Open Letter from an Arab-American Student

[1IDVET]

By Oubai Mohammad Shahbandar
FrontPageMagazine.com | June 2, 2003

On May 9th, a Saudi student at Arizona State University, Muhammad Al-Gurashi was arrested for direct connections to terror. He personally drove convicted terrorist supporter Faisal Al-Salmi on numerous occasions to President Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch apparently on a pre-terror reconnaissance mission. This April, the home of Hassan Alrafea, president of the ASU Muslim students' association was raided by the FBI for suspected terror-links, confiscating their computers. But the left-wing political orthodoxy of our university prefers to stay silent on the matter.

In fact, we are not the only university in this country that has problems with its Saudi students covertly supporting terrorism. Sami Al Hussayen a former president of the Muslim Students Association in his college in Idaho was arrested by federal officials for his role in raising funds for Al-Qaeda's terror network. Academics rallied to his defense.

At the same when ASU radical Muslim student Ahmad Saad Nasim faked a "hate crime" on himself, on two separate occasions the university's president held a press conference the same day denouncing the alleged hate against Muslim Americans that that 9-11 had supposedly inspired. Yet, the ASU administration was silent about the Islamist hate that led to 9-11 attack itself.

When I, a proud American of Arab decent and Muslim faith, took a stand on behalf of the liberation of my oppressed Iraqi brethren, the ASU Muslim Students' Association personally attacked me for not being a real Muslim and announced to the ASU student body in editorials in the student paper that I Oubai Mohammad Shahbandar was a hater of Arabs and Muslims. There was no press conference by the president of this university or anyone else in his administration in behalf of this Muslim victim of Islamist hate.


Front Page Mag.com


Good read. Very enlightening.

[HARDCORE]

1IDVET et al-

Ever since the "Berkley Days", and probably long before that, (worldwide in fact), students have become politically involved. It is all part of growing up, I suspect?

When, however, terrorist and disruptors, under the guise of "Foreign Students", infiltrate our colleges and universities, merely to sow descent, hatred, and violence, then the whole idea of higher education too, also comes under attack!

"Does the problem lie in the fact that we are extremely liberal in allowing foreign students access to our gifts of advanced education?" A "Thinking Mind", after all, can (on rare occasions), be a dangerous mind! Especially when implanted into an insane head, or into the malignant idiology of a being who has been brainwashed from youth, can it not?

Now I am not saying that brainwashing does not take place here in the United States! "It does indeed occur on a daily basis, though often (though not always) in a semi-benign fashion!" And this includes within the media and politics!

Hell, most of us know for a fact (MK ULTRA being a more flagrant example) that social, moral and mental (military included) abuse does take place on occasions! But the influx of those who come not to learn, but rather to disrupt, is a sad reflection upon our "Way Too Open" door policies!

This situation is almost as sad, in my opinion, as the attitude of a few in power who perennially "See No Evil!?" Or worse yet -"Those Who See Far Too Much Evil", even where it may not exist!? But then, "Far Better Safe Than Sorry" they say - just as long that is, as a personal motive is not at the root of a contrived evil or vested agenda! (opinion)

VERITAS

[1IDVET]

And again you are all over this one.
I agree that our system of allowing aliens into this country is flawed at best, and dangerous to us all.
Anybody that wishes, or portrays the wish of higher learning, is all but a shoe in, to be allowed into this country.
Including those who's ideology is detrimental to our country.
Unfortunately, I am not smart enough to way in on the issue, with any semblance of a solution.

[1IDVET]

WASHINGTON (AP) - As many as 30 suspected terrorists may still be in the United States because of continuing flaws in the county's visa program and poor communication between federal agencies, congressional investigators said Wednesday.

The General Accounting Office said that while the government revokes visas of suspected terrorists, there is often little effort to find and remove those people from the country.

And the weaknesses in the visa revocation process ``increase the possibility of a suspected terrorist entering or remaining in the United States,'' the GAO said.

GAO reviewed the 240 visas revoked by the State Department between Sept. 11, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2002, on terrorism grounds, and found that 30 individuals entered the country before the revocation and may still be here. Another four individuals entered the United States after their visa was revoked, and one of those may remain in the country.


Of the 240, 50 were from Saudi Arabia and 22 were from Iran.


In many cases the State Department failed to notify the FBI or the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the visa revocation or notified them days later. The State Department also often failed to post the individuals' names on its own watch list, which would alert consular offices overseas.


The GAO also found that the INS and FBI ``did not routinely attempt to locate or investigate any of the individuals who entered the United States either before or after their visas were revoked and who may still remain in the country.''


But even if they had, the INS may not be able to deport such individuals, because a visa revocation is not sufficient grounds for expulsion under federal law.


Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, one of the lawmakers who requested the report, said the findings ``should send a chill up the spines of Americans who rely on our government for protection against terrorists.''


INS officials told GAO that it ``would be challenging'' to deport someone whose visa was revoked, unless they were in violation of other immigration laws.


The GAO is recommending that the visa revocation process be strengthened so agencies are notified in a timely manner and that agencies have proper procedures to investigate and find people whose visas have been revoked.

