Islamic Financial Services: US Marine tries to block AIG financial support

Kevin J. Murray is a former Marine Infantryman who has served two tours of duty in Iraq. He is represented by The Thomas More Law Centre, which describes itself as "a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan," and David Yerushalmi, described by the Thomas More Law Centre in a media release as "an associated attorney who specialises in litigation and is an expert on Shariah law and Shariah compliant financing."

The description of Yerushalmi as "an expert" appears to be based on an as-yet unpublished paper submitted to The Utah Law Review. In it he claims "Shari'ah compliant financing turns out to be a black box, where the financial industry and their legal professionals have hidden a doctrine at war with the West and have ignored the dangers and risks posed by Shari'ah authorities who determine the rules and principles of this industry."

He is also a member of The Centre for Security Policy, a pressure group with a mail-box address at 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington - but which, if similar to other bodies with such arrangements, does not actively maintain a physical presence there.

That organisation appears to be focused on blocking all Shariah compliant arrangements - it advertises "Coalition to Stop Shariah" and promotes "The Shariah Risk Project" and a debate called "Is Shariah Unconstitutional?).

In its media release dated 15th December announcing the action, The Thomas More Law Centre says:

A federal lawsuit was filed this morning against U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. and the Federal Reserve Board to stop all bailout funds from going to American International Group, Inc. ("AIG"). According to the lawsuit, the U.S. government, through its ownership of AIG, is not only violating the Constitution, but also promoting and financing the destruction of America using American tax dollars.

The basis of the lawsuit is that AIG intentionally promotes Shariah-compliant businesses and insurance products, which by necessity must comply with the 1200 year old body of Islamic cannon law based on the Quran, which demands the conversion, subjugation, or destruction of the infidel West, including the United States. To help achieve these objectives and with the aid of federal tax dollars, AIG employs a three-person Shariah Advisory Board, with members from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Pakistan. According to AIG, the role of its Shariah authority "is to review [its] operations, supervise its development of Islamic products, and determine Shariah compliance of these products and [its] investments."

Of particular significance is the Pakistani Board member, Dr. Muhammed Imran Ashraf Usmani. Dr. Usmani is the son and devoted disciple of Sheik Mufti Taqi Usmani, the leading authority on Shariah financing who, in 1999, authored a book dedicating an entire chapter on why a Western Muslim must engage in violent jihad against his own country - even if Muslims are given equality and freedom to practice their religion and to proselytise.

According to the lawsuit, use of taxpayer funds to acquire ownership of a business that intentionally promotes, endorses, supports, and funds Shariah-based Islamic religious practices violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

On September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorists, guided by principles of Shariah-mandated jihad against "infidels," attacked and killed thousands of innocent American civilians. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. went on the offensive by engaging Islamic terrorists overseas in Iraq and in Afghanistan. As in the past when our Nation faced great crisis, American servicemen were called to action, and Kevin Murray answered the call. From March to October 2003, Murray - a U.S. Marine - was deployed overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Yet today, Murray's federal tax dollars are being used to advance the very cause of global jihad he and his fellow servicemen were placed in harm's way to overcome. Shariah explicitly demands the murder of infidels like Kevin Murray and the destruction of the United States, which Murray took an oath to defend. Shariah is the same law that is used to justify beheadings, stonings, and amputation for petty crimes in places like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Sudan, which Americans deplore.

In further support of the federal government's endorsement of Shariah, the U.S. Treasury department co-sponsored a seminar in November of this year entitled "Islamic Financing 101" to promote Shariah financing among American institutions. The Seminar was jointly sponsored by Harvard University, one of the many American universities and colleges receiving millions of dollars from oil-producing countries to influence their Middle East programs, which are often staffed with professors who are anti-American, anti-Israeli, and pro-Islamic.

"It is clear," said Thompson, "oil money is purchasing the sovereignty of the United States and whatever loyalty to America these greedy financial institutions, corporations, and universities have left. It's up to the American people to take back their country from those who so easily betray its interests."

The federal lawsuit challenges that portion of the "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008" that appropriated $40 billion in taxpayer money to fund and financially support the United States government's majority ownership interest in AIG, which engages in Shariah-based Islamic religious activities that are anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, and anti-American.

Whilst some may poke fun at the apparent elevation of "American" to a state of religion to go alongside "Christian" and Jewish," that is not the most important issue: that is the fact that the "Center of Security Policy" has an agenda that appears to be to throw every insult into one document, in the name of Kevin J Murray and to use him as a vehicle for promoting its causes via court-based publicity.

The primary casualty is almost bound to be truth as innuendo and biased commentary on Islamic financing appears more frequently in more media.