By Eli Clifton and Daniel Luban
This fall, U.S. law enforcement personnel will have their final chance to take advantage of a rare opportunity. Participants will travel to Israel to receive “homeland security training,” but the counterterrorism briefings and martial arts practice sessions are only one part of the package. The program also includes visits to Christian religious sites in the Holy Land — an aspect likely to be especially attractive to Christian Zionists — along with other sites such as the Knesset and the Israeli “security fence”.
The Israel program is run by Security Solutions International (SSI), a group that has attracted controversy due to its ties to Islamophobic propaganda groups — as well as its apparent view that indoctrinating first responders with alarmist information about Islam is an essential part of counterterrorism training.
Most striking of all, the SSI Israel trip is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS’s funding of this venture is a concrete illustration of the ways that Islamophobic fringe groups have exploited the “global war on terror” for their own purposes.
SSI advertises its DHS funding in its promotional material:
”The US Department of Homeland Security has given funding to the SSI trip – to the best of our knowledge the only trip to qualify by a private company. The program is approved for graduate and undergraduate college credits.
SSI’s Training in Israel has been attended by Police, Sheriffs, Emergency Management, Transportation, Fire, Joint Terrorism Task Forces, State Law Enforcement Agencies, Fortune 500 companies, DHS and many more. All of them say this training is the very best they have ever received.”
So what does this training involve? In addition to martial arts demonstrations (including “how to take down an armed suicide bomber”), meetings with Israeli security personnel, and a three-hour presentation on “suicide terror,” the itinerary also includes more tourist-oriented activities. Tourist excursions are both political (visits to the Knesset, the West Bank “security barrier,” and southern Israeli towns that have been the target of rocket attacks from Gaza), and religious (trips to Jerusalem’s Old City and to “some of Christianity’s holiest sites”).
While this DHS-funded trip might already seem a bit odd — especially the emphasis on Christian religious sites during what is ostensibly a counterterrorism training program — things take a turn towards the bizarre in the section of the website advertising SSI’s two day presentations on “The Islamic Jihadist Threat”.
“In a fascinating and insightful, packed two-day program, you are taken through the formative phases of the Islamic religion and will understand the different branches of Islam, understand how these were formed and on what ideology they are based. You are taken through a journey up to the present time, to really understand how extremism is organized in Radical Islam.
In addition, you will learn about Islamic Culture – knowledge that can help you build strong relationship with Islamic communities – most of whom can actually help detect radical threats:
– Where does the hatred come from?
– Arab naming conventions
– Jihad
– The Five Pillars of Islam
– Ramadan
– Domestic Terror groups
– International Terror groups
– Understanding the culture of Jihad
It’s hard to imagine how an introduction to Islam that begins with “where does the hatred come from?” could lead the audience to come away with anything but distrust and fear of Muslims.
Unsurprisingly, SSI has been criticized for the alarmist tenor of its “counterterrorism” training. It is not immediately obvious why the Appalachian State University campus security force, or the Yakima, WA police department — to take two representative names from SSI’s clients list — require a crash course in the fine points of jihadist ideology to do their jobs properly.
Critics have pointed out that the most likely effect of such training — particularly for law enforcement personnel who have never had significant contact with Muslims before — is to drum up hysteria, and increase the likelihood of a potentially tragic overreaction when they actually do encounter someone they presume to be Muslim.
As Arsalan Bukhari, president of the Washington state chapter of CAIR, told the Seattle Times: “Most police officers don’t have a basic grounding in Islam, so before you teach them about Islam, how can you teach them about radical Islam? It just makes you nervous because when a law-enforcement person pulls someone over, when they see a Muslim person or someone who appears Muslim to them — all this information they just learned kicks in.”
Given SSI’s ideology, readers may not be surprised to discover the Islamophobic company it keeps. SSI lists the Clarion Fund‘s film Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West as a ”Patriot Partner”.
We have written extensively (here and here) about Obsession and its sequel, The Third Jihad, both of which propagate a fiercely Islamophobic message.
According to the SSI website, this fall’s Israel trip will be the last. Still, the religious emphasis of SSI’s trips, their propensity to view all of “Islamic Culture” through the prism of “where does the hatred come from?”, and their partnership with the “Obsession” project’s divisive anti-Muslim message, all raise serious questions about why this group has been receiving DHS funding in the first place.
John , where do you live? I live in Dallas where the trial took place. I remember the first, hung jury. These same documents were utterly discredited in the first trial. White, male long time journalists here were shocked at the speciousness of the charges.
For you to suggest the defense never objected is totally false, and indicates utter ignorance of how trials work. The judge offered concessions to the gov’t that had our local journalists amazed, saying quote, “they’d have the Red Cross convicted of terrorism.”
