balconey. Lord knows I feel like I've been on a bad trip for the past year or so.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
Fun, fun
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:59 ET by choselife3xIt'll be interesting to see the expression of utter surprise on the liberal's faces as their heads are 'liberated' from their necks by those innocent Muslim 'freedom' fighters.
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
clx3. We all know how the
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 14:09 ET by Blazerclx3. We all know how the left despises neo-cons who do not believe in womens rights, brand homosexuality as a crime punishable by death and are not respectfull of other cultures and religions and want to subdue all non-believers at the point of a sword and have no distinction between religion and state.
And I'm just talking about the Islamo-fascists here.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
Simply staggers the imagination
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 16:10 ET by choselife3xDoes it not?
They are on the 'side' of fanatics who will gladly kill them at the first opportunity. Dare I say, too dumb to live?
I love this guy: http://m.youtube.com/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeaE98w1KZ-c&v=eaE9...
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
choselife3x
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 22:14 ET by SvenTwo words come to mind: USEFUL IDIOTS!
love it, Sven
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 22:22 ET by choselife3xUseful idiots, soon to be 'endangered species'.
Won't it be funny to see their faces when conservatives come to their rescue?
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
choselife3x
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 22:30 ET by SvenIndeed it will! It's like leaving teen-agers home alone for the first time!
Seriously though, do these dingle-berries not understand that radical Muslims loathe everything about them? I hope I'm wrong, but sadly, I believe we're going to be hit hard from another terrorist attack.
God Help Us!
We collectively rejected Him
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 22:52 ET by choselife3xIn November. We're fair game for Islamic fundamentalists now.
Though if they believe we're all like the fools in the media they're in for a rough surprise. :-O
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
Roger that!
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 23:02 ET by SvenRoger that!
Super
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:38 ET by choselife3xIsn't it great how everyone's religious beliefs are worthy of respect? Except Christians, of course.
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
I know.
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:48 ET by superconThey are the only group in America that doesn't have their own hate crime legislation.Sarah Palin's church got torched last month and it was barely a blip on the radar.It sort of seemed like some in the media thought it was funny.
What would happen if a mosque got torched...?What would happen if an ACORN office or an abortion clinic got torched. You would see 24/7 coverage on it on CNN with screen crawler saying "The work of radical right-wingers?"
Because with a name like Obama... you know it has to be good.
Hey, it's politically correct to trash Christians/Christianity
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:43 ET by CKA in Red State USA. . .but you'd dare not say one cross-wise word about Islam and the Islamofascists. It and they are new darlings of the Democrats, liberals and leftists, including the entire adversary/advocacy media, otherwise known as the shills and shillettes for Barack Hussein Obama.
And with Obama's ignorance of America, its history and its people, he does not care.
After all, his megalomaniacal pathology drives him to not just be THE voice of all, but also to have all love and adore him.
That means his moral agnosticism, his moral relativity, not his pretend-Christianaity, will drive his decisions.
Gotta remember: Of 300,000,000 Americans, if even one objects, that solitary voice will drive the debate in the public square.
That is, unless that voice is one of a Christian or a Jew who believes Israel should defend itself, or anyone who might object to the ifnanticide which abortionist-in-chief Obama champions.
Oh, yeah, Obama putting his hand on the Bible that President Lincoln used?
Pure show.
And if Obama thinks that evangelical Pentecostal Christians, the ones he's courting via rick Warren, will buy that charade, well, the empty suit from Chicago has big surprise coming.
No surprise here . . .
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 13:33 ET by CKA in Red State USAHasn't this woman appeared at at least another Obama function?
And did Obama have an adviser who also had ties to at least one Islamofascist terrorist organization?
And then there's the Columbia University professor
BTW: You wonder what kind of prayer will she deliver?
And how will the Jews and true Christians present accept this?
FWIW: This definitely puts America into the anti-Christian era -- or, really, further into it -- and should concern Jews greatly.
As for advocacy media attention, they'll fall all over themselves. They'll find ways to suggest this is an olive branch to Hamas and the Palestinians.
A "moderate muslim" is a terrorist without opportunity yet.
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 14:04 ET by jed58Islam had nothing to do with the foundations of this country and if we were smart we would drive it out. One day we will be sorry we did not.
jed... So right you are
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 14:50 ET by bigtimerjed...
So right you are in my opinion.
CAIR and all involved should have been booted out long ago...instead they seem to make incremental progress all the time.
