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Bob Smietana of The Tennessean says self-proclaimed Islamic expert Steven Emerson has 3.39 million reasons to fear Muslims. "That's how many dollars Emerson's for-profit company -- Washington-based SAE Productions -- collected in 2008 for researching alleged ties between American Muslims and overseas terrorism," Smeitana said adding that the payment came from the Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation, a nonprofit charity Emerson also founded, which solicits money by telling donors they're in imminent danger from Muslims."
In an investigative report titled "Anti-Muslim crusaders make millions spreading fear," the writer pointed out that Emerson is a leading member of a multimillion-dollar industry of self-proclaimed experts who spread hate toward Muslims in books and movies, on websites and through speaking appearances. He went on to say:
"Leaders of the so-called "anti-jihad" movement portray themselves as patriots, defending America against radical Islam. And they've found an eager audience in ultra-conservative Christians and mosque opponents in Middle Tennessee. One national consultant testified in an ongoing lawsuit aimed at stopping a new Murfreesboro mosque.
"But beyond the rhetoric, Emerson's organization's tax-exempt status is facing questions at the same time he's accusing Muslim groups of tax improprieties.
"Basically, you have a nonprofit acting as a front organization, and all that money going to a for-profit," said Ken Berger, president of Charity Navigator, a nonprofit watchdog group. "It's wrong. This is off the charts.". . .
Read full report: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20101024/NEWS01/10240374
