Show Va muslim leader says Jihad remark taken out of context Tim Craig Joshua The Washington Post Esam the Muslim leader from Fairfax County Va who resigned from the state immigration commission after controversial remarks made on video surfaced defended his remarks Friday and said he was the victim of a smear campaign The smear campaign brings forward comments and speech excerpts which were taken out of context and used to undermine a whole community of faith in a relentless campaign of intimidation Orne ish said in a news conference submitted his resignation to Gov Timothy Kaine CD D on Thursday after video surfaced of one speech in which he referred to the Israeli war machine and another second 38 excerpt from a speech he made at ata ata ata a December 2000 rally in support of the Jihad way All these allegations revolve around obsolete historical associations out of context statements wrapped in hateful misleading insinuations by individuals who are bent on alienating and intimidating Muslim leaders and activists said who is also president of the Muslim American Society defended the organizations organization's record of moderation and nonviolence saying their efforts help new Muslim immigrants assimilate and reduce extremism He was joined at the news conference by several supporters including Mahdi Bray executive director of the Muslim American Society Bray drew parallels to this controversy and the one that surrounded Rep Keith Ellison D a Muslim who faced questions about his loyalty to the United States during his election campaign I am truly disappointed that this type of thing continues to occur over and over and over again Bray said Last month Kaine appointed chief of the division of general surgery at Inova Alexandria Hospital to a member 20 panel that is spending six months examining whether Virginia needs to do more to curtail illegal immigration After reviewing the videos which were brought to Kaines Kaine's attention by a caller to his live monthly radio program Kaine asked for resignation from the Virginia Commission on Immigration Dr is a respected physician and community ty leader yet I have been made aware of certain statements he has made which concern me Kaine said in a statement Dr indicated he did not want this controversy to distract from the important work of the commission The resignation could be embarrassing for Kaine as ashe ashe ashe he tries to respond to calls to do more about illegal immigration Republicans are using the overall issue to try to win votes in this falls fall's campaign for control of the General Assembly Kaine has taken a measured approach placing blame on the federal governments government's failure to secure the borders and enact immigration reform He has said he wanted the member 20 immigration commission which the General Assembly created this year to develop recommendations House and Senate leaders appointed 10 members of the committee Kaine appointed the other 10 is also on the board of directors of the Dar Al AI Islamic Center in Falls Church Va He graduated from Georgetown University The Washington based Investigative Project on Terrorism which tracks what it thinks are radical Muslim groups posted both videos on In one is shown speaking in August last ast year at at a rally on the Mallin Mall Mallin in opposition to Israels Israel's invasion of Lebanon that summer demands that Israel release Lebanese political prisoners and andt condemns President Bushs Bush's use of the phrase Islamic fascism Staff writers Pamela Constable Dan Eggen and Mary Beth Sheridan contributed to this report |