I know they were served warrants not very long ago...but what comes of that, who knows...they are just bidding there time as congress-critters keep remaining PC in different states that will eventually hurt us all...they have time on their side, and they know it.
Isn't it interesting they have...
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 14:12 ET by Prester John...Ingrid Mattson, rather than say, Ahmed al-Tikriti Hussein presenting a Muslim prayer?
But then again there will already be one Hussein on the platform
From flying planes into buildings
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 14:36 ET by choselife3xTo buying their way into the highest office in the land in 7 years. Gotta give the Islamofascists an E for effort.
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
We must give the Dems, libs and lefties and I, then, for...
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 15:13 ET by CKA in Red State USA. . . idiocy.
Perhaps a T for traitorious behavior; or S, if you prefer seditious.
And a giant N for numbnts.
Wait and see: The Obama administration and so-called historians of his intellectual and moral bankruptyc will begin to revise how Bill Clinton handled the 1993 bombing of the then-standing WTC and then Bush and 9/11.
Wonder how the wonder boy from Chicago will go onto explain to his Islamic supporters -- theyr'e what, about 5 million, if that many Muslims out of 300 million people in America -- when he dares do something that's unfavorable to the Islamofascists.
You assume Obama will pursue
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 15:18 ET by NL207You assume Obama will pursue a policy that is unfavorable to the Islamofascists. I think that is iffy at best. I do not recall ever seeing Obama quoted anywhere in print where he supports Israel or opposes the Islamofascists. He never takes a stand on either of these issues. Notice Israel-Hamas in Gaza. Obama has been entirely mum on this subject. Hard to believe the press allowed him to campaign without an answer to one of those questions, but he has literally taken no stand on that issue.
Touche. I did assume that he would do anything unfavorable to
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 15:59 ET by CKA in Red State USA. . . the Islamofascists.
RE: Israel, though: He's suggested to at least the NYOT (New York Obama Times) that once inaugurated, he'd have "plenty" to say about the ongoings in Gaza.
Haven't been holding breath on how pro-Israel he'll be.
One good thing about the inauguration: After it, he can no longer hide behind George Bush being president, thus Obama's claim that there con be only one president at a time.
That, of course, did not play when he made his world tour and likely violated the Logan Act by asking the Iraqis to stall U.S. troop withdrawal.
0bama wants Peace in Israel, Cutting the flow of arms,to Zero
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 17:04 ET by upcountrywaterAnd this is what will happen, (just change some of the nation names)
The MSM will hide this information...
FREEDOM
(D)
→ Cutting off Arms?
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 17:11 ET by Cool ArrowAKA "The Venus de Milo Project"
I'll go with T, Pat
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 15:22 ET by choselife3xAnd I'd like to buy a vowel.'O'.
I think I'll solve the puzzle.
"Oh sh!t."
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
Mattson - In Her Own Words
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 14:24 ET by BondPlainBondMattson's not too fond of America, Americans, or Christianity, is she?
Cheers to Obama! Finding yet another scandal to surround him and his presidency. Not to be keeping score or anything, but, it's around five or six now in recent days, and he's not even sworn in.
Obama's not too good at judging the content of a person's character, is he? Or, is this something quietly deliberate and calculated?
ISNA's Ingrid Mattson in Her Own Words
Ingrid Mattson Equates Christian Critics of Violent Jihad with Osama bin Laden, Who Wages Violent Jihad - 13 September 2002
The Online Writings of Ingrid Mattson
→ Golden calves
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 14:31 ET by Cool ArrowWe're loading the high places with false gods for everybody's comfort.
Doesn't bode well for us.
Respectfully, this will not be cast as a scandal . . .
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 15:17 ET by CKA in Red State USA. . . not with the Fourth-Estate-turned-Fifth-Column that also morphed into the advocacy/adversary media.
Gotta have eyes to see, ears to hear and mouths to speak.
And, as well all know, the advocacy/adversary media has none of those whien it comes to anything that could be construed as anti-American or a challenge to our national sovereignty.
Perhaps with a move such as this, the Sign of Obama will be the one-finger salute facing the American flag?
Why not? He's given it to us so many times before, hasn't he?
"Finding yet another
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 18:23 ET by celator"Finding yet another scandal to surround him and his presidency."
Oh, there are so many more surprises coming to those who supported this guy. His rate of administrative goofups is about one a day, now. But he's keeping his big surprises for the country until after Tuesday.
For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.
