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The Weekly Standard was among those questioning why FBI director Robert Mueller agreed to be a luncheon speaker at the American Muslim Council’s annual convention on June 28th. The magazine noted that the American Muslim Council, the AMC, “is one of those groups that once upon a time, way back before September 11, expressed sympathy for the 1993 World Trade Center bombers and support for terrorist outfits like Hamas and Hezbollah.” The Washington Times called Mueller’s speech his “latest blunder” and said that the AMC is a “defender of terrorist organizations.”

But questions also have to be raised about the participation in the event of a journalist from the World & I, a magazine published by the Washington Times. William Connery appeared on a panel to tell Muslims how to improve their image in the U.S. media.

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Frank Gaffney has written that the American Muslim Council has defended Hamas and Hezbollah, two groups designated by the U.S. State Department as foreign terrorist organizations. Terrorism analyst Steven Emerson says, “The American Muslim Council has consistently promoted and defended Hamas, Turkey’s fundamentalist Welfare Party, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other militant Islamic movements.” Abdurahman Alamoudi, the founder and former executive director of the group, attended an anti-Israel protest outside the White House on October 28, 2000. Alamoudi revved up the crowd, saying: “I have been labeled by the media in New York as being a supporter of Hamas?I wish they added that I am also a supporter of Hezbollah.”

Mueller’s spokesman said the FBI director believes the AMC to be “the most mainstream Muslim group in the United States.” But in his speech he said some people associated with the group “have in the past made statements that indicated support for terrorists and terrorist organizations,” and that all Americans should be outraged by such statements.

In promotions for Connery’s appearance at the AMC conference, he was identified as being with the World & I and the Washington Times. In a statement, Connery was said to be “acting on his own, representing only himself,” and was trying to foster “reconciliation,” “peace and mutual respect.” Michael Marshall of the World & I said, “I do not believe that The World & I’s editorial integrity will be compromised by Mr. Connery speaking at the same conference as FBI director, Robert Mueller.”

It was clever to try to justify Connery’s appearance by associating him with the FBI director. That was itself controversial. The more appropriate comparison was with Hafiz Marazi, who was on the same panel with Connery. He is with Al Jazeera, the radical Muslim network based in Qatar that was known as the only foreign TV network with a bureau in Kabul, Afghanistan. It’s been called Jihad Television because it repeatedly broadcast bin Laden diatribes to its primarily Arab audience of 40 million people in which he called on Muslims to kill Americans, Christians and Jews. The Washington Times should now run an editorial on William Connery’s “blunder” in appearing at this event.

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