Remember when Hamas won an election in Gaza yet the US repudiated the vote? Well, we may have, at the behest of Israel declared all of Hamas at that time a terrorist organization. Though Israel herself had vetted and approved those charities previously. These were post hoc charges as EVERYTHING that happens in Palestinian lands passes through Israeli customs, border crossings and the like.
HLF had worked through official channels in Israel and the US. Again, it was the politicized demonization of Hamas’ schools, again previously accepted by Israel as legitimate charities that hung HLF. The most contentious items sent were two computers that were two years old. Otherwise they sent money, food and clothes to these schools.
The relationships with the other charities you mention is tangential at best. Yet their involvement was sealed in court and made at the behest of and “anonymous” Israeli expert who interpreted “Assalam alikum” as a terrorist greeting. You can take that and run with it–go tell your echo chamber that “peace be unto you” is terrorism.
Here’s another challenge, go and look up the quotes you cite in context in the Quran. They do not mean what you say. Read it yourself. If you do, you will find you’ve been mislead by out of context quotes that are so qualified–not paragraphs or pages later, but immediately in the proceeding and ensuing CLAUSES.
For you to take such a sweeping interpretation of Sharia which has the same complex body of differing opinions as US case law. Only theirs is over 7 times more vast than our own, and pre-dates even Common Law. But hey, your simpleton readings of complex arguments–or rather the politically driven interpretations you’ve read are flatly silly and wholly ignorant.
You wrote: ““…we certify that the above-mentioned translation corresponds to the Arabic original and conforms to the practice and faith of the orthodox Sunni Community. There is no objection to printing it and circulating it.” No Muslim can claim such a thing. No interpretation of the Quran can be called “the Quran” Again, I didn’t study one interpretation but at least 4 different interpretations and further studied a literal interpretation, which isn’t accurate since language is idiomatic.
For instance let’s review your quotes: 2:216-17 You may be called to fight even though you dislike it, but it’s possible you dislike things which are good for you and like things which are bad for you. Allah knows better than you.
4:88-90 Why are you divided regarding the hypocrites? These people aren’t earnestly guided. They wish you’d reject your faith as they have, so don’t trust these people to protect you until they return to the way of God, but if they turn renegades fight and kill them where you find them. Except those who seek peace or who approach with restraint from fighting you or their own people. If they withdraw from you and fight you not and send guarantees of peace the Allah has opened no way for you to fight them.
9:36 the first half of this verse says that of the 12 months Allah made 4 are sacred and fighting prohibited in those months. “So wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the Pagans all together as they fight you all together. But if you know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves.” This chapter deals with how to deal with people who violate their oaths, saying they wish peace yet fighting covertly.
Let’s compare these qualified injunctions with the Bible. Joshua 6:20 …They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed everything in it–men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
Time prevents me from listing the other 11 cities that bear a similar bloody fate just in the Book of Joshua. The Quran offers qualified permission to fight those who interfere with the lives of Muslims. The Bible gives blind license for the Hebrews to murder everything in sight with abandon. Your hypocrisy is glaring, your ignorance of our own Western traditions vast.
It can be rightly stated that the Quran says there is no god over a hundred times. This would comport with your methodology. Of course I’d again object as the Quran says there is no god but god. What you’ve chosen to omit is telling. You should reconsider your sources, either they are idiots or they take you for one.
First, thanks Eli and Daniel, and others contributing here. Unfortunately I have not much time to look into the security industry, but yes, it seems interesting. Quite interesting the SSI – Third Jihad link.
John Davidson, if your contributions wouldn’t be so hysterical some people might actually listen, there surely are problems in the larger region.
But as a German your contributions remind me very much of Johann Andreas Eisenmenger’s Entdecktes Judentum/Judaism unmasked.
Islam unmasked? What would be our present day Eisenmenger’s and are they all Jewish?
This is a letter I wrote after visiting TPM for the first time and seeing the staff had many Jews on it. I was troubled by the conversation I relate with my grandfather and imagine that the contributors here must be able to relate to what I was going through. Enjoy, and if you agree with Joshua Mica Marshall please tell me so, thanks.
Scott, the word isn’t un-PC. It’s anti-semitic. And your email below is filled with a mix of anti-Semitic slurs and just simple ignorance. For your sake, I hope you’re young and will be able to look back at a later point as something you grew out of, like some people who were racists but then grew, changed over time. Like Robert Byrd who briefly joined the KKK as a young man but went on to become very progressive on race. Give some thought to the anti-Semitic tradition you’re a part of. It’s filled with darkness and mass-murder. JMM
On Sat, Sep 5, 2009 at 1:03 AM, Scott Conner wrote:
I was looking at your staff and it appears it’s really Jewy up there. I really don’t care, don’t believe myself anti-semitic, though I am a bit of a defender of Muslims/Islam though not an advocate. This may actually have me defending Islam/Muslims.
