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Waging Jihad Through the American Courts
March 31, 2010 | 18 comments
Feature
A Palestinian in Texas
My legal battle with a suicidal maniac provides a case study for Islamist attempts at speech suppression.
(Page 3 of 5)
The next 14 months saw several more rounds of the same: Hamad appealing and all the judges turning down every aspect of every effort, culminating with a March 12, 2008, judgment by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals slamming Hamad for his “ten year history of filing frivolous suits in this court.” The appeals court upped the award to me to $32,944.50 in attorney’s fees.
As Gerald Steinberg of NGO Monitor noted, Hamad’s lawsuit “was a clear attempt to use the courts and intimidation to prevent independent analysis and exposure of the incitement by anti-Israel NGOs.”
The Search
BY EARLY 2008, however, Hamad had other and larger concerns on his mind. On February 27, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service had jointly raided his house. Brandon Darby, a former leftist, anti-Zionist, and longtime friend of Hamad who now works for conservative causes and on behalf of Israel, has explained how this raid came to pass.
Darby, who had helped Hamad raise money and recruit “human shields” against the Israel Defense Forces—and who himself almost went to the Palestinian territories for that purpose—wanted to create a group, to be called Critical Response, to send medics into war zones such as Lebanon and Darfur to help civilians. Hamad liked this idea, regaling Darby with plans to use the cover of medics to place explosives on motorcycles and booby-trap ambulances in Israel to kill Jews. Hamad also devised a plan using the PCWF to send money to Hamas and Hezbollah. Darby recounted at Breitbart.com:
Hamad had approached me and shared that he had been able to skim off money [from PCWF] that he intended sneak to Palestinian comrades in Israel. I asked him why he needed to sneak anything when he was able to send funds legally. He responded with a detailed analysis of all the ways suicide bombers could get through checkpoints and achieve their goals. I declined and he told me that I had fallen back into my white privilege, but would come back to the revolution soon.
This talk of violence, Darby wrote, caused him to rethink his relationship with Hamad. “I couldn’t sleep and I debated within myself if I should go to the FBI.” Learning from another left-wing activist about plans to set up “a fake business to help Hamad funnel money for Palestinians” then nudged Darby to confront Hamad. The two met for coffee. On hearing of Darby’s disapproval, “Hamad responded by saying it would be good for white people to get caught in the war on terror and that people would limit what the government could do if the war on terror had whites in Guantanamo instead of just Arabs.”
This settled matters. Darby, agonizing over his past actions—“wondering if my previous support and efforts for the Palestinian Children’s Welfare Fund meant I had blood on my hands”—became resolved to stop Hamad. “I ended up meeting with the FBI. They were kind and gracious. Hamad and the Palestinian Children’s Welfare Fund were raided.”
The search warrant focused on fraud, not terrorism, as indicated by the supporting financial affidavit:
RIAD ELSOLH HAMAD failed to file his federal income tax returns for the years 1999 through 2003 and 2005, evaded payment of his federal income taxes for the years 1999 through 2006, and is engaged in preparing false documents used to obtain federally subsidized loan from various University of Texas campuses. The affidavit will show that HAMAD earned taxable income from the Austin Independent School District (AISD). HAMAD also runs/operates the Palestinian Children’s Welfare Fund (PCWF) which he claims raises money for the children of Palestine. HAMAD sends large amounts of money to the Middle East and/or to charities that forward the funds to the Middle East. The disposition of these funds is unknown at this time, A large amount of these “donated” funds have also been traced into various stock accounts controlled by Riad Hamad and/or his son Abdullah Hamad.
An investigator with the Internal Revenue Service put the last part more bluntly: “Riad Hamad, with the assistance of his son, Abdullah Hamad, his ex-wife, Diana Hamad, and his daughter, Rita Hamad, are using the ‘donated funds’ for personal use and not paying federal income taxes on these funds.”
