RedWine
06-25-2007, 03:29 AM
A Florida doctor arrested after police found more than 15 homemade explosive devices in his home drafted a detailed plan to blow up a Muslim educational center, investigators said Friday.
A search of Robert J. Goldstein's residence also turned up a list of about 50 Islamic worship centers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and other locations in Florida, according to a court papers.
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/US/08/23/florida.explosives/vert.goldstein.jpg
Goldstein, who was taken into custody after his wife called police Thursday night, has been charged with one count of possessing destructive devices and one count of attempting to damage and destroy buildings by means of explosive devices.
Attached to the criminal complaint against Goldstein was a three-page "mission template" for an attack on an unidentified "Islam education center," which included a map of the center showing where bombs would be placed.
The document said the objective was to "Kill all 'rags' at this Islamic Education Center -- ZERO residual presence -- maximum effect."
Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department were summoned to the Goldstein home Thursday night, after his wife, Kristi, called to report that he had threatened to kill her, according to the court affidavit. She authorized agents to search the premises, where they found more than 15 homemade bombs.
Goldstein surrendered to officers and was taken to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation, the sheriff's department said. Friday afternoon, he made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court and was being held in federal custody, said Special Agent Carlos Baixaulia of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
In addition to the 15 and 20 explosive devices that were found, there were also enough bomb components in the home to to make 30 to 40 more devices, Baixaulia said.
Deputies also found books on how to make explosives and devices that could be used to explode bombs by remote control, along with homemade C-4 -- a type of explosive -- hand grenades and homemade military mines, the sheriff's department said.
Authorities also recovered 30 to 40 weapons, including semi-automatic weapons and a .50-caliber sniper rifle, the sheriff's department said.
Hernando Today's May 16 commentary "Were our planners pandering to Muslims in approving mosque?" by columnist John Herbert are comments heard normally from bigots "pandering" to the xenophobic members of our society.
Since the horrific attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, there have been hundreds of violent acts targeting Muslim-Americans, only because of their faith. Islamophobic comments, like those repeated by Mr. Herbert, have the potential of inciting hate crimes and violence against Americans who happen to be Muslim.
For example, who can forget the recent arson attack on the Islamic Education Center of Tampa last month, or even the man who, in March of 2002, crashed a truck into the Tallahassee mosque, escaped and bragged about it at a local bar where he was later arrested.
Even more frightening are those who potentially become incited with misplaced revenge for 9/11. Combine that with fear-mongering rhetoric fanned by cheerleaders like Herbert, and we may be faced with those who intend to do harm to an entire community based solely on their faith.
A prime example, Dr. Robert J. Goldstein of Pinellas County; who in 2004 was convicted for planning out a terrorist attack with different types of explosives, machine guns and even grenade launchers at Florida mosques.
He had compiled a list of 50 Islamic centers across the state where he planned to carry out the attacks describing his objective in a written "manifesto template" to "kill all 'rags,' ZERO residual presence, maximum effect."
Locally, Herbert panders to the likes of Vilmar Tavares, who came to Mr. Herbert's defense in another Hernando Today letter-to-the-editor published May 23, -- "Islamic Terrorism is not political" -- claiming that he was "appalled" that the right to free expression is now being called "hate speech" by so many people.
Tavares then used the opportunity to spew his own hatred and lies, claiming that a recent Pew research poll found that 25 out of 100 Muslims in America support terrorism. In fact the Pew poll found the opposite to be true, that 78 percent of the 1,050 Muslim-Americans surveyed said that suicide bombing is "never justified" and only 1 percent said it was "often justified."
The same survey found that the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject religious extremism and terrorism. The Pew poll also found that Muslims in this country are assimilated, have a good life, are well educated, have good jobs and believe in American values like hard work.
Tavares' negative spin and misinformation should not come as surprise. For those that don't remember, he is the hate-blogger who maintained a Hernando-based anti-Muslim website, later shut down after using the website to call for the killing of "all Muslim kids, starting now." Apparently Tavares' idea of "free expression."
This is the same type of rhetoric used in the past by bigots, fascists and Nazis to establish hatred of a particular group of people, in this case, Muslims. John Herbert and Vilmar Tavares' hate speech is more appropriate for a KKK newsletter, not mainstream newspapers.
It is unfortunate that some media outlets publish rhetoric by the likes of Herbert and Tavares, based on known lies and half truths that are intended to divide a community. Newspapers should provide a forum that promotes dialogue and respect; not a stage for those who fuel the flames of bigotry and hate.
