http://lastresistance.com/628/the-convenient-loyalties-of-grover-norquist/ 

posted on November 30, 2012 byJohn DeMayo

The Convenient Loyalties of Grover Norquist

Among the Don's and Capo's of the K street syndicate operates a man of considerable yet waning influence, his name is Grover Glenn Norquist. Mr. Norquist's controversial "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" has come under recent fire from both high ranking Democrats and so-call conservative Republican supporters. To many Americans, Norquist's small government and tax reform agenda has made him a man worthy of praise. However, as it is with all lobbyists, the general public would do well to consider Mr. Norquist's loyalties before rushing to anoint another false patriot.

For decades Grover Norquist has enriched himself with his legislative crusades to save American Taxpayers from the growing intrusiveness of our government. I like many Americans applauded his work on the 1994 "Contract with America" as well as his involvement with "Christian Coalition of America" and "Toward Tradition". Yet many Americans are not aware of the troubling and extensive ties Mr. Norquist has with radical Islamist elements working within our government. I am not attempting to assassinate the character of a man that I do not know. I am simply raising questions about his loyalties.

In 1998, Norquist's political ambitions gave birth to the idea of uniting Islamic leaders (who had established ties to the Clinton Administration and favored smaller government) with the Republican Party. In 1998 Norquist founded the Islamic Free Market Institute (IFMI) with financing from a Yemeni born Islamist named Abdurrahman Alamoudi a self-described "supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah" and founder of the "American Muslim Council". Mr. Alamoudi is now serving a 23 year sentence for a guilty plea to financial and conspiracy charges relating to the Libyan plot to kill Saudi crown Prince Abdullah and illegal procurement of citizenship charges uncovered during a federal investigation.

During Mr. Norquist's chairmanship, the IFMI has been given extensive access to our government as well as a raised level of legitimacy in Republican circles. No wonder none of our elected representatives will respond to my questions on topics like "Sharia compliant banking" trends in America.

The founding director of Norquist's Islamic Institute, Khaled Saffuri, had a history of Muslim activism and operations in places like Bosnia and Saudi Arabia. It was also widely reported that Saffuri was a supporter of the families of suicide bombers, although he publicly denied these allegation. During the 2000 presidential campaign, the Palestinian born IFMI Director was instrumental in introducing Sami al-Arian; a popular Florida based Muslim activist and University of South Florida computer science professor to then presidential candidate George Bush. Apparently the Bush campaign was looking to gin up support from the Muslim community in Florida and cared nothing for the documented radical Islamist sympathies held by al-Arian. After all, politics makes strange bedfellows. Yet most politically expedient relationships never last.

Soon after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the U.S., Mr. Saffuri, a man widely known in fundamentalist Islamic circles, publicly denounced the Bush Administration's decision to shut down the Holy Land Foundation, a Saudi Charity that was channeling American Muslim donations to terrorist operations overseas. Eventually, Mr. al-Arian, the Bush campaign's Florid- based Muslim operative was arrested on 40 terrorism related counts for his 19 year direction of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad; one of the most violent terrorist groups operating in the Middle East. Does this sound like the kind of men a conservative American activist would create alliances with?

Among the many U.S. foreign and domestic policy initiatives influenced by Norquist's Islamic Free Market Institute was the establishment of standards for choosing Muslim chaplains for the U.S. military, the quandary of Palestinians under Israeli occupation and the effort to endorse Islamic causes and support Islamic candidates within the Republican Party. It's also worth noting that it has been alleged that the IFMI has an alliance with the SAAR Network, a Saudi sponsored group with ties to global terrorist activities and financing.

Money's influence in our government is becoming more frightening every day; especially foreign money influence. I myself am perplexed as to how a so-called conservative like Grover Norquist, a man once elevated to the throne of Republican leadership, a Christian man who claims to despise big government overreach could not only align himself with but found an organization like the Islamic Free market Institute. Perhaps this is just another example of the hypocrisy of Washington albeit a dangerous one. My guess is Islamic money and influence runs a whole lot deeper than is being reported and the American public better wake up soon.