We lack a news account, but here is how Hamad himself reported the raid on his house: A dozen federal agents, armed with a search warrant based on probable cause to investigate wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering, “searched every nook and cranny” of his apartment and took away “more than forty boxes of papers, files, computers and CDs.”
The Suicide
After the raid, Darby recounted he received a cryptic phone call from Hamad, one that foreshadowed what was to come.
I heard from Hamad one last time. He called me and said it was “just a matter of time.” I asked what he meant. He told me of the raids and said they had taken all of his documents, and that I would know soon. He said he had to go and he did. His body was found in Austin, TX in Lady Bird Lake a few days later. He apparently chose not to face the consequences of his actions.
About the Author
Daniel Pipes is a columnist for the Jerusalem Post, director of the Middle East Forum, and Taube distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University.
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John786| 11.9.12 @ 6:39AM
Another story to fuel Islamophobia. Its been only a few days since we had electoral armegedon. Give it a rest guys.
JD| 11.9.12 @ 11:42AM
Truth is truth.
This guy was personally put through a lot of pain by a bad man, and the media isn't reporting the truth, so he took it upon himself. I'm sorry the truth doesn't fit your political agenda, but that's your problem.
Jack in Wi| 11.9.12 @ 7:37AM
What a pile of crap. Daniel Pipes, Kristol, Wolfowitz, Perle, Podoretz can take all their race baiting an warmongering somewhere else. They cost the Republicans the election. People are sick of Israel, war, and warmongers. You can all go to hell. 70% of Jews voted for Obama and gave him huge funds in his re-election. Republicans get nothing from endless backing of the most extreme elements in the Jewish community. Pipes and his gang are a cancer on the country but most of all in the Republican party.
Alej| 11.9.12 @ 8:58AM
"Republicans get nothing from endless backing of the most extreme elements in the black community."
Fixed it for you.
You are sick of Israel. I am sick of you. Neither will go away, I suppose.
Haven't yet figured out that
A) Israel is the only outpost of democracy/freedom in the sewer that is Muslim territory, and may soon be a necessary base for actions that Western civilization will be forced by muslims to take, and that
B) American Jews for the most part don't give a rat's ass about Israel, America, or anything but their own bank accounts ?
Jack in Wi| 11.9.12 @ 12:14PM
Israel is a facist, racist state run by money lauderers, pimps, thieves and murderers. It was founded by atheists, socialists, and communists. It does nothing but cause trouble for us. The Republican Party gets nothing from its idiotic backing of Israel since 2000. Before that Republicans were wary of Israel and kept their distance. Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, and old man Bush didn't want to get involved with them to any extent. G W Bush, Cheney, McCain, Romney got nothing but trouble with their slavish devotion to this mess of a country. It is time to give the USA our attention and let Israel fend for itself. It is not worth one drop of American blood or one American dollar.
Rhoetus| 11.11.12 @ 5:47PM
How do you really feel Jack in Wi? WOW [This just in] A majority of American Jewish voters voted for the Democratic Party. Wow, who woulda thunk it?
jothepro| 11.9.12 @ 9:54AM
What a pile of crap you are Jack....
loulou| 11.9.12 @ 10:58AM
Jacksh*t in Wi is an angry little muslim-symp. Best to ignore him.
Gary B| 11.10.12 @ 3:27AM
I don't want to ignore him. Jack, would you have voted for Ron Paul, had he been a choice on the ballot? Are you a libertarian?
Tom Kyba| 11.9.12 @ 11:22AM
I have just read the last post of yours I will read Jack. I expect sick nut 786 to make a stupid comment, but I gave you some credit for having some principles despite your constant Jew-baiting. Enough!
I wish there was a way I could understand just how far some evil Islamic fundamentalist has to go before people like you open your eyes, but this knee-jerk reaction was the last straw. You are a sick anti-semite mental degenerate just like your comrade-in-hate 786. To hell with you sir. You and super-sicko 786 are the cancer on the entire human speciees. Once again, go to hell both of you.
