cair-net Digest of: get.1_100
Topics (messages 1 through 100):
CAIR-NET: Muslim Groups React to Raid on Texas Internet Business
1 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Texas Raid is "Anti-Muslim Witch Hunt"
2 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims Condemn Terrorist Attacks
3 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Asked to Offer Help for Victims of Terrorist Attacks
4 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Leaders to Donate Blood for Attack Victims
5 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: IMPORTANT - Change in CAIR E-Mail Address
6 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Ask Elected Officials to Help Unify America
7 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: "Pig's Blood" Thrown at Calif. Mosque
8 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Crowd Protests at Illinois Mosque/Bush Condemns Anti-Muslim
Hysteria
9 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Leaders Participate in National Day of Prayer
10 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Report on Muslims Killed, Injured or Missing in Terrorist
Attacks
11 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Mosques Asked to Remain Open for Jumah
12 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Ad to Appear in Washington Post
13 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: New Muslim Writers Syndicate/AZ Sikh Shot
14 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: AZ and TX Killings May Be Part of Anti-Muslim Backlash
15 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Call for Protection in Wake of Hate Crimes
16 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: President Bush Meets with Muslim Leaders in DC Mosque
17 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Dinner Volunteers Needed/CAIR Job Openings
18 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Meetings with Administration Officials/Summary of CAIR's
Activities
19 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Imam Jamil's Trial Delayed/Muslim Lawyers Database
20 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Congressman Says Profile People with "Diapers" on Their Heads
21 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Passengers Kicked Off Flight/Congressman "Apologizes"
22 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: USDOT Issues Caution on Airline Discrimination
23 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: KY Muslims Arrested at Jumah Prayers/News Briefs
24 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CNN Invites Muslims to Live Town Hall Meetings
25 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Reporters Asked to Handle 'Islamic' Jargon With Care
26 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: A Message of Hope/News Briefs
27 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Show Your Support for CAIR on Oct. 7
28 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Expressions of Support Surprising to Muslims
29 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: President Bush Again Meets with U.S. Muslim Leaders
30 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Columnist Says Air-Lift Pigs Into Mosques
31 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Questioned by the FBI/News Briefs
32 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Mosques Urged to Hold Open Houses
33 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Looking for Answers in Islam's Holy Book (Wash. Post)
34 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Tonight's ABC News "Nightline" Features American Muslims
35 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: NY Muslim Firefighter Mourns Colleagues Killed in Attacks
36 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: PBS to Re-Broadcast "Islam: Empire of Faith"
37 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR's Oct. 7 Dinner in DC is Sold Out
38 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Oprah to Offer "Islam 101"/Why Chechnya is Different
39 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Ann Coulter Says Deport One Million Muslims
40 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: America Attacks Afghanistan
41 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims Urge Protection of Innocent Afghanis
42 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Conducts Survey on Passenger Profiling
43 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Daniel Pipes Says 10 to 15 Percent of Muslims are "Potential
Killers"
44 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Congressman Cooksey Again Calls for Racial Profiling
45 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Criticize Mayor Giuliani for Rejection of Disaster
Donation
46 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Eid Stamp Faces Criticism
47 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Congresswoman McKinney's Letter to Prince Alwaleed
48 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Death From Above Devastates Simple Afghan Village
49 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Detentions Raise Civil Liberties Concerns
50 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: "Wine, Women" (Wash. Times)/News Briefs
51 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Canadian Muslim Scholars Reject "Misguided" Calls for Jihad
52 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Columnist Says Pull Over "Middle Eastern-Looking" Drivers
53 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Another Columnist Calls for Racial Profiling
54 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: EITHER YOU ARE A BELIEVER OR AN INFIDEL
55 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Islam Attracts Converts by the Thousands
56 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: "A Desperate Attempt to Discount the Role of American
Muslims"
57 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: New Ramadan Publicity Resource Kit Now Online
58 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: New Jersey - Jailed Pakistani Dies in Cell
59 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Fire at Kentucky Mosque/Afghan Teens Attacked in VA
60 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Washington Times Defames Islam Again
61 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Transportation Secretary Meets with American Muslims
62 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Join in FOIA Request on Detainees
63 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims Condemn Killings at Church in Pakistan
64 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Find Charlie Daniels' Song Offensive
65 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Colorado Congressman Calls for Passenger Profiling
66 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: American Muslims in the Aftermath of Sept. 11
67 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Experts on Islam Pointing Fingers at One Another
68 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR-DFW Initiates Monitoring of Radio Talk Shows
69 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Requests Recognition of Ramadan in America
70 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: "Islamophobic Smear Campaign" Goes Public
71 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Correction to "Islamophobic Smear Campaign"/News Briefs
72 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Arab, Muslim Men Face Waits for Visas
73 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Daniel Pipes Should "Clean His Filter"
74 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: More in Hawai'i Turn to Islam
75 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FL Rights Group Rejects ADL Demand to Bar Muslim from Panel
76 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Interviews of 5,000 Visa Holders Are Concern to Muslim Group
77 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: USPS to Reprint Poster that Excluded Eid Stamp
78 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Fighting the Image War to Gain Muslim Support
79 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Immigrants Refuse Meals to Protest Treatment
80 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CT Forum Rejects AJC Attempt to Exclude Muslim Speaker
81 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Franklin Graham Claims Islam is "a Very Evil and Wicked
Religion"
82 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Anti-Muslim Incidents in Canada/Graham on Islam
83 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Congressman Says "Arrest Every Muslim that Crosses the State
Line"
84 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Calif. Muslim Gets Job Back/"Christian Jihad"
85 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Groups Give U.S. Muslims a New Voice
86 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Swept Up in a Dragnet, Hundreds Sit in Custody and Ask 'Why?'
87 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: State Department PR Head Meets with U.S. Muslims
88 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Canadian Groups to Issue Open Letter on Anti-Terrorism Bill
89 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Reach Out to Neighbors and Co-Workers During Eid Ul-Fitr
90 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Colin Powell Hosts Ramadan Dinner for U.S. Muslims
91 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: ISNA Receives Possible Anthrax Threat
92 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Congressman Criticizes Plan to Monitor Domestic Groups
93 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Freeze on Group's Assets Questioned by U.S. Muslims
94 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: HLF Holds News Conference and Vigil in Texas
95 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Ask Rabbi to Clarify Remarks About Quran
96 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Offers DOT Sensitivity Training Workshop
97 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims' Image Gains, Poll Finds
98 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: ACLU and CAIR-FL Launch Hotline for Interviewees
99 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Sample Eid ul-Fitr News Release/News Briefs
100 by: CAIR
---------------------------------
Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast
with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut.
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Don't get soaked. Take a<a href="
http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/?fr=oni_on_mail&#news"> quick
peak at the forecast </a><br> with the<a href="
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Search weather shortcut.</a>
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
NOTE: Muslims in the Dallas area are encouraged to attend the news
conference to show their support.
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 9/6/01
--- MEDIA ADVISORY ---
MUSLIM GROUPS REACT TO RAID ON TEXAS INTERNET BUSINESS
National Islamic leaders call government action "anti-Muslim witch
hunt"
WHAT: On Thursday, September 6, representatives of several national
American Muslim organizations will hold a news conference in Texas to
offer
their reaction to a raid yesterday by federal law enforcement agents on
a
local internet business. The Islamic leaders say the raid was part of
an
"anti-Muslim witch hunt" promoted by the pro-Israel lobby in America.
(SEE:
"Muslim Web Sites Remain Shut Down as FBI Continues Probe,"
http://www.iviews.com/)
Early Wednesday morning, more than 80 agents from the FBI, INS, Customs
Service, and other federal agencies raided the offices of Infocom
Corporation in Richardson, Texas. Infocom hosts webs sites for some 500
companies worldwide. For several years, Infocom and other Muslim
organizations in Texas have been the focus of pressure from pro-Israel
groups who object to American Muslim support for Palestinian human and
political rights. Authorities did not reveal the motive for the raid
except
to say it was part of an "ongoing investigation."
One of Infocom's clients whose web site was shut down by the raid is
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television network. Al-Jazeera, a
popular
and respected Arabic news outlet, has frequently been criticized by
Israel
for its reporting on that state's brutal policies in the Occupied
Territories.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in this country and some
1.2
billion worldwide. Demographers say Islam is one of the fastest growing
religions in America.
WHEN: Thursday, September 6, 1 p.m. (Central)
WHERE: Outside Infocom's Offices
630 International Parkway
Richardson, Texas
-----
SEE ALSO:
CHECHNYA'S NON-HOSTILITIES
The Washington Post, 9/6/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48941-2001Sep5.html
A WAR OF CULTURES
The Washington Times, 9/6/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20010906-692260.htm
ISRAELIS CONSTANTLY HARASS, ATTACK PALESTINIANS
Dallas Morning News, 9/6/2001
http://www.dallasnews.com/editorial/viewpoints/463315_abdelkarim_06e.html
ISRAEL'S TREATMENT OF THE PALESTINIANS IS OVERSHADOWING THE UNITED
NATIONS
CONFERENCE ON RACISM.
http://radio.cbc.ca/insite/COMMENTARY/2001/8/31.html
-----
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-4880833
E-mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RAID ON TEXAS BUSINESS IS "ANTI-MUSLIM WITCH HUNT" SAY MUSLIM LEADERS
(WASHINGTON, DC - 9/6/2001) - American Muslim leaders today said a raid
Wednesday on a Texas internet business was part of an "anti-Muslim
witch
hunt" promoted by the pro-Israel lobby in America. Early yesterday
morning,
more than 80 agents from the FBI, INS, Customs Service, and other
federal
agencies raided the offices of Infocom Corporation in Richardson,
Texas.
In a statement released at a news conference outside Infocom's
headquarters, the Muslim groups said:
"American Muslims view yesterday's action as just one of a long list of
attempts by the pro-Israel lobby to intimidate and silence all those
who
wish to see Palestinian Muslims and Christians free themselves of a
brutal
Apartheid-like occupation. We believe the genesis of this raid lies not
in
Washington, but in Tel Aviv.
"Hundreds of innocent American businesses and citizens are being harmed
by
the government's actions. This incident can only serve to marginalize
millions of American Muslims who are committed to the betterment of our
diverse society.
"While Muslims understand the FBI's mission to protect American
citizens,
we are concerned that the civil liberties of Infocom's owners and their
many important clients were violated by this unexpected raid. Such an
assault leaves the Muslim community and the public at large with many
unanswered questions and a lingering sense of violation. We expect the
FBI
to provide a prompt and full disclosure of the circumstances that led
to
this raid, the basis of their suspicions and the evidence for which
they
were searching.
"It is disturbing that American law enforcement agencies are now
perceived
by American Muslims and Arab-Americans as being tools in the hands of a
foreign government. Our elected officials must not allow Israel to
import
its unjust and discriminatory policies to this country or to mislabel
peaceful challenges to those policies as 'support for terrorism.'"
Groups represented at the news conference included American Muslim
Council,
American Muslims for Jerusalem, American Muslim Alliance, Council on
American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Society of North America, Islamic
Circle of North America, Islamic Association for Palestine, Muslim
Alliance
in North America, Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Muslim Student
Association of US and Canada.
Infocom hosts web sites for some 500 companies worldwide. For several
years, Infocom and other Muslim entities in Texas have been the focus
of
pressure from pro-Israel groups who object to American Muslim support
for
Palestinian human and political rights. Authorities did not reveal the
motive for the raid except to say it was part of an "ongoing
investigation."
One of Infocom's clients whose web site was shut down by the raid is
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television network. Al-Jazeera, a
popular
and respected Arabic news outlet, has frequently been criticized by
Israel
for its reporting on that state's brutal policies in the Occupied
Territories.
The raid came just weeks after a Wall Street Journal column by Steven
Emerson and Daniel Pipes that called for just such an action by the
government. They wrote: "...the federal authorities should use the
tools it
already has for closing down these Web sites and organizations."
Muslims say Emerson and Pipes are infamous pro-Israel "muslim-bashers"
who
have a long history of defaming their community.
SEE: "Steven Emerson's Crusade,"
http://www.fair.org/extra/9901/emerson.html and "Who is Daniel Pipes?,"
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper at 202-488-8787
E-Mail - cair1@ix.netcom.com
-----
SEE ALSO:
OMAHA PANEL REJECTS MOSQUE PLAN, CITING TRAFFIC
BY CHRISTOPHER BURBACH, Omaha World-Herald, 9/6/2001
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_div=3&u_hdg=0&u_sid=194770
The Omaha Planning Board rejected a plan for a Muslim prayer hall and
schools on North 72nd Street after neighbors complained that the
complex
would bring traffic and parking problems...
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-4880833
E-Mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 9/11/01
U.S. MUSLIMS CONDEMN TERRORIST ATTACKS
(WASHINGTON, DC - 9/11/2001) - The American Muslim Political
Coordination
Council (AMPCC)*, today condemned the apparent terrorist attacks in New
York and Washington and offered condolences to the families of those
who
were killed or injured.
The AMPCC statement read in part:
"American Muslims utterly condemn what are apparently vicious and
cowardly
acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with all
Americans in
calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators.
No
political cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts."
- END -
CONTACT: TEL - 202-488-8787 E-Mail - cair1@ix.netcom.com
* The AMPCC consists of American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim
Council,
Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Muslim Public Affairs
Council.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-4880833
E-mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #308
MUSLIMS ASKED TO OFFER HELP FOR VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
(WASHINGTON, DC - 9/11/2001) - CAIR is calling on Muslims nationwide to
offer whatever assistance they can to help the victims of today's
terrorist
attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
Muslims in local communities should take the following IMMEDIATE
ACTIONS:
* Muslim medical professionals are asked to go to the scenes of the
attacks
to offer aid and comfort to the victims.
* Muslim relief agencies should contact their counterparts to offer
support
in the recovery efforts.
* Individual Muslims should donate blood by contacting the local office
of
the Red Cross. (Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.) They should also send donations
to
those relief agencies that are on the scene of the attacks.
CAIR also asks community members to 1) REPORT INCIDENTS of anti-Muslim
harassment or attacks (Report to the police and then to CAIR. See
attached
"Incident Report Form.") and 2) ISSUE LOCAL STATEMENTS TO THE MEDIA
(see
below) condemning the attacks and offering condolences for the victims.
It
is also suggested that steps be taken to increase security around
mosques
and Islamic centers.
(In the first few days following the 1995 attack on the Murrah Federal
Building in Oklahoma, Muslims reported more than 200 incidents of
harassment, threats and actual violence. CAIR has already received
reports
of verbal harassment against Muslim women who wear head scarves.)
Security
precautions suggested by CAIR include:
* Those who wear Islamic attire should consider staying out of public
areas
for the immediate future.
* Request additional police patrols in the vicinity of mosques.
* Post mosque members at entrances and parking areas during prayer
times.
* Report suspicious packages to police.
* Document descriptions of suspicious people or vehicles.
SAMPLE PRESS STATEMENT: (Fill in appropriate information in bracketed
items
and send to local TV assignment editors, newspapers city editors, radio
news directors, and wire service bureau news editors. Call local media
outlets to obtain contact information.)
U.S. MUSLIMS CONDEMN TERRORIST ATTACKS
([CITY, STATE]- 9/11/2001) - Muslims in [CITY] today condemned the
apparent
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and offered condolences to
the
families of those who were killed or injured.
In a statement, local Muslim representatives said:
"We condemn in the strongest terms possible what are apparently vicious
and
cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with all
Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the
perpetrators. No cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts.
"All members of the Muslim community are asked to offer whatever help
they
can to the victims and their families. Muslim medical professionals
should
go to the scenes of the attacks to offer aid and comfort to the
victims.
Muslim relief agencies should contact their counterparts to offer
support
in the recovery efforts. Individual Muslims should donate blood by
contacting the local office of the Red Cross. They should also send
donations to those relief agencies that are on the scene of the
attacks.
"We further call on media professionals to exercise restraint and not
draw
premature conclusions as to who was responsible for the apparent
attacks."
- END -
CONTACT: [NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS OF COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES]
- PLEASE COPY, POST AND DISTRIBUTE -
INCIDENT REPORT FORM
Return form with supporting documents (such as police reports, etc.)
to:
CAIR Incident Report, 453 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C.
20003;
Tel. 202/488 8787. Fax: 202-488 0833 E-Mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com (All
reports are confidential.)
NAME OF REPORTING PARTY:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP:
TEL: (Day)
TEL: (Evening)
FAX:
E-MAIL:
DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT IN DETAIL: (Who/What/When/Where/Why/How)
-----
CAIR Action Alert
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C., 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AMPCC - American Muslim Political Coordination Council
IMPORTANT NOTE: Muslims in the Washington, D.C. area are strongly
encouraged to attend this event and them donate blood for the injured.
----- NEWS CONFERENCE -----
MUSLIM LEADERS TO DONATE BLOOD FOR ATTACK VICTIMS
National leaders join local Muslim community in offering assistance to
injured
WHAT: On Wednesday, September 12, leaders of the American Muslim
Political
Coordination Council (AMPCC) will hold a news conference outside a
hospital
in Washington, D.C., to encourage Muslims nationwide to donate blood
for
the victims of today's terrorist attacks in Washington and New York.
Members of the Washington-area Muslim community will also be on hand to
donate their blood.
WHERE: George Washington University Hospital
1915 I Street N.W., Washington, D.C.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 12, 10:30 a.m. (Eastern)
WHO: The AMPCC consists of American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim
Council, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Muslim Public
Affairs
Council.
CONTACT: Call 202-488-8787 for more information.
- END -
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
Page: 202-490-5653
E-mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
IMPORTANT - CHANGE IN CAIR E-MAIL ADDRESS
E-mail messages sent to CAIR should now go to cair@cair-net.org, not
cair1@ix.netcom.com. Any bounced messages recently sent to
cair1@ix.netcom.com, particularly reports of anti-Muslim incidents
related
to yesterday's attacks in Washington and New York (see below), should
be
re-sent to cair@cair-net.org.
Personal e-mail address books and mailing list memberships should be
updated accordingly.
-----
INCIDENT REPORT FORM
Return form with supporting documents (such as police reports, etc.)
to:
CAIR Incident Report, 453 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C.
20003;
Tel. 202-488 8787. Fax: 202-488-0833 E-Mail: cair@cair-net.org (All
reports
are confidential.)
NAME OF REPORTING PARTY:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP:
TEL: (Day)
TEL: (Evening)
FAX:
E-MAIL:
DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT IN DETAIL: (Who/What/When/Where/Why/How)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
Page: 202-490-5653
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/12/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* MUSLIMS ASK ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HELP UNIFY AMERICA
* DALLAS-AREA MOSQUE TARGET OF SHOOTING (AP)
* MUSLIM BOOKSTORE IN VIRGINIA VANDALIZED (SHNS)
* MUSLIMS CONDEMN ACTS, FEAR REPRISALS (Wash. Post)
* ARAB-AMERICANS FEAR BACKLASH (BBC)
-----
MUSLIMS ASK ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HELP UNIFY AMERICA
(WASHINGTON, DC - 9/12/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a prominent Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today
faxed a
letter to all members of Congress asking them to support the American
Muslim community as reports of an anti-Muslim backlash begin to surface
in
the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington,
D.C.
The letter from CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad and Executive Director
Nihad
Awad read in part:
"American Muslims, along with all other Americans, share the sense of
grief
and loss resulting from yesterday's horrific attacks on innocent
civilians
in New York and Washington. Muslim groups and individuals have
unequivocally condemned the attacks and offered their condolences to
the
families of those killed and injured.
"In addition, members of our community are taking part in the recovery
efforts through volunteering medical expertise, donating funds to
relevant
relief organizations and by providing their life's blood to help those
in need.
"At the same time Muslims nationwide are doing whatever they can to
relieve
our nation's suffering, they are apprehensive about the reality of
harassment and attacks stemming from anti-Muslim hysteria and
prejudice.
Muslim women are forced to remain in their homes because of widespread
reports of harassment against those who wear Islamic attire. Muslim
children and students are facing taunts by classmates and teachers.
Islamic
institutions are receiving threatening calls and e-mail messages. There
are
even reports of physical attacks on Muslim individuals, mosques and
businesses.
"As Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder with other Americans in this
time of
crisis, it is incumbent upon our elected representatives to rise above
emotionalism and set a tone of tolerance and principled leadership.
"We ask that you, like a number of your colleagues, call on your fellow
citizens to resist the temptation to scapegoat a religious minority
because
of the understandable desire to lash out at those who committed these
terrible crimes.
"Rep. David Bonior (D-MI) has said: "All Americans - Christians,
Muslims
and Jews - condemn this vicious act of cowardice. This is a time for
all
Americans to pull together and support each other. These acts seek to
divide us - we must not allow that to happen."
"Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) wrote: "...it is wrong and irresponsible to
jump to conclusions and make false accusations against Arabs and
Muslims in
our communities. Above all, we must guard against any acts of violence
based on such bigotry." Please do your part in defending America's rich
religious and ethnic diversity.
- END -
CONTACT: TEL: 202-488-8787 E-Mail - cair@cair-net.org
-----
DALLAS-AREA MOSQUE TARGET OF SHOOTING
Associated Press, 9/12/2001
http://www.dallasnews.com/attack_on_america/stories/469117_mosque12e.html
IRVING - At least six bullets shattered windows of a North Texas Mosque
this morning, causing about $3,000 in damage, officials said.
Windows at the Islamic Center of Irving were found shot out when
workers
arrived at the mosque about 6 a.m. Nobody was at the mosque when the
shooting occurred and no injuries were reported...
"...It's very sad. We're just trying as any Americans, any
Muslim-American,
to comprehend what happened and why it happened ... we called on our
community for a blood drive, we set a fund for donations and we made a
special prayer last night ... and to come in the morning and find out a
place of worship like this trashed," Alkawldeh said, his voice
trembling.
"We have children, we have family ... we have to shut down our school
operation for two days now so I hope the law enforcement agency come
also
to our help as Muslims, as citizens of this country," he said.
-----
MUSLIM BOOKSTORE IN VIRGINIA VANDALIZED
Scripps Howard News Service, 9/12/2001
http://www.shns.com/frontdoor/
SIEGE-MUSLIMS (SHNS, Hargrove) - ALEXANDRIA, Va.: Islamic bookstore
manager
Hazim Barakat looked grimly through his broken glass caused by four
bricks
thrown through his windows. "I'm really sorry for the American people
for
what happened. This is from my heart," the former Palestinian from
Jerusalem said. Muslim-American groups report widespread abuses
following
terrorist attacks. 600. With photo:
-----
MUSLIMS CONDEMN ACTS, FEAR REPRISALS
D.C. Area Islamic Groups Urged to Take Precautions
By Caryle Murphy and Emily Wax, The Washington Post, 9/12/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13974-2001Sep11.html
Major American Muslim organizations yesterday forcefully condemned the
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and called on their
communities to donate blood, medical aid and other assistance for the
victims. But they also voiced fears of a backlash if the perpetrators
turn
out to be Muslim, and urged Islamic institutions to take extra
precautions...
...The District-based Council on American-Islamic Relations urged
Muslim
medical professionals and relief agencies to offer help to hospitals
and
relief workers...The council -- like some other Muslim groups -- also
urged
Muslims who wear Islamic attire to stay "out of public areas for the
immediate future." It also suggested that community leaders ask for
additional police patrols near mosques, report suspicious packages to
police and take down descriptions of suspicious people or vehicles...
-----
ARAB-AMERICANS FEAR BACKLASH
By BBC News Online's Fiona Symon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1540000/1540371.stm
A wave of apprehension and fear is sweeping through the Arab and Muslim
communities of the United States in the wake of the attacks on the
World
Trade Centre and the Pentagon.
Members of the Arab-American and Muslim communities have already
received
death threats and several have been attacked as Americans lash out in
anger
against those they see as responsible.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787 Fax: 202-4880833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
SAN FRANCISCO POLICE INVESTIGATE HATE CRIME
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN - Bay City News, 9/12/2001)
The San Francisco Police Department reported today that someone left a
bag
filled with a red substance thought to be blood on the doorstep of the
Islamic Community Center and investigators are treating the incident as
a
hate crime.
Lt. Morris Tabak said an unidentified caller phoned the center at 3004
16th
St. this afternoon and asked a female employee if she worked at the
Islamic
Community Center. The woman said yes and then the caller told her that
they
had left a message for Osama bin Laden at the front door, according to
Tabak.
When the woman went to the front door, she found a plastic bag
partially
filled with a red substance. It had the words "Pig's Blood" written on
it,
and appeared to have been thrown at the door, with the red liquid
scattered
around the entrance.
"We're confirming all that," Tabak said at about 4 p.m. "The Hate
Crimes
unit is en route."
While police are investigating this report as a hate crime, Tabak said
the
number of incidents called in to police has been lower than usual this
week.
Islamic Center spokeswoman Xequina Berber said today's incident
occurred at
2:35 p.m. She said the substance was definitely blood and that it was
splattered all over the sidewalk and the front of the entrance.
"It was a lot of blood," she said.
The fire department cleaned up the blood, she said, and the police had
already come and gone by late afternoon.
She said the center, which fields calls for the Muslim community and
processes immigration work, has never had anything like this happen
before.
"There's been a lot of crank calls but this is the first threat," she
said.
CONTACT: San Francisco Police, Hate Crimes, (415) 553-1133
Diana Yee
KRON-TV SF
-----
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: Mosques should consider taking the
following
short and long-term safety measures.
1. Make an appointment with the community relations officer of your
local
police department to tour your center and make suggestions on improving
mosque security.
2. Request additional police patrols in the vicinity of your center.
Special attention should be paid to times of darkness and during Jumah
prayers.
3. Consider creating a security committee at your mosque.
4. Post mosque members at entrances and parking areas during prayer
times.
5. Report suspicious packages to police. Do not touch them.
6. Install perimeter floodlights outside the mosque.
7. Install fire and burglar alarm systems.
8. Replace hollow core doors with more secure solid doors.
9. Install burglar-proof bars on screens and large vents. (Note -
Research
local ordinances before beginning security renovations. For example,
window
bars should not limit evacuation of the building in case of fire.)
10. Trim shrubs and vines to reduce areas of concealment.
11. Participate in neighborhood watch programs.
12. Document descriptions of suspicious people or vehicles.
13. Make duplicates of all important papers, computer disks and
records.
14. Remove potential fire hazards, such as trash and debris.
15. Consider installing security cameras.
16. Try to have people attend the mosque as much as possible. Activity
deters perpetrators.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787 Fax: 202-4880833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CROWD PROTESTS AT ILLINOIS MOSQUE
By MELANIE COFFEE, Associated Press, 9/13/2001
BRIDGEVIEW, Illinois - Arab Americans and Muslims around the United
States
have been attacked, threatened and harassed in a backlash over the
terrorist bloodbath.
Police turned back 300 marchers - some waving American flags and
shouting
"USA! USA!" - as they tried to march on a mosque in this Chicago suburb
late Wednesday. Three demonstrators were arrested. There were no
injuries
and demonstrators were kept blocks from the closed Muslim house of
worship.
"I'm proud to be American and I hate Arabs and I always have," said
19-year-old Colin Zaremba who marched with the group from Oak Lawn...
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BUSH, ASHCROFT CONDEMN ANTI-MUSLIM HYSTERIA
Other officials join in rejecting attacks on Muslims and Arab-Americans
(WASHINGTON, DC - 9/13/2001) - A prominent American Muslim advocacy
group
today applauded remarks by President Bush, Attorney General John
Ashcroft
and other government officials condemning attacks on American Muslims
and
Arab-Americans in the wake of terrorist incidents in New York and
Washington, D.C. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says
anti-Muslim attacks have included vandalism and shootings at American
Islamic centers, threats against Muslim institutions and attacks on
individuals who are identifiably Muslim.
In a phone conversation today with New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani,
President Bush (president@whitehouse.gov) said: "...we must be mindful
that
as we -- as we seek to win the war [against terrorism], that we treat
Arab-Americans and Muslims with the respect they deserve. I know that
is
your attitude as well, certainly the attitude of this government, that
we
should not hold one who is a Muslim responsible for an act of terror."
In a news conference today, Attorney General John Ashcroft
(AskDOJ@usdoj.gov) said: "Since Tuesday the Justice Department has
received
reports of violence and threats of violence against Arab-Americans and
other Americans of Middle Eastern and South Asian descents. We must
not
descend to the level of those who perpetrated Tuesday's violence by
targeting individuals based on their race, their religion, or their
national origin. Such reports of violence and threats are in direct
opposition to the very principles and laws of the United States and
will
not be tolerated."
Just after the attacks, Mayor Giuliani said: "Nobody should blame any
group
of people or any nationality or any ethnic group. The particular
individuals responsible or the groups responsible, that's up to law
enforcement and it's up to the United States government to figure out.
And
citizens of New York should, even if they have anger, which is
understandable, and very, very strong emotions about this, it isn't
their
place to get involved in this. Then they're just participating in the
kind
of activity we just witnessed. And New Yorkers are not like that."
Other elected officials, including Rep. Tom Davis (202-225-1492) of
Virginia issued similar statements. Rep. Davis said: "Anyone who
resorts to
acts of violence against Arab-Americans and/or American Muslims is
giving
the perpetrators of these heinous acts exactly what they wanted. Now
more
than ever, Americans of all ethnic and religious backgrounds must stand
tall together in defense of our rich diversity and in defiance of those
who
seek to tear apart the American fabric."
Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia (202-225-4376) wrote: "...our nation must
resist
the dark temptation toward human prejudice as the investigation of
these
events unfolds...No religious or ethnic group in our diverse society -
including Arab Americans and Muslim Americans should be made to suffer
because of fanatics half a world away."
"American Muslims appreciate these expressions of support from
government
officials and believe these statements will help to reintroduce a tone
of
tolerance in our society," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
There
are an estimated seven million Muslims in American and some 1.2 billion
worldwide.
- END -
CONTACT: TEL: 202-488-8787 E-Mail - cair@cair-net.org
NOTE: To subscribe to or unsubscribe from ISLAM-INFONET, go to
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787 Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
HEADLINES:
* RECENT THREATS LEAD POLICE TO GUARD CITY'S MOSQUES (Seattle Times)
* MUSLIM LEADERS PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
* AMPCC URGES MUSLIMS TO OBTAIN LETTERS OF SUPPORT
* SENATE PASSES RESOLUTION AGAINST ANTI-MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION
-----
RECENT THREATS LEAD POLICE TO GUARD CITY'S MOSQUES
By Ian Ith and Dave Birkland, The Seattle Times, 9/14/2001
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134341231_hatecrime14m.html
Police in SeaTac last night arrested a California man who attacked an
Indian taxicab driver and tore out part of the man's beard as he
accused
the driver of being a terrorist.
A 53-year-old Snohomish County man was in jail this morning after he
poured
gasoline on a Seattle mosque near Northgate, pointed a gun at members
of
the mosque, then crashed his car as he attempted to flee.
And King County prosecutors are considering a hate-crime charge against
a
Seattle man who allegedly stormed into a South Seattle mosque Tuesday
evening and threatened to burn it down because of the terrorist attacks
on
the East Coast...
----
MUSLIM LEADERS PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
(WASHINGTON-DC, 9/14/2001) - A national American Muslim leader today
provided the opening prayer at a "National Day of Prayer and
Remembrance"
ceremony at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., attended by
President George W. Bush.
Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, President of the Indiana-based Islamic Society
of
North America (ISNA), read verses from the Quran, Islam's revealed
text,
and expressed Muslim grief for those who were killed or injured in the
terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11.
Dr. Siddiqi quoted chapter 35, verse 10 of the Quran that states:
"If any do seek for glory and power, to God belongs all glory and
power. To
Him mount up all words of purity. He exalts all righteous deeds. But
those
that lay the plots of evil, for them is a terrible penalty; and the
plotting of such will not abide."
Other Muslim leaders taking part in the invitation-only event included
Omar
Ahmad and Nihad Awad, board chairman and executive director
respectively of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent
Washington-based Islamic advocacy group. Representatives from other
member
groups in the American Muslim Political Coordination Council (AMPCC)
also
took part in the nationally televised event. (The AMPCC consists of
American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council, Council on
American-Islamic Relations, and Muslim Public Affairs Council.)
"American Muslims share the same sense of grief and loss felt by all
Americans during this time of national crisis. We were honored to join
the
president in expressing support for the families of those who were
killed
or injured in these horrible attacks," said Ahmad. Ahmad added that
American Muslims have an added burden because they not only feel the
pain
of all Americans, but are also experiencing the fear and apprehension
caused by unjustified harassment based on anti-Muslim hysteria and
scapegoating.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide.
- END -
CONTACT: TEL: 202-488-8787
E-Mail - cair@cair-net.org
-----
AMPCC URGES MUSLIMS TO OBTAIN LETTERS OF SUPPORT
AMPCC has issued a call to all Muslim communities, urging them to
obtain
from their elected officials letters condemning any attacks on Muslim
Americans in the wake of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon and the
World
Trade Center.
A host of American political leaders, including President George W.
Bush,
have urged Americans to refrain from any reactionary attacks against
Muslims during this emotionally charged period.
AMPCC requests each community to obtain from officials letters stating
that, in this time of crisis our nation must not only resist the
temptation
to stereotype Muslims, but should also recognize the great contribution
that Muslims are making to American society. Such statements should
also
express their full support for the constitutional rights and protection
of
Muslim Americans.
Copies of all such letters obtained should be sent to the AMPCC office,
where they will be compiled along with other letters received, and then
disseminated to the media, elected officials and others.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Send letter of support from elected officials to:
American Muslim Political Coordination Council
3010 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 217
Los Angeles, CA 90010
TEL: 213-383-3443
FAX: 213-383-9674
-----
SENATE PASSES RESOLUTION AGAINST ANTI-MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION
The U.S. Senate last night passed a resolution, sponsored by Senator
Tom
Harkin (D-IA), stating that: "...in the quest to identify, bring to
justice, and punish the perpetrators and sponsors of the terrorist
attacks
on the United States on September 11, 2001, that the civil rights and
civil
liberties of all Americans, including Arab-Americans and American
Muslims,
should be protected; and condemns any acts of violence or
discrimination
against any Americans, including Arab-Americans and American Muslims."
(The
resolution, an amendment to the Commerce, Justice and state
Appropriations
bill, passed 98-0.)
A similar resolution has been introduced in the House.
- PLEASE COPY, POST AND DISTRIBUTE -
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #310
REPORT ON MUSLIMS KILLED, INJURED OR MISSING IN TERRORIST ATTACKS
(WASHINGTON, DC - 9/14/2001) - CAIR is calling on Muslims to report the
names of friends, colleagues or family members who were killed, injured
or
are missing as a result of the September 11th terrorist attacks in New
York
and Washington, D.C. These names will be used in CAIR's "Crisis Center"
at
www.cair-net.org to inform the Muslim community about issues related to
the
attacks.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Fill out the form below.
Name of Reporting Party:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Tel: (Day)
Tel: (Evening)
Fax:
E-Mail:
Names, Ages and Relationship to Reporting Party of
Killed/Injured/Missing
Muslims: (Use another sheet of paper if necessary.)
-----
REPORT ON LOCAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO ATTACKS
Muslims in North America should also report any activities, such as
blood
drives, prayers, relief efforts, memorial services, etc., held to show
the
communities concern for those who died.
ACTION REQUESTED: (Send photos, video or news articles about the events
for
inclusion on our web site.)
Name of Reporting Party:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Tel: (Day)
Tel: (Evening)
Fax:
E-Mail:
Describe the Community Activity in Detail:
(Who/What/When/Where/Why/How)
-----
REPORT ANTI-MUSLIM INCIDENTS
Muslims in North America should also report any incidents of
anti-Muslim
harassment, discrimination, threats, or attacks. Hundreds of incidents
have
already been reported.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Go to http://www.cair-net.org/ireport/ to fill out the Incident Report
Form. Call 202-488-8787 or e-mail cair@cair-net.org.
- ACTIVISTS AND LEADERS - PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE
-
-----
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C., 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #309
U.S. MOSQUES ASKED TO REMAIN OPEN FOR JUMAH
(WASHINGTON, DC - 9/13/2001) - The American Muslim Political
Coordination
Council (AMPCC) is calling on Mosques and Islamic Centers to remain
open
this Friday for Jumah prayers. A number of mosques nationwide have
announced plans to close their doors because of security concerns. (The
AMPCC consists of American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council,
Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Muslim Public Affairs
Council.)
In its statement calling for Jumah prayers, the AMPCC said:
"The American Muslim Political Coordination Council (AMPCC), a
coalition of
national Muslim American organizations, has issued a call to all
American
Muslims, urging them to attend tomorrow the regular Friday
congregational
prayer. The leaders of AMPCC stressed that, in this time of national
sorrow, Muslims should attend Friday prayer to pray for the victims of
the
terrorist act and for the nation.
"Dr. Maher Hathout, the chairman of AMPCC, stated that "we will not
allow a
few fanatics to intimidate Muslims from exercising their right as
American
citizens to pray."
"AMPCC has also called upon John Ashcroft, the Attorney General of the
United States, to provide to all Muslims attending Friday prayer the
full
protection of the law, and urges local law enforcement agencies to take
all
steps necessary to ensure their safety."
-----
AMPCC URGES MUSLIMS TO OBTAIN LETTERS OF SUPPORT
AMPCC has also issued a call to all Muslim communities, urging them to
obtain from their elected officials letters condemning any attacks on
Muslim Americans in the wake of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon
and
the World Trade Center.
A host of American political leaders, including President George W.
Bush,
have urged Americans to refrain from any reactionary attacks against
Muslims during this emotionally charged period.
AMPCC requests each community to obtain from officials letters stating
that, in this time of crisis our nation must not only resist the
temptation
to stereotype Muslims, but should also recognize the great contribution
that Muslims are making to American society. Such statements should
also
express their full support for the constitutional rights and protection
of
Muslim Americans.
Copies of all such letters obtained should be sent to the AMPCC office,
where they will be compiled along with other letters received, and then
disseminated to the media, elected officials and others.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Send letter of support from elected officials to:
American Muslim Political Coordination Council
3010 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 217
Los Angeles, CA 90010
TEL: 213-383-3443
FAX: 213-383-9674
-----
SENATE PASSES RESOLUTION AGAINST ANTI-MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION
The U.S. Senate tonight passed a resolution, sponsored by Senator Tom
Harkin (D-IA), stating that: "...in the quest to identify, bring to
justice, and punish the perpetrators and sponsors of the terrorist
attacks
on the United States on September 11, 2001, that the civil rights and
civil
liberties of all Americans, including Arab-Americans and American
Muslims,
should be protected; and condemns any acts of violence or
discrimination
against any Americans, including Arab-Americans and American Muslims."
(The
resolution, an amendment to the Commerce, Justice and state
Appropriations
bill, passed 98-0.)
- PLEASE COPY, POST AND DISTRIBUTE -
-----
CAIR Action Alert
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C., 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CAIR-NET, go to
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/15/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CAIR AD TO APPEAR IN WASHINGTON POST
* ANTI-MUSLIM VIOLENCE ASSAILED
* CALIF. TOWN HALL MEETING: AFTERMATH OF THE ATTACKS
* CNN SAYS PALESTINIAN VIDEO WAS NOT FAKED
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: ANN COULTER
-----
CAIR AD TO APPEAR IN WASHINGTON POST
To view an image of the ad, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/crisiscenter/html/cair_ad.html
As part of a campaign to promote a positive image of Islam, CAIR has
purchased a full-page advertisement with the following text that will,
inshallah, appear in the Washington Post (circulation: 1,087,259) on
Sunday, September 16: (Similar ads will appear in USA Today and the New
York times.)
We at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), along with the
entire American Muslim community, are deeply saddened by the massive
loss
of life resulting from the tragic events of September 11th.
American Muslims unequivocally condemn these vicious and cowardly acts
of
terrorism.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and loved ones
of
those who have been killed or injured.
We also extend our gratitude to the all the heroic firefighters, police
officers and emergency medical workers who continue to risk their lives
in
the ongoing rescue and relief efforts.
We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and
punishment of the perpetrators of these crimes.
May we all stand together through these difficult times to promote
peace
and love over violence and hate.
ACTION REQUESTED: Use the text above, with any necessary modifications,
to
produce an advertisement for publication in your local newspaper.
----- CLIP AND MAIL/FAX/E-MAIL -----
_____YES, I would like to help defray the cost of this advertisement.
Enclosed is my check for $_______
Donation:
___ $5,000
___ $1,000
___ $500
___ $250
___ $100
___ $50
Other $_____
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
TEL:
FAX:
E-MAIL:
Payment: ___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard ___Discover ___Money Order
Credit Card Number:
Exp. Date:
Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
-----
ANTI-MUSLIM VIOLENCE ASSAILED
FBI, Justice Dept. Probing Incidents Across the Nation
By Thomas B. Edsall, Washington Post, Saturday, September 15, 2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34452-2001Sep14.html
The FBI and the Justice Department have begun investigating what Arab
American leaders describe as a wave of anti-Muslim violence -- from a
series of assaults in New York to shots fired at an Irving, Tex.,
mosque to
the attempted burning of the Islamic Idriss Mosque in Seattle.
"Any threats of violence or discrimination against Arab or Muslim
Americans, or Americans of South Asian descent, are not just wrong and
un-American, but are unlawful and will be treated as such," Ralph F.
Boyd
Jr., assistant attorney general for civil rights, said yesterday.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations reported 210 incidents of
violence or threats of violence since the Tuesday morning attacks on
the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon...
-----
CAIR CALIF. TOWN HALL MEETING: AFTERMATH OF THE ATTACKS
Meet with community leaders from around the Southland of California to
discuss the repercussions of Tuesday's attacks and where the community
can
go from here. CAIR will discuss means to deal with mounting harassment
and
threats against members of our community.
* Ask Questions
* Hear from our Leaders
* Strategize for the future
WHEN: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Sunday, September 16, 2001
WHERE: Islamic Center of Orange County Conference Room
9752 West 13th Street, Garden Grove, CA
A must attend event for the entire Muslim community.
CONTACT: Call 714-776-1847, 714-531-1722 or e-mail cair@nayzak.com
-----
CNN SAYS PALESTINIAN VIDEO WAS NOT FAKED
http://www.poynter.org/medianews/letters.htm
Scroll down to "Ridiculous tale."
From EASON JORDAN, Chief News Executive, CNN: The suggestion that CNN
used
10-year-old images to illustrate Palestinians celebrating the terrorist
strikes in the U.S. is baseless and ridiculous. The videotape was, in
fact,
shot Tuesday in East Jerusalem by a Reuters TV crew...
CONTACT: EASON.JORDAN@TURNER.COM
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Ann Coulter, Syndicated Columnist
http://www.nationalreview.com/coulter/coulter091301.shtml
"...We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert
them
to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing
only
Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed
civilians. That's war. And this is war."
POLITE COMMENTS TO: (Hostile comments will be used to harm the image of
Muslims and Islam.)
Lee Salem
Editorial Director
Universal Press Syndicate
4520 Main St, Ste 700
Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
E-MAIL: lsalem@uexpress.com, gmelvin@uexpress.com,
amcdermott@uexpress.com,
eandersen@uexpress.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
Page: 202-490-5653
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
BREAKING NEWS:
STORE OWNER KILLED IN SPREE
Was racially motivated, brother says
By Sarah Anchors, The Arizona Republic, 9/16/2001
http://www.arizonarepublic.com/arizona/articles/0916shooting16.html
A gunman shot at two Mesa gas stations and a house Saturday afternoon,
killing the owner of one of the stores, police said.
No one was injured in the last two shootings, and police say they don't
have a motive for the attacks. But the family of Balbir Singh Sodhi,
49,
the victim of the first shooting, believes he was killed because he
looked
Middle Eastern...
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW WRITERS SYNDICATE OFFERS MUSLIM VIEW OF ISSUES
(WASHINGTON, DC, 9/16/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today launched its
new
"Independent Writers Syndicate" designed to offer a Muslim perspective
on
current political, social and religious issues. The service will
distribute
original commentaries to newspapers and web sites throughout North
America.
"For too long, the Muslim viewpoint has been largely missing from
opinion
and editorial pages in North America. This new service is designed to
help
refute the claim that this imbalance is due to a lack of usable
submissions," said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
During an initial trial period, the commentaries (and later political
cartoons) will be offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each
market
area. Permissions for publication will be granted on a
first-come-first-served basis. (Contact the individuals listed below to
receive columns distributed by the syndicate or to have your
commentaries
considered for distribution.)
Opinion page editors may also request columns on specific topics.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in the United States and
some
600,000 in Canada. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in
this
country and worldwide.
- END -
CONTACT: Riad Abdelkarim
E-Mail: riadzuhdi@aol.com
TEL: 949-378-2468
Hussam Ayloush
E-Mail: cair_sca@cair-california.org
TEL: 714-878-9888
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 9/17/2001
--- MEDIA ADVISORY ---
KILLINGS MAY BE PART OF ANTI-MUSLIM BACKLASH
Shootings in Arizona and Texas are being investigated as bias-related
crimes
WHAT: On Monday, September 17, the Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) will hold a news conference in the nation's capital to offer a
reaction to two shooting deaths over the weekend that may be part of an
anti-Muslim backlash resulting from last week's terrorist attacks in
New
York and Washington, D.C.
In the first shooting on Saturday afternoon, a gunman killed the
49-year-old Sikh owner of a Mesa, Ariz., gas station. Family members of
the
victim believe he was killed because he looked "Middle Eastern." (Sikhs
are
often mistaken for Muslims because they wear beards and turbans.)
In the second incident, a Dallas, Texas, area Pakistani Muslim
storeowner
was shot and killed Saturday evening. FBI officials told
representatives of
CAIR's Dallas office that they are investigating the shooting as a
bias-related crime.
CAIR has recorded several hundred incidents of anti-Muslim harassment,
threats, discrimination and violence since the terrorist attacks on
September 11. These incidents will also be discussed at the news
conference.
WHEN: Monday, September 17
11 a.m. (Eastern)
WHERE: CAIR's Capitol Hill Headquarters
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., First Floor
(Near Capitol South Metro)
Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper at 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108.
E-Mail: cair@cair-net.org
- END -
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUSLIMS CALL FOR PROTECTION IN WAKE OF HATE CRIMES
(WASHINGTON-DC, 9/17/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today called on law
enforcement authorities nationwide to step up protection of Muslim
institutions and businesses following a spate of what appear to be
anti-Muslim hate crimes related to the terrorist attacks in New York
and
Washington, D.C.
In one weekend incident, a gunman killed the 49-year-old Sikh owner of
a
Mesa, Ariz., gas station. Family members of the victim believe he was
killed because he looked "Middle Eastern." (Sikhs are often mistaken
for
Muslims because they wear beards and turbans.)
SEE: "Revenge Motive Studied in Arizona Sikh's Slaying"
http://www.azcentral.com/news/reuters/stories/NEWS-ATTACK-SIKH-DC.shtml
In a second incident, a Dallas, Texas, area Pakistani Muslim storeowner
was
shot and killed Saturday evening. FBI officials told representatives of
CAIR's Dallas office that they are investigating the shooting as a
bias-related crime.
SEE: "Killing of Pakistani grocer may have been hate crime, police say"
www.dallasnews.com/attack_on_america/stories2/472653_oneshot_17met..html
Just this morning, CAIR received reports of a vehicles being rammed
into
Islamic centers in Ohio and Indiana and a bomb going off at the Islamic
Center of San Diego. CAIR has recorded several hundred incidents of
anti-Muslim harassment, threats, discrimination and violence since the
terrorist attacks.
"Muslims has received many messages of support from people of other
faiths
who abhor the anti-Islamic backlash that is now taking place.
Unfortunately, the bigoted acts of a small minority are creating an
atmosphere of apprehension and fear in the American Muslim community,"
said
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. He called on President Bush and
other
elected officials to strengthen their statements rejecting anti-Muslim
hysteria and discrimination.
Awad also urged that law enforcement officials not infringe on the
civil
liberties of American Muslims as they investigate the September 11th
terrorist attacks. "We encourage any American who has information about
these attacks to immediately contact the FBI. But innocent people who
have
nothing to do with these crimes should not be harassed or intimidated,"
said Awad.
From "What is Islam?" - "Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy and
forgiveness that should not be associated with acts of violence against
the
innocent." SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/aboutislam.asp
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide.
- END -
CONTACT: TEL: 202-488-8787
E-Mail - cair@cair-net.org
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESIDENT BUSH MEETS WITH MUSLIM LEADERS IN DC MOSQUE
(WASHINGTON-DC, 9/17/2001) - President Bush today met with American
Muslim
leaders in a first-of-its-kind event that included a news conference in
the
prayer area of the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. Topics discussed
at
the hour-long meeting ranged from the current cycle of violence in the
Middle East and the need for American Muslim input on government
policy, to
ways in which terrorism can be eliminated worldwide.
"We thank the president for taking the initiative to reach out to the
American Muslim community during this time of national crisis. His
supportive remarks will help set a tone of tolerance and inclusion for
our
society," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, who attended today's
meeting.
Other meeting participants included the Muslim chaplain of Georgetown
University and representatives from the American Muslim Alliance,
Muslim
Public Affairs Council, Islamic Institute, and the Ministry of Imam W.
Deen
Mohamed.
At the news conference following the meeting, President Bush said:
"Like the good folks standing with me, the American people were
appalled
and outraged at last Tuesday's attacks, and so were Muslims all across
the
world, both Americans, our Muslim friends and citizens, tax-paying
citizens, and Muslims in nations were just appalled, could not believe
what
we saw on our TV screens. These acts of violence against innocents
violate
the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith, and it's important for my
fellow Americans to understand that. The English translation is not as
eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran
itself.
'In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do
evil.
For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to
ridicule.'
"The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what
Islam
is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace.
They
represent evil and war.
"When we think of Islam, we think of a faith that brings comfort to a
billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and
solace
and peace, and that's made brothers and sisters out of every race --
out of
every race. America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens,
and
Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country.
Muslims
are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military,
entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads, and they need to be treated
with
respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each
other with respect.
"Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable
going
outside their homes. Moms who wear cover must not be intimidated in
America. That's not the America I know. That's not the America I
value."
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide.
- END -
CONTACT: TEL: 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
* VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR DINNER
* JOB OPENINGS AT CAIR
-----
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR DINNER
As-salamu alaykum - During this difficult time, CAIR's resources are
stretched to the limits. CAIR's staff has been working harder and
longer
everyday this week to try and assist the ummah in every possible way.
We are counting on the support and efforts of the local community in
continuing CAIR's vital work on behalf of Islam and Muslims, through
volunteers and financial support. After Allah, we count on the support
of
the American-Muslim community to continue our work.
We need volunteers immediately to start selling tickets to the upcoming
fundraising dinner being held on Sunday, October 7, 2001 at the
Sheraton
Premiere-Tysons Corner.
If you or someone you know is available to volunteer a few hours a day,
please call 202-488-8787 and ask for Br. Khalid Iqbal (ext. 6060) or
Sr.
Isra Abdul-Rahman (ext. 6050). CAIR's office is open daily from 9 a.m.
to 9
p.m.
-----
JOB OPENINGS AT CAIR
The Council of American Islamic Relations is seeking applicants for two
full time positions for its Office in Washington D.C. The positions and
job
descriptions are as below:
1. Office Assistant
Answering/directing phone calls, receiving office guests, receiving and
distributing mail, overnight packages, distributing/copying incoming
faxes,
ordering office supplies, checking CAIR email, assisting in annual
conferences and supporting other departments as needed
Qualification Required:
Grade 12 minimum, with excellent verbal, written and other secretarial
skills, Good phone personality, interpersonal and communication skills,
team worker. Good typing skills and attention to details. Proficient in
spreadsheet and word-processing preferably Microsoft products.
Familiarity
with standard office equipment like photocopier, printer and fax
machines.
Ability to work under deadlines, and schedule changes under short
notices.
2. Membership Coordinator
Responsible for developing and maintaining membership and donor
services,
and soliciting new members, maintaining membership database and other
activities related to membership department. The person must be a
self-starter and have initiative to advance CAIR's image and vision.
Qualifications required:
College graduate with a minimum of two years experience. Working with
the
public in the non-profit sector would be an asset. Excellent verbal and
written skills. Strong commitment to member/customer service. Ability
to
work with accuracy and attention to detail. Proficient in spreadsheet,
word-processing and database applications, preferably Microsoft
products.
Familiarity with standard office equipment and postage machines
CAIR offers challenging jobs with a competitive salary and benefit
package
and an excellent Islamic work environment. Salary will be based on
experience. CAIR is an equal opportunity employer. Interested
candidates
should apply on or before September 24, 2001 with a comprehensive
resume
stating education, work history, and references to:
Khalid Iqbal, Director of Operations
CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations)
453 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington DC 20003
Fax: 202-488-0833 E-Mail: hr@cair-net.org
Note:
1. Please indicate "Administrative Assistant" in the subject of your
email
or on top of fax or envelope.
2. When sending your application by email please put your resume in the
body of the email and NOT as an attachment. CAIR has a policy of not
opening email attachments.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/18/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CAIR MEETS WITH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY
CONCERNS
* MUSLIMS PLEDGE TO REBUILD OHIO MOSQUE
* SUMMARY OF CAIR'S ACTIVITIES DURING THE PAST WEEK
-----
CAIR MEETS WITH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY CONCERNS
Representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
today
met with officials of the U.S. Department of Justice, State Department
and
the FBI to discuss issues of concern to the American Muslim community.
Topics of discussion included the investigation into the terrorist
attacks
on New York and Washington, D.C., the anti-Muslim backlash that is
currently
taking place and the ongoing violence in the Middle East.
-----
MUSLIMS PLEDGE TO REBUILD OHIO MOSQUE
(CLEVELAND, OH) -- The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-Ohio) joins the Islamic Center of Cleveland in urging
Muslims to donate to repair the damage inflicted on the Parma Mosque
when a
man drove his car through the front entrance.
www.cleveland.com/indepth/attack/index.ssf?/indepth/attack/more/parmamosque.
html
"This attack is not against a mosque," said Imam Fawaz Damra, who
talked to
a group of officials and neighbors offering support. "It's an attack
against
all religions, against our liberties and against our values."
The attack was not the first against the Greater Cleveland Muslim
community
since last week's terrorist attacks. Incidents in Cuyahoga County
ranged
from slurs to altercations.
As more hate incidents against members of the American Muslim community
are
reported, the CAIR-Ohio is calling upon religious groups and media
outlets
to avoid creating an atmosphere of intolerance.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Contact the Islamic Center of Cleveland to offer your support.
Send you donations to:
Islamic Center of Cleveland
c/o CAIR Ohio
4700 Reed Road, Suite B
Columbus, OH 43220
Contact: Imam Fawaz Damra, 216-362-0786
Jad Humeidan, 614-451-3232
E-Mail: ohio@cair-net.org
-----
SUMMARY OF CAIR'S ACTIVITIES DURING THE PAST WEEK
(Go to http://www.cair-net.org/ for complete details.)
In the wake of Tuesday's tragedy, all CAIR is working to meet the needs
of
victims, their families and the Muslim community. This is a summary of
CAIR's response. The first section details the activities of CAIR's
national
office. The second section is comprised of reports from CAIR chapters.
The
last section is a selection of the numerous positive actions and
incidents
that are being reported to CAIR.
CAIR NATIONAL
On Tuesday, September 11, after condemning the terrorist attacks, CAIR
issued a call for Muslims to offer whatever assistance possible.
On Wednesday, September 12, CAIR's leadership participated in a press
conference in front of George Washington University Hospital urging
American
Muslims to donate blood.
As reports of anti-Muslim backlash began to surface, CAIR faxed letters
to
all members of Congress asking them to support American Muslims. A
similar
letter was also sent to the White House.
Numerous officials are responding to the call against vigilantism. U.S.
officials who have publicly denounced anti-Muslim behavior include:
President Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft, New York Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani, House Minority Whip David Bonior (D-MI), Rep. Tom Davis
(R-VA),
and Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), and many others.
CAIR also issued an alert on Wednesday recommending a variety of safety
precautions for mosques.
On Thursday, CAIR, in conjunction with the American Muslim Political
Coordination Council (AMPCC), issued an alert requesting Islamic
Centers to
remain open for Friday prayers. That same day, CAIR announced that the
U.S.
Senate passed a resolution against anti-Muslim discrimination. The
resolution, introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and approved by a
98-0
vote, condemned "any acts of violence or discrimination against any
Americans, including Arab-Americans and American Muslims."
On Friday, September 14, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad and Board
Chairman Omar Ahmad attended the national interfaith service held at
the
Washington Cathedral.
Research Director Mohamed Nimer took part in a meeting with the ACLU
where
issues relating to possible civil liberties repercussions were
addressed.
The Council also initiated a campaign requesting American Muslims to
report
the names of friends, colleagues, or family members who were killed or
are
missing as a result of the attacks. In addition, CAIR urged Muslims to
request local elected officials to condemn anti-Muslim discrimination.
On Sunday, September 16, CAIR printed a full-page ad in the "A" section
of
the Washington Post. This ad condemns the attack, offers condolences to
the
victims and their families, and applauded the efforts of relief
workers.
CAIR's staff is processing more than 400 (to date) reports of
anti-Muslim
incidents since Tuesday's attacks. This initial figure, derived from
incidents reported in the first 72 hours following the terrorist acts,
is
equal to the number of hate incidents CAIR generally receives in an
entire
year. These reports are being verified and sent to the appropriate
authorities for legal action.
CAIR is constantly working with the national and international media. A
partial list of domestic media outlets that have interviewed CAIR
National
since Tuesday includes: Newsweek, Associated Press, CBC Radio, New York
Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio, USA Today, Wall Street
Journal, Washington Times, New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Los
Angeles
Times, WTOP-AM, WMAL-AM, Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fort Worth Star
Telegram, People Magazine, New Jersey Star-Ledger, Gannett News
Service,
Financial Times, Metrowest Daily News, the Oregonian, BBC, Boston
Globe,
Miami Herald, the Newshour with Jim Leher, Religion News Service,
Bloomberg
News, San Francisco Chronicle, the Chronicle of Higher Education, US
News &
World Report, the Detroit Free Press, and many other local and national
print or broadcast media outlets.
On Saturday, CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper appeared live
on
FOX News.
On Monday, September 17, CAIR held a news conference to offer a
reaction to
two shooting deaths over the weekend that may be part of an anti-Muslim
backlash.
Later that day, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad met with President
George
W. Bush to discuss the attacks and the resulting anti-Muslim hysteria.
CAIR LOCAL CHAPTERS
In New York, local CAIR activists are conducting continuous fundraising
efforts for the Red Cross. A Red Cross official spoke at the Islamic
Center
of Long Island to educate the community about direct action they can
take to
assist relief workers and victims.
CAIR-NY spokesman Kevin James is an active duty fire marshal and
president
of the Islamic Society of Fire Department Personnel. James published an
opinion piece in Newsday on September 13.
Muslim doctors have volunteered their services from the first moments
of the
tragedy. It has been reported to CAIR that Muslim paramedics are
involved in
the relief efforts.
On Saturday, September 15 CAIR-NY Director Gazi Khankan appeared on ABC
with
Peter Jennings for two hours. Khankan also appeared on CNN's Talkback
Live
on Sunday, September 16.
The office of the New York chapter is contacting local mosques to
document
information on hate crimes that are occurring in the wake of the
attacks.
CAIR-Ohio organized a fundraising effort following prayers on Friday,
September 14. All mosques in central Ohio participated in raising more
than
$10,000 for victims. Muslim leaders also urged their congregations to
continue donating blood.
At Sunrise Academy, the only Islamic school in central Ohio, a wall was
dedicated to the victims and their families. Local city administrators,
as
well as representatives of the fire and police departments attended the
ceremony.
Also on Friday, CAIR-Ohio members participated in a multi-faith prayer
and
healing forum. On Saturday, September 15, the chapter participated in a
similar prayer event on the campus of Ohio State University.
In other efforts, CAIR-Ohio sent letters mourning the tragic situation
and
requesting vigilance against possible backlash to numerous elected
officials
and law enforcement representatives.
The chapter also assembled "Helping Children Cope with Tuesday's Acts
of
Terrorism: Tips for Parents and Teachers." This guide was sent to all
Ohio
superintendents and school principals.
The CAIR team in Southern California began contacting local media to
discuss
potential backlash soon after the initial tragedy occurred.
They participated in meetings with the sheriffs of both LA and Orange
counties. During that meeting, heightened police protection for local
Muslims and Arabs was discussed.
CAIR-S.CA, along with numerous interfaith groups, also took part in a
press
conference hosted by the Human Rights Commission.
CAIR-S.CA Director Hussam Ayloush gave a Friday sermon asking Muslims
to
donate to help victims and their families. Funds were collected on
site. The
mayor of Hawthorne, Calif., and representatives of the local media
attended
the sermon.
Chapter representatives also met with the local Board of Education to
discuss challenges facing Muslim students.
On Sunday, September 15, CAIR-S.CA participated in a Muslim community
town
hall meeting. CAIR representatives presented effective ways to deal
with
hate crimes, the media and the wider community. This theme of training
Muslims to deal with these issues is dominating numerous recent
meetings
with Muslim youth.
The chapter is helping to organize a blood drive on October 5.
SELECTED AMERICAN MUSLIM AND WIDER COMMUNITY ACTIONS
Just a few of the many other positive actions taking place include:
* The Center for Multicultural Human Services in Virginia reports that
they
are helping Muslim children who are being harassed. The center reports
having five Muslim counselors assigned to the project.
* DC Web Women, an organization representing 5,000 women, informs CAIR
that
they are planning to urge their members to wear headscarves for one day
to
show solidarity with Muslim women.
* A woman brought flowers to the office of Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center
in
Falls Church, VA. She said that she was expressing her regret at the
actions
some people are taking against Muslims in America. "You do not deserve
this.
I am very sorry," she said.
* The Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Thousand Oaks, CA sent a letter
of
support to Muslims. "My heart is breaking for all our Islamic friends
who
are being targeted by...ignorant Americans," Deborah Ward said in the
letter.
* A letter from Miss. Montgomery of CA states, "No right thinking
people
will hold all Muslims responsible for the acts of a few extremists."
She
later adds, "I also know that there were people of the Muslim faith who
were
lost in Tuesday's tragedy, and that the American-Islamic community is
in
mourning, too."
* Anne of Homer, Alaska writes, "Buddhists [are] praying for peace
among
everyone, especially at this time for the safety of Muslims..."
* An employee of the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC
offered to help develop educational materials for non-Muslims in the
wake of
the WTC tragedy.
* Joanna, a Muslim living in Seattle was afraid to go to her local
mosque.
However, after overcoming her fear she was elated by what awaited her
outside the mosque. "I was so surprised when I got there," she writes,
"to
see the entire front of my mosque arranged with bouquets of flowers,
flags,
and cards. The neighbors and other friendly residents [were] standing
out
front greeting everyone as we arrived with words of encouragement and
kindness.
* Rihan J. of Chicago, Il reports participating in a Muslim community
organized blood drive.
* On Saturday, September 15, the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh held a
press
conference. They report that the event was well covered by local media
and
that several city officials participated.
* At the request of the Governor of Michigan, Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi,
founding Imam of the Islamic House of Wisdom, delivered a prayer at the
Cathedral of Lansing. This prayer was part of Michigan's activities on
the
national day of prayer, Friday, September 14.
* Friday's sermon at the Islamic Center of Albuquerque was dedicated to
denouncing Tuesday's terrorist acts. Tariq K. reports that excerpts
from the
sermon were broadcast on local TV.
* Muslims in the Washington, DC area organized an interfaith prayer
vigil on
Sunday, September 16.
* Muzammil A. of Michigan's Muslim Community of the West Suburbs
reported
that the community hosted a fundraising dinner for victims of the
tragedy.
He also reports that a blood drive was conducted on Saturday, September
15
and that red, white and blue ribbons were distributed to Muslim
students.
* In Washington, DC members of the WBG/IMF Staff Afghan Association
report
that they are donating blood and equipment to the American Red Cross.
* The All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Herndon, VA reports hosting a
town
hall meeting for Muslim youth on Sunday, September 16. The Society is
providing counselors to Muslim youth to discuss Tuesday's tragedy and
how to
handle possible backlash at school.
* The Islamic Center of Orange County announced a town hall meeting for
Sunday, September 16. Community leaders were slated to discuss
proactive
ways of addressing Tuesday's terrorist acts.
* At the National Cathedral in Washington, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi,
President of the Islamic Society of North American, delivered an
opening
prayer at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance ceremonies.
This prayer was broadcast live over many major national media networks.
Dr.
Siddiqi quoted chapter 35, verse 10 of the Qu'ran: "If any do seek for
glory
and power, to God belongs all glory and power. To Him mount up all
words of
purity. He exalts all righteous deeds. But those that lay the plots of
evil, for them is a terrible penalty; and the plotting of such will not
abide."
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/19/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* NEW ON CAIR'S WEB SITE - MUSLIM LAWYERS DATABASE
* THE SOLITARY VOTE OF BARBARA LEE (Wash. Post)
* AL-AMIN MURDER TRIAL DELAYED (Atlanta Journal)
* REP. MCKINNEY, IMAM SIRAJ, ROB GARDNER TO SPEAK AT CAIR ANNUAL DINNER
-----
NEW ON CAIR'S WEB SITE - MUSLIM LAWYERS DATABASE
http://www.cair-net.org/cairlegal.asp
-----
THE SOLITARY VOTE OF BARBARA LEE
Congresswoman Against Use of Force
By Peter Carlson, Washington Post, 9/19/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52813-2001Sep18.html
"We need to step back," said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). "We're
grieving.
We need to step back and think about this so that it doesn't spiral out
of
control. We have to make sure we don't make any mistakes."
She was walking down a hallway in the Cannon House Office Building. A
plainclothes police officer hovered a few steps away, looking very
serious.
The Capitol Police began guarding Lee on Saturday because of death
threats
she received after voting against a resolution authorizing President
Bush
to use military force against anyone associated with last week's
terrorist
attacks. The resolution passed 98-0 in the Senate and 420-1 in the
House.
Lee's was the sole dissenting vote...
CONTACT:
The Honorable Barbara Lee
426 Cannon House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
Phone:(202) 225-2661
Fax:(202) 225-9817
URL: http://www.house.gov/lee/
-----
AL-AMIN MURDER TRIAL DELAYED
Fairness for Muslim suspect a concern
By Steve Visser, Atlanta Journal, 9/18/2001
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/tuesday/metro.html
Scroll down to article.
The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have delayed the
trial of an alleged cop-killer in Fulton County until next year because
lawyers fear jurors might seek vengeance on the Muslim defendant.
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, and a radical
in
the 1960s, indicated to Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis that he
was
ready to go forward with jury selection this week, but his lawyers
argued
vehemently against the idea.
Lawyer Jack Martin argued that "prejudice, passion and fear" --- the
three
big enemies of a fair trial --- would likely raise their heads in wake
of
the Sept. 11 attacks that may have cost thousands of lives and are
suspected of being carried out by Islamic terrorists.
"The nerves of our community are too raw...and our understandable anger
and
rage too over-arching," Martin told the court on Monday. "It would be a
mistake to expect jurors to honestly tell us their fears. I don't know
my
own fears."
Manis moved the capital murder trial date to Jan. 7. Jury selection was
scheduled to begin Sept. 12, but the judge canceled the proceedings
after
the attacks...
SEE ALSO: http://www.imamjamil.com
-----
REP. MCKINNEY, IMAM SIRAJ, ROB GARDNER TO SPEAK AT CAIR ANNUAL DINNER
The Council on American-Islamic Relations cordially invites you to
attend
its Seventh Annual Fundraising Banquet
"MUSLIMS IN AMERICA: BRAVING THE STORM"
with
REP. CYNTHIA MCKINNEY (D-GA)
MR. ROB GARDNER
Producer/Director of the PBS documentary
"Islam: Empire of Faith"
IMAM SIRAJ WAHHAJ
2001 Islamic Community Service Awards
Entertainment by ABU RATIB
-----
WHEN: Sunday, October 7, 2001
Registration begins at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner
8661 Leesburg Pike, Tysons Corner/Vienna, VA
TICKETS: $55/$85 per couple R.S.V.P. by Oct. 1, 2001
No children please.
(Limited babysitting with prior notice only - $10 per
child.)
For information, call 202-488-8787.
-----
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: CAIR needs volunteers to help organize this
important
event. Anyone who would like to offer his or her time and expertise
should
contact Khalid Iqbal (kiqbal@cair-net.org) or Isra Rahman
(irahman@cair-net.org) by calling 202-488-8787.
----- CLIP AND MAIL/E-MAIL/FAX -----
___ YES, I will attend. Enclosed is my check, payable to CAIR, in the
amount of $______ for _____ seats.
___ SORRY, I will not be able to attend. But I would like to support
CAIR's
important work defending and promoting the image of Islam and the
rights of
Muslims by sending a donation of $______.
(Kindly reply by October 1, 2001. Mail to: 2001 Dinner, CAIR, 453 New
Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20003 FAX: 202-488-0833 E-MAIL:
cair1@ix.netcom.com)
Person Purchasing Tickets:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Daytime Phone:
Evening Phone:
Names of Other Attendees:
Payment: ___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard ___Discover ___Money Order
Credit Card Number:
Exp. Date:
Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
- PLEASE COPY, POST AND DISTRIBUTE -
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/20/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* REP. COOKSEY: PROFILE PEOPLE WITH "DIAPERS" ON THEIR HEADS
* MUSLIMS IN THE USA LIVE WITH NEW FEARS AFTER ATTACKS (USA Today)
* CAIR CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES
* Q&A ON ISLAM AND ARAB-AMERICANS (USA Today)
* MUSLIM COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETING IN CALIF. 9/21
* OPEN FORUM IN FACE OF THE TRAGEDIES (CALIF. 9/22)
* FBI MEETS WITH DALLAS AREA MUSLIMS TO DISCUSS MOSQUE SECURITY
-----
REP. COOKSEY: PROFILE PEOPLE WITH "DIAPERS" ON THEIR HEADS
The Reliable Source
By Lloyd Grove, The Washington Post, 9/20/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/style/columns/reliablesource/
Click on September 20 column.
President Bush may be trying to quash anti-Muslim bigotry, but that
didn't
stop Rep. John Cooksey (R-La.) from telling a Louisiana radio network
this
week: "If I see someone come in that's got a diaper on his head and a
fan
belt wrapped around the diaper on his head, that guy needs to be pulled
over." Yesterday Cooksey spokesman Bob Anderson told The Post's Juliet
Eilperin that his boss was making a larger point -- that turban-wearing
airline passengers should be taken aside and questioned: "Obviously
suspicious people should be checked out."
CONTACT: (As always, be POLITE.)
Ask that the congressman apologize for his remarks and explain why the
comments hurt you and your family by creating a climate of hatred and
fear.
Rep. John Cooksey
113 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-8490 phone
202-225-5639 fax
E-Mail: congressman.cooksey@mail.house.gov
URL: http://www.house.gov/cooksey/
-----
MUSLIMS IN THE USA LIVE WITH NEW FEARS AFTER ATTACKS
Arab-Americans and those who look like them deal with threats, hate
crimes
By Patrick O'Driscoll, USA TODAY, 9/20/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010920/3646643s.htm
AURORA, Colo. -- Nervously fingering a strand of prayer beads, Mcdad
Soleyman sits in his living room, quietly cataloging a week of fear and
tension.
There was gunfire Saturday night outside his house. Hours later, though
there was no rain, a suspicious stranger in a hooded raincoat and a ski
mask stood on the sidewalk in a post-midnight vigil that prompted
Soleyman
to call the police again.
His wife is afraid to go out on errands or take her daily walk in a
public
park. Her cousin, wearing a headscarf, was accosted in the supermarket
checkout line last week by an angry man who asked: "Are you a Muslim?
You
all are going to burn in hell..."
...In an escalating backlash, some U.S. citizens outraged at the
hijacked-airliner attacks have unleashed their own retaliatory strike
-- on
American citizens of Arab descent, on legal immigrants, on Muslims and
anyone else whose looks, speech, dress or names somehow fit "Middle
East"
stereotypes...
"...The bigoted acts of a small minority are creating an atmosphere of
apprehension and fear," says Nihad Awad, executive director of the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations, which has tallied more than 500
first-hand
reports of intolerant acts since the disaster...
-----
CAIR CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES
(WASHINGTON-DC, 9/20/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group today offered its
support
for a 10-point statement released today by a coalition of more than 150
civil rights groups informally-know as the "Defense of Freedom
Coalition."
The statement, released at a news conference today in the nation's
capital,
is designed to forestall government infringements on civil liberties in
the
wake of last week's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
The statement is posted at www.indefenseoffreedom.org
-----
Q&A ON ISLAM AND ARAB-AMERICANS
USA Today, 9/18/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/islam.htm
Q: What is Islam?
A: Muslims believe in one God and in the Day of Judgment and individual
accountability for actions. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets
beginning with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob
Joseph, Job, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus. God's message was
reaffirmed
and finalized by the Prophet Muhammad. Islam is a religion of peace,
mercy
and forgiveness. Muslims pray in a mosque in the same way that
Christians
pray in a church...
Q: What is Jihad?
A: Jihad does not mean "holy war." Literally, jihad in Arabic means to
strive, struggle and exert effort. It is a central and broad Islamic
concept that includes struggle against evil inclinations within
oneself,
struggle to improve the quality of life in society, struggle in the
battlefield for self-defense or fighting against tyranny or
oppression...
Q: How does Islam view terrorism?
A: Islam does not support terrorism under any circumstances. Terrorism
goes
against every principle in Islam. If a Muslim engages in terrorism, he
is
not following Islam. He may be wrongly using the name of Islam for
political or financial gain...
-----
MUSLIM COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETING IN CALIF.
The Orange County Islamic Foundation (OCIF) and the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) invite you to a town hall meeting.
Meet with community leaders, County Supervisors, members of the State
Assembly and Senate, members of Congress, Mayors, representatives of
law
enforcement agencies and the FBI, and religious leaders from around the
Southland.
* Be part of the efforts to unite Americans from all faith backgrounds.
* Hear messages of support from public officials in the wake of the
misguided backlash against the American Muslim and Arab American
communities.
