Screw you all, I'm suin'!

In a recent Boston Globe article, it was reported that Dr. Yousef Abou-Allaban, chairman of the board of the Islamic Society of Boston, filed a defamation suit against the local television station WFXT-TV. It would seem that an expose type piece was aired back in November '04 alleging that Dr. Abou-Allaban is linked to Al Qaeda via the Muslim Brotherhood, of which he is supposed to have been a member. I must have been asleep.

Pu-leeze.

Are you kidding me?

Evidently the "investigative jwonolist" Michael Beaudet is named in the suit, which right there has me rolling my eyes. No offense to Mr. Beaudet, who seems like someone I'd love to chat up in a bar, but really - have you ever seen his "blow the lid off" pieces: he "blows the lid off" dating service scams, he sets his sights on state workers misbehavin'. Well anyway - never mind the quality of his reporting, consider the source - Fox 25. Duh. All news is baloney. It just depends on how it is served up to the masses. Some people believe what they read in the NYT because it is "seewious jwonolism". Some people believe what they read in the Boston Herald because they can read it on the T. Some people read the Weekly World News which is one damn funny read. But honestly, Fox News... like I said, you pick your news sources like you pick your nose - completely consciously.

Back to my point.

The good Dr.'s lawyer is seemingly encouraged by the jury that made the Boston Herald fork over $2 million smackeroos to a judge who was reportedly "too lenient". I guess he wasn't being so. But then again the man was a state judge and the Boston Herald alleged that he told a 14 year old rape victim to "get over it". Who wants to sit next to you at Thanksgiving after that? I guess a pair of millions redeems a few episodes of alleged verbal-rhea.

How ever the clincher can be found in the last two paragraphs of the article:

"In his suit, Abou-Allaban acknowledged that the Islamic Society of Boston's $22 million project to build a mosque and a cultural center "has generated some controversy." Last year, the organization made headlines when a group known as Citizens for Peace and Tolerance accused it of having connections to extremists. The group also faced accusations of anti-Semitism when it was found that a former director and current trustee had written articles that, among other things, called Jews the "murderers of prophets."

Officials at the center have formed a new board of directors, begun an outreach effort to other community and religious groups, and disavowed the writings that generated the charges of anti-Semitism. In December, the organization announced that it would carefully monitor teachers at the new center to ensure that extremism and bigotry was not being taught or preached there. "

You know what I think, I think the Jews should sue. I think that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I think that I should sue Al Jazeera for alleging that I am an infidel.

You know what else I think, I live right near the new mosque and I only just saw it the other day. So much for their outreach program.

Must be because I am Episcopalian.

http://www.boston.com/ae/media/articles/2005/02/24/islamic_leader_sues_wfxt_for_defamation/