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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 4 of 5)
Even in death, though, Hamad perpetuated a fraud. First, he wrote a letter to his circle, creating the premise for violence against him (all spellings and ellipses exactly as in the original):
besides the government harassment, the hateful environment from some students at school because I am an Arab and a Muslim…and their racist comments, I have been getting phone calls around midnight by some one saying “where is your camel..” and last…a car was vandalized about two years ago….last night around 1 30 in the morning..someone rang the bell and ran away….and you could hear all the dogs in the neighborhood barking when the person who rang the bell ran away…A real loving environment towards Arabs and Muslims….
(Reflecting back on his lawsuit, one sees the source of his fantasies about harassment, hateful environment, and racism.)
Second, evidence suggests that Hamad staged his death to make it appear that he was murdered when in fact he checked out on his own. Based in part on the autopsy, a police statement asserted:
When the body was removed from the lake, tape was found around the eyes, and the hands and legs were loosely bound. The bindings of his hands and legs and placement of the tape were consistent with Hamad having done this to himself. Detectives know that Hamad walked from his vehicle to the water on his own based on evidence retrieved from the scene.
At this time, the Austin Police Department does not suspect foul play was involved. Witnesses and family members have confirmed with police that Hamad had extreme stressors in his life. This incident is still an ongoing investigation, but all signs indicate this may have been a suicide. According to the preliminary results from the Medical Examiner’s Office there were no signs of trauma to the body or signs of a struggle.
Even Paul Larudee, Hamad’s colleague and the last known person to speak to Hamad before his death, says that Hamad “did take his own life but he took it with a view of fueling the speculation that has in fact accompanied his death.” Translation: He wanted it to appear like a hit job. Despite his skepticism about Hamad’s demise, Larudee insists “I still think he was a hero.”
The Conspiracy Theory
PALESTINIAN EXTREMISTS, Islamists, leftists, and assorted conspiracy theorists accepted Hamad’s fakery. According to Ibrahim Dremali of the Islamic Center of Greater Austin, who says after an autopsy he washed Hamad’s body, which was “cut all from the right shoulder all the way to the stomach, and from the left shoulder all the way to the stomach again, and from the stomach all the way to the bladder…from all the back of his skull is completely cut, is empty completely, empty.…His wrists were all slit open and cut.…His eyes actually dropped all the way down.…It is a barbaric act.…Like somebody is eating the body.…This is a message for all Muslims.” Dremali said it appeared as “something in the jungle, an animal attacking another animal.”
Kurt Nimmo, a prominent conspiracy theorist, asked “Is it possible a neocon hit team or as likely a Mossad ‘bayonet’ team took out the school teacher Riad Hamad?” Radio host Alex Jones and others spoke ominously of Israeli hit teams surveilling Hamad’s house. Some even accused “sociopathic FBI informant Brandon Darby” of killing Hamad. A Twitter site (riad_hamad) keeps these theories alive almost five years later.
In contrast to these lurid accounts, the Travis Country medical examiner, David Dolinak, who inspected Hamad’s body on the morning of April 17, found nothing alarming. Quite contrary to Dremali’s description of the body being variously cut up, the medical examiner reporter found little to report:
IDENTIFYING MARKS AND SCARS:
A 10 inch vertical scar is in the lateral aspect of the right thigh. There are no tattoos.EVIDENCE OF THERAPY: [meaning needle puncture marks, surgical stitches, etc.]
None.EVIDENCE OF INJURY:
None.BODY CAVITIES:
The organs are normally developed and are in their normal locations. The diaphragms are intact. There is no fluid accumulation in the pleural cavities or the pericardial sac. There is no fluid accumulation in the peritoneal cavity. There are no pleural adhesions or abdominal adhesions.
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.