Solomonia got the scoop on the return of Walid Fitaihi to the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB) as a trustee. Hmmm, like a bad penny, that one. Quick and dirty, here's the timeline for the Fitaihi/ISB story:
- Dr. Walid Fitaihi is named as one of the original even trustees of the Islamic Society of Boston Trust, established on November 30, 1993 (MA Middlesex County registry of Deeds, Book 23988, Page 46). Fitaihi was an instructor at the Harvard Medical School.
- October 2003 - Fitaihi, ISB trustee, gets into some hot water when his anti-Semitic statements published in Al-Hayat, an Arabic language newspaper in London, were reported (Boston Herald article, 10-30-2003, no longer online). Fitaihi is quoted as writing the usual sort of stuff: "Jews will be scourged because of their ‘oppression, murder, and rape of the worshipers of Allah'," "They will be humiliated wherever they are found, unless they are protected under a covenant with Allah, or a covenant with another people. They have incurred Allah’s wrath and they have been afflicted with misery. That is because they continuously rejected the Signs of Allah and were after slaying the Prophets without just cause, and this resulted from their disobedience and their habit of transgression.’”
- These statements were published in Al-Hayat in 2000, while Fitaihi was engaged in interfaith dialogue in Boston. Promoting understanding, and all that.
- Boston Herald reporter Jonathan Wells covered Fitaihi's inflammatory statements in several articles in 2003 and 2004. These articles became part of the ISB's defamation and conspiracy lawsuit against the newspaper, Wells, and 15 other defendants in their May 2005 expanded lawsuit.
- The ISB hemmed and hawed and said that it was just a bad translation (chuckle) and anyway, Fitaihi was just talking about some Israelis, not all Jews.
- Independent Arabic translators confirmed that the writings were indeed "virulently anti-Semitic."
- ISB admits that Fitahihi said a dumb thing: "We regret that previous responses by the ISB with regard to the contentious statements of Dr. Walid Fitaihi have been ambivalent."
- October 2004 - Fitaihi remains on the board of trustees, even though the Boston Globe editorial writes that he's been removed as treasurer. Globe calls for the ISB to "end the relationship."
- Oopsy, the Boston Globe got that wrong: "He was not removed as treasurer — I think it was a mistake," Abou-Allaban (Chairman, ISB Board of Directors) told the Phoenix.
- 2005-2006-2007 - ISB's defamation and conspiracy lawsuit continues, we have discovery process, various players are subpoenaed, interviewed by attorneys, provided sworn testimony, depositions, etc.
- Flash forward to March 2007 - Fitaihi resigns as a trustee from the ISB. His resignation is filed on April 10, 2007, the day before he would have been subject to deposition in the ISB lawsuit case. Whew!
- April 6, 2007 - Dr. Fitaihi jets into Boston from Saudi Arabia to make some sort of apology (exact wording unknown) to a small, select group of Jewish leaders, about his "allegedly anti-Semitic statements." In this private gathering, Fitaihi doesn't mention that he had resigned as an ISB trustee the previous month.
- May 1, 2007 - Jessica Masse, ISB spokesman sends out passionate letter to "Muslim community" about the "attack on the Islamic Society of Boston." Of Fitaihi, Masse writes: "Dr. Fitaihi will be returning to Boston in the future to continue his outreach efforts.He will soon assume a new position with the ISB and we hope to be able to announce this in the near future."
- May 29, 2007 - ISB completely withdraws its lawsuit, "alleging that 16 individuals and entities, including The Boston Herald and Fox 25-TV , conspired to publish and broadcast false and defamatory statements about the society." The trustees and the ISB imam avoid any deposition.
- July 26, 2007- Walid Fitaihi is baaaa-aaaack! He's reinstated as an ISB trustee. Jessica was right!
So, do we care about Walid Fitaihi and his rants (in Arabic in overseas newspapers, not in English in American newspapers) about the "murderers of Allah's prophets"?
Why does the ISB need Walid Fitaihi? Money-money-money-money?
Does Mayor Menino care that the Islamic Society of Boston has been playing with Boston, claiming to censor Fitaihi, removing Fitaihi and other trustees before they were deposed, and all the while planning to bring him back as a major leader in the organization? What does it take to get your attention on this issue, Mayor Menino?
The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Fox News reported on Walid Fitaihi in 2003 and 2004. Will they report on this latest disgraceful development on the part of the radical Islamist ISB leadership? Or are they as afraid of covering Fitahi as they are publishing an Opus cartoon about Fatima Struggle?
Can somebody in Boston grow a set, please?
Can you imagine what we are going to contend with in Boston, once the radical muslim organizations really sink their teeth into our prison culture and high-crime areas?
Posted by: Marc Siegel | August 31, 2007 at 10:37 AM