* Learn how to prevent and challenge hate incidents.
WHEN: Friday September 21, 2001, 1 pm - 2:30 pm
WHERE: Orange County Islamic Foundation, 23581 Madero Dr., Mission
Viejo
For more information, contact CAIR-LA at 714-776-1847 or OCIF at
949-595-0480
-----
OPEN FORUM IN FACE OF THE TRAGEDIES (CALIF. 9/22)
Workshops, discussions, interfaith panels
DATE: Saturday, September 22, 2001
TIME: 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Workshop I
2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Workshop II
LOCATION: Islamic Society of Orange County
9752 W. 13th Street
Garden Grove, CA 92844
TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:
* How tragedies unite nations and communities across all faiths.
* Coping with backlash, anger and hate
* Dealing with emotions
* The need for tolerance and understanding
* The golden rule in facing reality worldwide
* Responsibilities of the media
* How the tragedy is affecting school and college campuses
* Youth perspectives: Where can we go from here?
Co-sponsored by CAIR, MPAC, and the Muslim Youth Group of the Islamic
Society of Orange County.
If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments, please
email
Ukahf@aol.com, or call Br. Fawad o at the ISOC Masjid (714) 531-1722.
-----
FBI MEETS WITH DALLAS AREA MUSLIMS TO DISCUSS MOSQUE SECURITY
Meeting addresses improving communication with Muslim community
(DALLAS, TX) The Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) held a meeting recently with
Danny
Defenbaugh, special agent in charge of the Dallas FBI office. Imams and
representatives of area mosques to discuss security measures also
attended
the meeting. Topics discussed included cooperation between Law
enforcement
authorities and the local Muslim community. "The meeting was very
positive
and constructive," said Mohamed Elmougy, President of CAIR-DFW. "We
have
always appreciated our positive relationship with the local FBI office
lead
by Mr. Defenbaugh, added Elmougy.
As a result of the meeting, Defenbaugh contacted several local police
chiefs to ensure presence by uniformed police officers in front of
local
Mosques during Friday (Jumm'a) prayer. Defenbaugh was himself in
attendance
for Friday Prayer at an Arlington Mosque.
CONTACT: info@cairdfw.org
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/21/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: CAL THOMAS
* MUSLIM PASSENGERS KICKED OFF NORTHWEST FLIGHT
* RACIAL PROFILING MAY GET WIDER APPROVAL BY COURTS
* CONGRESSMAN "APOLOGIZES" FOR "DIAPER" REMARK
* LIST OF MUSLIMS KILLED OR MISSING IN WTC BOMBING
* MARYLAND ISLAMIC SCHOOL HOLDS OPEN HOUSE
* SCHOOL OFFICIALS URGED TO PREVENT HARASSMENT OF MUSLIM STUDENTS
* PHOTO OF SHEIKH HAMZA YUSUF WITH PRESIDENT BUSH
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Syndicated Columnist Cal Thomas: "America's enemies know us better than
we
know them. They take their faith in a false god more seriously than we
take
our faith in the true one." Sept. 17, 2001
http://news.crosswalk.com/religion
-----
MUSLIM PASSENGERS KICKED OFF NORTHWEST FLIGHT
Islamic group condemns airline's action as "racial and religious
profiling"
(WASHINGTON-DC, 9/21/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today condemned an
incident on Thursday in Minneapolis, Minn., in which three Muslim
passengers were kicked off a Northwest airlines flight because other
passengers refused to fly with them.
Media reports indicate that the three men, who all live in Utah and
were on
their way home from Philadelphia, were taken from a connecting flight
in
Minneapolis. Northwest says that security rules say the airline has to
"re-accommodate" passengers if their presence makes other passengers
uncomfortable.
SEE: http://www.startribune.com/stories/1576/704367.html
"This is racial and religious profiling of the worst kind. Both the
passengers and the airplane personnel should be ashamed of their
actions,"
said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad added that CAIR has
received
more than 500 reports of anti-Muslim discrimination, including three
deaths, following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide.
- END -
CONTACT: TEL: 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
RACIAL PROFILING MAY GET WIDER APPROVAL BY COURTS
By WILLIAM GLABERSON, The new York Times, 9/21/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/21/national/21PROF.html
Although racial profiling has been harshly criticized in states like
New
Jersey, courts in this country have never declared it legally dead.
Now,
with law enforcement officials focusing on Arabs in the hunt for
terrorists, legal experts say profiling may be authorized by judges
more
definitively than ever before.
An emerging battle over racial profiling, like disputes over
detainments of
immigrants and proposals for increased wiretapping, is becoming a
volatile
part of the civil liberties debate over the country's response to the
attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon...
-----
CONGRESSMAN "APOLOGIZES" FOR "DIAPER" REMARK
The Associated Press reports that a Louisiana congressman has
apologized
for his comment that anyone with "a diaper on his head" should be
stopped
and questioned.
Representative John Cooksey, a Republican who is planning to run for
the
Senate next year, said on Monday in a radio interview broadcast
statewide,
"If I see someone come in and he's got a diaper on his head and a fan
belt
around that diaper on his head, that guy needs to be pulled over and
checked." Mr. Cooksey later said he was referring to Osama bin Laden.
"I
never intended to disparage loyal Americans of Arab descent," he said.
-----
LIST OF MUSLIMS KILLED OR MISSING IN WTC BOMBING
The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is compiling a list of
Muslims
who were killed or injured in the World Trade Center attack. The list,
which is updated daily, may be obtained by calling 718-658-7028 or by
e-mailing tariqhelpinghand@yahoo.com. (CAIR is compiling a similar
list.)
-----
MARYLAND ISLAMIC SCHOOL HOLDS OPEN HOUSE
The Islamic Education Center (IEC) and Muslim Community School will
hold an
open house for people of all faiths on Sunday, September 23, between 5
and
7 p.m. The open house will feature a prayer session and a discussion of
the
recent attacks in Washington and New York.
WHERE: 7917 Montrose Road, Potomac, Md.
CONTACT: 301-340-6713 or 301-340-6584
-----
SCHOOL OFFICIALS URGED TO PREVENT HARASSMENT OF MUSLIM STUDENTS
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige has called on educators to take a
leading role in the prevention of harassment and violence directed at
students perceived to be Muslim or Arab American. Citing news reports
of
acts of intolerance, Paige wrote to the leaders of the nation's
schools,
colleges and universities urging them to take important steps to
protect
students from harassment and violence.
"We are all committed to making sure our children across America can
attend
school in a safe and secure environment free from harassment and
threats,"
Paige said. "Today, I call upon school officials to work with students,
parents, and community groups, to ensure that harassment and violence
have
no place in our schools."
In his letter Paige urged school officials to make sure that
assemblies,
classroom discussions and other school activities held to honor victims
of
the tragedies do not inadvertently foster the targeting of Muslim or
Arab-American students for harassment.
Paige said educators should:
* Encourage students to discuss diversity constructively and to express
disagreement over ideas or beliefs in a respectful manner;
* Have a system in place to intervene if particular students exhibit
conduct that could endanger others; and
* Encourage all students to report threats of racial or ethnic
harassment.
Paige also took the opportunity to highlight the responsibilities of
schools, colleges and universities to enforce Title VI of the Civil
Rights
Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color or
national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance.
"Working together," Paige wrote, "we can make sure that our children
get a
good education in a safe environment that does not tolerate violence or
hatred."
CONTACT: Rodger D. Murphey, 202-401-0774
-----
PHOTO OF SHEIKH HAMZA YUSUF WITH PRESIDENT BUSH
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/nm/20010921/pl/mdf56024.html
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
USDOT ISSUES CAUTION ON AIRLINE DISCRIMINATION
Since the terrorist hijackings and events of September 11, we have seen
several reports of airlines apparently removing passengers from flights
because the passengers appeared to be Middle Eastern and/or Muslim. We
caution airlines not to target or otherwise discriminate against
passengers
based on their race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, or
based
on passengers' names or modes of dress that could be indicative of such
classification. Various Federal statutes prohibit air carriers from
subjecting a person in air transportation to discrimination on the
basis of
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or ancestry. At DOT, we
are
and will continue to be vigilant in ensuring that the airport security
procedures, mandated by FAA and implemented by the airlines, are not
unlawfully discriminatory.
We strongly encourage each airline to take steps to ensure that its
employees understand that, not only is it wrong, but it is also illegal
to
discriminate against people based on their race, ethnicity, or
religion.
Recently, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Delta Airlines
sent
a letter to all of the airline's employees worldwide requesting
tolerance
of all people and cultures, and explaining that its employees must
comply
fully with civil rights laws. A copy of this letter is attached.
Norman Strickman
Assistant Director for Aviation Consumer Protection
Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings
Office of the General Counsel
U.S. Department of Transportation
-----
Date: September 21, 2001
To: All Delta Employees Worldwide
From: Fred Reid, President and Chief Operating Officer
Subject: TOLERANCE
Dear Colleagues,
Last Tuesday's tragedy has affected us in ways that would have seemed
inconceivable as little as two weeks ago. Unfortunately, we've seen
some
Americans become suspicious of people of other cultures - especially
those
of Mideast descent. And across the airline industry, we've heard
stories of
passengers being deplaned because of their skin color or the sound of
their
accents.
We cannot afford to follow this tragic behavior. It is exactly what our
enemies are striving for: the end of our open, diverse, and tolerant
way of
life.
Delta's Code of Ethics and Business Conduct states that, "Delta has an
uncompromising policy never to discriminate against customers on the
basis
of race, gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation
or
similar classifications. The law mandates this policy - discrimination
is
not only illegal, it is wrong and will not be tolerated."
Safety is our first priority at Delta, and we will not compromise that.
If
a passenger behaves suspiciously or in a manner that suggests a
possible
security concern while in the airport or on board our aircraft, we
should
always take action to investigate the behavior. But our response must
be
based on the passenger's conduct, not on race or national origin.
Last Tuesday's events changed the way airlines do business from now on,
not
only in America, but throughout the world. Already, Delta has
instituted
strict security measures designed to make certain those intent on evil
do
not reach our airplanes. And our security measures continue to evolve
and
tighten.
Please continue to be observant and vigilant when enforcing security
that
protects our passengers and our people. But don't let last Tuesday's
events change you into someone suspicious of people just because of the
way
they look - if you do that, then the terrorists will have won.
Thank you for the strength of character you've shown since the sad
events
last week. You make me proud to work with you.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/22/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* KENTUCKY MUSLIMS ARRESTED AT FRIDAY PRAYERS
* FBI TRIES TO EASE MUSLIM FEARS (LA Times)
* JEWISH-MUSLIM DIALOGUE NEWLY TESTED (LA Times)
* OHIO GOVERNOR VISITS TOLEDO MOSQUE
* SOME PASSENGERS SINGLED OUT FOR EXCLUSION BY FLIGHT CREW (NY Times)
* ONCE APPALLED BY RACE PROFILING, MANY FIND THEMSELVES DOING IT (NY
Times)
* HOUSE MINORITY LEADER DICK GEPHARDT SAY WAR NOT AGAINST ISLAM
* OCC TEACHER ON LEAVE AFTER CLASH (LA Times)
-----
KENTUCKY MUSLIMS ARRESTED AT FRIDAY PRAYERS
FBI in Kentucky detains at least 25 in attack probe.
Reuters News Service, 9/21/2001
BURLINGTON, Ky., Sept 21 (Reuters) - The FBI said on Friday it has
detained
at least 25 people in northern Kentucky on possible immigration
violations
as the agency presses forward with a probe of the attacks on the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon last week.
"Numerous persons were interviewed and at least 25 have been detained
on
potential immigration law violations," the Louisville, Kentucky office
of
the FBI said in a statement.
It said people were detained after six warrants were issued to conduct
searches in northern Kentucky.
Local television stations in nearby Cincinnati, Ohio showed three
federal
vans transporting some detained people and seized materials in large
bags
to an undisclosed destination.
The local reports said the raids were conducted at an apartment near
the
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. They quoted
residents
of the complex as saying FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service
agents timed their raids to coincide with Friday Muslim prayers inside
the
complex...
SEE ALSO: FBI ROUSTS 25 IN BURLINGTON
http://www.kypost.com/2001/sep/22/fbi092201.html
-----
FBI TRIES TO EASE MUSLIM FEARS
Law enforcement: Officials meet in Mission Viejo with members of the
Islamic community and call for patience and cooperation.
By DANIEL YI, Los Angeles Times, 9/22/2001
http://www.latimes.com/editions/orange/la-000076019sep22.story
An FBI official made a rare appearance at a gathering of Orange County
Muslims and Arab-Americans on Friday, offering assurances even as he
urged
cooperation in the massive national search for suspects in the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks.
"We are not contacting you for intimidation," Steve Steinhauser, FBI
assistant special agent-in-charge, told about 200 people at the Orange
County Islamic Foundation offices in Mission Viejo. "We are contacting
you
as Americans, for your assistance. Because of the urgency, we cannot
conduct business as usual, because these are not normal times...We are
also
trying to save lives because we believe this is not over and we have no
information where it may occur next." Steinhauser was among the
Sheriff's
Department officials, city representatives and state and federal
legislators who attended.
But he found himself the sole target of questions during the hourlong
meeting when the subject turned to the anxiety many Arabs and Muslims
feel
about possible law enforcement profiling of them.
"The worry we are having," said Hussan Ayloush, executive director of
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations of Southern California, "the
fear, is
that slowly but surely every member of the community is becoming a
lead..."
SEE ALSO: JEWISH-MUSLIM DIALOGUE NEWLY TESTED
By LARRY B. STAMMER, Los Angeles Times, 9/22/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000075993sep22.story
Reactions by Los Angeles' Jewish and Muslim leaders to last week's
terrorist attacks have put new strains on the two groups'
already-tenuous
relationship.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a pro-Israel organization that tracks
anti-Semitic activities worldwide, posted a picture on its Web site
showing
jubilant Palestinian youths celebrating the Sept. 11 attacks on the
World
Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Muslims charged that the photograph fanned "the flames of ethnic and
religious hatred." A handful of Muslims held a brief press conference
Friday in front of the center's West Los Angeles headquarters. The
photograph was removed from the Web site shortly before.
-----
OHIO GOVERNOR VISITS TOLEDO MOSQUE
(COLUMBUS, OH 9/22/2001) --Gov. Bob Taft toured a Toledo mosque and
school
this morning to help to ease anti-Muslim tensions in Ohio caused by
terrorist strikes against New York and Washington.
Governor Taft toured Masjid Saad and the Toledo Islamic Academy, Ohio's
first Islamic High School. "The Governor's visit sends a strong message
that Ohioan, regardless of their ethnic and cultural backgrounds are
equal
and they should be treated with the same respect we all deserve,"
Masjid
Saad Foundation board member Abed Alo said.
"Ohio Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder with all Americans in
solidarity
in the face of danger." CAIR Ohio president Ahmad Al-Akhras said. "The
recent tragedies created immense emotions that, at certain times,
unfortunately were misdirected toward Muslims, Arabs and sometimes
others.
The horrible attacks touched all of us," Al-Akhras said.
Ohio is home to more than 130,000 Muslims with almost 10,000 residing
in
Toledo.
CONTACT: ohio@cair-net.org
-----
SOME PASSENGERS SINGLED OUT FOR EXCLUSION BY FLIGHT CREW
By BLAINE HARDEN and SOMINI SENGUPTA
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/22/national/22PASS.html
In San Antonio on Monday, Ashraf Khan, 32, a mobile phone salesman who
was
trying to get to his brother's wedding in Pakistan, was ordered off a
Delta
Airlines flight. The plane's captain, Mr. Khan recalled, told him that
the
flight crew did not "feel safe flying with you..."
...In Orlando, Fla., on Monday, two businessmen from Pakistan were
ordered
off a US Airways flight bound for Baltimore. As the businessmen, Akbar
Ali
and Muhammad Naeem Butt, recalled their long day at the airport, an
airline
agent told them that the pilot would not take off until they left the
aircraft. He then suggested they take a train. They were accepted on a
later US Airways flight to Baltimore.
SEE ALSO: ONCE APPALLED BY RACE PROFILING, MANY FIND THEMSELVES DOING
IT
By SAM HOWE VERHOVEK, The New York Times, 9/23/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/23/national/23PROF.html
-----
HOUSE MINORITY LEADER DICK GEPHARDT SAY WAR NOT AGAINST ISLAM
DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS -
9/22/2001
...We will also do all we can to protect the rights that make America
such
a special place. We will not adopt the characteristics of those who
attack
us. If we begin to compromise the civil liberties of our citizens, the
terrorists will have won.
In light of these traumatic events, I've heard reports of Americans who
have attacked other Americans simply because of their race, ethnicity,
religion or clothes. These attacks must stop. This is not a war against
Islam. It is against terror.
Those who did this are murderers, not martyrs. They cannot get to
heaven by
unleashing hell. The American Muslim community has said this loudly and
repeatedly. Just as terror is not Islam, we must say to anyone who
would
lash out against Muslims this is not America...
-----
OCC TEACHER ON LEAVE AFTER CLASH
Muslims at Costa Mesa college say instructor called them 'terrorists'
and
'murderers.' He says they misunderstood.
By WILLIAM LOBDELL, Los Angeles Times, 9/22/2001
http://www.latimes.com/tcn/pilot/news/front/la-dp0023166sep22.story
Orange Coast College officials placed a veteran teacher on paid leave
this
week while they investigate complaints from four Muslim students who
say he
called them "terrorists" and "murderers" during a heated
debate in a political science class.
Instructor Ken Hearlson, 57, said in an interview that he was speaking
only
about Muslim terrorists and those who support their actions, not the
students in his class. He said he did, however, regret the timing of
the
discussion, just one week after the terrorist attacks in the United
States...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/23/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CNN INVITES MUSLIMS TO LIVE TOWN HALL MEETINGS
* BLOOD DRIVE IN LA FOR VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
* CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS MOSQUE
-----
CNN INVITES MUSLIMS TO LIVE TOWN HALL MEETINGS
FROM CNN: Invitation to be among audience of Town Hall meetings to be
broadcast live on CNN, Sept 24 through Sept 28. The CNN/Crossfire Town
Hall
meeting line is 1-877-515-4157. Please call this number to leave your
details if you plan to attend.
WHAT: CNN's Crossfire is hosting a series of Town Hall Meetings on last
week's terrorist attacks to be broadcast live each evening next week
from
GW University.
Hosted by two of CNN's own, the meetings begin with a short interview
with
the guests of the night, and then go to questions from an audience of
200-300 people. Members of the audience can come ready with questions,
or
are welcome to sit back and enjoy the discussion. We hope to discuss
around
five audience questions each evening.
The panelists so far have been distinguished, including House Minority
Leader Dick Gephardt, Senator John McCain of Arizona, Sen. Joseph
Biden,
(D-DE) Foreign Relations Cmte. Chairman, Sen. Fred Thompson, (R-TN)
Intelligence Cmte. We expect the guests for the upcoming week to be
just as
strong.
WHEN: The meetings will be broadcast LIVE from George Washington
University
each night next week from 6:30 - 7:00 pm. Please plan to arrive at 5:30
pm.
Doors open at 5 pm each night, everyone must be in their seats by 6 pm.
WHERE: The Media and Public Affairs Building
George Washington University
805 21st St., NW, Washington DC
(202) 994 8799
Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom
The Building is on the corner of 21st and H Street next to Tower
records. If you get off at the Foggy Bottom Metro walk 2 blocks east
and
one block south. The auditorium where the Meetings are taped is the
Jack
Morton Auditorium. Note: the Building itself does not have a name or
address on the outside.
WHAT NEXT: The Crossfire Town Hall meeting line is 1-877-515-4157.
PLEASE CALL THIS NUMBER AND LEAVE THE NAME AND HOME PHONE NUMBER OF
EACH
PERSON IN YOUR PARTY WHO WILL ATTEND. Please add the day you plan to
attend. We will call you back to confirm. Your name will be on a list
at
the door - we will check you off and hand you your ticket when you
arrive.
Thanks - and look forward to hearing from you!
Abbi Tatton
Associate Producer, CNN
TEL: 202-515-2276
E-MAIL: Abbi.Tatton@turner.com
-----
BLOOD DRIVE IN LA FOR VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
SPONSORS: University Muslim Medical Association & Kaiser Permanente, in
conjunction with Islamic Relief, Islamic Shura Council of Southern
California, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Muslim Public
Affairs Council (MPAC), ILM Foundation, Islamic Society of Orange
County,
Community Coalition, the Muslim Students' Association of UCLA, Friends
in
Deed, the Muslim American Society (MAS), Masjid Al-Islam Los Angeles,
City
of Hope, and Al-Talib Newsmagazine
WHEN: Saturday, September 29
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: UMMA Free Clinic
711 W. Florence Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
(off the 110 fwy, Florence exit)
For more information, please contact:
Yasser Aman, UMMA Free Clinic, at (323) 789-5610 or
yasser@ummaclinic.org
Arif Shaikh, Islamic Relief, at (310) 930-8059 or arif@irw.org
In addition, Islamic Relief and UMMA Free Clinic have set up an
Emergency
Fund to help the victims of the September 11th tragedies. Please donate
generously.
Islamic Relief/UMMA Free Clinic
Emergency Fund to help victims of New York and Washington, DC tragedies
Please make check payable to:
Islamic Relief Emergency Fund
P.O. Box 6098
Burbank, CA 91510
Tax ID#: 95-4453134
-----
CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS MOSQUE
Address by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien On the Occasion of a Visit to
the
Ottawa Central Mosque, September 21, 2001, Ottawa, Ontario
http://www.cbc.ca/clips/ram-newsworld/chretien_mosque010921.ram
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/24/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* REPORTERS ASKED TO HANDLE 'ISLAMIC' JARGON WITH CARE (Wash. Times)
* PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDER BLOCKING PROPERTY AND PROHIBITING
TRANSACTIONS WITH PERSONS WHO COMMIT, THREATEN TO COMMIT, OR SUPPORT
TERRORISM
* NATIONAL OUTRAGE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE WORKPLACE
* OPEN FRIDAY PRAYER AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
-----
REPORTERS ASKED TO HANDLE 'ISLAMIC' JARGON WITH CARE
By Larry Witham, The Washington Times, 9/24/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20010924-28582028.htm
BOSTON - An organization of religion news reporters yesterday suggested
that reporters avoid the term "Islamic terrorist" or similar labels as
Muslims and their beliefs receive greater scrutiny.
The Religion Newswriters Association said it was "troubled" by the
frequent
use of the term in the days after the terrorist attacks in New York and
Washington.
The resolution, adopted by a majority vote at the group's annual
meeting,
also rejected "similar phrases that associate an entire religion with
the
action of a few."
The statement will be sent to the 240 members of the RNA and other news
organizations. It will be released today by the Associated Press.
"Terrorist acts are committed by individuals and groups for reasons
that
often involve a complex mix of cultural, religious, nationalist,
economic
and psychological motives," the resolution said.
Hence, reporting in the wake of the attacks should "avoid stereotypes
[and]
be aware of the complexity of religious traditions and to use care in
attempting to describe the motives of terrorists," the resolution
said...
...American Muslims and the U.S. media should use the term God instead
of
Allah, she said, and the "hijab" that Muslim women wear over their head
should be called a scarf...
-----
PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDER BLOCKING PROPERTY AND PROHIBITING
TRANSACTIONS
WITH PERSONS WHO COMMIT, THREATEN TO COMMIT, OR SUPPORT TERRORISM,
9/24/2001
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010924-1.html
-----
NATIONAL OUTRAGE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE WORKPLACE
R. S. Ghio, Chair, Immigration Law Group, Arter & Hadden LLP,
September 2001
http://my.shrm.org/whitepapers/documents/default.asp?page=outrage.asp
The recent tragic events in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania
are
having ripple effects throughout our society. Inevitably, one of those
effects will be for appropriate feelings of anger, outrage, and
newfound
patriotism to sometimes spill over into anger and persecution against
many
innocent people of Arab origin or the Islamic faith. This will pose a
significant challenge for employers who still must strive to foster
harmony
in the workplace, and must work to ensure the fair and equitable
treatment
of all of their employees...
...In U.S. workplaces today, and over the next several weeks and
perhaps
longer, there is certain to be increased tension between Muslim or Arab
employees and their coworkers. Employers need to be concerned about
such
tension for at least two reasons. First, discrimination against
employees
based upon their race, national origin, or religion is prohibited by
Title
VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as well as numerous state laws and
local
ordinances. To the extent that employers fail to take steps to prevent
and
remedy harassment or discrimination against Arab or Muslim employees,
they
may find themselves on the wrong end of a lawsuit...
-----
OPEN FRIDAY PRAYER AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
The Muslim Student Association (MSA) at American University invites you
to
an "Open Friday Prayer" with the well-known guest speaker Imam Siraj
Wahhaj, Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa in Brooklyn, New York.
WHEN: Friday, September 28, 2001
WHERE: American University Main Quad
4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 2001
TIME: 1:15 - 2 p.m.
All are welcome! Refreshments will be served.
For further information please call the AU-MSA office (202) 225-3473 or
e-mail ysaid99@hotmail.com.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/25/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* A MESSAGE OF HOPE
* PROPOSED ANTI-TERRORISM LAWS DRAW TOUGH QUESTIONS (Wash. Post)
* ACLU STATEMENT ON ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 2001
* 352 HELD, 400 SOUGHT IN DRAGNET, ASHCROFT SAYS (LA Times)
* AIRLINES WARNED TO REFRAIN FROM RACIAL PROFILING (Mercury News)
* KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS AN AIRLINE PASSENGER (CAIR)
* THE MEDIA'S ISLAMIC BLIND SPOT (Salon.com)
* DONNING SCARVES IN SOLIDARITY (LA Times)
* CAIR-LA FUNDRAISING DINNER OCT. 6
* DC-AREA MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
-----
A MESSAGE OF HOPE
(The following is an unedited e-mail message received today by CAIR.)
This past Saturday, I was visiting a close friend's grandparent in
Bloomery, West Virginia. It was a short, peaceful, visit. I was the
only
Muslim with the hijab among my group of close friends.
On our way home, we stopped by a Country Buffet Restaurant for dinner.
I
was alert, cautious, and aware of my surroundings...we pre-paid for our
food and headed to the buffet. Ten minutes after we settled into our
seats,
the waitress leaned by our table with what appeared to be our money and
receipt. We assumed they were going to kick us out.
Although, what occurred in the next few moments was what I believed to
be
the blessings and mercy of Allah. She told us on behalf of the
restaurant,
they wanted to pay for our entire meal and give us a total refund. They
were very sympathetic of the innocent lives. The waitress by her own
personal expressions, was also sympathetic to the Muslim Community and
did
not want to see any more innocent lives lost due to war. What struck me
the
most, that brought tears to my eyes, were her tears. She told me she
was
proud that I had the courage and strength to come out and wear the
appropriate veil.
This experience gave me a sense of encouragement in the midst of crisis
and
confusion. There are many who are compassionate and understanding.
-----
PROPOSED ANTI-TERRORISM LAWS DRAW TOUGH QUESTIONS
Lawmakers Express Concerns to Ashcroft, Other Justice Officials About
Threat to Civil Liberties
By John Lancaster and Walter Pincus, The Washington Post, 9/25/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19559-2001Sep24.html
The Bush administration's urgent quest for new anti-terrorism laws
bogged
down in Congress yesterday, as lawmakers from both parties expressed
concern that the hastily prepared package could greatly expand police
powers at the expense of privacy and other civil liberties.
At a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, skeptical members
confronted
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft and other senior Justice Department
officials on a number of administration proposals, including one that
would
permit the indefinite detention without trial of immigrants suspected
of
ties to terrorist groups.
They also complained that the administration is trying to force the
package
through Congress without giving lawmakers time to adequately digest
proposals that could have serious, unforeseen consequences for rights
that
Americans now take for granted.
-----
ACLU STATEMENT ON ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 2001
http://www.aclu.org/congress/l092401a.html
ACLU Tells House Judiciary Panel That Administration Seeks Both
Reasonable
Anti-Terrorism Tools, Troubling Provisions
WASHINGTON -- In a presentation today (9/24) to the House Judiciary
Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union said that the
Administration's proposed counter-terrorism legislation includes both
reasonable measures to give law enforcement authorities the necessary
tools
to investigate terrorism as well as other provisions that go far beyond
addressing the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
-----
352 HELD, 400 SOUGHT IN DRAGNET, ASHCROFT SAYS
The number of U.S. arrests, far higher than had been reported,
indicates
the scale of the operation and the depth of its secrecy.
By ERIC LICHTBLAU, Los Angeles Times, 9/25/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-000076730sep25.story
U.S. authorities have taken 352 people into custody and are looking for
nearly 400 more who might have information on the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft disclosed Monday.
The new numbers dwarf previous reports about those detained and sought
in
the probe, underscoring how much secrecy surrounds the investigation.
Until
Monday, it was known only that about 80 people were being held on
immigration charges in connection with the case, while perhaps a dozen
others had been arrested as "material witnesses."
Ashcroft, testifying before the House Judiciary Committee to urge
passage
of legislation that would give authorities stronger tools to fight
terrorists, said the new numbers show that the investigation is "moving
aggressively forward." Authorities have also conducted 324 searches and
issued 3,410 subpoenas, he said. Law enforcement authorities say some
of
the people arrested in the case are cooperating with authorities and
that
the investigation has already produced key evidence about how the
suspected
terrorists were organized, financed and trained...
...Some Arab-American leaders and civil rights groups questioned
whether
authorities are rounding up Middle Easterners with little or no direct
connection to the case.
Of the several dozen people whom authorities have publicly acknowledged
detaining, virtually all are of Middle Eastern heritage. "When you're
talking about hundreds of people being arrested, it brings a chill to
the
whole American Muslim community," said Hussam Ayloush, executive
director
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Southern California
branch.
"The problem is that we know very little about who is being held and on
what basis. We're putting a lot of trust in our government not to abuse
the
powers given them," he said in an interview...
-----
AIRLINES WARNED TO REFRAIN FROM RACIAL PROFILING
By Jessie Mangaliman, San Jose Mercury News, 9/25/2001
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/local/docs/locprofile25.htm
SAN JOSE, Calif._In the wake of reports of racial profiling at airports
across the country, the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a
directive to all airlines urging caution and reminding them that
targeting
Arab Americans, Muslims or Sikhs is against the law.
"We strongly encourage each airline to take steps to ensure that its
employees understand that, not only is it wrong, but it is also illegal
to
discriminate against people based on their race, ethnicity, or
religion,"
said Norman Strickman, assistant director for aviation consumer
protection
at the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.
Since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, a number of
Pakistani, Egyptian, and Indo-American passengers have been pulled off
domestic flights because airline crews and passengers were
uncomfortable
flying with them.
National civil rights organizations have denounced the practice as
racial
profiling, and have begun collecting information on other incidents not
reported to airlines. "Whatever racial profiling went on before,
multiply
that by 100 and you have an idea of what's going on now," said Helal
Omeira, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
in
San Jose.
"There's a level of cautious paranoia that's prominent right now. It's
making it difficult for a lot of folks," Omeira said...
-----
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS AN AIRLINE PASSENGER
(From CAIR's "Know Your Rights" Pocket Guide. To obtain copies of the
guide, contact publications@cair-net.org.)
As an airline passenger, you are entitled to courteous, respectful and
non-stigmatizing treatment by airline and security personnel. You have
the
right to complain about treatment that you believe is discriminatory.
If
you believe you have been treated in a discriminatory manner,
immediately:
1) Ask to speak to a supervisor.
2) Ask if you have been singled out because of your looks, dress, race,
ethnicity, faith, or national origin.
3) Ask for the names and ID numbers of all persons involved in the
incident.
4) Ask witnesses to give you their names and contact information.
5) Write down a statement of facts immediately after the incident. Be
sure
to include the flight number, the flight date, and the name of the
airline.
6) Contact CAIR to file a report. If you are leaving the country, leave
a
detailed message, with the information above, at 202-488-8787. You may
also
file on-line at http://www.cair-net.org/ireport/.
-----
THE MEDIA'S ISLAMIC BLIND SPOT
By Eric Boehlert, Salon.com, 9/25/2001
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/09/25/arabs_media/index.html
Islamic and Middle Eastern experts who have spent their careers
attempting
to educate Americans braced for the worst in the aftermath of the
attacks
on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. They feared an immediate
backlash
in the press.
Americans have historically expressed low regard for Islam, given the
violent political struggles it's been associated with, and the press
has
often catered to public ignorance and distaste.
These experts' verdict on the press to date, however, has been mixed.
Many
are heartened: Coverage of Islamic issues has been better than some
expected, suggesting the possibility that America's general
understanding
of Middle Eastern and Muslim issues has improved, even if only
slightly...
"...In terms of reporters and editors, there is a much better
understanding
of what Islam really is," says Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the
Council on
American Islamic Relations, comparing current coverage to what occurred
during the Gulf War a decade ago.
-----
DONNING SCARVES IN SOLIDARITY
By Sandy Banks, Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-000076696sep25.story
SEE ALSO: MUSLIM WOMEN'S HIJAB IS PROUD EXPRESSION OF THEIR FAITH
BY L.A. CHUNG, San Jose Mercury News, 9/25/2001
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/columnists/chung/docs/locchung25ps.htm
-----
CAIR-LA FUNDRAISING DINNER OCT. 6
The Council on American-Islamic Relations in Los Angeles cordially
invites
you to attend its Fifth Annual Fundraising Banquet
"BUILDING A FOUNDATION: Through Leadership, Training, and Education"
SPEAKERS:
REP. CYNTHIA MCKINNEY (D-GA)
DR. JOHN ESPOSITO (Georgetown University)
RAFAEL NARBAEZ (Muslim Activist)
OMAR AHMAD (Chairman of CAIR-National)
WHEN: Saturday, October 6, 2001
Registration begins at 6 p.m., dinner and program at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Sequoia Conference Center
7530 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, CA
TICKETS: $35 per person ($50 at the door)
Children under 7 years are Free
Spaces are limited, R.S.V.P. by Sep. 28, 2001.
For information, call 714-776-1847.
-----
DC-AREA MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
You are Cordially Invited to Attend an Open House at Dar Al Hijrah
Islamic
Center
WHAT: Dear friends and neighbors, please come visit with the Muslim
Community of Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center.
WHERE: Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center, 3159 Row Street, Falls Church,
VA 22044. Located at the intersection of Route 7 and Row Street. From
Route 50, take Route 7 East, Row Street is few miles ahead on the left.
From I-395, take the exit for King Street, Route 7 West. Row Street is
about seven miles ahead, on the right.
WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2001 - 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
WHY: Let's come together. Let's take some time to get to know each
other. Let's reach out and support each other. Let's show our
solidarity
in this time of National challenge.
For More information, please call Katherine J. Walker at 202-682-6653
or
703-490-6942.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AS-SALAAMU ALAYKUM: Now is the time to show your support for CAIR's
important work. Stand with CAIR as we defend Muslim rights and promote
a
positive image of Islam in America. Please fill out the form below to
register for CAIR's annual dinner on October 7. We're counting on you!
(If
you can't attend, please send a donation.)
-----
REP. MCKINNEY, IMAM SIRAJ, ROB GARDNER TO SPEAK AT CAIR ANNUAL DINNER
The Council on American-Islamic Relations cordially invites you to
attend
its Seventh Annual Fundraising Banquet
"MUSLIMS IN AMERICA: BRAVING THE STORM"
with
REP. CYNTHIA MCKINNEY (D-GA)
MR. ROB GARDNER
Producer/Director of the PBS documentary
"Islam: Empire of Faith"
IMAM SIRAJ WAHHAJ
2001 Islamic Community Service Awards
-----
WHEN: Sunday, October 7, 2001
Registration begins at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner
8661 Leesburg Pike, Tysons Corner/Vienna, VA
TICKETS: $55/$85 per couple R.S.V.P. by Oct. 1, 2001
No children please.
(Limited babysitting with prior notice only - $10 per
child.)
For information, call 202-488-8787.
-----
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: CAIR needs volunteers to help organize this
important
event. Anyone who would like to offer his or her time and expertise
should
contact Khalid Iqbal (kiqbal@cair-net.org) or Isra Rahman
(irahman@cair-net.org) by calling 202-488-8787.
----- CLIP AND MAIL/E-MAIL/FAX -----
___ YES, I will attend. Enclosed is my check, payable to CAIR, in the
amount of $______ for _____ seats.
___ SORRY, I will not be able to attend. But I would like to support
CAIR's
important work defending and promoting the image of Islam and the
rights of
Muslims by sending a donation of $______.
(Kindly reply by October 1, 2001. Mail to: 2001 Dinner, CAIR, 453 New
Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20003 FAX: 202-488-0833 E-MAIL:
cair@cair-net.org)
Person Purchasing Tickets:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Daytime Phone:
Evening Phone:
Names of Other Attendees:
Payment: ___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard ___Discover ___Money Order
Credit Card Number:
Exp. Date:
Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
- PLEASE COPY, POST AND DISTRIBUTE -
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/26/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* ANOTHER MESSAGE OF HOPE
* EXPRESSIONS OF SUPPORT SURPRISING TO MUSLIMS (LA Times)
* 3 QUESTIONED IN ARSON INVESTIGATION INVOLVING ARAB-AMERICAN STORE
OWNER
(Detroit News)
* MINNESOTA NOT IMMUNE TO BACKLASH AGAINST MUSLIMS (KARE-TV)
* CARPET STORE TORCHED IN ARSON ATTACK (Austin American-Statesman)
* US WATCHDOG WARNS OF WORK HARASSMENT AFTER ATTACKS (Reuters)
* YOUR RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE (CAIR)
* SURVEY SHOWS SURPRISING SUPPORT AMONG AMERICANS FOR TIGHTENED U.S.
IMMIGRATION LAWS GOVERNING MUSLIMS
* CNN STATEMENT ABOUT FALSE CLAIM IT USED OLD VIDEO
* REP. MCKINNEY: "AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD SEE THE EVIDENCE TOO"
* UNVEILING IGNORANCE: IN SOLIDARITY WITH AMERICAN WOMEN
-----
ANOTHER MESSAGE OF HOPE
(An unedited e-mail received by CAIR from a Muslim woman in Washington
State.)
I was afraid to go to the mosque today. For the first time since I
became a
Muslim a year ago, I was afraid to wear my head covering. I prayed last
night that God would take the fear out of my heart. I weent to the
[mosque]
despite m nerves.
I was so surprised when I got there, to see the entire front of my
mosque
arranged with bouquets of flowers, flags, cards. The neighbors and
other
friendly residents standing out front greeting everyone as we arrived
with
words of encouragement and kindness.
It brought tears to my eyes, and made me ashamed of my fear, for I had
assumed that everyone was afraid or hated us (Muslims) because of the
WTC
tragedy. These people truly cared about us, they wanted to know us
(Muslims), they wanted to show us that they are out there for us. This
community of Seattle, showed it's true colors today, and it was a good
thing.
In the face of such devastating tragedy for us all, there is a light of
hope for our future together. The good people of Seattle, that took the
time to show their friendship today brightened that light so much more.
May
Allah show us all many more blessings.
Thank you people of Seattle.
SEND SIMILAR MESSAGES OF HOPE TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
EXPRESSIONS OF SUPPORT SURPRISING TO MUSLIMS
Public displays of compassion, kindness come as a shock to many Middle
Easterners, who had been braced for a widespread backlash.
By SOLOMON MOORE, Los Angeles Times, 9/26/2001
http://www.latimes.com/la-092601kind.story
It was a white-hot e-mail, still echoing with thunderous keystrokes:
"Go
back to your beautiful land of sand and pig dirt, and take your HATE
with
you!"
Culver City-based IslamiCity.com, a popular Islamic Web site, was an
easy
target after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But Mohammed Abdul Aleem,
the
site's chief executive, thought the insults had more to do with
ignorance
than anger, so he replied with a short compilation of Islamic
scripture.
The next day, the writer's anger had turned to shame: "I want to
apologize
for the hate mail I sent you the other day. I was upset by all the
things
that happened. My brother, who works in the armed forces, lost several
of
his friends at the Pentagon . . . I appreciate your calm and
informative
response . . . and as a result have since then come to my senses."
Reports of ethnic profiling and sporadic attacks on perceived Middle
Easterners persist, but Muslims in Southern California say they have
been
astounded by more numerous reports of restraint and kindness. They see
it
in the woman who brings roses to her Persian American colleague. They
hear
it in the reassurance of the auto mechanic who tells his Pakistani
customer, "It's OK" to be named Mohammed...
CONTACT: CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
-----
3 QUESTIONED IN ARSON INVESTIGATION INVOLVING ARAB-AMERICAN STORE OWNER
Gasoline found inside, Molotov cocktail sitting outside Dollar Daze
By Shawn D. Lewis, The Detroit News, 9/26/2001
http://detnews.com/2001/metro/0109/26/e06-303721.htm
DETROIT -- At least three people have been questioned in the
investigation
of an arson that destroyed an east-side store owned by an Arab
American...
...Faris Ahmad, director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said his group is investigating the fire.
CONTACT: cair@cairmichigan.org
-----
MINNESOTA NOT IMMUNE TO BACKLASH AGAINST MUSLIMS
KARE-TV, Associated Press
http://www.kare11.com/news-article.html?NEWS_ID=26182
Along with an increase in patriotism, the recent terrorist attacks also
are
bringing discrimination against Arab- and Muslim-Americans. In
Minnesota, a
Minneapolis cab driver says he was attacked by a customer he picked up
yesterday. Kamal Omar says he believes his license on the dash board
led
one of his fares to conclude he was Muslim.
CONTACT: cairminnesota@hotmail.com
-----
CARPET STORE TORCHED IN ARSON ATTACK
By Jonathan Osborne, Austin American-Statesman, 9/25/2001
www.austin360.com/auto_docs/epaper/editions/tuesday/metro_state_1.html
When Marwan "Eddie" Janlani opened the door to his Capital Carpet store
in
far Northwest Austin on Sunday morning, hot smoke dusted his face as
water
spilled out around his feet...
...Investigators think a flammable liquid was used to start the blaze.
It
caused about $150,000 in smoke and water damage to Janlani's store,
which
is in a strip mall along the east frontage of U.S. 183, just north of
RM 620...
CONTACT: info@cairdfw.org
-----
US WATCHDOG WARNS OF WORK HARASSMENT AFTER ATTACKS
Reuters, 9/25/2001
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
warned
employers Tuesday to guard against a potential rise in workplace
harassment
following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
"Anger at those responsible for the tragic events of Sept. 11 should
not be
misdirected against innocent individuals because of their religion,
ethnicity, or country of origin," the EEOC said in a statement.
"Employers and labor unions have a special role in guarding against
unlawful workplace discrimination..."
...The EEOC, a federal government body, circulated a fact sheet to
several
hundred organizations, outlining the rights of employees and explaining
how
to lodge complaints.
"We just want to clarify what the laws are regarding discrimination so
it's
crystal-clear in the minds of employers and employees in the wake of
this
recent situation," spokesman David Grinberg said in a telephone
interview...
GO TO: http://www.eeoc.gov/
-----
YOUR RIGHTS AS AN EMPLOYEE
(From CAIR's "Know Your Rights" Pocket Guide. To obtain copies of the
guide, contact publications@cair-net.org.)
Federal law makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against an
employee on the basis of religion, race, or national origin. Title VII
of
the 1964 Civil Rights Act guarantees your right to:
1) Reasonable religious accommodation. The failure of an employer to
reasonably accommodate your religious practices constitutes
discrimination.
"Religious practices" includes wearing a beard, hijab, prayer on the
job,
and going to Jumah prayer.
2) Fairness in hiring, firing, and promotions. Your employer is
prohibited
from considering religion when making decisions affecting your
employment
status.
3) A non-hostile work environment. Your employer must ensure that you
are
not subjected to anti-Muslim insults, harassment or unwelcome,
excessive
proselytizing.
4) Complain about discrimination without fear of retaliation. Federal
law
guarantees your right to report an act of alleged discrimination. It is
illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for your complaint.
Contact CAIR at 202-488-8787 to file a discrimination report. You may
also
file on-line at http://www.cair-net.org/ireport/.
-----
SURVEY SHOWS SURPRISING SUPPORT AMONG AMERICANS FOR TIGHTENED U.S.
IMMIGRATION LAWS GOVERNING MUSLIMS
http://www.prnewswire.com
Search using the term "Wirthlin."
MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 8 out of 10 Americans
would
support restrictions on the number of Arabs or Muslims immigrating to
the
U.S., according to a new survey by leading research company Wirthlin
Worldwide.
83 percent of Americans said they would support a change in U.S.
immigration laws in light of recent events. Even more extreme, 58% of
respondents agreed that there should be "tighter controls on all
Muslims --
including Muslims living in the United States -- who are traveling on
airlines or trains..."
-----
CNN STATEMENT ABOUT FALSE CLAIM IT USED OLD VIDEO
http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/20/cnn.statement/index.html
There is absolutely no truth to the information that is now distributed
on
the Internet that CNN used 10-year-old video when showing the
celebrating
of some Palestinians in East Jerusalem after the terror attacks in the
U.S.
The video was shot that day by a Reuters camera crew. CNN is a client
of
Reuters and like other clients, received the video and broadcast it.
Reuters officials have publicly made the facts clear as well.
-----
REP. MCKINNEY: "AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD SEE THE EVIDENCE TOO"
http://www.house.gov/mckinney/news/pr010925.htm
(WASHINGTON, DC) "There has been much ado about providing evidence
linking
Osama bin Laden to the tragedies of September 11, 2001. Secretary
Powell
has said that our allies will receive irrefutable proof of the bin
Laden
ties to this tragic day. Before the use of force occurs, the American
people must see this proof too," Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA)
stated.
Congresswoman McKinney is the Ranking Member of the International
Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee of the House International
Relations Committee, and is also a member of the House Armed Services
Committee.
"We've lost thousands of people already, and as the Administration
begins
its preparations for war, every American and the families of our
soldiers
and victims of the hijackings deserve to know that justice for those
responsible is what motivates our actions and not just convenient
scapegoating," McKinney continued.
"...Certainly Afghanistan won't end up having more information about
our
evidence than will the American people who have suffered this
tremendous
injury," McKinney exclaimed.
-----
UNVEILING IGNORANCE: IN SOLIDARITY WITH AMERICAN WOMEN
The University of Michigan School of Social Work, School of Nursing and
Muslims Students Association invite you to come together in solidarity
against the racist backlash of September 11th.
WHEN: 8 pm Thursday, Sept 27
WHERE: 100 HUTCHINS HALL, LAW QUAD, STATE ST
(across from MI Union)
As a result of the horrific events of September 11th, Arab, Asian and
Muslim American communities suffered doubly, mourning with the rest of
the
country and simultaneously becoming the targets of misplaced anger. An
alarming series of hate crimes are sweeping the nation. Muslim women
who
wear the hijab (the Islamic headscarf) have been particularly
vulnerable to
physical and verbal assault since they are readily identifiable. Many
Muslim women have been forced to remove their scarves out of fear and
many
others have become prisoners in their own homes, terrified to leave.
As a gesture of solidarity, American non-Muslim women are volunteering
to
wear the hijab for one day. Our goal is to diffuse the racist backlash
against Muslim women and to powerfully demonstrate that Islam and
Americanness are not mutually exclusive. This was carried out by 300
women
in Peyore, IL last week and communities across the country will be
following our example. We will provide free scarves and white ribbons
for
those who support the cause but prefer not to wear the hijab.
On Friday, September 28th, the volunteers will wear the Islamic scarves
throughout the day. There will also be a booth providing more free
hijabs
and white ribbons and further information. All are invited to come,
listen
and share.
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESIDENT BUSH AGAIN MEETS WITH U.S. MUSLIM LEADERS
(WASHINGTON-DC, 9/26/2001) - In the second meeting with U.S. Muslim
leaders
in just two weeks, President Bush today said the "teachings of Islam
are
the teachings of peace and good." Groups represented at the meeting
included the American Muslim Political Coordination Council (AMPCC) as
well
as other national American Muslim and Arab-American organizations. (The
AMPCC consists of American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council,
Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Muslim Public Affairs
Council.)
"PRESIDENT BUSH: ...the outpouring of support for our country has come
from
all corners of the country, including many members of the Muslim faith,
and
for that I am grateful.
"I appreciate the contributions of time, the contributions of blood to
help
our fellow Americans who have been injured. And I'm proud of the -- I'm
proud of the Muslim leaders across America who have risen up and who --
and
not only insisted that America be strong, but that America keep the
values
intact that have made it so unique and different, the values of
respect,
the values of freedom to worship the way we see fit. And I also
appreciate
the prayers to the -- the universal God.
"And so I want to thank you all for coming. I don't know if you all
remember the imam was -- led the service at the National Cathedral. He
did
a heck of a good job, and we were proud to have him there.
"DR. MUZAMMIL H. SIDDIQI, PRESIDENT OF THE INDIANA-BASED ISLAMIC
SOCIETY OF
NORTH AMERICA (ISNA): Thank you.
"PRESIDENT BUSH: And I want to thank you very much for the -- the gift
you
gave me, Imam, the Koran. It's a very thoughtful gift. I said, 'Thank
you
very much for the gift.' He said, 'It's the best gift I could give you,
Mr.
President.' I appreciate that very much."
"We are encouraged that the president has been consistent in his
statements
supporting religious diversity in our society. American Muslims will
continue to condemn terrorism in all its forms while at the same time
working to defend civil liberties in this country and around the
world,"
said Council on American-Islamic Relations Board Chairman Omar Ahmad,
who
was invited to today's meeting but could not attend. CAIR was
represented
at the meeting by the AMPCC's delegate Dr. Maher Hathout.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper at 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/27/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* COLUMNIST SAYS AIR-LIFT PIGS INTO MOSQUES (WorldNetDaily)
* ANN COULTER SAYS DEPORT MUSLIM NON-CITIZENS
* HOUSTON SHOOTING INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME (Houston
Chronicle)
* TODAY'S REMARKS BY FBI DIRECTOR GEORGE MUELLER
* DRAGNET (Washington Post)
* CAIR-NY FUNDRAISING DINNER OCT. 6
* ANOTHER MESSAGE OF HOPE
-----
COLUMNIST SAYS AIR-LIFT PIGS INTO MOSQUES
IF PIGS COULD FLY...
By Paul Sperry, Washington bureau chief for WorldNetDaily, 9/27/2001
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=24691
(NOTE: If you choose to reply to this editorial, please be POLITE.
Hostile
comments WILL be used to further defame Islam.)
...U.S. forces should start by dropping leaflets over Kabul, the
capital of
Afghanistan, warning residents, in their native Persian tongue, that
we've
enlisted Afghani moles to contaminate their water supplies with pig's
blood.
The propaganda would also warn that American soldiers have greased
their
bullets with pork fat. We could tell them, while we're at it, that
we've
ordered special pigskin-lined fatigues for this mission...
...Can't find bin Laden? Force-feed Taliban clerics pork rinds until
they
give up his location. If that doesn't work, air-lift pigs into their
mosques.
In the meantime, airlines could reupholster plane seats with pigskin,
and
cover cockpit yokes with the "unclean" hide to repel future Islamic
hijackers. For insurance, serve passengers bacon bits instead of
peanuts.
If their religion is driving them to hate Americans, and rewarding them
to
kill our people, then it's hardly indecent to use their faith against
them
to protect us.
Hit them where it hurts. They hit us where it hurts - and they're
already
planning to do it again.
They're not afraid of death. However, they are afraid of pigs. Send in
the
porkers, lock them out of Paradise, and watch them surrender.
-----
ANN COULTER SAYS DEPORT MUSLIM NON-CITIZENS
FUTURE WIDOWS OF AMERICA: WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN
By Ann Coulter, 9/26/2001
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/
Search using the term "future widows."
...The enemy is in this country right now...The government has been
doing
an excellent job rounding up suspects from the last two attacks. But
what
about the next attack? We thought there was only one murderous Islamic
cell
in America the last time, too.
Congress has authority to pass a law tomorrow requiring aliens from
suspect
countries to leave. As far as the Constitution is concerned, aliens,
which
is to say non-citizens, are here at this country's pleasure. They have
no
constitutional right to be here...
...This time, the very nature of the enemy is that they have
infiltrated
this country and pass themselves off as law-abiding, quiet immigrants.
The
entire modus operandi of this enemy is to smuggle mass murderers to our
shores.
...As the entire country has been repeatedly lectured, most Muslims are
amazingly peaceful, deeply religious, wouldn't hurt a fly. Indeed,
endless
invocations of the pacific nature of most Muslims is the only free
speech
it is safe to engage in these days...That's not the point. Not all
Muslims
may be terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims...
How are we to distinguish the peaceful Muslims from the fanatical,
homicidal Muslims about to murder thousands of our fellow citizens? Are
the
good Muslims the ones who live quiet lives, pray a lot and obey the
law? So
did the architects of Bloody Tuesday's mass murder. Are the peaceful
Muslims the ones who loudly proclaim their hatred of Osama Bin Laden?
Mohammed Atta did that, too.
The only thing we know about them -- other than that they live among us
--
is that they are foreign-born and they are Muslims...
...All we can do is politely ask aliens from suspect nations to leave
--
with the full expectation of readmittance -- while we sort the
peace-loving
immigrants from the murderous fanatics.
More benefits of the plan next week, but the beauty part of the
Terrorist
Deportation Plan can't wait. There will be two fail-safes: (1) Muslim
immigrants who agree to spy on the millions of Muslim citizens
unaffected
by the deportation order can stay; and (2) any Muslim immigrant who
gets a
U.S. senator to waive his deportation -- by name -- gets to stay...
-----
HOUSTON SHOOTING INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME
By S.K. BARDWELL, The Houston Chronicle, 9/26/2001
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/front/1063208
Houston police and the FBI are investigating the shooting of a man of
Middle Eastern descent in southwest Houston last week as a possible
hate
crime...
...The shooting occurred Friday in the 6200 block of Gulfton, where a
man
of Middle Eastern descent told police he had just arrived home and was
getting out of his car when he was approached by his attacker.
The victim told police the man first asked for a cigarette but then
produced a handgun, held it to the victim's head and began cursing the
victim, accusing him of having blown up the gunman's country and
killing
his family and friends.
-----
FBI DIRECTOR GEORGE MUELLER LOCATION: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME: 2:20 P.M. EDT DATE: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2001
...I want to encourage anyone who has information based upon these
photographs to contact our FBI immediately, either through our
toll-free
hotline, which is 1-866-483-5137 -- again, 1-866-483-5137 -- or through
our
website, which is at www.ifccfbi.gov.
I want to turn for a moment to another aspect of our responsibilities.
As
reported yesterday, federal indictments were returned on two hate crime
investigations. These investigations related to attacks on Arab- or
Muslim
Americans. These indictments were based on FBI investigations in the
Salt
Lake City and Seattle field offices, and these indictments are proof
that
those who attempt to take out their anger and frustration on innocent
Americans will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of
the law.
To date we've initiated approximately 90 hate crime investigations
across
the country in over 30 FBI field offices, and we remain committed to
working with the various Arab-American, Muslim-American, and
Sikh-American
communities to assure that any such acts are vigorously investigated
and
prosecuted...
-----
DRAGNET
The Washington Post, 9/27/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32472-2001Sep26.html
THE GOVERNMENT has rounded up hundreds of people in its investigation
of
the Sept. 11 attacks. Many are being held on technical immigration
violations or minor charges unrelated to the probe, or as material
witnesses -- people who are not charged with anything but whose
testimony
is considered essential and who may flee if released. Such a massive
dragnet, particularly when so concentrated among Arabs and Muslims,
raises
civil liberties anxieties. The overwhelming number of these people are
probably innocent of any involvement in the attacks, yet whatever else
happens as the investigation proceeds, many will be deported. The
danger is
heightened because many of the names of those detained are being kept
secret, so it isn't clear who is being held for what or with what kind
of
evidence...
...It is easy at a time like this to see procedural rights as a luxury,
and
the public may be forgiving. But judges will not be so forgiving if
serious
violations are brought before them. Observing the rules now is the best
way
to ensure that investigators' efforts bear fruit. Even more important:
Fair
play is what separates law enforcement here from that in police states.
If
the rule of law is honored almost all of the time -- always except when
the
temptation to ignore it is very strong -- it isn't the rule of law at
all.
-----
CAIR-NY FUNDRAISING DINNER OCT. 6
CAIR-NY invites you to our Annual Fundraising Dinner on Saturday,
October
6, 2001 @ 6:00 PM in New York City.
The theme of this evening is "Honoring Integrity In The Media." Please
find
the details in our Web Page. Please click the following address and
browse
the web page until the end of the Fundraising announcement & again
click
the Blue button "Buy Ticket Online" and then follow the instruction.
That's
leads to an absolute secure site. CAIR's Web address is as follow:
http://www.cair-ny.com/.
May Allah (swt) reward you for your sincere support & devotion, Aameen.
CAIR New York
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 246,
New York, NY 10115
Phone: (212) 870-2002
Fax: (212) 870-2020
E-mail: cair-ny@cair-ny.com
URL: www.cair-ny.com
-----
ANOTHER MESSAGE OF HOPE
(An unedited e-mail received by CAIR.)
Couple of days ago my wife went to a store in town. Obviously she is
very
cautious when she goes out now a days. While she was at the parking
lot,
suddenly a minivan pulled right beside her and a lady came out. She
came
directly to my wife and introduced herself and said right away, "On
behalf
of the American people I want to say that I am so sorry for some of our
countrymen who are wrongfully accusing people like you. I know you all
are
sharing the grief with us but it is not fair the way some of us
treating
you and your people." With this, tear came to the lady's eyes and she
drove
away.
The second event happened to me just few days after this. One morning I
came to my office and I found our university President is waiting in
front
of my office to see me. I was so shocked to see him that it took me few
seconds to put myself together. He was the last person I ever expected
to
see in my office. He is a new President of our university and I never
met
him before. He told me that he wanted to come personally to my office
to
show his support to me and my family and the Muslim community of the
university...
SEND SIMILAR MESSAGES OF HOPE TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/28/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* NOTE FROM A NEIGHBOR
* THE TRUE, PEACEFUL FACE OF ISLAM (Time)
* FIRED OR FURLOUGHED, DETROIT MUSLIM IS SENT HOME AFTER ATTACKS
- ENGLER TALKS WITH ARAB AMERICANS (Detroit Free Press)
* QUESTIONED BY THE FBI (Miami Herald)
* NPR NEWS SPECIAL: ISLAM
* CAIR-MN: MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL MOSQUES HOLD OPEN HOUSES
* WORKSHOP ON ISLAM AND MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN TEXAS
-----
NOTE FROM A NEIGHBOR
(From and un-edited email received by CAIR.)
I was away on vacation when this incident occurred on Sept 11. My
neighbor
brought us flowers with a card and left it on the doorstep. I have not
met
this person in all my 16 years of living in this neighborhood. Her
wordings
were: "To our neighbors, in this time, we want you to know that we are
here
for you, and it is our sincere prayer that you are not subjected to any
unpleasantness. With our best wishes, your neighbors"
SEND SIMILAR POSITIVE STORIES TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
THE TRUE, PEACEFUL FACE OF ISLAM
By KAREN ARMSTRONG, Time Magazine, 10/1/2001
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101011001-175987,00.html
There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, and Islam is the world's
fastest-growing religion. If the evil carnage we witnessed on Sept. 11
were
typical of the faith, and Islam truly inspired and justified such
violence,
its growth and the increasing presence of Muslims in both Europe and
the
U.S. would be a terrifying prospect. Fortunately, this is not the
case...
-----
FIRED OR FURLOUGHED, DETROIT MUSLIM IS SENT HOME AFTER ATTACKS
By Patricia Anstett, Detroit Free Press, 9/28/2001
DETROIT _ Dark circles ring his eyes. He's depressed. He is not
sleeping well.
"Everything is different," says Ahmed Esa, a Muslim from Yemen who
lives in
a threadbare apartment in Dearborn's predominately Arabic South End
neighborhood. "I'm scared."
Esa says he worked for 15 years as a welder at I W & S Inc., a small
local
factory. But the day after the terrorist attacks at the World Trade
Center
and the Pentagon, his boss, Paul Rokoczy sent him _ and only him _
home.
Esa and Rokoczy disagree about whether Esa was fired or given the rest
of
the week off with pay. What's not in dispute are Rokoczy's strong
anti-Muslim feelings.
"As far as I'm concerned, their religion is done," Rokoczy said
Thursday,
standing outside his factory in the blue work clothes of countless
Americans, his first name on a machine-embroidered pocket label.
"When these guys ran their plane in there like that and hurt all those
people, that was the end of it right there," Rokoczy said. "That made
their
religion _ you might as well write it as I say it _ the scum of the
earth."
The incident is under investigation by the Michigan chapter of the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations as a possible violation of Michigan civil
rights law.
The council, headquartered in Washington, D.C., said it received 500
reports nationwide of hate crimes and incidents against Arabs in the
first
10 days after the bombings. Many were from metro Detroit, home to at
least
200,000 and perhaps as many as 350,000 people of Arab descent, both
Muslim
and Christian.
Friday, the council responded by asking 30 Detroit-area mosques to
dispense
tips on dealing with possible discrimination and retaliation. "People
need
to know they have advocates," said Haaris Ahmad, director of the
Michigan
chapter of CAIR. He and lawyer Shereef Akeel planned to meet soon with
Esa...
SEE ALSO: "ENGLER TALKS WITH ARAB AMERICANS"
http://www.freep.com/news/nw/terror2001/zarab28_20010928.htm
-----
QUESTIONED BY THE FBI
By RIAD Z. ABDELKARIM, The Miami Herald, 9/26/2001
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/opinion/opcol/digdocs/059753.htm
(Riad Z. Abdelkarim, MD, is a communications director for the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations in Anaheim, Calif.)
The ring at my doorbell that Sunday afternoon was innocent enough. When
I
first peered out and saw two sharply dressed men in business suits and
dark
sunglasses, I thought I was being visited by a pair of friendly
Jehovah's
Witnesses.
It struck me that the men were a bit older than the young men of faith
who
usually canvas the neighborhood. Any lingering doubt about their
identities
was immediately erased when the men flashed their FBI badges. "What can
I
do for you, gentlemen?" I asked.
My initial puzzled reaction turned to concern when they said that they
wanted to speak with me "about the events of last Tuesday."
...I contacted one of the agents by cellular phone and made an
appointment
to meet him and his partner at a local coffee shop. What ensued can
best be
described as a combination of a fishing expedition and a scene from a
straight-to-video B-movie.
Holding a thin folder stamped "Secret," the agents queried me about my
background. One of them stopped in mid-sentence to change a question
from
"When did you come to the U.S.?" to "Where were you born?" They
appeared
somewhat surprised when I mentioned I was born in Santa Monica, Calif.,
and
had lived in California my entire life.
I was quizzed about my political views with such vague questions as
"Are we
the bad guys in this thing?" I told the agents that there is no
justification whatsoever for the horrible terrorist attacks. Further, I
informed them that my political views are widely known because I write
commentaries published in newspapers nationwide...
...The agents inquired about my affiliations with several widely
respected
American Muslim organizations. At no time was I asked about any
specific
individual or to identify any suspects in photographs...
...By the end of the 75-minute ordeal, I was convinced that the agents
were
not acting on any specific information but were instead groping wildly
for
straws in the dark. I found this quite disheartening. I harbor no ill
will
toward those agents who interviewed me; they were just "following
orders."
Like other Americans who are Muslims or of Arabic ethnicity, I
earnestly
support the FBI's attempts to vigorously investigate this heinous
terrorist
act and bring those responsible to justice. What I do not appreciate is
being singled out for questioning merely because of my faith, ethnicity
or
legitimate political activism...
CONTACT: CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
-----
NPR NEWS SPECIAL: ISLAM (aired Sep.26)
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/totn/20010926.totn.04.ram
Host: Neal Conan
Guests:
Aziza Al-Hibri
Executive Director, KARAMAH (organization of Muslim women lawyers for
Human
Rights)
Shaker El-Sayeed
Imam, Islamic Center of Dar-al-Hijrah, Falls Church, Va.
Sulayman Nyang
Professor of African Studies, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
-----
CAIR-MN: MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL MOSQUES HOLD OPEN HOUSES
A series of metro-area mosque open houses will begin on Sunday,
September
30, 2001. Open houses will be held at two mosques on September 30th.
Masjid
Al-Rahman/Muslim Community Center, 8910 Old Cedar Avenue in Bloomington
will hold its open house from 10 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on September
30th.
Masjid Ummah Muhammed, 315 East Lake Street, will hold its open house
from
2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on September 30th.
The mosque open houses are intended to promote understanding and good
will.
Visitors are always welcome to visit mosques, meet Muslims and learn
about
Islam and Islamic practices. The series of mosque open houses provides
such
an opportunity. The public and media are welcome. Light refreshments
will
be served.
Additional mosque open houses are scheduled for October and November.
CAIR
will announce the dates and times when they become available.
CONTACTS: Masjid Al-Rahman (952) 883-0044
Masjid Ummah Muhammed, (612) 823-1943
CAIR Minnesota at (612) 334-9395, fax (800)
861-3686 www.CAIRminnesota.org
-----
WORKSHOP ON ISLAM AND MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN TEXAS
The Austin Muslin Community Presents: "Islam, Muslims, and the Recent
Events"
WHAT: An informative overview of the religion of Islam and how Muslims
perceive the tragic events
GUEST SPEAKER: Br. Tony Sylvester from Philadelphia
MODERATOR: Br. Mohammed Malley
WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2001, 4:00 P.M. at
Burdine Hall, Room 106, University of Texas
For more information, please call Azhar Rauf at 512-698-8969, Waheed
Din at 512-762-6475 or Adel Lozi at 512-657-2335 or E-mail at
asrauf@yahoo.com
-----
AUSTIN AREA MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
WHERE: Islamic Center of Greater Austin
5110 Manor Road, Austin, Texas 78723
Located at the intersection of E. 51st street and
Manor Road.
WHEN: Sunday, September 30, 2001 - 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
For more information, please call Adel Hussein at 512-657-2335 or
Abdul Moheeth at 512-699-2600 or E-mail at bt@austinmosque.org.
Both events are sponsored by the Bay Area Coordinating Committee, which
includes AMGPJ, AMJ, AMILA, Arab-American Congress, CAIR, ICNA, ING,
ISEB,
Islamic Society of San Francisco, ISNA, MAS, MCA, SBIA, Zaytuna
Institute,
& others)
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
SEE: "BLACK CAUCUS WAVES THE CAUTION FLAG" AT THE END OF THIS ALERT
-----
CAIR ACTION ALERT #311
U.S. MOSQUES URGED TO HOLD OPEN HOUSES
(WASHINGTON, DC - 9/28/2001) - CAIR is calling on Mosques nationwide to
hold open houses for people of other faiths in their local communities
to
help promote a better understanding of Islam and Muslims. A
step-by-step
guide to holding an open house is available on CAIR's web site at:
http://www.cair-net.org/openhouse.
"Following the tragic events of September 11, and the anti-Muslim
backlash
that followed, it is clear that people of other faiths in this society
are
in need of accurate information about Islam, said CAIR Executive
Director
Nihad Awad. Awad asked imams and mosque leaders to schedule an open
house
as soon as possible. (NOTE: Because of recent events, make sure to
request
proper security for the event from local police.)
STEPS NECESSARY TO HOLD A MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
1. PREPARE the members of your local community by explaining the
necessity
of building a positive image of the mosque in the surrounding area. Let
them know that experience of other communities has shown that a
positive
neighborhood image offers many benefits. Ask for input concerning the
details of when and at what time the open house should be held. There
are
no hard and fast rules for such things.
2. INVITE local community leaders, clergy, law enforcement officials,
activists, and government officials. Remember to invite the mayor,
congressional representatives, the chief of police and members of the
city
council. These people should all receive written invitations. Follow up
with a personal phone call. Letters are not enough.
3. PUBLICIZE the event by sending a well-written news release (see
sample
in kit) to the local media. You may also place paid advertisements in
the
local newspaper (see sample). Send the news release to the religion
calendar editor, the city editor, the feature editor at the newspaper,
and
the "daybook" editor at the nearest bureau of the Associated Press.
Send a
release to the assignment editor at the local television stations. Also
send copies to news directors at the local radio stations. Send
announcements to local houses of worship. (see "Media Event Check List"
in kit)
4. INFORM your guests of mosque etiquette before they arrive (see
"Welcome
to Our Mosque" brochure). This will make them feel at ease and avoid
embarrassment. Be ready to answer questions about prayer, separation of
men
and women and other common issues.
5. CLEAN the mosque. The first impression is one that will last. Make
sure
bathrooms are spotless. Have a mosque clean up day prior to the open
house.
Consider touching up areas that need painting.
6. SET UP a reception area where guests can be received, told about
mosque
etiquette and served refreshments. Have greeters at the door to direct
arriving guests. Have knowledgeable people conduct tours of the
facility.
Do not leave guests alone to wander about the mosque. Give each guest a
nametag. Make sure sisters are available to make female guests feel
welcome.
7. PROVIDE snacks and drinks to make your guests feel welcome. Serving
a
variety of ethnic dishes is an excellent introduction to the diversity
of
our community.
8. SELECT literature to be given to the guests. Do not push materials
on
guests. Let them select what they wish to read. (see "Islam in America
-
The Facts," and "Q&A About Islam and American Muslims")
9. POST signs at appropriate locations in the facility to help guests
find
their way around. Many of them have never been to a mosque before.
10. INFORM CAIR of your open house plans so that we may let others
know.
11. PRAY that your efforts will open the hearts of your guests.
- ACTIVISTS AND LEADERS - PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE
-
-----
BLACK CAUCUS WAVES THE CAUTION FLAG
Restraint Is Urged by Speakers at Terrorism Forum
By Ann Gerhart, The Washington Post, 9/28/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38055-2001Sep27.html
Expert after expert spoke of quick and merciless layoffs in the
hundreds of
thousands, of fears over discrimination and racial profiling, of unease
over broader wiretapping and government monitoring of civilians, of
worthy
domestic agendas set aside for years, of worries for the children of
soldiers gone to war.
"We can wave the flag, just as long and hard as anyone else, but by all
means, we also can ask the tough questions," said Rep. Bennie Thompson
(D-Miss.), who in two weeks overhauled the town hall meeting from its
intended subject of electoral reform. "We went off to war, and we
fought,
just to come back and be on the back of the truck."
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 9/30/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* QUOTE OF THE DAY
* ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE
* THE ROLE OF RELIGION (NY Times)
- SHEIKH HAMZA AND IMAM SIRAJ TO APPEAR ON "60 MINUTES"
* WORDS FROM THE KORAN (Wash. Post)
- LOOKING FOR ANSWERS IN ISLAM'S HOLY BOOK
* WHAT MUSLIM WOULD WRITE: 'THE TIME OF FUN AND WASTE IS GONE'?
(Independent)
* JOURNEY AWAY FROM TERROR ENDS IN QUIET HOPE (Chicago Tribune)
- NYC VISITOR FINDS SAFETY IN MUSLIM'S TAXI
* DOJ INITIATIVE TO COMBAT POST-TERRORISM DISCRIMINATION
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"...the FBI has found little evidence so far that the teams of
hijackers
received much support here [in American], sources said. "There seems to
be
no U.S. mastermind," one official said. The Washington Post, 9/29/2001
-----
ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE
(From and un-edited email received by CAIR.)
I am a resident doctor who wears hijab. After the attacks on the world
trade center I along with many other Muslims felt a bit nervous about
the
anti-Muslim backlash...One of my first days back to work I happened to
go
into see a child accompanied by her mother and rather large stepfather.
Quickly launching into my introductions and questions, I was thinking I
could get through it without issue. Until the stepfather interrupted me
with a, "Hey. You're one of THOSE." There was a long painful pause as I
struggled to keep a neutral expression and voice and mustered up a
calculated, "Huh?" He looked at me and in a booming voice went on,
"Yeah,
you're one of those people. Them folks that people are making trouble
for,
you guys and those Indians. It ain't got nothing to do with y'all, it
ain't
right. They're messing with you guys for no reason at all."
It was, actually, the first of several such encounters over the ensuing
days. It has been so touching to connect with people that, whatever
their
situation in life, show their empathy and concern in whatever ways they
know...
SEND SIMILAR POSITIVE STORIES TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
THE ROLE OF RELIGION
Scholars Call Attacks a Distortion of Islam
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, The New York Times, 9/30/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/30/national/30ISLA.html
With evidence that Muslim militants were responsible for the attacks on
the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon, prominent Islamic scholars and
theologians in the West say unequivocally that nothing in Islam
countenances the Sept. 11 actions. But in interviews, they explained
that
certain scriptural passages are distorted by Islamic extremists like
Osama
bin Laden.
In his office in Leesburg, Va., Taha Jabir Alalwani, the chairman of a
council that issues Islamic legal opinions for Muslims in North
America,
opened a copy of the Koran to Page 1,732 and read aloud in Arabic a
verse
that lays out the rules of when a Muslim may fight.
"The verse says you have a right to fight those people who try to force
you
to adopt another religion or to leave your home," said Dr. Taha, a
Muslim
judge who founded a graduate school in Leesburg to teach Islam to
Westerners and Western values to Muslims. "But America didn't ask you
to
abandon your religion. America didn't deport you, or tell you to leave
your
homes..."
...Mahmoud Ayoub, a professor of Islamic studies and comparative
religion
at Temple University, said: "The Bible has descriptions of the
peaceable
kingdom, where the lamb and the lion lay down together, but it also has
the
Book of Joshua about the bloody conquest of Canaan. Likewise, the Koran
has
plenty of verses that talk about peace, even with Muhammad's enemies,
if
they are inclined toward peace. But then there are also verses that
advocate war. And so, we have to make choices."
War has defined limits, said Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, a Muslim scholar who
is
founder and director of the Zaytuna Institute, an Islamic study center
in
Hayward, Calif.
"The prophet clearly prohibited killing noncombatants, women and
children,"
he said. "The prophet prohibited poisoning wells, which I think can be
applied to biological warfare. The prophet prohibited using fire as a
means
to kill another being, because only the Lord of fire can punish with
fire.
And the destruction of property is prohibited. Even in war, you can't
destroy other people's property..."
