Those of you who visit WorldNutDaily may have noticed that it's aggressively promoting a book called "Muslim Mafia" by Paul David Gaubatz. It claims that CAIR is actually a front for the Muslim Brotherhood, with the goal of turning America into an Islamic state based on sharia. The book contains a foreword written by Congresswoman Sue Myrick (NC-09). Well, yesterday a judge ordered Gaubatz to remove several documents used in the book from his Website, and to return several documents to CAIR that Gaubatz' son obtained when he burrowed into the organization.
Now, as a journalist by training, I look askance at such orders. But it seems that given what the documents contain, this order is justified.
In their lawsuit filed late last month in Washington, however, council officials alleged that the Gaubatzes' work is shadier. The pirated documents made public — and which the judge ordered removed — included the names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of council employees and donors.
Even if the documents were obtained legitimately, in my view posting them publicly was unethical in the extreme.
In her order, federal judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly noted that CAIR employees have received numerous threats since the book came out.
Predictably, Gaubatz is wrapping himself in the First Amendment.
Gaubatz said Monday that "the lawsuit was expected," and he questioned whether Council on American-Islamic Relations officials "deny the accuracy of the book or the documents" cited.
"Intimidations, threats and lawsuits are CAIR's basic tactics," Gaubatz said in an e-mail.
Let's see. You claim CAIR uses intimidation and threats after you post people's names, addresses and phone numbers on a Website? Pot, meet kettle. The people involved would have a pretty good case to sue you for invasion of privacy. Not only that, but it's possible you could be held liable for any physical or emotional harm.
WorldNutDaily, predictably, is urging its readers to donate to the Gaubatzes' legal defense fund. As if we already knew WorldNutDaily has forfeited any claim to be a serious journalistic organization, now they're asking its readers to lend a hand to people who clearly crossed an ethical line. The mind reels.