U.S. Government attacks Black Groups leaves White Groups alone

NewsOne and uhurunews.com are reporting on how a well known African American Islamic leader in Detroit who headed the Masjid Al-Haqq mosque on the city’s west side, was shot to death by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on October 28 at a warehouse in Dearborn. Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah, 53, was killed during the course of a series of raids by both federal agents and local police departments resulting in the arrests of 11 people.reporting that the Feds have Killed a 53 year old Black Muslim Leader In Michigan.

Sources: NewsOne uhurunews.com and Associated Press

AP: Corporate Media Report: DETROIT — Federal authorities on Wednesday arrested several members of a radical Sunni Islam group in the U.S., killing one of its leaders at a shootout in a Michigan warehouse, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Agents were trying to arrest Luqman Ameen Abdullah, 53, at a Dearborn warehouse on charges that included conspiracy to sell stolen goods and illegal possession and sale of firearms. Authorities also conducted raids elsewhere to try to round up 10 followers named in a federal complaint.

No one was charged with terrorism. But Abdullah was “advocating and encouraging his followers to commit violent acts against the United States,” FBI agent Gary Leone said in an affidavit filed with the 43-page criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday.

FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold said Abdullah refused to surrender, fired a weapon and was killed by gunfire from agents.

Luqman Ameen Abdullah, 53

In the complaint, the FBI said Abdullah, also known as Christopher Thomas, was an imam, or prayer leader, of a radical group named Ummah whose primary mission is to establish an Islamic state within the United States.

He told them it was their “duty to oppose the FBI and the government and it does not matter if they die,” Leone said.

Abdullah regularly preached anti-government rhetoric and was trained, along with his followers, in the use of firearms, martial arts and swords, the agent said.

Leone said members of the national group mostly are black and some converted to Islam while in prisons across the United States.

“Abdullah preaches that every Muslim should have a weapon, and should not be scared to use their weapon when needed,” Leone wrote. More HERE

Community based Media: uhurunews.com

A well known African American Islamic leader in Detroit who headed the Masjid Al-Haqq mosque on the city’s west side, was shot to death by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on October 28 at a warehouse in Dearborn. Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah, 53, was killed during the course of a series of raids by both federal agents and local police departments resulting in the arrests of 11 people.

Corporate media reports on the killing of Imam Abdullah and the arrests of the others, has been framed as a “counter-terrorism’ operation. This is being done despite the fact that the raids were conducted based on criminal complaints that have no specific allegations of violations of federal law or acts of terrorism.

In a joint statement issued by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, it states that “The eleven defendants are members of a group that is alleged to have engaged in violent activity over a period of many years and known to be armed.”

However, many people who knew Imam Abdullah and the members of Masjid Al-Haqq say that the group worked to rid the severely oppressed community where the mosque existed of the social ills resulting from years of exploitation and neglect.

Even the mosque itself fell victim to the economic crisis that is worsening in Detroit. On January 20, Masjid Al-Haqq was evicted from the building where they had been housed for years as a result of tax foreclosure. The mosque relocated at a home on Clairmount which was also raided on October 28.

Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Michigan chapter, said of Imam Abdullah that “I know him as a respected imam in the Muslim community.”

Walid continued by saying that “We have no information about illegal activity going on at that mosque. Of Imam Abdullah, Walid said he “would give the shirt off his back to people. The congregation he led was poor. He fed very hungry people in the neighborhood who were Christian. He helped and assisted a lot of troubled youth. People would come up to him who were hungry and he would let them sleep in the mosque. He would let them in from the elements.” (Detroit News, October 29, p. 15)

The CAIR leader said that “They have no linkage to terrorism nationally or internationally. What in the world does Islam have to do with these charges? Why is religion being brought into play?”

Resurrecting Cointelpro

Not only is the FBI and the corporate media utilizing the false construct of “Islamic extremism,” it is also attempting to draw a direct link between the revolutionary movements that emerged during the 1960s with the arrest of the Masjid Al-Haqq members and the death of Imam Abdullah. More HERE

AAPP: Are black groups under attack by the federal government? Are blacks losing their rights under a black president? What do you think? Why is the United States not attacking Neo-Nazi groups, hate groups, and terror suspects who are Buying Firearms.