John786| 11.9.12 @ 12:21PM
Tiny tim,
I don't hate anybody. These nonsensical stories only purpose is to spread hate against muslims and to close discussion down. In the ME I support a single state for all the people in historic Palestine. And I'm also willing to support a state on the 67 line. Occupation, murder and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the 21st century is no longer acceptable. The massive desecration of islamic heritage in palestine has to stop. In the heart of the Islamic world, an ideology, wants to snuff muslims out- as if we do not exist. This, can't work, will not work anymore. Zionism needs to move on. The US can have a positive role here. The right of all complectiins continues to demonise people. You can't win elections or influence the world by spreading hate.Demographics for the GOP & Israel are moving in the wrong direction. Time to evolve....
SCPOret| 11.9.12 @ 4:28PM
I guess you are not a student of history. When Israel was formed in 1949 the Jews wanted to live in peace with the arabs/muslim and co-inhabit the area. There was no such thing as a Palestinian at the time. The Arabs instead of accepting a peaceful solution instead attacked and killed jews and then fled to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and other countries as refugees. They are still refugees because the various arabic nations would not accept them as brothers and they refused to return to Israel when it was offered. So read your history and you will find that the Israelis have offered peace many times but the arabs/muslims have refused it.
John786| 11.9.12 @ 8:14PM
History. I don't think we'll ever agree on history. The present situation for Israel is untenable. There are presently more Palestinian in the land controlled by Israel then Jews. That's Zionism f*****. You would have thought that Israel would jump at the chance of a settlement. But, zionism keeps sowing the seeds of its own destruction. It really is 67 or bust.
Ryan| 11.12.12 @ 8:34AM
When the Palestinians cease their tactics of randomly firing into Israel, placing military assets in civilian populations and buildings, reject the Protocols of the Elders (a known hoax) and other similar issues, then they can have a seat at the table.
They have made no moves to sue for peace in this matter.
MelvinNC| 11.9.12 @ 8:04AM
I remember observing the attack on the World Trade Center, pregnant women were jumping out of the skyscraper to their certain deaths to avoid the flesh searing heat from the burning jet fuel.
Those on the ground who witnessed this horror, described when these womens bodies hit the cold concrete sidewalk they're bellies burst forth and it sounded like popcorn popping.
These poor women were someones wife, daughter, or aunt. No human being should have to face a self imposed death like that.
I also remember many on the Left in a brief moment of sanity calling for vengeance against the Islamic religious fanatics who carried out this horror upon our society.
Now a Palestinian extremist off's himself and apparently trying to incite his sympathizers into further bloodshed against American, Zionist cabal.
He is lionized as a hero on the Left, but in reality Riad Hamad was a thief, and fraud deceiving those who he conned into his cause. Now the Left accuses Hamad of being a victim of the American, Jewish cabal sending agents out to off one little insignificant Palestinian thief.
I guess I should take some sort of solace in that the Left didn't accuse members of the Tea Party forming a Islamic assassination hit team.
Damn, just when I thought I could trust those Iowan farmers.
loulou| 11.9.12 @ 10:55AM
"Most Muslim immigrants are law-abiding and constructive citizens in the West."
Are you sure? Granted, when Muslims are an overwhelming MINORITY they tend to be law-abiding but to make a blanket statement like that...?
Tom Kyba| 11.9.12 @ 11:25AM
Loulou, I believe this is called the elephant in the room.
RCV| 11.9.12 @ 1:17PM
Thanks, Daniel, for this fascinating story. We are all better off that this vile human being took his own life.
Seek| 11.9.12 @ 3:29PM
The late Mr. Hamad qualifies as a pure sociopath. I shed no tears for his passing. His behavior is all too typical of Muslims in this country who refuse to assimilate. Even those who construct a facade of normality eventually reveal their true colors.
Rhoetus| 11.11.12 @ 5:49PM
SEEK: BHO is a psychopath and he's POTUS.