Pennsylvanians be aware… this DVD is being distributed by the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Morning Call, the Reading Eagle, the Patriot and the Pittsburgh Gazette.
I passed this onto TheBruceBlog and he did a great job of posting so I’m just copying his post and placing here for everyone to see.
From Bruce:
I knew the Republicans would stoop low in this election, but this is really vile. The Clarion Fund backs McCain. Why isn’t he denouncing this?… Because McCain would do ANYTHING to win. He’d rather win an election that display moral integrity. Who knows, maybe someone in his campaign even approved of the DVDs being distributed hoping something like this would occur.
UPDATE: I’m now adding in this comment left on this post so to make sure everyone sees it. It’s from a woman named Valerie Curl:
“I already knew about Clarion Fund’s DVD and have been trying to get the national media to pay attention to it. The DVD was distributed to residents of every swing state–and only to swing states– through newspapers and directly into mail boxes.
The Clarion Fund is apparently a Canadian company, registered in NY. NY is suing the company over the DVD. But resolution of the suit will come too late for the election.
Nevertheless, the DVD will be believed by many people in those swing states. It is a hate-mongering DVD — despicable and vile.
If any of you in Swing states have access to your local media, contact them. Tell them of this hateful DVD, ask them to investigate and air/print the story. This 501(c)3 must be stopped. Their hate must be exposed.”
Thank you Valerie. I hope everyone follows your advice.
From Daily Kos:
Muslim Children Gassed at Dayton Mosque After “Obsession” DVD Hits Ohio
by Chris Rodda
Sun Sep 28, 2008 at 05:32:40 PM PDT
On Friday, September 26, the end of a week in which thousands of copies of Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West – the fear-mongering, anti-Muslim documentary being distributed by the millions in swing states via DVDs inserted in major newspapers and through the U.S. mail — were distributed by mail in Ohio, a “chemical irritant” was sprayed through a window of the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton, where 300 people were gathered for a Ramadan prayer service. The room that the chemical was sprayed into was the room where babies and children were being kept while their mothers were engaged in prayers. This, apparently, is what the scare tactic political campaigning of John McCain’s supporters has led to — Americans perpetrating a terrorist attack against innocent children on American soil.
I read the story as reported by the Dayton Daily News, but this was after I had received an email written by a friend of some of the victims of these American terrorists. The matter of fact news report in the Dayton paper didn’t come close to conveying the horrific impact of this unthinkable act like the email I had just read, so I asked the email’s author for permission to share what they had written. The author was with one of the families from the mosque — a mother and two of the small children who were in the room that was gassed — the day after the attack occurred.
“She told me that the gas was sprayed into the room where the babies and children were being kept while their mothers prayed together their Ramadan prayers. Panicked mothers ran for their babies, crying for their children so they could flee from the gas that was burning their eyes and throats and lungs. She grabbed her youngest in her arms and grabbed the hand of her other daughter, moving with the others to exit the building and the irritating substance there.
“The paramedic said the young one was in shock, and gave her oxygen to help her breathe. The child couldn’t stop sobbing.
“This didn’t happen in some far away place — but right here in Dayton, and to my friends. Many of the Iraqi refugees were praying together at the Mosque Friday evening. People that I know and love.
“I am hurt and angry. I tell her this is NOT America. She tells me this is not Heaven or Hell — there are good and bad people everywhere.
“She tells me that her daughters slept with her last night, the little one in her arms and sobbing throughout the night. She tells me she is afraid, and will never return to the mosque, and I wonder what kind of country is this where people have to fear attending their place of worship?
“The children come into the room, and tell me they want to leave America and return to Syria, where they had fled to from Iraq. They say they like me, … , and other American friends — but they are too afraid and want to leave. Should a 6 and 7 year old even have to contemplate the safety of their living situation?
“Did the anti-Muslim video circulating in the area have something to do with this incident, or is that just a bizarre coincidence? Who attacks women and children?
“What am I supposed to say to them? My words can’t keep them safe from what is nothing less than terrorism, American style. Isn’t losing loved ones, their homes, jobs, possessions and homeland enough? Is there no place where they can be safe?
“She didn’t want me to leave her tonight, but it was after midnight, and I needed to get home and write this to my friends. Tell me – tell me – what am I supposed to say to them?”
When acting as a representative of Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), the 501(c)3 non-profit organization that I work for, I cannot engage in political activities. The distribution of Obsession, however, although a political campaign scheme, clearly crosses over into the mission of MRFF. So, I’m going to make two statements here — one in my capacity as MRFF’s Research Director, and another as an individual whose disgust at the vile campaign tactics of John McCain’s supporters completely boiled over when I opened up the email about children being gassed.
My statement as MRFF’s Research Director:
The presidential campaign edition of the Obsession DVD, currently being distributed by the Clarion Fund, carries the endorsement of the chair of the counter-terrorism department of the U.S. Naval War College, using the name and authority of an official U.S. military institution not only to validate an attack the religion of Islam, but to influence a political campaign. For these reasons, this endorsement has been included in MRFF’s second lawsuit against the Department of Defense, which was filed on September 25 in the Federal District Court in Kansas.
My opinion as an individual and thoroughly appalled human being:
John McCain has a moral obligation to publicly censure the Clarion Fund, the organization that produced Obsession and is distributing the DVDs; to denounce the inflammatory, anti-Muslim message of Obsession; and to do everything in his power to stop any further campaign activities by his supporters that have the potential to incite violence.
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PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON SO PEOPLE CAN SEE REPUBLICANS RESORTING TO TERRORIST ACTIONS LIKE THOSE THEY SUPPOSEDLY DENOUNCE.
Organizing for Change 