Maybe we as black folks are losing our rights even in the age of President Barack Obama. What do you think?

History Lesson

H/T Think Progress for covering the story of the Parks and Recreation Department of a city in Maryland which recently decided to hang three dummies from a tree as part of its Halloween program. The dummies’ “overstuffed shirts, blue jeans and white, faceless heads” sparked concern from residents who complained that “the figures evoke images of lynchings.” According to one resident:

“It instantly reminded me of the pictures of the lynchings that happened in the ’20s and ’30s in the United States,” he said. “I found it very offensive as a white person.”

The president of a local chapter of the NAACP, said “people are angry” about the display, noting that it’s a problem that they are “hanging on city property.” The local NAACP sent the mayor of the town an email asking for their “immediate removal.” his comments HERE

AAPP: I understand why people would be concerned.

Congressional Black Caucus Members Under Investigation

The Washington Post is reporting that House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry

Ellen Nakashima and Paul Kane staff writers with the Washington Post are reporting the a number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus are being investigated for defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

Rep. Charles Rangel . (AP Photo)

The document also disclosed that ethics committee staff members have interviewed House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) about one element of the complex investigation of his personal finances, as well as the lawmaker's top aide and his son.

Rangel said he spoke with ethics committee staff members regarding a conference that he and four other members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended last November in St. Martin. The trip initially was said to be sponsored by a nonprofit foundation run by a newspaper. But the three-day event, at a luxury resort, was underwritten by major corporations such as Citigroup, Pfizer and AT&T. Rules passed in 2007, shortly after Democrats reclaimed the majority following a wave of corruption cases against Republicans, bar private companies from paying for congressional travel.

According to Wapo Rangel said he has not discussed other parts of the investigation of his finances with the committee. "I'm waiting for that, anxiously," he said.

There is more.. According to Wapo, Politico, and The LA Times, the committee did not detail the two newly disclosed investigations. However, according to the July document, Rep. Maxine Waters, a high-ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, came under scrutiny because of activities involving OneUnited Bank of Massachusetts, in which her husband owns at least $250,000 in stock. Waters arranged a September 2008 meeting at the Treasury Department where OneUnited executives asked for government money. In December, Treasury selected OneUnited as an early participant in the bank bailout program, injecting $12.1 million.

AAPP: Voters in their congressional districts need to take a hard look at these Corrupt Congressional Black Caucus members. It just may be time to throw these folks out of office. I know if any of them were representing me, I would vote them out of office in a heartbeat. I guess Cathy Hughes would do the same thing. If I were Obama I would not meet with the Congressional Black Caucus until they stop standing up for crooks, get there act together and purged those who bring the group into disgrace.

I'm also getting a bit tired of these Congressional ethics inquiries, that have been dragging on for sometime despite vows to end corruption.

I guess I can understand why some democrats are worried that one of their own could cost them their jobs.

Jeffrey C. Woodward, 33, Totured to Death By Taser

Another man killed by Taser Torture.

As you know, I have been tracking the Taser Torture of black folks for going on two years, through the blog Tasered While Black. Well, I tell yah, this issue of tasering is getting bigger than just white cops Tasering Black folks alone. On 12.4.09 we plan to have a international conversation about the issue. http://bit.ly/klxXF

I know your asking yourself, Why Are Cops Tasering Grandmothers, Pregnant Women and Kids?


Who got tased this time?

Well, this time the police were called by the alleged suspect at 10:02 p.m. about a home invasion on Trousdale Avenue. En route to the scene, police encountered Jeffrey C. Woodward, 33, of Old Hickory. According to police, Woodward was walking down the street carrying a knife. After surrendering the knife, Woodward reportedly told officers that someone was holding his mother in her house against her will.

Upon investigation, Woodward’s mother was found to be OK, resulting in police arresting Woodward for filing a false report.

As officers attempted to arrest Woodward, police say, he began to fight with officers, resulting in a Taser deployment. Woodward, who was approximately six feet, four inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, was brought to the ground and handcuffed before jumping to his feet and running away, police said.

Police said Woodward threw himself onto the hood of a K-9 Unit patrol car before he was taken into custody once more.

It was soon after that that police believed Woodward was suffering from a medical problem and called for an ambulance.

