by Stephen Lendman

Post-9/11, America waged war on Islam. Innocent victims are targeted for political advantage. They're called fundamentalists, extremists, terrorists and fanatics.

Why Muslims when, in fact, Islam teaches love, not hate; peace, not violence; charity, not selfishness; and tolerance, not terrorism.

Who knows though in today's climate of hate and fear at a time America wages global wars on Islam, including at home.

Perhaps Jose Pimental (aka Muhammad Yusaf) is the latest entrapped Muslim in a plot he never planned or intended. So far, it's unclear.

Born in the Dominican Republic, he's a naturalized US citizen convert to Islam. Except for five years in Schenectady, New York, he lived mostly in Manhattan.

On November 20, New York Times writers Joseph Goldstein and William Rashbaum headlined, "Man Arrested and Charged in Bomb Plot," saying:

NYPD authorities arrested Pimentel on Saturday. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., and New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly "announced the charges against (him) at a Sunday evening news conference at City Hall."

He'd been under surveillance for over two years. Authorities claimed he was close to completing at least three bombs.

According to Kelly:

"Pimentel talked about killing US military personnel returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly Marines and Army personnel. He talked about bombing post offices in and around Washington Heights and police cars in New York City, as well as a police station in Bayonne, NJ."

"Once his bombing campaign began, Mr. Pimentel said the public would know that there were mujahidden in the city to fight jihad here."

Jihad is Arabic for "struggle," "effort," "to strive," "to exert," "resist," and "to fight," depending on the context. Western interpretation calls it "holy war," inaccurately suggesting belligerence.

Although the Koran calls for military struggle for Islam, it's mainly an internal, individual, spiritual one for self-improvement, moral cleansing, and intellectual effort.

Contrary to Western propaganda, it doesn't advocate violence or war. Moreover, Islam, Christianity and Judaism have common roots.

It's also not one of Islam's five pillars, including profession of faith, prayer five times daily, fasting during Ramadan, charity, and performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime for those able to afford it.

The Times writers called Pimentel's case unusual. It "mark(ed) the second time this year" that charges were filed in state, not federal, court.

A person close to discussions said FBI officials "declined to become involved in the case....because of issues (the agency) had with it. The person, who insisted on anonymity, declined to elaborate on what those issues were."

Others did confidentially, saying federal authorities said Pimentel posed no threat. They believed he was incapable of committing the alleged bomb plot.

His lawyer, Joseph Zablocki, said his client's behavior wasn't conspiratorial. He concealed nothing. "I don't believe that this case is nearly as strong as (New York authorities) believe." Pimental "has this very public online profile....This is not the way you go about committing a terrorist attack."

Federal authorities agree. They want no part of the case. Very likely, another innocent Muslim was framed.

The Times cited NYPD saying holes were drilled in pipes. Sulfur was scraped off matches. Nails were for shrapnel, and wires fashioned an ignition device.

Claiming it doesn't mean it's so, especially coming from unreliable sources. Federal and state authorities use them to entrap targeted victims. Perhaps Pimentel's the latest.

An unidentified police official said:

"The Police Department basically had an informant (on) this guy." They're paid to follow instructions and entrap targeted subjects. Usually they're convicted felons or face charges. In return for leniency and substantial compensation, they cooperate.

"This guy (Pimentel) is sort of giving to the informant all of these material(s) on bomb building and talking about building a bomb and supporting the mujaheeden by targeting - he's kind of all over the place; sometimes it's targeting servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan; sometimes it's the police; sometimes it's build it and test it, but it's all over the place."

"He was in the process of building three pipe bombs," the official claimed. "We weren't going to wait around to figure out what he wanted to do with his bombs. He was in Harlem about an hour from actually assembling the bombs," but had "unassembled components ready to go."

Charges against him include:

"Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree as a Crime of Terrorism"

"Conspiracy in the Second Degree as a Crime of Terrorism"

"Soliciting or Providing Support for an Act of Terrorism in the Second Degree"

"Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree"

"Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree"

The Times said he "made incriminating statements" to a police informant, and bought his alleged bomb-making materials "at a 99 cent store (and) Home Depot."

These are hardly places supplying materials, devices, or other implements for bombs. Everything they sell is legal. Purchases made there commit no crimes. Yet charges against him claimed he:

"possessed an explosive substance with the intent to use the same unlawfully against the person or property of another, as a CRIME OF TERRORISM, committed with intent to intimidate and coerce a civilian population, to influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, and to affect the conduct of unit of government by murder, assassination, and kidnapping...."

All that from a five and dime and Home Depot. Maybe notices on them should say "Do Not Enter, Dangerous Bomb-Making Materials Inside."

Out of context, charges also say he maintained the trueislam1.com web site (True Islam: The Way of the Prophet). Statements in one article said, "People have to understand that America and its allies are all legitimate targets in warfare," including all facilities supporting their war-making efforts.

Saying it, of course, isn't intent to commit crimes. Pimentel maintains articles there he wrote and by others. He created it "to educate people about the True Religion of Islam as revealed to the Last prophet Muhammad(PBUH)."

On May 10, 2011, he posted John Pilger's August 30, 1998 article headlined, "The World's Worst Terrorists Are Based in Washington," saying:

"In recent years, Muslims have been the greatest sufferers from state terrorism....All, of course, are unpeople: the victims of an unerring pattern of ruthless, lawless terrorism, imperialist by nature and infinitely greater than that of any Islamic or Irish group."

"It is time to stop sniggering at the distractions of this rampant power and to recognize the truth about it and to speak out."

The worst was yet to come. Post-9/11, Washington waged multiple wars on Islam and plans more for unchallenged global dominance. It ravaged the world one country at a time, killing millions. Saying so and expressing outrage isn't criminal. It's patriotic and heroic.

Pimentel's site doesn't declare war. It covers detailed information on America's war on Islam. So do others featuring distinguished writers and scholars.

They explain what everyone needs to know and tries to stop.

We're all in the same fight to prevent America's rogue imperialism from destroying humanity entirely.

A Final Comment

A previous article discussed Hank Skinner's unjust capital punishment sentencing. Clear evidence showed he was framed for a crime he didn't commit.

Skinner lives in Texas. Since presidential aspirant Rick Perry took office in December 2000, 234 executions occurred, more than under any other modern governor. At the same time, he refuses to admit erroneously putting anyone innocent to death, despite over 130 exonerated inmates nationwide since 1973.

In Texas and other states, innocence isn't enough to assure justice, even on matters of life and death.

On November 9, Skinner was scheduled to be executed. On September 1, Texas law SB 122 took effect. It's to ensure procedural barriers don't prevent prisoners from testing all relevant biological evidence, including what previously wasn't examined.

Skinner's life depended on whether Gray County district court upheld the law or, with time running out, whether further appeals for justice so far denied were possible.

On November 7, the court temporarily suspended his execution. Rob Owen, one of Skinner's attorneys said:

"We are confident that upon careful review, the court will conclude that DNA testing is necessary. The stakes are too high to allow Mr. Skinner to be executed before he has a fair chance to make his case that the trial court made a grave mistake in denying his request for DNA testing."

Thousands of petition signatures support him. Owen hopes Governor Perry will "take the time necessary to be scientifically certain of Mr. Skinner guilt before permitting him to be executed."

Despite his horrendous record in office and cavalier attitude, Skinner hopes he'll be the exception in a state accounting for half of all executions in America.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

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