→ Will this happen?
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 14:40 ET by Cool ArrowWill the name of Allah be spoken and Jesus omitted?
Mrs. Mattsons religion
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 15:19 ET by BlazerMrs. Mattsons religion teaches that anyone who changes their religion from Islam to any other is an apostate and should be put to death. Unless of course that man is leader of the free world and a useful idiot, then it's o.k.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
I am a Christian and believe in the bible and my bible ...
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 16:03 ET by Jayke... tells me all other religions are man made and FALSE. I'm sorry but that is what the bible teaches. If that means I'm narrow minded then you can say the same thing about Jesus. "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE. NO ONE comes to the FATHER except THROUGH ME." (John 14:6). One difference between me and a Mohameddan is that I am willing to let them live in their false religion and let God be the Judge but a Mo' will be happy to follow his cult dogma in cutting my head off to shut me up. FACT.
The FBI should be rounding
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 17:09 ET by R D HelmThe FBI should be rounding up the members of ISNA and CAIR and sending them all to Gitmo.
There is no such thing as moderate Islam.
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -While there is still time.
Obama is redefining
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 17:54 ET by The Smokin FrogObama is redefining Christianity and religion in general.
He already included a bishop in his inaugural events, that champions sodomy. So forcing a pro-Hamas Muslim into the grand American syncretistic religion blender is not hard to believe. Obama is an arrogant man that has no use for the truth of the Word of God, specifically the Word of Christ. He much prefers to redefine annoying words of faith, and give them definitions that suit him in his socialistic utopian quest.
Idolatry: Obama Worship
I don't know what to expect
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 18:05 ET by motherbeltI don't know what to expect from someone who takes one of St. Paul's most famous phrases (three things abide: faith, hope, love....) and changes them to Faith, Hope, Change.
After that, nothing else can surprise me.
No, he's not redefining Christianity, but creating his own cult.
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 20:56 ET by CKA in Red State USAHe can do what he will. And we see he will do a lot.
But he harder he pushes his apostasy, his deceit--actually, the deceit comes via the Prince of Darkness, but through willing instruments such as Obama--and the more people fall for this false prophet, the more that the true Christianity, the remnant of which the Bible speaks, will surface.
Obama and his bots do not understand this, that the more pressure applied, the more strength Christianity will gain. And those who truly have a relationship with Jesus the Christ will stand for Him, not secularists such as Obama.
Of course, the advocacy/adversary media, being unchruched and ignorant of and hostile to Christianity, will take whatever Obama says as their "gospel" and his.
Let them.
Pretend-Christian Barack Hussein Obama already has things for which he gets to answer, thought not to anyone presently on terra firma.
There will come a time, though, when his ersatz religion will crumble, perhaps even in his lifetime.
Something will expose him for the spiritual fraud and dilettante as well as opportunist he is. It will suprise him, take his breath away.
But that's likely not going to be the advocacy/adversary media.
They all, Obama and his tribe, need prayer for real revelation of the Lord Jehovah.
Yeah but... they're so
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 18:01 ET by Clear thinkerYeah but... they're so peaceful!
PA’s Promotion of Genocide
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
→ Good point Clear
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 18:08 ET by Cool ArrowI'd even support awarding Yassir Arafat the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts the last couple of years.
"...Nobel Peace
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 18:26 ET by celator"...Nobel Peace Prize..."
Obama's lined up for that one in 2011-12. Watch and see.
For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.
Well I doubt
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 19:43 ET by general companyHe has to wait that long
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
→ Renamed: The Obama Peace Prize
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 19:54 ET by Cool ArrowWhich he'll win when he brokers a peace between Nancy Pelosi and her Committee Chairs.
Ya, know the shine kinda
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 20:00 ET by BlazerYa, know the shine kinda came off that thing when they awarded it to Arafish and Carter, two raging anti-semites.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
I love it how anti-semites
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 19:15 ET by mostlymoderateI love it how anti-semites always tell me that "Jews run the media"!!! This is a perfect illustration that Jews either don't run the media or many American Jews don't support Israel as strongly as some people think. It shocks the conscience that this isn't being reported in the American media. :(
→ Certainly there's a joke here
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 19:26 ET by Cool ArrowA preacher, a gay bishop, and a Radical Muslim Spokeswoman walk into a bar.
When do you think the tape
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 20:01 ET by AizlynneWhen do you think the tape the LA Times has of BHO praising Hama's will come out?