Woodward was transported from the scene to Sumner Regional Medical Center, where he died soon after.

Get this, Police are unsure where Woodward was shot with the Taser. More HERE

AAPP: This is one of the many reasons we are having a day of blogging to Stop Taser Torture on December 4, 2009.

12.4.09 http://bit.ly/klxXF

Neighbor witnessed arrest

As reported in the local newspaper, Tennessean.com, Shawn Hill, 22, of Gallatin, said he was trying to get a little extra sleep Tuesday night before going to work, hitting the snooze button on his alarm clock when he heard a struggle outside.

Stepping out of his home, Hill said he witnessed the struggle between Woodward and police.

Hill said he watched as Woodward ran from the police and dove onto the hood of a police car.

“All I could hear was tick tick tick tick tick (the sound made by the Taser). That was when he was on the ground.”

Hill said Woodward’s mother pleaded with officers not to kill him. He said Woodward himself was also yelling.

“He was yelling, ‘Help me, help me,’” Hill said. “I won’t ever forget that.”

Hill said that police deployed the K-9 unit against Woodward after he jumped onto the hood of the patrol car and was taken to the ground by several officers.

“While he was on the ground, they let the dog out to get on top of him,” Hill said.

Storment said a K-9 was there, but as of Wednesday afternoon, Storment was unsure whether a K-9 dog made contact with Woodward.

While police are investigating what happened, Storment said he doesn’t believe any charges will stem from the investigation and that they have no reason to believe the officers used excessive force.

Hill, however, disagrees.

“For somebody to die, you did too much,” he said. More HERE

Don't to join us at an annual event called, “Stop Taser Torture, blogging for Justice.” held of December 4th of each year. This year will be the 2nd annual “Stop Taser Torture – Blogging For Justice Day.” We want to expand the discussion on the issue of tasering and how the issue threatens us all. Our goal is to unite the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day – Taser Torture in America, Canada and throughout the world. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion. Have a question? Need additional information? Want to participate? Register via email: StopTaserTorture@gmail.com

Staying Focused Kevin Myles Style

A big congratulations to Wichita Branch NAACP President Kevin Myles who was elected President of the Kansas State Conference of NAACP Branches. Read more HERE

There is more, also on Saturday, Amani Myles was re-elected to a second term as President of the Kansas State NAACP Youth Conference. As reported by the Wichita NAACP blog, this is the first time a Father and Daughter in the NAACP have served as the Presidents of a State Adult and Youth Conference simultaneously.

Congratulations Isaiah, Amani and of course K. Myles! We look forward to hearing about your plans to take the Wichita and Kansas NAACP Conference to the next level.

AAPP

The Blog "All About Race" is Back

I'm so excited that Carmen D. at "All About Race " is back.

As Carmen D says, "Since AAR launched in March 2007, a whole lot has changed about the way we discuss racial issues in America. Two and a half years ago, the notion of a black president was most realistically relegated to Hollywood imaginings and the white knuckle reality of 24”. More HERE.



After you read my blog, make sure your next step on the internet is over at All About Race.com. You will be glad you did!


AAPP

GOP Gives up on recruiting blacks in Texas

Gromer Jeffers Jr. reports in today's paper that the Dallas County GOP is giving up recruiting more blacks. The party's African-American Leadership Council is going out of business, according to its leader, Calvin Stephens. Yes, Barack Obama's presidential campaign had a lot to do with the GOP's recruitment difficulties, but there's a lot more to it than that.

The GOP stands for a lot of things that folks in southern Dallas can -- and should -- embrace. I've got no quibble, for example, with people taking a strong stand for personal responsibility. Not everything that's wrong in the lives of blacks or anyone else in poorer areas of the city is the result of rich whites beating them down. Sometimes, people have to own up to their own mistakes. Lots of black preachers are adamantly opposed to abortion. They strongly believe in entrepreneurship and pulling oneself up by the bootstraps. William Dwight McKissic, a black Republican, defends many of these values even though he also defends efforts by Obama to speak directly to American kids in hopes of inspiring them to stay in school and make good grades.

