‘Direct Access’ Stimulus Grants for the Muslim Brotherhood

[chanel]

On August 31, this coming Tuesday, the Muslim Brotherhood-associated “Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations” (CCMO) will bring 25-30 Muslim leaders of 20 national Muslim groups to attend a special workshop presented by the White House and U.S. Government agencies (Agriculture, Education, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services etc.) to provide the groups “funding, government assistance and resources.” The workshop will apparently provide special access for these Muslim Brotherhood organizations: the organizers pledge to provide “direct access” and “cut through red tape.” Government and Muslim groups will hold an Iftar dinner (breaking the fast of Ramadan) after the workshop.

Coming August 31: ‘Direct Access’ Stimulus Grants for the Muslim Brotherhood

This article connect the dots between the CCMO and the Muslim Brotherhood. That's a serious accusation.

My question is: How many other religious leaders have been invited to the WH for workshops on how to access stimulus money?

Also: How many libs on the board believe that government funding should be used for religious programs? They don't even like the scouts using public facilities for their meetings.

This is a big fucking deal IMHO.

 

[Madeline]

chanel, I tried the Washington Post, NY Times and Associated Press, and cannot confirm this story. I'm not comfy with Brietbart as a source; the item (if true) is certainly discussion-worthy but I'd be happier if I could confirm it.

 

[chanel]

I'll look also, but they posted the entire invitation. On the surface it seems pretty benign. I'm all for non-profit social services. I think they generally do a hell of a better job than the govt. but...

Here’s the email in entirety:

Iftar with Our Government:

Serving up Resources for American Muslim Communities

In celebration of Ramadan, ISNA leadership and staff have been busy attending iftars hosted by the White House, State Department, Federal and State Agencies, Embassies, elected officials and interfaith partners.

“These iftars are a place to celebrate the diversity of America with our partners in the government and interfaith communities,” said ISNA Director for the Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances Dr. Sayyid Syeed. He adds, “They are also evidence that Muslims and our traditions are more regularly incorporated into the mosaic of cultures and traditions that form the foundation of American life.”

Although these iftars are important symbols of the transition of Muslims into mainstream American culture, according to ISNA Director of Community Outreach Mohamed Elsanousi, they are also a very important place for brainstorming and the development of practical ideas to help the Muslim community.

“Muslim community members have been asking for more from these iftars for years now. They have contacted ISNA and requested that we work with our partners in government to make the dinners more useful to our communities at the local levels,” said ISNA Director of Community Outreach Mohamed Elsanousi.

This year, a phenomenal next step has been made where government iftars become coupled with workshops to provide resources and benefit the Muslim community. The US Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations (CCMO) have paired the first of such events, scheduled for August 31, 2010.

“ISNA is happy to join other nation-wide Muslim organizations and participate in this workshop. We absolutely expect that there will be more of these paired iftars and workshops in future Ramadans,” said Elsanousi.

The Workshop: So what exactly is this workshop, you may ask. Leaders from Muslim organizations around the nation, particularly social service organizations, are invited to a workshop with representatives from the DOA, Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Health and Human Services, the White House, Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security, and more. Twenty five to thirty Muslim leaders representing 20 Muslim organizations are expected to attend the workshop.

According to a representative of CCMO, this workshop is designed to clarify how Muslim nonprofits, mosques, Islamic centers, and social service organizations can strengthen their communities through more direct access to opportunities provided to social service agencies at the Federal level. “It will hopefully help cut through some of the red tape and shine light on the many opportunities for funding, government assistance, and resources that we just don’t know about at the local level,” said Elsanousi.

The Iftar: Following the workshop, the DOA will host an Iftar to acknowledge and thank Muslim employees for their dedication and to the DOA. Keynote speakers will discuss the issues of increasing access to healthy foods for all communities and the powerful communal and sacred aspects of food. In addition to the DOA employees and representatives of various Muslim organizations, the DOA also invited Muslim employees from various other government agencies. The Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture is also scheduled to attend.

