Judge Gives U.S. Citizenship to HAMAS Supporter, Muslim Brotherhood Member

Another luminary from the infamous Dar al-Hijra (Land of Muslim Immigration) mosque in Northern Virginia - a "terror mill" and front for Hamas operatives. The leaders of Dar al-Hijrah have routinely given militant sermons condoning the use of violence and criticized U.S. counterterrorism efforts. The mosque's imams have included Mohammed al-Hanooti, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings and current denizen of "Paradise" Anwar Awlaki, a senior Al Qaeda operative who was linked to three 9/11 hijackers, the Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hassan, M.D. (whose actions he praised) and Underwear Bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. ~ Janet Levy, Los Angeles

Why did an aging Reagan-appointed federal judge grant U.S. Citizenship to a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a man whose mosque is tied to Al-Qaeda, and a man active in an organization that fundraised for HAMAS? Why did he grant citizenship to a man who lied to immigration officials about his association with a terrorist mosque, led by Anwar Al-Awlaki, who inspired several Al-Qaeda attacks on America, including the Fort Hood Massacre and the underwear bomb?

Over the years, I've written about the process of granting U.S. citizenship to applicants, and the fact that immigration adjudicators at U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services spend less than six minutes per applicant. That's right-less then six minutes (and even less than that when you figure in the bathroom, smoking, and lunch breaks these government officials take) are spent scrutinizing whether or not an applicant for citizenship is a dangerous person-whether he or she has ties to Islamic terrorist groups, has a criminal record, and/or is otherwise undesirable as a U.S. citizen. Also, CIS immigration benefits adjudicators are urged to rubber stamp these applications for citizenship, and they get bonuses for the number of such applications they quickly get through (and approve). Given this system and these incentives, it's highly unusual for USCIS officials to reject applications, especially for ties to Islamic terrorists. And, so, when USCIS rejects an application for citizenship based on that reason, it's something to be taken seriously . . . and not to be overruled by a federal judge who hasn't a clue.

Sadly, that's what happened with the case of Jamal Abusamhadaneh (not to be confused with the late Palestinian terrorist leader Jamal Abu Samhadana-though same s-t, different day), an apparent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, parent organization of Al-Qaeda, Islamic Jihad, HAMAS, and assorted other Islamic terrorist groups. He found a dark angel in the form of U.S. Federal Judge James Cacheris, age 79 and long overdue for retirement (sadly, there is no forced retirement age for the federal bench).

A nearly five-year legal saga will conclude Thursday for Falls Church resident Jamal Abusamhadaneh when he takes the oath of citizenship at a federal courthouse, after a federal judge ruled that immigration authorities wrongly drew sinister conclusions about aspects of his Muslim faith. Abusamhadaneh's naturalization follows last month's unusual ruling that overturned the denial of his application by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

USCIS had denied the application and expressed concerns about Abusamhadaneh's association with a prominent Virginia mosque and a purported link to the Muslim Brotherhood. U.S. District Judge James Cacheris, who heard three days of evidence at trial earlier this year and issued an unusually detailed 90-page ruling, will personally administer the oath Thursday. He said USCIS' concerns on all counts were either unfounded or overblown. "Mr. Abusamhadaneh is a person of good moral character and meets the requirement for naturalization," Cacheris wrote. . . .

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