But this is where the GOP repeatedly falls down. It seems like the minute anyone speaks positively about Obama or gives credit to Democrats for doing anything right, a hailstorm of derision and mean-spirited venom rains down upon that person -- as McKissic found when he was attacked by conservative columnist Mark Davis in this newspaper. We have a number of conservative "trolls" on this blog, like Rick Atkinson, who seem to have no other mission in life than to blindly criticize using the most confrontational language possible.

And that's the daily Davis modus operandi. He spouted off against McKissic, wrongly assuming he was just another liberal black Democrat, without bothering to check McKissic's background. And when Davis's errors were pointed out to him, did he apologize in the same public forum he used to attack McKissic? No way.

If the GOP wonders where it's gone wrong, it's not in the values of the party. It's in the delivery of the message. Not everything has to be expressed with shrill meanness, nor do you have to defend your own meanness by pointing out all the stupid, nasty things that Democrats have done. That's not a defense, it's red herring. More HERE

More Tasering in America - “Stop Taser Torture – Blogging For Justice Day”- Dec 4 2009 Announced

Source: correntewire.com

The stats only tell part of the story. Even with Taser telling police to avoid shooting at chest I'm glad to note that there will be a annual December 4th blogging event called, “Stop Taser Torture, blogging for Justice.”

The goal is to unite the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day – Taser Torture in America, Canada and throughout the world.

Amnesty International says that between 2001 and August 2008, 334 Americans died after Taser shocks. The stun gun was deemed to have caused or contributed to at least 50 of those deaths, Amnesty says, citing medical examiners and coroners. Most suspects were unarmed, and many were subjected to repeated or prolonged shocks, according to Amnesty. The human rights group has called for governments to limit the use of stun guns or suspend their use. In November 2007, the UN Committee Against Torture released a statement saying “use of Taser X26 weapons, provoking extreme pain, constituted a form of torture, and… in certain cases, it could also cause death.”

Join in on December 4th. “Stop Taser Torture, blogging for Justice.” as we raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.

Contact us at: StopTaserTorture@gmail.com to register your blog.

Visit: Stop Taser Torture

Haters at Hampton University

Hampton University senior Nikole Churchill was crowned Miss Hampton University on Friday. She was the first non-black to win the title. (Joi Louviere, October 9, 2009)

H/T to the Grio, The crowning of Nikole Churchill as the first non-black Miss Hampton University has caused a ruckus at the historically-black college and throughout the African-American community. Hampton alumni, bloggers, and callers into black radio talk shows are upset that Churchill, 22, was selected to fill a representative role for a traditionally black institution.

As a student at Hampton, Churchill was certainly eligible to compete and ultimately win the award. Any objections to her crowning that are based on her skin color are nothing less than hypocritical.

Churchill, who is from Hawaii, was selected to be Miss Hampton University from among 10 contestants. In addition to receiving a $1,500 scholarship, she will serve as the school's homecoming queen and will compete in the 2010 Miss Virginia pageant. More HERE

AAPP: Who cares if the young lady where the lady is from. I say congratulations to her. Hey black women at Hampton University - Step up your game!

Black Folks feeling abused by Politicans

Low black-voter turnout threatens Dems in Va., N.J. races

According to The Washington Times, Voter doldrums - especially among blacks far less energized than they were for Barack Obama's historic presidential bid last year - pose problems for Democrats struggling in the governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey.

Pollsters and election analysts expect a steep drop-off of black voters - who historically back Democrats - in the nation's two gubernatorial contests and in congressional races Nov. 3, and they predict it is likely to cast a shadow in 2010 over at least 10 House Democrats with large black constituencies.

It is part of a broader trend of waning enthusiasm among Democratic voters as the country grapples with continued job losses, a mounting federal deficit and uncertainty about Mr. Obama's plan to restructure the health care system.

About 15 percent of New Jersey voters are black. Mr. Obama got about 12 percent to turnout in 2008 but polls predict black turnout as low as 8 percent for the upcoming election. The governor's race is so tight - neck-and-neck two weeks before Election Day - that a blip in black turnout could decide the contest between incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie. More HERE

AAPP: I agree with the pollsters and election analysts who predict that black voter turnout is likely to cast a shadow in 2010 over at least 10 House Democrats with large black constituencies. These democrats better learn how to speak to and address, or the Republicans will be right back in in 2010.