[HARDCORE]

America, like Australia of a few decades back, had vast tracks of idle land, with great potential and limited population. The resources in the "Land of Fosters (Beah, or Beer if you prefer)" were magnificent!

Australia, like the USA, hungered to develop these natural wonders and "God Given Gifts", and as such, sought to entice bodies to the Land Down Under!

Here in the United States, and even the states themselves (as individual entities), we strode to share the wealth and become the world's premiere example of what the "Good Life was all about!"

Have you ever seen some of those young ladies who are enticed into prostitution, both here and abroad? Pristine, clean and gorgeous many of them! However, after continuous contact with those who seek beauty, but are themselves decayed (Physically, Mentally or Morally), the "Beauty Itself, Often Becomes The Beast!"

Attempting to elevate some foreign nations in living standards, ethical behavior, equal rights, tolerance, and even thought, is a noble, though most often fruitless goal! A goal in which your own people are bled, butchered, abused and often used in the painful process! "The mentality of the cave is, after, all a hard mind-set to shed!"

If "National Security" is the reason for our forays into the jungles of man, then at least the intent is worthwhile! If trying to change several millennial of habits and customs is the aim, then you may as well attempt to climb K-2 using only your teeth! Why do we always assume that people want to change, just because their way of life seems deplorable to us. In reality, however, many of these "19th. Century Bastions of Human Depravity", although envious of what we have here in America, seek our kindnesses as an open-ended gift, minus the labor, minus the obligation, minus the laws, minus the gratitude, and most of all, minus us!

When one attempts to elevate an entity being swept away in the gutter, he sometimes finds himself sucked into that same gutter!

Does this mean that we should not make the attempt? "Of course we should, but we should also know when to pull the plug! But apparently, we have never learned this lesson!

Lastly, we must learn to (quickly) identify those who thrive and capitalize (Mentally and financially) upon those in dire straights, as well as those who make a living touting the seedier side of life, both from the inside and from the affluent sidelines! "These, beasts are, in my opinion, the true enemies of mankind, no matter where on Earth they reside!!

VERITAS

[Keith_Hixson]

What you are talking about is cultural change. How you were raised and the way of thinking established by your cultural is very, very, very, hard to change. To believe that we can show people from other cultures the benefits of Democracy and the American way of life is just right down foolish. Culture is so firmly established in a person's way of life by the time they are five or six it is almost impossible to change their way of thinking and living. Yet our government, past and present, has foolishly felt they could. Russia's adjustment to Democracy has been a hard, long draw out process. And, when we really think about, it was a long hard drawn out process to develop democracy in the United States. We had the Civil War which still causes poles of division in our culture. The founding fathers and those coming to America were predisposed toward independence and independant thinking (that is the reason they came to America). To have started a Democracy in Europe at that time would have been a complete disaster (it still is for the most part). Yet, our government (past and present) naively still believe that if you expose folks to our culture they'll want what we have. Well, these folks can also see the faults in our form of government and culture. They see the moral decay that democracy allows, they see that if you want political power you must have money (just like in their cultures). They see the poor manipulating the government for food and money, (just like in their culture). And they ask themselves what is it that makes United States so great. So, if they have religious clerics who tell them the USA is corrupt and needs to be destroy it is easy for them to agree.

They often fail to see that it is our wonderful freedoms established in the Constitution that still makes the USA the greatest country and the greatest place to live in this entire world.

The point being, bringing in these folks to observe us does little to convince them that United States is all we believe it to be.

Keith

[HARDCORE]

Ah yes "Friend Keith", maybe we are not all that we can be. And lord knows, these foreigners have been educated (right or wrong) into believing that we are all bastards!

SOOO- Why do they continue to come to America by the hundreds of thousands? If they think that we are as corrupt as their clerics advise them, then by all means - let them stay the hell out! Or perhaps they would prefer to get the hell out, if it (America) is so intolerable to stand, or so difficult to (try to) legally amend or live in peace with!

As for me, and miliions of others I suspect, we chose to attempt to legally change that which we perceive to be in error. We don't always succeed, but we try, and that is what (in my opinion) makes a true American, born here, or newly arrived!

VERITAS

[Keith_Hixson]

You said it very well!

Why do we continue to make these mistakes.

Keith :

[DMZ-LT]

" but we try" Thank you Hardcore - hit the bulls eye on my range.

[judyvillecco]

Keith said it...we continue to make the same mistakes because we don't learn from history. We don't learn from our mistakes. What we know from history is that history will repeat itself and just as the Roman Empire fell so will we if we think we are too great to fall. All of our wars have taught us nothing but to keep fighting wars and the military is a self perpetuating animal now to the point we have become like England was before our Revolution. Never before has America had Preemptive policy until now. Are we the new British? Are we now the world's policemen? We do not even have our own house in order. The caste system has arisen in our society as it had in England and the greater the gap the more unrest here at home. Unemployment is at it's highest and interest is the lowest in 50years! That doesn't scare anyone? It does me! They just don't use the words like depression or poor houses or robber barons anymore.

I think we should quit allowing so many foreigners to take and start fixing what's broken here.