I’ve come to notice the amazing number of Jews in the media. I suppose this is a credit to the hard work and vision of Jewry worldwide. I am most sensitive on this issue as it relates to Israel, and what I believe you’d admit has become too often a blind allegiance to Israel.
I say this as an Irish/Scotish/British heritage white male Texan. Just tonight my grandfather gave me the love it or leave it speech regarding my critiques of this country. Further, as an Irish–last name Conner I’ve always had a slightly sympathetic ear for the Irish plight. I can by this insight into my own self see how my heritage has affected my views. I can understand how Jews would feel an understandable affiliation with Israel.
It’s not really possible to discuss matters with my grandfather as I wish. He sees my criticism of American mega corps as hating America. Though, I wish I could get him to understand that I criticize because I love her ideals and see her on a bad and unsustainable path. I love America, but those who earn their princely incomes from less than competitive markets love her like a drunk slut they hope to exploit. Silence isn’t love when that which we care for is doing wrong.
Anyway, if your names are indicators of a Jewish heritage, it seems your fine blog, which appears to be fair relative to the Palestine issue could be criticized for a lack of diversity. I want to state that I find most of my information relating to the Israel/Palestine issue from those extraordinary Jewish reporters and commentators that are as willing to criticize Israeli wrong-doing as I am American wrong doing.
Rob’t Reich is a favorite economic commentator of mine, as are Uri Averney, Finklestein, Glenn Greenwald, Jim Lobe and others. Since I’m treading on thin ice here, let me say that I have found no passages in the Quran, or even in the Muslim tradition that compares to the Book of Joshua which celebrates genocide and atrocity without an inkling of hesitation, doubt or reservation.
I believe the (noble) essence of each of the 3 faiths (and near all faiths for that matter) rests in the Golden Rule. I never found the Trinity in Jesus’ teachings hence I turned toward the Judaic and late Muslim traditions. Now, all faiths are run and composed of Men, hence they all have their failings. Though I think the Jewish tradition carries some unique teachings that are uniquely problematic.
The Quran never suggests that Muslims are chosen or “elect” to choose the Christian equivalent. With this specialness it must be hard to “love your (inferior) neighbor as yourself. This seems to me to be a fair test of any Jew, Christian or Muslim. Supporting violence for any reason but defensive action is unacceptable by anyone.
The fact of the matter is that as Americans we should consider our own traditions before pointing to the flaws of others. I imagine you agree, if uncomfortably with what I am saying. Muslims seem to get plenty of criticism as it is. I must say that I have Jewish acquaintances who believe themselves superior for their Jewishness. More troubling is the odd racial aspect of Judaism. Is there another race based faith? Surely you understand the possible pitfalls here. Again, I don’t assume these issues of all Jews.
Though, I do actually hold this test up to all people. If you think yourself exceptional you’re all too common. I know this is an incredibly provocative argument/discussion. I am not trying to offend, though an old song lyric frequently comes to mind, “Pancho was a bandit boys, his horse was fast as polished steel, wore his gun outside his pants, for all the honest world to feel.”
I live in TX surrounded by many American equivalents of what I’m denouncing in some Jews. Further, when Muslims that I know drift into even subtle anti-semitism I wear my guns outside my pants as it were. I’m an old rugby player and always appreciated the honest asshole far more than friendly folk–they can’t be trusted. I believe I suppose in fair play, and hypocrites are cheaters. Hypocrisy is essentially what I am opposing in this entire essay, exceptionalism carried to a global reach here in America is the most widespread.
Anyway, this is my first day to actually visit your blog, though I’ve seen it referenced in a good light many times. You may see many posts from me. I believe I’m always being fair and earnest–unless I am channeling some satirical ugliness. I’ve seen plenty of racism and hope I am fair an charitable. I suppose I’m fishing for a response, an honest reaction. I hope you find this fair even if harsh or relentless. Shalom, Assalum Alikum, Peace.
John Davidson : I am 74 years old and born Muslim (born in British India before partician). In all my years I have not heard the definition of Jehad as given by you. Qura’n does not teach waging war until world is converted to Islam. Nowhere word Islam is written. WhenMuslims were persecuted to the hilt finsally God permitted to fight in self defence and to fight the persecuters on basis of beliefe untill they are eliminated so that religion (all religions) can be practiced for the sake of God alone and Christians feel feel and secure in worshiping in Churches and Jews in thier places of worships, others in their temples and Muslims in their mosques (Chapter Jumma).
The interpretation given by John Davidson is wrong he has tried unjutly to confine it to fight for establishment of Islam, in reality Jehad (the minor Jehad in which fighting is permitted) is for purpose of establishment of freedom of expression and worship. The higher level of Jehad is a struggle to reform ones ownself for the good.