SHEIKH HAMZA AND IMAM SIRAJ TO APPEAR ON "60 MINUTES"
http://cbsnews.cbs.com/now/story/0,1597,13502-412,00.shtml
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf will, inshallah, appear as part of a four member
panel
on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday September 30, at 7:00 p.m. ET Other
panelists: Imam Siraj Wahaj, Farid Esack, Faisal Abdur Rauf
Topic: Who are the radicals and how are Muslims in America different
from
those who attacked the country two weeks ago? Ed Bradley finds out they
are
just as frightened as other Americans and that their interpretation of
the
Koran differs greatly from that of the terrorists.
-----
WORDS FROM THE KORAN
The Washington Post, 9/29/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43787-2001Sep29.html
On religious tolerance:
Say ye: "We believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and to
Abraham,
Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and
Jesus,
and that given to [all] prophets from their Lord: We make no difference
between one and another of them: And we bow to God [in Islam]." (Surah
2:136)
Those who believe [in the Qur'an], and those who follow the Jewish
[scriptures], and the Christians and the Sabians, any who believe in
God
and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with
their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Surah
2:62)
On loving your enemies:
It may be that God will grant love [and friendship] between you and
those
whom ye [now] hold as enemies. For God has power [over all things]; And
God
is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah 60:7)
...On kindness to others:
When a [courteous] greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting
still
more courteous, or [at least] of equal courtesy. God takes careful
account
of all things. (Surah 4:86)
And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, [with sincerity and
under
discipline]. He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you
in
religion. . . . So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and
hold
fast to God! He is your Protector -- the Best to protect and the Best
to
help! (Surah 22:78)
SEE ALSO: LOOKING FOR ANSWERS IN ISLAM'S HOLY BOOK
By Bill Broadway, The Washington Post, 9/29/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43785-2001Sep29.html
...Since the Sept. 11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center,
apparently orchestrated by people who quote the Koran to justify
terrorist
acts, President Bush has joined religious leaders in urging Americans
not
to condemn all Muslims because of the actions of a few seeking to
"hijack
Islam..."
-----
WHAT MUSLIM WOULD WRITE: 'THE TIME OF FUN AND WASTE IS GONE'?
Robert Fisk, The Independent, 9/30/2001
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=96697
...The problem is that no Muslim - however ill-taught - would include
his
family in such a prayer. Indeed, he would mention the Prophet Mohamed
immediately after he mentioned God in the first line...
And what Muslim would urge his fellow believers to recite the morning
prayer - and then go on to quote from it? A devout Muslim would not
need to
be reminded of his duty to say the first of the five prayers of the day
-
and would certainly not need to be reminded of the text. It is as if a
Christian, urging his followers to recite the Lord's Prayer, felt it
necessary to read the whole prayer in case they didn't remember it.
American scholars have already raised questions about the use of "100
percent" - hardly a theological term to be found in a religious
exhortation
- and the use of the word "optimistic" with reference to the Prophet is
a
decidedly modern word.
However, the full and original Arabic text has not been released by the
FBI. The translation, as it stands, suggests an almost Christian view
of
what the hijackers might have felt...
From the start, the hole in the story has been the reported behaviour
of
the hijackers. Atta was said to have been a near-alcoholic, while Ziad
Jarrahi, the alleged Lebanese hijacker of the plane which crashed in
Pennsylvania, had a Turkish girlfriend in Hamburg and enjoyed
nightclubs
and drinking. Is this why the published text refers to the
"forgiveness''
of sin?
The final instruction, "to make sure that you are clean, your clothes
are
clean, including your shoes," may have been intended as a call to
purify a
"martyr" before death. Equally, it may reflect the thoughts of a truly
eccentric - and wicked - mind...
-----
JOURNEY AWAY FROM TERROR ENDS IN QUIET HOPE
By Mary Schmich, The Chicago Tribune, 9/30/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0109300451sep30.story
When we last saw Joy Ding and her Pakistani cabdriver, they were
fleeing
for Chicago, the taillights of their 1996 Dodge van receding from the
smoke
of the World Trade Center. Here's a recap of their story, begun in
Friday's
column:
Ding, 29, who grew up in China, is the marketing manager for R.R.
Donnelley
Logistics in Willowbrook. On Sept. 11, she flew to New York for a
meeting.
About 9 a.m., she hopped into an airport cab. While the World Trade
Center
burned and rumbled, the cabbie tried to get her to downtown Manhattan.
He
met roadblock after roadblock.
The driver, Nadeem Quraishi, 29, was prepared to take Ding wherever she
wanted to go. Cabbie's duty. Just say where. She had nowhere. So she
wound
up in the one-bedroom Bronx apartment shared by Quraishi's sister and
brother-in-law and three sons. Traditional Muslims, they treated her
like a
VIP, serving her Pakistani snacks while helping explore her options to
get
home. When all else failed, Quraishi, who never had driven farther than
Connecticut, said he and his brother-in-law would drive her.
"...I'm honored that she trusted me," Quraishi said Thursday, talking
on
his cell phone as he cruised New York's Upper West Side, where business
is
bad these days, at least for a Pakistani Muslim. "It was my privilege
and
honor that she never showed that she was scared."
This is what Ding thought as he drove away: "He did a very tough thing.
I
probably wouldn't do it for someone else. He's going back to another
world,
and not a friendly place. I'm worried for him."
SEE ALSO: NYC VISITOR FINDS SAFETY IN MUSLIM'S TAXI
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0109280001sep28.story
-----
DOJ INITIATIVE TO COMBAT POST-TERRORISM DISCRIMINATION
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/nordwg.html
The Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights has directed the Civil
Rights Division's National Origin Working Group to help combat
violations
of federal civil and criminal rights laws affecting individuals
perceived
to be of Middle Eastern descent.
Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States,
incidents of bias, including hate crimes, assaults and vandalism
against
individuals perceived to be of Middle Eastern origin have been on the
rise.
These incidents are targeted primarily at Arab Americans, Muslim
Americans,
Sikh Americans and South Asian Americans.
The Working Group will seek to combat discrimination by: (1) receiving
reports of violations based on national origin, citizenship status and
religion, including those related to housing, education, employment,
access
to government services, and law enforcement, and referring them to the
appropriate federal authorities; (2) conducting outreach to vulnerable
communities to provide them with information about Department of
Justice
services and connect them with other government agencies that can
assist
them; and (3) working with other Department of Justice components and
other
governmental agencies to ensure accurate referral, effective outreach
and
provision of services to victims of civil rights violations.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/1/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* AN OFFER OF SANCTUARY
* FAITH GROUPS STAND TOGETHER (The Times)
* ABC'S "NIGHTLINE" FEATURES AMERICAN MUSLIMS
* ISLAM GAINS PLACE IN U.S. MILITARY AS RANKS OF MUSLIMS GROW (Seattle
Times)
-----
AN OFFER OF SANCTUARY
(From an un-edited email received by CAIR.)
I came in to work the other day to find a piece of candy with one of my
American colleague's business card on my desk. First I thought he had
obtained a new card and he's giving it to me, I did not have time to
take a
close look or think about it because I had to run to a meeting where he
is
supposed to be also. When I saw him and said thank you for the candy, I
was
thrilled by his response:
"I hope it wont come to this, but just in case you don't feel
comfortable
by what is going on these days, I left you my home address and phone
number
on the back of my business card. Feel free to give me a call or come in
any
time, I have enough space in my house for you and your family."
SEND SIMILAR POSITIVE STORIES TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
ABC'S "NIGHTLINE" FEATURES AMERICAN MUSLIMS
Tonight's ABC News "Nightline" is planning to air two segments dealing
with
the American Muslim community and the aftermath of the September 11th
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The first segment looks
at
how law enforcement agencies are interacting with Muslims following the
attacks. The second piece includes positive stories about Muslims who
received support from friends, co-workers and strangers as a minority
of
Americans attacked or harassed innocent Muslims, Sikhs and
Arab-Americans.
(NOTE: Programs are always subject to change because of breaking news.
Check local listings for times and stations.)
OFFER FEEDBACK AT:
http://abcnews.go.com/Sections/Nightline/
-----
FAITH GROUPS STAND TOGETHER
By KRYSTAL KNAPP, The Times (NJ), 10/1/2001
http://www.njo.com/news/times/index.ssf?/news/times/10-01-EJAR0_PB.html
SOUTH BRUNSWICK -- Reminders of the pain inflicted by the terrorists
filled
the mosque yesterday, from stories told by people who survived the
World
Trade Center attacks, to the poster-sized photo of a missing friend
lost in
the rubble, to the piles of index cards listing a hotline number for
reporting bias crimes.
But soothing pain for the people gathered here yesterday were the words
spoken repeatedly -- salaam, shalom, peace.
Those words sprang from more than 1,500 people gathered at the Islamic
Society of Central Jersey as people of many faiths attended an open
house
for interfaith dialogue to show support to each other and for Muslim
friends...
...More than 30 clergy members of various religions and members of
their
congregations attended the service to show their solidarity, including
several members of the Princeton Clergy Association...
-----
ISLAM GAINS PLACE IN U.S. MILITARY AS RANKS OF MUSLIMS GROW
By Ray Rivera, The Seattle Times, 9/29/2001
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134347642_muslimsoldiers29m.html
FORT LEWIS - Air Force Master Sgt. Tony Muhammad Langley kneels, bows
his
head to the east and prays to Allah.
It is the weekly Friday Islamic worship service in a small chapel that
serves as a mosque for Muslim soldiers here and at nearby McChord Air
Force
Base. Ten years ago, such a service would have been unheard of on a
U.S.
military base. There were no mosques. No Muslim chaplains. And little
consideration for devotees of Islam.
"I think things really started changing after the Gulf War," said
Langley.
"A lot of soldiers who went there came back Muslim."
Now the military, which a decade ago barely acknowledged Muslims in its
ranks, finds itself defending the faith - even as it prepares for war
against radical Islamic terrorists...
...The Defense Department estimates at least 4,000 Muslims serve in the
armed forces...
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/2/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* MORE MESSAGES OF HOPE
* MUSLIM FIREFIGHTER MOURNS COLLEAGUES KILLED IN TERROR ATTACKS
* MUSLIM LEADERS STRUGGLE WITH MIXED MESSAGES (Wash. Post)
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: ARI FLEISCHER
* NATIONAL REVIEW CANS COLUMNIST ANN COULTER (Wash. Post)
* NEGOTIATORS BACK SCALED-DOWN BILL TO BATTLE TERROR (NY Times)
* TWO MEN ACCUSED OF HATE CRIME (LA Times)
* CAIR ST. LOUIS LETTER IN NEWSWEEK
* EVERY ARAB AMERICAN ISN'T A SUSPECT (Chicago Sun-Times)
* BEFORE ATTACKS, U.S. WAS READY TO SAY IT BACKED PALESTINIAN STATE (NY
Times)
* CAIR-OHIO OPEN HOUSE - 10/3
-----
MORE MESSAGES OF HOPE
(From un-edited emails received by CAIR.)
I work for a telecommunications company. A co-worker of mine who sits
across from my cube was away on vacation when the September 11 attacks
occurred. While vacationing in Indiana, he received a call from his
mother
that his father had died, perhaps as a result of a massive heart
attack. My
co-worker could not fly home to North Carolina because the planes were
grounded. He was eventually able to make it back. After spending a few
days
with his mother he came to the office and raced towards me. "Are you
doing
OK man? I have been thinking about you. Let me know if you need help."
Not very close to him, I was pleasantly surprised by his concern. Next
day
he came back to me again and offered a place to live for me and my
family.
I was overwhelmed to find out a little later that his mother, who was
still
mourning the loss of her husband, had asked him to make this offer to
me.
ALSO
I work at a retail store (in Canada) which sells cosmetics and facial
products. About two days after the terrorist attacks in New York woman
came in and I started to talk to her about face moisturizers. When I
was
done she turned and asked, "Are you Moslem?" (Due to the fact that I
wear
hijab). I nodded trying to brace myself for a hurtful comment, but she
surprised me by saying, "Sweetie, I just want to apologize for
everything
that has been going on lately. I know it is not your fault, but some
people
are just ignorant." Her kindness brought tears to my eyes, so I bowed
my
head, partly due to embarrassment; however, when I looked up, I
realized
she was crying with me.
SEND SIMILAR POSITIVE STORIES TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
MUSLIM FIREFIGHTER MOURNS COLLEAGUES KILLED IN TERROR ATTACKS
FDNY BROTHERHOOD
By Kevin James, Chief (Civil Service Weekly), 10/2/2001
(Kevin James is also a representative of CAIR-New York.)
I am proud to be a Muslim, just as I am proud to be member of that
elite
fraternity of firefighters, EMT's, fire marshals, and police officers
who
risked and heroically gave their lives at the World Trade Center. I
mourn
the loss of my brothers, and on behalf of the Islamic Society of Fire
Department Personnel, I extend my condolences to their families and all
who
knew and worked with them...
...The firefighters, EMT's, fire marshals, and police officers of
Muslim
faith who responded to the World Trade Center were sickened by what
they
saw just like everyone else. Please don't add to our pain by painting
our
community as wild-eyed fanatics and terrorists. No matter how they
cloak
themselves, the terrorist's only religion is hatred, whether they be
Osama
Bin-Laden or IRA bombers, or the Baruch Goldsteins and Timothy McVeighs
of
the world. Those giant molotov cocktails filled with jet fuel did not
discriminate about who they killed...
...Those who practice the Muslim faith in America rallied to provide
relief
for the victims and their families as other Americans have. Doctors
donated
their time and blood drives were organized. Mosques and Muslim
charitable
organizations raised money, food and clothing...
...The brotherhood and camaraderie of firefighters never ceases to
amaze
me. I went running last Sunday after a 24-hour tour wearing my Vulcan
Society tee shirt. For those who don't know, the Vulcan Society is the
New
York City Fire Department's fraternal organization of African-American
firefighters. As I lumbered down Second Avenue along the Brooklyn Army
Terminal, I heard the distinctive rumbling of a fire truck from behind
and
then a quick blast on the air horn. The firefighters, all white, waved
as
they went past I waved back. This scene was repeated 2 or 3 times as a
series of fire trucks returned home to quarters with their exhausted
crews.
My eyes watered as I swelled with pride...
-----
MUSLIM LEADERS STRUGGLE WITH MIXED MESSAGES
By Hanna Rosin and John Mintz, The Washington Post, 10/2/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55677-2001Oct1.html
On Sept. 20, FBI agents showed up at the house of Hamza Yusuf, a Muslim
teacher and speaker in Northern California. They wanted to question him
about a speech he had given two days before the Sept. 11 attacks, in
which
he said that the U.S. "stands condemned" and that "this country has a
great, great tribulation coming to it."
"He's not home," his wife said. "He's with the president."
The agents thought she was joking, Yusuf said. But she wasn't. That day
Yusuf was at the White House, the only Muslim in a group of religious
leaders invited to pray with President Bush, sing "God Bless America,"
and
endorse the president's plans for military action.
"Hate knows no religion. Hate knows no country," Yusuf said that day
outside the White House. "Islam was hijacked on that September 11,
2001, on
that plane as an innocent victim."
Yusuf's mixed message created awkwardness for the White House -- and
revealed a dilemma for the suddenly very visible Muslim leadership in
America.
The president invited Yusuf because he is one of the "leading Muslim
clerics," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. When the
president
meets with a group, "you should never assume . . . that he would ever
agree
with anything anybody in that group has said," added another Bush
spokesman, Ari Fleischer.
Before the Sept. 11 attacks, Yusuf's speeches would occasionally stray
into
anti-American rhetoric, hitting apocalyptic themes. At least one other
Muslim leader invited to the White House since the attacks also has
made
provocative remarks about America.
But now Yusuf has joined other American Muslim leaders as they have
closed
ranks behind the message that Islam is a peaceful religion and that
extremists are outside its fold...
...Another popular Muslim cleric invited to the White House after the
attacks also has made controversial remarks. Muzammil Siddiqi, who also
spoke at a service at the Washington National Cathedral after the
attacks,
harshly criticized U.S. support for Israel at a rally outside the White
House last October, at which marchers chanted in praise of the
Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group.
"America has to learn," Siddiqi said at the rally. "If you remain on
the
side of injustice, the wrath of God will come. Please, all Americans.
Do
you remember that? Allah is watching everyone. God is watching
everyone. If
you continue doing injustice, and tolerate injustice, the wrath of God
will
come." Siddiqi could not be reached for comment.
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"As I indicated already, I'll say it again, when the President meets
with
groups, it's not an indication, of course, that he agrees with
everything
anybody may have said in that group." (10/1/2001) Presidential press
secretary Ari Fleischer in response to a question about the
advisability of
President Bush's meetings with American Muslim leaders.
-----
NATIONAL REVIEW CANS COLUMNIST ANN COULTER
By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post, 10/2/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55454-2001Oct1.html
Even by her usual incendiary standards, Ann Coulter's response to the
terrorist attacks was something of a jaw-dropper.
"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them
to
Christianity," the conservative commentator declared in her column on
National Review Online.
Those words created an uproar at the Web site, which refused to run a
follow-up piece in which Coulter singled out what she called "swarthy
males." She promptly began bad-mouthing National Review, which
responded by
axing her as a contributing editor...
...Asked for comment, National Review Online Editor Jonah Goldberg
said:
"We didn't feel we wanted to be associated with the comments expressed
in
those two columns. We got a lot of complaints from sponsors and a lot
of
complaints from readers left, right and center. We've decided for
editorial
reasons we think are sound that we're no longer going to run Ann
Coulter's
syndicated column..."
-----
NEGOTIATORS BACK SCALED-DOWN BILL TO BATTLE TERROR
By NEIL A. LEWIS and ROBERT PEAR, The New York Times, 10/2/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/02/national/02RIGH.html
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 - Democratic and Republican negotiators in the
House reached agreement today on a bill that would give law enforcement
officials expanded authority to wiretap suspected terrorists, share
intelligence information about them and monitor their Internet
communications.
But the compromise bill also makes the wiretap authority temporary and
omits or scales back some of the measures the Bush administration
sought,
notably the authority to detain immigrants suspected of terrorism
indefinitely without charges. The administration had been pressing for
far
more extensive changes in the law and had hoped its proposals would
move
with little debate through a Congress eager to respond to the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon...
-----
TWO MEN ACCUSED OF HATE CRIME
Charges: They allegedly followed a Latino man to his home and beat him
because they thought he was of Middle Eastern descent.
By DAVID PIERSON and CAITLIN LIU, Los Angeles Times, 10/2/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000078673oct02.story
Hate crime charges will be filed today against two white men who
allegedly
followed a Latino man to his Lancaster home and attacked him,
mistakenly
thinking he was from the Middle East, according to district attorney
spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons...
"...It appears that these two suspects mistook the victim for a person
of
Middle Eastern descent" based on statements they made, said Sheriff's
Lt.
Gordon Carn of the Lancaster station. Pimental was driving on the
Antelope
Valley Freeway near Lancaster about 9:15 p.m. Friday when two men in a
white truck tailgated him and bumped his car, authorities said.
Pimental
left the freeway and the men followed, bumping his car two more times
and
yelling at him, Patterson said.
-----
CAIR ST. LOUIS LETTER IN NEWSWEEK
http://www.msnbc.com/news/635899.asp
In the two weeks after the tragic events, Muslim store owners have been
murdered, scarved women have been assaulted by bat-wielding gangs and a
mosque has had a Ford Mustang driven through it. On certain Northwest
and
Delta flights, pilots have refused to fly with passengers they thought
looked like Arabs or Muslims. These acts totally contradict American
principles and reflect the same kind of prejudice as the terrorists'
perverse plan. There are more than 1 billion Muslims on earth and 3
million
to 6 million living in this wonderful country. To harass an entire
demographic based on the actions of a few goes against everything the
Founding Fathers worked so hard to achieve.
Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar
Midwest Communications Director
Council on American-Islamic Relations
St. Louis, Mo.
-----
EVERY ARAB AMERICAN ISN'T A SUSPECT
BY MARK BROWN, Chicago Sun-Times, 10/2/2001
http://www.suntimes.com/output/brown/cst-nws-brown02.html
Itedal Shalabi, a Palestinian American, was taking a nap upstairs in
her
Bridgeview home one evening last week when the doorbell rang. Moments
later, her 11-year-old son came running into her room.
"Mom. Mom. It's the FBI," he said. As you can imagine, Shalabi awoke in
a
hurry...
-----
BEFORE ATTACKS, U.S. WAS READY TO SAY IT BACKED PALESTINIAN STATE
By JANE PERLEZ and PATRICK E. TYLER, The New York Times, 10/2/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/02/international/02MIDE.html
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 - Before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, the Bush
administration was on the verge of announcing a Middle East diplomatic
initiative that would include United States support for the creation of
a
Palestinian state, administration officials said, and it is now
weighing
how to revive the plan...
-----
CAIR-OHIO OPEN HOUSE - 10/3
CAIR Ohio invites you to our monthly open house. Please come and join
us in
discussing issues of concern to you and our communities.
WHERE: CAIR Ohio
4700 Reed Road, Suite B
Columbus, Ohio
Tel 614-451-3232
WHEN: Wednesday, October 3, 2001
6 - 8 p.m.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/3/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS
* N. KY. RAID A BUM STEER (Cincinnati Enquirer)
* IN 60 YEARS, WHAT WILL WE THINK OF THIS ETHNIC CRACKDOWN? (Mercury
News)
* WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN AGAIN DEFENDS MEETING WITH MUSLIMS
* A MUSLIM CHILD DEFENDS THE FAITH (Birmingham News)
* PBS TO RE-BROADCAST "ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH"
* SOME SEATS REMAIN FOR CAIR'S ANNUAL BANQUET ON OCT. 7
* SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MUSLIMS TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING
-----
SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS
(From a un-edited emails received by CAIR.)
I am the principal of our newly opened full-time Islamic school...This
is
the first year of school and I have been very nervous about what has
recently taken place.
Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised when the principal of the public
elementary school right behind us came to introduce herself. She said,
"I
just wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to our neighborhood. I
am
happy to assist you in whatever you need--please feel free to contact
me
anytime. I hope the recent events that have taken place don't make you
uncomfortable in anyway."
I was deeply moved and sent her a letter today. In it I said, "It is
people
like you that makes us all proud to be American. American in
citizenship,
and more importantly, American in spirit."
ALSO
I live in Oakdale MN. A week after the Sept. 11 hijacking, a neighbor
of
mine came to me with flowers cut from her garden and fresh baked
cookies.
She gave me a card with signatures from neighbors (lots from the next
culdesac down - whom I don't even know) and told me how everyone was
worried about me. They know that I am Muslim because I wear a hijab.
In the card, people reassured me that they don't associate me with the
terrorists and offered their help if needed. The best part was when
tears
started rolling down her cheeks. Even though we hear about the increase
in
discrimination since Sept 11th, there are a lot more people out there
with
open minds and kindness in their hearts.
SEND SIMILAR POSITIVE STORIES TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
N. KY. RAID A BUM STEER
By Patrick Crowley, The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/3/2001
http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/10/03/loc_n_ky_raid_bum_steer.html
BURLINGTON - Federal authorities made a case of mistaken identity when
they
rounded up about 25 North African immigrants during a Sept. 21 sweep
through three Boone County apartment complexes. The FBI was following
up on
a tip - now thought to be erroneous - that some of the Sept. 11
hijackers
had been living in Northern Kentucky.
It is believed that none of the immigrants detained - all identified by
authorities as Muslims from Mauritania, an Islamic nation in Northwest
Africa - is still being held by federal officials, although a local
investigation by the Boone County Sheriff's office is continuing.
-----
IN 60 YEARS, WHAT WILL WE THINK OF THIS ETHNIC CRACKDOWN?
BY SHARON NOGUCHI, San Jose Mercury News, 10/3/2001
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/opinion/columns/043504.htm
ON Dec. 8, 1941, FBI agents showed up at the San Francisco flower
market
and arrested Kaoru Okamura. They escorted him to his Redwood City
nursery,
where he gathered extra clothes, then took him away without
explanation.
Sakaye "Sak" Okamura, now retired from chrysanthemum-growing, didn't
see or
hear from his father for more than half a year. In Lodi, the FBI picked
up
Taro George Masuda. "I can even remember the rap on the door when they
came," said his daughter, Susie Sasagawa of Palo Alto. His wife and
five
children sobbed, not knowing where their father was going...
...Two weeks ago, FBI agents appeared unannounced at the Orange County
home
of American-born Dr. Riad Z. Abdelkarim. In an interview, the agents
didn't
ask whether he knew the hijacking suspects, or show him their pictures.
Instead, they quizzed him on his political views. "If you'd read the
newspapers, you'd know them," answered Abdelkarim, who frequently
contributes opinion pieces to major dailies...
...In 2001, our leaders have called on us not to vilify Arab and
Muslim-Americans. It's unclear whether investigators have gotten that
message. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which is
encouraging Muslims to cooperate with investigators, is concerned that
even
those volunteering information have been treated as suspects and
intimidated...
-----
WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN AGAIN DEFENDS MEETING WITH MUSLIMS
Regular Press Briefing by White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer,
10/2/2001
Q Ari, we've learned additional comments by some of the people who
attended the meeting with the president, particularly Hamza Yusuf.
Does
the White House now have any second thoughts at all about the people
who
were invited to that meeting?
MR. FLEISCHER: Jim, I think I've addressed that question repeatedly in
the
last several days. There's no answer - no different answer.
Q Ari?
Q Are you aware of all the --
MR. FLEISCHER: Go ahead.
Q Were you aware of all the things that those people had said
before
you came, or was that a surprise to the White House?
MR. FLEISCHER: We were aware that there very well could have been
statements made and the president didn't agree with them. The
president
will have meetings with groups that he does not agree with everything
they
say. But it's also important to remind Americans that even for those
who
have differing views, that the rights of Arab Americans, Muslim
Americans
must be respected...
-----
A MUSLIM CHILD DEFENDS THE FAITH
The Birmingham News (Alabama), 10/2/2001
http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/today/
I am 9 years old, and I am a Muslim. I am writing this essay to tell
you
about Muslims. Muslims are not bad people. They do not do bad things.
They
do not blow up buildings. They respect people. They respect the world.
Muslims aren't mean to people. They are friendly and honest.
Muslims live all over the world. Not all Muslims are the same.
We worship one God, Allah. Allah has 99 names, like the Most Gracious
and
the Most Merciful. Muslims pray five times a day. We fast in Ramadan
from
dawn until dusk. Our holy book is the Koran. We should try to go to the
Kaba in Mecca at least once in our lifetime if we can.
Muslims are clean; they are not dirty. Muslims are kind to animals.
They do
not hurt animals.
We believe in Prophet Mohammed and many other prophets like Adam,
Abraham,
Noah and Jesus. Shaytan is the Arabic word for the devil. He makes
people
do bad things. He is bad.
Janan Abdein
Homewood
-----
PBS TO RE-BROADCAST "ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH"
Robert Gardner, producer-director of the documentary series "Islam:
Empire
of Faith," informed CAIR that PBS has decided to re-broadcast his
program.
Airdates for the three-part series are October 5, 12 and 19 (10 p.m.
EDT).
Check local listings for details, or go to www.pbs.org and look up the
contact information for your local station. Call the programming
department
if you do not find the program on the schedule.
DESCRIPTION: ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH tells the story of the great sweep
of
Islamic power and faith during its first 1,000 years -- from the birth
of
the prophet Muhammad to the peak of the Ottoman Empire under the reign
of
Suleyman the Magnificent. Interviews with scholars from around the
world
are intercut with evocative reenactments, ethnographic footage and an
exposition of Islamic art, artifacts and architecture. ISLAM: EMPIRE OF
FAITH recounts the glory of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo. It is the epic
story of a cultural empire that dominated a millennium, encompassed
half
the world and shaped history.
The three-hour series provides a foundation for better understanding
the
Islamic faith, which has become a topic of conversation and an area of
misunderstanding following the recent terrorist attacks.
NOTE: Robert Gardner is scheduled to speak, and receive an award, at
CAIR's
Annual Fundraising Banquet on October 7.
-----
SOME SEATS REMAIN FOR CAIR'S ANNUAL BANQUET ON OCT. 7
(Seating is limited, please call 202-488-8787 TODAY to avoid
disappointment.)
REP. MCKINNEY, IMAM SIRAJ, ROB GARDNER TO SPEAK AT CAIR ANNUAL DINNER
The Council on American-Islamic Relations cordially invites you to
attend
its Seventh Annual Fundraising Banquet
"MUSLIMS IN AMERICA: BRAVING THE STORM"
with
REP. CYNTHIA MCKINNEY (D-GA)
MR. ROB GARDNER
Producer/Director of the PBS documentary
"Islam: Empire of Faith"
IMAM SIRAJ WAHHAJ
2001 Islamic Community Service Awards
-----
WHEN: Sunday, October 7, 2001
Registration begins at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner
8661 Leesburg Pike, Tysons Corner/Vienna, VA
TICKETS: $55/$85 per couple
No children please.
(Limited babysitting with prior notice only - $10 per
child.)
For information, call 202-488-8787.
-----
----- CLIP AND E-MAIL/FAX -----
___ YES, I will attend. Enclosed is my check, payable to CAIR, in the
amount of $______ for _____ seats.
___ SORRY, I will not be able to attend. But I would like to support
CAIR's
important work defending and promoting the image of Islam and the
rights of
Muslims by sending a donation of $______.
(FAX: 202-488-0833 E-MAIL: cair1@ix.netcom.com CALL: 202-488-8787)
Person Purchasing Tickets:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Daytime Phone:
Evening Phone:
Names of Other Attendees:
Payment: ___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard ___Discover ___Money Order
Credit Card Number:
Exp. Date:
Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
-----
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MUSLIMS TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING
Religious and political leaders will address over 800 attendees
In the Aftermath of the Terrorist Attack: New Challenges for American
Muslims, Is there really a clash of civilizations?
WHAT: On Saturday, October 6, the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR-LA) is holding a town hall meeting to discuss the new challenges
for
American Muslims in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack.
Invited guests include:
Dr. John Esposito, a professor of Religion and International Affairs
and of
Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. Dr. Esposito is founding
director
of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and is considered a
leading expert on Islam.
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), a strong defender of the civil
rights of American Muslims. Rep. McKinney is a proponent of a U.S.
foreign
policy that reflects American values of fairness and justice.
At a time when certain political pundits are warning of a new "clash of
civilizations" between Islam and the "West", forum speakers will refute
this theory and emphasize solidarity among all Americans. Over 800
community members and leaders of interfaith groups are expected to
attend.
WHEN: Saturday, October 6, 7:00 p.m. dinner, 8:00 p.m. program starts,
10:00 p.m. program ends.
WHERE: Sequoia Conference Center, 7530 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park,
CA
CONTACT: Hussam Ayloush, Executive Director, CAIR-LA 714-776-1847
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #312
CAIR'S DINNER IN DC IS SOLD OUT
Your support is still vital to our work during this crisis
(WASHINGTON, DC - 10/4/2001) - Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), CAIR's
October 7th annual dinner with Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) in
Washington, D.C., is sold out. More than 1,000 tickets have already
been
sold, and more are being requested. (We apologize for any inconvenience
this may cause.)
"This overwhelming show of support is an indication that Muslims
appreciate
the efforts of all of the Islamic organizations during this time of
national crisis," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad asked
those
who are unable to obtain tickets for the dinner to show their support
by
making a generous donation. (See form below.)
In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, CAIR worked to
meet
the needs of victims, their families and the Muslim community. On the
day
of the attacks, CAIR, as part of the American Muslim Political
Coordination
Council and along with other national Muslim groups, issued a strong
condemnation and called on Muslims to offer any possible assistance.
On September 12, CAIR's leadership participated in a press conference
in
front of George Washington University Hospital urging American Muslims
to
donate blood. At this same time, CAIR established a "Crisis Center" on
its
web site (www.cair-net.org) and initiated daily news updates to the
community and the media. CAIR's staff and budget are stretched to the
limit.
As reports of anti-Muslim backlash began to surface, CAIR faxed letters
to
all members of Congress and to the president asking them to support
American Muslims. CAIR also issued an alert recommending a variety of
safety precautions for mosques.
On September 14, CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad attended
the
national interfaith service with President Bush held at the Washington
Cathedral. CAIR's Nihad Awad, along with other Muslim leaders, met
with
President Bush to discuss Muslim issues and concerns.
On September 16, CAIR printed a full-page ad in the "A" section of the
Washington Post. This ad condemned the attack, offered condolences to
the
victims and their families, and applauded the efforts of relief
workers. To
date, CAIR's staff has processed more than 700 reports of anti-Muslim
incidents since the attacks. This initial figure is more than two times
the
number of incidents CAIR receives in an entire year.
During the crisis, CAIR has been working non-stop with the national and
international media. A partial list of media outlets that have
interviewed
CAIR National since September 11 includes: ABC Nightline, Newsweek,
Associated Press, CBC Radio, New York Times, Washington Post, National
Public Radio, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, New
York
Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Fox News, NBC, CBS,
CNN,
People Magazine, Gannett News Service, BBC, Boston Globe, Miami Herald,
the
Newshour with Jim Leher, Religion News Service, Bloomberg News, San
Francisco Chronicle, US News & World Report, the Detroit Free Press,
and
dozens (perhaps hundreds) of other local and national print or
broadcast
media outlets.
CAIR and other groups also called on mosques nationwide to hold open
houses
to present a positive image of Islam and the Muslim community.
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/4/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* OPRAH TO OFFER "ISLAM 101"
* WHY CHECHNYA IS DIFFERENT (Washington Post)
* MUSLIM BUSINESS OWNERS WATCH SALES FALL, FEAR BACKLASH (USA Today)
* HOLLYWOOD STRUGGLES TO CREATE VILLAINS FOR A NEW CLIMATE (NY Times)
* IDENTITY MISTAKEN, HE STAYS UNSHAKEN (Philadelphia Inquirer)
* ISLAMIC BANKING SURVEY
* COLORADO MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
-----
OPRAH TO OFFER "ISLAM 101"
http://www.oprah.com
On Friday, October 5, the Oprah Winfrey Show will discuss basic Islamic
beliefs in a program called "Islam 101."
FROM THE OPRAH.COM WEB SITE: "Since our world was horribly shaken three
weeks ago, all eyes have focused on a part of the world and a set of
beliefs that many of us know very little about.
"We're told that terrorism violates the teachings of Islam, but what is
Islam? Who are Muslims? What are their practices?
"Even if you think you know the answers, this show is for you."
FEEDBACK: http://www.oprah.com/email/tows/email_tows_main.jhtml
-----
WHY CHECHNYA IS DIFFERENT
The Washington Post, 10/4/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2683-2001Oct3.html
...Mr. Putin would like the world to believe that the U.S. steps are
equivalent to his own support for a U.S. offensive against Osama bin
Laden
and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But they are not; and before the
Bush administration goes further in backing Mr. Putin's policies in
Chechnya, it is worth reviewing why that conflict, and the terrorism
associated with it, are different.
Chechnya is not a terrorist syndicate or an Islamic movement but a
nation
that was conquered by Russia in the 19th century and that for more than
a
decade has been seeking to regain self-rule. Its leader, Aslan
Maskhadov,
is not an Islamic extremist or even a man of arms but a pro-Western
politician who was democratically elected in 1997, two years before Mr.
Putin chose to reverse a peace accord by sending 80,000 Russian troops
to
invade the republic.
Most important, the most brutal atrocities of the Chechen conflict -- a
fight that could have been avoided had Russia been willing to grant
self-rule to this subject nation -- have been perpetrated not by
international terrorists or the Chechen rebels but by Mr. Putin's own
Russian forces...
-----
MUSLIM BUSINESS OWNERS WATCH SALES FALL, FEAR BACKLASH
By Lorrie Grant, USA Today, 10/4/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/money/general/2001-10-04-islamic-biz.htm
October is shaping up to be a bad month for restaurateur Hafiz Abbasi.
Weekend wedding celebrations and engagement and retirement parties at
his
Afghan Restaurant -- key moneymakers -- all have canceled through Oct.
26
after the terrorist attacks. Sales at his Alexandria, Va., restaurant,
not
far from the Pentagon, are off $ 30,000, about 40%, since Sept. 11.
"They say they are scared there may be some retaliation because the
restaurant says 'Afghan,' " Abbasi says. His is just one of many
Muslim-owned businesses reeling from effects of the attacks. For some,
the
fallout has gone beyond lost business to vandalism and threats...
-----
HOLLYWOOD STRUGGLES TO CREATE VILLAINS FOR A NEW CLIMATE
Now that America has an actual national villain in the form of Islamic
terrorists, what will Hollywood do?
By RICK LYMAN The New York Times, 10/3/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/03/movies/03VILL.html
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2 After more than a decade of fumbling about in
search of
a workable bad guy upon which to hang its crowd-pleasing action
blockbusters, Hollywood has been handed the gift of actual national
villains in the form of Islamic terrorists. But unlike the months after
Pearl Harbor, when moviemakers enthusiastically embraced stereotypes of
Japanese evil, this time the entertainment industry has opted for
restraint
to avoid accusations of bias and the danger of offending audience
sensibilities in an increasingly multiracial America...
"...I don't think anybody would have a problem with making the Taliban
the
bad guy," the film producer Alison R. Rosenzweig said. "You just have
to be
careful that it doesn't seem as though all Arabs or all Muslims are bad
guys. You'll have to be really sensitive to that..."
-----
IDENTITY MISTAKEN, HE STAYS UNSHAKEN
A N.J. man resembles a terrorism suspect. Although he lost a job and a
relative's business suffered, he said: "I love America. I understand."
By Angela Couloumbis, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/3/2001
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/10/03/local_news/JGAS03.htm
BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Akram Mena is back to pumping gas - and
grateful
for it. Shortly after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington,
the
37-year-old Egyptian native thought his life had irrevocably changed
because he looked strikingly like one of the hijackers.
Residents of the Bayville section of this Shore community in Ocean
County
remembered Mena from his days pumping gas and told agents that they
thought
he was Marwan al-Shehhi, believed to have piloted a United Airlines
plane
into the World Trade Center's South Tower.
Investigators inquired about Mena's past, and newspapers reported that
the
gas station was under suspicion.
As the FBI later acknowledged, it was a case of mistaken identity, one
of
several to emerge as hundreds of people have been caught up in a
nationwide
security sweep prompted by the deadliest attack in American history.
The only thing he could do at first, Mena said, was pick up the phone
and,
in his faltering English, explain his situation to the FBI.
His name was cleared, but not before he lost his job as a welder and a
torrent of threats fell on the Bayville Shell station, where he had
worked
until six months ago and which his cousin Magdy Beshara owns.
Still, Mena said, he is not bitter...
-----
ISLAMIC BANKING SURVEY
Please take the survey on Islamic banking conducted by ImanLinc. They
would
like to know your preferences if a Shari'ah-based bank were to offer
its
services in your community. Your input is crucial in helping us develop
a
product portfolio.
Please take a moment and fill the survey by clicking on the following
link:
http://203.194.131.212/imanlinc/bsurvey.htm
ImanLinc
http://www.imanlinc.com
1-866-369-8705
-----
COLORADO MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
What: The Islamic Society of Colorado Springs will hold an Open House
on
Sunday, October 7th, between 2 and 5 pm. Short presentations on Islam
will
be repeated at 2:20, 3:20 and 4:20.
Refreshments will be served, and local Muslims will be present to
discuss
their faith.
When: Sunday, October 7th, 2 - 5 pm
Where: Islamic Society of Colorado Springs, 2125 N. Chestnut, 80907
Contact: Islamic Society of Colorado Springs
(719) 632-3364
Arshad Yousufi
(719) 590-2930
Leslie Rezgui
(719) 229-1928
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/5/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* ANN COULTER SAYS DEPORT ONE MILLION MUSLIMS
* MUSLIMS ABHOR THE DOUBLE STANDARD (LA Times)
* MUSLIM LEADER RESPONDS TO THE WASHINGTON POST
* IN TERROR AFTERMATH, MUSLIM FIREFIGHTERS COPE WITH MORE THAN GRIEF,
RUBBLE (AP)
* FBI DIRECTOR ROBERT MUELLER REPORTS ON BACKLASH
* MUSLIMS RECEIVE THREATS, SUPPORT (Sacramento Bee)
* THE OTHER AMERICANS (Metro Pulse)
* SCREENING OF "ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH" IN MARYLAND
* JOURNALIST SEEKS MUSLIM WOMEN FOR INTERVIEWS
* CAIR-CAN: MUSLIMS AND THE MEDIA 101
-----
ANN COULTER SAYS DEPORT ONE MILLION MUSLIMS
Capitol Hill Blue
http://www2.uclick.com/client/cap/ac/
House leaders recently rejected the Bush administration's request for
authority to detain suspected terrorists indefinitely. Under the House
plan, the government could hold immigrants suspected of terrorism for
only
seven days without bringing charges.
Let's hope seven days is enough for the government to perform a
thorough
intelligence-based investigation of a million Muslim immigrants...
...Surely, thousands of immigrants could be waived in instantly on the
basis of reliable evidence either that they are not Muslims, or that
they
are the peaceful, law-abiding variety not planning mass murder -- as
opposed to the peaceful, law-abiding Muslims who recently slaughtered
thousands of our fellow countrymen...
...A mass deportation order also ought to ease the way for "ethnic
profiling." If noncitizens from various suspect countries were under an
order to leave, all security personnel would have grounds to look for
potential violators of that law...
POLITE COMMENTS TO: (Hostile comments WILL be used to harm the image of
Muslims and Islam.)
Lee Salem
Editorial Director
Universal Press Syndicate
4520 Main St, Ste 700
Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
E-MAIL: lsalem@uexpress.com, gmelvin@uexpress.com,
amcdermott@uexpress.com,
eandersen@uexpress.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
MUSLIMS ABHOR THE DOUBLE STANDARD
By GRAHAM E. FULLER, The Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000079717oct05.story
Graham E. Fuller is a former vice chairman of the National Intelligence
Council at the CIA
Since Sept. 11, we have repeatedly heard that the Muslim world "hates
American values"--a view that is dangerously wrong. In fact, the vast
majority of Muslims or even Islamist political parties do not challenge
most American values, but query whether the United States is constant
to
its own values, especially the spread of democracy...
...it is not our values to which Muslims are hostile; it is their
perception of our unwillingness to share these values that brings forth
anger. They accuse the U.S. of maintaining a double standard: Our
values
are fine for home consumption but are not for export. Washington
regularly
promotes democracy in Latin America and Africa but rarely if ever in
the
Muslim world...
-----
MUSLIM LEADER RESPONDS TO THE WASHINGTON POST
The Editor, Washington Post, Washington D.C.
Dear Sir:
Hanna Rosin and John Mintz's article in your esteemed paper ("Muslim
Leaders Struggle With Mixed Messages," October 2, 2001) quotes me out
of
context and gives a very distorted view of my position.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55677-2001Oct1.html)
The rally referred to in the article was entitled "Solidarity for
Jerusalem." The rally was in support of the Palestinian people's
struggle
for justice and particularly for Muslims' rights in the City of
Jerusalem,
the site of the Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. The rally was not in
support of any particular group or party in the Middle East, as the
article
suggests. The organizers did not approve any slogans or banners except
those calling for peace and justice in Palestine and Jerusalem.
In my speech at the rally, I did mention that injustice has been
suffered
by the Palestinian people. I did say that certain U.S. policies in the
Middle East were not just. I did remind the audience of the warning of
the
wrath of God against those who do injustice or those who support
injustice,
a warning which was given by many prophets of God, including many of
those
mentioned in the Bible. But I also said that we wished the blessings of
God
for America, and not the wrath of God. I also said that we want God's
blessings for all people and wish to awaken the conscience of America.
I am sad to see that the authors of this article attempted to distort
my
honest criticism of a specific U.S. foreign policy (which criticism is
shared by many patriotic Americans, of all faiths) into a condemnation
of
America itself. The authors mentioned the warning about wrath but
ignored
the rest of my speech and, specifically, my prayer for blessings upon
America. Honest reporting demands giving the whole story. Even if you
disagree with someone it is important not to misrepresent and malign
that
person.
I do not feel I need to prove my love for America and my fellow
Americans. My record speaks for itself. I have supported and worked
for
interfaith relations for more than 30 years. I have given numerous
speeches
and participated in many discussions in churches, synagogues and
mosques,
calling for good relations among all people regardless of race, color
and
faith. I have received support from people of all faiths. I am pleased
to
have many good friends in the Jewish and Christian communities. I want
nothing but peace and justice for America and all people in the world.
I
abhor and totally reject and condemn all terrorism in any part of the
world.
Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Former President of the Islamic Society of North America
Director, the Islamic Society of Orange County
9752 West 13th Street, Garden Grove, CA 92844
714-531-1722
-----
IN TERROR AFTERMATH, MUSLIM FIREFIGHTERS COPE WITH MORE THAN GRIEF,
RUBBLE
By KATHERINE ROTH, The Associated Press, 10/4/2001
NEW YORK (AP) -- As Farooq Muhammad treated victims of the World Trade
Center attack, the emergency medical technician and Muslim struggled
with
more than saving lives.
"Even as I was helping treat people from the service, I could see they
were
looking at me in a different way," he said. "I felt ashamed because
Muslims
had done this. I felt ashamed of my religion and I felt isolated."
An American of Pakistani descent, Muhammad is among an estimated 200 to
300
Muslims in the 13,000-member Fire Department. While they grieve for the
more than 300 firefighters lost, they are also dealing with the fallout
of
the attack made in the name of Islam.
"It's a double whammy. As a human being I'm outraged. As a Muslim I
feel
the people who did this launched an attack on Islam," said Kevin James,
a
supervising fire marshal and president of the Islamic Society of Fire
Department Personnel.
Muhammad, 26, was helping at the scene when the twin towers collapsed
and
was injured himself in the stampede away from the falling buildings. He
has
spent the three weeks since struggling with his feelings that
morning...
..Muhammad said he felt relieved when, amid the chaos and suffocating
debris, he found himself face to face with a Muslim colleague...
...At least one Muslim, Salman Hamdani, a police cadet working on an
emergency medical service team, is missing following the attacks.
-----
FBI DIRECTOR ROBERT MUELLER REPORTS ON BACKLASH
Remarks at a news conference in Washington, D.C., 10/4/2001
...One area in which state and local enforcement has historically
played a
leading role is in the area of civil rights. And during these times of
anxiety and frustration, that role has taken on increasing importance.
Vigilante attacks against Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Americans continue to
escalate. Yesterday alone, the FBI initiated 15 new investigations,
possibly linked to the September 11th attacks, which brings to the
total,
120 investigations we've opened under the hate crimes statute...
-----
MUSLIMS RECEIVE THREATS, SUPPORT
By Laura Mecoy, The Sacramento Bee, 10/4/2001
http://www.capitolalert.com/news/capalert02_20011004.html
The killing of an Arab American convenience store owner in the Fresno
County community of Reedley last weekend sent tremors of fear through
the
local Arab American community.
Muslim leaders urged the slaying be investigated as a hate crime
triggered
by anger over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and
Washington...
...Statewide and nationally, Arab American and Muslim leaders said fear
continues to pervade their community, even as reports of hate crimes
against Arab Americans and Muslims subsided in the last two weeks.
...Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Southern California
chapter of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his organization has
received 10 to 15 reports of supportive gestures for every single
account
of a hate incident. Non-Muslim women have offered to wear traditional
Muslim head scarves to show their support for Muslim women, he said,
and
some families have shopped for Muslim women who are afraid to leave
their
homes.
In Pomona, Ayloush said non-Muslim neighbors even escorted Muslim
parents
and their children to a local Islamic school.
"I have seen and heard things I would never have believed or imagined,"
he
said. "It makes me proud to be an American..."
-----
THE OTHER AMERICANS
In the aftermath of brutal terrorism, some Americans have been singled
out.
But people rarely fit into the categories we create.
By Joe Tarr, Metro Pulse Online, 10/4/2001
http://www.metropulse.com/dir_zine/dir_2001/1140/t_cover.html
Maha Ayesh heard about the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in her first class
at
the University of Tennessee that morning. A classmate mentioned that
two
planes had flown into the World Trade Center. It was terrorists, he
said.
He was kind of vague, but said a guy on the radio was blaming
Palestinians...
...After class she walked over campus alone. It was 11 a.m., and she
was
worried about what it all meant and not sure what to do, knowing that
everyone probably suspected Arabs or Muslims.
Students were crowded around a television in a lounge but she was
afraid to
join them. She called her mom on her cell phone. "Come home if you want
to," her mother said.
"I have a Palestinian flag on my rearview mirror," Ayesh says. "She
told me
to take it down..."
-----
SCREENING OF "ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH" IN MARYLAND
WHAT: A presentation of the PBS series "Islam: Empire of Faith" Rob
Gardner, producer/director of the series, will be on hand to answer
questions.
WHEN: October 14, 4 to 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Islamic Education Center, 7919 Montrose Road, Potomac,
MD
-----
JOURNALIST SEEKS MUSLIM WOMEN FOR INTERVIEWS
Hello. My name is Reshma Yaqub. I am a reporter for a national women's
magazine called Glamour.
I am searching for women in Arab/Muslim countries to interview for an
article about what women around the world are feeling in the aftermath
of
the attacks on the U.S. I'm ideally looking for women in their 20s and
30s
(that's the target audience of the magazine, but really, any age is
fine),
living in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq,
Palestine/Israel, and other potentially affected areas. Can you help by
either putting me in touch with such women (by giving me their email
addresses) and circulating this message to others who may be able to
help?
I need to get interviews with about 10 women by October 12, 2001.
My questions for the women, to be asked and answered via email: What do
you
want American women to know about what you are feeling after the attack
on
the US, and on the cusp of potential US military response in your part
of
the world? What are your fears, concerns, hopes, prayers? What is life
like
there now - for you as a person living there and for you as a woman?
How
are people around you behaving/reacting? What do you want Americans to
know
about your people, your community, your religion, your government? How
did
you react when you heard about the attack on the US? Do you have copies
of
any emails that you sent to friends/relatives after the attack,
expressing
your concerns? Perhaps we could excerpt those.
As I am on deadline, I would sincerely appreciate hearing from you soon
if
you are able to help. Thank you for your time!
Best wishes, Reshma Yaqub
TEL: 301-762-8713
E-MAIL: reshmay@aol.com
-----
CAIR-CAN: MUSLIMS AND THE MEDIA 101
An emergency workshop on the essential tools for media activism
WHAT: An intensive, hands-on workshop
WHEN: Sunday, October 7th, 2001
9:30 am (sharp!) to 3:30 pm
Breaks to include lunch and dhuhr
WHERE: Ottawa University
Montpetit 202
CONTACT: canada@cair-net.org
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/7/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* BREAKING NEWS - AMERICA ATTACKS AFGHANISTAN - WATCH CAIR-NET FOR
UPDATES
* MORE THAN 1,000 ATTEND CAIR-LA FUNDRAISER
* KORAN MUST BE READ IN CONTEXT (Washington Times)
* NATION QUIETLY FIGHTS INTOLERANCE (San Francisco Chronicle)
* FOR MUSLIMS, BENEVOLENCE IS PREVAILING OVER BACKLASH (Wash. Post)
* AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSLIMS: SADNESS AND FEAR AS THEY FEEL DOUBLY
VULNERABLE
(NY Times)
* ISLAM AND ITS ADHERENTS RIDE THE PUBLICITY WAVE (NY Times)
* KU KLUX COULTER (Antiwar.com)
-----
MORE THAN 1,000 ATTEND CAIR-LA FUNDRAISER
MUSLIMS URGED TO WORK ON IMPROVING IMAGE
The Los Angeles Times, 10/7/2001
American Muslims must put forth more women and young people who speak
accentless American English to articulate their community's message, a
prominent professor of Islamic studies said Saturday evening.
"Unless you tap the next generation, you are not going to make it
through
the next few months," said John Esposito, expert on Islam and professor
at
Georgetown University. And by using representatives who speak English
as
Americans do, he said, Muslims will avoid appearing as though they are
a
predominantly foreign group.
Esposito spoke at the Council on American-Islamic Relations' annual
fund-raising banquet, which focused on responses to the Sept. 11
terrorist
attacks. Also at the event, Fouad Kahtib, president of the council's
California chapter, said the organization will work on training young
people to be activists and to build relationships with other
minorities.
The banquet and conference drew more than 1,000 people to the Sequoia
Conference Center in Buena Park.
-----
KORAN MUST BE READ IN CONTEXT
Letter to the Editor by SALEH A. MUBARAK, Tampa, Fla.
The Washington Times, 10/6/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20011006-97304731.htm
Commentary columnist Cal Thomas was unsurprisingly selective in quoting
the
Koran ("Can we be fooled twice?" Oct. 3). Not only does he take certain
verses out of context but he quotes half or incomplete verses. For
example:
* Sura 5:82 (not 85), which Mr. Thomas quotes as: "strongest among men
in
enmity to the Believers wilt thou find Jews and Pagans." He fails to
quote
the rest of the verse, however, which says, "and nearest among them in
love
to the Believers wilt thou find those who say 'We are Christians';
because
amongst these are men devoted to learning. And men who have renounced
the
world, and they are not arrogant."
* Sura 9:5, which Mr. Thomas begins quoting midverse: "Then fight and
slay
the Pagans wherever find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie
in
wait for them in every stratagem of war." The full meaning of this
passage
cannot be understood, however, unless you read from verse 1 through the
end
of verse 5.
These verses were talking exclusively about the non-Muslim Arabs of
Mecca
who fought and persecuted the Muslims, prevented them from performing
pilgrimage and violated the sacred rules that all Arabs respected - not
fighting during the forbidden months. Muslims didn't even defend
themselves
during this time for fear of the sin of fighting during the forbidden
months. Mr. Thomas' quote indicates when they may again do so...*
* ...The Bible has been misused, as well. Take, for instance, the
teachings
of David Koresh, Jim Jones and other Christian extremists. How about
Barukh
Goldstein, who killed 29 Muslim worshippers while praying in Hebron and
later became a hero to many extremist Jews? Do I blame or blaspheme
Christianity or Judaism for the actions of a few? Of course not...
-----
NATION QUIETLY FIGHTS INTOLERANCE
Acts of solidarity illustrate what many see as newfound maturity
By Nanette Asimov, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/7/2001
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/10/07/MN58893.DTL
More than 1,000 worshipers prayed with Imam Hatem Bazian in a Berkeley
mosque after the terrorist attacks last month, yet most of those who
knelt
toward Mecca had no Islamic background and little knowledge of the
rituals.
But for them, it was still an act of faith.
They were joining their fellow Americans in prayer.
Bazian was stunned by the turnout and amazed to see that many
non-Muslim
women had donned a traditional Islamic head covering. Many continued to
wear it for days after the service as a sign of unity.
"It's astonishing that people will go this far to show their
solidarity,"
said Bazian, who holds a doctorate in Islamic studies in addition to
the
religious title imam, or teacher of the faith...
...Helal Omeira, executive director of the Northern California Chapter
of
the Council on American Islamic Relations agrees that some good has
emerged
from the evil.
"I don't remember any official coming out after the Gulf War saying
there
should not be a backlash," Omeira said. "America's tolerance has
evolved.
It shows in the leadership we have. America is a great place."
-----
FOR MUSLIMS, BENEVOLENCE IS PREVAILING OVER BACKLASH
By Caryle Murphy, The Washington Post, 10/6/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13999-2001Oct5.html
Shortly after last month's terrorist attacks, two bricks ferried
handwritten notes with crude, racist remarks through the front window
of
the Old Town Islamic Bookstore in Alexandria. Store manager Hazim
Barakat
was angry and frazzled. The Palestinian immigrant also was unprepared
for
what happened next.
About 15 bouquets of flowers and more than 50 cards -- some with money
--
arrived at his store. People from as far away as Tennessee and Nebraska
called with condolences. A local businessman, who would not give
Barakat
his name, paid for a new window. Christian ministers and a rabbi
dropped by
to express their support.
"The people in the neighborhood were so nice you don't believe," said
Barakat, 44, who runs the store for the American Muslim Foundation.
"This
is like another family I have. This is my big family. I want to thank
everybody."
Terrorism and bigotry, it seems, can have unintended consequences.
Across the Washington area and the nation, many Muslims say that since
Sept. 11, they have been encouraged and comforted by unexpected acts of
kindness from communities and individuals. In subdivisions, stores,
restaurants and offices, non-Muslims have approached them with hugs,
handshakes, moral support -- even the sanctuary of their own homes --
as
well as apologies for attacks by others.
"The love and support we got from the community was overwhelming," said
Mohamed Magid, 36, imam of All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Herndon,
describing the response after someone spray-painted anti-Muslim
obscenities
in the hallway outside the mosque's prayer room...
Many reports have suggested that tolerance was a casualty in the
devastation at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Middle
Eastern-looking men have been ejected from airliners on concerns by
nervous
pilots and passengers, and Muslim women wearing Islamic head scarves
have
been forced off roads by other drivers.
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened about 100 criminal
investigations
into "ethnically motivated" acts of violence -- including three deaths
--
since Sept. 11, a spokesman said.
Still, a steady stream of e-mail to the D.C.-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations reveals another kind of story...
-----
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSLIMS: SADNESS AND FEAR AS THEY FEEL DOUBLY
VULNERABLE
By JOHN W. FOUNTAIN, The New York Times, 10/5/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/05/national/05MUSL.html
RIDGEVIEW, Ill., Oct. 2 - Beneath the silk white scarf and coffee-
brown
skin, it is American blood that flows through Hannah El-Amin's veins.
But for Mrs. El-Amin, Allah comes first, she says, sitting in her
fluorescent-lighted office in an Islamic multimedia company in
Bridgeview,
a suburb south of Chicago where anti-Arab and Muslim protests have
cooled.
What troubles her and other African-American Muslims about the
intensified
public scrutiny they say they now face is that they were as deeply
touched
as any other Americans by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against their
country...
...In times like these, many African- American Muslims find themselves
in
the bind of being Americans singled out because of their Islamic faith.
Any
backlash they have faced, they say, generally has amounted to glares
and
harsh words rather than physical attacks that have been experienced by
their Arab-American brothers and sisters...
-----
ISLAM AND ITS ADHERENTS RIDE THE PUBLICITY WAVE
By CARYN JAMES, The New York Times, 10/6/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/06/arts/06OPRA.html
Modern Muslim women!" Oprah Winfrey cheered at the end of her show
yesterday, with the sense of triumph that her audience now saw that the
phrase was not a contradiction. She also displayed a trace of relief
that
she had gotten through something tough...
...The evidence of a new curiosity about Islam is all around. Last
night
PBS began repeating "Islam: Empire of Faith," a historical series first
shown in May (it will continue for the next two Fridays). Last night,
No. 9
on Amazon.com's best-seller list was "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and
Fundamentalism in Central Asia," a book published by Yale University
Press
that was accompanied by dozens of readers' online reviews. And
Wednesday's
episode of "The West Wing," dealing largely with misconceptions about
the
Arab world, gained the series its highest ratings ever...
-----
KU KLUX COULTER
A spat on the Right reveals a lot
By Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 10/5/2001
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j100501.html
Ann Coulter is a leggy, sassy blonde telebimbo, (and constitutional
lawyer)
whose career as a TV talking head took off during the Clinton scandals
-
and, like Clinton, she never really went away. Her column, distributed
by
Universal Press Syndicate, has been a mainstay of the firebreathing
Right,
and she is (or was) a regular on such venues as Bill Maher's
Politically
Incorrect and Fox News. Ms. Coulter is now embroiled in one of those
intramural spats on the Right that reveal more about the participants
than
anyone ever intended, a scrap which underscores the new era of ugliness
that now seems to be dawning in wartime America.
Coulter's post-9/11 column, "This Is War," offered this charming
prescription for prosecuting the war on terrorism: "We should invade
their
countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We
weren't
punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top
officers.
We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And
this
is war..."
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. MUSLIMS URGE PROTECTION OF INNOCENT AFGHANIS
(WASHINGTON-DC, 10/8/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today expressed both
support for President George W. Bush's effort to fight terrorism and
concern for the safety of innocent Afghanis.
In a statement reacting to the American and British attacks on
Afghanistan,
CAIR wrote:
"We support the president's strategic campaign to combat terrorism and
to
protect American citizens from attack. This support will remain firm
whether or not we agree with particular tactics used to carry out that
campaign. American Muslims have stated clearly that the horrific
attacks of
September 11th warrant an appropriate response aimed at the
perpetrators.
"We commend the president for stating that every effort will be made to
protect the lives of innocent Afghani civilians and that those who are
impacted by war and famine will be assisted. We also echo his
statements
that this is a war against terrorism, not Islam.
"This is not a conventional war between armies in uniform. It is a
long-term struggle for hearts and minds that will only be won by
tackling
the root causes of terrorism.
"Now more than ever, it is imperative that our nation's foreign policy
promote justice and human rights in all areas of the world, including
the
Middle East. American Muslims stand ready to help our nation in the
cause
of justice and to serve as a bridge of understanding to the Islamic
world."
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, Communications Director, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/9/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CAIR CONDUCTS SURVEY ON PASSENGER PROFILING
* DOONESBURY TAKES ON ISSUE OF PROFILING
* MORE THAN 1,000 ATTEND CAIR DINNER IN DC
* THE WAR TO WIN ISLAMIC OPINION (Daily Herald)
* HATE-CRIME REPORTS REACH RECORD LEVEL (Chicago Tribune)
* FAMILY, ISLAMIC GROUP SAY KILLING WAS HATE CRIME (AP)
* CAIR-NY DIRECTOR TO APPEAR ON CNN
* CAIR-LA: TOWN HALL MEETING WITH THE FBI IN CALIF.
* AFGHAN-AMERICANS HOLD FUNDRAISER IN VA
* 2 DAYS LEFT - SURVEY ON ISLAMIC BANKING
-----
CAIR CONDUCTS SURVEY ON PASSENGER PROFILING
CAIR is conducting a survey on passenger profiling in airports since
the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. If you believe you or someone
you
know was subjected to passenger profiling because of "Middle Eastern"
appearance, religion, ethnicity, or national origin, please fill out
the
survey by clicking on the link below:
http://www.cair-net.org/profiling.asp
----
DOONESBURY TAKES ON ISSUE OF PROFILING
http://www.doonesbury.ucomics.com/strip/dailydose/index.htm
(The cartoon appeared on October 9.)
-----
MORE THAN 1,000 ATTEND CAIR DINNER IN DC
More than 1,000 people turned out for CAIR's annual dinner in
Washington,
D.C. on October 7. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney addressed the
standing-room-only gathering using the theme "American Muslims: Braving
the
Storm."
Other highlights of the event included an address by Robert Gardner,
producer-director of the PBS "Islam: Empire of Faith" series, screening
of
a video outlining CAIR's response to the September 11th attacks, and
awards
presented to Muslim firefighters and military personnel.
Those sponsoring tables at the dinner included national Muslim leaders
and
groups, local mosques and Islamic centers, as well as nine embassies of
Muslim nations and the League of Arab States.
-----
THE WAR TO WIN ISLAMIC OPINION
By Stacy St. Clair Daily Herald Staff Writer, 10/9/2001
http://www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intID=3717399
If the United States doesn't step carefully, Muslims worldwide soon
will
view the war against terrorism as an attack on Islam, some experts
predicted Monday.
As anti-American protests raged in the Middle East following the
bombings,
Muslims say they are going to need reassurances and lots of them. No
nation
can erase centuries of deeply rooted anxieties and suspicions by
tossing
37,000 food bags out of an airplane.
"The air drops are meaningless," said Kareem M. Irfan, chairman of the
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. "It's a drop in
the
ocean."
Many Muslim leaders accept President Bush's plan to root out terrorism
-
but only if his definition includes protecting Palestinians from
Israeli
attacks, which Muslims consider acts of terrorism...
-----
HATE-CRIME REPORTS REACH RECORD LEVEL
By Jeff Coen, Chicago Tribune, 10/9/2001
Leaders of Muslim and Arab-American advocacy groups are braced for a
backlash if U.S.-led military strikes in Afghanistan lead to a
terrorist
reprisal on American shores.
There already have been hundreds of reports of hate crimes against
Muslims
and other religious and ethnic groups following the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, numbers not seen
since
the Persian Gulf war, leaders of the advocacy groups say. Verbal
threats
and property damage have been reported across the country, and at least
four homicides are being investigated as possible hate crimes,
according to
law-enforcement officials...
...Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations,
a Washington organization, said his group has collected reports of more
than 700 possible hate crimes across the United States. Federal
officials
said they are investigating at least 120 incidents.
"There's really nothing I can compare it to," Hooper said. "During the
gulf
war, there were isolated problems, and after the crash of Flight 800
[off
the coast of New York in 1996], but nothing like this..."
-----
FAMILY, ISLAMIC GROUP SAY KILLING WAS HATE CRIME
The Associated Press, 10/9/2001
An Islamic group and family members said Tuesday the killing of a
Palestinian-American should be investigated as a hate crime.
Abdulla Mohammed Nimer, 54, was shot to death last week as he sold
clothing
door-to-door in his South Los Angeles neighborhood.
"Nothing will bring my father back but if this is a hate crime, I don't
want it to happen to anyone else," said a statement attributed to one
of
Nimer's sons and released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations'
Southern California chapter. The man's name was not released. Nimer has
six
children. Police said the shooting the afternoon of Oct. 3 "appears to
be
an attempted robbery," said police spokesman, Officer Don Cox...
...Statewide, dozens of hate crimes directed at people of, or perceived
to
be of, Middle Eastern descent have been reported and are under
investigation.
In San Diego County, Swaran Kaur Bhullar, 51, a Sikh, said she was
attacked
by two men who stabbed her twice in the head and threatened to kill her
by
slitting her throat. In Fresno County, Abdo Ali Ahmed, 51, a
Yemeni-American Muslim, was shot and killed at his Reedley convenience
store after receiving a death threat and several racial slurs.
In Orange County, a number of Arab-American businesses in Anaheim were
vandalized. Police caught three teen-age boys hurling a skateboard
through
the window of Sinbad Ranch market. In Los Angeles County, 47-year-old
Gerard Pimentel of Lancaster was chased and beaten by two men who
shouted
anti-Middle Eastern slurs at him. Pimentel is Hispanic. At Pierce
College
in the San Fernando Valley community of Woodland Hills, a fight broke
out
after two people wrote "die" on a Persian (Iranian) Club booth.
-----
CAIR-NY DIRECTOR TO APPEAR ON CNN
Ghazi Y. Khankan, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, New York Chapter will appear on CNN on the "Panel
Discussion"
between 3 and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9, 2001.
-----
TOWN HALL MEETING WITH THE FBI IN CALIF.
COALITION 2000
Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Arab American Republican Club of Orange County
American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Arab American Democratic Club of Orange County
INVITE THE ARAB AMERICAN AND AMERICAN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES TO ATTEND A
TOWN
HALL MEETING
With the
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI)
WHEN: Wednesday, October 10, 2001
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WHERE: The Holiday Inn Select
14299 Firestone Blvd
La Mirada, CA 90638
Tel: 714-739-8500
-----
AFGHAN-AMERICANS HOLD FUNDRAISER IN VA
WHAT: Charity Fundraiser Dinner and Cultural Awareness Program
WHEN: Sunday, October 14th, 2001
5 - 9 p.m.
WHERE: George Mason University,
Johnson Center Multipurpose Room (Ballroom)
$25.00/persons; $60.00/family (2 adults, 2 children) All profits go to
charity.
Come help us raise money for emergency food, shelter, and medical
supplies
for the innocent Afghan civilians. Enjoy authentic Afghan cuisine,
while
speakers share their experiences living in Afghanistan, and in their
second
homeland, the United States. You'll come away with an accurate picture
of
the dynamics of Afghanistan's history, a taste of its culture, and more
importantly, your donation will help save lives.
This event is sponsored by the Afghan American Community of the DC
Metro
Area, admission price covers dinner, tea, and dessert. Note: the
speaker
line-up may include writer Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect
Storm,
who recently filmed a documentary in Afghanistan.
All proceeds will go to Help The Afghan Children, Inc., a 501-c-3
non-profit organization that will be going inside Afghanistan in two
weeks
to distribute the contributions. More information on the organization
is
available at www.htaci.com
-----
2 DAYS LEFT - SURVEY ON ISLAMIC BANKING
Please provide Imanlinc with your input as to what type of things you
would
like to see if a Shari'ah based bank were to open in your area.
The first 50 people who will take the survey will receive a free "Guide
to
Islamic Finance and Banking".
Please click on the link below to take the survey. It will only take a
few
minutes of your time.
http://203.194.131.212/imanlinc/bsurvey.htm
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/10/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* DANIEL PIPES SAYS 10 TO 15 PERCENT OF MUSLIMS ARE "POTENTIAL KILLERS"
* DOONESBURY AGAIN TACKLES PASSENGER PROFILING
* ISLAM ACCORDING TO OPRAH (National Review)
* PROF. JOHN ESPOSITO'S SPEECH ON "CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS" AT CAIR-LA
DINNER
* REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BUSH AT ANNOUNCEMENT OF MOST-WANTED TERRORIST
LIST,
10/10/2001
* 'MOST WANTED TERRORISTS' LIST RELEASED (CNN)
* MUSLIMS IN MILITARY (Detroit Free Press)]
* FLOODLIGHTS SHINE ON MOSQUES (Boston Globe)
-----
DANIEL PIPES SAYS 10 TO 15 PERCENT OF MUSLIMS ARE "POTENTIAL KILLERS"
Commentator backs passenger profiling, curbs on freedom of speech
"Its program resembles those of fascism and
Marxism-Leninism...Islamists
constitute a small, but significant, minority of all Muslims, perhaps
10 to
15 percent of the population.
"Many of them are peaceable in appearance, but they all must be
considered
potential killers..."
"...We have gotten used to some very good times. Now, we have to
adjust...in terms of allowing the police or law enforcement more
leeway, in
terms of having profiling, which is absolutely critical on airlines and
in
other aspects of life, in terms of immigration and freedom of speech...
"When you're in a condition of war, there needs to be a control over
the
public debate in a way there doesn't need to be in times of peace.
People
need to be aware of that, have a greater sense of responsibility."
Daniel Pipes in an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News,
10/8/2001
dailynews.philly.com/content/daily_news/2001/10/08/local/PIPE08C.htm
SEE: "Who is Daniel Pipes?"
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
DOONESBURY AGAIN TACKLES PASSENGER PROFILING
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.htm
-----
ISLAM ACCORDING TO OPRAH
Is Oprah Winfrey a threat to national security?
By Rod Dreher, columnist for the New York Post, 10/8/2001
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-dreher100801.shtml
"The nation cannot afford the naive illusions that have given many
Americans comfort in peacetime. Chief among them is the notion,
repeated ad
nauseam by our leaders and the media, that Islam is a religion of
peace.
This may not be an outright lie, but it is so far from the full truth
as to
approach falsehood."
-----
PROF. JOHN ESPOSITO'S SPEECH ON "CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS" AT CAIR-LA
DINNER
http://islamicity.com//video/ch20/Cair2001_Esposito.ram
-----
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BUSH AT ANNOUNCEMENT OF MOST-WANTED TERRORIST
LIST,
10/10/2001
"I also want to remind my fellow Americans, as we round up the
evildoers,
as we're -- as we look for those who might harm our fellow Americans,
we
must remember not to violate the rights of the innocent. Our war is not
against a religion. Our war is against evil. There are thousands of
Muslim
Americans who love America just as much as I do, and we will respect
their
rights."
-----
'MOST WANTED TERRORISTS' LIST RELEASED
http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/10/inv.mostwanted.list/index.html
-----
MUSLIMS IN MILITARY
BY NIRAJ WARIKOO, The Detroit Free Press, 10/9/2001
http://www.freep.com/news/nw/terror2001/muslim9_20011009.htm
The holiday was Ramadan, when observant Muslims fast, and Houssain
Sareini
was testing his faith in God and country.
The Dearborn native was a Navy sailor aboard the USS Vicksburg,
stationed
in the Persian Gulf in January 1996. And Sareini was the ship's chief
swimmer: If any aircraft crashed overboard, he was the one responsible
for
diving in and saving the pilot. At the same time, he worked 12 hours a
day
in the combat center, scanning radar for hostile planes.
Through it all, Sareini was determined to make sure he didn't eat from
sunrise to sundown, as required during the month of Ramadan...
...The story of Sareini, today a petty officer awaiting a possible
call-up,
is in many ways the story of the more than 4,000 Muslims in the U.S.
armed
forces...
-----
FLOODLIGHTS SHINE ON MOSQUES
Muslims invited to share, teach
By Anand Vaishnav, The Boston Globe, 10/9/2001
www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/282/metro/Floodlights_shine_on_mosques+.shtml
In a good month - make that a very good month - the Islamic Society of
Boston might get three, maybe four, requests to make presentations on
Islam
to schools or churches.
But in the four weeks since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, at least
100
calls for speakers have poured in to the society's Cambridge mosque. It
has
also logged another 100 calls from the news media for interviews.
The deluge for the Islamic Society and other Muslim groups reflects yet
another fact of life in the post-Sept. 11 world, as local Muslims turn
from
simple worshipers to ambassadors of their faith. The change is
affecting
people on the receiving end as well, particularly schools, which have
invited Muslim speakers and are dissecting Islam and religion in
unusually
public ways...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/11/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CONGRESSMAN COOKSEY AGAIN CALLS FOR RACIAL PROFILING
* REP. TRAFICANT SUPPORTS PALESTINIAN STATE
* MUSLIMS SET TO MARK "ISRA AND MIRAJ"
* U.S. UNVEILS 'MOST WANTED' TERRORIST LIST (LA Times)
* FAITH AND TERROR (Washington Post)
* TRACKING HATE CRIMES (LA Times)
* SLAIN MUSLIM INTERRED IN WESTMINSTER (Orange County Register)
* PAKISTANI NATIVE SAYS MURDER THREATS PROMPTED HIM TO CLOSE STORE (AP)
* MAN'S MESSAGE TO 'FOREIGNERS' FUELS CONTROVERSY (Times Union)
* CNN PRESENTS: THE STRUGGLE FOR ISLAM
* ISLAM AS AMERICAN AS OTHER RELIGIONS (Miami Herald)
-----
CONGRESSMAN COOKSEY AGAIN CALLS FOR RACIAL PROFILING
AN UGLY APPEAL
The Washington Post, 10/11/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40467-2001Oct10.html
AFTER A FLAP erupted over his offensive observation that any airline
passenger wearing "a diaper on his head" should be "pulled over" for
extra
questioning by airport security personnel, Louisiana Rep. John Cooksey
issued an apology. Then he went on the House floor to declare his
opposition to harassment of Sikhs, Muslims and Arab Americans. Then he
put
together a commercial that went right back to the ugly posture of
singling
people out for suspicion based on appearance and ethnic background.