"When do you think the tape
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 20:23 ET by Blazer"When do you think the tape the LA Times has of BHO praising Hama's will come out? "
When he doesn't sign their bail-out check.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
I wonder if the IDF would
Sun, 01/18/2009 - 23:05 ET by RR GOPI wonder if the IDF would consider her a valid target?
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
The Obamatrons know where
Mon, 01/19/2009 - 00:02 ET by ConservativeRexThe Obamatrons know where their bread is buttered. This situation is going to be difficult to rectify.
We already have a foolish congressman from New York pushing to abolish the 22nd amendment so Obami can serve more than two terms, when he hasn't even started his first.
As Christians, we in the near future, will have to put aside differences and as one demand how we are going to be governed. As Christians we will do things peacefully, but we will not allow ourselves to be run over. Mooslims would do well to remember that we will not back down, we will not give in. They are foreign to the United States, they do not want to become one with the United States. They really do belong in the Middle East, the sooner there, the better.
If I may, the time has come to focus on a Higher Government
Mon, 01/19/2009 - 00:38 ET by CKA in Red State USAIn anti-Christian America, yes, we must stand. But for whom? Christ Jesus, first and foremost.
That may mean some very rough times ahead. But so what? We are seeing, IMO, the unfolding of prophecy. And that will demand stronger faith and action as never before in our country.
Christians will continued to be reviled, by the abortionist-in-chief and pretend-Christian Obama, as well as his mouthpieces in the advocacy/adversary media.
Muslims and any other person of any religion or whatever -- whether they be Wiccans or whether they worhsip empty Pepsi cans -- will find more respect than Christians.
But, indeed, if we sit on our patoots and allow our freedoms to be stolen -- and, really, I'm speaking of all Americans, not just those calling themselves Christian (but, then, Obama calls himself a Christian, something that cannot be given his hatred of life and family) -- we all deserve every bit of what will come our way.
I agree: Muslims or whomever may find a BIG surprise if they think that Christians are going to roll over and die.
We will practice our faith, no matter what.
And as long as the Constitution still stands, particuarly its First Amendment, we will demand to be afforded the same rights.
And we will continue, or some us will, to continue to combat this politically correct nonsense that the Founding Fathers were not, for the most of the majority, men who believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, including Jesus.
We must remmber that of 300,000,000 people in our country, perhaps only 5 million or so are Muslims.
If they do not like the principles on which our country operates, and the historic Judeo-Christian roots of the settlers or how those beliefs influenced our Declaration of Independence and Constittution, then they have the option to leave. Immediately.
BTW: The differences you say Christians will have to put aside? I suggest that the Lord is shaking the tree of American Christianity to find exactly who believes in Him and loves Him enough to stand for Him, regardless of what denomination to which they belong, or whether, even, they belong to one.
This is an exciting, challenging time.
And the more that the world presses, through false prophets and pretenders such as Obama and the secularists who he has now greatly emboldened by creating his own gospel and religion, the more true Chrsitianity will shine and grow powerful.
It's about time.
Conservative, I heard
Mon, 01/19/2009 - 10:23 ET by msh1973Conservative,
I heard that about the move to abolish the 22nd amendment...I almost went through the radio! Hopefully the leadership will rein in that idiot...but one never knows what evil lurks.
Another Clueless O
Mon, 01/19/2009 - 07:54 ET by RD Kingcloset terrorist, muslim, racist, socialist, communist or whatever comes to light now that the election is over.
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61778/
Are you ready for some muslim?
no big deal
Mon, 01/19/2009 - 08:38 ET by CatherwoodI find this not unusual simply because all Muslims have ties to Hamas in the sense that they want all of us who are not Muslims dead. Even the ones who proclaim Islam as the religion of peace want the rest of us out of the way. Having a Muslim terror provocateur say a prayer at BHO's innaugural is very typical of the radical left's mind set. These terrorists are their brothers in radical thinking. Actually the woman fits right in with the rest of them. there's not two cents worth of difference. All of them want a new liberal America; one very different from the America most of us have grown up in. Shucks, Farrakan, Wright and Osama could give speeches and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. Liberals have taken over the world. Many will die, many will starve, many will believe the lie inherent in idealistic thinking.
It pretty much fits into the
Mon, 01/19/2009 - 08:49 ET by pitter43It pretty much fits into the theme of things if you look at it, obama wants to be sworn in as Hussian Obama. What better to perform at the coronation than a Muslim.