Dr. Esam Omeish resigned as a member of the Virginia Commission on
Immigration after his anti-Israel remarks in support of "the jihad way" were
posted on YouTube. He told a news conference that jihad has nothing to do
with violence, but instead is about inner struggles leading to spiritual
triumph. We've heard this before. Such explanations are presented after a
terrorist act or a radical is exposed. Radicals also have been known to lie,
especially to "infidels."
Omeish claims his remarks were "taken out of context." The context appears
clear to anyone familiar with the language of the Middle East. Most rational
people understand "the jihad way," especially when it is associated with
Israel, as meaning the violent overthrow of Israel (and other democracies)
and the destruction of the Jewish people.
Democratic Governor Timothy M. Kaine appointed Dr. Omeish, a frequent critic
of Israel and of U.S. policy in the region, to the Virginia commission that
is examining whether Virginia should do more to restrict illegal
immigration. Gov. Kaine said background checks would be more thorough in the
future.
Examining Dr. Omeish's associations might help put his views "in context."
He is president of the Muslim American Society (MAS), a group with close
ties to the extremist Muslim Brotherhood.
Three years ago, the Chicago Tribune published a lengthy investigative
article on the Muslim Brotherhood. Leaders of the Brotherhood voted to
change the organization's name to MAS and to become more publicly active:
"An undated internal memo instructed MAS leaders on how to deal with
inquiries about the new organization. If asked, ŒAre you the Muslim
Brothers?' leaders should respond that they are an independent group called
the Muslim American Society. And if the topic of terrorism were raised,
leaders were told to say that they were against terrorism but that jihad was
among a Muslim's 'divine legal rights' to be used to defend himself and his
people and to spread Islam."
Definitions are important because the same words and actions can have
shifting meanings and interpretations, depending on the beliefs of the
speaker and hearer. In fact, that is part of the radical's strategy: tell
the West what it wants to hear while plotting to destroy us and impose
Koranic rule on the world.