In mid-July 2012, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) went to bat for top State Department official Huma Abedin, a Muslim-American, and aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, against claims by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and other lawmakers, including Reps. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Thomas Rooney (R-Fla.) and Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.).
The lawmakers accused Abedin of being part of a Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy. McCain said in a speech on the Senate floor, according to The Huffington Post: “These allegations about Huma and the report from which they are drawn are nothing less than an unwarranted and unfounded attack on an honorable woman, a dedicated American and a loyal public servant.”
The allegations on Abedin possibly infiltrating the U.S. government arose from a report by the Center for Security Policy, an organization led by Frank Gaffney, who is against the rise of Sharia law and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Bachmann recently wrote letters to five federal agencies requesting investigations into infiltration by the Muslim Brotherhood, citing Gaffney’s work. McCain did not indicate Bachmann or the other lawmakers by name, but criticized their letters and the Center for Security Policy report. According to The Huffington Post: “The letter alleges that three members of Huma’s family are ‘connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations,'” he said. “Never mind that one of those individuals, Huma’s father, passed away two decades ago. The letter and the report offer not one instance of an action, a decision or a public position that Huma has taken while at the State Department that would lend credence to the charge that she is promoting anti-American activities within our government.”
Abedin is married to former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner. According to The Huffington Post, McCain said he condemned Bachmann’s allegations to stand up for the character of America: “When anyone, not least a member of Congress, launches specious and degrading attacks against fellow Americans on the basis of nothing more than fear of who they are and ignorance of what they stand for, it defames the spirit of our nation, and we all grow poorer because of it.” According to The Huffington Post, Bachmann responded that her letters were being “distorted,” but she did not directly address McCain or mention Abedin: “The intention of the letters was to outline the serious national security concerns I had and ask for answers to questions regarding the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical group’s access to top Obama administration officials.”
Other lawmakers got into the discussions on Twitter, Fox News’ website, and other media. According to The Huffington Post, Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) posted on Twitter: “Rep. Bachmann’s accusations about Sec. Clinton aide Huma Abedin are out-of-line. This kind of rhetoric has no place in our public discourse.”
The Center for Security Policy issued a statement in response to McCain’s comments, and invited Dr. Saleha Mahmood Abedin, Abedin’s mother, who is accused of supporting an organization that promotes shariah law, to “participate in a dialogue.”
Bachmann is just the latest example of the homegrown fear-mongering our country has been subjected to in the decade following 9/11. These are NOT allegations to be played with in today’s society where dissidence is not being tolerated and minorities are being held without trial. As an elected official, Michelle should be leading by example not spewing her own form of politicized terrorism. You can read much more about living in this Orwellian society of fear and see my visual response to these measures on my artist’s blog. We must acknowledge this type of bigotry erodes our freedoms from the inside out for ALL races of Americans.
I can see how everybody is jumping up and down when a muslim is being questioned. You claim to be an objective and truthful people but in reality you ignore the basic tenant to cross check what the accusation provided by Michelle Bachmann.
Why no try to research before opening the mouth? Why distort the accusation? Well, you will ask Michelle to provide hard evidence I assume. In this internet era what information is so hard to obtain? Do the search and you will know more and more then decide what to say with your mouth.
I believe you have never researched the connection between the Huma’s family with muslim brotherhood, you just want to explode your emotion to the air. In reality, you do not know if they are related or not. You just too quick to talk.