Press Action ::: Sen. Allen and Daniel Pipes

Friday, August 15, 2003

Sen. Allen and Daniel Pipes

Below is an exchange between a constituent of Sen. George Allen, R-Va., and the senator over President Bush’s controversial nomination of Daniel Pipes to the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace.

August 14, 2003

Dear Constituent:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the nomination of Daniel Pipes to the U.S. Institute of Peace. I appreciate your concerns and value the opportunity to respond.

As you may know, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an independent, nonpartisan federal institution created by Congress to promote the prevention, management, and peaceful resolution of international conflicts. The President of the United States appoints and the Senate confirms appointees to the Institute’s Board of Directors.

On April 1, 2003, President Bush sent the nomination of Daniel Pipes to the United States Senate to be a member of the Board of Directors for USIP. Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and a prize-winning columnist for the New York Post and The Jerusalem Post. In addition, Mr. Pipes has taught at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and the U.S. Naval War College and has served in various capacities at the Departments of State and Defense, including vice chairman of the presidential-appointed Fulbright Board of Foreign Scholarships. Furthermore, Mr. Pipes serves on the “Special Task Force on Terrorism and Technology” at the Department of Defense and is considered to be one the foremost scholars on Islam. Many scholars support the nomination of Mr. Pipes and agree that he has always worked to support Islam and Muslims.

Many anti-war and extremist groups oppose the appointment of Mr. Pipes because of his vociferous opposition to extremist Islam and his lack of academic background. I believe these criticisms to be illogical and not within the scope in which Mr. Pipes will serve the Institute. Mr. Pipes is well qualified and extremely knowledgeable about international diplomacy.

Therefore, I support President Bush and his nomination of Daniel Pipes to the U.S. Institute of Peace. I believe Mr. Pipes will bring a well-experienced background and a commitment to ensure a positive relationship between the United States and the Islamic world.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. If you would like to receive an e-mail newsletter about my initiatives to improve America, please sign up on my website (). It is an honor to serve you in the United States Senate, and I look forward to working with you to make Virginia and America a better place to live, learn, work and raise a family.

With warm regards, I remain

Sincerely,

A. George Allen

Dear Senator Allen:

Thank you for your email concerning the nomination of Mr. Daniel Pipes. I must express my profound dismay and shock at your decision to support Mr. Pipes’ nomination. Mr. Pipes is not a scholar of Islam. He is merely a propaganda artist. He thrives on creating fear of Muslims, Arabs, Muslim Americans, and Arab Americans. He is unapologetic proponent for singling out Muslims and the Muslim community here in the US for “special attention.”

Daniel Pipes This is a man who wrote:

"There is no escaping the unfortunate fact that Muslim government employees in law enforcement, the military, and the diplomatic corps need to be watched for connections to terrorism, as do Muslim chaplains in prisons and the armed forces. ... Muslim visitors and immigrants must undergo additional background checks. Mosques require a scrutiny beyond that applied to churches, synagogues and temples. Muslim schools require increased oversight to ascertain what is being taught to children.” [Source: “The War’s Most Agonizing Issue” Daniel Pipes, Jerusalem Post, 1/22/03]

I am curious to know if you think that a person of such view shows “commitment to ensure a positive relationship between the United States and the Islamic world” or based on Pipes’ writing you still believe that “he has always worked to support Islam and Muslims.”

I will certainly let my family, friends and community here in Virginia know of your stance on the nomination of Daniel Pipes. As a mental exercise, I urge you to substitute “Jewish,” “African American,” “Mexican,” “German,” “Irish,” “Italian,” “Indian,” “Hindu,” “Canadian,” “Sikh,” “Catholic,” or “Christian,” for the word “Muslim” in the above quoted paragraph by Mr. Pipes. Would you think such a pronouncement still acceptable? Kindly let me know. I am profoundly interested in your answer. I sincerely hope that you will reexamine your position and decide not to support the nomination of Mr. Pipes to United States Institute for Peace.

Sincerely,

Constituent