"Recently, my words were too tough, but my beliefs are still strong,"
he
says in the spot that aired during the LSU-Florida game and is
prominently
displayed on the Web site for his 2002 Senate campaign. "We know the
faces
of terrorists and where they're from. Terrorist profiling is essential
for
our nation's security..."
...Never mind that Rep. Cooksey's position is wrongheaded as a matter
of
law enforcement; there are millions of Arabs and Arab Americans who
travel,
and targeting all of them would mean targeting no one. What's more
important is that Rep. Cooksey is inflaming fears and bigotry that he
should be fighting. It's no off-the-cuff remark this time but a
carefully
crafted ad. His campaign is reported to be planning to continue to air
it
over the next two weeks, at a total cost of nearly $200,000. That ought
to
give voters plenty of time to recognize that they're seeing an appeal
to
prejudice and stereotype that is unworthy of a member of Congress. And
plenty of reason to reject his bid for higher office.
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE.)
Ask that the congressman pull his commercial off the air and end calls
for
racial and religious profiling.
Rep. John Cooksey
113 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
TEL: 202-225-8490
FAX: 202-225-5639
E-Mail: congressman.cooksey@mail.house.gov
URL: http://www.house.gov/cooksey/
-----
REP. TRAFICANT SUPPORTS PALESTINIAN STATE
Congressman James A. Traficant, Jr. (D-OH) yesterday expressed support
for
Palestinian self-determination. He said, "Congress must pursue a
strategy
of providing statehood and recognizing statehood for Palestine and
working
it out in the Mideast region." He urged America to "pursue a
comprehensive
strategy" against terrorism. "Palestinian children are God's children,
too," he said, and until the issue of Palestinian homeland is resolved,
there will always be terrorists....there will be more bin Ladens."
ACTION REQUESTED:
Contact Rep. Traficant to thank him for his support of Palestinian
rights.
Congressman James A. Traficant, Jr.
TEL: (202) 225-5261
FAX: (202) 225-3719
E-MAIL: telljim@mail.house.gov
URL: http://www.house.gov/traficant/
-----
MUSLIMS SET TO MARK "ISRA AND MIRAJ"
Event describes Prophet Muhammad's miraculous journey to Jerusalem
On October 14, Muslims worldwide will mark "Isra and Miraj," the
Prophet
Muhammad's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, and from the rock now
located in the Dome of the Rock, to heaven. (NOTE: This is not a
religious
holiday.)
The Quran, Islam's revealed text, states: "Glorified be He (God) who
took
his servant (Muhammad) for a journey by night from al-Masjid al-Haram
(in
Mecca) to al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), whose precincts we have
blessed..." ("Masjid" is the Arabic word for "mosque.") Masjid Al-Aqsa
and
the Dome of the Rock are located on "Haram Al-Shareef," or the "noble
enclosure" in Jerusalem's Old City.
Jerusalem is one of Islam's holiest sites, after Mecca and Medinah in
the
Arabian Peninsula. It was home to many prophets of Islam, including
David,
Solomon and Jesus. It was Islam's first "Qibla," or direction to which
Muslims turned in prayer.
-----
U.S. UNVEILS 'MOST WANTED' TERRORIST LIST
By ERIC LICHTBLAU, JOSH MEYER, The Los Angeles Times, 10/11/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000081240oct11.story
President Bush on Wednesday unveiled a list of the world's 22 "most
wanted"
terrorists--all Middle Easterners who the administration says have
"blood
on their hands"--and offered tens of millions of dollars in bounty
money to
help bring them to justice...
...Another cautionary note came from Islamic leaders, who questioned
why
Bush's most-wanted list featured only Middle Easterners and included no
fugitives from terrorist groups within Latin America, Asia or the
United
States.
"This creates a very troubling perception," said Ibrahim Hooper,
spokesman
for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group in
Washington. "This list perpetuates the stereotype that while all
Muslims
may not be terrorists, all terrorists are Muslims."
-----
FAITH AND TERROR
By Robert Malley, The Washington Post, 10/11/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40466-2001Oct10.html
...There is, of course, no Islamic monopoly on either violence or
terrorism. One tends to forget -- perhaps because they rarely or only
indirectly affected Americans -- that for long stretches of the 20th
century, groups that resorted to terror could be found in Europe (the
Baader Meinhof in Germany, Red Brigades in Italy, Action Directe in
France), Latin America (the Shining Path in Peru; the Monteneros in
Argentina), and other non-Muslim countries such as Sri Lanka and Japan.
Indeed, earlier expressions of Palestinian terrorism were the province
of
secular, not religious, organizations.
-----
TRACKING HATE CRIMES
Police often have difficulty telling whether acts are motivated by
bias.
There is no unified system for tracking reports.
By BETH SHUSTER, Los Angeles Times, 10/11/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-000081224oct11.story
Despite near-daily reports of attacks against people who appear Middle
Eastern, the difficulty in determining what motivated the criminals and
the
nation's imprecise system for tracking hate crimes make it impossible
to
know how dramatically such violence has surged...
...Did the killer of an Egyptian grocer in San Gabriel have an ethnic
bias
against Egyptians, or was the killing an interrupted armed robbery that
turned into a murder? Was a Muslim woman nearly driven off a road in
Florida because of her ethnicity, or was it a case of road rage? Were
the
windows of a service station in Michigan shot out because its owners
are
Arab Americans or because it was a good target for a shooting spree...?
...Some recent incidents seem to clearly fit the definition of a hate
crime. An Iraqi grocery store owner in San Francisco found "Terrorist
Go
Home" scrawled in black marker on his storefront. A Sikh gas station
owner
in Mesa, Ariz., was killed, allegedly by a pickup truck driver who
shouted,
"I stand for America all the way" as he was apprehended. In Tacoma,
Wash.,
vandals spray-painted, "Zionism + U.S. = 5,000 dead" in a synagogue
parking
lot.
Mosques have been burned; Arab Americans have reported receiving
threatening e-mails on their personal computers, and a Pakistani
restaurant
was set on fire in Salt Lake City.
...community and activist groups say not all these cases receive the
law
enforcement attention they deserve. The Council on American-Islamic
Relations, for example, insists that last week's killing of Abdullah
Mohammed Nimer in South Central Los Angeles was a hate crime. But the
LAPD
believes otherwise; Det. Bill Fallon said Nimer's ethnicity was
"totally
unrelated" to his murder...
-----
SLAIN MUSLIM INTERRED IN WESTMINSTER
By Valeria Godines, Orange County Register, 10/11/2001
http://www.ocregister.com/local/funeral01011cci7.shtml
WESTMINSTER, Calif. _ About 200 Muslims gathered in Orange County on
Wednesday for the funeral of a Los Angeles man who family members say
was a
victim of Muslim backlash following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Los Angeles police say Abdullah Nimer, 53, of Bell, Calif., was instead
the
victim of a robbery _ shot to death last week in south-central Los
Angeles...
Family members have asked that the police and FBI investigate the
slaying
as a hate crime, arguing that none of the victim's belongings,
including a
wallet full of money, were taken. FBI officials said they are reviewing
the
case. No one has been arrested...
...Religious leaders say Orange County has become a central gathering
place
_ in life and death _ for Muslims. The county, home to one of the
nation's
largest Islamic Centers, has a Muslim population estimated at 120,000.
At least half a dozen mosques are under construction or preparing for
expansion in Orange County, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, which opened an office in Orange
County in 1996 to serve the growing Muslim population. The county has
12
mosques _ in Anaheim, Yorba Linda, Mission Viejo, Fullerton and Santa
Ana _
and another one is scheduled to open in Irvine in about a year...
"...Orange County is a central location for Muslims," Ayloush said.
"Many
Muslims prefer to be buried in Orange County because the cemetery is so
close to the mosque, and the facilities are newer here."
-----
PAKISTANI NATIVE SAYS MURDER THREATS PROMPTED HIM TO CLOSE STORE
ASSOCIATED PRESS, 10/10/2001
http://www.reporternews.com/2001/texas/pak1010.html
CLEBURNE, Texas (AP) - A Pakistani native says murder threats prompted
him
to shut down the business he ran in North Texas for 20 years.
Mobinur Khandurrani, an American citizen, recently closed his Exxon
station
in Cleburne after a man twice threatened to kill him a week after the
terrorist attacks on the East Coast...
-----
MAN'S MESSAGE TO 'FOREIGNERS' FUELS CONTROVERSY
Stillwater-- Residents complain, but officials say sign is legal
By DENNIS YUSKO, The Times Union (NY), 10/10/2001
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyKey=67356&category=C
A body shop owner has ignited a townwide controversy by putting a large
sign next to an American flag on his property that reads "Foreigners Go
Home."
Frank D'Aloia, 47, created the white sign with black letters minutes
after
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He hung it on a fence near his
automotive
shop on Lake Road and has refused a number of requests from residents
to
remove it...
-----
CNN PRESENTS: THE STRUGGLE FOR ISLAM
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/index.html
With international attention focused on Osama bin Laden, an Islamic
extremist who thinks he can rid the Muslim world of U.S. presence, most
of
the world, especially the West, is now asking how a religion can be
used to
justify acts of a terrorist?
Tune in to CNN 7 p.m. and
11 p.m. EDT Sunday
-----
ISLAM AS AMERICAN AS OTHER RELIGIONS
By GREGORY KANE, The Miami Herald, 10/10/2001
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/opinion/opcol/digdocs/088171.htm
Gregory P. Kane is a columnist for The Baltimore Sun.
The roots of Islam run deep in America, dating back nearly as far as
Judaism and Christianity. Islam arrived with Africans who were forcibly
brought to these shores...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUSLIMS CRITICIZE GIULIANI FOR REJECTION OF DISASTER DONATION
(WASHINGTON-DC, 10/12/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today criticized New
York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani for rejecting a $10 million World Trade
Center attack disaster-relief check from a Saudi Arabian prince who
said in
a statement that America "should re-examine its policies in the Middle
East
and adopt a more balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause."
SEE: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/12/nyregion/12PRIN.html
Giuliani called the remarks by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, a nephew of
King
Fahd and one of the world's wealthiest men, "highly irresponsible and
very,
very dangerous." He directed that the prince's donation to the Twin
Towers
Fund be rejected.
(In his remarks Prince Alwaleed also offered condolences for the
victims of
the World Trade Center attack and condemned terrorism in all its forms.
In
another statement issued today, Prince Alwaleed reiterated his support
for
Palestinian rights.)
"It is unconscionable that Mayor Giuliani would sacrifice the interests
of
the victims of these horrific attacks in order to score points with the
domestic lobby for a foreign government. The mayor's actions are in
opposition to President Bush's repeated warnings not to turn the fight
against terrorism into a war against Muslims or Arabs," said CAIR Board
Chairman Omar Ahmad.
"It is just this kind of uncritical support for Israel's brutal
policies
toward Palestinian Christians and Muslims that creates resentment in
the
Muslim world that is in turn exploited by terrorists. American policy
in
the Middle East should be based on what is best for America, not
Israel,"
said Ahmad. He added that more Americans are calling for a re-alignment
of
United States foreign policy in the Arab and Muslim worlds based on
justice
and universal standards of human rights.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/12/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* EID STAMP FACES CRITICISM
* ISRA AND MIRAJ Q&A
* CAIR-CAN ASKS CANADIAN MUSLIMS TO ADDRESS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN
AFGHANISTAN
* A DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE (Kansas City Star)
* MUSLIMS AND NON-MUSLIMS JOIN IN SHOW OF SOLIDARITY (Herald-Sun)
* POEM FROM A 10-YEAR-OLD MUSLIM GIRL
* CNN LISTS THOSE MISSING FOLLOWING WTC ATTACK
* POLL - AMERICANS CONCERNED ABOUT CONFLICT ESCALATING (Reuters)
-----
EID STAMP FACES CRITICISM
MUSLIMS CRY FOUL OVER STAMP
By Michael Paulson, Boston Globe, 10/12/2001
http://www.globe.com/dailyglobe2/285/metro/Muslims_cry_foul_over_stamp+.shtml
There's a Christmas postage stamp, a Hanukkah stamp, even a Kwanzaa
stamp
and a Cinco de Mayo stamp, and for years, American Muslims have pushed
the
US Postal Service to create an Eid stamp to commemorate a Muslim
holiday.
This year, Muslims got their wish, but the timing has turned out to be
awkward...
...Now Muslims are concerned, as a moment that might have been a
celebration of their arrival as an accepted group has become a moment
when
they have to defend the very tenets of their faith.
Yesterday, a leading New England Muslim said that the 34-cent stamp has
been badmouthed on talk radio and is being hidden at post offices
afraid of
how customers might react.
"There is a negative presentation by some media that they are trying to
put
down this stamp," said A. Karim Khudairi, chairman of the interfaith
committee of the Islamic Council of New England. "And here, the post
offices are so afraid they stuck all the stamps behind. They are not at
the
windows..."
...The Postal Service denies it has changed the way it is marketing or
displaying the stamp.
"We have had a few inquiries from customers asking if we were going to
go
on selling the stamp, and absolutely, we are," said Cathy Yarosky,
spokeswoman for the Postal Service.
The agency printed 75 million of the stamps, which will be sold for
about a
year. Another Eid stamp will be issued only if this year's proves
popular,
and Postal Service officials yesterday declined to provide any sales
figures.
In the Harvard Square Post Office, a spokesman said the stamp has sold
out.
But at the J.W. McCormack Station in Boston's Post Office Square, clerk
Michael Sutherby said the stamp is selling poorly. "They're not selling
at
all - the only people that are buying them are collectors," he said.
...A group of interfaith leaders meeting yesterday offered, at
Khudairi's
request, to buy stamps to show support for Islam...
ACTIONS REQUESTED:
1. Make sure that your local post office stocks and displays the eid
stamps.
2. Buy and use the stamps for all your correspondence.
3. Ask that your friends, relatives and colleagues use the stamps.
-----
ISRA AND MIRAJ Q&A
(Isra and Miraj falls on October 14.)
Q: What is Isra and Miraj?
A: It is the Night Journey and the Ascension, which occurred on the
27th
day of Rajab, the seventh month of the Muslim lunar calendar.
Q: Why does Isra and Miraj fall on a different day each year?
A: Because it occurs in a lunar month, it is about eleven days earlier
each
year.
Q: What is the significance of Isra and Miraj?
A: Prophet Muhammad is believed to have made a miraculous journey from
Mecca to the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in 621 C.E., where he then
traveled
to the heavens where God commanded him to initiate prayers five times
each
day.
Q: What was the significance of the occasion in early Islamic history?
A: When the Prophet Muhammad told people about the experience, the
pagans
of Mecca called him crazy for claiming to have made a round trip to
Jerusalem in one night, when it required a normal person several weeks
to
travel that distance. To Muslims, the event solidified their belief in
the
prophethood of Muhammad, who was bestowed with a miracle from the God.
The
event also established Jerusalem as a holy place for Muslims, with its
centerpiece Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Q: What does the Quran say about Isra and Miraj?
A: A whole chapter in the Quran, al-Isra (No. 17), is named after the
event. The chapter starts with the following verse:
"Glory to (Allah) Who did take His Servent for a journey by night from
the
Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) to the Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) Whose
precincts
We did bless--in order that We might show him (Prophet Muhammad) some
of
Our signs: for He is the one who hears and sees (all things)."
Q: What does the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad say about the
significance of al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem?
A: Before Muslims turned their faces toward Mecca in prayer they turned
to
Jerusalem. Prophet Muhammad said that visiting al-Aqsa mosque is a
religious practice only comparable to the pilgrimage to Mecca. The
Prophet
also stated that a prayer in al-Aqsa mosque is multiplied 500 times.
Q: What is al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) in Jerusalem?
A: It denotes the Aqsa Mosque compound and used interchangeably with
Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Q: What is the Dome of the Rock?
A: The structure was built by Muslims in the Aqsa Mosque compound
around
the rock from which the prophet Muhammad is believed to have ascended
to
heaven.
Q: Why do Muslims educate their children and communities about Isra and
Miraj?
A: To remember the genesis of the most important duty in Muslim life:
the
daily prayer; and to remember the significance God has placed on
Jerusalem
and the Aqsa Mosque.
Q: What do contemporary Muslims do in remembrance of the event?
A: They reflect upon the references of Quran and Hadith to the event
and
proclaim the historical, theological and spiritual significance the
city of
Jerusalem. They also reflect on the current situation in the city,
where
non-Jewish residents face discrimination their daily lives and their
ability of to visit and worship in the city is restricted by the
Israeli
occupation authority.
Q: What is the appropriate way to discuss Isra and Miraj in the
classroom?
A: Teachers of world religions and history can use the occasion to
discuss
the significance of this historical event and illustrate why Muslims
revere
Jerusalem.
-----
CAIR-CAN ASKS CANADIAN MUSLIMS TO ADDRESS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN
AFGHANISTAN
The Council on American-Islamic Relations - Canada (CAIR CAN) is
calling on
Canadian Muslims to contact their elected representatives for an
upcoming
parliamentary debate, and ask them to participate in a resolution to
the
current crises in Afghanistan that addresses the already-desperate
humanitarian situation.
The threat of US military strikes have lead to massive social
dislocation
in Afghanistan as an estimated 60 percent of the urban population
abandoned
the major cities for rural areas and neighbouring states that have
closed
their borders.
Since the September 11th and the subsequent airstrikes, the United
Nations
and other aid agencies have either stopped delivering much-needed help
to
the Afghan people or have been curtailed in their capacity to deliver
aid.
According to the UN, for example, bombing and airspace restrictions in
the
region have interrupted relief supply airlifts and closed convoy routes
used for the delivery of aid and other essential relief.
The United Nations has characterized the refugee crises as one of
"catastrophic proportions." With Winter six weeks away, and without
adequate food and shelter, many Afghans may die. According to the UN,
nearly 6 million Afghans are in need of aid, 20% of them children under
the
age of 5.
Respected humanitarian relief groups, including Doctors Without
Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), expressed fears that "airdrops
of
food and medicine will not by themselves address the very significant
humanitarian needs of the Afghan people" and that such airdrops are of
"negligible value" and even "potentially dangerous."
The airdrops are random, constitute a mere drop-in-the-ocean of
necessary
food, and are likely to be ineffective in a country that has an
estimated
10 million landmines. Moreover the airdrops do little to alleviate
other
causes of human suffering such as the lack of shelter, clothing and
basic
sanitation.
"Canadian Muslims have been unequivocal in their condemnation of the
terrorist attacks of September 11th and their resolve to see justice
accomplished. It is also our civic duty to ensure that efforts to
combat
terrorism do not punish the innocent and cause human suffering," said
CAIR
CAN Executive Director Riad Saloojee.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Obtain the name and full contact information of your Member of
Parliament
by calling (613) 992-4793.
Contact your local MP to convey your concerns. Ask him/her to encourage
a
resolution to the crises that addresses the mounting humanitarian
suffering. You can send a letter to your MP free of charge at the
following address: House of Commons, Parliament Buildings, Ottawa,
Ontario,
K1A 0A6
CONTACT: canada@cair-net.org
URL: www.caircan.ca
-----
A DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE
The Kansas City Star, 10/11/2001
http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/opinion.pat,opinion/3acd0c77.a11,.html
Some commercial pilots or flight crews have refused to fly because
Arabs or
people of Middle-Eastern appearance are on board. Steps should be taken
to
prevent this type of discrimination.
In some cases, passengers have been taken off planes for no apparent
reason
other than that the pilot or crew felt uncomfortable with them aboard.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group,
has
logged at least 27 reported incidents of what a spokesman called
"Flying
While Muslim..."
-----
MUSLIMS AND NON-MUSLIMS JOIN IN SHOW OF SOLIDARITY
By GEOFFREY M. GRAYBEAL, The Herald-Sun, 10/10/2001
http://www.heraldsun.com/orange/10-149505.html
CHAPEL HILL -- To demonstrate solidarity among Muslims and non-Muslims
and
to combat ignorance about Islam, about 100 folks gathered Wednesday at
UNC's Polk Place in a symbolic showing of support almost a month after
the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks...
-----
POEM FROM A 10-YEAR-OLD MUSLIM GIRL
(From an e-mail received by CAIR.)
The attacks on New York were too bad.
I am very very sad.
I cried and cried
For the innocents who died.
I am also very mad.
At astray hijackers who liked to kill.
They are not Muslims, they are ill.
Muslims are peaceful, they are not bad.
Pain made me grow big.
Religiously, I do not eat pig.
But I love to farm.
And of course not to harm.
Even a pig.
We love America too.
We came here just like you.
We never brought America hate.
It was brought by a terrorist and mate.
America is in my heart.
We and it will never be apart.
-----
CNN LISTS THOSE MISSING FOLLOWING WTC ATTACK
http://missing.cnn.com/viewphotos.asp
In the days following the attacks on America, friends and family sent
photos of people they believed to be missing as a result of the
attacks. As
hope for rescue becomes slim CNN presents the images of men and women
feared lost in this tragedy. (NOTE: There are a number of Muslims on
the list.)
To contact CNN with information regarding names posted here, send
e-mail to
missing@cnn.com. If you have information about any of the people
reported
missing, please call the NYC missing persons hotline at 212-560-2730 or
the
New York Family Relief Center hotline at 212-447-2998.
-----
POLL - AMERICANS CONCERNED ABOUT CONFLICT ESCALATING
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two-thirds of Americans are concerned the
current
U.S. campaign against those accused of responsibility for the Sept. 11
attacks on New York and Washington could escalate into a wider war
pitting
America and its allies against the Arab and Muslim world, according to
a
poll released on Thursday...
...Respondents were asked whether they were worried that the conflict,
which currently involves U.S. and British air strikes on targets in
Afghanistan (news - web sites), could turn into a broader war between
the
United States and its allies against Arabs and Muslims. Sixty-six
percent
said they were worried (25 percent greatly worried and 41 percent
somewhat
worried), while 33 percent said they were not worried and 1 percent had
no
opinion...
...Asked their opinion of Islam, 47 percent said they had a favorable
view,
39 percent unfavorable and 13 percent had no opinion. Sixty-five
percent
said they did not have a good, basic understanding of the teachings and
beliefs of Islam, while 34 percent said they did and 1 percent had no
opinion.
Eighty-seven percent of those questioned said those who carried out the
Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon
(news - web sites) outside Washington were part of a radical Islamic
fringe, while 7 percent said the attackers adhered to mainstream
Islamic
beliefs and 5 percent had no opinion...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
REP. MCKINNEY'S LETTER TO PRINCE ALWALEED
-----
October 12, 2001
His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed bin Talal
Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
Dear Prince Alwaleed bin Talal:
I would like to take just a moment to thank you for your recent
demonstration of empathy with those suffering from the devastating and
heinous September 11 attacks on the United States Pentagon and the
World
Trade Center. I would especially like to thank you for your most
generous
offer of $10 million to assist those Americans in need as a result of
those
attacks.
I was disappointed that Mayor Giuliani chose to decline your generous
offer
and instead criticize you for your observations of events in the Middle
East. Whether he agreed with you or not I think he should have
recognized
your right to speak and make observations about a part of the world
which
you know so well. I think Mayor Giuliani would do well to listen to
the
words of one of our greatest Americans, former Senator Robert Kennedy.
In
1968 he said that America "is a great nation and a strong people. Any
who
seek to comfort rather than to speak plainly, reassure rather than
instruct, promise satisfaction rather than reveal frustration--they
deny
that greatness and drain that strength. For today as it was in the
beginning, it is the truth that makes us free." I believe Senator
Robert
Kennedy's remarks remain as inspirational and true today as when he
first
spoke them over 30 years ago.
Let me say that there are a growing number of people in the United
States
who recognize, like you, that US policy in the Middle East needs
serious
examination. Indeed, on the same day that you made your remarks about
US
policy in the Middle East, the Chairman of the House International
Relations Committee, The Honorable Henry Hyde, spoke on National Public
Radio and said, "There's no question in my mind that the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the most important issue in dispute,
and
has generated a lot of the animosity towards us because of our
unwavering
support for Israel, which will remain in place."
At the same time, CNN played an interview with former National Security
Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski who stated that America must "deal with
some of
the issues that animate the hostility" against us, like "the treatment
of
the population of Iraq" and that "the Israelis are stronger, so they're
naturally inflicting much more casualties than the Palestinians on the
Israelis and that produces frustration and rage."
Your Royal Highness, many of us here in the United States have long
been
concerned about reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch
that reveal a pattern of excessive, and often indiscriminate, use of
lethal
force by Israeli security forces in situations where Palestinian
demonstrators were unarmed and posed no threat of death or serious
injury
to the security forces or to others. Israeli peace organizations like
B'Tselem accuse the Israeli Defense Forces of violating the most
fundamental rules of international law in committing atrocities against
Palestinians.
The Israeli Gush Shalom boldly states that "Israeli occupation of the
West
Bank and Gaza Strip is the root cause of the violence and hatred. As
long
as the occupation continues, bloodshed will continue and
increase." Indeed, Your Royal Highness, all people of good conscience
understand that this kind of mistreatment breeds a hotbed of anger and
despair that destabilizes peace in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Until we
confront the realities of events in the Middle East our nation and the
nations of the Middle East will be at risk.
Your Royal Highness, there are many people in America who desperately
need
your generosity. People who have been locked out, marginalized from
America's mainstream. All of those people are poor and too many of
them
are people of color. A black baby boy born in Harlem today has less
chance
of reaching age 65 than a baby born in Bangladesh. Your Royal
Highness,
the state of black America is not good.
It is painfully visible in Washington D.C., where, just a few hundred
yards
from the White House, one can find black man after black man huddled in
bus
shelters, doorways, over subway ventilation shafts, sleeping on the
street,
thrown away like trash. Ironically, many of them are Vietnam veterans
who,
having served this nation with distinction in Vietnam, now find
themselves
without adequate care and accommodation. Unfortunately, this same scene
is
repeated in each and every one of our major cities here in the United
States.
I am ashamed to say that my home city of Atlanta is no exception. Just
last
night my son was out with members of Atlanta's Muslim community who,
for
years, have been feeding Atlanta's homeless. Sadly, no one in
mainstream
Atlanta knows about the tireless and generous work of the local Muslim
community. But the poor know, and I guess at one level that's all that
matters. But on a broader view mainstream America should know.
The Justice Department admits that blacks are more likely than whites
to be
pulled over by police, imprisoned, and put to death. And, though
blacks
and whites have about the same rate of drug use, blacks are more likely
to
be arrested than whites and are more likely to receive longer prison
sentences than whites. Incredibly, 80% of people in prison in the
United
States are people of color.
Twenty-six black men were executed last year, some probably innocent;
America began 2001 by executing a retarded black woman.
Government studies on health disparities confirm that blacks are less
likely to receive surgery, transplants, and prescription drugs than
whites.
Physicians are less likely to prescribe appropriate treatment for
blacks
than for whites and black scientists, physicians, and institutions are
shut
out of the funding stream to prevent all this.
I serve in Congress where the Black Caucus is shrinking. Yet, sections
of
the Voting Rights Act will soon expire, and quite frankly, after
crippling
Court decisions, there is not much left of affirmative action to mend.
In the FBI's own words, its counterintelligence program (COINTELPRO)
had as
a goal, "to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise
neutralize"
the activities of black organizations and to prevent black "leaders
from
gaining respectability."
And instead of real leaders, COINTELPRO offers us hand-picked "court
priests" who are more loyal to the plan than to the people. Court
priests
who preach peace, peace when there is no peace.
As you can see, the statistics are very grim for Black America.
Although
your offer was not accepted by Mayor Giuliani, I would like to ask you
to
consider assisting Americans who are in dire need right now. I believe
we
can guide your generosity to help improve the state of Black America
and
build better lives. My office can provide you with a list of charities
who
labor under the most difficult circumstances to try and improve the
lives
of the people they serve. I hope you will consider reaching out to our
charities and to our people who are in need. Please do not hesitate to
contact me with any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Cynthia McKinney
Member of Congress
http://www.house.gov/mckinney/guest.htm
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/14/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* DEATH FROM ABOVE DEVASTATES SIMPLE AFGHAN VILLAGE (Reuters)
* MUSLIMS IN AMERICA WAKING UP POLITICALLY (San Francisco Chronicle)
* BELLICOSITY ON ISLAM WON'T WIN THIS WAR FOR US (Toronto Star)
* ATTACKERS TORCH ARAB-OWNED STORE (AP)
* FLA. FIREFIGHTER CHARGED WITH MAKING "JIHAD" BOMB THREATS (Reuters)
* SAN DIEGO MUSLIMS CRITICIZE MAYOR'S RESPONSE TO PLEAS (LA Times)
* MAN EJECTED FROM PLANE WAS 'TERRIFIED' (Halifax Daily News)
* ARAB APPEARANCE ISN'T A CRIME (Chicago Tribune)
* NO `ETHNIC CRACKDOWN' (San Jose Mercury News)
* CAIR ST. LOUIS HELPS BUILD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOUSE
-----
DEATH FROM ABOVE DEVASTATES SIMPLE AFGHAN VILLAGE
By Zeeshan Haider, Reuters, 10/14/2001
KHORUM, Afghanistan, Oct 14 (Reuters) - There aren't many witnesses to
say
what happened to Khorum village in eastern Afghanistan last Wednesday
night.
There aren't many survivors.
One thing is clear, however, the simple collection of mud huts and
livestock pens around 60 km (38 miles) from Jalalabad was hit by a
devastating firestorm from above.
Taliban officials say Khorum was flattened in an air raid by U.S.
warplanes
and as many as 200 people may have been killed.
"I ask America not to kill us," said resident Hussain Khan, who said he
lost four children in the raid and survived only by racing out of the
house
when he first heard the plane.
Officials say 160 bodies have already been pulled from the rubble, and
villagers from neighbouring hamlets were still scrambling around
looking
for more on Sunday when a group of reporters accompanied by Taliban
officials toured the area from Pakistan...
...Washington has so far not commented on the report, although Pentagon
officials have said at least one of its bombs had missed its target,
but
that was near Kabul, since air raids in pursuit of Saudi-born fugitive
Osama bin Laden began last week...
"...We are poor people, don't hit us," he said. "We have nothing to do
with
Osama bin Laden. We are innocent people."
Villagers said around 20 to 25 bombs or missiles rained on the area in
two
waves of attacks.
"I lost my four daughters, my son and my wife in this attack," said a
distraught Toray, a farmer who was out of his house when the bombs
struck.
He held up a piece of shrapnel with the words "fin guided bomb"
stencilled
on it -- virtually all he recovered from the debris of his flattened
home.
The stench of death enveloped the village.
In the rubble of one house, the remains of an arm stuck out from
beneath a
pile of bricks. A leg had been uncovered nearby.
The carcasses of livestock -- by which many Afghan farmers measure
their
family's wealth -- lay bloated in the surrounding fields, attracting
swarms
of buzzing flies...
"...There are no military bases in this village," said Gul Mohammad.
"Where
is Osama? He is not here, so why we are being bombed?"
-----
MUSLIMS IN AMERICA WAKING UP POLITICALLY
By Jonathan Curiel, The San Francisco Chronicle, 10/14/2001
http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Search using the term "Omar Ahmad."
"...Muslims should take the next step and be leaders in general
society,"
said Omar Ahmad, chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
and
one of the convention's high-profile speakers. He also urged greater
efforts to familiarize Americans in general with Islam. Muslims in the
United States say they are making political progress -- and that the
tragic
events of the past month have raised their profile for the better, even
as
many U.S. Muslims experience public harassment and threats...
...In one of the most riveting speeches of the day, Maher Hathout, a
senior
adviser with the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said he was less upset
about ethnic profiling of Arab and Muslim Americans than about
"political
profiling," which he says targets anyone who criticizes Israel's domain
over the West Bank and Gaza.
"To be (included in American politics), you have to support the
atrocities
of Israel," Hathout said. "Hell, no. This is not what it's all about.
As an
American, I will hold to my constitutional right to develop and express
my
opinion -- and this is a very patriotic act..."
-----
BELLICOSITY ON ISLAM WON'T WIN THIS WAR FOR US
By Haroon Siddiqui, Toronto Star, 10/14/2001
http://www.thestar.com/
Click on "Star Columnists."
GEORGE BUSH says, and the anti-terrorism alliance agrees, that we are
at
war with terrorists, not Muslims, let alone Islam. Critics argue
otherwise.
They say the formulation merely suits the political needs of the moment
-
Muslim allies have to be kept in tow. Or it is politically correct -
for
the sake of Muslim minorities here who must be protected from visceral
accusations of being the enemy within...
...But the question for our own introspection remains: Why does his
religiously skewed hate produce such a dizzying array of instant
experts
analyzing "militant Islam" when we got few or none on "violent
Christianity" after the bombings of abortion clinics by Christian
fundamentalists or the mass murder of 6,500 innocent Muslims at
Srebrenica
by the Serbs..?
...Almost all scholars have similarly dismissed as humbug the notion of
religious sanction of suicide. Yet it is being presented in the media
as
some widespread pathology. A different standard is at work here; after
all,
we don't equate the cyanide-carrying Tamil Tiger suicide bomber with
Hinduism or members of the Japanese Aum Shinrikyo with Buddhism.
Some critics attribute Muslim anti-Americanism to Wahabism, the
interpretation of Islam practised in Saudi Arabia. The short rejoinder
is
that Saudi rulers, America's staunchest allies, are also followers of
the
same sect.
It is also said that the Muslim world suffers from cultural confusion,
from
the twin pulls of history and modernism. Which people don't? Piety and
temptation are always at war, everywhere, in varying degrees. If
Muslims
are "anti-modern," how to explain their almost mad rush to
modernization,
and westernization, wherever they can afford it? Or, their migration to
the
West where they constitute a disproportionate number of doctors,
engineers
and scientists...?
...It is a dangerous delusion to think we can win the war against him
by
dictating to the Islamic world a Western view of Islam or, worse, by
holding that religion up to constant ridicule...
-----
ATTACKERS TORCH ARAB-OWNED STORE
The Associated Press, 10/13/2001
CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) - Attackers broke the windows,
sprayed gasoline and torched an Arab-owned grocery store in the U.S.
Virgin
Islands, fire officials said Saturday.
Much of the Eagle Mini Mart in St. Croix burned on Thursday afternoon,
and
a two-day investigation of the debris allowed police and fire
inspectors to
reconstruct the arson attack, said Fire Marshall Alex Rivera...
...There was no immediate evidence that the arson, which came exactly a
month after Sept. 11, was part a backlash after the terrorist attacks
in
the United States.
But there has been some anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S.
Virgin Islands. Callers to radio shows have suggested a boycott of
Arab-owned businesses. On one occasion, a sign reading "Arabs Go Home,
Killers All" was placed in front of an Arab-owned store on the main
island
of St. Thomas...
-----
FLA. FIREFIGHTER CHARGED WITH MAKING "JIHAD" BOMB THREATS
Reuters, 10/13/2001
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 13 (Reuters) - A firefighter has been charged
with
making repeated bomb threats to government facilities over the phone in
the
name of "Jihad," said a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office on
Saturday.
Adam Ray Elliott, of Jacksonville, was indicted on five counts of
making
bomb threats and false bomb reports to 911 operators by a Jacksonville
jury
on Thursday. He faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison and $1.25
million in fines if convicted.
On Sept. 26, two weeks after the hijack attacks in New York and
Washington,
Elliott allegedly made a phone call threatening that Jihad -- a Muslim
term
for holy struggle which forms part of the name of several militant
groups
in the Middle East -- would bomb the U.S. Post Office in Suwannee
County in
northern Florida.
He is also charged with making calls on Sept. 27 stating that Jihad
would
destroy police and fire training facilities in Duval and St. Johns
counties
in northeast Florida, and two false 911 calls on the same day reporting
a
bomb on a Duval County bridge...
-----
SAN DIEGO MUSLIMS CRITICIZE MAYOR'S RESPONSE TO PLEAS
Leaders say he ignored requests for a meeting to discuss vandalism and
reports of harassment. His office cites past support for Arab
Americans.
By H.G. REZA, Los Angeles Tiems, 10/12/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/rezulin/la-101201mayor.story
Leaders in San Diego's Muslim community are perplexed by Mayor Dick
Murphy's delay in meeting with them to discuss vandalism against the
Islamic Center and alleged harassment of Muslim children in school.
Mayors in other major cities, from New York to Los Angeles, were quick
to
call for calm after the Sept. 11 attacks, said Dr. Omaran Abdeen,
spokesman
for the Islamic Center of San Diego, the county's largest mosque.
But calls and e-mails to Murphy's office went unanswered until a few
days
ago. His spokeswoman, Elena Cristiano, said he has a meeting scheduled
next
week with local Muslim leaders. "We felt an urgent need to meet with
the
mayor to relate our concerns about the safety of our children and
families," said Abdeen, an associate professor at the UC San Diego
School
of Medicine. "We asked his office to issue a calming statement, but he
has
been silent..."
-----
MAN EJECTED FROM PLANE WAS 'TERRIFIED'
Deaf Muslim's brother says flight attendants didn't try hard enough to
communicate
By CHRIS LAMBI, The Daily News, 10/11/2001
http://www.canada.com/halifax/dailynews/
A 24-year-old Muslim man who can't speak or hear was ordered off a
plane in
Halifax last week simply for going to the bathroom, says his brother.
Nazar Al-Gumer - a Kuwaiti man studying sign language in Halifax - was
flying to Montreal Friday morning to visit his younger brother, Waleed,
for
the Thanksgiving weekend. But the plane's crew insisted Al-Gumer leave
the
A319 Airbus after the deaf man walked to the rear of the plane to use
the
bathroom before takeoff.
"He was really terrified," said Waleed Al-Gumer, 20.
Nazar tried communicating with flight attendants using sign language
after
he left the bathroom, said his brother.
"That caused the whole problem," he said. "The flight attendants were
scared and then it led to the passengers getting scared..."
...Nazar Al-Gumer can read lips, but the flight attendant was speaking
too
quickly. He tried showing the crew a card he carries that says he's
deaf
and can't speak, said his brother. But that didn't seem to help and the
crew eventually ordered Nazar off the plane, said his brother.
"I think it was really stupid, because they didn't even talk to him.
They
didn't negotiate with him. They just kicked him off."
Nazar Al-Gumer was wearing jeans and a shirt, but he has dark skin and
a
moustache.
"He said they looked at him really weird," said his brother. "He was
the
only Arab on the flight."
An Air Canada spokeswoman said passengers were upset by Al-Gumer's
behaviour, especially in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in
the
United States...
-----
ARAB APPEARANCE ISN'T A CRIME
The Chicago Tribune, 10/13/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com
Before Sept. 11, racial profiling--the casting of suspicion by
law-enforcement authorities merely because of someone's race or
ethnicity--was roundly condemned as unfair if not illegal. Many local
police departments had disavowed the practice and Congress was
considering
legislation against it.
It's all different now. Everyone in America has seen video clips of
planes
smashing into the World Trade Center, of the subsequent terror--and
also
the mugshots of the perpetrators, all of whom were Arabs. Americans are
scared and demanding something be done.
So racial profiling is coming back into vogue. The Federal Motor
Carrier
Administration, which is responsible for inspecting trucks carrying
hazardous materials, issued a warning that it would closely scrutinize
drivers "who look to be of Arab descent." Since last month, jittery
passengers have sometimes demanded--and the airlines have acceded--that
passengers of Middle Eastern appearance be removed from flights before
departure. Recent polls suggest that the vast majority of Americans,
including blacks--who were heretofore the primary victims of racial
profiling--are in favor of it now...
...President Bush and other political leaders have cautioned against
the
present national trauma creating a hostile environment for
Arab-Americans,
Muslims and other Middle Easterners here. That ought to extend to
increased
airport security measures, which to be effective must be based on due
diligence and evidence, rather than generalized fears and suspicions.
-----
NO `ETHNIC CRACKDOWN'
By Bruce J. Gebhardt, San Jose Mercury News, 10/13/2001
Special Agent In Charge, San Francisco Division, FBI
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/opinion/letters/fbilet.htm
SHARON Noguchi (Opinion, Oct. 3) compared the internment of
Japanese-Americans, a sad chapter in American history, to the current
FBI
investigation, where close to 6,000 individuals are dead or missing...
...The headline characterizes the FBI's current investigation as an
"ethnic
crackdown." This characterization is without merit and can only causes
divisiveness at a time when society needs to work together.
Shortly after the terrorist attacks, I personally met with leaders of
the
Islamic community in the Bay Area, including representatives from the
Council on American Islamic Relations. At that meeting, I emphasized
the
FBI's commitment to aggressively investigate these terrorist acts and
all
violations of federal hate crimes laws...
...I hope that history will judge today's FBI as being protectors of
the
rights of all during this time of crisis.
-----
CAIR ST. LOUIS HELPS BUILD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOUSE
CAIR-STL, along with twenty local Muslims, recently joined Habitat for
Humanity to help build a house for the less fortunate. Chapter workers
wore
T-shirts with the words "Muslims CAIR" in large letters.
"We worked for 7 hours in torrential rain and mud, but our spirits were
high," said a CAIR St. Louis spokesman.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/15/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* DETENTIONS RAISE CIVIL LIBERTIES CONCERNS (Washington Post)
* RAIDS DURING RAMADAN COULD OFFEND MUSLIMS (USA Today)
* U.S. MUSLIMS FIND OPPORTUNITY FOR EQUALITY (USA Today)
* U.S. MESSAGE LOST OVERSEAS (Washington Post)
- NY COLUMNIST SAYS SHUTTING DOWN AL-JAZEERA IS "JOB FOR
MILITARY"
* PARALLEL PROPAGANDA (Washington Post)
* ISRAELIS POSE WITH DEAD PALESTINIANS (Sydney Morning Herald)
* THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD AS FOUND IN THE KORAN (Philadelphia Inquirer)
* GIULIANI BLOWS IT (Miami Herald)
* CAIR MEETS WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS
* PANEL DISCUSSION IN TEXAS WITH AMERICAN MUSLIM LEADERS
-----
DETENTIONS RAISE CIVIL LIBERTIES CONCERNS
QUESTIONS SWIRL AROUND MEN HELD IN TERROR PROBE
By Lois Romano and David S. Fallis, The Washington Post, 10/15/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59466-2001Oct14.html
In a high-security wing of Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional
Center, an
unknown number of men with Middle Eastern names are being held in
solitary
confinement on the ninth floor, locked in 8- by 10-foot cells with
little
more than cots, thin blankets and, if they request it, copies of the
Koran.
Every two hours, guards roust them to conduct a head count.
They have no contact with each other or their families and limited
access
to their lawyers. Their names appear on no federal jail log available
to
the public. No records can be found in any court docket in New York
showing
why they are detained, who represents them or the status of their
cases.
The nearly absolute secrecy surrounding the detentions is a growing
concern
to civil libertarians and legal observers who fear basic rights are
being
violated as authorities pursue the terrorist conspiracy responsible for
the
attacks in New York and Washington...
...Authorities will say virtually nothing about the detainees in the
Metropolitan Correctional Center or hundreds of others who have been
held
during the investigation. The Justice Department has also refused to
reveal
the names of the lawyers representing them.
It is unknown whether the detainees are considered conspirators in the
worst act of terrorism in U.S. history, valuable witnesses or merely
people
who might have information because they crossed paths with the
terrorists
responsible for the deaths of nearly 5,000 people Sept. 11...
-----
RAIDS DURING RAMADAN COULD OFFEND MUSLIMS
Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today, 10/15/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/life/2001-10-15-ramadan.htm
The war on terrorism took a day of rest Friday when the U.S. military
forces ceased bombing Afghanistan to recognize the Muslim weekly holy
day.
But President Bush has told the world that the battle likely will still
be
blazing next month, even though Ramadan, holiest month in the Islamic
religious calendar, is just weeks away.
That raises fears that the United States will deeply offend Muslims
worldwide, when the holiday starts Nov. 16 with images of the Christian
West at war in Muslim regions and Muslims fighting Muslims as well...
-----
U.S. MUSLIMS FIND OPPORTUNITY FOR EQUALITY
By John Ritter, USA Today, 10/15/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/news/attack/2001/10/15/muslims-opportunity.htm
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Last month's terrorist attacks may have put
America's
Muslims on the defensive, but they also sense an opportunity to bolster
their political clout.
At the American Muslim Alliance's national convention here this
weekend,
activists from around the country distilled this message: In a time of
national strife, not only must Muslims show the rest of America they're
part of the mainstream, but they also must use their visibility to
forge
political influence just as minority groups before them have.
"This is not the time to hide but to come out and let people know who
we
are," declared Omar Ahmad, chairman of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations. "It is our opportunity to raise the level of understanding
and
be a part of a solution." Whatever differences may divide the nation's
7
million Muslims, they put up a united front in the glare of their first
major political gathering since the attacks Sept. 11 on the Pentagon
and
World Trade Center...
-----
U.S. MESSAGE LOST OVERSEAS
Officials See Immediate Need for 'Public Diplomacy'
By Robert G. Kaiser, The Washington Post, 10/15/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59440-2001Oct14.html
For weeks, the Washington bureau of al-Jazeera, a satellite TV news
network, pleaded with the State Department for interviews to give Arab
viewers the American perspective on the new war on terrorism. Secretary
of
State Colin L. Powell appeared for an interview on Sept. 23, but mostly
"I
was begging them" in vain, said Hafez Al-Mirazi, the bureau chief.
Late last week, policy changed.
On Thursday, the director of the Agency for International Development,
Andrew S. Natsios, appeared on al-Jazeera, an independent all-news
channel
based in Qatar. On Friday, William J. Burns, assistant secretary of
state
for the Near East, gave the channel an interview. National security
adviser
Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to appear today, and Defense Secretary
Donald
H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday.
The interviews with al-Jazeera are one sign of the administration's
intensifying interest in "public diplomacy" -- selling its policies to
the
public, especially in the Arab Middle East, where U.S. positions have
been
unpopular for years...
-----
NY COLUMNIST SAYS SHUTTING DOWN AL-JAZEERA IS "JOB FOR MILITARY"
http://www.nydailynews.com/2001-10-14/News_and_Views/Opinion/a-128449.asp
...Dealing with Al Jazeera is a job for the military. Shutting it down
should be an immediate priority because, left alone, it has the power
to
poison the air more efficiently and lethally than anthrax ever could...
-----
PARALLEL PROPAGANDA
By Jackson Diehl, The Washington Post, 10/15/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59638-2001Oct14.html
Six days before Sept. 11, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and
Russian
President Vladimir Putin -- the leaders of two countries that never
used to
get along -- met in Moscow and found one strong area of agreement: "the
danger," as Sharon put it, "of fundamentalist, extremist Islamic
terror."
It was the beginning of what is becoming a beautiful friendship -- and
one
of the most dangerous points of weakness within the U.S.
counterterrorist
alliance.
With their handshake in the Kremlin, Sharon and Putin exchanged a
common
falsehood about the wars their armies are fighting against rebels in
Chechnya and the West Bank and Gaza. In both cases, the underlying
conflict
is about national self-determination: statehood for the Palestinians,
self-rule for Chechnya...
...Before Sept. 11 their parallel propaganda may not have been
persuasive
even with each other. But in the past five weeks, the two have been
emboldened to believe that they can force the world to accept a new
understanding of the Chechens and Palestinians -- and though the logic
is
no better than before, the power of Sept. 11 is working for them...
...It will be tempting to go along with them. Why bother with Chechnya
or
the Palestinians while the war against al Qaeda is going on? But there
is a
real danger: The national grievances of the Palestinians and Chechens,
though not the cause of Islamic extremism, offer a political bridge
between
the terrorists and a significant sector of mainstream society in Muslim
countries. The two wars and their atrocities are featured on the
recruitment videos that al Qaeda circulates. Just as ending them would
rob
the terrorists of vital oxygen, the failure to do so will make it
harder to
root them out.
Even worse would be the realization of the Putin-Sharon program -- the
crushing of legitimate Muslim national aspirations under the guise of
counterterrorism. If the U.S. alliance allows itself to be tied or
tarred
with that strategy, there will be no hope of victory.
-----
ISRAELIS POSE WITH DEAD PALESTINIANS
By Inigo Gilmore, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10/15/2001
http://www.smh.com.au/news/0110/15/world/world13.html
The Israeli Army is investigating reports that its soldiers are
circulating
"trophy" photographs of themselves posing next to dead and sometimes
mutilated Palestinians...
...The Israeli Defence Force said it was investigating the report of
soldiers taking photographs of Palestinians, but dismissed suggestions
that
"the phenomenon" was widespread...
-----
THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD AS FOUND IN THE KORAN
By David O'Reilly, Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/14/2001
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/10/14/review/koran14.htm
...In a Muslim world filled with people as diverse as Indian software
workers, Indonesian islanders and North African farmers, the Koran is
the
great uniter. From Pakistan, to Paris, to the rowhouses on Germantown
Avenue, the world's entire Muslim population shares not only a common
religious language but a supreme confidence that theirs is the one,
true
faith...
-----
GIULIANI BLOWS IT
The Miami Herald, 10/14/2001
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/opinion/editorials/digdocs/039790.htm
New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani may be a great crisis manager, but he's
a
lousy diplomat. The mayor has impressed just about everybody lately
with
his stellar leadership after the attacks on the World Trade Center. But
the
mayor flubbed it the other day when he rejected a $10 million donation
from
a wealthy Saudi Arabian, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal...
...Bringing Osama bin Laden and his henchmen to justice would be
meaningless if Americans ultimately fail to comprehend why so many
people
in the Muslim world think that the United States is unfair to
Palestinians
and that the terrorism war is against Islam.
-----
CAIR MEETS WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS
Representatives of the United States Department of Justice Community
Relations Service today visited CAIR's Washington headquarters to
discuss
issues related to the anti-Muslim backlash following the terrorist
attacks
in New York and Washington, D.C.
-----
PANEL DISCUSSION IN TEXAS WITH AMERICAN MUSLIM LEADERS
THEME: "Practicing True Islam"
PANEL PARTICIPANTS: (in alphabetical order)
Dr. Aslam Abdullah, Editor in Chief, The Muslim Observer
Br. Nihad Awad, Executive Director CAIR
Dr. Muneer Fareed, Associate Prof. Of Islamic Studies, Wayne State
University, Detroit
Dr. A. Raheman S. Nakadar, Publisher of The Muslim Observer
Sr. Noor Abdallah, Women Social Activist
Dr. Sulayman S. Nyang, Prof. Of African Studies, Howard Univ.,
Washington DC
Dr. Dilnawaz Siddiqui, Prof. of Communication, Clarion University of
Pennsylvania
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqui, Dir. Islamic Soc. of Orange County, CA; past
President of
ISNA
Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Imam, Masjid E Taqwa, New York, well known social
activist/ leader
DATE: Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIME: 8 PM
LOCATION: ISGH Spring Branch Community Hall
1209 Conrad Sauer, Houston 77043
(Next to EL-Farouq Masjid)
TICKETS: $10/person
FOR INFORMATION: Salman Jalali, 832-593-9107 or Afaq Durrani
281-599-1213
SPONSORED BY:
The Islamic Society of Greater Houston,
The Pakistan Association of Greater Houston
The Muslim Observer
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/16/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* WINE, WOMEN (Washington Times)
* CHRISTIAN ARABS, TOO, ARE HARASSED (New York Times)
* SWEDISH PILOT REFUSES ARABS ON FLIGHT (AP)
* 5 YOUNG ISRAELIS, CAUGHT IN NET OF SUSPICION (New York Times)
* DALLAS-FORT WORTH MUSLIMS RALLY AGAINST TERRORISM
* CAIR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA HOLDS FUNDRAISING DINNER
* CAIR-MI ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
-----
WINE, WOMEN
By Julia Duin, The Washington Times, 10/16/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/culture/20011016-91553978.htm
A sensuous heaven, replete with all manner of delights, is a
little-known
but important part of the mentality that may have inspired 19
terrorists to
immolate themselves in the Sept. 11 attacks.
If the terrorists held to popular Islamic conceptions of heaven, the
radical Muslims believed their reward for killing infidels in the World
Trade Center and Pentagon would include dozens of amorous virgins per
person and rivers flowing with nonintoxicating wine in a reconstructed
Garden of Eden...
...The conception of an Islamic heaven is part of the popular culture
of
the East...
TO OFFER POLITE AND SCHOLARLY COMMENTS:
E-MAIL: jduin@washingtontimes.com
COPY TO: letters@washingtontimes.com, fcoombs@washingtontimes.com,
cair@cair-net.org
(To be considered for publication, your letter must include name,
address,
and a phone number where you can be reached.)
-----
CHRISTIAN ARABS, TOO, ARE HARASSED
By GUSTAV NIEBUHR, The New York Times, 10/15/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/15/national/15COPT.html
...It can come as news to many Americans that the Middle East is not
uniformly Islamic, and that many nations contain historic Christian
churches, the largest being the Coptic Church, which traces its roots
to
the First Century.
...While they are still outnumbered in the United States by Muslims of
Middle Eastern origin, other Middle Eastern Christians have settled
here as
well, coming from churches in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and
elsewhere.
Since Sept. 11, the harassment has not been confined to one region. In
New
York, the Rev. Khader N. El- Yateem, pastor of Salam Arabic Lutheran
Church
in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn, said three families in his
congregation
had suffered harassment. The majority at Salam Arabic Church come from
Syria, said Pastor El-Yateem, a Palestinian Christian who has worked to
build ties in his area between Christians and Muslims.
Reflecting on the harassment, Pastor El-Yateem said he believed the
bigotry
was directed against Middle Easterners in general, regardless of
religion.
"We've had Christian families that have been attacked more than Muslim
families in Bay Ridge," he said...
-----
SWEDISH PILOT REFUSES ARABS ON FLIGHT
By STEPHAN NASSTROM, The Associated Press, 10/14/2001
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - A pilot refused to fly three men of Arab
ancestry
- two of them Swedish citizens - and forced them to leave his plane
even
after they were cleared by police, authorities said Sunday.
The men had bought tickets a day earlier for the Premiair flight
Saturday
from Stockholm to Las Palmas, Spain.
"Everything went well when we checked in. But after we sat down in the
plane, the cabin crew told us that the captain wanted to talk," Ismail
Fouda said by telephone.
Police checked their passports and also ran a computer check while the
men
waited in the plane.
"We judged that they were not a threat and told the captain," said
Arlanda
International Airport police officer Barry Gunnarsson. "But the captain
is
king."
Fouda, who was born in Egypt but is a Swedish citizen, said he was
convinced their Arab ethnicity was the reason. He and the two others
filed
a police complaint against tour operator Ving...
-----
5 YOUNG ISRAELIS, CAUGHT IN NET OF SUSPICION
By ALISON LEIGH COWAN, The New York Times, 10/8/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/08/nyregion/08DETA.html
As their lawyer tells it, when the five young men were picked up by
F.B.I.
agents in midday on Sept. 11, they had a box cutter with them. One man
carried $4,000 in cash, another had two passports.
In short, there probably were good reasons to be suspicious of the men
who
became the subjects of widespread news coverage.
What those early news accounts missed, however, was that all five of
the
men were Israeli Jews, and that if they had box cutters, it was because
at
least four of them and possibly all five worked for Urban Moving
Systems, a
household moving company in New York and New Jersey.
They are now facing deportation for overstaying their visas and other
immigration offenses, but their lawyer says their case is a reminder
that
though roughly 500 people have now been detained as part of the
crackdown
on possible terrorists, that does not mean all of them are part of any
terror network...
-----
DALLAS-FORT WORTH MUSLIMS RALLY AGAINST TERRORISM
(Dallas, Texas) - Muslims in Dallas/Fort Worth are planning a rally to
express their condemnation of all forms of terrorism. The rally will
take
place on Saturday, October 20th at the Kennedy Memorial in downtown
Dallas.
This event is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. and is expected to last
until 4
p.m.
In a statement, Mohamed Elmougy, President of the local chapter of the
Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) said:
"We felt the need to organize a forum for local Muslims to reiterate
their
condemnation of terrorism and the killing of innocent civilians. We
also
intend to use the forum to express our appreciation for the
overwhelming
support we received from our neighbors and friends of all faiths during
the
backlash inflicted on the Muslim community following the September 11th
terrorist attacks."
CONTACT CAIR-DFW:
TEL: (972) 462-9630
E-MAIL: Info@cairdfw.org
-----
CAIR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA HOLDS FUNDRAISING DINNER
CAIR-Northern California cordially invites you to its Annual
Fundraising
Banquet
WHEN: Saturday, October 20th, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
WHERE: Chandni Restaurant, Fremont*
COST: $20 family, $10 individual
SPEAKERS:
* Representative Cynthia McKinney of the US Congress
* Presentations by CAIR N. CA and S. CA
For More Information or to reserve tickets, contact:
TEL: (408) 986-9874
E-MAIL: cair_nca@cair-california.org.
*(Chandni Restaurant is located in Fremont/Newark at 5748 Mowry School
Rd.
For directions please call the restaurant at (510) 668-1051)
-----
CAIR-MI ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
CAIR-MI invites you and your family to its Annual Fundraising Dinner
entitled "The Great Opportunity"
WHEN: Sunday November 11, 2001 at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Novi Hilton-275 & 8 Mile Rd.
COST: Tickets are $50 per person.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact the CAIR-MI office.
TEL: (248) 569-2203 or E-MAIL cair@cairmichigan.org
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/17/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CANADIAN MUSLIM SCHOLARS REJECT "MISGUIDED" CALLS FOR JIHAD
* FIND THE TERRORIST IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
* BOMBS, LAWLESSNESS THREATEN AID EFFORTS (Washington Post)
* THE PALESTINE QUESTION IS CENTRAL (Christian Science Monitor)
* MUSLIMS GET COMPASSION, SUPPORT (Los Angeles Times)
* USDA RESEARCHES HALAL MARKET
* CAIR-LA WORKSHOP: ANSWERING DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN NEW JERSEY
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN MINNESOTA
-----
CANADIAN MUSLIM SCHOLARS REJECT "MISGUIDED" CALLS FOR JIHAD
(OTTAWA, CANADA) - The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR CAN) and the Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties
Association
(CMCLA) today denounced a series of recent statements made by Osama bin
Laden and his al-Qaeda network that state that Muslims should wage a
"jihad" against Americans.
In a joint statement endorsed by prominent Canadian Islamic scholars,*
the
two organizations wrote:
"Islam respects the sacredness of life, and rejects any express
statement
or tacit insinuation that Muslims should harm innocent people. Despite
our
disagreement with certain American policies, we must never abuse the
concept of Jihad to target innocent civilians.
"Jihad, which literally means 'struggle,' has an internal, societal and
combative dimension. The internal dimension of Jihad encompasses the
struggle against the evil inclinations of the self, and the spiritual
project to adorn the self with virtues such as justice, mercy,
generosity
and gentleness. The societal dimension includes struggling against
social
injustice and creating a communal identity based on charity, respect
and
equality. Finally, the combative aspect of jihad is only to be used as
self-defense against aggression or to fight oppression, and, even then,
to
be observed with strict limits of conduct that preserves the life of
innocents and the sanctity of the environment. Moreover, this latter
type
of Jihad can only be declared by a legitimate, recognized religious
authority.
"Using the concept of Jihad to justify harming the innocent is contrary
to
the letter and spirit of Islam. We condemn any violence that springs
from
this misguided interpretation."
CONTACT: Riad Saloojee at 613-798-0003
* Dr. Jamal Badawi, Imam Munir El-Kassem, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
-----
FIND THE TERRORIST IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
http://www.markfiore.com/animation/fresh.html
-----
BOMBS, LAWLESSNESS THREATEN AID EFFORTS
Red Cross Warehouses in Kabul Are Struck
By Karen DeYoung and Marc Kaufman, The Washington Post 10/17/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5390-2001Oct16.html
U.S. bombs and increasing lawlessness on the ground are endangering
humanitarian aid workers in Afghanistan and hampering delivery of
emergency
food that must be distributed before winter snows start to fall on the
mountainous areas of the country, relief organizations said yesterday.
The Defense Department confirmed that bombs from a Navy F/A-18 Hornet
"inadvertently struck one or more warehouses used by the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in northern Kabul" yesterday,
destroying
buildings and emergency food and refugee supplies. One employee was
injured.
On Monday, a missile fired from a plane that was clearly visible
overhead
struck less than 500 feet from a World Food Program warehouse in
Afsotar,
on the northern edge of Kabul, wounding one laborer, according to
several
aid organizations. The missile struck as trucks were being loaded for
an
Oxfam convoy of 250 tons of food for the mountainous Hazarajat region.
Loading was suspended and the warehouse remained closed today, aid
officials said.
"It is now evident that we cannot, in reasonable safety, get food to
hungry
Afghan people," said Oxfam America President Raymond C. Offenheiser.
"We've
reached the point where it is simply unrealistic for us to do our job
in
Afghanistan. We've run out of food, the borders are closed, we can't
reach
our staff, and time's running out..."
-----
THE PALESTINE QUESTION IS CENTRAL
By David Hirst, Christian Science Monitor, 10/17/2001
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1017/p11s1-coop.html
BEIRUT - British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he and President Bush
are
"completely seized of the need to push forward" the Middle East peace
process, because the Arab-Israeli conflict helps terrorists justify
their
activities.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration is reportedly preparing to pressure
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to accept a viable Palestinian
state,
including a "shared Jerusalem." Officials describe Mr. Bush as
"incensed"
over Mr. Sharon's recent outburst likening Israel to Czechoslovakia in
1938, and warning Bush not to "appease the Arabs."
The two leaders of the war on terror are thus close to recognizing the
centrality of the Palestinian question in this world crisis...
-----
MUSLIMS GET COMPASSION, SUPPORT
By RONALD D. WHITE, The Los Angeles Times, October 16, 2001
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-000082381oct16.story
In the days following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, many American
Muslims
went to work with some trepidation, expecting cold shoulders or even
harassment, based on their experiences during the Persian Gulf War and
other periods of U.S. tension about the Middle East.
But to their surprise, many have found normality, acceptance, even open
expressions of solidarity. And when there were incidents of harassment,
many have reported, their employers came to their defense swiftly...
-----
USDA RESEARCHES HALAL MARKET
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in cooperation with
the
Mountain Pride Cooperative (Maryland), is researching the zabiha halal
(meat prepared according to Islamic guidelines) market. The project
seeks
to educate small farmers about the zabiha halal market - particularly
consumer preferences, interests and concerns.
One segment of the project is to hold focus groups with Muslim women
living
in Northern Virginia. The focus groups would be about 2 hours in
length,
refreshments will be served and compensation provided. If you are
interested in participating, please contact Claire Klotz Ould-Yahya at
(202)690-4077 or claire.klotz@usda.gov.
-----
CAIR-LA WORKSHOP: ANSWERING DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
Since Sept. 11, many Muslims have been faced with difficult questions
about
their faith and fellow Muslims. Please join various leaders of the
Southern California Muslim community in an intense interactive workshop
on
answering these difficult questions.
WHAT: Answering Difficult Questions on Islam and Muslims
WHERE: CAIR office in Anaheim, 2180 W. Crescent Ave., Suite F
WHEN: Saturday, Oct 20, 11 a.m.
Speakers include Sheikh Yasser Ibrahim, Dr. Ahmed Sakr, and Sr. Rahman
Bin Nabi.
There will be a question and answer session insha'allah.
Seating is limited so please rsvp to the CAIR office as early as
possible.
TEL: (714) 776-1847 E-MAIL: CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN NEW JERSEY
Dar Ul Islah Mosque is Teaneck, NJ, is holding an open house this
Sunday,
Oct. 21. Mohammad Abbasi will give a sort speech and the entire program
will last from 4:30 TO 8 p.m. The mosque is located at 320 Fabry
Terrace,
Teaneck NJ. TEL: 201-692-7730.
Directions: From Turnpike North, take exit 70 B, make right onto
Glenwood
Ave, make right onto Fabry Terrace. From Parkway South, take exit 159
to
route 80 East, take exit 70B, right on Glenwood Ave, right on Fabry
Terrace.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, E-MAIL: janemaaz@hotmail.com
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN MINNESOTA
The Muslim community in Minnesota invites people of all faiths to an
open
house and fund-raiser for the victims of the September 11 tragedy.
LOCATION: Islamic Center of Minnesota, 1401 Gardena Ave. NE,
Fridley, Minn.
DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 20, between 3 and 6 p.m.
PROGRAM
3 to 3:45 p.m.
Press conference
Prayer
Introduction and word of thanks
Islamic Center of MN president's address
Comments from invited guests
4 to 4:45 p.m. Presentations
Information about Islam
Security concerns and economic impact
Questions & Answers
Positive Notes
5 to 5:45 p.m. Presentations Repeated (Same as above)
CONTACT:
Islamic Center of Minnesota
TEL: 763-571-5604
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/18/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* COLUMNIST SAYS PULL OVER "MIDDLE EASTERN-LOOKING" DRIVERS
* A HEALTHY DOSE OF 'BIGOTRY' (National Post)
* BIN LADEN DOES AMERICAN MUSLIMS NO FAVORS (Hartford Courant)
* AFGHANS NOW QUESTION U.S. STRIKES (Washington Post)
* AFGHANISTAN: WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS (San Francisco Chronicle)
* DC PEACE RALLY FOR THE CIVILIANS IN AFGHANISTAN
* ACLU ASKS ASHCROFT FOR DETAILS ON WIDESPREAD DETENTION
* ACLU FORUM ON TERRORISM AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
* DAY-LONG "DISCOVERING ISLAM" EVENT IN NJ
* GREENSBORO MUSLIMS HOLD MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
* UNVEILING IGNORANCE: THE TRUTH ABOUT WOMEN IN ISLAM
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN NJ
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN MARYLAND
-----
A NOTE ABOUT RESPONDING TO HOSTILE COMMENTARIES:
Please resist the temptation to respond emotionally to hostile or
Islamophobic commentaries. Often, the authors of these commentaries
will
pick one or two angry e-mails out of the dozens of reasonable messages
they
receive to say "see what Muslims are like." Don't give them that
opportunity.
-----
COLUMNIST SAYS PULL OVER "MIDDLE EASTERN-LOOKING" DRIVERS
SURVIVAL INSTINCTS VS. POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Mona Charen, The Washington Times, 10/18/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20011018-27353210.htm
...There are thousands of Arabs in the United States at this moment on
student and travel visas. They should all be asked, politely and
without
prejudice, to go home. This will work hardships in many cases, and that
is
regrettable. But, there is no constitutional right to visit the United
States. There is no constitutional right for foreign students to study
here.
This is not a proposal for concentration camps or even preventive
detention
(and this would not apply to citizens of Middle Eastern origin - though
they, too, should receive some scrutiny). It should be done more in
sorrow
than in anger, because we know only a tiny fraction of these people
mean us
harm. But we cannot take chances.
As for those missing hazardous materials drivers, the only answer is
ethnic
profiling. Every Middle Eastern-looking truck driver should be pulled
over
and questioned wherever he may be in the United States....
E-MAIL POLITE COMMENTS TO:
info@creators.com, letters@washingtontimes.com,
hbering@washingtontimes.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
http://www.creators.com/opinion_show.cfm?columnsName=mch
-----
A HEALTHY DOSE OF 'BIGOTRY'
By Jonathan Kay, The National Post (Canada), 10/18/2001
http://www.nationalpost.com/
Search using the term "Jonathan Kay."
It is indicative of Canada's famously tolerant national character that
the
loudest standing ovation Prime Minister Jean Chrétien received on
Monday
night came when he departed from his primary theme of fighting terror,
and
began speaking of a parallel battle against discrimination...
...But while the PM is right to denounce hatred and bigotry, we should
not
pretend that an effective fight against terrorism can be waged in a
truly
colour-blind fashion.
The fact is, those who plot the annihilation of our civilization are of
one
religion and, almost without exception, one race. Yet admitting this is
a
problem for Mr. Chrétien...
...We are not talking about imprisoning all Arabs, or all Muslims. We
are
talking about devoting a disproportionately large part of our
investigative
apparatus to these communities. We are talking about ethnic profiling
at
airports, the use of informants in suspect mosques (several North
American
imams have recently been implicated in terror activities) and tracing
the
expenditures of Muslim charities...
...Politicians, who endlessly and truthfully remind us that terrorists
are
aberrations within the Muslim community, seem to believe we can have
our
multicultural cake and beat terrorism, too. But notwithstanding the
standing ovation Mr. Chrétien received on Monday, they are wrong.
Multiculturalist pieties, however noble in the abstract, are a luxury
we
cannot always afford to indulge in this time of war.
E-MAIL POLITE COMMENTS TO:
letters@nationalpost.com, jkay@nationalpost.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
BIN LADEN DOES AMERICAN MUSLIMS NO FAVORS
By Riad Z. Abdelkarim, The Hartford Courant, 10/18/2001
http://www.ctnow.com/
Search using the term "Riad."
(Riad Z. Abdelkarim, M.D., is California communications director for
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy organization.)
...We are just as American as our fellow citizens of innumerable ethnic
and
religious backgrounds. And we are just as Muslim as any Muslim in any
other
part of the world. In fact, because we were blessed to be born in or
immigrate to this great country, we are able to practice the teachings
of
our noble faith more freely than in any other part of the world,
including
those with predominantly Muslim populations.
As American Muslims, we join the vast majority of Muslims worldwide who
reject the twisted teachings of bin Laden. We deeply resent the fact
that
he has hijacked our faith and has attempted to justify his actions by
hypocritically adopting many of the legitimate grievances of the Muslim
and
Arab worlds. Osama bin Laden has no more legitimacy in his claim to be
the
poster boy for the Palestinian cause than did Saddam Hussein a decade
ago.
Yes, it is true that my government has supported undemocratic,
unpopular
and repressive regimes in the Muslim world while promoting democracy
and
human rights in the rest of the world.
Yes, it is true that much of the world has turned a blind eye as
America's
sanctions against Iraq have killed innocent children and left the Iraqi
regime more entrenched in power than ever.
And yes, it is true that my government has offered blind, unconditional
moral and financial support to the state of Israel, which continues to
terrorize Palestinian civilians daily with its own brand of apartheid.
It is also true that many of us in America - not just Muslims but
people of
other faiths as well - sincerely believe that bombing Afghan cities and
villages will only make matters worse. But we believe in voicing our
differences by engaging in honest dialogue, not by perpetrating mass
murder
against innocent civilians or by threats.
By perverting the teachings of our faith, bin Laden and Abu Gheith have
already placed the lives and livelihoods of American Muslims in peril.
In
addition to the Muslims massacred in the Sept. 11 attacks, nearly 1,000
acts of hate against us have been reported. The FBI has questioned
thousands of us (including myself) across the country, and cynical
pundits
and commentators have vociferously and unfairly questioned our loyalty
and
patriotism.
So, Mr. bin Laden and Mr. Abu Gheith, if you were hoping to do us any
favors, don't bother...
-----
AFGHANS NOW QUESTION U.S. STRIKES
Refugees Say Civilian Deaths Are Softening Opposition to Taliban
By John Pomfret, The Washington Post, 10/18/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12142-2001Oct17.html
...As reports of civilian casualties and other mistakes mount in
America's
war in the skies over Afghanistan, a growing number of Afghans from
different backgrounds and political persuasions are questioning whether
the
United States is conducting a war against terrorism and Afghanistan's
ruling Taliban militia or against the Afghan people.
The distinction is important to the success of the U.S.-led coalition
trying to defeat terrorism. President Bush has assured the world that
his
war is not against Islam or the Afghan people. For every bomb dropped
on
targets associated with Osama bin Laden or his Taliban protectors, U.S.
pilots have dropped thousands of packets of food, radios and reading
material to Afghans.
But interviews with a range of Afghan refugees, activists and tribal
leaders who oppose the Taliban, and are in a position to benefit from a
successful U.S. assault, indicate that America's hearts-and-minds
campaign
to woo the Afghan people away from the Taliban is running into
trouble...
"...Most of us thought this was an issue between the United States and
Osama bin Laden," said Fareed Alim Shah, 32, an Afghan who came to
Quetta
on Tuesday.
But several widely reported American misses, along with frequent
Taliban
claims of heavy civilian casualties, have begun to change people's
views,
Shah said...
-----
AFGHANISTAN: WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS
By Stephanie Salter, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/17/2001
http://www.sfgate.com/
Search using the term "Salter."
AS LONG AS WE STILL HAVE IT, I'm going to make the most of the First
Amendment: What we are doing in, above, and to Afghanistan is
short-sighted, counterproductive and immoral. That I am among a mere 6
or
10 percent of Americans (depending on the poll) who feel this way hurts
my
heart.
The amount of nonthink, or flat-out denial, that is required to support
Operation Enduring Freedom is painful to contemplate. Sending thousands
of
kids -- "our brave men and women in uniform" -- to risk their lives for
it
is unbearable...
...Without a doubt, after Sept. 11, we did have to do something,
something
that takes time, deep and true coalition-building and patient cunning.
Instead, we've chosen to play into a mass murderer's hands and prove
that
our reverence for human life starts diminishing at America's borders.
CONTACT: ssalter@sfchronicle.com, chronletters@sfgate.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
DC PEACE RALLY FOR THE CIVILIANS IN AFGHANISTAN
There will be a peace rally and Jummah prayer for the civilians of
Afghanistan who have been suffering over 20 years of war and
devastation
compounded by famine and drought.
WHEN: Friday, October 19 at 1:00 p.m.
Jummah Prayer begins at 2:15 p.m.
WHERE: Across from the State Department
23rd & C Street NW, Washington, DC
CONTACT: Mahdi Bray, 202-879-6726
SPONSOR: COORDINATING COUNCIL OF MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS
THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA
-----
CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTS OF DENIAL OF RIGHTS,
ACLU ASKS ASHCROFT FOR DETAILS ON WIDESPREAD DETENTION
http://www.aclu.org/news/2001/n101701a.html
WASHINGTON -- Saying that unprecedented government secrecy is raising
questions about the fairness of the government's investigation into the
terrorist attacks, the American Civil Liberties Union today asked the
Justice Department to release to the American public additional
information
about the more than 700 people held in detention since September 11.
