This is absurd, to say the least, and it’s not the first time we’ve heard about this kind of boneheadedness on the part of the Justice Department…

The Justice Department is co-sponsoring a convention held by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) — an unindicted co-conspirator in an ongoing federal terrorist funding case — a move that is raising concerns among the Justice’s rank and file.

I can just imagine all the jihadis and jihad supporters out there grinning gleefully and wringing their hands at the stupidity of their infidel enemy. I imagine quite a few of them are somewhat confused — I mean, why doesn’t our government simply submit to Islam already, instead of dragging it out?

I can certainly see where they’re coming from, I mean,

According to an e-mail from Susana Lorenzo-Giguere, acting deputy chief of the Voting Rights Division, the sponsorship will involve sending government lawyers to man a booth for the Labor Day weekend event in Illinois.

“This is an important outreach opportunity, and a chance to reach a community that is at once very much discriminated against, and very wary of the national government and its willingness to protect them,” Mrs. Lorenzo-Giguere said in an e-mail obtained by The Washington Times.

“It would be a great step forward to break through those barriers. And Chicago is lovely this time of year,” Mrs. Lorenzo-Giguere said.

And Chicago is lovely this time of year.

Indeed, an expensive outing in the Windy City (I still haven’t figured out why they call it that, since I’ve been here we haven’t gone very far beyond gentle breezes) is a fine way to spend the taxpayers’ money, while stroking terrorism sponsoring, murderous, America hating, fanatical Muslim “activists” at the same time.

The Justice Department declined to say how much the sponsorship will cost.

“This is just staggering, it’s outrageous,” the lawyer said. “Lawyers from the Civil Rights Division traveling to Chicago on the federal dime. This will cost thousands of dollars.”

A second lawyer responded to Mrs. Lorenzo-Giguere’s e-mail questioning the participation and said it “seems like an odd time for one part of DOJ to lend credence and visible support to ISNA at the same time DOJ prosecutors will be called on to defend their decision to name ISNA as a conspirator.”

There’s a word for that, um, it will come to me…

The convention features book signings, musical entertainment and seminars on family, community service and political activism.

And political activism. Hmmm, I thought they held most Islamic “political activism” classes in mosques and desert compounds in places like Syria, Libya and Iran, as well as Wahhabi mosques all over the western world.

Now they have an official convention, and it’s sponsored by The Justice Department! Can things get more bizarre than that?

But the first lawyer also pointed to a morning session on “the threat and reality of U.S.-sponsored torture” as contrary to the department’s mission. The Justice Department was responsible for signing off on the legality and constitutionality of interrogation techniques.

“The extensive news coverage by the U.S. and international media sources makes it all too clear that the grim abuses in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and the sending of detainees to secret prisons around the world that are known to torture during interrogations, are not isolated incidents, but rather constitute policy of the U.S. government,” the schedule of events said.

“This session will describe the nature of U.S.-sponsored torture, the effects of torture on its victims, the efforts of the U.S. religious community, and what you can do to help end U.S.-sponsored torture,” the schedule said.

That must be what they mean by seminars on “family” and “community service”.

And as usual, we’re paying for it with our tax dollars.

Link H/T CNS News