FAU Professor With 'Terrorist Ties'?

FAU Professor With "Terrorist Ties"?

By Brandon K. Thorp Thu., Apr. 14 2011 at 4:21 PM

Kaufman

According to the Palm Beach Post, about 50 protesters today demanded the resignation or firing of FAU professor Bassem alHalabi. Why? Because of his ties to terrorists, of course.

The protest was led by Joe Kaufman, founder of Americans Against Hate. Kaufman has had run-ins with alHalabi in the past. In March 2010, it seems alHalabi assaulted Kaufman when both men were in Tallahassee for the second-annual "Muslim Capitol Day" -- a day on which Florida Muslims intended to address their political leaders and get an airing of their issues. Kaufman didn't think those issues should get an airing, so he was in town to keep the politicians from talking to the Mohammedans. According to him, the effort was largely successful. Apparently, alHalabi gave Kaufman a shove. Later, he "assaulted" a cameraman. You can see the video of that "assault" here -- basically, alHalabi put his hand over a dude's camera lens to keep himself from being filmed. Terrorist!

AlHalabi was punished for his outburst. He was arrested, charged, and took a plea deal that found him doing community service and taking anger management classes. He's done his time, and Joe Kaufman should probably stop bitching about the altercation. (Anyway, what does Kaufman expect to happen when he tries sabotaging communication between a democracy lover and his political leaders? Hitting is illegal, but that doesn't mean the temptation isn't sometimes overwhelming.)

Kaufman has other complaints about alHalabi, most of which are laughable. Yeah, he helps run an Islamic center in Boca. Yeah, members of the center have had some connection with Hamas. Oh, well. I'm an atheist. Doesn't mean I dig PolPot. Guilt by association is stupid.

And that would be all there is to say if it weren't for the pesky fact that Joe Kaufman, beneath the anti-democratic bluster and dumb rage, might have one very good point.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, alHalabi sent a thermal imaging camera to Syria. This is illegal, because thermal imaging cameras, in addition to being very useful for firefighting, enable soldiers to detect enemies beyond barriers and see in the dark. If it's the case that alHalabi offered aid to a Syrian fighting force -- be it the military or any of the paramilitary outfits, such as Islamic Jihad, which have cozy relationships with that country's oppressive Ba'athist regime -- then he is in league with forces mortally opposed to the ideals of the kind of higher education that an institution like FAU is meant to safeguard. Unless there is a great deal more to the story, it seems dismissal should be automatic. Too bad it takes a blowhard like Kaufman to say so.

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Tags:

Bassem alHalabi, FAU, Joe Kaufman, Syria, terrorism

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anti-jihad@fau

How about his organization of jihadist spies on FAU's campus responsible for threatening death of students? Wake up America, your head is next.

Rashedsiddiqui

do you people have a proof that he was charged? if not?

Michael Hartwell

I agree that the term "assault" should not be interchangeable with "touching" and there is too much deliberate confusion and hyperbole. That being said, showing up to protest on flimsy grounds does not make some a free target to shove, and if he was shoved, he shouldn't have to stop bringing it up once the perp is punished.

Fed up with the hatred

"Unless there is a great deal more to the (thermal camera) story, it seems dismissal should be automatic." What??? What the hell are you talking about? Dismissal should be automatic if law enforcement convicts him of committing illegal acts. What proof is there that this was terrorism related? There were no criminal charges at all, just an settlement agreement not to export goods for a year because the Commerce Dept. doesn't allow such shipments. Is it really up to FAU to fire him for something unrelated to his job that happened 13 years ago when law enforcement didn't even prosecute?

Wordsmithy

You must be an Allen West voter. It's called religious intolerance, also known as religious fascism.

Fat Hand

Nah, it's everybody on all sides calling everybody else a Nazi all the friggin time. And it's stupid. The way "Nazi" is thrown around, it clearly means a great deal of different things to many different people. If you want to say somebody is intolerant, just call them intolerant. Can't we leave Hitler et. al. out of it? Sorry if this reply has me sounding like a Nazi.

Wordsmithy

I thought this kind of witch hunting ended after the trials in Salem, Mass., in the 1600s. Excuse me, but don't all Americans, including Muslim Americans, have the freedom to practice their religion without fear of harassment? This reminds me a bit of the case of Mary Dyer, who was hanged on the Boston common square in 1660 for the "crime" of being a Quaker. Leave the man alone, you Nazis.

Fat Hand

You lost me at "you Nazis". Also that crap about Salem.

SMDrPepper

Interesting title to Kaufmans group, "Americans against Hate" when he and his group seem to be fostering hate.

Really

I'm surprised that as a journalist you would minimize the illegal behaviour of touching someone elses person or property to avoid being filmed in a public forum. While it's quite silly to equate that with terrorism, and Kaufman DOES seem to be a lying blowhard, it IS the definition of assault. I seem to remember several instances of outrage in this publication when a public figure attempted to physically prevent someone from filming them in public.

simeonwolf

Really - What if he was pleading with Joe to have his camera person stay away and stop video taping youth group children that he was in "loco parentis" for? How would you feel then about someone who touched someone's arm to plead with them to stop following the group and to stop defaming him? Not so black and white then...is it ?

Really

Is that what happened? I'd like to see the video, I couldn't find it on the provided link. However, if he put his hand on the camera lens, as reported in THIS article, he's interfering with the camera mans right to film WHATEVER he wants in a public space, even youth groups.

simeonwolf

Basem's brother in Syria bought a single camera for industrial reasons and helped him with this purchase. Bassem was not found guilty of any wrongdoing in this matter and in fact, cooperated with authorities to retrieve the camera from Syria. It was retrieved. There is no evidence that anyone ever used this camera for any improper purpose and certainly no evidence that it was ever used for any governmental or military reasons.