In a letter sent today to Attorney General John Ashcroft, the ACLU said
that it was troubled by reports that some detainees have been impeded
in
their ability to contact lawyers and their families. If accurate,
"these
reports raise fundamental due process issues that we hope the
Department
will promptly address," the ACLU letter said...
...The ACLU letter to Attorney General Ashcroft can be found online at:
http://www.aclu.org/congress/l101701a.html
-----
ACLU FORUM ON TERRORISM AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
WHEN: November 1, 2001, 10 a.m.
WHERE: Washington Court Hotel
525 New Jersey Avenue NW
Washington, DC
Join the ACLU for a discussion about the tensions between public safety
and
individual rights and to receive a new comprehensive report examining
the
consequences of the 1996 anti-terrorism legislation.
To attend, email jason@publicinterestpr.com.
-----
DAY-LONG "DISCOVERING ISLAM" EVENT IN NJ
WHEN: 12:30 p.m., Saturday Nov. 3
WHERE: Bergen Community College (parking in lot A)
400 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ
INFORMATION: URL: www.DiscoverIslam.cc
E-mail: Discoverislam113@hotmail.com
Call 201-522-6471 or 201-887-0414
-----
GREENSBORO MUSLIMS HOLD MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
Mosque neighbors invited to learn more about Islam
WHAT: On Sunday, November 4, 2001 members of the local Islamic
community
will hold an open house at the Islamic Center of Greensboro to offer
people
of all faiths an introduction to Islam and their Muslim neighbors.
The free event will feature discussions about Islamic beliefs and the
positive role Muslims play in American society and display of Islamic
literature. Light refreshments will be served.
"Only through getting to know one another on a personal level can
people of
different faiths build bridges of understanding and tolerance," said
Said
Atif, Imam at the Islamic Center of Greensboro.
There are an estimated 10,000 - 15,000 Muslims in the Triad and some
seven
million nationwide. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in
this
country and around the world.
WHEN: November 4, 2001, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: 2023 16th Street, Greensboro, NC 27407
Northeast corner of Hwy 29 and 16th Street,
near Carolina Circle Mall
CONTACT:
Shafiq Mohammad (336) 686-6944
Jameel Khalifa (336) 834-9968
Tim Clark (336) 996-0955
Raouti Benallal (336) 869-5322
URL: http://www.islamiccenterofgreensboro.com/
-----
UNVEILING IGNORANCE: THE TRUTH ABOUT WOMEN IN ISLAM
WHEN: 7:15 p.m., Thursday, Oct.18
WHERE: 2040 VLSB, UC Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
An invitation for Americans of faiths and backgrounds to come together
in
solidarity against the racist backlash of September 11th. Arabs,
Asians,
and Muslims have become the targets of misplaced anger as hate crimes
have
swept the nation. Muslim women wearing the headscarf have particularly
become vulnerable to physical and verbal assault.
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN NJ
WHEN: Sunday October 21, 2001.
WHERE: Muslim Center of Middlesex County,
1000 Hoes Lane in Piscataway, New Jersey,
TIME: 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN MARYLAND
WHEN: Saturday, October 20, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: The Prince George's Muslim Association
9150 Lanham Severn Road, Lanham
(1 mile east of exit 20A of the beltway)
The program includes a presentation by Ali Darwish and other speakers.
Guests will include community leaders, neighboring churches/synagogues
and
neighbors.
For more information, please call (301) 459-4942.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/19/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* REMINDER: DALLAS-FORT WORTH MUSLIMS RALLY AGAINST TERRORISM
* ANOTHER COLUMNIST CALLS FOR RACIAL PROFILING
* BLACK MUSLIMS SAY THEY FEEL INCREASE IN DISCRIMINATION (AP)
* FELONY CHARGES FILED IN HATE-CRIME CASE (Orange County Register)
* 'THIS IS MY STRUGGLE' (Boston Globe)
* ARAB-AMERICAN KIDS ENCOUNTER MIXED REACTION (Detroit News)
* AFGHAN BITTERNESS RISING AS U.S. RAIDS TAKE TOLL (Reuters)
* ACTIONS WE TAKE NOW WILL DEFINE US FOR A LONG TIME TO COME (Atlanta
Journal)
* MULTI-FAITH EVENT TO PROBE MEANING BEHIND TERROR
-----
REMINDER: DALLAS-FORT WORTH MUSLIMS RALLY AGAINST TERRORISM
(Dallas, Texas) - Muslims in Dallas/Fort Worth are planning a rally to
express their condemnation of all forms of terrorism. The rally will
take
place on Saturday, October 20th at the Kennedy Memorial in downtown
Dallas
and is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. and is expected to last until 4
p.m.
In a statement, Mohamed Elmougy, President of the local chapter of the
Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) said:
"We felt the need to organize a forum for local Muslims to reiterate
their
condemnation of terrorism and the killing of innocent civilians. We
also
intend to use the forum to express our appreciation for the
overwhelming
support we received from our neighbors and friends of all faiths during
the
backlash inflicted on the Muslim community following the September 11th
terrorist attacks."
CONTACT CAIR-DFW:
TEL: (972) 462-9630
E-MAIL: Info@cairdfw.org
-----
ANOTHER COLUMNIST CALLS FOR RACIAL PROFILING
PROFILES ENCOURAGED
Under the cirumstances, we must be wary of young Arab men.
PEGGY NOONAN, Wall Street Journal, 10/19/2001
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=95001349
...In the past month I have evolved from polite tip-line caller to
watchful
potential warrior. And I gather that is going on with pretty much
everyone
else, and I'm glad of it. I was relieved at the story of the plane
passengers a few weeks ago who refused to board if some Mideastern
looking
guys were allowed to board. I was encouraged just last night when an
esteemed journalist told me of a story she'd been told: Two
Mideastern-looking gentlemen, seated together on a plane, were
eyeballed by
a U.S. air marshal who was aboard. The air marshal told the men they
were
not going to sit together on this flight. They protested. The marshal
said,
move or you're not on this flight. They moved. Plane took off...
...I think we're going to require a lot of patience from a lot of
innocent
people. And you know, I don't think that's asking too much. And when
it's
not given, I think we should recognize that as odd...
POLITE RESPONSES TO:
james.taranto@dowjones.com, brendan.miniter@dowjones.com,
Peggy@PeggyNoonan.com, opjournal.help@dowjones.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
BLACK MUSLIMS SAY THEY FEEL INCREASE IN DISCRIMINATION,
EVEN FROM OTHER BLACKS
By TANIA FUENTEZ, The Associated Press, 10/18/2001
...According to widely varying estimates, there are 1 million to 3
million
black Muslims living in the United States, many converting in the 1960s
and
1970s. Unlike many immigrant Muslims, they don't have Middle Eastern
features or accents. Still, black Muslims say they have been subjected
to
subtle and not-so-subtle religious discrimination in the past six
weeks.
"We had incidents here," said Hassan Yamini, a 55-year-old truck driver
and
an imam at the Abdullah Muslim Islamic Center in Syracuse, N.Y. "Some
of
the members have been harassed, people yelling at them, 'Pull that rag
off
of your head,' or 'Go back to your country."'
Yamini was born in Mississippi.
Ayisha Abdul-Salaam is a 22-year-old teacher at Pace Academy, a private
school near Emory University in one of Atlanta's wealthiest
neighborhoods.
A second-generation Muslim, Abdul-Salaam says her loyalties have been
questioned.
"At school, the environment has been supportive," she said. "But a lot
of
African-American Christians are afraid of it (Islam) and they don't
understand why an African-American would want to be Muslim."
Jimmy Jones, a professor of world religion and African studies at
Manhattansville College in New York, ignores the occasional taunting or
stares.
"I dress in a way that's apparent that I'm different," said Jones, who
was
raised Southern Baptist and has been Muslim since 1979. "I was in the
store
the other day and I saw a brother in his Army fatigues. I spoke but he
didn't speak back...subtle things like that make you aware."
Imam Plemon El-Amin of the Atlanta Masjid says metro Atlanta has about
22
mosques with approximately 75,000 members - about 40 percent of them
black
Nearly 1,000 attend the Atlanta Masjid, said El-Amin, who converted 30
years ago. Hundreds gather there for Friday prayers each week...
...Days after the terrorist attacks, the mosque received crank calls.
Instead of worrying about the detractors, El-Amin focuses on words of
support from non-Muslims...
...Hatim Madyun, a member of the Atlanta Masjid, says black Muslims can
balance their faith and patriotism.
"I can embrace that," he said, pointing to an American flag on his car.
"I
hold it up because I've got a share in America ... my grandparents'
blood
is a part of this land."
-----
FELONY CHARGES FILED IN HATE-CRIME CASE
Jason Fulkerson of Fullerton is accused of chasing two Afghan ice cream
vendors with a baseball bat.
By ALDRIN BROWN, The Orange County Register, 10/18/2001
http://www.ocregister.com/local/hate01018cci.shtml
In Orange County's first hate-crime case stemming from the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks, county prosecutors on Wednesday announced the filing
of
felony charges against a Fullerton man who is alleged to have chased
two
Afghan ice cream vendors with a baseball bat.
Jason Fulkerson, 31, faces charges of brandishing a weapon and
interfering
with the civil rights of Gurcharan Singh and his wife, Banso, of Buena
Park, who were said to have been threatened while selling ice cream
from
their truck Sept. 14. Arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 2.
The act is said to have been prompted by Fulkerson's outrage in the
wake of
last month's terrorist attacks in New York and the Pentagon, police
have
said...
"...We look like Muslims because I have a turban and a beard," said
Singh,
48. "We are of the Sikh religion from India. We are not terrorists."
-----
'THIS IS MY STRUGGLE'
Muslim teens who wear traditional garb are torn between customs and
assimilation
By Joanna Weiss, The Boston Globe, 10/18/2001
www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/291/living/_This_is_my_struggle_%2b.shtml
Aziza Hussain isn't shy, but she was nervous that morning last April,
as
she stood before her Spanish class to make her big announcement. This,
she
said, was one of the last times her classmates would see her hair.
After
spring break, she would come to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in
a
hijab, the head covering that religious Muslim women wear in the
presence
of men.
Other changes would follow: No more coed parties or hugs from male
friends,
no more high heels or tight-fitting clothes, no more expectations of
the
prom. The Koran says that women should avoid potentially compromising
friendships with men, and requires, many believe, that they should wear
the
hijab for modesty and protection. Without prodding from her family, or
resistance from her friends, Aziza, 15, decided to comply. Islam, she
said,
was more important than her social life...
-----
ARAB-AMERICAN KIDS ENCOUNTER MIXED REACTION
Ethnicity generates support as well as anxiety
By Oralandar Brand-Williams, The Detroit News, 10/19/2001
http://detnews.com/2001/metro/0110/19/d01-322374.htm
NORTHVILLE -- Ameera David, 15, has often thought of ways to hide her
Arab-American identity since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Ameera has seriously considered wearing a sari, a garment worn by
southern
Asian Indian women, and dying her raven hair. "When people ask what I
am, I
tell them I'm Arabic -- but I mumble it. I don't say it loud and
proud,"
she said. Mahfouz Ackall has had a far different experience since the
attacks. Ackall, 17, a senior at Franklin High School in Livonia, said
his
schoolmates and neighbors have been very supportive of him. They have
been
so accepting, in fact, that he was recently elected Homecoming King...
-----
AFGHAN BITTERNESS RISING AS U.S. RAIDS TAKE TOLL
By Sayed Salahuddin, Reuters, 10/18/2001
KABUL, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Nazirullah watched in despair as a bulldozer
tore
through the rubble of his home in the Afghan capital, knocking down
walls
that were leaning precariously following a direct hit in a U.S. air
raid.
Five members of his family were killed when a bomb struck his home in
the
Qalaye Zaman Khan residential area of Kabul on Thursday, and Nazirullah
appeared to be in shock. Their badly damaged bodies were laid out
beside
the rubble.
Like tens of thousands of other residents of the city, Nazirullah may
not
be a friend of the Taliban or Osama bin Laden, but he doesn't blame
them
for the calamity that has befallen him...
"...It was around 12 o'clock when the bomb hit here," he said. "My
wife,
sister, brother, sister-in-law and mother died in it. I don't know
about my
neighbours," he said.
A woman passing by was killed by a second bomb that blasted a huge
crater
in the street in front of what remained of Nazirullah's home. There
could
have been more dead had they not run for cover when they heard the
sound of
approaching planes...
-----
ACTIONS WE TAKE NOW WILL DEFINE US FOR A LONG TIME TO COME
By Nadirah Z. Sabir, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/11/2001
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/opinion/sabir/index.html
It's been a month. Let's take a look at where we stand. Our military is
in
action bombing and feeding Afghanistan. As New York, Washington and the
economy attempt to recover, the nation braces for bioterrorism and/or
more
suicide bombers. More death.
Congress and the press sit just outside the loop. Polls show the
American
public expresses complete, unquestioning confidence in our leaders. We
don't want to think about the details of this engulfing ordeal. We just
want it handled. And so our executive branch has managed to gain almost
total latitude, creating a vacuum of front-line information, evidence
and
discourse.
No questions. Only applause. Besides, we do have latitude. We have the
entire Taliban regime and a margin of error of at least 6,000 civilians
to
kill before some of us can seriously think about checking our
bloodlust.
Afghanistan is a big, inconsequential target and a safe distance away.
England's Tony Blair is a bit more forthcoming with pertinent data, but
then he's much closer to the fallout zone.
The bombing of Afghanistan as a prelude to our long-lasting overseas
agenda
against Mideast terrorist groups isn't winning over too many Muslims
overseas. Americans don't really care about that quite yet. We're still
in
the "they're all barbarians in need of a spanking, shave and Macy's
one-day
sale" mode...
-----
MULTI-FAITH EVENT TO PROBE MEANING BEHIND TERROR
The breadth of American faith traditions will be represented October
22, 10
a.m. to 2 p.m., in Washington D.C., when the multi-faith Web site
FaithandValues.com convenes Faith in the Face of Terror. Prominent
religious leaders, journalists and educators will probe the meaning of
the
terrorist attacks and America's response to them.
Faith in the Face of Terror is hosted by the distinguished journalist
and
broadcaster, Tony Brown, whose public affairs series, Tony Brown's
Journal
is the longest-running public affairs program on PBS.
Presenters include:
Ingrid Mattson, professor of Islamic Studies at the Macdonald Center
for
Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in
Hartford, CT and vice president of the Islamic Society of North
America.
She has issued a provocative challenge both to American Muslims and to
all
Americans. "Who has the greatest duty to stop the oppression of Muslims
committed by other Muslims in the name of Islam," she asks. "The
answer,
obviously, is Muslims."
For more information, call 859-422-0445 or visit the Web site at
www.faithandvalues.com.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/21/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* EITHER YOU ARE A BELIEVER OR AN INFIDEL (Wash. Post)
* RALLYING 'TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE' (Dallas Morning News)
* MOSQUES FIRE-BOMBED IN CANADA (680 News)
* SILENCE OF 4 TERROR PROBE SUSPECTS POSES DILEMMA (Wash. Post)
* ARRESTS HAVE YIELDED LITTLE SO FAR, INVESTIGATORS SAY (NY Times)
* CHARITY'S A DAILY DUTY FOR MUSLIMS (Wash. Times)
* ISLAM IS FAITH WITH MANY FACES (Wash. Times)
* CASTING THE NET TOO WIDELY (Chicago Tribune)
* AN AMERICAN MUSLIM SPEAKS OUT (The Miami Herald)
* WHO IS HIGH-RISK? (The Toronto Star)
* ARAB-AMERICANS FEEL STING OF PROFILING (Boston Globe)
* SCARVES WRAP UP UT STUDENTS' SOLIDARITY (News-Sentinel)
* SEEING OURSELVES (Wash. Post)
* MISPLACED 'PATRIOTISM' (Los Angeles Times)
* NORTHERN CALIF. MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
* NJ MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
* SO. CALIF. - "TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING ISLAM"
-----
EITHER YOU ARE A BELIEVER OR AN INFIDEL
By Michael Skube, The Washington Post, 10/21/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27255-2001Oct20.html
(Michael Skube is a critic and essayist based in Atlanta.)
From President Bush to imams at American mosques, everyone wants to
make
earnest bows toward Islam's civilizing past and its deep spirituality,
taking issue only with terrorists who claim to act in its name. "Our
quarrel is not with Islam," the president has repeated in so many
words.
The problem is that Islam has a quarrel with us, and the antagonists
are
not simply a few extremists trained in the use of a box cutter. By now,
the
elephant -- or camel, if you will -- in the room can no longer be
ignored:
Islam not only exhibits a frightful intolerant streak at times, but its
very nature seems to be one of intolerance. Either you are a believer
or
you are an infidel...
...Here and abroad, Muslim clerics have condemned the attacks of Sept.
11,
and no one should doubt their sincerity. Scholars of the Koran assure
us
that nothing in the text commands the faithful to take up the sword
against
the innocent. But, as the text makes clear, the sword is to be taken up
--
against those who deny Allah and his Messenger, against those who once
believed but fell away, against foes of the faith, real or imagined...
...This is a fighting faith, not everywhere willing to live peaceably
in a
world of many faiths...
...The Islamic past has known no such intellectual transformation, and
nothing suggests it will any time soon. Its most liberal
revolutionaries,
men such as Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938), the secular-minded
father of
modern Turkey, are little honored outside their own lands. (It may be
just
as well: Ataturk thought religion a superstition anyway.) Islam pays
tribute instead to dictators -- from Abu Bakr, Mohammed's son-in-law
and
the first caliph, to the Ayatollah Khomeini -- whose cruelty met no
opposition from Islam's holy men.
For all the Koran's pious homage to equality, it is an equality in
submission, and none are more in submission than Muslim women. In
America,
blacks were in bondage for more than two centuries, and women did not
win
the right to vote until 1920. But women and blacks won full rights as
citizens because the soil had been tilled and readied.
The Islamic world, by contrast, was content to remain in its torpor,
locked
in rigid orthodoxy, fearful of freedom, achieving little except what it
could achieve through fear or force.
POLITE AND SCHOLARLY COMMENTS SHOULD BE SENT TO:
letters@washpost.com, hiattf@washpost.com, outlook@washpost.com,
ombudsman@washpost.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
Letters must include the writer's home address and home and business
telephone numbers.
-----
RALLYING 'TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE'
Muslims denounce terrorism, support patriotism, peace
By KATHERINE MORALES, The Dallas Morning News, 10/21/2001
www.dallasnews.com/metro/stories/STORY.e9ad25a282.b0.af.0.a4.b6264.html
Imad Ismail stood on a sidewalk in downtown Dallas, telling strangers
the
same things he has told his friends at school for the last six weeks.
The 14-year-old didn't commit the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Nobody he
knew was involved.
His religious beliefs don't condone them, and he was appalled by them.
"I'm
here because I think I can try to make a difference - to inform the
public
about what's going on," he said.
Imad joined hundreds of other families and community leaders, Muslim
and
non-Muslim, on Saturday for a rally against terrorism sponsored by the
Council on American-Islamic Relations-DFW...
"...The last six weeks have been difficult for our nation as a whole,"
said
Mohamed Elmougy, president of the council. "We are here to reclaim our
faith from those who have hijacked it from us. We cannot allow the few
to
ruin it for the many."
-----
MOSQUES FIRE-BOMBED IN CANADA
http://www.680news.com/topstories.html
An Oakville man is in jail accused of firebombing two area mosques. A
molotov cocktail was thrown onto the roof of the Islamic Center on
South
Sheridan Way Saturday morning in Mississauga. There are no injuries and
the
damage is considered minor. During the investigation, police learned
that a
molotov cocktail was also thrown on the roof of a mosque on Fairview
Street
in Burlington about half an hour before. A further investigation
revealed
that the incidents were related, and a suspect was identified. A
35-year
old Oakville man has been arrested and is facing a variety of explosive
related charges. He is also considered a suspect in an earlier Mosque
attack in Hamiton.
-----
SILENCE OF 4 TERROR PROBE SUSPECTS POSES DILEMMA
By Walter Pincus, The Washington Post, 10/21/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27748-2001Oct20.html
FBI and Justice Department investigators are increasingly frustrated by
the
silence of jailed suspected associates of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda
network, and some are beginning to that say that traditional civil
liberties may have to be cast aside if they are to extract information
about the Sept. 11 attacks and terrorist plans.
More than 150 people rounded up by law enforcement officials in the
aftermath of the attacks remain in custody, but attention has focused
on
four suspects held in New York who the FBI believes are withholding
valuable information...
...Among the alternative strategies under discussion are using drugs or
pressure tactics, such as those employed occasionally by Israeli
interrogators, to extract information. Another idea is extraditing the
suspects to allied countries where security services sometimes employ
threats to family members or resort to torture...
-----
ARRESTS HAVE YIELDED LITTLE SO FAR, INVESTIGATORS SAY
By DON VAN NATTA, The New York Times, 10/21/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/21/national/21DETA.html
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 - After 40 days of the most aggressive criminal
investigation in American history, federal law enforcement officials
have
arrested 830 people but have failed to develop evidence that anyone now
in
custody was a conspirator in the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Despite pursuing more than 365,000 tips from the public, senior
investigators in the United States acknowledged that most of their
promising leads for finding accomplices and some of their long-held
suspicions about several suspects have unraveled.
Beyond that, none of the nearly 100 people still being sought by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation is seen as a major suspect, law
enforcement
officials said. "There is no one in that group that I'd want someone to
wake me up at 3 o'clock in the morning to tell me about," a government
official said...
-----
CHARITY'S A DAILY DUTY FOR MUSLIMS
Religion requires helping the needy
By Margie Hyslop, The Washington Times/10/20/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20011020-929075.htm
Mention Muslims or Islam to many Americans and it is unlikely they will
think of charity. Instead, most will think of people kneeling on rugs
to
pray five times a day, or of the poor and oppressed Muslims in
Afghanistan
- particularly with the images that are appearing daily in the news.
Few are apt to know the emphasis Muslims place on charity at home and
beyond.
Required giving, called "zakat," is one of Islam's "five pillars" -
along
with prayer, fasting during the month of Ramadan, making a pilgrimage
to
Mecca, and the belief that there is one God and that Mohammed is God's
last
prophet. Even Muslims of relatively modest means are required to give
2.5
percent of their wealth - not income - to charity, based on a
complicated
set formula. But they are encouraged to give more.
"We are expected to give charity every day," says Maryam Funches,
executive
director of the Muslim Inter-Community Network in Bethesda.
More than 5 million Muslims live in the United States. Members of the
faith
operate about 59 social services organizations, 30 relief organizations
and
39 community development organizations, says Mohamed Nimer, research
director at the Council on American Islamic Relations...
-----
ISLAM IS FAITH WITH MANY FACES
By David R. Sands, The Washington Times, 10/21/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20011021-28614822.htm
No short survey can do justice to the vast diversity of modern Islam, a
1,400-year-old faith that stretches today from sub-Saharan Africa to
Indonesia.
Muslim culture claims figures as diverse as Saudi militant Osama bin
Laden
and Indian-born novelist Salman Rushdie, U.S. boxing great Muhammad Ali
and
Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. An estimated 6 million followers of
Islam
reside in the United States...
...Despite the identification of Islam with its Middle Eastern roots,
less
than a quarter of the world's Muslims are Arabs.
India, among the most vocal critics of extremist Islamic militancy,
boasts
the world's second-largest Muslim population, trailing only Indonesia.
Yet
Muslims make up just 14 percent of India's population...
-----
CASTING THE NET TOO WIDELY
There are many Islamic movements around the world that are non-violent.
By Laila Al-Marayati, The Chicago Tribune, 10/21/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/oped/chi-0110210021oct21.story
(Dr. Laila Al-Marayati was a presidential appointee to the Commission
on
International Religious Freedom from 1999 to May, 2001.)
In the next phase of the war against terrorism, Muslims are expected to
begin a process of flushing out the extremists among them who are bent
on
destruction of all things American.
Such a plan of self-policing that is superficially appealing quickly
falls
apart over the definition of a Muslim extremist. Under many repressive
regimes in the Muslim world, political participation and religious
expression that does not conform to government policies is brutally
thwarted. In order to relieve themselves from international censure,
rulers
will claim that such tactics are necessary in the battle against
extremists, which threaten the state and support terrorism.
Such broad generalizations provide cover for widespread abuse of
innocent
Muslims from Central Asia to China and throughout the Middle East.
There is
no denying that, based on statements issued publicly, Osama bin Laden
and
others with a similar philosophy espouse extreme views about Islam and
its
relation to the world that are not shared by the mainstream.
The tendency to paint all Islamic movements with the same brush
reflects an
overly simplistic and shortsighted view of the Muslim world that will
be
interpreted as a green light for further abuse...
-----
AN AMERICAN MUSLIM SPEAKS OUT
`Don't let the terrorists set the agenda'
By Modhiaddin Mesbahi The Miami Herald, 10/21/2001
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/opinion/opcol/digdocs/082363.htm
(Modhiaddin Mesbahi, an associate professor of International Relations
at
Florida International University, is an expert in foreign-policy and
terrorism issues.)
The following are excerpted remarks made by Dr. Mohiaddin Mesbahi at a
recent forum on terrorism co-hosted by Florida International University
and
The Miami Herald.
I am one of those profiled: Muslim, Iranian and a citizen of this
country.
And I live among you. I say this because I recently lived under a death
threat for two weeks -- not because of any comments I've expressed, but
because of my name and my religion. And on a recent Friday afternoon, I
met
with the person who threatened my life. The police took the matter [a
death
threat made by telephone] seriously, followed through and found the
person.
They asked me "What do you want to do about it? Are you going to press
charges?" I said "No. If he does not mind, I'd like to meet him."
He happens to be a young university student. We sat together in my
office
and talked. It was an emotional meeting. He said that as the towers
were
coming down, so did his world. And the enemy, he heard, were the
Muslims --
those living and breathing among us.
I told him this: "I carry two burdens. One I share with you -- shock,
outrage, anger and a desire for justice. The second I don't share with
you,
and that is guilt by association. You can't put 1.2 billion people,
seven
million of whom live in the United States, in the same category with
terrorists and political extremists. What the terrorists did is not
Islamic
in any book. It is ideology. When religion or any idea becomes
ideology,
people begin to argue that the ends justify the means..."
-----
WHO IS HIGH-RISK?
By Lynda Hurst, The Toronto Star, 10/20/2001
http://www.thestar.com/
Search using the term "profiling."
So now does it begin? The targeting of certain groups of travellers?
In announcing a $280 million antiterrorism bill that will bring into
play
new security technologies at airports and borders, Ottawa has
scrupulously
stayed clear of the controversial issue of profiling.
But given that all 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were
Muslims of Middle East background, is it not simply common sense to
boost
airport screening of passengers with the same background?
Is it a necessary evil or an extraordinary violation of peoples' civil
rights? If so, is the trade-off for increased public safety - or the
perception thereof - worth the price...?
"...They are profiling at the airport right now," says Faisal Khutty,
general counsel at the Canadian-Islamic Civil Liberties Association.
"Profiling by name. Muslim workers there have told us..."
...Arab Canadians understand the larger security issue, says Riad
Saloojee,
executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(Canada).
"What we fear is an abuse of profiling because there are so many
misconceptions, so many rampant stereotypes, out there about us."
If you're going to screen people, you might as well screen on the basis
of
criminal activity, he says. Not that that would have caught the Sept.
11
terrorists, none of whom had criminal records. Nor would assuming that
suicidal hijackers always pay cash for one-way tickets. Some paid cash,
others used credit cards, two bought round-trip tickets, one even
presented
a frequent-flier card.
What, then, do those most likely to be subject to heightened checks
suggest
be done?
"Sept. 11 was a profound failure of intelligence," says Saloojee, "If
you're going to profile for terrorists, you have to study and
investigate
who they are. You need information on the culture, faith and religion.
You
need to reach out and craft a collective strategy. But no type of
bridge
has been built into our community to do that..."
-----
ARAB-AMERICANS FEEL STING OF PROFILING
By Mary Leonard, The Boston Globe, 10/19/2001
boston.com/dailyglobe2/292/nation/Arab_Americans_feel_sting_of_profiling+.shtml
DEARBORN, Mich. - The three Boy Scouts thought profiling meant
something
about mathematics. It wasn't until State Police pulled over their van
and
threatened to detain their scoutmaster as a terrorist suspect that
Mustafa,
Kaseem, and Jihad felt the fear of being Arab-American today.
The scoutmaster, Khalil Baydoun, said the campers were stopped because
they
looked Middle Eastern. "After it was over, I explained to the boys that
this was racial profiling, and it has been happening to black people
for a
long time," Baydoun said. "But the anger and humiliation never hits
home
until it happens to you..."
...Haaris Ahmad, Michigan director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said a Muslim high-school girl, wearing the hijab, or
traditional head scarf, was slammed into a locker, kicked, bruised, and
verbally abused. He added that another Arab-American girl was kicked
and
tripped by the same assailant, who cursed her and told her to "go home,
you
terrorist..."
-----
SCARVES WRAP UP UT STUDENTS' SOLIDARITY
By Jeannine F. Hunter, News-Sentinel (Tenn.), 10/20/2001
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/religion/article/0,1406,KNS_315_853314,00.html
She's white, Roman Catholic and before this week, Ashley Maynor's
patriotism was never questioned.
For the University of Tennessee sophomore, the half-day she spent
wearing a
head covering worn traditionally by Muslim women was an eye-opening
experience.
In one of her classes Friday, she was asked if she was an Afghan
sympathizer or a true American.
Maynor was a participant in Friday's Scarves for Solidarity Day. Female
students and faculty displayed sisterliness toward Muslim women by
wearing
either imported scarves ordered from Detroit suppliers or white ribbons
pinned to their shirts...
-----
SEEING OURSELVES
By Diana Abu-Jaber, The Washington Post, 10/21/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24084-2001Oct19.html
(Diana Abu-Jaber is a professor of writing and the author of the novel
"Arabian Jazz.")
Ten days after the terrorist attacks, I was on campus preparing for the
start of school when the clean-cut young man approached and handed me a
flier. He looked me in the eye and nodded as if we'd conducted a
business
transaction. And then I looked at the flier; it called for, among other
things, "a rounding up and questioning of all Arabs."
My first thought was to tell him he'd confused me with someone else. He
hadn't realized I was one of the ones he wanted rounded up. But after I
climbed the four flights of stairs to my office, I found the same flier
slipped under my office door -- the same door that bears my very Arabic
name...
This is a strange and painful time to be Middle Eastern and American --
a
time when some people are buying American flags because they're
frightened
not to fly them. My Aunt J., who also lives in a place called
Palestine,
once told me: Catastrophes can bring out the very best and the very
worst
in people. Some people become better than they naturally are and some
become much worse. That is why you must not judge ahead of time or
expect
too much in either direction.
Remembering this makes me hope that there's an opportunity for us to be
better: to feel more deeply, to see each other and ourselves more
clearly.
If only we will look.
-----
MISPLACED 'PATRIOTISM'
The Los Angeles Times, 10/21/2001
http://www.latimes.com/editions/orange/la-000083888oct21.story
In the month following the terrorist attacks in New York and
Washington,
the Orange County Human Relations Commission received 24 reports of
hate-related incidents involving people perceived to be from the Middle
East.
The commission says it had never before recorded that many cases toward
that community. Given the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and the
patriotic
reaction to them, some residents might conclude that the high incidence
is
understandable.
It's not. Especially not when nine of the victims in those incidents
weren't even from that part of the world. The commission found that the
verbal, and in one or two cases physical, assaults were against Latinos
and
others not from the Mideast.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations received about 85 more
reports
covering verbal and physical assaults, vandalism and graffiti in Orange
County. Again, not all the victims were from the Middle East. Nor
should
they, or anyone else, be singled out for assault. Our enemies are the
terrorists. It is also significant that U.S. Muslims and others
throughout
the world have denounced the attacks and terrorism conducted in the
name of
their faith...
-----
NORTHERN CALIF. MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
The Muslim Community Association and CAIR cordially invite you to a
Mosque Open House
WHEN: Sunday October 28th, 11 AM to 4 p.m.
(One-hour presentations at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.)
WHERE: MCA Islamic Center, 3003 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara
(Between San Tomas & Central Expressways)
CONTACT: For more information visit http://www.mca-sfba.org or
call (408) 986-9874, (408) 970-0647
Co-sponsored by AMGPJ, ING and MAS
-----
NJ MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 27, from 10-4 p.m.
WHERE: Masjid al-Nur
161 Grand Ave
Johnson City, NY
-----
SO. CALIF. - "TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING ISLAM"
WHEN: Monday, October 22, 2001
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
University of Southern California, Bovard Auditorium
Featuring:
- Qari Ashraf Carrim
- Chaplain Abu Ishaq Abdul Hafiz
- Ustadha Maha Hamoui
- Shaykh Sa'dullah Khan
- and a Question and Answer Forum
Co-sponsored by Student Senate and the Office of Religious Life.
DIRECTIONS:
www.usc.edu/student-affairs/bovardauditorium/maps_and_directions.html
(Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Please arrive early. Seating is limited. Free
Admission.)
CONTACT: muslimsu@usc.edu URL: http://www-scf.usc.edu/~muslimsu
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/22/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* ISLAM ATTRACTS CONVERTS BY THE THOUSANDS (NY Times)
* FBI CONSIDERS TORTURE AS SUSPECTS STAY SILENT (The Times)
* HEAD SCARF HAS VIEWERS HOT UNDER THE COLLAR (Globe and Mail)
* CRTC TELLS STATIONS TO BAN ANTI-MUSLIM REMARKS (CBC)
* CAT STEVENS SONG HEARD AGAIN (The Times)
* IN BETHLEHEM, ALTAR BOY'S DEATH BRINGS CONFLICT HOME (Wash. Post)
* CHAREN COLUMN UNFAIRLY STIGMATIZES ARAB AMERICANS (Wash. Times)
* BOWED HEADS AT THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF MINNESOTA (Star Tribune)
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN HOUSTON
* CALIF. LECTURE: "MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM"
-----
ISLAM ATTRACTS CONVERTS BY THE THOUSANDS
By JODI WILGOREN, The New York Times, 10/22/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/22/national/22CONV.html
...With some 6 million adherents in the United States, Islam is said to
be
the nation's fastest-growing religion, fueled by immigration, high
birth
rates and widespread conversion. One expert estimates that 25,000
people a
year become Muslims in this country; some clerics say they have seen
conversion rates quadruple since Sept. 11.
Experts say Islam is attractive because of its universal message - the
faithful believe that everyone is born Muslim and thus call the
transformation reversion, not conversion - and because its teachings
incorporate other traditions, honoring Jesus Christ, the Jewish
patriarch
Abraham and other Biblical figures as prophets. Though missionary work
is
rare in Islam, spreading the message is demanded by the Koran.
Conversion
is as simple as reciting one sentence - "I bear witness that there is
no
deity except Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger" - in front of
witnesses, a ceremony known as Shahadah.
"There's no class," said Khalid Yahya Blankinship, chairman of the
religion
department at Temple University. "There isn't really a formalized
requirement, you don't have to be tested." Mr. Blankinship, who
converted
to Islam in 1973 and has since witnessed 100 Shahadahs, added: "It's
very
important that Islam should spread. The idea is that one should want
other
souls to be saved..."
...Nine years ago, Jim Hacking was in training to be a Jesuit priest.
Now,
he is an admiralty lawyer in St. Louis who has spent much of the last
month
explaining Islam at interfaith gatherings. Mr. Hacking's search began
in
the 12-step program Overeaters Anonymous and intensified when he
befriended
an Egyptian-born woman, Amany Ragab, at the law review at St. Louis
University. He made the Shahadah on June 6, 1998, and proposed marriage
to
her the next day. This summer, the couple traveled to Mecca.
"The thing I've always latched to is that there's one God, he doesn't
have
equals, he doesn't need a son to come do his work," Mr. Hacking, 31,
said...
...To help with the social transition, the All Dulles Area Muslim
Society
in Sterling, Va., pairs converts with mentors. Other mosques offer
seminars
in the basics of Arabic prayer. Web sites like jews-for-allah.org and
understandingislam.tripod.com provide glossaries to common Muslim
expressions, step-by-step guides to ritual washing, interactive games
to
teach Arabic, and profiles of fellow converts, organized
alphabetically, by
county of origin and by former religion...
-----
FBI CONSIDERS TORTURE AS SUSPECTS STAY SILENT
By DAMIAN WHITWORTH, The Times (UK), 10/22/2001
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2001350021-2001364909,00.html
AMERICAN investigators are considering resorting to harsher
interrogation
techniques, including torture, after facing a wall of silence from
jailed
suspected members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, according to a
report yesterday...
...Options being weighed include "truth" drugs, pressure tactics and
extraditing the suspects to countries whose security services are more
used
to employing a heavy-handed approach during interrogations...
...The public pressure for results in the war on terrorism might also
persuade the FBI to encourage the countries of suspects to seek their
extradition, in the knowledge that they could be given a much rougher
reception in jails back home...
-----
HEAD SCARF HAS VIEWERS HOT UNDER THE COLLAR
By INGRID PERITZ, The Globe and Mail (Canada), 10/22/2001
http://www.globeandmail.com/
Search using the term "scarf."
MONTREAL -- Canadian TV journalist Celine Galipeau figured she was just
catering to local Muslim sensibilities this month when she donned a
head
scarf during her broadcasts from the pro-Taliban city of Quetta,
Pakistan.
The veteran CBC war correspondent hadn't counted on offending Canadian
sensibilities back home, however.
Soon after Ms. Galipeau appeared on the air wearing a head covering,
the
CBC's French-language newsroom was deluged with virulent complaints
that
the nation's public broadcaster was caving in to Muslim
fundamentalists...
...In an interview yesterday from Pakistan, she said she was shocked
when
she heard about the complaints, and has no plan to ditch the head
covering,
which she bought when she arrived in Pakistan...
"...If I didn't wear it, I couldn't work," she said. "I think of it as
part
of my job, the same way a man who goes into a synagogue wears a kipa to
interview a rabbi. The bottom line is getting the story."
-----
CRTC TELLS STATIONS TO BAN ANTI-MUSLIM REMARKS
http://cbc.ca/
Search using the term "CRTC." Scoll down to 'News Stories."
"Canada's broadcast regulator has asked radio and television stations
to be
extra careful about keeping racist or abusive comments off the air.
It's
concerned about signs of a backlash against the country's Muslim
community
since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
says
it has received 34 complaints about language on open-line shows
recently."
"So it's sent a letter to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters
asking
stations to avoid letting hatred hijack public forums..."
CAIR-CAN NOTE: If you hear hateful speech on radio or tv, file a
complaint
with the CRTC by following directions on its website:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/RapidsCCM/Register.asp?lang=E
Send a copy of your complaint to CAIR-CAN at canada@cair-net.org
-----
CAT STEVENS SONG HEARD AGAIN
The Times (London), 10/22/2001
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2001350021-2001364752,00.html
YUSUF ISLAM, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, has roundly
condemned the attacks on the United States by professed Muslims as a
contradiction of the meaning of the Koran.
In an interview to accompany the Concert for New York, the
singer-songwriter said: "Throughout the ages you will find there have
always been people who take religion or scripture or holy words out of
context and apply them to justify their own concepts.
"The whole idea of killing innocent women and children has no place
whatsoever in Islam. It is a distortion, an aberration..."
-----
IN BETHLEHEM, ALTAR BOY'S DEATH BRINGS CONFLICT HOME
By Lee Hockstader, The Washington Post, 10/22/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30991-2001Oct21.html
BETHLEHEM, West Bank, Oct. 21 -- Apple-cheeked Johnny Thalgieh, an
altar
boy who hoped to become a priest, died near the place he loved best.
His blood still cakes the polished paving stones a few paces from
Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, considered the birthplace of Jesus,
where Johnny spent much of his life. That's where he was struck in the
chest Saturday by a large-caliber bullet, apparently fired from an
Israeli
position on a ridge a half-mile away with a clear line of sight into
Manger
Square.
When he was hit, at dusk, he was playing with his 4-year-old cousin
Michael, hoisting him skyward and then setting him down. A burst of
fire
raked Manger Square from the southeast -- the one exposed corner of the
enclosed stone-faced plaza. Johnny cried out. He fell, rolled three
times
and died on the spot...
...This morning around 8:30, as parishioners gathered for Mass in the
Church of St. Catherine, which adjoins the Church of the Nativity, two
bullets hit the apse's high windows, spraying the worshipers with
splinters
of glass...
-----
CHAREN COLUMN UNFAIRLY STIGMATIZES ARAB AMERICANS
Letters to the Editor, The Washington Times, 10/22/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20011022-73011405.htm
In her Oct. 18 column, "Survival instinct vs. political correctness,"
Mona
Charen announced to the world that the Sept. 11 terrorists have
succeeded
in causing her to hate and fear at a level equal to them.
(SEE: http://www.washtimes.com/ Search using "Mona Charen.")
One purpose of terrorism is to kill innocent people in an effort to
express
political opinions. Other, more insidious, purposes are to cause fear
in a
society, to bring unease to the minds of a population and to foment
suspicion at every turn.
Americans have lived obliviously in a world of safety and security for
decades. Now, for the first time, Americans feel the same fear that
exists
daily in the minds of the residents of Northern Ireland, the
Palestinians,
the Kashmiris and any other people besieged by a regular threat of
random
acts of violence.
What Americans in increasing numbers have forgotten is that we live in
a
country based on principles of human rights. Those rights are the
bedrock
of our existence.
If our civil liberties are not protected right now, they are not worth
anything. Rights were designed to protect us when the times are bad -
and,
right now, the times definitely are bad if you are a Muslim.
Didn't the courts rule recently that racial profiling is illegal?
Haven't
the courts consistently upheld our right to a free education? Hasn't
the
U.S. government issued student visas to people of all nationalities?
What Mrs. Charen is proposing is against every basic principle of our
society and has nothing to do with political correctness. Forcibly
removing
an ethnic group from the United States will not improve safety. It will
show the terrorists that they have succeeded in creating panic, hate
and
distrust in a society that always has been a melting pot. By assuming
we
would be safer if we removed all Arabs from the United States, Mrs.
Charen
is exposing her racism...
...Safety is not an excuse for violating the rights of human beings -
whatever their nationality, religion or skin color. Have we learned
nothing
from the civil rights movement of the '60s?
NOLA AGHA
Brussels, Belgium
In response to Mona Charen's Oct. 18 Commentary column, I would like to
ask: Where were you, Mrs. Charen, when Timothy McVeigh blew up the
federal
building in Oklahoma City? Would you have advocated the profiling and
deportation of people that "looked like" Mr. McVeigh?
There are more than 1 billion people who "look like" Middle Easterners.
Why
do you want to stigmatize all of them as terrorists? What happens when
the
next villains pop their ugly heads up and they are not from the Middle
East? Would you advocate that their group be isolated and attacked?
HUSNI S. SAYED
Fort Collins, Colo.
-----
BOWED HEADS AT THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF MINNESOTA
State Rep. Barb Goodwin, DFL-Columbia Heights; Hennepin County Attorney
Amy
Klobuchar; U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo, and St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman bowed
their heads at the Islamic Center of Minnesota's open house Saturday in
Fridley.
Published 21-Oct-2001
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1577/772974.html
MUSLIMS AND POLITICIANS PLEDGE TO STAND TOGETHER IN CRISIS
By Maura Lerner, Star Tribune (Minn.), 10/21/2001
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/772953.html
When U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton visited an Islamic school in Fridley a few
days
after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he saw fear in the children's
eyes.
Last week "I saw that same fear," he said, as he watched Senate staff
members lining up for nose swabs for anthrax testing.
"We're all feeling vulnerable," he told more than 200 people at an open
house Saturday at the Islamic Center of Minnesota, which houses the
Islamic
school. "We're all feeling fragile."
Dayton, D-Minn., was one of a dozen state, county and local officials
who
turned up to show solidarity with Minnesota's Muslim community at the
event, which also was a fund-raiser for victims of the Sept. 11
attacks...
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN HOUSTON
There will be an open house October 28, from 2 to 7 p.m., at Islamic
Society of Greater Houston's Southeast Zone Masjid, 8830 Old Galveston
Rd.
For information, call 281-222-2114 or 713-524-6615.
-----
CALIF. LECTURE: "MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM"
SPEAKER: Dr. Ahmad Saker
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 23, 3 p.m.
WHERE: California State University -long Beach
Students Union, Sunset lounge
FOR INFORMATION: Call (562) 857-4110
SPONSORED BY: Muslim Students Association
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/23/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* A "DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO DISCOUNT THE ROLE OF AMERICAN MUSLIMS" (AP)
* FOR SOME JEWISH LEADERS, PARTNERSHIP WITH MUSLIMS IS A CASUALTY OF
SEPT.
11 ATTACKS (NY Times)
* MUSLIM IN AMERICA (U.S. News & World Report)
* ERIE WOMAN CALLED UPON AS "MUSLIM ANSWER LADY" (Times-News)
* AMERICAN MUSLIMS ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS (Dallas Morning News)
* THE CRUSADERS' GIANT FOOTPRINTS (Washington Post)
* TWO SIKH MEN ATTACKED NEAR SEATTLE (AP)
* THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF TOLERANCE IN THE WORKPLACE (HRFocus)
* A MOSQUE OPENS ITS DOORS, AND A CONVERSATION (Christian Science
Monitor)
* CURIOUS PACK ISLAMIC CENTER (Des Moines Register)
* A MUSLIM TOWN MEETING WITH POLICY MAKERS IN NJ
* CAIR-FLA: MUSLIMS IN THE USA - OUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
* CAIR-NY: A DIALOGUE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES IN A TIME OF WAR
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN ALABAMA
-----
A "DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO DISCOUNT THE ROLE OF AMERICAN MUSLIMS"
GROUP: MUSLIM POPULATION OVERSTATED
By RACHEL ZOLL, The Associated Press, 10/22/2001
NEW YORK (AP) - The American Jewish Committee, concerned by the growing
political influence of U.S. Muslims, released a report Monday saying
commonly used estimates of the Muslim population in this country are
too
high, likely by millions.
The study concludes that the best estimate of Muslims in the United
States
is 2.8 million at most, compared to the 6 million figure used by many
researchers and Muslim organizations. Muslim leaders said the report
was an
attempt to undercut their influence.
David Harris, the committee's executive director, said his group
commissioned the review just after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
At the time, President Bush was making an unprecedented effort to reach
out
to American Muslims, as he built his anti-terrorism coalition and tried
to
stem harassment of Muslims in this nation...
...Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a
Washington lobby group, called the report a "desperate attempt to
discount
the role of American Muslims.
"Very often the representatives of the extremist wing of the pro-Israel
lobby such as the American Jewish Committee seek to block Muslim
political
participation," Hooper said.
In the past, Harris has warned that the increasingly visible American
Muslim lobby posed a challenge to U.S.-Israel relations.
The American Jewish Committee and other groups estimate the number of
Jews
in this country is about 6 million.
"Six million has a special resonance," Harris wrote in a May 21 article
in
Jerusalem Report magazine. "It would mean that Muslims outnumber Jews
in
the U.S. and it would buttress calls for a redefinition of America's
heritage as 'Judeo-Christian-Muslim,' a stated goal of some Muslim
leaders..."
SEE CAIR'S REPORT, "The Mosque in America: A National Portrait," at:
http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport
-----
FOR SOME JEWISH LEADERS, PARTNERSHIP WITH MUSLIMS
IS A CASUALTY OF SEPT. 11 ATTACKS
By DAVID FIRESTONE, The New York Times, 10/22/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/22/national/22JEWS.html
In the weeks since the Sept. 11 attacks, a wide and increasingly bitter
gulf has opened between many Jewish and Muslim leaders in this country
over
the nature of terrorism and the role played by Israeli policies in
fomenting Muslim anger against the United States...
...Muslim leaders say that they are disappointed at the Jewish anger
directed against them, but that they cannot give up their support for
the
Palestinian struggle simply because of one group's terrorist attack on
the
United States.
"The Jewish leadership says we support terrorism, but at the same time
they
are supporting Israeli violence and terrorism against our people," said
Dr.
Sabri Samirah, president of the United Muslim Americans Association,
one of
Chicago's most prominent Muslim groups...
-----
MUSLIM IN AMERICA
What is Islam? In this country, there are many answers to that question
BY JEFFERY L. SHELER, U.S. News & World Report, 10/29/2001
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/011029/ideas/29islam.htm
...Islam embraces the monotheism of Christianity and Judaism, accepts
the
Hebrew Bible, and venerates Jesus as a prophet. It is centered on the
Koran-the Islamic scriptures, which Muslims believe were revealed to
the
prophet Mohammed-which commands five basic devotional duties, called
the
"Five Pillars": a declaration of belief that "there is no God but Allah
[Arabic for "the God"] and Mohammed is his prophet"; prayers offered
five
times a day; daytime fasting during the month of Ramadan; charitable
giving; and at least one pilgrimage to Mecca.
Muslims are forbidden to consume alcohol, illicit drugs, pork, or any
meat
that is not halal-the Islamic equivalent of kosher. Premarital sex and
extramarital sex are sternly prohibited, as are most forms of
unchaperoned
dating. Emphasis on public modesty prompts many Muslims to cover
themselves
from the wrists to the ankles. Muslims also may not gamble or pay or
accept
interest on loans or savings accounts. It is a regimen that often runs
in
conflict with the dominant culture. Most American Muslims have no
choice
but to break the prohibition on usury to buy homes and automobiles, for
example.
But if the intense scrutiny focused on world Islam since September 11
has
revealed anything, it is that the faith is no monolith. While there is
much
that binds the world's 1.2 billion Muslims together, there is no
authoritative hierarchy-no pope, no central group of elders-that speaks
to
them or for them. And American Islam, it emerges, is its own special
brand.
A recent study sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations
in
cooperation with the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found
that
American Muslims generally are more accepting of differences, less
inclined
to fundamentalism, and more at home in a secular society than most
Muslims
elsewhere. They are also ethnically diverse: Most are immigrants or
their
descendants from Islamic countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle
East.
About a third are African-Americans, and a small number are whites of
European descent...
-----
ERIE WOMAN CALLED UPON AS "MUSLIM ANSWER LADY"
By Robin Cuneo, Erie Times-News, 10/23/2001
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2001110200026
She has blond hair, blue eyes and a peaches-and-cream complexion. But
she
is covered from head to heel - all but her hands, feet and face - in
the
manner of Middle Eastern Muslim women.
Mary Al-Hasnawi, 43, is both as all-American as peach pie and a Muslim.
"It is possible to be both," said Al-Hasnawi, the supervisor of
citizenship
programs at International Institute of Erie, 517 E. 26th St. She's also
the
assistant supervisor of child care, an immigration counselor and
caseworker
for immigrants from Iraq.
Al-Hasnawi converted to Islam six years ago and never had a second
thought,
she said. Because of the change, however, she frequently finds herself
called upon by media and the public to be a "Muslim answer lady." And
since
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she has found herself explaining Islam
more
than ever.
"We're inundated with calls for speakers." Al-Hasnawi said. "We would
go to
schools a couple times a year before. Now, we have requests every
day..."
------
AMERICAN MUSLIMS ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS
By Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar, Dallas Morning News, 10/23/2001
(Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar is Midwest Communications Director for Council
on
American-Islamic Relations, St. Louis, Mo.)
http://www.dallasnews.com/
When someone firebombs an abortion clinic or a federal building, do we
blame all Christians for these horrific acts? When 15-year-olds run
into a
school and gun their fellow classmates down, do we collectively round
up or
monitor all 15-year-old, blond-haired, skinny white suburbanite boys?
Of
course not.
To categorically implicate the 7 million American Muslims with the
actions
of Sept. 11 would be to succumb to the same ignorant xenophobia as the
terrorists.
Your Oct. 22 editorial, "Muslim Anxiety - U.S. can turn diversity to
its
advantage," helped to educate the American public as to the dual
anxiety we
as American Muslims are feeling. We feel the threat of another
terrorist
attack and are forced to be anxious of continuing backlash from our
American neighbors.
Typically, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's
largest
Muslim advocacy group, receives about 300 hate crime incidents against
Muslims annually. In the past 41 days alone, we have received over 900.
Scarved Muslim women being assaulted by bat-wielding gangs of men,
store
owners murdered because of their olive complexion and a fool who drove
his
white Mustang into a mosque in Cleveland.
We are no less American than we were on Sept. 10. I was born in the
United
States. I took my first steps on this soil. I have been a ball boy for
the
Chicago Bulls. I have been to four U2 concerts. I am a second-year law
student specializing in international human rights. I and my 7 million
Muslim brothers and sisters are contributing members of American
society.
Two members of President Bush's Cabinet are of Arab descent. It was a
Muslim who was the architect for the Sears Tower. Islam is the fastest
growing religion in America and in the world. We are doctors, lawyers,
engineers, mechanics, teachers, and store owners.
We are your neighbors.
-----
THE CRUSADERS' GIANT FOOTPRINTS
After a Millennium, Their Mark Remains
By Ken Ringle, The Washington Post, 10/23/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35989-2001Oct22.html
The average American probably thinks of the Crusades -- if he thinks of
them at all -- as a dimly recalled page in a high school history book,
possibly overlaid with images from the 1935 Cecil B. De Mille film epic
starring Jason Robards Sr. and Loretta Young.
In the Islamic world, it's not like that.
Arab societies "have a very fluid sense of time," explains Mary-Jane
Deeb,
adjunct professor at American University and a Middle East specialist.
"For
them, events like the Crusades, a thousand years ago, are as immediate
as
yesterday. And they are very, very powerful events in the Arab mind. A
lot
of Islamic rhetoric revolves around the crusaders."
The reasons why are part history, part culture, part linguistics. When
President Bush on Sept. 15 declared that "this crusade, this war on
terrorism, is going to take a while," Muslims were stung...
-----
TWO SIKH MEN ATTACKED NEAR SEATTLE
The Associated Press, 10/22/2001
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20011022/aponline194636_000.htm
SEATAC, Wash. -- Two Sikhs were attacked in the suburbs around
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, apparently in the mistaken belief
that they are Muslims, authorities said.
Sikh men who grow beards and wear turbans are sometimes mistaken for
Muslims. The Sikh religion is from India and has no link to those
suspected
to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
Since the terrorist attacks, a number of Sikhs have been assaulted, and
a
Sikh gasoline station owner in Arizona was killed.
Karnail Kail Singh, who owns the SeaTac Crest Motor Inn, said his
assailant
threatened him at the motel two or three weeks ago. He was on the
telephone
quoting room rates at about 8 a.m. Friday when the man returned,
shouted
"You still here? Go to Allah!" and knocked him unconscious with two
blows
from a cane. He required nine stitches in the head...
-----
THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF TOLERANCE IN THE WORKPLACE
HRfocus, November 2001
The events of Sept. 11 make it more important than ever to protect your
workplace from discrimination based on the religious and ethnic origins
of
employees...
...Even before the attacks, anti-Muslim discrimination, including
violence,
stereotyping, and harassment, rose 15% between March 2000 and March
2001,
according to a report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(Washington, DC). The report, The Status of Muslim Civil Rights in the
United States 2001: Accommodating Diversity, covers 366 discriminatory
incidents reported to the council 44 more than in 2000. Almost half of
those complaints involved the workplace.
The factor prompting the most discrimination complaints was religious
attire or appearance, such as headscarves or beards (more than 33% of
incidents), racist comments on perceived ethnic origin because of skin
color (25%), and incidents involving prayer (18%). The biggest number
of
discrimination complaints has come from women who wear headscarves and
other Islamic clothing.
ACcommodation
Under Title VII, employers must reasonably accommodate employees'
religious
beliefs unless they create an undue hardship on the employer...
According to the EEOC, actions that could be considered discriminatory
include:
* Scheduling an employment interview or job test that conflicts with a
current or prospective employee's religious needs.
* Inquiring about an applicant's future availability at certain times.
* Maintaining a restrictive dress code.
* Refusing to allow observance of a Sabbath or religious holiday,
unless
the employer can prove that doing so would cause an undue hardship.
* Requiring an employee to pay union dues when his or her religious
practices prohibit such payments (as a compromise, the employee could
pay
an equal sum to a charitable organization, says the EEOC).
* Making a worker take training programs that involve such activities
as
meditation, yoga, or biofeedback, if such practices conflict with the
worker's religious views.
STEPS TO TAKE
To build a solid religious-accommodation program:
* Make it clear to employees that they may express their religious
views as
long as they don't impose them on others.
* Emphasize that although the company will make reasonable efforts to
accommodate employees' religious expression, the company's primary
mission
is to achieve its business objectives.
* Make safety, not religion, the main issue. If religious it-ems or
apparel
pose a serious safety risk, let it be known you retain the right to ban
such apparel. But if there is no risk or other legitimate business
excuse,
try to be accommodating.
-----
A MOSQUE OPENS ITS DOORS, AND A CONVERSATION
By Mary Wiltenburg, The Christian Science Monitor, 10/23/2001
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1023/p15s1-leca.html
...The Islamic Society of Boston in Cambridge, Mass., has opened its
doors
to groups of visitors like these every week since Sept. 11. The
community
outreach began with an ISB open house the week of the attacks; 700
locals
attended, many of them searching for ways to show support for Muslims
and
to learn about Islam.
After this flood of interest, the society decided to offer this
"Introduction to Islam" class, a discussion series, and a display at
the
Boston Public Library. Numerous such efforts have sprung up nationwide
in
the past six weeks...
-----
CURIOUS PACK ISLAMIC CENTER
Volunteers were pleased with the number of visitors who came to learn
about
the Muslim faith.
By TOM ALEX, Des Moines Register, 10/22/2001
http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c5351764/16252573.html
Volunteers at the Islamic Center of Des Moines were unprepared Sunday
for
the crowd that came to learn about Islam.
"I thought maybe 30 to 50 people. We have here hundreds," said Dr.
Sameer
Yaseen, one of the volunteers. "The mosque is too small. That's the
problem."
He wasn't complaining. The volunteers were pleased with the turnout
although no one at the center kept a head count.
The room where several Muslims were taking questions holds fewer than
100
people. It was packed. Visitors tried to listen from the hall. One
woman
asked if it was all right to take notes...
-----
A MUSLIM TOWN MEETING WITH POLICY MAKERS IN NJ
WHEN: OCTOBER 25, 2001
WHERE: THE O'DONNELL DEMPSEY CENTER
602-616 SALEM AVENUE, ELIZABETH
TIME: 6 - 9 P.M.
FEATURING:
Sec. Of State, New Jersey - DeForest B. Soaries
Hon. John Farmer - Attorney General
Hon. Thomas Manahan - Union County Prosecutor
Hon. Donald Campolo Essex County Prosecutor
Special Guests:
Imam Siraj Wahaj
Imam Hamad Chebli
NOTE: Gubernatorial Candidate Bret Shundler will be at Dar Ul Islam,
Masjid, November 4, 2001. For more information please contact-
908-965-2010/908-965-2011/908-355-7666
-----
CAIR-FLA: MUSLIMS IN THE USA - OUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
WHERE: FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS)
11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL. 33199
WHEN: NOVEMBER 4, 2001, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
4:00 - 5:30 TOWN HALL MEETING (Room AT-100)
Panelists: Alex Penelas (Mayor of Miami);
Derick Daniels (Florida Comm. On Human
Relations);
Mr. Tom Battles (US Dept. of Justice);
Frank Cobo (Dade County Public Schools);
Three South Florida Muslims leaders (TBA)
Moderator: Br. Altaf Ali (President CAIR
Florida)
CONTACT: CAIR - Council on American-Islamic Relations- Florida
Tel: 954-797-7493
Fax: 954-337-2356
Florida@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-NY: A DIALOGUE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES IN A TIME OF WAR
WHEN: Friday, October 26, 2001
6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
WHERE: The Interchurch Center Lounge
475 Riverside Drive at 120th Street, New York City
(Entrance on Claremont Avenue)
This lecture will deal with the new legislation being passed following
the
tragic events of September 11th and the impact it will have on our
Civil
Liberties.
Guest Speakers:
* Donna Lieberman
New York Civil Liberties Union
* Omar T. Mohammad, Esq.
Law Firm of Omar T. Mohammad
* Chaumtoi Huq, Esq.
Civil Rights Committee, New York Bar Assn.
* Christine Quinn
New York City Councilwoman, District 3
* Barbara Olshansky, Esq.
Center for Constitutional Rights
* Hasan Abdullah, Esq.
Law Firm of Hasan Abdallah
* Christoper W.Chan, Esq.
* Moushumi M. Khan, Esq.
* Michael Tarif Warren, Esq.
Sponsored by the Council on American Islamic Relations, New
York Chapter. For more information, contact CAIR-NY: 212.870.2002
Co-Sponsor: Women In Islam
Lectures on Human Rights and Social Justice is coordinated by Aisha
H.L.Al-Adawiya
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN ALABAMA
Huntsville Islamic Center (Huntsville, AL) will have an open house on
November 3, 7 to 9 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO:
http://www.huntsvilleislamiccenter.org
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR RAMADAN 2001 PUBLICITY RESOURCE KIT
-----
Dear Imam, activist, community leader, committee, brother or sister:
As-salaamu alaykum. Peace to you.
CAIR's RAMADAN 2001 PUBLICITY RESOURCE KIT has been developed to assist
your community in publicizing Ramadan events and activities. It is
designed
to provide you with the raw materials with which you can contact the
media
and, through them, people of other faiths in your area.
DOWNLOAD THE KIT BY GOING TO:
http://www.cair-net.org/ramadankit
-----
CONTENTS:
* RAMADAN PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN SUMMARY AND TIPS
* STEPS TO TAKE
* NEWS RELEASE - MUSLIM FAST OF RAMADAN BEGINS NOVEMBER 17
* RAMADAN FACTS
* RAMADAN Q&A
* Q&A ABOUT ISLAM AND AMERICAN MUSLIMS
* ISLAM IN AMERICA - THE FACTS
* TERMS AND CONCEPTS
* NEWS RELEASE - AMERICAN MUSLIMS CELEBRATE END OF RAMADAN FAST
* MEDIA ADVISORY - LOCAL MUSLIMS CELEBRATE END OF MONTH-LONG FAST
* PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT - LOCAL MUSLIM COMMUNITY HOLDS MOSQUE
OPEN HOUSE
* SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MEDIA
* STEPS NECESSARY TO HOLD A MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
* WELCOME TO OUR MOSQUE
-----
HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE KIT:
1. Read the "Ramadan Publicity Campaign Summary and Tips" provided in
this
kit. You will probably not achieve all these objectives, but the list
will
give you an idea of what is possible. Also study the "Talking Points"
at
the bottom of that page. These are the key points you will want to pass
on
to people of other faiths.
2. Photocopy pages such as "Ramadan Q&A" and "Islam in America - The
Facts." These pages can be distributed in the materials you send to the
media and hand out at open houses. The announcement for Ramadan will be
sent to national and regional media by CAIR, but the local communities
should make contact with local media. (Call CAIR if you need a local
list
of media addresses and phone numbers.)
3. Re-type the "Media Advisory" and the "Public Service Announcement"
on
your group's letterhead.
4. Re-format and print copies of the Mosque Open House brochure for
distribution at your Islamic center's event.
5. Distribute your announcements to the media no later than TWO WEEKS
before any event.
6. Make phone calls to follow up with editors, producers, talk show
hosts, etc.
7. Call CAIR if you have any questions, or if you do not understand any
part of the Resource Kit.
8. Clip news articles and record TV items. Send originals of newspaper
clips (please include the front page of the paper for our files) and
clear
video copies to CAIR. Your community may appear in CAIR's next
publication
or video production.
-----
STEPS TO TAKE
1) Form a local committee to handle publicity for Ramadan activities.
Make
sure the committee has representatives from all local communities. Do
not
waste time and energy setting up a formal structure. Just choose a
coordinator and include people who are willing to do the work.
2) This committee should have a name such as Seattle Ramadan
Information
Committee, etc.
3) Decide which activities your community will undertake. The main
suggestions are:
* Moonsighting event
* Ramadan "Taste of Islam" open house at the Islamic Center
* Eid Bazaar
* Public lectures on Ramadan and Islamic solutions for societal
problems
* School presentations by parents and students
* Iftars for the homeless
* Canned food drive
* Eid treats for non-Muslim classmates
4) To publicize these events, modify the attached materials for your
own
organization's use. Use these materials when contacting the people
listed
in the "objectives" section. To find the phone and fax numbers for
these
people, just call the media outlet in question and ask. You may also
call
CAIR at 202-488-8787, to ask for a customized local media list with the
names, addresses and phone numbers of the media in your area. Use your
"talking points" whenever communicating with the media.
5) TIMING - Don't wait until Ramadan to start calling faxing and
mailing
materials to the media. Calendar editors need at least two weeks lead
time
to publish an item. Feature editors and others need at least that long
to
develop and schedule stories. Public service announcements also need
time
to be approved and scheduled.
Make initial contact as soon as you can and then follow up with phone
calls
to the same people a couple of days before each activity. When you make
calls close to the day of any event, focus on the television news
assignment editors and newspaper city and photo editors.
6) IMPORTANT - Make sure you send a copy of all your announcements and
news
releases to the ASSOCIATED PRESS "DAYBOOK" EDITOR at the Associated
Press
office in your area or in the nearest large city. Also send Ramadan
news
releases to metro, food and feature editors at newspapers, assignment
editors at TV stations, and news directors and public service directors
at
radio stations.
7) Clip copies of any news articles and tape any broadcast reports.
Send
copies of these to CAIR.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/24/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* JAILED PAKISTANI DIES IN CELL (AP)
* WRITERS QUESTION LOYALTY OF AMERICAN MUSLIMS
- SKEPTICAL OF THE PEACEFUL LABEL (Washington Times)
- MUSLIMS IN U.S. SHOULD PROCLAIM LOYALTY (Chicago Sun-Times)
* TRUE FACE OF ISLAM (New York Times)
* MUSLIM OPENS SENATE SESSION WITH PRAYER
* THE COMPATIBILITY OF A NATION'S VALUES (St. Petersburg Times)
* URI AVNERY PRESS CONFERENCE AT CONGRESS
* MUSLIMS, JEWS TALK AT MOUNT HOLYOKE (AP)
* LARGE MAJORITY OF GERMANS WANT BOMBING CEASEFIRE (Reuters)
* VATICAN UN OBSERVER QUESTIONS US ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN
* AIRLINES AGGRESSIVELY PROFILE FLIERS (Wall Street Journal)
* CRITICAL E-MAILS MAY HAVE COST JOB (Edmonton Journal)
* SUSPECT CHARGED IN MOSQUE ATTACKS (Globe and Mail)
* HOUSE OKS ANTI-TERROR BILL (AP)
* ACLU LETTER TO HOUSE MEMBERS ON ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN ORANGE COUNTY
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN VISTA CALIF.
-----
JAILED PAKISTANI DIES IN CELL
By WAYNE PARRY; Associated Press, 10/24/2001
(NEWARK, New Jersey) A Pakistani man arrested by the FBI in its
investigation of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was found dead in his
jail
cell, authorities said.
The 55-year-old man, whose identity was not immediately released, was
found
dead Tuesday morning at the Hudson County Jail in Kearny, New Jersey.
An
autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death. A doctor who
examined
the man's body said a nasal swab showed no signs of anthrax, but
further
tests were planned, county spokesman Jacob Delemos said.
The man was arrested Sept. 19 as part of the investigation into the
terrorist attacks, a government source who insisted on anonymity told
The
Associated Press on Wednesday.
He was being held on immigration charges, authorities said. Federal
immigration officials didn't immediately return calls for comment...
-----
WRITERS QUESTION LOYALTY OF AMERICAN MUSLIMS
SKEPTICAL OF THE PEACEFUL LABEL
By Cal Thomas, The Washinton Times, 10/24/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20011024-19226812.htm
One sees many white, Anglo-Saxon, mostly Protestant members of Congress
and
others on television today vouching for the "peaceful" nature and
intent of
Islam. Oprah Winfrey has done a show on "modern Muslim women" - none of
whom would be allowed to dress in contemporary clothing, be educated,
or
even appear on television if they lived in radical Muslim states.
I ask the Right Rev. Bullen Dolli, an Episcopal bishop in Sudan, what
he
believes about the nature and intent of contemporary Islam. "It is a
militant religion," he tells me and laughs at those who serve as its
character witnesses...
...When Christians, Jews and those of most other faiths disagree with
the
American government, they have worked within the system to change it,
or in
extreme cases (as with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.) have been
willing
to suffer government's punishment for violating our laws for a nobler
purpose. It is different with militant Islam, which seeks to dominate
the
nation in which it grows and, when in control, diminishes the rights of
all
who disagree.
Don't think so? Is there a country controlled by Islamic militants that
guarantees equal rights for all? Why are we allowing Muslim schools in
this
country to promote ideas that are seditious?
E-MAIL POLITE COMMENTS TO: (NOTE: Cal Thomas WILL use hostile response
to
further defame Islam. Also note that the Washington Times has a
consistent
pattern of publishing Islamophobic articles.)
E-MAIL: jctlatsyn@aol.com, letters@washingtontimes.com,
hbering@washingtontimes.com, fschecker@tribune.com,
ddwilliams@tribune.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
MUSLIMS IN U.S. SHOULD PROCLAIM LOYALTY
BY JOHN O'SULLIVAN, Chicago Sun-Times, 10/24/2001
http://www.suntimes.com/output/osullivan/cst-edt-osul24.html
...In the past, the majority was expected to show a welcoming tolerance
to
a new minority; the minorities were expected to demonstrate loyalty. In
the
context of a crisis like today's, this would have meant asking Muslims
to
offer wholehearted support to America's war against Osama bin Laden,
while
other Americans were urged to respect their Muslim neighbors.
Everyone would thus be reassured.
Under the multiculturalism inspired by suspicion of the American
majority,
however, no expressions of loyalty are demanded of American Muslims. We
are
supposed to assume the loyalty of every single person in America until
someone furnishes legally recognizable proofs of disloyalty. Hence, the
official condemnation of the practice of subjecting men of "Middle
Eastern
appearance" to intrusive questioning when they are boarding airplanes.
This apparent indulgence damages American Muslims. For it reduces the
incentives for Muslims to join the collective, unqualified condemnation
of
bin Laden. Some Muslim leaders have issued such condemnations anyway.
But
others, encouraged to stress a Muslim identity over an American one,
have
been noticeably equivocal--complaining, for instance, that U.S.
sanctions
on Iraq are also a form of terrorism.
Such statements might well instill in other Americans the very
suspicion of
Muslims that official policy is designed to dispel...
E-MAIL POLITE COMMENTS TO:
shuntley@suntimes.com, letters@suntimes.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
TRUE FACE OF ISLAM
The New York Times, 10/24/2001
To the Editor:
"Islam Attracts Converts by the Thousand, Drawn Before and After
Attacks"
(news article, Oct. 22) shows that the true face of Islam is not the
color
of one's skin but the content of one's character. You enlighten us as
to
the true nature of Islam, a profound and peaceful faith practiced by
people
of all races and socioeconomic statuses. Muslims are lawyers, teachers,
police officers and mechanics. We are as American today as we were
before
Sept. 11.
RIAD ABDELKARIM, M.D.
California Communications Dir.
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Anaheim, Calif.
-----
MUSLIM OPENS SENATE SESSION WITH PRAYER
For just the second time in the history of the U.S. Senate, a Muslim
today
offered that body's opening prayer. The prayer was offered by Imam
Yusuf
Saleem, National Educational Director for the Muslim American Society
of
Imam W. Deen Mohammed. Imam Yusuf is also associated with Masjid
Muhammad
in Washington, D.C.
Masjid Muhammad will hold an open house on November 18.
CONTACT: 202-483-8832
-----
THE COMPATIBILITY OF A NATION'S VALUES
By BILL MAXWELL, The St. Petersburg Times, 10/24/2001
How about a little straight talk about the relationship among Israel,
the
Palestinians and the United States...?
...For decades, the Jewish state has brutalized an entire people,
bulldozed
homes, dynamited others, raided neighborhoods with powerful gunships.
Do
these state-sponsored actions manifest American values?
...Alas, however, one of the best ways to determine the values of a
nation
is to follow the money. America is Israel's most loyal and vocal
international ally. We hand the Jewish state $270-million in economic
aid
and about $2-billion in military aid. How much of this money funds the
continued dehumanization and disenfranchisement of the Palestinian
people?
What does our largess say about our values? What does it say to the
Islamic
world? Do we care? This is no time for blind allegiance to past
practices.
This is a time for straight talk, fairness and wise action.
CONTACT: maxwell@sptimes.com, letters@SPTimes.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
URI AVNERY PRESS CONFERENCE AT CONGRESS
Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel (JPPI) will hold a press
conference
with members of Congress and Mr. Uri Avnery, founder of Gush Shalom
(Peace
Bloc), an Israeli peace organization.
The press conference will take place Thursday, October 25, at 2:30 PM
at
the House Triangle. During the press conference, members of Congress
will
welcome Avnery to Washington, DC. Avnery is on the final leg of a U.S.
speaking tour to promote a just peace for both Israelis and
Palestinians.
Uri Avnery is Israel's most celebrated peace activist.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Joshua Ruebner, 202-423-7666
-----
MUSLIMS, JEWS TALK AT MOUNT HOLYOKE
By ADAM GORLICK, The Associated Press, 10/24/2001
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (AP) - Sehr Karim never expected to sit across the
dinner table from a student with the religious background of Melissa
Simon.
Karim is a devout Muslim from United Arab Emirates, while Simon is a
religious Jew from Boston.
But they are among many Muslims and Jews at Mount Holyoke College who
have
been breaking bread at a unique college dining hall that opened two
days
after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A main topic of conversation has
been
the tenets of Islam and how it differs from the hateful dogma preached
by
Osama bin Laden...
...The dining is possible because the hall serves dishes in accordance
with
Jewish rules that define kosher food and with Islamic dietary laws,
known
as halal.
While kosher and halal food is increasingly available on college
campuses
across the country, Mount Holyoke administrators say their kitchen is
one
of the few that cooks and serves meals that meet both religions'
requirements every day...
