FBI Arrests Milwaukee Man Planning Temple Attack

[Purveyor]

by ASSOCIATED PRESS

Federal officials in Milwaukee say they have arrested a 23-year-old man who planned to attack a Masonic temple.

The Department of Justice says the man was arrested after an investigation that began in September.

They say the FBI was tipped that the man had planned to travel to Israel to attack Israeli soldiers and citizens in the West Bank. They say the man later abandoned the plan as too difficult and later decided on a domestic attack.

An affidavit in a criminal complaint says the man toured a Masonic center in Milwaukee on Jan. 19th and was tape-recorded discussing his plans to attack it in the name of "defending Muslim religion."

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-arrests-milwaukee-man-planning-temple-attack-n504761

[KamaAina]

1. Turns out there's quite a history there

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry#Islam_and_Freemasonry

Many Islamic anti-Masonic arguments are closely tied to both antisemitism and Anti-Zionism, though other criticisms are made such as linking Freemasonry to al-Masih ad-Dajjal (the false Messiah). Some Muslim anti-Masons argue that Freemasonry promotes the interests of the Jews around the world and that one of its aims is to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. In article 28 of its Covenant, Hamas states that Freemasonry, Rotary, and other similar groups "work in the interest of Zionism and according to its instructions ..."

Many countries with a significant Muslim population do not allow Masonic establishments within their jurisdictions. However, countries such as Turkey and Morocco have established Grand Lodges, while in countries such as Malaysia and Lebanon there are District Grand Lodges operating under a warrant from an established Grand Lodge.

In Pakistan in 1972, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, then Prime Minister of Pakistan, placed a ban on Freemasonry. Lodge buildings were confiscated by the government.

Masonic lodges existed in Iraq as early as 1917, when the first lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) was opened. Nine lodges under UGLE existed by the 1950s, and a Scottish lodge was formed in 1923. However, the position changed following the revolution, and all lodges were forced to close in 1965. This position was later reinforced under Saddam Hussein; the death penalty was "prescribed" for those who "promote or acclaim Zionist principles, including freemasonry, or who associate (themselves) with Zionist organisations."

Who knew?

[Major Nikon]

3. That particular nutbaggery is over 100 years old

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Order_(conspiracy_theory)#The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion

[KamaAina]

4. Protip: You can replace characters that DU gags on with their corresponding ASCII codes

preceded by the % sign, thusly:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Order_%28conspiracy_theory%29#The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion

[Major Nikon]

6. There's actually an easier way

You can just use the link button and automate the whole process, but usually I don't realize DU didn't post the link properly unless I bother to read my own post.

link

[smirkymonkey]

10. Hmmm, interesting.

I never knew any of that. Thanks for the info!

[valerief]

2. I'm confused. Aren't Shriners Masons? And don't Shriners wear those fez hats

associated with Muslims?

So if he's a Muslim, why would he want to attack a place that's associated with Muslims?

[MosheFeingold]

5. No

Not really. It's just hokum and an excuse to raise money for kids and drink beer. "Cultural appropriation" I think they would call it now.

Masons are, however, rather famous for resisting Hitler (and the Catholic Church and lots of others who get out of hand over the centuries) and being rather instrumental in helping Jewish people out of Germany, including me. Hitler rounded up the Masons for this reason (and others, notably they are dedicated to being good people and helping their communities).

Some Masons are religious. In particular the York Rite Masons are Christians and arguably descend from the Knights Templar who were rather brutal in their resistance/revenge against Muslims during the various Crusades (which were a defensive war, despite what English history tells you -- the West was almost lost).

It is this link that causes Muslims to despise them.

[valerief]

7. So is this wrong?

http://www.hickoryhammockbaptist.org/quick%20answers/fez.html

After a man passes through the "Blue Lodge" or the first 3 degrees of Masonry and has achieved the status of Master Mason he can petition to become a member of the Shrine or the "Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

One of the most distinguishing marks of a Shriner is the Fez hat that he wears. So named after the city of Fez, Morocco...which by the way has been the site of numerous documented massacres of both Jews and Christians by various Muslim conquerors. The Fez is a distinctly Muslim symbol and, at least indirectly, celebrates the Muslim conquest of the area.

[MosheFeingold]

8. No it's not wrong

But I've known many a Shriner back in the 1960s. Most were Baptists and the Shrine was an excuse to go raise money for whatever cause and drink beer.

I would strongly advise against taking anything written on the Internet about any Masonic group seriously, even if written by a purported Mason.

It's just a fraternity for grown up men.

I would note they do not permit the discussion of religion or politics, which is sometimes a good thing.

[valerief]

9. Okay thanks. I have my own maroon velvet fez hat. I like to think of it

as Shrineresque (drunk man on tricycle), not Islamic.

[6chars]

11. I wonder if there is any connection with Israel/Palestine issues

There are some clues.

OP: "the man had planned to travel to Israel to attack Israeli soldiers and citizens in the West Bank."

http://heavy.com/news/2016/01/samy-sammy-mohammad-mohamed-hamzeh-hamza-milwaukee-man-terrorist-isis-masonic-temple-shooting-heard-the-world-over-facebook-page/

"One of the photos on his Facebook page is filtered with the flag of Palestine over it."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/friends-of-suspect-saw-a-pot-smoking-screw-up-not-a-radical-muslim-b99659174z1-366649201.html

"Safi and others said Hamzeh told them he was born in the U.S. but raised in Palestine and Jordan."

CT: Maybe he is Facebook friends with Palestinians stabbers (no offense intended toward the stabbers) or something like that.