I first wrote this a few Christmases ago. It still seems to resonate. Every Christmas, I look back to my Christmas in Iraq, some years ago. I served as a Civil Affairs officer supervising a staff of 3. In the war zone, everyday is a work day. On Christmas Eve, we worked a full day.
Moslem
SSGT Bellavia Describes Why We Serve
SSGT David bellavia was just awarded the Medal of Honor. He took out a building that was threatening his platoon. His battle devolved into hand-to-hand combat at times. In his speech, he gave credit to his squad, his platoon and his company. He recognized his interpreter, Sammy, who was just made a U.S. citizen. Sammy,…
Muslim Vice-Chairman Retains Post
Well, the Tarrant County (Ft. Worth) Republican party voted to keep Dr. Shafi in his position as Vice-Chairman of the party. By a vote of 139-49, the precinct chairpersons voted to keep the doctor in his position. I previously wrote about this vote here. A lady named Dorrie O’Brien and others had pushed the…
Prominent Republicans Support Muslim Vice-Chairman
Dr. Shahid Shafi is finding much support among the Republican party in his quest to remain vice-chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party. Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz have both issue statements supporting the doctor. The vote to remove Dr. Shafi is set for next week. I previously rote about this discriminatory attempt…
Removal of Muslim Vice-Chairman Sought
If it was not so serious, the story in Tarrant County, Texas would be humorous. A small community near Ft. Worth has a City Councilman who is Muslim. Shahid Shafi has served as a Republican Councilman in Southlake since 2014. He is a doctor. He has served as delegate to state Republican conventions. In July,…
Patriotism Does not Excuse Bigotry
It is safe to say no one ethnic or religious group has a monopoly on patriotism. Yet, some Republican precinct chairs in Tarrant County believe just the opposite. Some Tarrant County Republican precinct chairs are trying to remove Shahid Shafi as Vice Chairman of the GOP party in Tarrant County. The chairman, Darl Easton, appointed…
Fifth Circuit Discounts Inconsistent Explanation
It is a strange ruling in Alkhwaldeh v. Dow Chemical Company, 851 F.3d 422 (5th Cir. 2017). The three judge panel consistently refers to Mr. Alkhwaldeh by his first name, Ammar, not by his last name. The opinion also recognizes that the employer provided inconsistent explanations for the termination, but disregards those inconsistencies. Dow…
Muslim Language *Was* on Trump Campaign Website
I do not know whether I should laugh or cry as a lawyer at the latest antics of the Trump administration. They have been litigating the Moslem travel ban for some time. Last week, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia heard oral arguments about the ban. One of the key issues is whether…
Agriculture Department Wants to Nuke All Moslems
Sid Miller, Texas’ new head of the Department of Agriculture, is kind of amusing. At the beginning of his term, he announced with apparent relish that cupcakes were now allowed back onto school menus. He made his announcement while biting into a very tasty looking chocolate cupcake. A few months later, he announced the fryer…
Candidate Said All Muslims are Enemies of the State
Since my time in Iraq, I have noticed many instances of anti-Muslim discrimination. It was surprising to me back in 2006 and 2007, when I first returned how often we castigate all Muslims. Rick Casey discusses a T.J. Fabby of Red Oak, near Dallas, who accuses his political opponent of accepting money from an "admitted"…