...Both Islam and Judaism prohibit eating pork and require animals to
be
slaughtered in a particular way. While halal meat is not automatically
considered kosher, all kosher meat can be eaten by Muslims.
-----
LARGE MAJORITY OF GERMANS WANT BOMBING CEASEFIRE
BERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - An overwhelming majority of Germans want the
United States to call at least a temporary halt to its bombing of
Afghanistan, a survey released on Wednesday said.
Sixty-nine percent of Germans polled answered "yes" to the question,
"Do
you agree with the demands for a ceasefire in Afghanistan?" the survey
by
the respected Forsa polling institute found.
The poll, to be published in the liberal weekly Die Woche on Thursday,
showed that 60 percent of Germans were opposed to Germany sending
combat
troops to support the U.S.-led mission, while 35 percent were in
favour...
-----
VATICAN UN OBSERVER QUESTIONS US ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN
Catholic World News, 10/23/2001
http://cwnews.com/news/getstory.cfm?recnum=16646&auth=No
VATICAN, Oct 23, 01 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican's representative at the
UN
has sharply questioned American military activities against
Afghanistan,
and called for more serious efforts to eliminate the "roots" of
terrorism.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, Archbishop Renato
Martino
ignored the efforts of American military planners to avoid civilian
casualties during the current bombing campaign. He said: "Reprisals,
which
strike indiscriminately at the innocent, continue the spiral of
violence
and are illusionary solutions that prevent the moral isolation of the
terrorists."
The Vatican envoy also brushed aside any military rationale for the US
campaign, characterizing the air strikes as "acts of revenge" and
saying
that they would not eliminate the causes of terrorism...
...The veteran Vatican diplomat also complained that the peacekeeping
work
of the UN itself has been thwarted by countries that refuse to honor UN
decisions. In an obvious reference to the conflict in the Middle East,
he
went on: "Those who honor God must be in the first rank of those who
fight
against all forms of terrorism."
-----
AIRLINES AGGRESSIVELY PROFILE FLIERS
Carriers get FBI watchlists; files play new role after attack
By David Armstrong and and Joseph Pereira, The Wall Street Journal
http://www.msnbc.com/news/646421.asp?0dm=N237B
BOSTON, Oct. 23 - On Oct. 8, Muhammad Ali settled into his seat on
United
Airlines Flight 1471 at Logan International Airport, opened a newspaper
and
waited for takeoff.
ALI, A NETWORK consultant at Lucent Technologies Inc., was eager to get
back to his family in suburban Virginia after spending the weekend with
a
Boston client. Instead, a United security manager asked him to gather
his
belongings and step off the plane. Outside on the boarding ramp,
Federal
Bureau of Investigation agents and police officers grilled Ali for 20
minutes about everything from the purpose of his trip to his
immigration
status.
United says that Ali, a Pakistani who holds a U.S. work visa, was
identified as a security risk because his name is similar to one on an
FBI
list of suspected terrorists. After checking his identification and
interviewing him, the FBI found that Ali didn't pose any danger. Even
so,
Flight 1471 left without him.
-----
CRITICAL E-MAILS MAY HAVE COST JOB
By Jac MacDonald and Kelly Cryderman, Edmonton Journal, 10/24/2001
http://www.canada.com/
Search using the term "Abdul-Kariim."
E-mail letters to the White House criticizing U.S. foreign policy
towards
Muslims could have aroused RCMP suspicions and cost him his job,
Abdul-Kariim Muhammad says.
"It is a possibility," said Muhammad, a Spruce Grove Muslim who began
sending the letters following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The provincial government asked the company he worked for to remove him
and
his wife from their jobs as janitors cleaning sensitive government
buildings until they obtained criminal record checks...
-----
SUSPECT CHARGED IN MOSQUE ATTACKS
By Andrew Mitrovica, Globe and Mail, 10/22/01
www.globeandmail.com
Search using the term "mosque."
A 35-year-old Oakville, Ont., man has been charged in connection with
the
attempted firebombing of two mosques over the weekend.
One of the buildings is in Burlington and the other in Mississauga.
Kendrick House faces several counts of arson and other
explosive-related
charges after Molotov cocktails were thrown onto the roofs of two
mosques...
-----
HOUSE OKS ANTI-TERROR BILL
By JESSE J. HOLLAND, The Associated Press, 10/24/2001
WASHINGTON -- The House gave overwhelming approval Wednesday to a
compromise anti-terrorism bill giving police new power to secretly
search
the homes of terrorism suspects, tap all their phones and track their
use
of the Internet.
The bill passed 357-66. It was to be taken up by the Senate later in
the
day or Thursday with the idea of getting it to President Bush for a
possible Friday signing at the White House...
...Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft have been calling for the
legislation since the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, but
civil liberty and privacy concerns by House and Senate members have
delayed the legislation...
...Some House members say the bill gives the government too much power.
They complained about House leaders dumping a GOP-Democratic compromise
approved unanimously by the committee in favor of the modified Senate
version...
-----
ACLU LETTER TO HOUSE MEMBERS ON ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION
http://www.aclu.org/congress/l102301a.html
Dear Representative:
The American Civil Liberties Union is writing to urge you to reject the
conference report on the anti-terrorism bill, the Uniting and
Strengthening
America Act of 2001 (H.R 2975, "USA Act") (also known as the Patriot
Act).
This is an historic vote that is based upon a false dichotomy: that
safety
must come at the expense of civil liberties. We can be safe and fight
terrorism without substantially surrendering our civil liberties, and
without giving enormous, unwarranted power to the executive branch -
which
can be used against U.S. citizens -- unchecked by meaningful judicial
review...
...While it contains provisions that we support, the American Civil
Liberties Union believes that the USA Act gives the Attorney General
and
federal law enforcement unnecessary and permanent new powers to violate
civil liberties that go far beyond the stated goal of fighting
international terrorism. These new and unchecked powers could be used
against American citizens who are not under criminal investigation,
immigrants who are here within our borders legally, and also against
those
whose First Amendment activities are deemed to be threats to national
security by the Attorney General...
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN ORANGE COUNTY
The Islamic Educational Center of Orange County will hold an open house
Saturday, November 3rd, at 11 to 4 p.m. (3194-B Airport Loop Dr.,Costa
Mesa, CA)
The mosque is open to people of all faiths. The free event will feature
discussions about Islamic Beliefs by Imam Sayed Moustafa Al-Qazwini,
"Women
in Islam" by author Fatma Saleh and an open dialogue with community
members.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: 714-432-0060
E-mail: info@iecoc.org or go to www.iecoc.org
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN VISTA CALIF.
WHERE: Masjid Al-Ittehad
925 Anza Ave, Vista, CA
WHEN: Saturday, October 27 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For more information, please call the masjid at 760-945-9544.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/25/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: OUTLAW ISLAM
* CAIR ARRANGES MEETING BETWEEN AMR MUSA AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEMBERS
OF
CONGRESS
* MUSLIM GROUP WANTS KY MOSQUE FIRE INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME
* AFGHAN AMERICAN TEENAGERS ATTACKED (Washington Post)
* DEATH CALLED HATE CRIME (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
* WASHINGTON STATE MUSLIM BEATEN TO DEATH (KIRO)
* WAVE OF CRIMES HAS THE LOOK OF HATE (Orange County Register)
* MUSLIMS ASK DAYTON PANEL TO PASS ANTI-HARASSMENT RESOLUTION (AP)
* BACKLASH VIOLENCE REPORTS DECREASE, BUT CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS UP
(AP)
* ANTI-ARAB BIAS, HATE CRIMES HIT OPERATORS (Restaurant News)
* PRESIDENT BUSH ASKS STUDENTS TO REACH OUT TO MUSLIM WORLD
* CAIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DISCUSSES AIRPORT PROFILING ON CNN
* CAIR COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR DISCUSSES RAMADAN ON FOX NEWS
* BIDEN QUESTIONS CONTINUING STRIKES (Washington Times)
* PENTAGON SAYS TALIBAN IS READY FOR LONG FIGHT (Washington Post)
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN MASS.
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: OUTLAW ISLAM
Letter to www.worldnetdaily.com
...How to reconcile freedom of religion ("Congress shall make no law
...")
with a violent cult that requires the overthrow of the Constitution and
its
replacement with a foreign bible? I refer, of course, to Islam and the
Koran.
The answer, it seems to me, must be to outlaw radical Islam as a
seditious
political movement that advocates the violent overthrow of the
government.
Should it become apparent that Islam is, as I believe, a purulent,
pestilential philosophy rising like a stench from the darkest periods
of
mankind, perhaps it will become necessary to outlaw its presence in
this
hemisphere altogether...
-----
CAIR ARRANGES MEETING BETWEEN AMR MUSA AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS
African-American members of Congress met yesterday with Amr Musa,
secretary
general of the League of Arab States. The meeting was arranged by the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the office of
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-4th GA).
The secretary general gave his condolences to the American people and
expressed his condemnation of all forms of terrorism, stating, "We are
all
in the same boat." He said that we must all work together against the
promotion of the idea of a "clash of civilizations." He also voiced his
concern that the continued killing of Palestinians will not help the
cause
of peace in the Middle East
The representatives expressed their hope for continued communication
with
the secretary general and encouraged greater participation of Arab and
Muslim Americans in the political process. They also stated their
concern
about the expansion of racial profiling in the United States as a
result of
the September 11th attacks.
-----
MUSLIM GROUP WANTS KY MOSQUE FIRE INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME
CAIR today called on law enforcement authorities in Kentucky to
investigate
a fire at a Lexington mosque on Wednesday as a possible bias-related
incident. SEE:
http://www.wkyt.com/Global/story.asp?S=521520&nav=4CAK5Lbl
One firefighter was hit by debris inside the Islamic Society of Central
Kentucky and was transported to the hospital. No one was in the
building at
the time of the fire. The center was being renovated as a Muslim
elementary
school.
Investigators speculate that the fire may have been caused by
lightning.
But they told CAIR the mosque received threats after one member spoke
out
against the bombing of Afghanistan in a recent television interview.
-----
AFGHAN AMERICAN TEENAGERS ATTACKED
The Washington Post, 10/25/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48101-2001Oct24.html
A Dumfries (Va.) mother and son were arrested Tuesday after they
allegedly
led a mob attack on two Afghan American teenagers in what police said
was a
hate-related melee.
Prince William County police said April Scruggs, 42, and Jarvis Berkley
Wilhoit, 19, both of Cusack Lane in Dumfries, hit and kicked the
teenagers
after more than a month of taunting them and calling them "terrorists."
According to police, Wilhoit and a group of friends approached the two
youths -- who are brothers ages 16 and 17 -- on Tuesday near Wexford
Loop
and Kirby Drive and began taunting them and hitting them. Police said
Scruggs then entered the fight and hit the 17-year-old youth in the
head
with a wrench. Both boys escaped into a neighbor's home, police said.
Neither was seriously injured.
Wilhoit was charged with two counts of assault and battery, which were
elevated to felonies because they apparently were hate-related. Scruggs
was
charged with one count of misdemeanor assault and battery.
-----
DEATH CALLED HATE CRIME
BY BILL GARDNER and DAVID HAWLEY, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 10/25/2001
http://www.pioneerpress.com/news/mtc_docs/169004.htm
Friends describe Ali as a gentle man who enjoyed helping other Somalis
with
their English. He was 66 and lived with his wife and grown children in
Minneapolis.
He was proud of becoming a new American citizen just last month.
He was waiting for a bus on a Sunday afternoon when he was attacked and
beaten unconscious 11 days ago.
Ali died late Monday night at Hennepin County Medical Center in
Minneapolis. His friends, family and many in the Twin Cities Somali
community say Ali was attacked because he was a Somali.
It was a hate crime, said Abdi Warsame, one of Ali's children.
"I have no doubt about that," Warsame said.
Minneapolis police are investigating the assault but have made no
arrests and have not concluded that Ali was attacked because he was
Somali, said police spokeswoman Cyndi Montgomery...
(NOTE: CAIR Minnesota is looking into this incident.)
-----
WASHINGTON STATE MUSLIM BEATEN TO DEATH
KIRO 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS
http://www.seattleinsider.com/partners/kirotv/news/2001/10/24/beating.html
LAKE STEVENS -- A man died after being found beaten and wrapped in a
blanket beneath the Pilchuck River bridge southeast of town, Snohomish
County sheriff's deputies said.
Mohamed Salah Hassan, 21, barely had a pulse when he was found by a
passer-by Saturday evening. He died Sunday at Harborview Medical Center
in
Seattle of head injuries and was identified Tuesday by investigators in
the
medical examiner's office.
Investigators have not determined who might be responsible and are
asking
the public for any information, said Jan Jorgensen, a spokeswoman for
the
sheriff's office.
-----
WAVE OF CRIMES HAS THE LOOK OF HATE
Muslims and others lie low after a fire, a beating, threats and
vandalism.
By ALDRIN BROWN, The Orange County Register, 10/25/2001
http://www.ocregister.com/local/hate01025cci3.shtml
ANAHEIM -- Akbar Ali doesn't need to wait for arson experts to finish
their
criminal investigation and for sophisticated scientific analysis to
figure
out why somebody set fire to his 2,400-square-foot restaurant last
month.
Emblazoned with a blue and white sign reading "Islamic Halal Tandoori
Pakistani and Indian Cuisine Restaurant," the West Ball Road eatery was
torched in the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 27.
The blaze is among more than 10 possible hate incidents reported in
Anaheim
since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks - the most of any community in
Orange
County, according to preliminary reports filed with civil-rights
advocates.
The incidents also have taken the form of taunts, harassing telephone
calls
or acts of vandalism...
...Perpetrators of hate incidents likely are drawn by the relatively
high
profile of Anaheim's Middle Eastern and Islamic communities, said
Hussam
Ayloush, who heads the Southern California chapter of the Council on
American- Islamic Relations.
The city, one of the nation's most popular tourist destinations, boasts
a
blocks-wide section of town known as Little Gaza, named for the
Palestinian
enclave in the Middle East.
"They're very visible," said Ayloush, whose group also is based in the
city. "I don't know in terms of numbers, but they are more concentrated
here than elsewhere in the county..."
-----
MUSLIMS ASK DAYTON PANEL TO PASS ANTI-HARASSMENT RESOLUTION
By JAMES HANNAH, Associated Press, 10/25/2001
DAYTON, Ohio - His son was nearly run off the road. And one of his
ex-students was threatened with being shot while he dined in a
restaurant.
Khurshid Ahmad, an American Muslim and professor at Wright State
University, said the incidents stemmed from anti-Muslim sentiment
following
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. On Wednesday, Ahmad and other members
of
the Muslim community asked the City Commission to adopt a resolution
condemning harassment based on a person's heritage and pledging to help
educate the public to prevent such acts of misdirected anger...
...The Council on American Islamic Relations says hundreds of people in
the
United States have reported being harassed or assaulted in apparent
reprisal for the terror attacks. The Washington-based group said hate
crimes are more prevalent in the Midwest than in other parts of the
nation...
-----
BACKLASH VIOLENCE REPORTS DECREASE, BUT CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS UP
By DEBORAH KONG, Associated press, 10/25/2001
Groups tracking backlash violence since the Sept. 11 attacks say hate
crimes appear to be tapering off, although there are new complaints of
workplace discrimination.
Reports of beatings, hate mail and firebombings poured into the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee, and the Sikh Coalition in the weeks following the terrorist
attacks.
For the most part, those reports seem to have slowed, advocates said.
Harassment has "shifted from those public cases of abuse and assault
and
verbal harassment on the streets," said Joshua Salaam, civil rights
coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "It's moved
to
airport profiling, to FBI harassment and workplace discrimination."
The council says it received 960 complaints between Sept. 11 and Monday
in
which people said they were targeted because of their ethnicity, or
because
they appeared to be Middle Eastern...
-----
ANTI-ARAB BIAS, HATE CRIMES HIT OPERATORS
By Carolyn Walkup, Nation's Restaurant News, 10/22/2001
Reported hate crimes against Arab-Americans and Muslims and their
businesses, including restaurants, have reached a fever pitch since the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and subsequent U.S. military retaliation.
Some 800 possible hate crimes throughout the United States have been
reported so far to the Council on American-Islamic Relations in
Washington,
D.C. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington also
is
tabulating a record number of hate-crime reports.
Incidents targeting restaurants that appear to be owned by
Arab-Americans
of many nationalities range from threatening phone calls to suspected
arson. And other restaurant owners report declining business and
canceled
banquets in the weeks following Sept. 11. While the entire economy can
be
characterized as "in shock," there has been more of a backlash against
Arab-American-owned businesses than others, said Imad Hamad, Midwestern
director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Detroit.
"It
was a double-dose burden," he said. "When our community had the same
feeling of grieving, at the same time they had to deal with looks of
wonder
against them."
Incidents directed against Arab-Americans have gone far beyond "looks
of
wonder" in some cases. Police and fire departments are investigating
instances of suspected arson at Pakistani restaurants in Anaheim,
Calif.,
and Salt Lake City, where a suspect was arrested, and of an Iraqi-owned
pizza shop in Plymouth, Mass...
-----
PRESIDENT BUSH ASKS STUDENTS TO REACH OUT TO MUSLIM WORLD
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH LOCATION: THURGOOD MARSHALL
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL, WASHINGTON, D.C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25
PRESIDENT BUSH: (Applause.) Thank you all very much.
Americans believe in patriotism. We don't believe in prejudice. We're
determined to fight terror; (it's what?) we're going to do. And we're
equally determined to build ties of trust and friendship with people
all
around the world, particularly with children and people in the Islamic
world.
As you all know, our nation is at war right now. We're going to defend
America and defend the values that we all hold dear. And our nation is
united in the defense of our country. We are not at war with Muslims.
We
don't have a beef with Muslims. We want to be friends with Muslims and
Muslim children.
We're fighting evil people. It's important for the boys and girls of
Thurgood Marshall to know that we're fighting evil with good. And one
way
to fight evil with good is you can help by writing letters to boys and
girls your age. You can let boys and girls know what you think are
important. You can let boys and girls know what our dreams are, and ask
them about theirs, too...
...And one way that people who are interested in participating can do,
they
can call up on a website to find out how to participate. And I'd like
to
give the address at the website. It is
www.friendshipthrougheducation.org.
That is
www.friendshipthrougheducation.org. And that's a way for other
principals
and parents and concerned citizens to participate in this outreach...
-----
CAIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DISCUSSES AIRPORT PROFILING ON CNN
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: For most Americans, the days and weeks since
last month's terror attacks have been difficult in many ways and for
many
reasons. But for one group of Americans, it is particularly tough, at
times
frightening, in their lives...
...WOODRUFF: Mr. Awad, is that [airport profiling] a reasonable thing
to do?
NIHAD AWAD, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: We have to be
balanced
in our approach to securing our borders, our airports. And I think if
we
allow profiling to take place, we create a false sense of security. And
it
was wrong when Japanese-Americans were put in concentration camps. It
was
wrong when the Jews were forced to wear the Star of David, although
many
Germans at the time thought it was a good idea. But looking back at it,
we
look at it in shame. And it was a horrible idea.
So it is important to secure our borders. We have to introduce certain
measures. We have to make sure that those who work in airport security
are
well trained, are loyal. And if we just focus on the looks of people,
it
makes us lose the values that we try to defend...
-----
CAIR COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR DISCUSSES RAMADAN ON FOX NEWS
JOHN SCOTT (HOST): Joining me now from Washington, the spokesman for
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ibrahim Hooper.
Welcome to you.
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Thanks for
having me.
SCOTT: Let's talk about Ramadan. What is it?
HOOPER: Ramadan is the month on the Islamic calendar during which
Muslims
fast from break of down till sunset. And by that we mean no food, no
water.
If you're smoker, you don't smoke. No sexual relations during the
daylight
hours. So it's a time of spiritual reflection. It's a time to recharge
your
spiritual batteries for the rest of the year...
...And one of the main things about Ramadan is to teach you discipline
and
self-restraint and compassion for those who are less fortunate. Very
often
in our societies, we can go our whole lives without feeling the want of
food or water. And this actually makes you feel what others are
deprived of
through no choice of their own, so in the rest of the year, when you're
--
when you come upon somebody in need, you're far more likely to help
them...
----
BIDEN QUESTIONS CONTINUING STRIKES
By Audrey Hudson and Dave Boyer, The Washington Times, 10/25/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20011025-541140.htm
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle yesterday distanced himself from
comments by the top Democratic foreign policy lawmaker that America
risks
looking like a "high-tech bully" in the bombing of Afghanistan.
Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, departed from the post-Sept. 11 spirit of bipartisanship in
a
speech to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a nonpartisan group
of
foreign policy experts.
On Monday, Mr. Biden told the group in New York he did not know how
much
longer President Bush's "honeymoon" or "unquestioning period of
unabashed
support for the president's policy will continue..."
...Asked by The Washington Times yesterday if his comments were
misconstrued or taken out of context, Mr. Biden would only say "the
speech
speaks for itself."
-----
PENTAGON SAYS TALIBAN IS READY FOR LONG FIGHT
By Vernon Loeb and Thomas E. Ricks, The Washington Post, 10/25/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47797-2001Oct24.html
The Pentagon acknowledged for the first time yesterday that
Afghanistan's
ruling Taliban militia is proving to be a tenacious opponent and is
hunkering down for a long fight that could drag on for months through
the
harsh Afghan winter...
"...They are proven to be tough warriors," Stufflebeem said. "We're in
an
environment they obviously are experts in, and it is extremely harsh.
The
entire world needs to recognize that terrorism and terrorists are a
much
different kind of threat than we have ever faced before..."
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN MASS.
WHERE: Islamic Society of Greater Lowell, MA
At Wang School Auditorium,
West Meadow Lane, Lowell MA
WHEN: Saturday, October 27, 11 a.m.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/26/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* WASHINGTON TIMES DEFAMES ISLAM AGAIN
- FOR SOME, A MINDSET THAT LEADS TO VIOLENCE
- ISLAM IS IN DARK AGES
* UNDERSTANDING ISLAM (Washington Post)
* NEIGHBOR VS. NEIGHBOR (Akron Beacon Journal)
* HATE CRIMES IN BAY AREA DECLINE (San Jose Mercury News)
* POLICE APOLOGIZE FOR TERROR REPORT (Detroit News)
* MUSLIM CHAPLAINS SUPPORT TROOPS (AP)
-----
WASHINGTON TIMES DEFAMES ISLAM AGAIN
FOR SOME, A MINDSET THAT LEADS TO VIOLENCE
By Jonah Goldberg, The Washington Times, 10/26/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20011026-19218527.htm
Goldberg is the editor of National Review Online -
http://www.nationalreview.com).
Is Islam the problem? It's an increasingly public debate the White
House
seems less than thrilled to have. President Bush insists that "our
quarrel
is not with Islam," because, well, "Islam means peace." End of story...
...At one time or another all religions have been nasty. For all of the
passages in the Koran that have been used to justify violence, one can
just
as easily find passages in the Jewish or Christian Bibles justifying
violence.
The difference is that Europeans and Americans, broadly speaking, no
longer
have the desire to use religion to justify violence. Vast numbers of
Arabs,
North Africans and East Asians still do. Our inquisitions are in the
past,
their inquisitions happen every day.
Much of Muslim world simply lives in a different time than the West. Oh
sure, some of the big cities, with their cars and satellite dishes, may
look modern. But their culture is horribly behind the times...
...Meanwhile, Muslims use the word jihad in its literal sense, i.e. a
holy
war, and nobody in America or Europe is at all offended, despite the
fact
that the West has been a victim of Muslim jihads just as much as
Muslims
were victims of Crusades - take the Ottoman Empire for example. But you
don't hear us shrieking about their insensitive use of the word
because,
frankly, we don't remember or care enough to know we should be
offended.
That's all in the past.
It's unfashionable to say some cultures are more "backward" than
others,
but that doesn't make it any less true (the lifestyle of millions of
Afghans today is indistinguishable from, or worse than, the way Afghans
lived centuries ago). The West went through the Protestant Reformation,
the
Counter Reformation, hundreds of revolts and revolutions, the
Enlightenment
and dozens of wars to unshackle itself from the sort of mindset that
seeks
religious justification for cruelty and barbarity.
Much of the Muslim world has yet to go through such a process. When
they
do, I have no doubt they will still be Muslims. They just won't use
that as
a justification to murder people.
E-MAIL POLITE COMMENTS TO: (NOTE - Mention, politely, that this and the
following column are just the latest in a number of Islamophobic
articles
published by the Washington Times.)
E-MAIL: letters@washingtontimes.com, hbering@washingtontimes.com,
mforbes@washingtontimes.com, JonahEmail@aol.com, fschecker@tribune.com,
ddwilliams@tribune.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
ISLAM IS IN DARK AGES
By Diana West, The Washington times, 10/26/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20011026-25413235.htm
When George W. Bush says "Islam is peace" and Tony Blair insists the
war
now begun "has nothing to do with Islam," some of us scratch our heads
and
try, brows furrowed, to reconcile their soothing words with our
frightening
vision: the dirty war on Western civilization waged by evil forces in
the
name of Islam.
The experts tell us militant Islamic fundamentalists, or "Islamists,"
represent a narrow, if murderous, fringe. They number no more than 10,
maybe 15, percent of all Muslims. That works out to somewhere between
100
million and 150 million people. Which is a lot of murderous fringe.
Meanwhile, where is that peaceable majority overflowing Islamdom? Are
they
filling the streets in unity with America's effort to eradicate
Islamist
terrorism, "marginal" though its supporters may be? Hardly...
...Every Muslim, of course, is not Osama bin Laden. But why don't more
Muslims say so, quite loudly and very specifically? Muslim condolences
after Sept. 11 very often came across as rather generic expressions of
sympathy, equally as suitable for a natural disaster as for a terrorist
act
of war committed by co-religionists. There is being communicated little
sense of the magnitude of events, and, thus, little recognition of the
urgent need for civilized people of all faiths and nations to denounce
this
evil, vociferously and by name, and array themselves in warring
solidarity
against it.
What accounts for this? And what is a reflexively tolerant,
post-multicultural Westerner to make of it? Our dauntless leaders may
repeat that the Islamist threat has nothing do with Islam, but,
frankly,
their mantra is getting a little ridiculous...
E-MAIL POLITE COMMENTS TO:
E-MAIL: dwest@washingtontimes.com, letters@washingtontimes.com,
hbering@washingtontimes.com, mforbes@washingtontimes.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
UNDERSTANDING ISLAM
By ARSALAN TARIQ IFTIKHAR, The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53761-2001Oct25.html
(Iftikhar is Midwest Communications Director Council on
American-Islamic
Relations - St. Louis.)
Michael Skube's Oct. 21 Outlook piece, "Either You Are a Believer or an
Infidel," attempted to paint Islam as a belligerent and unenlightened
religion that by "its very nature seems to be one of intolerance."
Was this exemplified by the fact that Muslims and Jews peacefully
coexisted
under the Medina Document during the life of our beloved prophet,
Muhammad?
Or by the fact that during the Ottoman caliphates, people of minority
religions were able to set up their own religious courts to deal with
their
own religious affairs?
Or was it that the intolerance was evident as Ottoman Muslim soldiers
defended the land, lives and families of their Muslim, Christian and
Jewish
constituents?
Every faith has fringe elements: Remember the Spanish Inquisition and
the
Thirty Years' Wars, in which Christian conquistadors murdered and
pillaged
"infidels"? Shall we remind him of the crusaders, who slaughtered
thousands
of Muslim, Christian and Jewish Arabs.
Mr. Skube says of the Koran that the "text makes clear, the sword is to
be
taken up." He grossly failed to understand the context in which any
mention
of a self-defensive action is to be taken. Christianity has a concept
of a
"just war," which like in Islam, has to be fought in self-defense only
and
under a legitimate state authority.
That women are oppressed in Islam is another of Mr. Skube's claims. He
didn't mention that the Prophet Mohammed's wife, Khadijah, was one of
the
most successful merchants of her time. Under Islamic law, a woman is
not
obligated to change her maiden name, and her husband has no legal
rights to
her income. Islamic women had the right to own land centuries before
the
"enlightened" West allowed women to do so.
As an American Muslim and a student of law, my feelings for Mr. Skube
are
evident by the great words of Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say,
but
I will defend to the death your right to say it."
-----
NEIGHBOR VS. NEIGHBOR
Flag-waving incident leads to ethnic intimidation charge in Kent
BY CARL CHANCELLOR, The Akron Beacon Journal, 10/23/2001
http://www.ohio.com/bj/news/2001/October/23/docs/028273.htm
KENT: Their front doors are less than five feet apart. Yet, the gulf
that
now exists between neighbors Joe Oriti and Talal Al-Maghrabi is
enormous
and growing by the day...
...The nightmare, or misunderstanding -- depending on which side of the
small flower bed you are on at the midpoint of their Athena Drive
duplex --
occurred on the evening of Oct. 8.
Oriti said that on that evening, around 11, he took down the American
flag
that hangs above his front door, went out into the front yard and waved
Old
Glory as a show of support for the country he loves.
Oriti was allegedly joined in the flag-waving incident by his friend,
Michael A. Anderson, 23, of Kent. Anderson could not be reached for
comment.
...Al-Maghrabi remembers rushing home on that night after receiving a
frantic call from his wife.
"She said these guys were running around outside the house, waving a
flag,
knocking on the doors and windows, yelling some words she didn't
understand
and telling her to come out," said Al-Maghrabi, a Saudi national
working on
a master's in business administration.
Al-Maghrabi said his wife, who was trying to calm their 4-year-old
daughter
and 2-month-old son during the incident, was so afraid that she also
called
a nearby friend, who in turn called police...
...On Oct. 15, Oriti and Anderson were arrested on misdemeanor charges
of
ethnic intimidation, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct...
-----
HATE CRIMES IN BAY AREA DECLINE
By Connie Skipitares, San Jose Mercury News, 10/26/2001
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/local/docs/hate26a.htm
SAN JOSE, Calif. _ Hate crimes against people of Middle Eastern
appearance
in the Bay Area and around the state continue to decline from those
highly
emotional days immediately following Sept. 11, but Islamic-American
groups
say there still is a need to educate the public about tolerance.
And while some groups acknowledge the number of incidents reported to
authorities is going down, they believe the actual number of assaults,
threats and episodes of harassment is higher than what has been
reported...
...The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it has received 105
complaints nationwide of workplace incidents in which people were
allegedly
fired, demoted or harassed because of their ethnicity, religion or
appearance.
The group also said it has received 96 reports of racial profiling at
airports in which passengers of Middle Eastern descent were subjected
to
more scrutiny or asked to leave an airplane...
-----
POLICE APOLOGIZE FOR TERROR REPORT
Information resulted in unfair attention to Arab Americans
By David Shepardson, The Detroit News, 10/26/2001
http://detnews.com/2001/metro/0110/26/d02-327721.htm
NORTHVILLE -- The Michigan State Police said a report assessing the
extent
of potential terrorist activity was flawed and apologized to Arab
Americans
at a meeting Thursday.
The report, which was reviewed and approved by the FBI, said there were
at
least "374 potential threat elements," which included groups or
individuals
in Michigan.
State Police spokesman Michael Prince said that the report may have
overstated the number of potential threats. Under U.S. Justice
Department
guidelines, each of Michigan's 83 counties and 10 largest cities were
asked
to submit potential threats -- and had to list at least one.
"It's my understanding that they couldn't put zero," he said...
...On Thursday, the State Police didn't retract those statements, but
said
the department "is deeply concerned that the release of law enforcement
sensitive information has resulted in unfair attention on the
Arab-American
community.
"Any reports that the Dearborn community or any other community in
southeast Michigan is any more prone to harbor terrorist elements is
also
unfair, inaccurate and irresponsible."
-----
MUSLIM CHAPLAINS SUPPORT TROOPS
By STEPHEN MANNING, The Associated Press, 10/26/2001
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) - One day back in 1979, Qaseem A. Uqdah was in the
mess
hall line at the Parris Island boot camp when a cook slapped a piece of
ham
onto his outstretched tray.
A convert to Islam, Uqdah refused to take the pork, which the religion
forbids. A Marine drill sergeant noticed and wasn't happy. He chewed
out
Uqdah until a Roman Catholic chaplain stepped in and persuaded the
sergeant
to lay off.
To Uqdah, who now helps select Muslim chaplains for the military, the
memory shows how unprepared the armed forces were for Muslims a few
decades
ago - and how much has changed. Yet the tide of world events has again
put
Muslim soldiers in an awkward position.
The military now provides packaged Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, that
meet
Muslim diet requirements. Muslim women wearing head coverings serve
alongside other soldiers. An Islamic crescent now sits beside the
Jewish
Star of David and Christian cross at the National Naval Medical Center
chapel in Bethesda.
But now Muslims have been called to fight for their country against an
enemy that has couched the struggle in terms of Islam vs. the West, and
has
urged all Muslims to fight as one against the United States.
The situation may be the most delicate for 14 Muslim chaplains in the
armed
forces, who counsel and minister to 4,000 or more Muslim troops. (Most
Muslims in the military are black, with smaller numbers of whites and
Arab-Americans).
Many chaplains have responded by echoing the words of Muslim leaders
worldwide, who have condemned the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as a
twisting
of Islam - an attempt to use religion to justify the taking of innocent
civilians.
While Muslims are encouraged not to fight against each other, Islamic
law
also has strict guidelines that forbid the killing of noncombatants,
said
James J. Yee, chaplain at Fort Lewis, an army base outside Tacoma,
Wash.
Yee has been busy recently, speaking with soldiers and conducting
seminars
on Islam in an effort to educate troops on a religion that most
Americans
know little about.
A Chinese-American and West Point graduate, Yee converted to Islam in
college and became a chaplain after spending several years in the Army.
Between Fort Lewis and nearby McChord Air Force Base, he ministers to
about
150 military personnel and their families...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY MEETS WITH AMERICAN MUSLIMS
Discussion focused on issues of passenger profiling and airline
security
(WASHINGTON, DC, 10/26/2001) - Representatives of the American Muslim
and
Arab-American community met today with Secretary of Transportation
Norman
Y. Mineta to discuss a variety of issues related to airline safety and
security, including that of racial, ethnic and religious profiling of
passengers. (SEE: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/mineta.htm)
Muslim and Arab groups represented at the two-hour meeting included the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and the Islamic Institute.
Representatives from the Japanese-American and Sikh communities also
attended today's meeting.
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad made a presentation to Secretary
Mineta
outlining the more than 90 cases of airline passenger profiling that
have
been reported to that group's civil rights department. (These reports
included incidents in which pregnant women were poked to check their
pregnancies.) Awad suggested the creation of a civil rights advisory
panel
for airline security along with sensitivity training for security
personnel.
CAIR has received more than 900 reports of anti-Muslim incidents,
ranging
from verbal harassment to murder, since the terrorist attacks of
September
11. Many of these incidents have involved those who, like Sikhs and
Christian Arabs, who are perceived to be Muslims or "Middle
Eastern-looking." (SEE: http://www.cair-net.org)
"Passenger profiling should be rejected not only because it violates
American values of equality and justice, but because it also creates a
false sense of security for the traveling public," said CAIR Board
Chairman
Omar Ahmad.
"It is important that we improve airport safety by increasing the level
of
training and professionalism for those who screen passengers and by
applying heightened security measures to all travelers, not just to
those
who fit a stereotypical image of what a terrorist should look like,"
said
Ahmad.
There are some seven million Muslims in America and an estimated 1.2
billion worldwide. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in
this
country and around the world.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper at 202-488-8787
E-Mail: cair@cair-net.org
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/29/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* MUSLIMS JOIN IN FOIA REQUEST ON DETAINEES
* ROUND UP THE USUAL SUSPECTS (Washington Times)
* ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR END TO BOMBING (New York Times)
* A STRONGER VOICE FOR MUSLIMS (Los Angeles Times)
* MUSLIMS REACHING OUT TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS (Mercury News)
* DON'T GENERALIZE ABOUT MUSLIM RESPONSE TO ATTACKS (Washington Times)
* REP. ISSA: I WAS PROFILING VICTIM (AP)
-----
MUSLIMS JOIN IN FOIA REQUEST ON DETAINEES
(WASHINGTON, DC, 10/29/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) today joined with a coalition of other human rights
organizations in
filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information
about
the hundreds of Muslims and Arabs who have been detained since the
terrorist attacks of September 11. These groups say government
officials
have been reluctant to release information about those being held. The
coalition's letter to the Department of Justice requested:
SEE: http://www.aclu.org/congress/l102901a.html
1. The identities of each such individual, the circumstances of their
detention or arrest, and any charges brought against them...
...2. The identity of any lawyers representing any of these
individuals,
including their names and addresses.
3. The identities of any courts, which have been requested to enter
orders
sealing any proceedings in connection with any of these individuals,
any
such orders which have been entered, and the legal authorities that the
government has relied upon in seeking any such secrecy orders.
4. All policy directives or guidance issued to officials about making
public statements or disclosures about these individuals or about the
sealing of judicial or immigration proceedings...
Media reports indicate that almost 1,000 people have been detained,
though
some have been released. Fewer than 10 of the detainees are suspected
of
having demonstrable ties to the terrorist attacks, and human rights
advocates such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have
questioned
whether law enforcement authorities are abusing their authority.
"As we pursue those responsible for the horrific crimes of September
11, we
should not violate our own standards of human rights or due process of
law.
It is through maintaining standards of justice that we will demonstrate
to
the world that freedom and security are not incompatible concepts,"
said
CAIR Governmental Affairs Director Jason Erb.
Groups sponsoring the letter include: American Civil Liberties Union,
American Friends Service Committee, American Immigration Lawyers
Association, American Immigration Law Foundation, American Muslim
Council,
Amnesty International USA, Arab American Institute, Arab-American
Anti-Discrimination Committee, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center
for
Democracy and Technology, Center for National Security Studies, Council
on
American Islamic Relations, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic
Privacy Information Center, Federation of American Scientists, First
Amendment Foundation, Human Rights Watch, Lawyers Committee for Human
Rights, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, OMB
Watch, The Nation Magazine
There are some seven million Muslims in America and an estimated 1.2
billion worldwide. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in
this
country and around the world.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper at 202-488-8787
E-Mail: cair@cair-net.org
-----
ROUND UP THE USUAL SUSPECTS
By Nat Hentoff, The Washington Times, 10/29/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20011029-97878186.htm
...Some of the detainees are being held and charged for violations of
state
or local laws, or of their status as immigrants. But that's not the
primary
reason they were picked up. Most troublesome to civil libertarians is
that
an undisclosed number are being detained as material witnesses. Under
that
statute, the government does not have to show probable cause of
criminal
wrongdoing to lock someone up. They purportedly may have some useful
information, but they are not being charged with any connection to
terrorism. And they can be in custody indefinitely...
-----
ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR END TO BOMBING
By GUSTAV NIEBUHR, The New York Times, 10/29/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/29/national/29MUSL.html
A group of American Muslim organizations has called for the United
States
to halt its bombing campaign in Afghanistan and instead develop "a more
effective and long-term policy" to counter terrorism.
The document was signed by 15 groups, primarily small ones, but
including
two prominent organizations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations
and
the Islamic Circle of North America. The statement was posted on the
IslamiCity.com Web site.
In an interview, Naim Baig, general secretary of the Islamic Circle of
North America, said the statement was drawn up at a meeting on Oct. 20
and
21 in Washington.
Mr. Baig said it reflected a concern among some American Muslims that
"this
bombing is not going anywhere, and more and more civilian casualties
are
going on." The United States began bombing Afghanistan on Oct. 7.
The statement, signed by groups representing public-policy
organizations,
students and journalists, among others, voices an "unequivocal
condemnation" of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and calls for the
perpetrators to be brought to justice. But it says the bombing campaign
is
not in the interests of the United States or the rest of the world.
"The bombing victimizes the innocent, exacerbates the humanitarian
disaster
and creates widespread resentment across the Muslim world," the
statement says.
The statement also says its signers believe it their "civic duty" to
speak
out in favor of the nation's long-term interests.
"We strongly reject the suggestion that opposing a certain policy of
our
government is tantamount to disloyalty," it says...
-----
A STRONGER VOICE FOR MUSLIMS
Several American Muslim leaders in California are at the forefront of
an
emerging political movement.
By MARY ROURKE, Los Angeles Times, 10/29/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-000085955oct29.story
On Sept. 26, two weeks after the attacks on the Pentagon and World
Trade
Center, President George W. Bush met with 15 American Muslim leaders at
the
White House. The event was a watershed moment. Suddenly, a cause for
which
the men had long toiled--Muslims' civil rights--had captured the
public's
attention, and the president was calling on them to help with the
national
crisis.
Five of the men who attended the meeting--Maher Hathout, Muzammil
Siddiqi,
Agha Saeed, Salam al-Marayati and Omar Ahmad--are from California. They
have started to become familiar as the faces of an emerging American
Muslim
political movement at a time that one of them describes as a "Muslim
moment..."
-----
MUSLIMS REACHING OUT TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS
BY OMAR AHMAD, The Mercury News, 10/26/2001
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/opinion/columns/omar26.htm
(Omar Ahmad is the national chair of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.)
Most Americans realize that American Muslims and Arab-Americans love
their
country just as much as everybody else. Those who count among their
acquaintances and friends American Muslims know them as hardworking and
honest classmates, co-workers, physicians, engineers and business
owners.
It is ignorance and unfortunate stereotypes, many perpetuated by
Hollywood,
that breed hate and intolerance. This ignorance is the common enemy of
all
Americans.
-----
DON'T GENERALIZE ABOUT MUSLIM RESPONSE TO ATTACKS
By ARSALAN TARIQ IFTIKHAR, The Washington Times, 10/29/2001
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20011029-11813051.htm#4
Iftikhar is Midwest communications director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations - St. Louis.)
In an era in which we Americans and our global neighbors need to
nurture a
greater understanding of each other's beliefs, customs and ways of
life,
columnist Diana West does nothing to forward that dialogue. In her Oct.
26
Op-Ed column, "Islam is in Dark Ages," she does nothing more than
propagandize and try to marginalize the world's 1.2 billion Muslims.
Mrs. West asks where the world's Muslims were in categorically
condemning
the horrific acts of Sept. 11. During this time, the 7 million American
Muslims were organizing hundreds of blood drives all around the
country. We
had thousands of mosque open houses in which we had interfaith
dialogues
and explained the true essence of Islam.
Since Sept. 11, I have been on numerous TV and radio shows in the
Midwest
categorically condemning the acts and educating people about Islam. I
know
there are hundreds of Muslims better than me who have been doing the
same
on national television. We have written hundreds of editorials and been
interviewed countless times, always repeating emphatically, "This is
not
Islam, and we condemn it."
Alas, that still is not enough. Will it ever be enough? Must there be a
Muslim on every street corner with a megaphone repeating over and over
again, "This was not Islam"?
When Timothy McVeigh bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City, did
we
question the motives of Christians? When Yigal Amir assassinated
Israeli
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, did we say that all Jews were against the
Middle East peace process? Of course not. That would have been absurd.
Why is it that when most people commit crimes, their religion is not
brought into it, but when a Muslim commits a crime, Islam is the enemy?
We live in a country that offers more freedoms than any country in the
world, but this deadly double standard has to stop. On behalf of the
American Muslim community, Mrs. West: We condemn any acts of terrorism
as
against Islam.
-----
REP. ISSA: I WAS PROFILING VICTIM
By MARK SHERMAN, The Associated Press, 10/26/2001
WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Darrell Issa, grandson of Lebanese immigrants,
says
he was the victim of racial profiling when he tried to board an Air
France
flight to Paris this month.
The airline denied the California Republican a seat on a late-night
flight
from Washington's Dulles International Airport on Oct. 4, after he
showed
up at the gate an hour before departure with a one-way ticket to Saudi
Arabia via Paris, and, he said, "an Arab surname."
Air France workers would not budge, despite Issa's protest that he was
a
member of Congress who was departing on an official trip to the Middle
East, and the intervention of Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., who had
already
boarded the plane. Both men carried a series of one-way tickets,
including
one for a return trip to Washington, which Issa said he gave to the
airline
employees.
"They disappeared with my stuff for 15 or 20 minutes. When they came
back,
they said, 'You're flying tomorrow,'" Issa said in a telephone
interview
Friday.
...Issa said he wants Congress to look into racial profiling, "whether
it's
flying while Arab or driving while black," but not while the country is
at
war with terrorists, one reason he kept quiet about the episode for
three
weeks. "I want us to keep our eyes on the ball, which is the war we're
fighting," Issa said.
SEE: http://www.house.gov/issa/
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/30/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* U.S. MUSLIMS CONDEMN KILLINGS AT CHURCH IN PAKISTAN
* VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE MEETS WITH MUSLIMS
* MOSQUE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY IN VIRGINIA
* WASH. DC: UNDERSTANDING ISLAM AND MUSLIMS
* JOB OPENING: RESEARCHER ON HATE CRIMES IN THE U.S.
-----
U.S. MUSLIMS CONDEMN KILLINGS AT CHURCH IN PAKISTAN
Several prominent national American Muslim groups today expressed their
"deepest sorrow" at the brutal killing of 16 worshipers at St.
Dominic's
Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan on Sunday.
In a joint statement, the groups wrote:
"We extend heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. We are
greatly distressed that some lawless elements have violated the
sanctity of
a place of worship and the rights of minorities in Pakistan. Freedom of
worship is a basic right in Islam, and protection of religious
minorities
and houses of worship is a fundamental obligation of Muslim
governments. We
support the government of Pakistan in its stated commitment to
apprehend
the criminals and punish them according to the law."
The statement was sponsored by: (in alphabetical order)
American Muslim Council
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Islamic Circle of North America
Islamic Society of North America
-----
VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE MEETS WITH MUSLIMS
Muslim leaders from northern Virginia met Monday with Democratic
Gubernatorial candidate Mark Warner to discuss a variety of issues
related
to that state's Islamic community. SEE: http://www.markwarner2001.org
Of particular concern to meeting participants was Muslim participation
in
the field of education. Another major concern was the civil liberties
implications of anti-terrorism legislation resulting from the September
11
attacks.
CONTACT:
Jason C. Erb
CAIR Department of Governmental Affairs
TEL: 202-488-8787
E-MAIL: jerb@cair-net.org
-----
MOSQUE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY IN VIRGINIA
On Saturday, November 3, the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS)
will
hold a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the
construction of
its new community center in the Herndon/Sterling (Va.) area.
SEE: http://www.adamscenter.org/invite/GroundBraking.htm
The new center will have a multipurpose hall, weekend school, daycare
center, recreational spaces, and administrative offices. The proposed
structure is a two-story building with an upper mezzanine level with a
first-phase area of 25,500 sq ft.
WHEN: Saturday, November 3, 2001
10 AM - 2 PM
11 AM - Reception
11:30 AM - Presentations by Guests/Ground breaking
1:30 PM - Prayers (on site)
CONTACT:
Mr. Yasir Syeed, Public Relations Director, 571-213-5966
Directions:
The site of the new ADAMS Center is located in Sterling, VA at the
corner
of Dranesville Road and Sugarland Road.
From 495: Take exit 10, Rt. 7 (Leesburg Pike) West towards
Leesburg. Drive for about 9 miles. Turn left on Dranesville Road.
After
half a mile, turn right on Sugarland Road. (New ADAMS Center sign at
the
corner.) The site is on your left.
From 66: Take exit Rt. 7 (Leesburg Pike) West towards Leesburg. Drive
for
about 9 miles. Turn left on Dranesville Road. After half a mile, turn
right on Sugarland Road. (New ADAMS Center sign at the corner.) The
site is
on your left.
-----
WASH. DC: UNDERSTANDING ISLAM AND MUSLIMS
An explanation of Islam for people unfamiliar with its teachings
Presented by:
Imam Yahya Hendi
Muslim Chaplain
Georgetown University
WHEN: Thursday, November 8, Noon
WHERE: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
901 G Street, NW, Main Lobby
Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: 202-727-1251
-----
JOB OPENING: RESEARCHER ON HATE CRIMES IN THE U.S.
Human Rights Watch, the international human rights monitoring and
advocacy
organization, is seeking a researcher to monitor, investigate, assess,
and
report on official actions to prevent or investigate and prosecute hate
crimes in the U.S. perpetrated against ethnic or religious minorities
in
apparent retaliation for the September 11 attacks in New York City and
at
he Pentagon.
APPLY BY DECEMBER 1, 2001 (no calls, please) by sending a cover letter,
resume, names or letters of reference, and a writing sample (preferably
unedited) to:
Human Rights Watch, Attn: Search Committee (Hate Crimes Researcher)
1630 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20009 U.S.A.
Fax: 202-612-4333
Email: hughesa@hrw.org
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 10/31/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* SOME MUSLIMS FIND CHARLIE DANIELS' NEW SONG OFFENSIVE (News-Sentinel)
* CNN CHIEF ORDERS 'BALANCE' IN WAR NEWS (Washington Post)
* CAIR ONLINE ISLAMIC INFORMATION RESOURCES
* OTHER CAIR RESOURCES:
- WRITERS SYNDICATE OFFERS MUSLIM VIEW OF ISSUES
- CAIR MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN ARABIC
* CAIR-CAN MUSLIM ADVOCACY WORKSHOP
* "ISLAM UNCENSORED" IN MINNESOTA
-----
SOME MUSLIMS FIND CHARLIE DANIELS' NEW SONG OFFENSIVE
Preschool chief fears 'uneducated view' will foster more prejudice
By Doug Mason, News-Sentinel, 10/31/2001
www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_863904,00.html
Zaynab Karnes hasn't heard Charlie Daniels' controversial new song
"This
Ain't No Rag, It's a Flag," but the Muslim woman is familiar with the
sentiment expressed in its first verse: "This ain't no rag, it's a
flag/And
we don't wear it on our heads."
"My own grandmother told me I should take 'that rag' off my head," says
the
28-year-old Knoxville native, whose family settled here before the
Civil War.
Karnes was raised Baptist but converted to Islam 1 1/2 years ago. She
wears
hijab, or Muslim dress, which includes a head covering.
She was offended when told of Daniels' song, which is receiving airplay
on
area radio stations, including WIVK.
The song sparked controversy after Daniels was asked not to perform it
at
the Country Freedom Concert in Nashville on Oct. 21. The nationally
televised concert raised more than $5 million for the Salvation Army
Disaster Relief Fund...
E-MAIL POLITE COMMENTS TO: cdbfanclub@aol.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.charliedaniels.com/home_frame.html
-----
CNN CHIEF ORDERS 'BALANCE' IN WAR NEWS
Reporters Are Told To Remind Viewers Why U.S. Is Bombing
By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post, 10/31/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14435-2001Oct30.html
The chairman of CNN has ordered his staff to balance images of civilian
devastation in Afghan cities with reminders that the Taliban harbors
murderous terrorists, saying it "seems perverse to focus too much on
the
casualties or hardship in Afghanistan."
In a memo to his international correspondents, Walter Isaacson said:
"As we
get good reports from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, we must redouble
our
efforts to make sure we do not seem to be simply reporting from their
vantage or perspective. We must talk about how the Taliban are using
civilian shields and how the Taliban have harbored the terrorists
responsible for killing close to 5,000 innocent people."
As more errant U.S. bombs have landed in residential areas, causing
damage
to such places as a Red Cross warehouse and senior citizens' center,
the
resulting television images have fueled criticism of the American war
effort. This has sparked a growing debate, which began with the Osama
bin
Laden videotape, about how the media should handle stage-managed
pictures
from Afghanistan...
-----
CAIR ONLINE ISLAMIC INFORMATION RESOURCES
The Mosque in America: A National Portrait
http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport/
Ramadan 2001 Media Kit
http://www.cair-net.org/ramadan2001
Ramadan 2001 Publicity Resource Kit
http://www.cair-net.org/ramadankit
Mosque Open House Kit
http://www.cair-net.org/openhouse
-----
OTHER CAIR RESOURCES:
WRITERS SYNDICATE OFFERS MUSLIM VIEW OF ISSUES
CAIR's "Independent Writers Syndicate" is designed to offer a Muslim
perspective on current political, social and religious issues. The
service
distributes original commentaries to newspapers and web sites
throughout
North America.
The commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each
market area. Permissions for publication are granted on a
first-come-first-served basis. (Contact the individual listed below to
receive columns distributed by the syndicate or to submit commentaries
to
be considered for distribution.)
Opinion page editors may also request columns on specific topics.
CONTACT: Riad Abdelkarim at riadzuhdi@aol.com, or call 949-378-2468
-----
CAIR MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN ARABIC
Arabic translations of CAIR materials are now available. Join the CAIR
Arabic News list by going to:
http://cair1.biglist.com/arabic/
-----
CAIR-CAN MUSLIM ADVOCACY WORKSHOP
The Council on American Islamic Relations-Canada (CAIR-CAN) will hold a
free media relations/political advocacy workshop, (co-sponsored by the
MSA
at U of T Erindale)
WHEN: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1 PM to 5 PM,
WHERE: STUDENT CENTRE, ROOM 270, ERINDALE CAMPUS,
3359 Mississuaga Road, Mississauga
For campus map, please see:
http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/maps/erindale/
SPEAKER: Riad Saloojee, Lawyer, and National-Executive
Director of CAIR-CAN in Ottawa
To register or for more info, please e-mail your name, & phone number
to
ib.danial@utoronto.ca or call (416) 203-3768.
-----
"ISLAM UNCENSORED" IN MINNESOTA
WHAT: "ISLAM UNCENSORED," a free event to learn about
Islam and Muslims
WHEN: Saturday, November 3rd, 2001
9 a.m. TO 5 p.m.
WHERE: University of Minnesota, Mondale Hall (Law School),
229 19th Avenue S., Minneapolis, Minnesota (West Bank)
WHO: Organized by the Islamic Resource Group, the Muslim
American Society, the Muslim Student Association and the
Al-Madinah Cultural Center
* In-depth discussion on Islam and Muslims
* Myths about Islam
* Qur'an and the Messenger
* Relations between Islam and the West
* Women in Islam
* Islamic Social and Political Systems
* Current Crisis Through Muslim Eyes
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.islamuncensored.org or call Hannia
Chahn,
651-270-6720
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/1/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* COLORADO CONGRESSMAN CALLS FOR PASSENGER PROFILING (CNN)
* PROFILING GIVES US A FIRST IMPRESSION, BUT NOT A LASTING ONE
(Post-Dispatch)
* PROFILING BY FEAR (Wall Street Journal)
* PAKISTANI MAN BARRED FROM FLIGHT SUES AIRLINE (San Francisco
Chronicle)
* SIKHS SAY FORCED TO REMOVE TURBANS (AP)
* ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION IMPACTS DETENTION POWERS (National Law
Journal)
* MORE CHRISTIAN LEADERS VOICE CONCERN OVER ISRAELI ACTIONS (Boston
Globe)
* MUSLIM LEADERS QUESTION DECISION TO END THREE-DECADE HOLIDAY DISPLAY
TRADITION (LA Times)
* SEPT. 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS DELAY COMPLETION OF O.C. MOSQUE (LA Times)
* PENNSYLVANIA MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
* Q&A ABOUT VISITING A MOSQUE
-----
COLORADO CONGRESSMAN CALLS FOR PASSENGER PROFILING
CNN WOLF BLITZER REPORTS
October 31, 2001
REP. SCOTT MCINNIS (R), COLORADO: Well, let me tell you that I'm not
sure
of the word ethnic profiling. But I think the word profiling -- we all
use
profiling. CNN uses profiling, of course, to take a look at who their
viewers are out there. We use it in every activity of our life. And,
for
God's sake, we ought to use profiling to protect the national security
of
this country. I mean, not using it right now is simply a diversion to
our
safety. And our safety has got to come first.
BLITZER: So you are saying, Congressman McInnis, if someone looks like
he
is an Arab or of Middle Eastern ancestry, be should singled out?
MCINNIS: Well, let me tell you, if you put that in a combination with
factors -- for example, these hijackers, we knew that they were all in
a
certain age group. We knew that they were all male. We knew that they
were
all Arab. We knew that they were of the Islamic faith. When you put all
of
those factors together, you are darn right you better pull those people
aside and start asking some questions.
Almost every other country in the world does do that. And, frankly,
that's
why Israel, for example, hasn't had a hijacking on one of their
aircraft...
...MCINNIS: But you have got to agree with me that when we have people
of
Arab descent, for example, who buy a one-way ticket, who have no
baggage
that get onto an airplane, and they're traveling some distance, and
they
fall within a certain age range, and they belong to a certain radical
part
of a religion, those people ought to be pulled aside because of that
profile. And that's profiling...
...MCINNIS: OK. I'm telling you that a profile utilizing a number of
different elements -- just like we do before we issue an insurance
policy
to a teenage driver. We know that a teenager driver has a much higher
likelihood of speeding, much higher likelihood of driving. And,
therefore,
we charge him more for insurance.
Now, you may call that discrimination. You may call that what is wrong
with
America. I'm telling you it is what is needed in America for the
national
defense of this country...
POLITE COMMENTS TO:
Congressman Scott McInnis
320 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Tel: (202) 225-4761
Fax: (202) 226-0622
URL: http://www.house.gov/mcinnis/
-----
PROFILING GIVES US A FIRST IMPRESSION, BUT NOT A LASTING ONE
By Greg Freeman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 11/01/2001
http://www.post-dispatch.com
Search using the term "profiling."
...Racial profiling is in the news again because of the attacks Sept.
11 on
the United States. Not only are Muslims and people of Middle Eastern
descent being profiled, some wags -- like syndicated columnist Mona
Charen
-- are even suggesting that Arabs in this country be forced to leave,
and
that citizens of Middle Eastern origin be given "some scrutiny."
That is going way too far.
Profiling offers a simple, first impression under which assumptions are
made. But you can't make wise decisions based on assumptions...
...Our skin color isn't a matter of our choosing. And more often than
not,
we tend to choose the religion that our parents chose for themselves.
Neither is a predictor of how we think or how we behave...
-----
PROFILING BY FEAR
By David Harris, The Wall Street Journal, 11/1/2001
http://public.wsj.com/home.html
Prof. Harris is Balk Professor of Law and Values at the University of
Toledo College of Law, Toledo, Ohio. He is also is author of "Profiles
In
Injustice: Why Racial Profiling Cannot Work," The New Press, February
2002)
Jason L. Riley's endorsement of racial profiling of Arabs and Muslims
as
part of the war on terrorism (editorial page, Oct. 24) takes a
simplistic
view of a complex problem. Mr. Riley argues that profiling based on
racial
or ethnic appearance is "a logical and legitimate response" to the
events
of Sept. 11. Unfortunately, he does this without examining his basic
assumption.
It is no surprise that people generally believe we should focus our
enforcement efforts on Arabs or Muslims. Given the catastrophic nature
of
the terrorist attacks and the fact that all of the attackers we know of
were Middle Easterners, people react by fearing Middle Easterners. The
problem is that fear can harm our enforcement and investigation efforts
if
we use it to decide upon whom to focus as we try to prevent other
terrorist
attacks.
Mr. Riley assumes that it just makes sense to focus our efforts on
Arabs
and Muslims, but he never stops to question the assumption that doing
so
would make for effective policing. As we have learned through bitter
experience in the context of the profiling of African-Americans,
Latinos
and others in our quest to rid the roads of drugs, using race or ethnic
appearance this way does not work. In fact, we get lower rates of
success
from stops and searches focused through racial profiling than we do
through
traditional enforcement efforts that do not use appearance to tell us
who
"looks" suspicious...
...Treating wide groups of Middle Easterners like suspects will also
harm
our intelligence gathering capabilities. If there is one group of
Americans
more likely than all others to notice suspicious behavior among Arabs
and
Muslims, it is Arabs and Muslims themselves. Treating all of them as
potential suspects will not encourage them to come forward; in fact,
they
could end up feeling unjustly victimized and less inclined to
cooperate.
-----
PAKISTANI MAN BARRED FROM FLIGHT SUES AIRLINE
By HARRIET CHIANG, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/30/2001
http://www.sfgate.com/
Search using the term "Baig."
SAN FRANCISCO - A Pakistani who works at a technology company in Mill
Valley, Calif., has filed a discrimination suit against United Airlines
after the airline refused to let him board a flight at San Francisco
International Airport last month.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, M. Ahsan
Baig, a
U.S. resident of Asian descent, said he was singled out because of his
race
when a flight crew prevented him from boarding a Sept. 22 flight to
Philadelphia. The suit is one of the first of its kind in the nation.
Baig said he was told that a United crew member had seen him engage in
"suspicious communications" with another passenger, prompting the
captain
to bar him from the flight.
Baig hotly denied the charge, which he said a United representative
could
neither explain nor prove. Baig said that he had been on the phone to
his
wife and to a company straightening out a ticket mix-up just before he
sat
down in the waiting area...
-----
SIKHS SAY FORCED TO REMOVE TURBANS
By DEBORAH KONG, The Associated Press, 11/1/2001
Followers of the Sikh faith say they have been unfairly singled out for
elaborate security checks at airports, sometimes being forced to remove
their turbans, an integral part of their religious identity.
Some say racial profiling at airports has been part of a backlash
against
people of Middle Eastern appearance since the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks,
which have been blamed on Islamic extremists.
Sikhism was founded in India in the 16th century and contains some
elements
of Islam and Hinduism. Sikhs are often mistaken for Muslims because
they
also wear turbans.
The Sikh Communications Council and the Sikh Coalition say they have
each
received more than a dozen reports of Sikhs being asked to remove their
turbans at airports. For Sikhs, the removal of a turban is as intrusive
as
a strip search, said Ed Vasquez, spokesman for the council...
-----
ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION IMPACTS DETENTION POWERS
David E. Rovella, The National Law Journal, 11/1/2001
http://www.nlj.com/index.shtml
On Nov. 2, the Justice Department may be forced to charge, deport or
release many of the 952 people detained as part of its investigation
into
the terrorist attacks on the United States.
Though the DOJ gained broad powers under the anti-terrorism bill signed
into law on Oct. 26 by President George W. Bush, it also became
constrained
by its new seven-day limit on detentions.
The new law, according to a DOJ official, Senate legislative aides and
immigration lawyers, trumps a more expansive rule quietly put in place
by
the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service on Sept. 17. Enacted
under
the agency's rule-making power, it allows detention without charge for
an
indefinite "reasonable period of time" in "the event of an emergency or
other extraordinary circumstance..."
-----
MORE CHRISTIAN LEADERS VOICE CONCERN OVER ISRAELI ACTIONS
By Michael Paulson, The Boston Globe, 11/1/2001
http://www.boston.com/globe/
Search using the term "Christian leaders."
Christian leaders from around Massachusetts yesterday added their
voices to
those of three Episcopal bishops calling for greater concern for
Palestinian rights, as Jewish leaders decried the Tuesday protest by
the
bishops outside the Israeli consulate in Boston as unfairly one-sided.
Following the most dramatic local expression of Christian concern over
the
conduct of the Israeli government, many Christians and Jews said they
were
worried that a growing divide over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
might
endanger a relationship Christians and Jews have worked hard to forge
since
World War II.
Christian anger over Israeli conduct increased sharply over the last
two
weeks, after Israel invaded Bethlehem, traditionally regarded as the
birthplace of Jesus, and a young Palestinian died in gunfire in Manger
Square...
-----
MUSLIM LEADERS QUESTION DECISION TO END THREE-DECADE HOLIDAY DISPLAY
TRADITION
By DAVE McKIBBEN, Los Angeles Times, 10/31/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000086683oct31.story
Yes, Mission Viejo, there will be a Santa Claus at La Paz Road and
Chrisanta Drive this year, but there won't be a Nativity scene, giant
menorah or Ramadan display.
City officials say only secular exhibits will be allowed this holiday
season because they were "unable to make the corner available to all
faiths" wishing to be represented, as was the custom in past years.
Some Muslim leaders found the timing of the decision to end a
three-decade-old holiday tradition to be "rather strange," especially
since
last year marked the first time in California that the holy month of
Ramadan received equal billing with Christmas at some public spaces.
"Because of the timing regarding Sept. 11, we should have more reason
to
show unity within the diversity," said Hussam Ayloush, executive
director
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations office in Anaheim. "I hope
we're not responding to our paranoia or our fears."
-----
SEPT. 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS DELAY COMPLETION OF O.C. MOSQUE
By WILLIAM LOBDELL, Los Angeles Times, 10/31/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000086685oct31.story
A new Orange County mosque, expected to draw one of the largest Muslim
congregations in the nation, will not open Friday as planned because of
construction delays blamed on the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
Even so, despite the wet paint, bare floors and windowless frames,
officials of the $2-million Masjid Al-Raham in Garden Grove said
Tuesday
that they will continue with the Friday and Saturday opening
ceremonies,
which are expected to attract more than 2,500 Muslims, interfaith
leaders
and community members...
"...This building basically confirms that Islam is an intricate part of
the
American fabric," said Ra'id Faraj, a spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
"And the Muslim community is here to stay. This is home for them."
----
PENNSYLVANIA MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
Sponsored by the American Muslim Society of the Tristate Area,
Foundation
for Islamic Education and the Islamic Society of Greater Valley Forge.
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 11, 3 - 6 PM
WHERE: Foundation for Islamic Education
1860 Montgomery Avenue, Villanova, PA
For more information, call Iftekhar Hussain at 610-721-2746.
-----
Q&A ABOUT VISITING A MOSQUE
(From CAIR's "Welcome to Our Mosque" brochure. To obtain hard copies of
the
brochure, contact publications@cair-net.org.)
WELCOME TO OUR MOSQUE
We hope you enjoy your visit.
Q: WHAT IS A MOSQUE?
A: A mosque is a place of worship used by Muslims. The English word
"mosque" is derived from its Arabic equivalent, masjid, which means
"place
of prostration." It is in the mosque that Muslims perform their
prayers, a
part of which includes placing the forehead on the floor.
Q: HOW IS A MOSQUE USED?
A: Mosques play a vital role in the lives of Muslims in North America.
The
primary function of the mosque is to provide a place where Muslims may
perform Islam's obligatory five daily prayers as a congregation. A
mosque
also provides sufficient space in which to hold prayers on Fridays, the
Muslim day of communal prayer, and on the two Muslim holidays, called
Eids,
or "festivals."
Q: IS A MOSQUE A HOLY PLACE?
A: A mosque is a place that is specifically dedicated as a place of
prayer.
However, there is nothing sacred about the building or the place
itself.
There is no equivalent of an altar in a mosque. A Muslim may pray on
any
clean surface. Muslims often pray in public places.
Q: HOW BIG ARE MOSQUES?
A: In North America, mosques vary in size from tiny storefronts serving
a
handful of worshippers, to large Islamic centers that can accommodate
thousands.
Q: DO MOSQUES WELCOME VISITORS?
A: Mosques in North America welcome visitors. Tours can be arranged at
most
facilities. It is always best to call mosque administrators before
arrival.
They will want to make sure your visit is enjoyable.
Q: WHAT ARE THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF A MOSQUE?
A: The musalla, or prayer hall, in each mosque is oriented in the
direction
of Mecca, toward which Muslims face during prayers. In North America,
Muslim worshippers face northeast. Prayer halls are open and
uncluttered to
accommodate lines of worshippers who stand and bow in unison. There are
no
pews or chairs. Members of the congregation sit on the floor.
Because Muslim men and women form separate lines when they stand in
prayers, some mosques will have a balcony reserved for the use of
women.
Other mosques will accommodate men and women in the same musalla, or
they
may have two separate areas for men and women.
Q: WHAT ELSE IS IN THE PRAYER AREA?
A: All mosques have some sort of mihrab, or niche, that indicates which
wall of the mosque faces Mecca. The mihrab is often decorated with
Arabic
calligraphy. Its curved shape helps reflect the voice of the imam, or
prayer leader, back toward the congregation. Many mosques also have a
minbar, or pulpit, to the right of the mihrab. During the Friday prayer
service, the imam delivers a sermon from the minbar.
Q: WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN IN THE PRAYER AREA?
A: Children will often be present during prayers, whether
participating,
watching or imitating the movements of their elders. Their presence
continues the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, who behaved tenderly
toward children. The Prophet sometimes carried one of his grandchildren
on
his shoulder while leading the prayer and was also known to shorten the
prayer if he heard a baby cry.
Q: WHAT MIGHT I HEAR DURING MY VISIT?
A: You might hear Muslims exchanging the Islamic greeting, the Arabic
phrase "as-salaam alaykum" ("peace be with you"). Muslims return this
greeting by saying, "wa alaykum as-salaam" ("and with you be peace").
You might also hear the call to prayer. The call, or adhan, contains
the
following phrases (in Arabic):
God is most great, God is most great.
God is most great, God is most great.
I bear witness that there is no god but God.
I bear witness that there is no god but God.
I bear witness that Muhammad is a messenger of God.
I bear witness that Muhammad is a messenger of God.
Hasten to prayer, Hasten to prayer.
Hasten to success, Hasten to success.
God is most great, God is most great.
There is no god but [the One] God.
All Muslim prayers begin with recitation of Al-Fatihah, the opening
chapter
of the Qur'an:
In the name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.
The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Ruler of the Day of Judgment.
Only You do we worship, Only You we ask for help.
Show us the straight path.
The path of those whom You have favored,
not that of those who earn Your anger, nor those who go astray.
Q: WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE BUILDING?
A: Many mosques have a minaret, the large tower used to issue the call
to
prayer five times each day. In North America, the minaret is largely
decorative. Facilities to perform wudu, or ablutions, can be found in
all
mosques. Muslims wash their hands, faces and feet before prayers as a
way
to purify and prepare themselves to stand before God. Wudu facilities
range
from washbasins to specially designed areas with built-in benches,
floor
drains and faucets.
Bookshelves are found in most mosques. They contain works of Islamic
philosophy, theology and law, as well as collections of the traditions
and
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Copies of the Quran, Islam's revealed
text, are always available to worshippers.
Calligraphy is used to decorate nearly every mosque. Arabic quotations
from
the Quran invite contemplation of the revealed Word of God. Other
common
features found in the mosque are clocks or schedules displaying the
times
of the five daily prayers and large rugs or carpets covering the
musalla
floor. Many American mosques also have administrative offices.
Q: IS A MOSQUE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR PRAYER?
A: Though its main function is as a place of prayer, the mosque plays a
variety of roles, especially in North America. Many mosques are
associated
with Islamic schools and day care centers. Mosques also provide diverse
services such as Sunday schools, Arabic classes, Quranic instruction,
and
youth activities.
Marriages and funerals, potluck dinners during the fasting month of
Ramadan, and Eid prayers and carnivals are all to be found in North
American mosques. They are also sites for interfaith dialogues and
community activism.
Many mosques serve as recreational centers for the Muslim community and
may
have a gymnasium, game room and weight equipment, as well as a library
and
classrooms.
Q: DO MOSQUES HAVE SPECIAL RULES?
A: Men and women should always dress conservatively when visiting a
mosque,
covering their arms and legs. Examples of inappropriate clothing would
be
shorts for men and short skirts for women.
Shoes are always left at the entrance to the prayer area so as not to
soil
the rugs or carpets. Shelves are usually provided to hold shoes. Women
may
be asked to cover their hair when visiting a mosque. Many mosques have
scarves on hand for visitors to borrow, but it is better to bring a
head
covering in case none are available.
Visitors to mosques should behave as they would when visiting any
religious
institution, but they should feel free to ask questions about the
mosque,
its architecture, furnishings, and activities. Muslims are happy to
answer
questions about their religion.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/2/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CAIR CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: AMERICAN MUSLIMS IN THE AFTERMATH OF
SEPTEMBER 11
* TONIGHT: "THE NEW LEGISLATION TO FIGHT TERRORISM - ANALYSIS & IMPACT"
* CAIR-MI ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSES IN MICHIGAN
* SAN ANTONIO MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
* CAIR-OHIO OPEN HOUSE
* JEWISH LEADERS ANGRY OVER EPISCOPAL PROTEST (Boston Globe)
* UNDERSTANDING ISLAM PROMOTES PEACE (Star Press)
* REMARKS BY U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND NIGERIAN PRESIDENT
OLUSEGUN
OBASANJO
* WRONG TUNE, WRONG TIME (San Francisco Chronicle)
* AFGHANISTAN: US SHOULD STOP USING CLUSTER BOMBS (Human Rights Watch)
* AUTHORITIES DENY REPORT OF SIX SUSPICIOUS MEN (Anchorage Daily News)
-----
CAIR CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: AMERICAN MUSLIMS IN THE AFTERMATH OF
SEPTEMBER 11
WHO ARE THE AMERICAN MUSLIMS? - Demographic data on the Muslim
population
and the structure of the American Muslim community
HOW CAN ONE CHARACTERIZE MAINSTREAM MUSLIMS? - Views of practicing and
ethnic Muslims on women, other religions, war and peace, and attacks
against civilians
WHAT DOES CITIZENSHIP MEAN FOR THE AMERICAN MUSLIM WORLDVIEW? Recent
fatwa
(religious opinion) about Muslim participation in the U.S. war effort
WHERE DO MUSLIMS STAND ON CURRENT ISSUES? - Muslim views on abortion,
welfare, discrimination, taxes, prayer in public schools, and foreign
policy
PRESENTER: Dr. Mohamed Nimer, Research Director
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
WHEN: Monday, November 19, 2001, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
WHERE: 2105 Rayburn House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C.
Please RSVP with Ibrahim Abdullah at 202-488-8787 or
Iadullah@cair-net.org
-----
"THE NEW LEGISLATION TO FIGHT TERRORISM - ANALYSIS & IMPACT"
WHEN: Friday, November 2, 8:15 p.m. - 10 p.m. (after Isha prayers)
WHERE: Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center
3159 Row Street, Falls Church, VA
PANELISTS:
Nihad Awad CAIR
Greg Nojeim ACLU
Ashraf Nubani Immigration/Civil Rights Attorney
Asim Ghafoor Consultant
CONTACT: (703) 536-1030
-----
CAIR-MI ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
CAIR-MI invites you and your family to its Annual Fundraising Dinner
THEME: "The Great Opportunity"
WHEN: Sunday November 11, 2001 at 6:30 PM
WHERE: Novi Hilton-275 & 8 Mile Rd.
