Kamal Saleem’s ‘Ex-terrorist’ Story Does Not Add Up

So-called "ex-terrorist" Kamal Saleem

http://www.themuslimwatch.com/2011/03/kamal-saleems-ex-terrorist-story-does.html

Kamal Saleem is one of a number of Middle Eastern faces, who is currently profiting off of the cottage industry of Islamophobia with his “ex-terrorist” turned holy roller road show.

Saleem claims to be from a Lebanese Sunni Muslim family, which is a descendant of the “Grand Wazir of Islam,” and that he was a terrorist with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).  Furthermore, Saleem states that his terrorism affiliation with the PLO inspired by Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood ended after receiving the “Holy Ghost” and accepting Jesus Christ (Peace Be Upon Him) in his life.  Saleem’s story like his other wannabe “ex-terrorist” comrades, however, just does not add up.

For starters as author Chris Hedges points out, there is no such title as the “Grand Wazir of Islam.” Saleem’s “Grand Wazir” lineage claim is also bizarre due to the fact that the adjective “grand” would not be used in front of the term wazir (advisor) to begin with. Even the title “Grand Wazir” was not bestowed upon Aaron (Peace Be Upon Him), who was a prophet and the wazir of Moses (Peace Be Upon Him) according to the Qur’an!

It’s also very interesting that Saleem claims to have been a terrorist inspired by Islam as a member of the secular, Marxist influenced PLO, whose long time executive committee member and long time spokeswoman, Hanan Ashrawi, was a Christian.  Saleem wants us to believe that Ashrawi, George Habash and the countless others from Christian backgrounds in the secular PLO were also inspired by Islam as he claims was his “terrorist” motive in dealing with the pesky problem of illegal Israeli occupation.

Furthermore the Muslim Brotherhood, who Saleem claims he had dual affiliation with, was averse to the secular, Marxist leaning PLO during the time that he claimed to have been a member.  In fact, it is also well known that the Muslim Brotherhood inspired Hamas was supported by Israel to be an “Islamist” counter to the secular PLO/Fatah. To this day, Hamas and the PLO have been at odds with each other to the point of killing each other in the streets of Palestine in recent years.  Hence, Saleem’s claim of being an “Islamist” terrorist in the PLO while having felicity to the Muslim Brotherhood is utterly preposterous.

The reality is that Saleem has made a nice career for himself collecting honorariums, writing a book and getting exposure from the hyper-Islamophobic Aramaic Broadcasting Network (ABN) since the tragedy of 9/11. If he were indeed an “ex-terrorist,” I’m sure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would have deported him by now for fraud because people with terrorism ties cannot get entry visas much less obtain American citizenship.  And the FBI does not simply let “ex-terrorists” walk the streets because they claim to have received the “Holy Ghost” without detaining them for questioning.  Changing idelogies does not absolve persons under American law from terrorism ties that they admit to.

The unfortunate part about Saleem’s bogus career is not his snake oil peddling but that there are so many individuals who do not care about the truth and lack intellectual honest that provide him a platform.

Who is Walid Shoebat?

Here is some brief info on Mr. Walid Shoebat, who is scheduled to spread misinformation about Muslims and Islam today at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

 

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Walid Shoebat: Snake-oil Salesman

Peddling Hate and Fear while

Swindling Americans

 

Who is He?

He is a self-proclaimed “ex-terrorist” who converted to Christianity and now lectures at College Campuses, Churches and Synagogues on how evil Islam is but is this claim actually true? Why at a time when the US has vigorously moved to jail anyone with known terrorist connections is Shoebat allowed to circulate freely if he’s truthful?

 

According to his former friend Mohammed Altaf (a Christian Convert) who now goes by the name of Simon Altaf and is co-author along with Shoebat of a book titled This is our Eden, This is our End “Walid wanted to be an ex-Terrorist to make money, pure and simple” (Abrahamic-Faith.com, 2/26/09). 

 

Shoebat’s claim to be a former terrorist has also been disputed by others such as Chris Hedges (War Against Tolerance, 2/11/08, Truthdig.com) and by the Conservative Jerusalem Post in an investigative must-read piece which concludes with the statement, “It is unclear why Shoebat would have wanted to manufacture a terrorist past. True or not, however, it has plainly brought him some prominence and provided him with a means to speak in favor of Israel and be paid for doing so” (Jpost, “The Palestinian ‘Terrorist’ Turned Zionist,” 3/30/08).

Quotes

 -““Islam is not the religion of God – Islam is the devil.” (“Ex-Terrorist Shares Perspective,” Springfield News-Leader, 9/24/07)

– “Islam is a Satanic Cult.” (“Christian Teens Flock to Battle Cry,” San Francisco Chronicle, 3/10/07)

–  “Palestinians keep Jewish testicles and breasts in jars.” (Speech at UW-Milwaukee, 12/4/07)

– “The numbers of Terrorists [in the world] is equal to the [entire] population of America.” (Film-Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West)

-“Yes people think about it Jihad means self struggle, struggle within but so does Mein Kampf. Mein Kampf means My Struggle.” (Film-Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West)

-“The world is reaping what these eggs are hatching and what’s coming out is literally something from Nazi Germany.” (Film-Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West)

Walid Shoebat, fraud in progress or object of ignorance by law enforcement?

A man, who goes by the name of Walid Shoebat (probably not his true name) that claims to be an “ex-terrorist” will be coming to Michigan State University for a speech next week.  I’m presuming that he’ll give his usual I used to be a terrorist who hated Jews before I became an evangelical Christian speech. His speech is being sponsored by the Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), which is America’s only student hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The question is that if Mr. Shoebat was indeed involved in terrorist acts, why has he not been investigated by the Department of Justice and placed in jail for his crimes?  Does getting the “holy ghost” give him immunity from being arrested and tried in court for terrorism?  If Bin Laden or Mulla Omar renounced terror, could they go on speakers tours also and collect nice honorariums for a living?

Obviously this guy is a complete fraud, who is making a living spreading fear and hatred. 

SEE a story recently printed about the fake 3 ex-terrorists:

http://www.infocusnews.net/content/view/20827/135/