Coming August 31: ‘Direct Access’ Stimulus Grants for the Muslim Brotherhood

The MSM will probably not cover it for a couple of different reasons. And the WH may cry "counter - terrorism" which I can understand can't always be shared with the media.

But if we take it at face value, what do you think of this?

 

[Madeline]

Well, Breitbart claims there are organizations under the CCMO umbrella that are unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism finance trial, and I find it disturbing (if true) that the White House cannot yet distinguish between a benign charity and a terrorist support group.

As for the underlying notion, it is true government grant writing is an arcane art form. If you want a subgroup to participate more heavily, outreach is usually a good idea. I'd also agree -- and Breitbart seems to concede -- that fuller participation by Muslim charities will help assimilate Muslim immigrants to the US. That certainly seems laudable.

I guess on balance, I'm a little uneasy.....one reason it would have be nice to confirm this. I hope you are wrong about the MSM just ignoring it.

 

[chanel]

Well here's a followup from Big Peace.

We sent an email to the Department of Agriculture yesterday afternoon, asking for confirmation concerning their co-sponsorship (with the Muslim Brotherhood-associated Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations) of the Tuesday, August 31 special workshop on “direct access” grants and financial assistance, combined with an Iftar dinner with Muslim federal employees.

>>>>The response from “USDA spokesperson” was, in entirety:

To enhance our effectiveness in reaching those in need of USDA’s services, we continue to meet with a broad range of leaders and organizations to explain what services USDA provides to the American people and ways in which we can strengthen our outreach efforts. We have met with leaders from a number of groups representing underserved communities as well as a number of faith-based organizations such as Bread for the World, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger. These meetings are not open to press.

That doesn’t answer a single one of the questions, but it does show how much respect the Department of Agriculture’s current administration holds for the public’s interest in transparency when multiple agencies meet with known Muslim Brotherhood-associated groups like CCMO, including agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, for special consideration for grants and financial assistance.

Department of Agriculture Builds a Stonewall Around the Muslim Brotherhood Grants Workshop

Their response includes Baptist and Jews, yet NO mention of Muslims. Hmmm.

This is the author. I have a feeling she isn't going to let this slide.

Christine Brim, Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Security Policy, has worked in the information technology, telecommunications, publishing, and defense industries for over two decades. Her publication topics include knowledge management, distance education and logistics transformation and interoperability, as well as conflict-of-laws issues. She has provided market and patent research to US and international clients on a wide range of defense platforms and technologies. She has a George Mason University MBA.

 

[Madeline]

chanel, nothing on the WSJ or FOXNews sites. But anyway, assuming it is all true, what is your reaction?

 

[chanel]

If the money is being funneled to terror-supporting charities, that's a big fucking deal. I won't make that leap, but I am certain the Center for Security Policy will be investigating.

If the money is going to be used to provide soup kitchens, aid for domestic violence victims and whatnot, then great. But I would hope they are held to the same standards of non-discrimination that other religious groups are.

And I hear ya about the grant writing process. However, my mailbox is flooded with ads for workshops every day. None are sponsored by the federal govt., and none are free.

How about you?

 

[Madeline]

I've been on both sides of the equation, chanel. Inside government, trying to drive grant or contract dollars where we wanted them to go and outside, trying to help a client obtain some. It's such a byzantine process I feel comfy saying no CCMO organization has received any funds between August 31st and today....and prolly no dollars will be distributed this year.

I'm with ya on the terror funding thingie. Seems sort like the nose on your face; dun give cash to people who're trying to blow up America.

Religious organizations do have some latitude to discriminate. A Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, etc. agency can limit its works to members of its own faith, in general. (This is not true if the works are life-saving, or in some other circumstances.) But I'd have no heartburn over a Muslim charity turning away non-Muslim clients.

I'm not as comfy as you are relying on the chick who wrote the article; I may drop my electeds a line and ask what's up.

 

[Ravi]

Here, this might interest you chanel:

Debunking Forwards: Direct Access Stimulus Grants To Muslims Ablestmage.com

 

[Hister]

Terror supporting charities? You mean like the US army?

 

[chanel]

Thanks ravi.