COST: Tickets are $50 per person
For more information, contact the CAIR-MI office:
Tel: 248.569.2203
E-mail: cair@cairmichigan.org
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSES IN MICHIGAN
The ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION OF GREATER DETROIT is hosting a Mosque Open
House on November 3, 2001. IAGD is located in Rochester Hills at 879
W. Auburn Road, between Rochester and Livernois.
The TAWHEED CENTER IN FARMINGTON HILLS is planning their Open House on
November 10, from 12-4 p.m. The Center is located on 10 Mile between
Middlebelt and Farmington Road.
The ANN ARBOR MASJID is also hosting an Open House on Sunday November
11. The Masjid is located on Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor, West of US-23.
The FRANKLIN COMMUNITY MOSQUE Open House is on Sunday November 11, from
1
to 6 p.m. The building is located on Franklin Road, between 13 Mile
and 14
Mile in Franklin Village.
-----
SAN ANTONIO MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
WHEN: November 11, 2 to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Islamic Center of San Antonio, 8638 Fairhaven, San Antonio, TX
CONTACT: Said Motawea (210) 373-8573, Abdulrahman Ali (210) 240-2486,
or
(210) 614-0989
-----
CAIR-OHIO OPEN HOUSE
CAIR Ohio invites you to a monthly open house. First Wednesday of the
month. Please come and join us in discussing issues of concern to our
community.
WHEN: Wednesday, November 7, 2001, 6 - 8 p.m.
WHERE: CAIR Ohio, 4700 Reed Road, Suite B, Columbus, Ohio
CONTACT: 614-451-3232
-----
JEWISH LEADERS ANGRY OVER EPISCOPAL PROTEST
By Michael Paulson, The Boston Globe, 11/2/2001
http://www.boston.com/globe/
Search using the term "Jewish leaders."
Jewish community leaders yesterday blasted the bishops of the Episcopal
Diocese of Massachusetts for a "deeply troubling and almost
unexplainable"
demonstration in front of the Israeli consulate, while Cardinal Bernard
F.
Law and a top Protestant leader tried to calm rapidly escalating
Christian-Jewish tensions in Boston over the Middle East.
Law, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Boston and long active in working
to
improve Christian-Jewish relations, said he was alarmed by developments
of
the last few days: Episcopal bishops joined the pro-Palestinian
demonstration Tuesday, leaders of other Christian denominations added
their
voices in support of Palestinians on Wednesday, and Jews expressed pain
and
anger yesterday.
The dispute, in a city that has prided itself on constructive
interfaith
relations, reflects longstanding differences over the Middle East that
suddenly have exploded into public view with Christians upset over the
Israeli military incursion two weeks ago into Bethlehem, traditionally
regarded as the birthplace of Jesus...
-----
UNDERSTANDING ISLAM PROMOTES PEACE
By Faiz Rahman, The Star Press (IN), 11/2/2001
http://www.thestarpress.com/Opinion/01/nov/1102Guestcolmedop.html
(Faiz Rahman is an assistant professor in the geography department at
Ball
State University.)
...Seven hundred years before King John's Magna Carta, Islam had taught
that all humans are equal and all are born sinless. The Quran declares
that
both man and woman are equal in God's sight, and man has been given the
responsibility of maintenance and security of the household.
Maltreatment
of women in some of the Islamic countries is due to the cultural
background
of those countries, not because of Islam.
A Muslim must pray five times each day and fast during the month of
Ramadan
which is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Any Muslim who
possesses
a certain amount of wealth annually is required to pay an obligatory
charity. A financially and physically able Muslim must also perform the
pilgrimage to Mecca once a lifetime.
In addition, one has to be kind to parents and generous to poor, needy
and
kinsfolk. Sex is permitted only inside the bounds of marriage. Killing
is a
major sin. To kill one person without justice is equivalent to slaying
the
humanity, and to save one human life is equivalent to saving the whole
humanity...
NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: letters@thestarpress.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
REMARKS BY U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND NIGERIAN PRESIDENT
OLUSEGUN
OBASANJO AT THEIR MEETING LOCATION: THE SOUTH LAWN OF THE WHITE HOUSE,
WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME: 11:50 A.M. EST DATE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2001
PRESIDENT BUSH: I'm proud to welcome President Obasanjo back to the
White
House. We just had a very good visit. We discussed our mutual concern,
our
mutual desire, and that is to fight and win the war against terror...
...He's got a huge Muslim population in his country, and I assured him
and
assure those Muslims who live in his country that our war that we now
fight
is against terror and evil; it's not against Muslims. We both
understand
that the Islamic faith teaches peace, respects human life, is
nonviolent...
...PRESIDENT OBASANJO: We -- as I said, we are unique, in a way,
because we
have the highest population of Muslims in Africa. We are also unique in
the
fact that almost 50 percent of our population are Muslims, and almost
50
percent are Christians. That has advantage and also has disadvantage.
It
is up to us to let our people, the citizens of our country, know that
whatever faith they belong to, they are not safe as long as we allow
terrorism to take hold of the world. Whatever ideal they stand for,
their
ideal will amount to nothing, if terrorism rules the world. Whatever
ambition or aspiration they have, their ambition and aspiration will
come
to naught if terrorism is allowed to take over the ruling of the
world...
-----
WRONG TUNE, WRONG TIME
The San Francisco Chronicle, 11/1/2001
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/11/01/ED100366.DTL
WAR CAN bring out the best and the worst in popular culture. Our hats
are
off to all the entertainers who have offered their time and stature to
help
the September 11 relief efforts. Then again...
Charlie Daniels, while trying to pander to patriotism, is offending
many
loyal Americans with his new song and its boorish lyrics: "This ain't
no
rag, it's a flag...and we don't wear it on our heads." Someone should
tell
Daniels that appreciation of American values is not defined by a
person's
appearance or religious and cultural practices. Daniels ought to listen
to
President Bush's appeals for tolerance...
-----
AFGHANISTAN: US SHOULD STOP USING CLUSTER BOMBS
In-Depth Analysis Cites Hazard to Civilians
Human Rights Watch, 10/31/2001
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/10/cluster1031.htm
The United States should immediately stop using cluster bombs in
Afghanistan because they pose an unacceptable risk to civilians, Human
Rights Watch said in a backgrounder released today.
(SEE: http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/cluster-bck1031.htm)
Human Rights Watch has called for a global moratorium on use of cluster
bombs because they have been shown to cause unacceptable civilian
casualties both during and after conflict...
-----
AUTHORITIES DENY REPORT OF SIX SUSPICIOUS MEN
FBI: Story of search for group with pipeline details disputed.
By Lucas Wall, Anchorage Daily News, 11/1/2001
http://www.adn.com/front/story/734076p-779195c.html
Authorities in Alaska and the nation's capital Wednesday disputed a
report
that the FBI is looking for six men stopped by police in the Midwest
last
weekend but released even though they possessed photographs and
descriptions of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline and a Florida nuclear
power
plant.
Despite the official denials, the news service that published the story
said it stands behind it.
Special Agent Eric Gonzalez, an FBI spokesman in Anchorage, called the
story published by Knight Ridder Newspapers "completely inaccurate and
not
true."
Part of the story appeared Wednesday in the Anchorage Daily News.
Knight Ridder, quoting an anonymous senior law enforcement official,
reported that the men appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin, carried
box
cutters and other equipment, and had Israeli passports. The news agency
reported that its source said the Immigration and Naturalization
Service
had inspected the men's passports, determined they were valid and let
them
go...
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/3/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* EXPERTS ON ISLAM POINTING FINGERS AT ONE ANOTHER (New York Times)
* OP-ED ECHO CHAMBER: LITTLE SPACE FOR DISSENT TO THE MILITARY LINE
(FAIR)
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN FLORIDA
* CAIR'S "MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE KIT"
-----
EXPERTS ON ISLAM POINTING FINGERS AT ONE ANOTHER
By RICHARD BERNSTEIN, The New York Times, 11/3/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/03/arts/03EXPE.html
If many of the country's specialists on Islam and the Middle East are
getting more public exposure than usual, the debate over who's right
has
also been heating up. One well-known expert in particular is blaming
what
he sees as the establishment in the field for failing for years to
predict
the danger of Islamic extremism.
The expert, Martin Kramer, who teaches both in the United States and in
Israel and is editor of Middle East Quarterly, writes in a new book,
"Ivory
Towers on Sand," that the study of the Middle East and of Islam has
been
afflicted with so much political bias and wishful thinking that most
scholars have missed "the major evolutions of Middle Eastern politics
and
society over the past two decades..."
...Not surprisingly, Mr. Kramer's accusation has provoked a heated
debate
in the academic world, with angry rejoinders from some of those
criticized
by name in his book. Those who disagree accuse Mr. Kramer of a host of
sins, from being motivated by his own political agenda to quoting his
rivals out of context to misunderstanding the nature of Islam himself.
"I
haven't read the book yet, but what I've read about it is completely
consistent with the views that Martin has expressed in recent years,
and
completely offensive," said Richard Bulliet, a professor of history at
the
Middle East Institute at Columbia University. "The impression that I
have
is that he thinks that any degree of sympathetic study of Islamic
politics
is simply dead wrong, that it's anathema and should be represented as
such..."
...The disagreements have a good deal to do with Middle East politics
themselves, with Mr. Kramer and his scholarly allies tending to be more
pro-Israeli and more critical of the Arabs than his scholarly
adversaries...
"...There are two camps," said John L. Esposito, a leading American
scholar
of Islam and the founder of the Center for Muslim-Christian
Understanding
at Georgetown University, who is among the scholars criticized by Mr.
Kramer. "One of them believes that all Islamic fundamentalist groups or
movements are a threat. The other, represented by myself and several
others, would say that you have to distinguish between mainstream
Islamic
society and extremists, who attack people in their own societies and
now in
the West."
Daniel Pipes, the founder of Middle East Quarterly and author of
several
books on the Middle East, is a colleague of Mr. Kramer and agrees that
the
division has to do with the vision of fundamentalism. Asked how he
differed
from Mr. Esposito, he replied:
SEE: "Who is Daniel Pipes?"
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
"What I say is that this is a totalitarian movement and everybody
involved
in it is a problem. There is no good in it. He would make a distinction
between good and bad fundamentalisms..."
...Mr. Kramer's book was published by the Washington Institute for Near
East Policy, a group that has close relations with Israel, and Mr.
Kramer
himself is a past director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern
and
African Studies in Tel Aviv. These organizations are respected by
scholars
in the field, but these institutional affiliations suggest to some of
Mr.
Kramer's detractors that his underlying purpose is to discredit those
who
disagree with him on the basic Israeli-Arab conflict.
"If you look at Martin's own profile, his own ideological profile, and
that
of his publisher -- which are not primarily concerned with what is best
for
America -- it's clear that there is an agenda here, which is to
discredit
the entire Middle East establishment," Mr. Esposito said...
...Mr. Bulliet, who, like Mr. Esposito, is criticized by name by Mr.
Kramer, agrees with him that a degree of wishful thinking has
infiltrated
the analyses of some experts. Still, he argues that it is Mr. Kramer's
view
of Islam as monolithic and unchangingly hostile that is incorrect.
"The question is what do you see when you look at Islamic politics,"
Mr.
Bulliet said. "Is it an evil that must be fought against root and
branch?
Or is it a spectrum of political activities that encompasses strong
advocates of participatory government, and Iran would now be
representative
of that, and advocates of totalitarian government, and bin Laden would
represent that.
"But if you say that everyone that wants Islam central to public life
is an
enemy," Mr. Bulliet said, "then you empower the radical fringe."
-----
OP-ED ECHO CHAMBER: LITTLE SPACE FOR DISSENT TO THE MILITARY LINE
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), 11/2/2001
http://www.fair.org/activism/nyt-wp-opeds.html
During the weeks following September's terrorist attacks, two leading
dailies used their op-ed pages as an echo chamber for the government's
official policy of military response, mostly ignoring dissenters and
policy
critics.
A FAIR survey of the New York Times and the Washington Post op-ed pages
for
the three weeks following the attacks (9/12/01 - 10/2/01) found that
columns calling for or assuming a military response to the attacks were
given a great deal of space, while opinions urging diplomatic and
international law approaches as an alternative to military action were
nearly non-existent...
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN FLORIDA
WHEN:
Saturday, November 10, 2001
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(Four identical one-hour programs)
WHERE:
Islamic Center of Northeast Florida
2333 St. Johns Bluff Road S.
Jacksonville, FL 32246
CONTACT: 904-646-3462, or icnef@yahoo.com
Directions: From Atlantic Blvd: Take South on St. Johns Bluff Road. The
Islamic Center is on left about 11/2 mile.
From JTB: Exit on St. Johns Bluff Road North (UNF). Pass Beach Blvd.
The
Islamic Center is on right about 2 miles.
-----
NOTE: See CAIR's "MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE KIT" at:
http://www.cair-net.org/nr/9-28.asp
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/6/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* NOTE TO AMERICAN MUSLIM COUNCIL E-MAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS
* CAIR-DFW INITIATES MONITORING OF RADIO TALK SHOWS
* A JUDICIOUS APPROACH TO LIFE AND FAITH (Washington Post)
* AN AMERICAN, A MUSLIM, A TEEN (Christian Science Monitor)
- MUSLIMS NURTURE SENSE OF SELF ON CAMPUS (NY Times)
* "I BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND AMERICA" (Providence Journal)
* ANTHRAX? BIG DEAL (Salon.com)
* ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BUSH TO THE WARSAW CONFERENCE ON COMBATING
TERRORISM
* MEDIA EXPERTS: NO ONE'S WINNING THE INFORMATION WAR _ YET (Miami
Herald)
* COMMENTARY: AN INJUSTICE TO INNOCENT AFGHAN CIVILIANS (Star Tribune)
* MEDIA STOKE DEBATE ON TORTURE AS U.S. OPTION (NY Times News Service)
* ALL-FAITHS DISPLAY TO CONTINUE (Los Angeles Times)
* MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN MICHIGAN
* BUILDING THEIR 'AMERICAN DREAM' (Washington Post)
* BEATING OF PAKISTANI CAB DRIVER CALLED A HATE CRIME (Wash. Post)
* THREE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH ARSON AT MOSQUE (Seattle Times)
* MUSLIM NAME ISSUE IN COUNCIL ELECTION (Washington Times)
* SUDAN IS SIMPLY MISUNDERSTOOD
-----
NOTE TO AMERICAN MUSLIM COUNCIL E-MAIL LIST SUBSCRIBERS
On Friday, November 2, someone hacked into the American Muslim Council
(AMC) e-mail list, resulting in multiple confusing messages being
distributed to subscribers.
AMC's list has been temporarily disabled pending a full report on the
incident from the service provider. Updates on the list status will be
available at http://www.amconline.org/.
"Although this was beyond our control, we apologize for any material
that
may have been sent. We assure you that we will watch this matter with
extreme care," said AMC Executive Director Aly Abuzaakouk.
-----
CAIR-DFW INITIATES MONITORING OF RADIO TALK SHOWS
Because of complaints from Muslim radio listeners, CAIR-Dallas/Fort
Worth
is initiating an effort to monitor radio talk shows for Islamophobic
content.
Volunteers are needed to monitor shows for one hour per week. If
interested, please refer to the radio talk show schedule at:
http://www.cairdfw.org/radiotalkshows.htm
E-mail your preferred time, day and program to info@cairdfw.org. Once a
list of volunteers is compiled, a workshop will be set up to discuss
the
most effective ways of monitoring and calling-in to talk shows.
Effective monitoring may include:
1) Taping the show and listening for Islamophobic remarks.
2) Transcribing the offensive material for use in FCC complaints or
legal
proceedings.
3) Calling the program to correct misconceptions about Islam and
Muslims.
-----
A JUDICIOUS APPROACH TO LIFE AND FAITH
By Marc Fisher, The Washington Post, 11/6/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45163-2001Nov5.html
Of course, the question made him angry. Hassan El-Amin was up for a
judgeship, a chance to become the first Muslim judge in Maryland
history,
and someone wanted to know if being a Muslim and being a judge, a
custodian
of American law, would be compatible.
"I wanted to say, 'Well, we have Catholic judges and Jewish judges, and
nobody asks them that question,'" El-Amin recalls. But instead he said
this: "The two are absolutely consistent, and I just revel in the
harmonies
between Islam and the American ideals, everything from the Preamble to
the
Bill of Rights and the great value that's placed on the individual as a
creation of God." You haven't heard much like that lately, have you?
Prince George's District Court Judge Hassan El-Amin, his black robes
hanging on the coatrack, his tie loosened, lays that down and then
launches
into a soaring tribute to Jefferson and Madison and how their ideals
became
the rock of this nation and how those ideals struggled with the
realities
of slavery and other inequities until we reached this room at this
moment:
a Muslim, a black man, a guy who sold fish on the streets of
Washington,
who now comes to work each day, puts on a robe and interprets and
enforces
laws inspired by the Founding Fathers...
-----
AN AMERICAN, A MUSLIM, A TEEN
By Sara Steindorf, The Christian Science Monitor, 11/6/2001
www.csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/getasciiarchive?script/2001/11/06/p18s1.txt
AS A MUSLIM AMERICAN, 14-year-old Feda Eid might seem to live a life of
contrasts.
A Dunkin' Donuts bag and a Koran share space on her dresser. Sneakers
and
head scarves are both part of her daily dress. And in the evenings, she
might watch "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" after praying toward Mecca with
her
parents and six siblings.
But in our nation's melting pot of cultures and religions, it's those
contrasts that make Feda Eid (FEE-dah ah-YEED) distinctly American.
"I don't see why anyone would think I'm more or less of an American
just
because of my religion," Feda says. Her greenish-blue head scarf
accents
the intense green of her eyes...
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS NURTURE SENSE OF SELF ON CAMPUS
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, The New York Times, 11/3/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/03/education/03SCAR.html
-----
"I BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND AMERICA"
By Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar, The Providence Journal (RI), 11/6/2001
(Iftikhar is the Midwest Communications Director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest non-profit Muslim
advocacy
and civil rights group.)
Myself included, there are over one billion humans on earth who call
God by
his Arabic name, Allah. Out of that billion, over seven million of us
call
America our home. Many of us are born as Americans, study in American
institutions and go on to work and pay American dollars to our tax
system.
Like everyone else, we eventually find our better half, have chubby
babies,
go to zoos, get season tickets to the Chicago Bulls, go on our
childrens'
field trips and fix the leak in our roofs...
...Muslim American is not a paradox. As Muslim Americans we currently
live
in a diaspora having to deal with an attack on our, yes, our, country.
We
also have a dual anxiety because our way of life, which is not far
different from our Christian and Jewish counterparts, is under attack.
I am a law student. I study international human rights. I have been to
U2,
Sarah Maclachlan, Dido and Outkast concerts. I have been a ball boy for
the
Chicago Bulls. I have owned a Ford Mustang. I pray for peace and have
read
Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech ninety-six times. I may be a
dreamer,
but I promise you, I am not the only one.
I am a Muslim and I am an American. I am proud of both and will
compromise
neither.
-----
ANTHRAX? BIG DEAL
By Asra Q. Nomani, Salon.com, 11/6/2001
http://salon.com/news/feature/2001/11/06/anthrax/index_np.html
During his radio address over the weekend, President Bush urged the
American public to remain calm in the face of current anthrax attacks.
For a lesson in calm, I met four uniformed sixth grade girls from Miss
Saeeda's class, 6A, at Karachi Public School. It's Saturday afternoon,
and
they're standing outside the school library, where Shakespeare's "Romeo
and
Juliet" sits on the shelves. News broke here about the first discovery
of
an anthrax-laced letter delivered outside America, and it was delivered
just down the road from these children's school to the office of the
country's leading Urdu newspaper, the Daily Jang.
Is all this talk about anthrax frightening these young girls? A refrain
of
"No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" comes stumbling out of the mouths of
10-year-old
Arfa Khan and 11-year-old Quratul-Ain Nasir and their classmates,
Kainat
Akra and Mehak Sohail.
Why not? Quratul-Ain, in the spirit of her famous namesake (eclectic,
cutting-edge Urdu novelist Qurratulain Hyder), explains from behind her
spectacles: "Our God is with us." Of course, she believes that's the
same
God who happens to be watching over America. But Pakistanis, from
elementary school-aged children to the reporters in the Daily Jang
office,
are taking the news of this scare with a calm that doesn't seem to be
the
case in America -- partly, they say, because this is a society that is
unprotected by EPA clean-air regulations, Transportation Department air
bag
rules or Agriculture Department poultry farm requirements. They're not
used
to having their health monitored and protected...
-----
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BUSH TO THE WARSAW CONFERENCE ON COMBATING
TERRORISM,
11/6/2001
PRESIDENT BUSH: ...We have seen the true nature of these terrorists in
the
nature of their attacks. They kill thousands of innocent people and
then
rejoice about it. They kill fellow Muslims, many of whom died in the
World
Trade Center that terrible morning, and then they gloat. They condone
murder and claim to be doing so in the name of a peaceful religion...
-----
MEDIA EXPERTS: NO ONE'S WINNING THE INFORMATION WAR _ YET
By Fred Tasker, The Miami Herald, 11/6/2001
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/news/national/digdocs/105418.htm
MIAMI _ Into the fourth week of a military initiative of which its
effectiveness remains inconclusive, a crucial new front is heating up:
a
war of information.
Leaders on all sides are scrambling to put the most favorable spin on
events, in a battle reminiscent of the Vietnam War struggle for the
"hearts
and minds" of the people...
"...I have noticed that the American press tends to play down the
civilian
casualties in a way we haven't seen in past conflicts like Kosovo or
the
Gulf War," said Ibraham Hooper, of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations in Washington.
Others say they show anti-Muslim bias in constantly showing images of
angry
demonstrators in the streets of Pakistani cities.
"In the minds of many Muslims there is a bias," said Charles MacDonald,
a
Middle East expert at Florida International University. "The protesters
are
only a tiny part of the population. What about the millions and
millions
who don't feel that way?"
-----
COMMENTARY: AN INJUSTICE TO INNOCENT AFGHAN CIVILIANS
By Zafar Siddiqui, Star Tribune, 11/6/2001
http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/807985.html
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the media that Osama bin
Laden
may have escaped Afghanistan and the United States might never catch or
kill him.
If this is the case, then why bomb an already war-ravaged and defeated
nation at all?...
...An innocent life in United States is equally important to an
innocent
life in Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world. We need to show to
the
world that we value human life and pursue the criminals who were
responsible for the inhuman and evil attacks of Sept. 11 through
channels
of diplomacy or surgical strikes. Let our quest for justice not end up
in
injustice to thousands of innocent people who had nothing to do with
the
terrible crime against humanity.
-----
MEDIA STOKE DEBATE ON TORTURE AS U.S. OPTION
By Jim Rutenberg, New York Times Service, 11/6/2001
http://www.iht.com/articles/37992.html
NEW YORK In many quarters, the Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter is
considered a liberal. Yet there he was last week, raising this
question:
"In this autumn of anger," Mr. Alter wrote, "even a liberal can find
his
thoughts turning to...torture." He added that he was not necessarily
advocating the use of "cattle prods or rubber hoses" on men detained in
the
investigation into the terrorist attacks. Only, "something to
jump-start
the stalled investigation of the greatest crime in American history."
The column, titled "Time to Think About Torture," is worrying to human
rights groups. The sense of alarm was heightened because Mr. Alter is
just
one of a growing number of voices in the mainstream U.S. news media
raising, if not necessarily agreeing with, the idea of torturing
terrorism
suspects or detainees who refuse to talk. On Thursday night, the Fox
News
anchor Shepard Smith introduced a segment asking: "Should law
enforcement
be allowed to do anything, even terrible things, to make suspects spill
the
beans? Jon DuPre reports. You decide."
A week earlier, on the CNN program "Crossfire," the conservative
commentator Tucker Carlson said: "Torture is bad. Keep in mind, some
things
are worse. And under certain circumstances, it may be the lesser of two
evils. Because some evils are pretty evil."
-----
ALL-FAITHS DISPLAY TO CONTINUE
By DAVE McKIBBEN, Los Angeles Times, 11/6/2001
http://www.latimes.com/editions/orange/la-000088786nov06.story
A week after a residents' committee banned religious displays from a
busy
intersection, the Mission Viejo City Council agreed Monday to continue
the
three-decade holiday tradition after all.
But the seasonal exhibition--celebrating holidays from Christmas to
Ramadan--will be moved to a neighborhood park rather than the
intersection
of La Paz Road and Chrisanta Drive, which was the traditional spot...
...Muslim leaders, who for the first time put up a Ramadan message at
the
intersection last year, said the timing of the cancellation was
unfortunate. In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist atrocities at the
World
Trade Center and the Pentagon, the displays are a fitting show of
diversity, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations in Anaheim...
-----
MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE IN MICHIGAN
The Albanian Islamic Center of Harper Woods, Mich., will hold an open
house
on Sunday, November 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. The mosque is located at 19775
Harper Avenue, Harper Woods, Mich. It is on the corner of Allard and
Harper.
CONTACT: (313) 884-6676.
NOTE: To hold an open house in your area, see CAIR's "MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
KIT" at: http://www.cair-net.org/nr/9-28.asp
-----
BUILDING THEIR 'AMERICAN DREAM'
In Herndon, 500 Supporters Join To Break Ground on New Mosque
By Michael Laris, The Washington Post Staff, 11/4/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36299-2001Nov3.html
Mahmood Khan immigrated from his native Pakistan in 1985, became a
software
consultant and citizen, and three years ago moved to a quiet
neighborhood
in Herndon because of what was coming: a new mosque. "I wanted to be
close," he said.
Yesterday, a crowd of 500 was on hand for the groundbreaking of the All
Dulles Area Muslim Society's new Islamic Center, scheduled to be
completed
before Ramadan next year.
U.S. Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), shovel in hand and backed by chants
of
"Allah-u-Akbar" (God is great), joined with local Muslim leaders to
mark
the beginning of construction after a decade of planning. Afterward,
organizers rolled out plastic tarps, and hundreds of people took off
their
running shoes, flip flops and loafers to kneel for an afternoon prayer.
-----
BEATING OF PAKISTANI CAB DRIVER CALLED A HATE CRIME
Two Passengers Charged With Assault
By Josh White, The Washington Post, 11/4/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36056-2001Nov3.html
Two out-of-town concrete layers allegedly beat a Middle Eastern taxicab
driver severely in what police and prosecutors are calling a hate
crime.
The beating, which police said began after the two men berated the
driver
because he is of Middle Eastern descent, was the second violent hate
crime
in the Prince William County area since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Manassas Police Chief John J. Skinner said he and other law enforcement
officials have zero tolerance for such incidents in a community "that
prides itself on tolerance and the strength of our diversity..."
-----
THREE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH ARSON AT MOSQUE
The Seattle Times, 11/2/2001
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE - Two juveniles and an adult were arrested after an
arson
did minor damage to a mosque here early this morning.
Police found broken windows and a curtain and door charred at the
Masjid
Omar Al-Farooq Mosque shortly after midnight. Witnesses said several
people
were seen running from the scene. A police dog led officers to a nearby
home where the three were arrested after questioning...
-----
MUSLIM NAME ISSUE IN COUNCIL ELECTION
By Valerie Richardson, the Washington times, 11/5/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20011105-9707550.htm
LAKEWOOD, Colo. - Ripples from the September 11 attacks have reached an
unlikely destination: a city council race in this western Denver
suburb,
where charges of discrimination against a Muslim candidate could decide
the
election.
Tom Booher, a candidate for the council seat from Lakewood's Ward 4, is
accused of trying to link his opponent, Zenat Shariff Belkin, to
terrorism
by highlighting her Muslim ancestry. In a campaign flyer mailed to
2,000
voters last week, he left out her married name, Belkin, four times and
referred to her instead as Zenat Shariff.
The issue for voters in Colorado's fourth-largest city now becomes
whether
Mr. Booher was trying to tar Mrs. Belkin through guilt by association -
or
whether Mrs. Belkin's supporters are guilty of playing a new kind of
race
card...
-----
SUDAN IS SIMPLY MISUNDERSTOOD
By AMBASSADOR KHIDIR HAROUN AHMED, The Washington Times, 11/5/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20011105-25460943.htm#2
(Ahmed is Head of mission at the Embassy of Sudan in Washington, D.C.)
Though we are pleased with the thoughtful Oct. 26 Embassy Row column
about
Sudan, we cannot say the same for the Oct. 24 Commentary column
"Skeptical
of the peaceful label" by Cal Thomas. It is regrettable that this
article
is insensitive to the feelings of Muslims in general and inaccurate
with
regard to Sudan in particular.
Mr. Thomas reports that the Right Rev. Bullen Dolli, an Episcopal
bishop in
Sudan, says the government of Sudan "uses brutal force to ensure that
no
other religion but Islam is practiced." This is untrue. There are
dozens of
churches of all denominations throughout the country, some more than
100
years old. Christians are free to practice their faith. In fact, they
also
are in every part of the government, including the national, state and
local levels. Mr. Thomas is welcome to visit our embassy in Washington
and
see for himself that we even have Christians working here.
Another blatant misnomer is the allegation that "all women, whether
Muslim
or not, are forced to wear the black chador and veil." Perhaps Mr.
Thomas
is confusing Sudan with Afghanistan, but Sudanese women are
characterized
by their beauty and the colorful clothes and head scarves they wear.
Again,
come to our embassy and see for yourself. Furthermore, we have more
than 30
women in parliament, some female ambassadors, and women serving at all
levels of government, including our Supreme Court and federal Cabinet.
One more of the many inaccuracies: Our army, composed of nationals of
all
faiths and from all parts of the country, is called the Armed Forces,
not
Jundy Allah (the Soldier of Allah), which is a phrase in our national
anthem, written in 1956. It is obvious that the phrase is applicable to
Christians in the army as well.
We are working very hard to end the tragic civil war that has afflicted
our
country for too long. We want a Sudan that is inclusive and respectful
of
the rights of all of its citizens, whether from the north or south,
whether
Muslim, Christian or practicing traditional African religions. Columns
such
as Mr. Thomas', full of distortions and untruths, only fuel the fires
of
hatred and encourage those who wish to keep this African country in
turmoil...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/7/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CAIR REQUESTS THAT TV STATIONS RECOGNIZE RAMADAN
* FOOD EDITORS ASKED TO FEATURE "RECIPES OF RAMADAN"
* OHIO GOVERNOR ISSUES RAMADAN PROCLAMATION
* QATARI AMBASSADOR VISITS CAIR'S DC OFFICE
* WAR SUPPORT EBBS WORLDWIDE (Washington Post)
* U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT WEB SITE ON "MUSLIM LIFE IN AMERICA"
* COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR UNDER FIRE FOR HIS COMMENTS ABOUT MUSLIMS (Santa
Barbara News-Press)
* IMMIGRANTS ASSURED ON TIPOFFS TO LAWMEN (NJ Star-Ledger)
* ARAB LEAGUE SAYS WANTS MIDEAST PEACE, NOT 'PROCESS' (Reuters)
- TRIP TO JERUSALEM PUTS CONFLICT IN PERSPECTIVE (Dallas
Morning News)
* U.S. NOW MIGHT HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT ONCE WAS UNTHINKABLE, DERSHOWITZ
SAYS (Post-Dispatch)
* Q: SHOULD POLICYMAKERS SEE ISLAM AS AN ENEMY OF THE WEST? (Insight)
-----
CAIR REQUESTS THAT TV STATIONS RECOGNIZE RAMADAN
CAIR sent the following letter to Public Service Directors at
television
stations nationwide: (A "station ID" is the short break during which
the
station identifies itself.)
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) would like to formally
request that you produce "Ramadan Greetings" station IDs for the
upcoming
Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan, during which Muslims abstain
from
food and drink from break-of-dawn to sunset, begins on or about
November
17, 2001.*
As you may know, there are an estimated 7 million American Muslims. It
is
for this reason that American Muslims would appreciate the same public
acknowledgment offered to other faith traditions during their holiday
seasons.
SEE: www.cair-net.org/mosquereport
Our office would be willing to work with you staff to produce these
station
IDs. A theme of "Best Wishes During the Month of Ramadan" or "Ramadan
Greetings" would be most appropriate.
(* Since the beginning of Ramadan is determined by the actual sighting
of
the new moon, this date may vary.)
Attached you will find CAIR's Ramadan Media Kit.
SEE: www.cair-net.org/ramadan2001
ACTION REQUESTED:
Contact your local television stations to follow up on this request or
to
make a similar request of those stations that may not have received
CAIR's
letter.
-----
FOOD EDITORS ASKED TO FEATURE "RECIPES OF RAMADAN"
CAIR sent the following letter to Food Editors at newspapers
nationwide:
As you may know, the Muslim fast of Ramadan is approaching. During this
month-long fast, and during the holiday at the end of the month,
special
foods are served during pre-dawn and after-sunset meals. Each area of
the
Muslim world has its favorite Ramadan recipes. For example, Egypt has
special pastries and Pakistan has special drinks. Other examples
include
items such as African-American bean pies.
I believe your readers would be interested in an article about the
foods of
Ramadan and how the fast is observed by American Muslims. Attached you
will
find CAIR's Ramadan media kit. (It would be appropriate to publish
articles
on Ramadan in the period from November 17 through December 16.)
Please feel free to contact me for any assistance you may need. You can
also go to www.islamicfinder.com to find a mosque in your area.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Contact the Food Editor of your local newspaper to follow up on this
story
idea and to provide recipes from your community.
-----
OHIO GOVERNOR ISSUES RAMADAN PROCLAMATION
Governor Taft extends greetings to Muslims
(COLUMBUS, OH) -- Ohio Governor Bob Taft has issued the following
resolution recognizing the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan.
"On behalf of the State of Ohio, I want to extend my warmest greetings
to
all people of Islamic faith during your approaching holy month of
Ramadan,"
said Governor Taft in his letter to CAIR Ohio and all Ohio Islamic
organizations. "May this time bring about understanding, respect, and
greater tolerance throughout Ohio," the governor said.
CAIR-Ohio has been working with the Governor's office for some time. In
September, the governor toured Masjid Saad and the Toledo Islamic
Academy,
Ohio's first Islamic High School. In early October, the governor
declared
October 13 as the Islamic Day in Ohio.
"We thank Governor Taft for his recognition of Muslim contributions to
the
strength and richness of the State of Ohio," said CAIR-Ohio President
Ahmad
Al-Akhras said. "Ohio is home to more than 130,000 Muslims, and the
home of
the third mosque built in this nation," said Al-Akhras.
-----
QATARI AMBASSADOR VISITS CAIR'S DC OFFICE
(WASHINGTON, DC) - H.E. Ambassador Bader Omar Al-Dafa of the State of
Qatar
met Monday with Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), at CAIR's Washington, D.C.,
headquarters
to discuss a variety of issues related to the American Muslim
community.
Topics of discussion included the important role American Muslims can
play
in serving as a bridge of understanding to the Muslim world and the
Emir of
Qatar's concerns about places of worship and other properties damaged
in
the anti-Muslim backlash following the horrific terrorist attacks of
September 11.
"We appreciate Ambassador Al-Dafa's important responsibility in
representing a nation that has a key role to play in promoting
stability in
the Gulf and the entire Middle East," said Awad. Awad also thanked the
ambassador for his expression of appreciation for CAIR's efforts to
promote
a positive image of Islam.
-----
WAR SUPPORT EBBS WORLDWIDE
Sept. 11 Doesn't Justify Bombing, Many Say
By Kevin Sullivan, The Washington Post, 11/7/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51068-2001Nov6.html
MEXICO CITY -- It was a traditional altar for Mexico's Day of the Dead
observance, filled with flowers, candles and sweet bread laid out for
departed loved ones. Except this one also featured bagels and photos of
New
York, and it sat next to the U.S. Embassy here as a show of solidarity
with
the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Mexicans who showed up to inaugurate the display made clear their
sympathy
for the dead in the United States. But they also made clear that
sympathy
did not necessarily translate into support for the U.S. war in
Afghanistan.
"I think the government of President Bush has gone too far; the war
frightens me," said Guadalupe Loaeza, a columnist and social
commentator
who helped organize the altar display.
Such views seem to be increasingly widespread around the world. The
initial
outburst of solidarity after Sept. 11 has frayed considerably as U.S.
warplanes bomb Afghanistan relentlessly for the fifth week running.
This is
true not only in Arab and other Muslim countries, where the U.S.
military
campaign has provoked popular outrage, but in other countries where
people
feel less of a direct connection to the events.
In opinion polls and interviews in several countries in Africa, Asia,
Latin
America and Europe, many people who said they were horrified by the
Sept.
11 attacks added that the horror then does not justify the bombing of
Afghanistan now -- even if their governments continue to back the U.S.
campaign. In a war that Bush has described as a battle between good and
evil, many said it is not so simple...
-----
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT WEB SITE ON "MUSLIM LIFE IN AMERICA"
http://www.usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/muslimlife/homepage.htm
IN THE MAINSTREAM
Islam is considered one of the fastest-growing religions in the United
States today...
...In terms of doctrine and practice, ethnic origins, and ways of
adapting
to the more general culture of America, it is difficult to overstate
the
sheer variety of the Muslim experience in the United States. And
American
Muslims themselves make up only one segment in the complex mosaic of
American religious life today...
-----
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR UNDER FIRE FOR HIS COMMENTS ABOUT MUSLIMS
By JUNE RICH, SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS, 11/6/2001
http://news.newspress.com/topsports/1106brown.htm
County administrator Mike Brown spent much of Monday apologizing for
recent
comments that, some say, equated all Muslims with terrorists.
Mr. Brown, the top county official below the elected leaders, said that
he
misspoke Friday during his annual state-of-the-county address to nearly
200
county managers and department heads.
In describing the possible toll the nation's "war on terrorism" might
take
on the economy, Mr. Brown said he meant to explain that the war might
be
drawn out because of who American officials say is behind the enemy...
-----
IMMIGRANTS ASSURED ON TIPOFFS TO LAWMEN
BY JEFF DIAMANT, (NJ) STAR-LEDGER, 11/5/2001
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/page1/ledger/14eb192.html
Representatives from the FBI and New Jersey State Police offered advice
yesterday on how people who are in the U.S. illegally can report
terrorism-or anthrax-related tips to authorities without the fear of
deportation.
Foreigners who have overstayed their visas or have otherwise violated
immigration laws should avoid taking tips directly to the authorities;
rather, they should relay them through a trusted attorney, community
leader
or religious cleric to maintain anonymity, State Police Superintendent
Col.
Carson Dunbar, and Kevin Donovan, who heads the FBI bureau in New
Jersey,
said.
-----
ARAB LEAGUE SAYS WANTS MIDEAST PEACE, NOT 'PROCESS'
By Dominic Evans, Reuters, 11/7/2001
LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said
on
Wednesday that Arabs would not be "duped" by an artificial resumption
of
Middle East peace talks aimed solely at calming Muslim concerns over
U.S.
strikes against Afghanistan.
Moussa, who heads the 22-strong group of Arab states, said "a process
for
the sake of a process" would only stoke up Arab frustration and anger.
"We are not ready to spend 10 more years entering into a vicious circle
of
talks and talks and talks without results," Moussa told reporters in
London
ahead of a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. "We are
not
going to be duped by the idea of a resumption of the peace process..."
...Moussa said the time for modest confidence building measures was
over,
calling instead for a "full initiative" to resolve the Arab-Israeli
conflict.
"Small steps will not suffice," he said. "What would they say? That the
Arab people will be glad and then they will support whatever is done by
the
big powers?"
"Nobody will buy that... Don't underestimate the intelligence of the
Arab
public opinion..."
SEE ALSO:
TRIP TO JERUSALEM PUTS CONFLICT IN PERSPECTIVE
By Timothy O'Leary, The Dallas Morning News, 11/4/2001
http://www.dallasnews.com/editorial/columnists/
...People can believe what they want, but I think that Gilo is an
illegal
settlement, which no amount of creative zoning can disguise, and that
as
such it represents an obstacle to peace. I think that its inhabitants
delude themselves if they suppose that they somehow are purer than the
inhabitants of settlements not contiguous to Jerusalem...
...Gilo's final status will be a matter for negotiations, when or if
Israelis and Palestinians tire of bloodshed. It might be reunited with
Beit
Jala - or it might not. But I don't doubt to whom it ought to belong.
-----
U.S. NOW MIGHT HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT ONCE WAS UNTHINKABLE, DERSHOWITZ
SAYS
By Tina Hesman, The Post-Dispatch, 11/5/2001
http://home.post-dispatch.com/channel/pdweb.nsf/pages/SimpleSearchPage
Search using the term "torture."
Americans may have to consider ideas as foreign as truth serums and
torture
warrants when thinking about striking a balance between liberty and
security after the terrorist attacks Sept. 11.
That was the message celebrity lawyer and civil libertarian Alan M.
Dershowitz delivered to a crowd packed into a gymnasium Sunday at the
Jewish Community Center in Creve Coeur. Dershowitz was the opening
speaker
for the Jewish Book Fair...
...Americans need to consider what measures should be allowed to get
information from unwilling terror suspects, he said. After law
enforcement
officials have asked, begged, cajoled, threatened and bribed a
close-mouthed witness, they may need to take more drastic measures to
elicit vital information, Dershowitz said...
...Even torture may not be off the table as an information-gathering
tool,
Dershowitz said. But there must be a national debate about the
circumstances in which torture is permissible and who should have the
power
to decide when to use it. Dershowitz suggested that judges could issue
torture warrants in certain cases...
-----
Q: SHOULD POLICYMAKERS SEE ISLAM AS AN ENEMY OF THE WEST?
Insight on the News, 11/5/2001
http://www.insightmag.com (Article is not online. It was part of the
"Symposium" section.)
BY DON FEDER
(Feder is an editorial writer for the Boston Herald. He is a nationally
syndicated columnist and the author of Who's Afraid of the Religious
Right?
and A Jewish Conservative Looks at Pagan America.)
Yes: Islam opposes Western ideals such as tolerance, democracy and
civil
liberties...
...From its seventh-century breakout from the Arabian peninsula until
the
late 17th century, Islam advanced at sword point, spreading from the
Pyrenees to the Philippines. The tide was checked only at the gates of
Vienna. From the decline of the Ottoman Empire until the 1970s, Islam
ebbed. Today- fueled by oil wealth, surplus population, immigration and
the
rise of fundamentalism - Islam is resurgent. Instead of wild horsemen,
its
banners are carried by guerrillas, terrorists, theocrats and tyrants...
...From its seventh-century breakout from the Arabian peninsula until
the
late 17th century, Islam advanced at sword point, spreading from the
Pyrenees to the Philippines. The tide was checked only at the gates of
Vienna. From the decline of the Ottoman Empire until the 1970s, Islam
ebbed. Today- fueled by oil wealth, surplus population, immigration and
the
rise of fundamentalism - Islam is resurgent. Instead of wild horsemen,
its
banners are carried by guerrillas, terrorists, theocrats and tyrants.
...Islam now is the fastest-growing religion in the United States (an
estimated 7 million followers). While many of these people are peaceful
-
and some may have left the Arab world to escape sectarian strife -
immigrant communities contain terrorist cheering squads. When the imam
at
New York City's Hazrat-I-Abubakr Sadiq mosque denounced the World Trade
Center attack, half of the congregation walked out. Is it wise for the
West
to import a potential fifth column?
Doubtless, the above will be decried as fear-mongering and intolerant.
But
tolerance is a Western concept that - along with democracy and civil
liberties - does not exist in the Islamic world. Unlike communism
during
the Soviet twilight, there are millions -perhaps hundreds of millions-
across the globe who are willing to die and kill for this creed.
Platitudes
about terrorists perverting peaceful Islam only obscure a harsh
reality...
BY ANTONY T. SULLIVAN
(Sullivan, a senior scholar of the Center for Middle Eastern and North
African Studies at the University of Michigan, has written several
books
and articles about Islam.)
No: Islam, Judaism and Christianity historically produce societies with
like characteristics.
Islam - as a religion, culture and society - most emphatically is not
an
enemy of the West.
Those who argue the contrary slander not only the third and last of the
three great Abrahamic revelations but make all too likely the outbreak
of
either a religious war pitting Christianity (and perhaps Judaism)
against
Islam or a war of civilizations pitting the West against the entire
Muslim
world. And be assured: Any wars of religion or civilization will not be
wars that the West or the United States - will win...
...Not only is Islam not an enemy of the West, but it, like Judaism, is
part of the larger civilizational ecumene that we in the contemporary
West
know - or ought to. In fact, the West stops at the Indus, not at the
Dardanelles. Today, Islam is part and parcel of the West, just as the
West
is part and parcel of Islam. What occurred on Sept. 11 was first and
foremost an attack on Islam itself. Specifically, that criminal
operation
constituted an attack on the values of compassion, beneficence and
mercy
that pervade the Koran and that historically have characterized the
practice of Islam...
...To the extent that the Koran endorses war at all, it endorses only
defensive combat designed to protect the Islamic community in the most
dire
of circumstances. No faithful Muslim possibly could justify the
operation
of Sept. 11 within that limitation.
The Koran includes passages invoking violence. But so does the Old
Testament, in considerable number. To wit, Deuteronomy 32:42: "I will
make
my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that
with
the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the long-haired heads
of
the enemy." (See also Deuteronomy 2:34, 3:6 and 7:2.) Evocations of
violence in religious texts is one of many elements the Abrahamic
religions
share...
...Rather than any antipathy emanating from Islam, Americans and other
Westerners should recognize that anger toward the United States in the
Muslim world emanates primarily from the rage at specific American
policies. US. partiality to Israel at the expense of Palestinians,
maintenance of sanctions on Iraq that fail to weaken Saddam Hussein
while
resulting in the death of half-a-million Iraqi children, and consistent
failure to support individual liberty and limited government in Muslim
states are among their major grievances. Those who pontificate on Islam
somehow being an enemy of the West almost never mention or grant any
legitimacy to this list of complaints...
...As a Republican and a conservative, I call on my philosophical
comrades
in arms to reject the anti-Islamic triumphalist warmongering of
neoconservative ideologues. And I urge all Americans to repudiate any
belief that Islam is an enemy of the West. This idea is wrong. Worse,
it is
dangerous. To all of us. Especially now...
SEND POLITE COMMENTS TO:
Paul M. Rodriguez
Managing Editor
Fax: 202-529-6326
E-Mail: editor@insightmag.com, dfeder@bostonherald.com,
cre8ors@aol.com,
gdarst@bostonherald.com, agully@bostonherald.com,
ppurcell@bostonherald.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"ISLAMOPHOBIC SMEAR CAMPAIGN" GOES PUBLIC
CAIR says campaign is "unfair, un-American and outrageous"
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/8/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a prominent Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today
called
for an end to what it says is an "Islamophobic smear campaign" against
the
American Muslim community and its leaders. CAIR also called on media
professionals and elected officials not to allow themselves to be used
as
unwitting tools in this campaign or to undermine President Bush's
efforts
to show that the war on terrorism is not a conflict with Islam.
"Since the terrorist attacks on our nation in September, American
Muslims
and groups that represent them, have been the target of an
unprecedented
smear campaign. These smears have been distributed by fax, e-mail and
direct communication with journalists and government officials in an
attempt to create links between legitimate Muslim groups and
terrorists,"
said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper. "On almost a daily basis, we have
been
forced to defend our organization to well-meaning reporters who have
been
given information that is false, misleading or ridiculously out of
context."
In its statement on the smear campaign, CAIR wrote:
"One of the first rules of political debate is to avoid restating the
charge of an opponent. But these malicious rumors have been spread so
far
and wide that we've taken this extraordinary step to make sure
journalists
and politicians understand they are being misled.
"To set the record straight, CAIR is a respected national Islamic civil
rights and advocacy organization that since its inception almost eight
years ago has had an incredible record of success in defending Muslim
rights in the workplace, in schools and in the public arena. CAIR has
been
instrumental in promoting a positive image of Islam in North America.
We
have the enthusiastic support of Muslims in this country and the
respect of
Muslims worldwide. CAIR representatives have over the years met and
worked
with innumerable elected officials, law enforcement agencies and
policy-makers, including Presidents Clinton and Bush, to offer an
Islamic
perspective on issues of importance to our country.
"CAIR deals almost exclusively with issues related to the American
Muslim
community. We do not support terrorism in any way, shape or form,
whether
it is committed by Muslim groups or individuals, or by those who base
their
violent acts on other religions or philosophies. We condemn by name any
individual, group or state that carries out terrorist acts. We do not
support directly or indirectly, or receive support from, any overseas
group
or government. In all its actions and statements, CAIR seeks to reflect
the
mainstream beliefs and views of the Muslim community in North America.
We
also condemn all human rights abuses or irresponsible rhetoric, by any
party, anywhere in the world.
"CAIR should be judged on its work, not on a few false and distorted
slurs
promoted by those who would seek to bar Muslims from political
participation and influence.
"In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, a number of
groups
and individuals alarmed at the growing prominence of Muslims are taking
shameless advantage of those tragic events to push for their long-term
goal
of marginalizing and delegitimizing the American Muslim community and
its
leadership."
To support this assertion, CAIR cited a November 3 article in the Los
Angeles Times that, for the first time, laid direct responsibility for
the
smear campaign at the feet of specific organizations. Times reporter
Solomon Moore wrote: "Pro-Israel or Jewish organizations such as the
Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Defense League and the Middle East
Forum
think tank have provided news organizations with reams of critical
documentation on Muslim leaders in recent weeks." (Los Angeles Times,
11/3/2001) A number of other media professionals and officials tell
CAIR of
similar behind-the-scenes slurs.
The Middle East Forum's Daniel Pipes, one of the foremost proponents of
the
current smear campaign, goes so far as to recommend "vigilant
application
of social and political pressure to ensure that Islam is not accorded
special status of any kind in this country." (November 2001) The
"special
status" Pipes refers to includes ordinary religious accommodations for
Muslims in the workplace and "inclusion of Muslims in
affirmative-action
plans." (Employment discrimination is one of CAIR's main areas of
work.)
Recent media reports also indicate that groups such as the American
Jewish
Committee (AJC) have warned that "the increasingly visible American
Muslim
lobby posed a challenge to U.S.-Israel relations." (Associated Press,
10/22/2001)
CAIR's statement continued:
"This smear campaign is unfair, un-American and outrageous. It is based
on
distortions, fabrications, outdated and out of context information, and
guilt by association. It relies on the amplification of prejudice and
stereotyping that resulted from the justifiable rage expressed by the
American people, including Muslims and Arab-Americans, following the
World
Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. Every major American Muslim group
and
leader, without exception, has been the target of these unjustified and
politically motivated smears.
"Media professionals and elected officials have a responsibility not to
let
themselves be used as unwitting tools in a campaign of defamation and
political disenfranchisement. We ask that journalists and policy-makers
examine the agenda of those who are making these false allegations and
to
refrain from assisting anyone who would seek to silence the voice of an
entire American religious minority or to undermine the President's
assertions that we are engaged in a war on terrorism, not against Islam
or
Muslims.
"The seven-million strong American Muslim community can serve as a
bridge
of understanding to the Islamic world during this time of national and
international crisis. It goes against our nation's interests to let a
vocal
and politically influential special-interest groups dictate American
domestic policy or to drag our country into partisan disputes that will
impede efforts to form an international coalition against all forms of
terrorism.
"We ask our fellow Americans for their support in resisting attempts to
divide us as a people or to drag our nation into a wider conflict with
the
Muslim world."
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper at 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/8/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CORRECTION TO: "ISLAMOPHOBIC SMEAR CAMPAIGN" GOES PUBLIC
* REMINDER: CAIR-MICHIGAN ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
* RESOURCES FOR HISPANIC MUSLIMS
* PALESTINIANS SHOT BY SOLDIERS AT CLOSE RANGE, WITNESSES SAY (Wash.
Post)
* U.S. TO LAUNCH ADS TO INFLUENCE MUSLIMS (Miami Herald)
* IN THE LIMELIGHT, MUSLIM STUDENTS EMBRACE PRO-ACTIVE ROLE (Christian
Science Monitor)
* OP-ED: PROFILING TERRORISTS NOT THE ANSWER (Boston Herald)
* WEARING HIJAB: VEIL OF VALOR (Detroit Free Press)
* SUPPORT DEEPENS FOR THE TALIBAN, REFUGEES REPORT (Washington Post)
-----
CORRECTION TO: "ISLAMOPHOBIC SMEAR CAMPAIGN" GOES PUBLIC
http://www.cair-net.org/nr/11-08.asp
THE SECOND TO LAST PARAGRAPH IN THE NEWS RELEASE SHOULD READ: "The
seven-million strong American Muslim community can serve as a bridge of
understanding to the Islamic world during this time of national and
international crisis. It goes against our nation's interests to let
vocal
and politically influential special-interest groups dictate American
domestic policy or to drag our country into partisan disputes that will
impede efforts to form an international coalition against all forms of
terrorism."
(The word "a" has been removed from the second sentence.)
-----
REMINDER: CAIR-MICHIGAN ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER
WHEN: Sunday, November 11, 2001, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Novi Hilton, Novi Michigan
COST: $50/Person
CONTACT:
Council on American-Islamic Relations-MI
28820 Southfield Rd., Suite 126
Lathrup Village, MI
TEL: 248.569.2203 FAX: 248.569.9748 E-MAIL: cair@cairmichigan.org
-----
RESOURCES FOR HISPANIC MUSLIMS
http://www.HispanicMuslims.com
CONTACT: LatinoDawahNY@aol.com or JJGalvan@hotmail.com
-----
PALESTINIANS SHOT BY SOLDIERS AT CLOSE RANGE, WITNESSES SAY
By Lee Hockstader, The Washington Post, 11/8/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58804-2001Nov7.html
TELL, West Bank, Nov. 7 -- Summoned to a rocky hillside in the northern
West Bank, Dalya Diab, a Palestinian medic, arrived at the scene of a
dwindling exchange of gunfire between Israeli troops and Palestinian
guerrillas. While she was trying to revive a mortally wounded Israeli
officer, she said, another Israeli officer told her three Palestinians
were
involved in the battle. Two were wounded, she recalled him telling her,
and
one was unscathed.
Moments later, as she helped carry the dying Israeli officer to a jeep,
she
said she heard gunfire, glanced up the hill and saw a small group of
Israeli soldiers standing close together, firing their automatic
weapons
toward the ground. "When the shooting was finished, we went back to the
Israeli officer," said Diab, 29. "Then he said the three terrorists
were
already dead."
What she saw, Diab alleged, was the Israelis executing their
Palestinian
prisoners. She said she became certain after she saw their bodies, all
of
which she said had severe and apparently close-range bullet wounds to
the
head. Her account of the wounds was confirmed by two other medics and
two
ambulance drivers who recovered the bodies at the scene, and by the
chief
pathologist in Nablus, who examined the corpses...
...Journalists who asked Diab and an ambulance driver to lead them to
the
scene today found skull fragments, brain matter and patches of blood on
the
ground. That was the spot where the Palestinian medics and the
pathologist
said the three Palestinians had been shot through the head, and,
judging
from lacerations and burn marks around the wounds, at point-blank
range...
-----
U.S. TO LAUNCH ADS TO INFLUENCE MUSLIMS
THE MIAMI HERALD, 11/8/2001
http://www.miami.com/herald/content/business/digdocs/107375.htm
Frustrated by a feeling that Osama bin Laden has been more successful
than
America in the battle for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world, the
U.S. State Department is responding with a uniquely American solution:
a
Madison Avenue-style campaign to sell its point of view.
On Friday, it will announce a TV and print ad campaign using in part
U.S.
sports stars and other celebrities. It's being designed by Charlotte
Beers,
new undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs,
whose
career has included running two of the country's most powerful ad
agencies,
J. Walter Thompson and Ogilvy & Mather.
Beers won't release details before the Friday news conference, but the
plan
has provoked particular interest from advertising executives, public
relations specialists and experts on the Muslim world...
-----
IN THE LIMELIGHT, MUSLIM STUDENTS EMBRACE PRO-ACTIVE ROLE
By Jane Lampman, The Christian Science Monitor, 11/8/2001
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1108/p14s1-ussc.html
When Rasha Madkour came from the Middle East to the US last year to
study
journalism at the University of Texas, she was worried that the
environment
might dilute her faith. She found in the Muslim Student Association
(MSA)
on campus the reassuring support and sense of community that she
needed...
...Samir Qureshi was born and raised in Miami, but the MSA at Florida
International University is just as important to him as a place to
foster
unity and a strong sense of Muslim identity within American society.
Yet as Muslim groups at hundreds of colleges and universities across
the
country work to create the Islamic umma (community), the devastating
events
of Sept. 11 have propelled many of them in a fresh direction - into a
more
active and visible presence on campus and in the broader community.
Both the challenge of responding to misperceptions and questioning of
Islamic teachings and the explosion of interest in the faith on the
part of
churches, schools, and the media are spurring a new sense of purpose
and
vitality among local groups and the national MSA network...
"...The MSA is becoming more empowered in the aftermath of Sept. 11,"
suggests Arsalah Iftikar, a law student at Washington University in St.
Louis who is also the Midwest communications director for the Council
of
American-Islamic Relations. "It has allowed us to take a leadership
role in
the community."
Members of his MSA have spoken to churches and other community groups,
and
last weekend they received training on how to teach elementary school
students about Islam...
-----
OP-ED: PROFILING TERRORISTS NOT THE ANSWER
Deborah RAMIREZ and Jack LEVIN, The Boston Herald, 11/7/2001
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/jack11072001.htm
Prior to the attack on America, racial profiling was considered a
blatant
civil rights violation. The practice of singling out racial or ethnic
groups during traffic stops or at border checks was condemned by
courts,
civil rights groups and the American public. In the aftermath of the
Sept.
11 attack, however, thousands of Arabs and Muslims complain that they
are
being unfairly scrutinized and harassed. A practice that was once
considered intolerable is now accepted as a necessary tactic in the war
on
terrorism.
Profiling Arabs and Muslims represents a critical test for our
multiracial,
multicultural democracy. Must we sacrifice individual rights in order
to
avoid another terrorist hijacking? Will we adhere to the principle that
people are to be judged by their acts, not by the group into which they
were born? Or will we allow our fears to balkanize America?...
...there have been more than 300 reports of harassment and abuse filed
with
the Council on American- Islamic Relations.
-----
WEARING HIJAB: VEIL OF VALOR
By EMILIA ASKARI, The Detroit Free Press, 11/6/2001
http://www.freep.com/news/religion/hijab6_20011106.htm
Alya Kazak had been thinking about wearing hijab, a scarf that would
publicly identify her as Muslim, for a long time.
It was just a rectangle of cloth, plain and black. But it was heavy
with
symbolism -- a reminder of her faith, her modesty, her wish that
strangers
would be attracted by her personality and not her physical beauty...
...The first day Kazak took up the veil, tears were pouring down her
face
as she drove toward the Somerset Collection.
She pulled over to the side of the road, daubed her eye makeup and
prayed.
Please make this an easy transition for me. Please make me strong.
Today, about two and a half years later, Kazak is among tens of
thousands
of Muslim women in Michigan who wear hijab -- pronounced hee-JAHB -- in
public. The practice often is misunderstood by non-Muslims, who may
associate it with female oppression. But most hijabis, as women who
wear
the scarves are called, say that covering their hair was a personal
choice.
They credit the veils with improving their relationships with people
and
God...
-----
SUPPORT DEEPENS FOR THE TALIBAN, REFUGEES REPORT
U.S. Errors Fuel Sympathy
By Rajiv Chandrasekaran, The Washington Post, 11/8/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58791-2001Nov7.html
QUETTA, Pakistan, Nov. 7 -- Afghans who have entered Pakistan in recent
days say that a month of U.S. airstrikes has failed to diminish popular
support in central and southern Afghanistan for the ruling Taliban
militia,
which they say continues to exert a firm grip over the civilian
population
despite a heavy loss of military equipment.
The arriving Afghans, interviewed in Quetta, near the Afghan border,
said
sympathies toward the Taliban remain strong in part because of
perceptions
among many Afghans that the U.S. bombing campaign has hurt civilians as
well as military and terrorist targets. Those views appear to have been
stoked by U.S. bombing errors, compounded by an aggressive Taliban
propaganda campaign casting the conflict as an American attack on
Islam...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/9/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
* GOOD NEWS
- MUSLIM POSTAL WORKER IN NJ GIVEN PRAYER SPACE
- MUSLIM EMT ALLOWED TO WEAR BEARD
- KY FIRE BEING INVESTIGATED AS HATE CRIME
* CAIR REPRESENTATIVE MEETS WITH FBI ON DETAINEES
* U.S. WILL MONITOR CALLS TO LAWYERS (Washington Post)
- ACLU RESPONSE
* ARAB, MUSLIM MEN FACE WAITS FOR VISAS (UPI)
* MIDDLE EASTERN EMPLOYEES FACE THREATS, FIRINGS (San Francisco
Chronicle)
* SECRET EVIDENCE MEASURE RESOUNDINGLY DEFEATED (ACLU)
* RAIDS LEAVE CUSTOMERS IN THE LURCH (Washington Post)
* FBI SEEKING HELP IN ANTHRAX PROBE (CBS)
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
"Nothing better illustrates the total lack of protection in airport
"security" than the spectacle of non-U.S. citizens and persons of
Middle
Eastern origin searching the personal effects of native-born blue-eyed
blond mothers traveling with small children."
"Penalties borne by rush of patriotism," The Washington Times,
11/8/2001,
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/
POLITE COMMENTS TO: letters@washingtontimes.com, cre8ors@aol.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
GOOD NEWS
MUSLIM POSTAL WORKER IN NJ GIVEN PRAYER SPACE
After seeking advice from CAIR, a Muslim postal worker in New Jersey is
now
being given a clean place to offer his daily prayers.
MUSLIM EMT ALLOWED TO WEAR BEARD
A Muslim Emergency medical Technician in New Jersey is now being
allowed to
wear a beard after intervention by CAIR. The fire department employee
was
initially asked to trim his beard, but department officials allowed
this
religious accommodation after receiving a letter from CAIR.
KY FIRE BEING INVESTIGATED AS HATE CRIME
A recent fire at the Islamic Society of Kentucky in Lexington,
Kentucky,
will now be investigated as a possible hate crime. CAIR contacted fire
investigators and explained that the blaze could have been related to
the
anti-Muslim backlash prompted by the terrorist attacks of September 11.
Local officials have assured CAIR that such an investigation will take
place.
-----
CAIR REPRESENTATIVE MEETS WITH FBI ON DETAINEES
Representatives of several national Muslim groups met Thursday with FBI
officials to discuss the status of those detained following the
terrorist
attacks of September 11. The Muslim leaders met with Robert Jordan of
the
Integrity in Government-Civil Rights Section and Supervisory Special
Agents
Tom Reynolds and Jody Norris.
Muslim groups represented at the meeting included CAIR, American Muslim
Council, Muslim Public Affairs Council and Muslim Alliance of North
America.
-----
U.S. WILL MONITOR CALLS TO LAWYERS
Rule on Detainees Called 'Terrifying'
By George Lardner Jr., The Washington Post, 11/9/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64663-2001Nov8.html
The Justice Department has decided to listen in on the conversations of
lawyers with clients in federal custody, including people who have been
detained but not charged with any crime, whenever that is deemed
necessary
to prevent violence or terrorism.
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft approved the eavesdropping rule on an
emergency basis last week, without the usual waiting period for public
comment. It went into effect immediately, permitting the government to
monitor conversations and intercept mail between people in custody and
their attorneys for up to a year at a time.
The move, which the Justice Department said was necessary "in view of
the
immediacy of the dangers to the public," stunned defense lawyers and
civil
libertarians. They assailed it as an unconstitutional attack on the
right
to counsel and, in the words of American Civil Liberties Union official
Laura W. Murphy, "a terrifying precedent..."
SEE ALSO: "POWER GRAB ALLOWS GOVERNMENT EAVESDROPPING ON
INMATE-ATTORNEY CONVERSATIONS"
http://www.aclu.org/news/2001/n110901a.html
-----
ARAB, MUSLIM MEN FACE WAITS FOR VISAS
By Eli J. Lake, United Press International, 11/9/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20011109-70631627.htm
The United States will introduce a 20-day waiting period for men from
predominately Muslim nations who apply for visas, State Department
officials said yesterday...
...One State Department official described the new policy this way:
"Anyone
in a Muslim country, where the predominant religion is Islam, who is a
male
aged 18 to 45, will be given an additional questionnaire."
Three State Department officials confirmed the list of countries where
the
new policy will take effect include: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain,
Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon,
Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen...
SEE ALSO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States will slow down the visa process for
young men from Arab and Muslim nations so it can search for evidence of
terrorist activities.
"We have to make sure we are not letting people in who cause us harm,"
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Friday...
...Asked if the new policy raised questions of racial profiling, the
spokesman said, "As a nation we have a right and a duty to make sure
our
borders are safe."
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in an interview with Fox News Channel,
said he hoped it would be a temporary measure...
-----
MIDDLE EASTERN EMPLOYEES FACE THREATS, FIRINGS
By Harriet Chiang, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/09/2001
http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Search using the term "Chiang."
The number of smashed windows, screamed epithets and other sporadic
hate
crimes has subsided. But almost two months after the terrorist attacks,
people of Middle Eastern descent are facing another, more subtle
backlash
-- in the workplace.
Civil rights groups report hundreds of cases involving people who say
they
have been harassed by co-workers, suspended from work, demoted or even
fired because of their race, religion or ethnicity.
"Don't show up to work." "We can't afford a Middle Eastern person here
anymore." That's what some local employers have told Arab Americans,
according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal
anti-discrimination agency.
In one case, a man from Iraq who is a U.S. citizen said he was fired
from
his job in the Bay Area and was specifically told it was because he is
Middle Eastern.
...Many of them also are not familiar with state and federal
discrimination
laws. But that is beginning to change.
"You're seeing more awareness of people's rights," said Hodan Hassan,
civil
rights coordinator for the Council on American Islamic Relations in
Washington, D.C., which has received more than 100 job- related
complaints
since Sept. 11...
-----
SECRET EVIDENCE MEASURE RESOUNDINGLY DEFEATED
ACLU Applauds Senate Vote Favoring Basic Due Process
http://www.aclu.org/news/2001/n110801c.html
WASHINGTON -- Calling it a victory for basic due process rights, the
American Civil Liberties Union applauded the overwhelming defeat in the
Senate today of a measure that would have further stripped away the
safeguards that exist to prevent the incarceration and deportation of
legal
residents on the basis of secret evidence...
-----
RAIDS LEAVE CUSTOMERS IN THE LURCH
Money Transfer Firms Linked to Terrorists
By Leef Smith, The Washington Post, 11/9/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14-2001Nov8.html
Yousef Abukasawi put aside a chunk of his weekly paycheck from his job
as a
driver in Fairfax County until he saved $1,200. It took months.
He wired the cash home to Sudan to feed and clothe his pregnant wife
and
baby. The money would have supported them for seven months.
It never arrived.
Abukasawi's nest egg was included in the approximately $1 million that
so
far has been seized or frozen by the federal government as it targets
two
financial networks -- known as Al Barakaat and Al Taqwa -- it alleges
are
funding Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network.
Among the businesses raided Wednesday were money-wiring operations in
Falls
Church and Alexandria, where officials said unregulated international
financial transactions could be linked to terrorism. Nobody in either
of
the Northern Virginia businesses has been charged with a crime, and
neither
has been shuttered by the government. Law enforcement sources said they
know of no direct link between the two companies and the Sept. 11
attacks...
-----
FBI SEEKING HELP IN ANTHRAX PROBE
Prevailing Theory Is That Attacks Are Not Related To Osama Bin Laden
CBS, 11/9/2001
http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,313936-412,00.shtml
(CBS) ...Frustrated over its lack of progress, the FBI is preparing to
share what it knows about who is responsible for the anthrax letters in
the
hope of shaking loose more tips from the public.
Gregg McCrary, a former FBI profiler, said that while the bureau has
not
discounted the notion that the anthrax mailer may be a terrorist
associated
with Osama bin Laden, that is not the prevailing theory.
"They're also looking at the possibility of a homegrown individual,
maybe
the loner-paranoid type of individual as well who may be doing this,"
McCrary says. Perhaps someone like Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, reports CBS
News Correspondent Jim Stewart...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DANIEL PIPES SHOULD "CLEAN HIS FILTER" SAYS MUSLIM GROUP
As Pipes fans flames of anti-Muslim hysteria, neighbors put out fire at
Wash. mosque
(WASHINGTON-DC, 11/11/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) today suggested that Islamophobic pundit Daniel Pipes should
visit
an oil-change facility following a published interview in which he
claimed
to have a special mental "filter" with which he can detect those who
want
to "create a Muslim state in America." ("Islamism is fascism,"
www.salon.com, 11/9/2001) Pipes said that, despite lack of evidence, he
can
"sense" that CAIR "without a doubt" wants to create such a state.
"Mr. Pipes should really consider visiting Jiffy Lube(r) to have his
'filter' cleaned of its obvious accumulation of bigotry and
misinformation," said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
"Pipes
continues to repeat this bizarre claim even though he himself admits he
has
nothing to back it up but special mental faculties not possessed by
others.
His claims sound more like ESP than credible political analysis," added
Hooper.
The Salon.com interview read in part:
PIPES: ...Now, they [CAIR] don't say that [they want to impose Islamic
law
in America] in black and white in their writings. I can't prove that to
you. I can tell you that there are all sorts of intimations of it. I
can
tell you I can sense it. I can make this case, but I can't make it
specifically for CAIR...
SALON: ...Saying Muslims want to create a Muslim state in America, does
that strike you as alarmist at all?
PIPES: How could that be alarmist when I can see signs all around?
...Look,
I have a filter. I've studied Islam and Islamism for 30 years. I have a
sense of how they proceed and what their agenda is like. And I see it.
You
don't...
When asked about a statement by an American Muslim leader who wanted to
see
a Muslim president by 2020, Pipes replied: "It's like saying I want a
fascist president."
The interviewer also asked Pipes about his recent statement
recommending
the "vigilant application of social and political pressure to ensure
that
Islam is not accorded special status of any kind in this country."
Pipes
explained that "their [American Muslim] acceptance would go beyond what
I
consider normal acceptance. They want the rules to be rewritten for
them.
They want a whole host of ways that Islam and Muslims have special
status."
Salon also questioned Pipes about his recommendation that "officials
need
to scrutinize the speech, associations, and activities of potential
visitors or immigrants for any signs of Islamist allegiances and keep
out
anyone they suspect of such ties." Pipes replied: "Look, I like this
country as it is and I don't want it to turn into something quite
different...If you want to see an Islamist country, then you will have
the
opposite view from mine...The danger is within..."
CAIR noted that as Pipes fanned the flames of religious hatred, the
citizens of Mountlake Terrace, Wash., were coming to the aid of their
Muslim neighbors by putting out a fire that had been set at a local
mosque.
Thanks to the neighborly intervention, damage to the mosque was
limited.
Mountlake Terrace police Cmdr. Mike Mitchell said the suspects were
"definitely not history majors. America was founded to protect
religious
freedoms."
SEE: http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/01/11/7/14662334.cfm
- END -
CONTACT: TEL: 202-488-8787 E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/12/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* NY ASSAILANT ARRESTED FOLLOWING INTERVENTION BY CAIR
* MORE IN HAWAI'I TURN TO ISLAM (Honolulu Advertiser)
- MUSLIM WOMEN SAY HEAD COVER IS LIBERATING
* SERVING ALLAH AND AMERICA (Religion News Service)
* ANSWERS ABOUT ISLAM: THE MOSQUE (Charlotte Observer)
* IN SWEEPING CAMPUS CANVASSES, U.S. CHECKS ON MIDEAST STUDENTS (NY
Times)
* MANY AFGHANS HAUNTED BY NORTHERN ALLIANCE'S PAST (Atlanta Journal)
-----
GOOD NEWS ALERT
NY ASSAILANT ARRESTED FOLLOWING INTERVENTION BY CAIR
A New York teenager who allegedly assaulted a Muslim high school
student
has been arrested following intervention by CAIR.
The mother of the Muslim student says hers son was severely beaten by a
group of young people from his high school. As a result of his
injuries,
the 17-year-old junior lost the use of one eye. During the attack, the
perpetrators were reported to have yelled anti-Muslim slurs. The
assailants
fled the scene before police arrived.
Family members say calls to police investigators were not returned,
despite
the fact that the victim says he recognized his attackers as fellow
students.
After being approached by the victim's mother, CAIR sent a letter to
local
authorities expressing concern that the case was not being treated as a
serious hate crime. CAIR-NY also inquired about the status of the
investigation. The victim's mother credits those inquiries, and a
report on
the case in local media, for the subsequent arrest of one of the
alleged
perpetrators.
-----
MORE IN HAWAI'I TURN TO ISLAM
Muslim women say head cover is liberating
By Mary Kaye Ritz, Honolulu Advertiser, 11/11/2001
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2001/Nov/11/ln/ln06a.html
Less than three weeks after terrorists struck New York City and
Washington,
Heather Ramaha stood among a group of women at the mosque in Manoa and
recited the shahada in Arabic:
"Ash-hadu alla illaha illa Allah. Wa-ash-hadu anna Mohamadan rassulu
Allah."
She was testifying that "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah
(one
true God), and Mohammed is a prophet of God."
By doing so, she became a convert to the Islamic faith, extending a
recent
national trend.
Some Muslim clerics across the country say they are seeing a fourfold
increase in conversions since Sept. 11, when stories about Islam jumped
from the back pages of the religion section to front pages worldwide.
Hakim Ouansafi, the president of the Muslim Association of Hawai'i,
said
that prior to Sept. 11, there had been an average of three converts per
month.
In the two months since then, there have been 23.
And oddly enough for a religion that is often perceived as one that
cloaks
its women from head to foot, the newly converted Westerners tend to be
female. Ouansafi said the national ratio of converts is 4-to-1, women
to
men. Here, he said, it's closer to 2-to-1...
SEE ALSO: MUSLIM WOMEN SAY HEAD COVER IS LIBERATING
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2001/Nov/11/ln/ln07a.html
-----
SERVING ALLAH AND AMERICA
Muslims in the military strive to reconcile religion and duty
By NORM MAVES JR., Religion News Service, 11/10/2001
http://www.charlotte.com/observer/faith/docs/military1110.htm
FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- Marty Thompkins' resonant tenor rises above the
silence inside Building TO3725.
