Pajamas Media’s Martin Solomon reports on the Islamic Society of Boston’s extensive use of litigation to silence critics, ranging from moderate Muslims to a local interfaith group to local reporters and newspapers, who question whether the organization has ties to Islamic radicals. The David Project has a set of links to court documents. Daniel Pipes has also been covering the matter. ISB’s attorney is Howard Cooper, who recently won affirmance of a $2.1 million verdict against the Boston Herald, which had criticized a local judge (May 11). See also Jeff Jacoby, “New questions for the ISB”, Boston Globe, Apr. 25. Earlier on Overlawyered: Aug. 27 (ISB subpoenas talk show); May 19; Jan. 5, 2006.
2 Comments
The use of litigation to silence critics should be roundly condemned, but in the ethnic struggles now visiting the multiracial/cultural United States with increasing frequency and intensity, lawsuits aren’t the only tool. Baldly aggressive tactics characterize such groups as the Anti-Defamation League, which is also keen to silence critics or opponents, and similar ethnic activism can also include lawsuits.
http://www.jonathanpollard.org/1999/060099a.htm
Groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center also do not shy away from litigation ostensibly predicated on personal torts but ultimately designed to undermine groups, individuals or movements whose politics they oppose.
Your ADL link (and here’s a more complete set of articles about the Ciralsky and Tenenbaum cases) doesn’t really support your claim that the ADL has been engaging in improper tactics.