Ahmed Bedier is executive director and Ramzy Kilic is civil rights coordinator of the Tampa Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
A search of Robert J. Goldstein's residence also turned up a list of about 50 Islamic worship centers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and other locations in Florida, according to a court papers.
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2002/US/08/23/florida.explosives/vert.goldstein.jpg
Goldstein, who was taken into custody after his wife called police Thursday night, has been charged with one count of possessing destructive devices and one count of attempting to damage and destroy buildings by means of explosive devices.
Attached to the criminal complaint against Goldstein was a three-page "mission template" for an attack on an unidentified "Islam education center," which included a map of the center showing where bombs would be placed.
The document said the objective was to "Kill all 'rags' at this Islamic Education Center -- ZERO residual presence -- maximum effect."
Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department were summoned to the Goldstein home Thursday night, after his wife, Kristi, called to report that he had threatened to kill her, according to the court affidavit. She authorized agents to search the premises, where they found more than 15 homemade bombs.
Goldstein surrendered to officers and was taken to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation, the sheriff's department said. Friday afternoon, he made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court and was being held in federal custody, said Special Agent Carlos Baixaulia of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
In addition to the 15 and 20 explosive devices that were found, there were also enough bomb components in the home to to make 30 to 40 more devices, Baixaulia said.
Deputies also found books on how to make explosives and devices that could be used to explode bombs by remote control, along with homemade C-4 -- a type of explosive -- hand grenades and homemade military mines, the sheriff's department said.
Authorities also recovered 30 to 40 weapons, including semi-automatic weapons and a .50-caliber sniper rifle, the sheriff's department said.
Hernando Today's May 16 commentary "Were our planners pandering to Muslims in approving mosque?" by columnist John Herbert are comments heard normally from bigots "pandering" to the xenophobic members of our society.
Since the horrific attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, there have been hundreds of violent acts targeting Muslim-Americans, only because of their faith. Islamophobic comments, like those repeated by Mr. Herbert, have the potential of inciting hate crimes and violence against Americans who happen to be Muslim.
For example, who can forget the recent arson attack on the Islamic Education Center of Tampa last month, or even the man who, in March of 2002, crashed a truck into the Tallahassee mosque, escaped and bragged about it at a local bar where he was later arrested.
Even more frightening are those who potentially become incited with misplaced revenge for 9/11. Combine that with fear-mongering rhetoric fanned by cheerleaders like Herbert, and we may be faced with those who intend to do harm to an entire community based solely on their faith.
A prime example, Dr. Robert J. Goldstein of Pinellas County; who in 2004 was convicted for planning out a terrorist attack with different types of explosives, machine guns and even grenade launchers at Florida mosques.
He had compiled a list of 50 Islamic centers across the state where he planned to carry out the attacks describing his objective in a written "manifesto template" to "kill all 'rags,' ZERO residual presence, maximum effect."
Locally, Herbert panders to the likes of Vilmar Tavares, who came to Mr. Herbert's defense in another Hernando Today letter-to-the-editor published May 23, -- "Islamic Terrorism is not political" -- claiming that he was "appalled" that the right to free expression is now being called "hate speech" by so many people.
Tavares then used the opportunity to spew his own hatred and lies, claiming that a recent Pew research poll found that 25 out of 100 Muslims in America support terrorism. In fact the Pew poll found the opposite to be true, that 78 percent of the 1,050 Muslim-Americans surveyed said that suicide bombing is "never justified" and only 1 percent said it was "often justified."
The same survey found that the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject religious extremism and terrorism. The Pew poll also found that Muslims in this country are assimilated, have a good life, are well educated, have good jobs and believe in American values like hard work.
Tavares' negative spin and misinformation should not come as surprise. For those that don't remember, he is the hate-blogger who maintained a Hernando-based anti-Muslim website, later shut down after using the website to call for the killing of "all Muslim kids, starting now." Apparently Tavares' idea of "free expression."
This is the same type of rhetoric used in the past by bigots, fascists and Nazis to establish hatred of a particular group of people, in this case, Muslims. John Herbert and Vilmar Tavares' hate speech is more appropriate for a KKK newsletter, not mainstream newspapers.
It is unfortunate that some media outlets publish rhetoric by the likes of Herbert and Tavares, based on known lies and half truths that are intended to divide a community. Newspapers should provide a forum that promotes dialogue and respect; not a stage for those who fuel the flames of bigotry and hate.
Ahmed Bedier is executive director and Ramzy Kilic is civil rights coordinator of the Tampa Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.