"Allah" he intones, singing the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer,
"Allahu
akbar!" "God is most great!"
Only the faraway echoes of artillery practice serve as a reminder that
this
is a U.S. Army post. The four soldiers sitting on the carpet behind him
-
all barefoot, all in camouflage uniform - do not notice the distant
booms.
This is the prayer session of Juma - the Day of Gathering, which comes
every Friday - and they have much on their minds.
The 80 to 100 Muslim soldiers serving their country at Fort Lewis pray
five
times a day to Allah. Their units could be sent to areas in the same
region
as their most holy shrines in Mecca and Medina - perhaps to kill or be
killed by other Muslims.
For Muslims in the U.S. military, these are wrenching times...
-----
ANSWERS ABOUT ISLAM
Charlotte Observer, 11/10/2001
http://www.charlotte.com/observer/faith/docs/mosque1110.htm
EDITOR'S NOTE: Charlotte's Mohammed Idlibi fielded so many questions
about
Islam after Sept. 11 that he prepared this Q&A to help people learn to
appreciate his faith. Idlibi, 22, is a financial broker who moved with
his
family to the United States from his native Syria when he was 3. He put
this together with the Council on American-Islamic Relations. To learn
more, call the Islamic Center of Charlotte at (704) 537-9399 or the
Islamic
Society of Greater Charlotte at (704) 536-2016.
Q. What is a mosque?
A mosque is a place of worship used by Muslims. The English word
"mosque"
comes from its Arabic equivalent, masjid, which means "place of
prostration." It is in the mosque that Muslims perform their prayers, a
part of which includes placing the forehead on the floor.
Q. How is a mosque used?
The primary function of the mosque is to provide a place where Muslims
may
perform Islam's obligatory five daily prayers as a congregation. A
mosque
also provides sufficient space to hold prayers on Fridays, the Muslim
day
of communal prayer, and on the two Muslim holidays, called Eids, or
"festivals."
Q. Are visitors welcome?
Mosques in North America welcome visitors. Tours can be arranged at
most
facilities. It is always best to call mosque administrators before
arrival...
-----
IN SWEEPING CAMPUS CANVASSES, U.S. CHECKS ON MIDEAST STUDENTS
By JACQUES STEINBERG, The New York Times, 11/12/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/12/national/12STUD.html
In the two months since the attacks of Sept. 11, federal investigators
have
contacted administrators on more than 200 college campuses to collect
information about students from Middle Eastern countries, the most
sweeping
canvass of the halls of academia since the cold war, the colleges say.
The agents have asked what subjects the students are studying, whether
they
are performing well and where they are living.
They have also questioned the students themselves, asking about their
views
on Osama bin Laden, the names of their favorite restaurants and their
plans
for after graduation.
The investigations have put the universities in a difficult position,
pitting the government's interest in security against the institutions'
desire to protect students' privacy and to avoid engaging in racial
profiling...
-----
MANY AFGHANS HAUNTED BY NORTHERN ALLIANCE'S PAST
By DAN CHAPMAN, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 11/12/2001
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/
Search using the term "Northern Alliance."
Chaman, Pakistan --- Haji Abdul Ghani placed a forefinger in his mouth,
and
cocked his thumb like a pistol.
"They put the nozzle of the gun in the baby's mouth," said Ghani, an
Afghan
refugee. "The baby began sucking it like the nipple of his mother's
breast.
Then they fired." Ghani, a truck driver, swore his story was true. It
happened, he said, three weeks ago in Central Afghanistan. A fighter
with
the Northern Alliance pulled the trigger, he added.
Beyond its abject horror, the story told by Ghani --- who has no love
for
the Taliban either --- illustrates the anger and fear many Afghans
harbor
for the Northern Alliance.
Far from the underdog militia trying to overthrow the despotic Taliban
regime, Northern Alliance troops are reviled across much of Afghanistan
for
their brutality.
They are also despised because they are primarily Uzbeks, Hazaras,
Tajiks.
Pashtuns comprise the main Afghan ethnic group in a country whose
ethnic
stew never stops boiling...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FL RIGHTS GROUP REJECTS ADL DEMAND TO BAR MUSLIM FROM PANEL
CAIR: ADL demand part of nationwide effort to exclude Muslims from
political participation
(WASHINGTON-DC, 11/13/2001) - The Florida Commission on Human Relations
(FCHR) has rejected a demand by that state's chapter of the
Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) to exclude a Muslim representative from a panel discussion
at
an annual civil rights conference.
For several weeks, the ADL, along with the Jewish Community Relations
Council of the Palm Beach Jewish Federation, has been in discussions
with
FCHR representatives seeking to bar Altaf Ali, Executive Director of
the
Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL)
from
a panel discussion at the 11th Annual Florida Civil Rights Conference
beginning today in West Palm Beach. That session, titled "Day of
Dialogue,
Communicating Across Ethnic, Cultural and Religious Lines," includes
panelists from the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations
Service
and the National Conference for Community and Justice. SEE:
http://fchr.state.fl.us/
In response to the ADL demand, FCHR Director of Education and Outreach
Ron
Snell told Ali: "...we have advised the ADL that we see no reason to
ask
that you not participate. I am looking forward to your participation in
this event." (CAIR is North America's largest Muslim civil rights
organization.)
"This malicious attempt at exclusion, which is ironically aimed at a
conference on multicultural inclusion, is just one small part of a
nationwide campaign by the ADL to marginalize and disenfranchise the
Muslim
community in America. We thank the FCHR for refusing to be
intimidated,"
said CAIR's National Board Chairman Omar Ahmad.
Ahmad added that the ADL's Islamophobic smear campaign recently went
public
when the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Pro-Israel or Jewish organizations
such
as the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Defense League and the Middle
East Forum think tank have provided news organizations with reams of
critical documentation on Muslim leaders in recent weeks." (Los Angeles
Times, 11/3/2001) SEE: "'Islamophobic Smear Campaign' Goes Public" at
http://www.cair-net.org/nr/11-08.asp
Ahmad also noted the ADL's long history of such attacks. Just this
April, a
federal judge upheld a jury's findings that the ADL defamed a Colorado
couple by publicly accusing them of being anti-Semitic. U.S. District
Court
Judge Edward Nottingham said that evidence was sufficient to support
the
jury's conclusion that the ADL "acted recklessly in its efforts to
publicize what it perceived to be anti-Semitic conduct." (Associated
Press,
4/4/2001)
In 1999, the ADL agreed to pay $25,000 to a community relations fund
and
said it would not spy on other organizations as part of a settlement
with
the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and other groups. The
settlement resolved a class-action lawsuit filed in 1993 that accused
the
ADL of spying on Arab-American, pro-Palestinian and anti-apartheid
groups
and individuals. (AP, 9/28/1999)
Other Jewish groups protested the ADL leadership's 1990 attendance at
the
funeral of anti-Arab extremist Meir Kahane, whose group is now listed
as a
terrorist organization by the State Department. (Tikkun, 7/1/1994)
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-DC - Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org
CAIR-FL - Altaf Ali, 954-797-7493
E-MAIL: Florida@cair-net.org
ACTION REQUESTED:
Contact the Florida Commission on Human Relations to thank them for
their
refusal to be intimidated into excluding the Muslim voice at their
annaul
conference.
CONTACT:
Ms. Rita B. Craig, Chair
Florida Commission on Human Relations
325 John Knox Road
Building F, Suite 240
Tallahassee, Florida 32303-4149
TEL: (850) 488-7082
FAX: (850) 488-5291
E-MAIL: SnellR@dms.state.fl.us, fchrinfo@dms.state.fl.us,
newmanv@dms.state.fl.us
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
SEE BELOW: DR. LAURA TO INTERVIEW ISLAMOPHOBE ON WEDNESDAY
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INTERVIEWS OF 5,000 VISA HOLDERS ARE CONCERN TO MUSLIM GROUP
(WASHINGTON-DC, 11/13/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today expressed
concern
that plans by the Justice Department to interview some 5,000 young men
who
entered this country legally on non-immigrant visas since January of
2000,
could create the impression of racial and religious profiling.
SEE: www.cnn.com/2001/US/11/13/inv.terrorism.interviews/index.html
In a speech today in Washington, Attorney General John Ashcroft said
the
interviews were necessary to "expand our knowledge of terrorist
networks
operating within the United States." Officials said the interviews
would be
conducted with men from specific countries, but did not name them.
"American Muslims condemn terrorism in all its forms and hope to see
the
perpetrators of the September 11 terrorist attacks brought to justice.
Unfortunately, this type of sweeping investigation carries with it the
potential to create the impression that interviewees are being singled
out
because of their race, ethnicity or religion. We ask that all elements
of
due process and respect for civil liberties be adhered to as local and
national authorities carry out these interviews," said CAIR Executive
Director Nihad Awad.
Awad added that he hopes the Justice Department will publish guidelines
for
these interviews, including the right of those being interviewed to
have
legal representation.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in American and some 1.2
billion worldwide. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in
this
country.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
DR. LAURA TO INTERVIEW ISLAMOPHOBE ON WEDNESDAY
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the nationally syndicated talk-show host, will
interview WorldNetDaily Editor Joseph Farah for a full hour Wednesday.
The interview is scheduled for the second hour of her three-hour
program,
which airs live in many markets. For a listing of times and stations,
go
to: http://www.drlaura.com/audiolinks/stations1.html
Farah is CEO of WorldNetDaily.com, a web site that frequently defames
Muslims and Islam. WorldNetDaily columnists have suggested actions such
as
parachuting pigs into mosques in Afghanistan and contaminating that
country's water supply with pig's blood.
Schlessinger's web site claims:
"Dr. Laura will interview Joseph Farah, editor and CEO of
WorldNetDaily.com, and perhaps the world's leading expert on the Middle
East. Mr. Farah is an Arab-American journalist who's bold and clear
writings explain radical Islam and its intentions for America. Do not
miss
this important and informative show! Dr. Laura and Mr. Farah will be
taking
your calls."
SEE: http://www.drlaura.com/listen/listen2.html
Her program has millions of listeners nationwide.
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be polite. These individuals WILL use
hostile
comments to further defame Islam and Muslims.)
1. Visit www.worldnetdaily.com to familiarize yourself with its
anti-Muslim
tone.
2. Listen to the program and call in to offer your polite and reasoned
views.
CALL 1-800-DRLAURA (1-800-375-2872) or (818) 461-5403
E-MAIL: kbellows@premiereradio.com, aforester@premiereradio.com,
dmandis@premiereradio.com, kkitchin@premiereradio.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
FAX: (818) 461-5440
URL: www.drlaura.com
ADDRESS:
Dr. Laura Schlessinger
15260 Ventura Blvd, Ste 500
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5307
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/14/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: MOSQUE LEADERS' RE-EDUCATION CAMPAIGN STEPPED UP
* USPS TO REPRINT POSTER THAT EXCLUDED EID STAMP
* CONGRESS TO MARK BEGINNING OF RAMADAN WITH MUSLIM PRAYER
* CAIR PANEL DISCUSSION: THE NEW ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION AND ITS
IMPACT
ON AMERICAN MUSLIMS
* THE MAN WHO GIVES TERRORISM A NAME (Washington Post)
* DANIEL PIPES AND THE NEW INQUISITION (Antiwar.com)
* IMMIGRANT MUSLIM WORKERS: FEW DRIVE TAXIS, MANY ARE MANAGERS (NY
Times)
* BUSH SETS OPTION OF MILITARY TRIALS IN TERRORIST CASES (NY Times)
* US MUSLIMS IN SOMBER MOOD AS RAMADAN APPROACHES (AFP)
* SAHOOR SUSTAINS THE FAITHFUL AS THEY FAST THIS RAMADAN (NY Newsday)
* OPEN HOUSE OPENS A WINDOW INTO ISLAM (Tallahassee Democrat)
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: MOSQUE LEADERS' RE-EDUCATION CAMPAIGN STEPPED UP
By Vivien Pik-Kwan Chan, South China Morning Post, 11/14/2001
Beijing has intensified a nine-month "political re-education campaign"
for
8,000 imams in charge of mosques in Xinjiang as national security
forces
step up their drive against "splittist" movements...
"...Each session is a 20-day programme aimed at re-establishing correct
ideological understanding and improving the political qualities of the
religious leaders," Xinhua quoted officials as saying...
-----
USPS TO REPRINT POSTER THAT EXCLUDED EID STAMP
STATEMENT BY AZEEZALY S. JAFFER, VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND
COMMUNICATIONS, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
November 14, 2001 - "The U.S. Postal Service today is reproducing its
Holiday Stamp promotional posters in local post offices in response to
recent concerns raised by the American Muslim community.
Due to an oversight, an image of the Eid stamp, which commemorates two
important Islamic festivals, was left off the promotional posters.
The Postal Service deeply regrets the oversight and is reprinting the
holiday posters depicting the Eid stamp image in local post offices.
Eid
stamps will be available for sale at post offices nationwide this
Holiday
season. These historic stamps are featured prominently on the Postal
Service's web site and are available for purchase online at the Postal
Store www.usps.com, or by calling toll free 1-800 STAMP-24.
Also, we have held numerous ceremonies and events around the country to
promote and celebrate this stamp since its issuance September 1.
The Postal Service is proud to feature the Eid stamp as part of its
commemorative holiday stamp series in recognition of the many
outstanding
contributions of the Muslim community here in the United States and
throughout the world."
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
http://www.usps.com/news/2001/philatelic/sr01_054.htm
ACTION REQUESTED:
Contact the Postmaster General John E. Potter to thank the USPS for its
decision to reprint the poster.
E-MAIL: jpotter@email.usps.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
Postmaster General John E. Potter
United States Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20260-0010
-----
CONGRESS TO MARK BEGINNING OF RAMADAN WITH MUSLIM PRAYER
At 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 15, the United States House of
Representatives will mark the beginning of the Muslim fast of Ramadan
with
an opening prayer by an Islamic religious leader. Imam Yahya Hendi,
Muslim
Chaplain at Georgetown University and spokesman for the Islamic
Jurisprudence Council of North America, will offer the prayer. (Ramadan
is
expected to begin November 16 or 17, depending on the sighting of the
new
moon.) FOR BACKGROUND ON RAMADAN, GO TO:
http://www.cair-net.org/ramadan2001
CONTACT: Imam Yahya Hendi, 202-687-4272
-----
CAIR PANEL DISCUSSION: THE NEW ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION AND ITS
IMPACT ON
AMERICAN MUSLIMS
Learn how individuals, organizations and communities are impacted by
the
new anti-terrorism legislation. Topics of discussion will include
profiling
of Muslims and Arab-Americans and an outline of individual legal and
civil
rights.
WHEN: Thursday, November 15, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: CAIR Building, 453 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: 202-488-8787
-----
THE MAN WHO GIVES TERRORISM A NAME
Expert's Finger-Pointing Troubles Muslim Groups
By John Mintz, The Washington Post, 11/14/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24457-2001Nov13.html
People invited to the Washington-area office of terrorism expert Steven
Emerson say he sets one condition: They must swear never to reveal its
location. Some visitors have been blindfolded as they're driven to his
headquarters, where the masks are removed to reveal a warren of rooms
piled
high with dossiers, transcripts and videotapes, they say. The people
who
work there call it "the bat cave..."
...His slashing accusations that some Islamic groups in the United
States
tolerate terrorism draw denunciations from groups like the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, which calls
Emerson "a Muslim-basher with a long history of defamatory and
inaccurate
attacks on the American Muslim community."
Since the Sept. 11 bombings, the heavily caffeinated Emerson, who says
he
operates on five hours of sleep a night, has privately laid out his
terrorism findings to officials at the Justice Department, FBI, Customs
Service, National Security Council and the White House. He also has
been in
contact with Treasury Department officials acting to freeze terrorists'
assets.
Emerson has given closed-door briefings to the banking and judiciary
committees of both chambers of Congress and to the Senate Intelligence
Committee. Copies of his hour-long 1994 documentary, "Jihad in
America,"
were given to all 535 members of Congress and "played a real role" in
winning House passage of the recent anti-terrorism bill, says Rep.
Chris
Smith (R-N.J.)...
...Yet James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute and a
longtime
Emerson adversary, says the fact that 19 men from the Middle East
committed
a terrorist atrocity in no way substantiates Emerson's decade-long body
of
work warning of a U.S.-based Muslim threat to the United States.
"He's made his life's work discrediting Arab American and Muslim
groups,
and his obsession makes me uncomfortable," says Zogby.
A scathing report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations lists
what
it considers his many exaggerations, such as his 1997 statement to the
Jerusalem Post that "the U.S. has become occupied fundamentalist
territory..."
"...Elected and public officials say this war on terrorism isn't a war
on
Islam," says Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for CAIR and a bitter Emerson
opponent. "But if they're consulting Mr. Emerson, it calls into
question
the credibility of those statements..."
...Emerson has made missteps. A day after the Oklahoma City federal
building was bombed in 1995, he went on television theorizing --
wrongly --
that the culprits were Arab. Attempting "to inflict as many casualties
as
possible -- that is a Middle Eastern trait," he said in one interview,
one
of many statements his enemies call reckless and biased...
...While covering an unrelated story in Oklahoma City for CNN in 1992,
Emerson says he happened to stroll downtown, only to find hundreds of
Arab
youths attending a conference. Intrigued, he talked his way in by
claiming
to be a Muslim convert...
...He declines to specify who funds his group, called the Investigative
Project, beyond saying that the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum --
also attacked by his critics as anti-Islamic -- has supplied some
funds.
Associates say much of Emerson's cash has come from conservatives like
Richard Mellon Scaife and Jewish individuals and groups. He strenuously
denies his critics' vague accusations that he is secretly funded by the
Israeli or U.S. governments.
His staff of six and an equal number of interns, several of them Arabic
speakers, comb the Internet and the world media, subscribe to Arab
publications using made-up names and swap information with law
enforcement
and intelligence officials around the world. His group also dispatches
associates to gatherings of Muslims with hidden microphones to record
speeches by radical leaders...
...Emerson can be his own worst enemy. Miami Herald reporter Martin
Merzer
once called him for comment on a case involving alleged terrorist
sympathizers in Florida, and said he had written an earlier piece on
the
controversy. He said Emerson replied: "What perspective did you take,
that
this is a brutal Zionist plot against the weak, underprivileged Arab
minority?" After sensing the new piece would be unflattering, Emerson
sent
a nasty letter about Merzer to his editor and local Jewish leaders.
In 1998, Emerson heard a Muslim activist planned to leaflet against him
at
a New York speech of his. He dashed off a withering seven-page
response,
which included the false assertion that in the 1960s one of his
critics,
California journalist Reese Erlich, "was charged with conspiracy to
carry
out violence in support of the Black Panthers." Emerson apologized and
paid
Erlich $3,000.
Emerson's enemies also cite an incident in 1996, when Emerson helped
Associated Press reporters on a terrorism series. After the series ran,
an
alternative newspaper in Florida that has long criticized Emerson
quoted an
AP reporter saying he believed Emerson had misrepresented a memo about
Arab
radicals as an FBI-authored document...
...CAIR and other Emerson detractors level harsher accusations -- that
he
is a tool of Israeli intelligence. He denies it but says he does swap
data
with the Israelis -- as well as with intelligence officials from other
nations, including Germany, England and Arab countries he declines to
name...
"...The pro-Israel lobby uses Emerson as their point man going after
political participation by Muslims and Arabs," CAIR's Hooper says. "We
make
no apology for defending Palestinian rights..."
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
STEVEN EMERSON'S CRUSADE - "Why is a journalist pushing questionable
stories from behind the scenes?" By John F. Sugg -
http://www.fair.org/extra/9901/emerson.html
-----
DANIEL PIPES AND THE NEW INQUISITION
By Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 11/14/2001
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j111401.html
...A whole mini-industry has grown up in the wake of the 9/11 atrocity
dedicated to the proposition that Islam is the root of all evil in the
world. Just as anti-Communism employed and otherwise elevated a whole
cadre
of professional witch-hunters - and witch-doctors - so the rise of
anti-Islamism opens up a whole new frontier for those thrown out of
work by
the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war. With
untold
billions of tax dollars being thrown into the "war on terrorism," the
market for anti-Islamists, once severely restricted, has expanded
exponentially, and this field of expertise is no longer quite so
rarefied.
The war has made formerly obscure figures, such as New York Post
columnist
and author Daniel Pipes, familiar to news junkies, and it is in Pipes
that
the anti-Islamist ideology takes on its purest, most extreme form...
...Pipes believes that the international Islamist conspiracy - there is
no
other way to phrase it - is out not to destroy America but to subjugate
it.
Asked by Salon whether the goal of the Islamists is to create a Muslim
state in America, his answer was "without a doubt." One can only wonder
if
he said this with a straight face. Pipes went on to explain that this
meant
a state prohibition on converting out of Islam, as well as the banning
of
pork, criminalizing adultery, and "doing away with the equality of the
sexes." How does he know this? Well, you see, he kind of divines it...
...He can "sense" it! US intelligence agencies are employing the
services
of psychics in the search for Osama bin Laden, according to reports,
but
Pipes' extrasensory powers are even more valuable to the war on the
home
front. For Pipes and his ilk are the attack dogs of the New
Inquisition,
whose job it is to sniff out "intimations" of treason. Pipes was vague
when
it came to the evidence for his outrageous claims, but very specific in
singling out a particular organization - the Council on
Islamic-American
Relations, whose leaders met with President Bush and other Arab and
Muslim
figures at a mosque. But Bush, at least according to Charles
Krauthammer,
"is hardly an authority on Islam," i.e. he's too stupid to comprehend
that
all Muslims are just plain evil.
The view of the anti-Islamists coincides perfectly with the perspective
of
the Israeli foreign ministry. What they want is the sort of "war on
terrorism" the Bush administration is laboring mightily to deny: a war
on
Islam. A war in which the US and its faithful ally, Israel, take on the
entire Muslim world - and US military power is utilized, albeit
indirectly,
to further the dream of a Greater Israel...
-----
IMMIGRANT MUSLIM WORKERS: FEW DRIVE TAXIS, MANY ARE MANAGERS
By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN, The New York Times, 11/14/2001
(Not available online.)
Ask someone living in New York City what most Arab and Muslim
immigrants do
for a living and the first reply is likely to be: Taxi driver.
But, according to data compiled from the 1996-2001 current population
surveys by the sociology department of Queens College, only 28,000, or
5
percent, of the almost 600,000 foreign-born Muslims in the labor force
earn
a living by driving a vehicle. The No. 1 occupation among that
immigrant
group is executive or manager of a business.
Foreign-born Muslim workers are, in general, better educated and earn
more
than the average worker. Just over 30 percent of the entire labor force
aged 25 and over has a college or advanced degree compared to more than
57
percent of Muslim workers...
...The majority of foreign-born Muslims appear to be committed to
staying
in the United States. Almost 57 percent are now citizens and more than
70
percent arrived before the Gulf War.
-----
BUSH SETS OPTION OF MILITARY TRIALS IN TERRORIST CASES
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and DAVID JOHNSTON, The New York Times,
11/14/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/14/national/14DETA.html
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- President Bush signed an order today allowing
special military tribunals to try foreigners charged with terrorism. A
senior administration official said that any such trials would "not
necessarily" be public and that the American tribunals might operate in
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
At the same time, the Justice Department has asked law enforcement
authorities across the country to pick up and question 5,000 men, most
from
Middle Eastern countries, who entered the country legally in the last
two
years.
...The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an Islamic advocacy group
based in Washington, expressed concern about the plan and said the
government should publish guidelines for these interviews, including
the
right of those being interviewed to have legal representation.
"This type of sweeping investigation carries with it the potential to
create the impression that interviewees are being singled out because
of
their race, ethnicity or religion," said Nihad Awad, the group's
executive
director.
-----
US MUSLIMS IN SOMBER MOOD AS RAMADAN APPROACHES
By Louise Daly, Agence France-Presse, 11/14/2001
CHICAGO, Nov 14, (AFP) - America's Muslim community -- unsettled by the
September 11 attacks and uneasy about airstrikes on Afghanistan -- have
faced turbulent times in past months.
And with the US-led fight against terrorism taking a decisive turn
overseas
and the homeland on the defensive against further terror attacks, they
see
little evidence their anxiety will abate any during the holy month of
Ramadan, which starts this weekend.
"People are hoping against hope for some positive outcome," in the
conflict
between the US-backed opposition forces and the Taliban regime, said
Agha
Saeed, chairman of the American Muslim Alliance.
"But expectations change as the situation changes..."
-----
SAHOOR SUSTAINS THE FAITHFUL AS THEY FAST THIS RAMADAN
By Ramin Ganeshram, (NY) Newsday, 11/14/2001
http://www.newsday.com/features/food/ny-fdram2462547nov14.story
WHEN MAMZAR ASHTARI was a little girl in Iran, it wasn't easy to wake
up
during the wee hours of the morning, to have breakfast during Ramadan -
even though the meal was usually one of delectable goodies.
"We would be so tired, and often had only finished dinner a few hours
before," said Ashtari, a medical physicist who lives in New Hyde Park
with
her husband and children. "We would complain and carry on about getting
up."
Called Sahoor, this breakfast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
is as
important a meal as the breaking of the fast, or Iftar, in the evening.
Sahoor is eaten before dawn and is meant to sustain the faithful as
they
fast during daylight hours to celebrate the revelation of the Koran to
the
prophet Mohammed...
...The following recipe was adapted from one in Claudia Roden's "The
New
Book of Middle Eastern Food" (Knopf, $35).
Ful Medames (Fava Bean Soup)...
-----
OPEN HOUSE OPENS A WINDOW INTO ISLAM
By Andrew Dunn, Tallahassee Democrat, 11/12/2001
http://web.tallahasseedemocrat.com/content/tallahassee/home/
Search using the term "Hiak."
At the same time many Christian services were letting out Sunday, the
Islamic Center of Tallahassee was opening its doors to allow
Tallahasseeans
a glimpse of Muslim culture and a better understanding of Islam.
About 40 people sat in the center's mosque to watch a video about the
religion and have questions answered by members of the congregation.
Outside, booths were covered with colorful clothing, traditional food
and
informative pamphlets. The "open house" was the first of its kind for
the
center.
"People would like to know more about Islam now," said Yousef Hiak, a
member of the center's board of trustees. "And it is the right
opportunity
to open the mosque and see what it is about..."
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/15/2001
-----
NOTE: Ramadan is expected to begin November 16 or 17. To download
CAIR's
"Ramadan Publicity Resource Kit," go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/ramadankit
-----
HEADLINES:
* REMINDER - CAIR CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: AMERICAN MUSLIMS IN THE
AFTERMATH
OF SEPTEMBER 11
* FIGHTING THE IMAGE WAR TO GAIN MUSLIM SUPPORT (Washington Post)
* SHERIFF'S GREETING HAS A MILITANT EDGE (Winston-Salem Journal)
* PAKISTANI NATIVE STUNNED BY FBI RAID (AP-NYT)
* U.S. IS BRUTALIZING PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE (San Jose Mercury News)
* CITY NATIVE NOW FIRST MUSLIM JUDGE IN MD. (Charleston Daily Mail)
-----
CAIR CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: AMERICAN MUSLIMS IN THE AFTERMATH OF
SEPTEMBER 11
WHO ARE THE AMERICAN MUSLIMS? - Demographic data on the Muslim
population
and the structure of the American Muslim community
HOW CAN ONE CHARACTERIZE MAINSTREAM MUSLIMS? - Views of practicing and
ethnic Muslims on women, other religions, war and peace, and attacks
against civilians
WHAT DOES CITIZENSHIP MEAN FOR THE AMERICAN MUSLIM WORLDVIEW? Recent
fatwa
(religious opinion) about Muslim participation in the U.S. war effort
WHERE DO MUSLIMS STAND ON CURRENT ISSUES? - Muslim views on abortion,
welfare, discrimination, taxes, prayer in public schools, and foreign
policy
PRESENTER: Dr. Mohamed Nimer, Research Director
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
WHEN: Monday, November 19, 2001, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
WHERE: 2105 Rayburn House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C.
Please RSVP with Ibrahim Abdullah at 202-488-8787 or
Iadullah@cair-net.org
-----
FIGHTING THE IMAGE WAR TO GAIN MUSLIM SUPPORT
Information Center Plans Prayer, Traditional Dinner
By Mike Allen, The Washington Post, 11/15/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31560-2001Nov14.html
On Monday, President Bush will greet 50 ambassadors from Muslim
countries
who will munch dates and sip juice, then kneel and touch their
foreheads to
the floor of the White House's East Reception Room. The five-minute
prayer
by Bush's guests will mark the breaking of a daily sunrise-to-sundown
fast
during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this weekend.
The prayer and the traditional Iftar meal that will follow are part of
a
global effort by the U.S. government, which is struggling to build
support
in Muslim countries for its anti-terrorism coalition, to convey a
better
image to the 1.2 billion followers of the world's fastest growing
religion.
Officials of the White House and State Department said the
administration
wants to use the occasion of Ramadan to highlight its sensitivity to
Islamic tradition and to point to its increasing humanitarian
deliveries in
Afghanistan...
"...One of the things that became clear to us as we began this campaign
is
that we had a real deficit in the Arab world to fight against," a
senior
administration official said. "For so long, our basic, fundamental
viewpoints have been absent -- the millions of Muslims who live happily
in
America, the millions of people who want to come here, our respect for
religion. Those are the kind of things which over the longer term we
want
to be out there with, so that when there's a crisis in the region, we
don't
begin with such an incredible deficit of understanding..."
...Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is expected to hold an Iftar
dinner
of his own, following the precedent of his Clinton administration
predecessor, Madeleine K. Albright, officials said. U.S. embassies
around
the world will do the same. The State Department is printing up
thousands
of copies of a series of posters, "Mosques of America..."
-----
SHERIFF'S GREETING HAS A MILITANT EDGE
Area Muslims say they're insulted by Hege's personal holiday card
By Deirdre Fernandes, Winston-Salem Journal, 11/14/2001
http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/MGB8L5QL0UC.html
For his personal Christmas card this year, Davidson County Sheriff
Gerald
Hege passed on the traditional snowy evening, dazzling tree or a baby
Jesus
in the manger scene.
Instead, about a dozen of Hege's friends and family will be receiving a
controversial card that is being criticized by some local Muslims.
The card, printed on letter-size Kodak photo paper, depicts a desert
background. Hege, dressed in his black combat-style uniform and new
black
beret, holds the severed head of Osama bin Laden in one hand and a
bloody
sword in the other hand.
The greeting reads, "Happy Ramadan!! Merry Christmas and Happy
Holidays!
Sheriff Gerald K. Hege..."
...some area Muslims aren't impressed. They said they are insulted by
the
content of Hege's card and the way he depicts Ramadan, one of Islam's
most
sacred times...
"...Ramadan should not be associated with blood ... considering with
thousands of civilians are dying because of the winter and thousands
will
die from famine," said Atassi, who emigrated from Syria 15 years ago.
"What
Sheriff Hege is trying to do is not really appropriate, but then it's a
free country."
The card also associates bin Laden with all worshippers of Islam - a
connection that is unfair and false, said Abdel Hadi, a Muslim who owns
a
sandwich shop in Winston-Salem and recently bought property in Davidson
County...
"I liked Hege as a sheriff," Hadi said. "But he has no business
insulting
1.5 billion people. That's wrong. That's sad that we're in the United
States and there is such bigotry."
Bin Laden doesn't represent Muslims around the world, he said...
-----
PAKISTANI NATIVE STUNNED BY FBI RAID
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 11/15/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-FBI-Search.html
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) -- When armed FBI agents suddenly broke down his
door,
held his wife at gunpoint, swabbed his furniture and questioned him
about
biochemical agents, Asif Kazi said it was like living a TV nightmare.
"I haven't had a parking ticket in my life. I'm shaking," said Kazi,
who
came to the United States from Pakistan in 1999. "We watch 'The
X-Files' on
television, but we never thought it would happen here."
More than 30 FBI agents and a hazardous materials team participated in
raids Tuesday at Kazi's home and a nearby building owned by Dr. Ishad
Shaikh, another Pakistani native, who has been the city health
commissioner
since 1994.
Authorities wouldn't say why the homes were searched. FBI spokeswoman
Linda
Vizi has declined to identify the seized items. Federal court documents
used to obtain search warrants were sealed. No charges have been
filed...
...Kazi said agents told him he had been seen dumping a cloudy liquid
on
the ground behind his home and handing a silver canister to someone.
The
liquid, Kazi said, was soapy water from a clogged sink and the canister
was
a food dish...
-----
U.S. IS BRUTALIZING PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE
San Jose Mercury news, 11/15/2001
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/opinion/edit/046314.htm
First, the Justice Department rounds up more than a thousand people and
holds them without letting anybody know the charges against them, or
even
who is being held.
Then the State Department announces that it will slow the process for
granting visas to men from Arab and Muslim countries.
But don't stop there. Why not violate the long-held principle that
people
in custody are entitled to private conversations with their attorneys?
And while we're at it, why not just ignore the American criminal
justice
system for some people and let their cases be handled in secret, by
military courts?
What next? Summary executions?...
...The president has the constitutional authority to do what he's
doing. He
nonetheless undermines the values America seeks to defend as it battles
those for whom civil rights have no meaning.
-----
CITY NATIVE NOW FIRST MUSLIM JUDGE IN MD.
By Brad McElhinny, Charleston Daily Mail, 11/14/2001
http://www.dailymail.com/display_story.php3?sid=2001111431
Hassan El-Amin, who grew up in Charleston, is a very successful man.
Last
year, he became the first practicing Muslim ever to serve as a judge in
the
state of Maryland.
His life has been a long journey. He grew up black in a white
community. As
a young man, he joined the Nation of Islam when that organization
preached
racial separatism. Now, El-Amin has emerged as a judge -- an arbiter of
fairness, the robed symbol of equal representation...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/16/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* MULTICULTURALISM'S NASCENT STRESS POINTS (Washington Times)
* CAIR DIRECTOR SPEAKS TO CONGRESSIONAL BLACK ASSOCIATES
* A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE (New York Times)
- CONYERS CHALLENGES ADMINISTRATION ON MILITARY TRIBUNALS
* IMMIGRANTS REFUSE MEALS TO PROTEST TREATMENT (New York Times)
* AL-JAZEERA'S CORRESPONDENT IN US BRIEFLY DETAINED (Agence
France-Presse)
* WRITER DOCUMENTS HOLLYWOOD'S VILIFICATION OF ARABS (Reuters)
* SAN DIEGO'S MUSLIMS REACH OUT (Los Angeles Times)
* MORE MUSLIMS FEELING TARGETED AT WORK (USA Today)
* ISLAM: BELIEFS AND PRACTICES (Christian Science Monitor)
* SCHOOLS OK RAMADAN PRAYERS (New York Post)
* INLAND MUSLIMS HAVE DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS BUT SHARE A COMMON FAITH AS
THEY
CELEBRATE THE START OF RAMADAN (The Press-Enterprise)
* LA MUSLIM FREE CLINIC RECEIVES AWARD (PR Newswire)
-----
MULTICULTURALISM'S NASCENT STRESS POINTS
Paul Craig Roberts, The Washington Times, 11/16/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20011116-75497502.htm
The idea of a multicultural state is an obvious insanity. The problems
of
multicultural politics led to the breakup of the Austrian-Hungarian
Empire.
In our own time we have witnessed the breakup of the multicultural
Yugoslav
state and the Russian Empire...
...Of all the hyphenated-Americans, Muslims pose the greatest
challenge.
Islam assimilates neither into a Judeo-Christian civilization, nor into
a
secular one. Secular Muslim states are experiencing difficulties
themselves
and have to rely on force to remain in power.
The assimilation of Muslims in the U.S. would be daunting even for a
culture aware of the challenge. It became impossible when civil rights
policy turned every hyphenated-American into a "preferred minority" and
endowed them with special legal privileges.
U.S. civil rights policy not only turned native-born whites into
second-class citizens, but also prevents the implementation of sensible
airport security measures...
POLITE COMMENTS TO: letters@washingtontimes.com, cre8ors@aol.com,
info@creators.com COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR DIRECTOR SPEAKS TO CONGRESSIONAL BLACK ASSOCIATES
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad spoke Wednesday at a Capitol Hill
panel
discussion on racial profiling organized by the Congressional Black
Associates.
He joined representatives of the Hispanic, Sikh and African-American
communities in challenging the effectiveness and legality of profiling
as a
law enforcement tool. Several of the panel participants noted that
although
profiling is now being directed primarily at Muslims and people who
look
"Middle Eastern," experience shows that it will also be used against
other
minorities.
-----
A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE
The New York Times, 11/16/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/16/opinion/16FRI1.html
President Bush's plan to use secret military tribunals to try
terrorists is
a dangerous idea, made even worse by the fact that it is so
superficially
attractive. In his effort to defend America from terrorists, Mr. Bush
is
eroding the very values and principles he seeks to protect, including
the
rule of law.
The administration's action is the latest in a troubling series of
attempts
since Sept. 11 to do an end run around the Constitution. It comes on
the
heels of an announcement that the Justice Department intends to wiretap
conversations between some prisoners and their lawyers. The
administration
also continues to hold hundreds of detainees without revealing their
identities, the charges being brought against them or even the reasons
for
such secrecy...
SEE ALSO: CONYERS CHALLENGES ADMINISTRATION ON MILITARY TRIBUNALS
http://www.house.gov/conyers/pr111601.htm
Today Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House
Judiciary
Committee joined other Democratic members of the House Judiciary
Committee
to address the recent actions taken by the Administration regarding
Military Tribunals and other anti-terrorism acts...
-----
IMMIGRANTS REFUSE MEALS TO PROTEST TREATMENT
The New York Times, 11/16/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/16/nyregion/16STRI.html
Seven immigrants detained at a county jail in New Jersey since the
Sept. 11
terror attacks are staging a hunger strike to protest their treatment
by
federal immigration officials, county officials said yesterday.
But the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which pays the jail to
house the detainees, said it was unaware of any hunger strikers.
Nonetheless, the agency said it would take steps to address concerns of
detainees at the jail, the Hudson County Correctional Center, including
serving halal meals, which adhere to Islamic dietary rules, beginning
today.
Jacob de Lemos, a county spokesman, said two of the seven detainees
began
refusing to take meals two weeks ago, and have been joined in a hunger
strike by five others. He would not identify the detainees. The jail,
in
Kearny, N.J., about five miles west of Manhattan, was holding 303
immigration service detainees yesterday, most of them rounded up since
the
attacks, Mr. de Lemos said. "They feel that the I.N.S. does not visit
them
enough at the jail or let them know what's going on with their cases,"
he
said...
-----
AL-JAZEERA'S CORRESPONDENT IN US BRIEFLY DETAINED
Agence France-Presse, 11/15/2001
DOHA, Nov 14 (AFP) - Qatar's Al-Jazeera satellite channel said one of
its
correspondents in the United States was detained for several hours by
police while covering Wednesday's US-Russian summit in Texas.
"American police detained Al-Jazeera's Washington correspondent
Mohammad
al-Alami while he was covering the US-Russian summit in Texas," it said
in
an on-screen announcement.
Alami later told Al-Jazeera by telephone that he had been freed.
The journalist had been detained at Waco airport from where he was to
travel to Crawford for the summit between US President George W. Bush
and
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
"Policemen armed with M-16 automatic rifles followed me as I was
leaving
the airport and arrested me," he told Al-Jazeera, during his
short-lived
incarceration.
"The police told me that a credit card of Al-Jazeera's Washington
office
that I used to rent a car and reserve a plane ticket and my hotel room
had
in the past served for transactions linked to Afghanistan," he said...
...The White House said the US Secret Service, which is responsible for
Bush's safety, had "worked with local law enforcement to clear it up.
He's
been released..."
-----
WRITER DOCUMENTS HOLLYWOOD'S VILIFICATION OF ARABS
By Andrea Shalal-Esa, Reuters, 11/15/2001
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jack Shaheen, born in western Pennsylvania to
Christian Lebanese parents, never met a Muslim Arab until he was 40 --
when
he won a Fulbright award to teach in war-torn Beirut in the 1970s...
...The retired professor recently published "Reel Bad Arabs: How
Hollywood
Vilifies a People," a catalogue of the negative stereotypes of Arab
men,
women and children used by the U.S. movie industry in nearly every film
of
the past century that has an Arab character.
"Seen through Hollywood's distorted lenses, Arabs look different and
threatening," Shaheen concludes. "From 1896 until today, filmmakers
have
collectively indicted all Arabs as Public Enemy Number 1 -- brutal,
heartless, uncivilized, religious fanatics and money-mad cultural
'others'
bent on terrorizing civilized Westerners, especially Christians and
Jews."
Islam is also regularly linked with male supremacy, holy war and acts
of
terror, he said. "Arab equals Muslim equals terrorist -- that is the
predominant image of Islam..."
...Of all the movies Shaheen examined since 1980, he includes only 12
on
his "best" list of those containing positive portrayals of Arab people,
including "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" from 1991 and "The 13th
Warrior"
from 1999...
...Shaheen said hundreds of hate crimes committed against
Arab-Americans
and Muslims in the United States after the attacks underscored the
importance of combating stereotypes...
"...When we look at the vilification of Arab Muslims, it just makes it
that
much easier to hate and kill them," he said. "We should not be in the
business of vilifying people because of the actions of a minority of a
minority..."
NOTE: "REEL BAD ARABS: HOW HOLLYWOOD VILIFIES A PEOPLE" is available at
www.amazon.com
-----
SAN DIEGO'S MUSLIMS REACH OUT
By WILLIAM LOBDELL; H.G. REZA, The Los Angeles Times, 11/16/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000091625nov16.story
The fallout from the terrorist attacks that fastened Americans'
attention
on Islam is putting a new face on some of the traditions of Ramadan,
the
religion's month of contemplation.
And nowhere is that more true than in San Diego...
...San Diego's 12 mosques for the first time are inviting Christians
and
Jews and anyone else who is interested to attend Ramadan observances in
an
attempt to satisfy their curiosity and calm their fears about Islam...
...Muslim leaders also have planned town hall meetings, taken out
informational ads in the local newspaper and will hold
feed-the-homeless
nights downtown.
"We're basically coming out of our cocoon," said Mohamad Nasser, head
of
the newly formed American Muslim Coalition...
"...Many years ago, we Muslims had to take the effort to raise the
awareness of ourselves and our holiday," said Hussam Ayloush, executive
director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Southern
California. "This year we'll witness the largest ever coverage of
Muslims
and their holidays. Our prayer is that this will help balance out the
negative coverage..."
-----
MORE MUSLIMS FEELING TARGETED AT WORK
Claims of harassment rise after terrorist attacks
By Stephanie Armour, USA Today, 11/15/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20011115/3626814s.htm
Complaints about workplace harassment of and discrimination against
Muslims
and Arab-Americans are increasing 2 months after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The rise comes despite a drop in overall claims of vandalism, violence
and
overt harassment, officials say.
* The Council on American-Islamic Relations has logged more than 100
complaints about workplace discrimination -- topping the number of
reports
on discrimination in schools, death threats, airport profiling or
intimidation by state or federal officials.
"Physical and verbal harassment has gone down," says Hodan Hassan at
the
council, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit membership group. "But in
the
employment area, we've seen an increase in the past 2 weeks..."
-----
ISLAM: BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
By Jane Lampman, The Christian Science Monitor, 11/15/2001
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1115/p18s1-lire.html
This weekend, Muslims around the world mark the holiest month of the
Islamic calendar as they begin the fast of Ramadan. On this occasion,
the
Monitor takes a brief look at the foundational beliefs and practices of
the
world's second-largest religion, which has about 1.2 billion
adherents...
...Islamic community (umma)
A prime aim of the Koran is the establishment of a just, ethically
based
social order on earth, and Muslims are to strive to bring this about. A
high value is thus placed on the community of the faithful and on
propagating the faith (da'wa). Some political and religious groups
active
in many countries are working to bring nonobservant Muslims back to
active
practice and to make conversions. Other Muslims see da'wa as their
responsibility simply to lead moral and exemplary lives.
-----
SCHOOLS OK RAMADAN PRAYERS
By CARL CAMPANILE, New York Post, 11/15/2001
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/34481.htm
Muslim students will be permitted to pray in school during the holy
period
of Ramadan - with restrictions, Schools Chancellor Harold Levy's office
said. The prayers can't disrupt classes or impinge on the rights of
other
students, said Levy spokeswoman Margie Feinberg...
"...Students want to pray for the religious holiday. We want to
accommodate
them," Feinberg said, adding that students can ask to have their
schedules
altered to avoid missing classes...
-----
INLAND MUSLIMS HAVE DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS BUT SHARE A COMMON FAITH AS
THEY
CELEBRATE THE START OF RAMADAN
By SYBEL ALGER, The Press-Enterprise, 11/15/2001
http://www.pe.com/lifestyles/stories/10014422_PE_LIV_nislam15.html
...The Inland area's Muslim community is growing. A mosque opened in
Perris
a few months ago. Islamic societies in the Temecula Valley and Corona
are
raising money to build larger mosques. And a new mosque is in the
planning
stages for Redlands. The Riverside mosque was recently remodeled.
Mosques
in San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Chino, Adelanto and Rialto cater to a
population growing because of immigration and conversion...
...A recent report found that 33 percent of American Muslims affiliated
with mosques are from South-Central Asia, 30 percent are
African-American
and 25 percent Arab.
The study found that in the United States, 64 percent of converts to
Islam
are African-American, 27 percent white and 6 percent Hispanic.
There are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. No more than 20
percent of Muslims live in the Arabic-speaking world, according to the
Council on American-Islamic Relations. The country with the largest
Muslim
population is Indonesia.
Here is a look at some of the Muslims who live in the Inland area...
-----
LA MUSLIM FREE CLINIC RECEIVES AWARD
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles marks its fifteenth
year
of National Philanthropy Day by honoring local philanthropists in
individual, corporate and non-profit categories at an annual
celebration
that attracts over 1,000 people. Los Angeles hosts the largest National
Philanthropy Day celebration in the country.
"Changing the World with a Giving Heart" is the theme of this year's
event,
which spotlights nine honorees in categories, including Outstanding
Volunteer, Outstanding Corporation, Outstanding Youth Volunteer and
Outstanding Professional...
...National Philanthropy Day was signed into effect in 1986, from a
declaration by President Ronald Reagan and the U.S. Congress, as well
as
several individuals and organizations in the nonprofit sector. Douglas
Freeman, Esq., this year's special honoree, worked with President
Reagan to
put the national day into effect...
...This year's honorees include:
Outstanding Volunteer Organization -- The UMMA Free Clinic
The UMMA Free Clinic is the only free clinic in South Central LA.
Patients
receive free medical care, medications, laboratory evaluation and
treatment. UMMA means community in Arabic (University Muslim Medical
Assoc.)...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
ACTION REQUESTED: Contact the World Affairs Forum to express
appreciation
for their refusal to be intimidated by an Islamophobic smear campaign.
Ms. Eileen Heaphy
Executive Director
The World Affairs Forum
20 Summer Street, 2nd Floor
Stamford, CT 06901
TEL: (203) 356-0340
E-MAIL: (203) 348-7130
E-MAIL: info@worldaffairsforum.org
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, cair-ny@cair-ny.com
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CT FORUM REJECTS AJC ATTEMPT TO EXCLUDE MUSLIM SPEAKER
(WASHINGTON, DC - 11/18/2001) - In the second such incident in two
weeks, a
Jewish group's call to have a Muslim speaker excluded from a public
forum
designed to promote intercultural understanding has been rejected by
event
organizers.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) had asked that Ghazi Khankan,
Executive
Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relation's New York
chapter, be
denied the right to speak today at a panel discussion, titled
"Understanding Islam - after 9/11," sponsored by the Connecticut
Humanities
Council and the World Affairs Forum. Other panelists include Rep.
Christopher Shays (R-CT) and author James Reston, Jr. (The forum will
be
held at 4 p.m. on the University of Connecticut's Broad Street Campus.)
Last week, the Florida Commission on Human Relations rejected a similar
demand by that state's chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to
exclude a Muslim representative from a panel discussion at an annual
civil
rights conference.
In response to the AJC demand, World Affairs Forum Executive Director
Eileen Heaphy was quoted as saying, "He [Khankan] comes highly
recommended
and we look forward to hearing from him." SEE:
http://www.worldaffairsforum.org/calendar.htm
"AJC e-mail messages circulated to religious and community leaders, and
obtained by CAIR, make false and defamatory accusations against our
organization," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad. In one e-mail from
the
AJC's Ellen Israelson wrote, "Regarding Ghazi Khankan - I have an
entire
file on Ghazi...Ghazi has always been vocally anti-Israel." (See note
below
concerning similar activities by the ADL.)
"As we have recently documented, this is just one part of a nationwide,
politically-motivated smear campaign by the AJC, the ADL and other
Islamophobic groups designed to marginalize and disenfranchise the
Muslim
community in America. We thank the event organizers for rejecting these
exclusionary tactics," said Ahmad. SEE: "'Islamophobic Smear Campaign'
Goes
Public" at http://www.cair-net.org/nr/11-08.asp
"Muslims, like every emerging ethnic or religious minority in our
nation,
have to struggle to take their proper place in the American social and
political arena. But no other group ever had to contend, as we do, with
another minority actively seeking to block its progress. We believe the
current ratcheting-up of this malicious campaign is prompted by alarm
at
the growing influence American Muslims are having on this country's
political process," said Ahmad.
To support its assertion that there is on ongoing smear campaign
against
Muslim groups, CAIR cited a recent Los Angeles Times article that laid
direct responsibility for the campaign at the feet of specific
organizations. Times reporter Solomon Moore wrote: "Pro-Israel or
Jewish
organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Defense
League
and the Middle East Forum think tank have provided news organizations
with
reams of critical documentation on Muslim leaders in recent weeks."
(Los
Angeles Times, 11/3/2001)
Today's Washington Post carries an article that says "Jewish groups and
some conservatives have been lobbying the president to stop courting
certain Muslim leaders."
The Post article quoted the leader of one of these groups as saying:
"There
is no such thing as peaceful Islam...Islamics cannot fit into an
America in
which the first loyalty is to the American Constitution. They should be
encouraged to leave. They are a fifth column in this country."
In the May 28, 2001, issue of The Jerusalem Report, AJC Executive
Director
David A. Harris wrote: "We dare not underestimate the Arab and Muslim
lobbies [in America] or delude ourselves as to their ultimate
objectives.
The stakes are too high. The call for action by American Jewry...is
clear."
The Middle East Forum's Daniel Pipes, one of the foremost proponents of
the
current anti-Muslim campaign, goes so far as to recommend "vigilant
application of social and political pressure to ensure that Islam is
not
accorded special status of any kind in this country." (Commentary,
November
2001) (The "special status" Pipes refers to includes ordinary religious
accommodations for Muslims in the workplace and "inclusion of Muslims
in
affirmative-action plans.") In that same article, Pipes wrote: "The
Muslim
population in this country is not like any other group...they harbor
designs for this country that warrant urgent and serious attention."
In a recent Salon.com interview, Pipes was questioned about his
recommendation that "officials need to scrutinize the speech,
associations,
and activities of potential visitors or immigrants for any signs of
Islamist allegiances and keep out anyone they suspect of such ties."
Pipes told Salon.com: "Look, I like this country as it is and I don't
want
it to turn into something quite different...If you want to see an
Islamist
country, then you will have the opposite view from mine...The danger is
within..." He has also compared American Muslim voter registration
drives
to those of the Communist Party USA.
SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide. "The Mosque in America: A National Portrait," (SEE:
www.cair-net.org/mosquereport), the largest study of its kind, showed
the
number of American mosques grew by 25 percent in the past seven years.
NOTE: In 1999, the ADL agreed to pay $25,000 to a community relations
fund
and said it would not spy on other organizations as part of a
settlement
with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and other groups.
The
settlement resolved a class-action lawsuit filed in 1993 that accused
the
ADL of spying on Arab-American, pro-Palestinian and anti-apartheid
groups
and individuals. (Associated Press, 9/28/1999)
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUSLIMS ASK FOR MEETING WITH EVANGELIST OVER REMARKS ON ISLAM
Franklin Graham claims Islam is "a very evil and wicked religion"
(WASHINGTON, D.C. - 11/19/2001) - A prominent American Muslim advocacy
group today requested a meeting with Christian evangelist Franklin
Graham
to discuss his recently-revealed remarks that attacked Islam as an
"evil
and wicked religion."
In a report aired Friday on "NBC Nightly News," Graham stood by remarks
he
made about Islam last month at the dedication of a chapel in North
Carolina. At that event, Graham said: "We're not attacking Islam but
Islam
has attacked us. The God of Islam is not the same God. He's not the son
of
God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It's a different God,
and I
believe it is a very evil and wicked religion." In the NBC report,
Graham
said, "I don't believe this [Islam] is this wonderful, peaceful
religion."
SEE: http://www.msnbc.com/news/659057.asp?cp1=1
On Sunday, Graham issued a statement in which he said: "It is not my
calling to analyze Islam or any other religions, though I recognize
that
all religions have differences. In the past, I have expressed my
concerns
about the teachings of Islam regarding the treatment of women and the
killing of non-Muslims or infidels." Graham said he would have no
further
comments on the issue.
SEE: http://www.charlotte.com/observer/natwor/docs/franklin1119.htm
In a letter sent today to Graham, Nihad Awad, executive director of the
Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), wrote:
"We
have found that negative impressions of Islam are most often based on a
lack of accurate and objective information. As God states in the Quran,
Islam's revealed text: 'O mankind! We created you from a male and a
female
and made you into nations and tribes that you may know and honor each
other
(not that you should despise one another). Indeed the most honorable of
you
in the sight of God is the most righteous.' (49:13)
"The Quran also states: 'Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with
wisdom
and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and
most
gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best who have strayed from His Path and
who
receive guidance.' (16:125)
"I would therefore respectfully request a meeting during which
recognized
Muslim scholars may offer you information about Islam, particularly
Islam's
stance on the rights of women and minorities, that is free of bias and
distortions. At this time of national and international crisis, it is
imperative that we come together as people of faith to promote
inter-religious understanding and mutual respect."
Franklin Graham is the son of Billy Graham, an internationally-known
minister who has counseled a number of world leaders. The younger
Graham
offered the benediction at President Bush's swearing-in ceremony. On
September 14, at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance service in
Washington's National Cathedral, his father said: "We come together
today
to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic,
religious or political background may be."
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide. SEE: "The Mosque in America: A National Portrait,"
at
http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport.
- END -
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/20/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* RAMADAN GREETINGS FROM CAIR
* CAIR-CAN RELEASES INTERIM REPORT CARD ON ANTI-MUSLIM HATE
* EDITORIALS: GRAHAM ON ISLAM (Charlotte Observer)
* ISLAMIC GROUP HOPEFUL FOR GRAHAM MEETING (AP)
* MUSLIM GROUP SEEKS TO MEET BILLY GRAHAM'S SON (New York Times)
* RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE MAY BE WEAKENING (USA Today)
* REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT IFTAAR DINNER
* ISLAM IS PART OF THE WEST, TOO (New York Times)
* JOINT STATEMENT AGAINST EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION IN THE AFTERMATH OF
THE
SEPTEMBER 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS
* FORD MOTOR WORKERS GET ON THE JOB TRAINING IN RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE (NY
Times)
- MANAGERS WRESTLE CHALLENGES OF POST-ATTACK WORKPLACES (USA
Today)
* FAA FACT SHEET: NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR,
NATIONAL
ORIGIN, SEX OR CREED
* UNDERSTANDING RAMADAN: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN IMAM (Washington Post)
* RAMADAN: REFLECTING ON SEPT. 11 AND BEYOND (Providence Journal)
* ISRAEL FAILS TO ADDRESS INCREASING USE OF TORTURE (Amnesty
International)
* RESOURCES ON ISLAM
- AMERICAN MUSLIM ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS
- AMERICAN MOSQUES: A PHOTO ESSAY
* CAIR-LA: KNBC TO AIR "RAMADAN GREETINGS"
-----
RAMADAN GREETINGS FROM CAIR
http://www.cair-net.org/ramadangreeting/
-----
CAIR-CAN RELEASES INTERIM REPORT CARD ON ANTI-MUSLIM HATE, WARNS OF
RACIAL
PROFILING UNDER BILL C-36
(OTTAWA, CANADA) - The national office of the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-CAN) and the Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties
Association
(CMCLA) today released an interim report card on incidents of
anti-Muslim
hate in Canada since September 11th, 2001. CAIR-CAN is currently
producing
a formal report that will further analyze the character and
distribution of
the anti-Muslim backlash.
To date, there have been 110 reported incidents that have included
harassment, threats, death threats, attacks on personal properties,
physical assaults and the vandalism and attempted arson of Canadian
Islamic
centers and places of worship. (For a full breakdown by incident type,
please see the report card at the end of the release.)
Of particular concern are the incidents of racial profiling, many of
which
have been covered in the mainstream media. In one incident, for
example, a
Muslim flight attendant was searched because he was told 'he fits the
bill.' In another incident, a Muslim janitor was dismissed from a
provincial medical examiner's building and told not to return until he
obtained a criminal check from the police and the Canadian Security
Intelligence Service (CSIS). In recent news, a Muslim engineer is now
suing
the RCMP and CSIS when he was dismissed as a security risk after the
agencies questioned him about his religion and life history. He was not
proven to be a security threat at all.
CAIR-CAN says government's proposed anti-terrorism legislation, Bill
C-36,
is an invitation for further profiling of Canadian Muslims. The vague
provisions of C-36, its use of undisclosed secret evidence, and its
unprecedented powers of arrest might very well disproportionately
impact
the Canadian Arab and Muslim communities. Individual and groups who are
smeared with the crime of the century -- as terrorists or terrorist
sympathizers -- will have their lives, reputations and livelihoods
irreparably damaged.
"The anti-Muslim hate and incidents of racial profiling demonstrate a
number of latent biases and stereotypes prevalent about Muslims. It is
alarming to know, as confirmed by the Police, that such incidents are
under-reported and represent a small proportion of the total backlash,"
said CAIR-CAN Executive Director Riad Saloojee.
President of the CMCLA Faisal Kutty stated, "The ambiguous and
draconian
provisions under Bill C-36 will only exacerbate the scapegoating of the
Canadian Muslim and Arab communities. Our government must make
substantive
amendments to the Bill to ensure the safety and security of all
Canadians."
INTERIM REPORT CARD ON ANTI-MUSLIM HATE
SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001 - NOVEMBER 15TH, 2001
INCIDENTS BY CATEGORY
Attacks on Personal Properties: 7
Attacks on Mosques/Islamic Centres: 12
Death Threats: 10
Hate Messages: 10
Job Termination: 3
Physical Harassment: 13
Racial Profiling: 5
Refusal of Services: 2
Threats: 5
Verbal Harassment: 33
Miscellaneous Harassment: 10
----------------------------------------------
TOTAL 110
----------------------------------------------
CONTACT: Riad Saloojee: 613-798-0003 or cair_can@hotmail.com
-----
EDITORIALS: GRAHAM ON ISLAM
Should a religion be blamed for its adherents' evil acts?
The Charlotte Observer, 11/20/2001
http://www.charlotte.com/observer/natwor/docs/grahamedit1120.htm
Suppose you encountered a religion whose sacred book taught that
everyone
who didn't profess that faith would fry for eternity in a fiery pit, a
religion whose teachings were cited as the justification for burning
unbelievers at the stake, keeping blacks in slavery, restricting
women's
freedom, banning books and executing scientists whose findings
contradicted
the religion's tenets.
Hardly a religion based in love and tolerance, you might say.
That religion would be Christianity.
Given the intolerant, aggressive, bloody history of people acting in
Christ's name, you'd hope Christians would think twice before calling
somebody else's religion "wicked." There's no evidence, however, that
Christian evangelist Franklin Graham thought even once before putting
that
brand on Islam...
...The list of murderers and terrorists who claimed God was on their
side
is long and depressing. The question of whether a religion should be
judged
by its best or its worst adherents is open to debate, but it's plainly
unfair to use one standard for somebody else's religion and another for
your own...
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: opinion@charlotteobserver.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
Please include your name, complete address and daytime telephone number
if
you would like your letter to be publish.
-----
ISLAMIC GROUP HOPEFUL FOR GRAHAM MEETING
By The Associated Press, 11/20/2001
An Islamic advocacy group wants to meet North Carolina evangelist
Franklin Graham to discuss his recent statement that Islam is "a very
evil
and wicked religion," a group spokesman said Tuesday.
"Negative impressions of Islam are most often based on a lack of
accurate
and objective information," Nihad Awad, executive director of the
Council
on America-Islamic Relations, said in a letter faxed Monday to Graham.
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based council, said Graham
needs to clarify his position, but the group hadn't heard from him. The
council gets involved in civil rights cases involving Muslims.
"If that is his belief, what does that say about him being accepted in
mainstream Christian thought," Hooper said. "You've got everybody from
the
president to the pope saying Islam is not evil and wicked.
"How does he integrate his view with these views? What does that say
about
any elected officials who is associated with him?..."
...Graham, who had been traveling and just returned to his office
Tuesday,
didn't have immediate comment on the letter, said spokesman Jeremy
Blume.
-----
MUSLIM GROUP SEEKS TO MEET BILLY GRAHAM'S SON
By GUSTAV NIEBUHR, The New York Times, 11/20/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/20/national/20GRAH.html
A Muslim advocacy organization, the Council on America-Islamic
Relations,
said yesterday that it had sent a letter to the Rev. Franklin Graham,
to
discuss remarks that Mr. Graham, an evangelist, made describing Islam
as evil.
Nihad Awad, the council's executive director, said that he wrote to ask
Mr.
Graham to meet with him and Muslim scholars, as a response to remarks
Mr.
Graham made in an October interview broadcast on Friday on NBC's
"Nightly
News."
Mr. Graham, the eldest son of the evangelist Billy Graham, is president
of
Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief organization that provides food,
clothing and medical aid to poor people overseas. SEE:
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
...His criticism of Islam stands out when many public figures have
emphasized interreligious understanding, not least Mr. Bush, who has
asked
Americans not to blame the faith for the acts of Sept. 11.
Mr. Awad said he wanted to give Mr. Graham "a chance to know Islam
first-hand."
In his letter, Mr. Awad said "negative impressions of Islam are most
often
based on a lack of accurate and objective information..."
...A spokeswoman said yesterday that Mr. Graham would not comment
further.
-----
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE MAY BE WEAKENING
USA Today, 11/20/2001
President Bush calls Islam a religion of peace, and Congress opened
last
week with prayer by a Muslim chaplain, but some well-known Christian
conservative political activists and preachers are breaking ranks. This
weekend, Paul Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation,
called
for the U.S. Postal Service's year-old "Eid Greetings" stamp to be
rescinded and "overprinted with the image of the twin towers," because
"America's most notable experience with Islam was the attacks on Sept.
11."
Meanwhile, the leaders of Council on American-Islamic Relations and the
American Muslim Council were outraged by evangelist Franklin Graham,
seen
on NBC Nightly News on Friday, the first night of the Islamic holy
month of
Ramadan, calling their faith "wicked, violent and not of the same God."
Graham's only statement since the broadcast says he is called to "love
all
people, regardless of their faith," and points out that Muslim people
are
the chief beneficiary of his international relief mission, Samaritan's
Purse.
-----
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT IFTAAR DINNER
The State Dining Room, 5:50 P.M. EST, 11/19/2001
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, and welcome to the White House. I'm so
honored
to welcome such distinguished guests and ambassadors during the holy
month
of Ramadan.
America is made better by millions of Muslim citizens. America has
close
and important relations with many Islamic nations. So it is fitting for
America to honor your friendship and the traditions of a great faith by
hosting this Iftaar at the White House...
...Ramadan is a time of fasting and prayer for the Muslim faithful. So
tonight we are reminded of God's greatness and His commandments to live
in
peace and to help neighbors in need. According to Muslim teachings, God
first revealed His word in the holy Qur'an to the prophet, Muhammad,
during
the month of Ramadan. That word has guided billions of believers across
the
centuries, and those believers built a culture of learning and
literature
and science.
All the world continues to benefit from this faith and its
achievements.
Ramadan and the upcoming holiday season are a good time for people of
different faiths to learn more about each other. And the more we learn,
the
more we find that many commitments are broadly shared. We share a
commitment to family, to protect and love our children. We share a
belief
in God's justice, and man's moral responsibility. And we share the same
hope for a future of peace. We have much in common and much to learn
from
one another...
-----
ISLAM IS PART OF THE WEST, TOO
By WOLFGANG PETRITSCH, The New York Times, 11/20/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/20/opinion/20PETR.html
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- The Sept. 11 attack on America has
sparked
a debate about Islam that has, unfortunately, been framed in terms of
us
(the civilized, Western world) and them (the dangerous, suspect
Muslims).
Even well-intentioned statements dismissing the rhetoric of crusades
have
not softened an implicit skepticism among many people toward Islam.
This
wariness is of immediate concern to the 12 million Muslims who are
citizens
of European Union countries, five million of them in the Balkans...
...When we step beyond the us-and-them paradigm, we might remember that
Islam is part of the European tradition. This is the larger context in
which the small country of Bosnia and Herzegovina must prove that
peaceful
coexistence of Islam and Christianity is possible. More than ever, it
needs
Europe's support in doing so...
-----
JOINT STATEMENT AGAINST EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION IN THE AFTERMATH OF
THE
SEPTEMBER 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS
http://www.eeoc.gov/press/11-19-01-js.html
Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, we have seen compassion and
respect for people of all faiths, races, and national and ethnic
origins in
workplaces throughout our country. One month after the attacks,
President
Bush noted with gratitude this "outpouring of compassion for people
within
our own country," recognizing that individuals of many religions stand
side-by-side in America.
Nonetheless, we continue to receive reports of incidents of harassment,
discrimination, and violence in the workplace against individuals who
are,
or are perceived to be, Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, or
Sikh.
When people are singled out for unfair treatment or are harassed based
on
their national origin, immigration status, ethnicity, or religious
affiliation, practices, or manner of dress, we must act quickly to
address
and redress these acts of discrimination.
As leaders within the principal federal agencies responsible for
enforcing
the laws against discrimination in employment, we are issuing this
joint
statement to reaffirm the federal government's commitment to the civil
rights of all working people in our fight against terrorism. These
agencies
- the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Civil Rights
Division of
the Department of Justice, and the Office of Federal Contract
Compliance
Programs of the Department of Labor - together continue to intensify
their
efforts to combat discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, national
origin, or immigration status in the workplace.
To that end, we are encouraging victims to come forward so that we can
promptly investigate their complaints...
...Individuals who wish to file a complaint of employment
discrimination
should call the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at
1-800-669-4000
(allegations involving employers of fifteen or more employees); the
Department of Justice's Office of Special Counsel Worker Hotline at
1-800-255-7688 (national origin allegations against employers with four
to
fourteen employees and citizenship or immigration status allegations
against all employers); or the Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Programs at 1-888-376-3227(allegations against federal government
contractors).
-----
FORD MOTOR WORKERS GET ON THE JOB TRAINING IN RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
By DANNY HAKIM, The New York Times, 11/19/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/19/business/19FORD.html
DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 15 -- The Christians asked about fatwas, divine
revelation and the promise of paradise for terrorists, while the
Muslims
listened. Both groups wore sport coats, work shirts or lab coats, and a
few
women came with heads covered. But they all carried the same storied
emblem
on their ID cards, the blue oval encircling the scripted Ford.
Several hundred Ford Motor workers of many faiths and jobs --
engineers,
designers, computer jockeys, plant foremen -- turned out today for "An
Islamic perspective on the events of Sept. 11." The event was sponsored
by
Ford, the nation's second-largest automaker and a company in a unique
position since Sept. 11...
SEE ALSO: MANAGERS WRESTLE CHALLENGES OF POST-ATTACK WORKPLACES
http://www.usatoday.com/money/bcovfri.htm
-----
FAA FACT SHEET: NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL
ORIGIN, SEX OR CREED
http://www.faa.gov/acr/NonDiscTrans.htm
This Fact Sheet is intended to address questions and concerns about the
travel of persons and potential discrimination on the basis of race,
color,
national origin, sex or creed as it relates to airports and airlines.
In
the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, security
measures
have been heightened for the safety of all. While safety and security
are
the highest priorities, of equal importance is a smooth, and safe
experience for all individuals as their journey takes them through the
aviation system...
...While we are hopeful that contacting and coordinating with the
airline
and/or airport in advance will make your trip a smooth one, we realize
that
things do not always go as planned. As an air traveler, if you feel
that
you have been treated in a discriminatory manner and in a way
inconsistent
with the safe carriage of all passengers, you may file a complaint
against
the airline or airport owner. Complaints on discrimination matters
regarding race, color, national origin, sex or creed should be filed
with
the following:
* Complaints and concerns against airlines in providing air
transportation
regarding discrimination against persons based on race, color or
national
origin, should be directed to:
Aviation Consumer Protection Division (C-75)
Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and
Proceedings
Department of Transportation, 400 7th Street, SW, Room 4107
Washington, DC 20590
* Complaints and concerns against 1) businesses serving the public on
the
airport property regarding discrimination, or 2) against an airport
operator/owner in providing services at the airport or in airport
programs
regarding discrimination against persons, should be directed to:
Office of Civil Rights
Federal Aviation Administration, Room 1030
800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20591
* Complaints and concerns regarding discrimination based on race,
color,
national origin or sex in programs or activities of federally assisted
entities or in the provision of public accommodations, should be
directed to:
U. S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Coordination and Review Section
P. O. Box 66560
Washington, DC 20035-6560
-----
UNDERSTANDING RAMADAN: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN IMAM
The Washington Post, 11/18/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/liveonline/111801-1v.htm
Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki, of the Falls Church Dar Al-hijrah Islamic Center,
shares his daily experience during the month of Ramadan, the Islamic
holy
month of fasting.
-----
RAMADAN: REFLECTING ON SEPT. 11 AND BEYOND
RIAD Z. ABDELKARIM, The Providence Journal, 11/17/2001
http://www.projo.com/cgi-bin/story.pl/opinion/06560701.htm
(Riad Z. Abdelkarim, M.D., is Western Region communications director
for
the Council on American-Islamic Relations [CAIR], the nation's largest
Muslim civil-rights and advocacy group.)
AS OUR NATION'S estimated seven million Muslims have begun to mark the
holy
month of Ramadan this week, they join many of the world's 1.2 billion
Muslims on an annual journey of heightened spiritual awareness
consisting
of dawn-to-dusk fasting, special communal prayers, reading the Koran
(Islam's holy book), and giving to the poor...
...Foremost in the minds of most Muslims this year are the horrific
events
of Sept. 11 and their aftermath. For the American Muslim community, the
terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on
that
dark day were doubly painful.
First, like the rest of our country, we watched in stunned horror as
the
twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked.
Many
of us wondered whether any of our friends or loved ones were aboard one
of
the hijacked planes or inside one of the targeted buildings...
...This Ramadan, American Muslims are most thankful for the support of
their neighbors and friends of other faiths. As our nation turned to
war,
American Muslims were unequivocal in their support of efforts to bring
the
perpetrators of the Sept. 11 horrors to justice.
...On a positive note, since Sept. 11 there has been an intense
interest in
Islam and Muslims among ordinary Americans. Bookstores and libraries
cannot
seem to keep enough books about Islam on their shelves. This Ramadan,
American Muslims hope to make the most of this thirst for knowledge and
provide our fellow Americans with a true, undistorted picture of our
beautiful faith. Ours is a religion of peace, tolerance, and
moderation...
-----
ISRAEL FAILS TO ADDRESS INCREASING USE OF TORTURE
Amnesty International, 11/20/2001
http://www.amnesty.org/
GENEVA -- The Israeli government has failed to address the evidence of
increasing use of torture by its law enforcement officials, Amnesty
International said today as the United Nations Committee Against
Torture
prepares to examine the country's third periodic report.
Amnesty International's briefing to the Committee stated that, since
the
September 1999 High Court of Justice judgement which banned
interrogation
methods constituting torture, there has been strong evidence that these
methods - including sleep deprivation often seated in painful
positions;
prolonged squatting on haunches; painful handcuffing - are now being
used
again...
-----
RESOURCES ON ISLAM
AMERICAN MUSLIM ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS
http://www.amafandvac.org
AMERICAN MOSQUES: A PHOTO ESSAY
http://www.usinfo.state.gov/usa/islam/mosques.htm
-----
KNBC TO AIR "RAMADAN GREETINGS"
Beginning this week, KNBC Channel 4 will be airing "Ramadan Greetings"
Station ID's throughout the month. CAIR encourages the community to
keep a
look out for the "Ramadan Greetings" and to contact KNBC and express
appreciation for being the first TV station in Southern California to
air
"Ramadan Greetings."
CONTACT:
Jamie Foster, Assistant News Director, KNBC
E-MAIL: jamie.foster@nbc.com
COPY TO: CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-489-5108
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/21/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* CAIR PARTICIPATES IN STATE DEPT. CONFERENCE CALL ON MIDEAST PEACE
* GOOD NEWS: MUSLIM POSTAL WORKER GETS JOB BACK
* WRC-TV TO AIR "RAMADAN GREETINGS"
* GA CONGRESSMAN SAYS "ARREST EVERY MUSLIM THAT CROSSES THE STATE LINE"
* KINDNESS OFFENSIVE? (Washington Times)
* NOT ALL CHRISTIANS REACH OUT TO ISLAM (USA Today)
* A POLICE FORCE REBUFFS F.B.I. ON QUERYING MIDEAST MEN (NY Times)
* "TAKE YOUR THING OFF!" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
* U.S. AMBASSADOR IN PAKISTAN JOINS RAMADAN FASTING (Reuters)
* MUSLIMS FIND WELCOMING HOME ON TEXAS RANGE (Chicago Tribune)
* IN BROOKLYN, HEALING RHYTHMS OF RAMADAN (NY Times)
* AREA MUSLIMS FIND THEIR FAITH IS UNDER SIEGE (Indianapolis Star)
-----
CAIR PARTICIPATES IN STATE DEPT. CONFERENCE CALL ON MIDEAST PEACE
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, along with several other American
Muslim and Arab-American leaders, participated in a conference call on
Tuesday with David Satterfield, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
Near Eastern Affairs. The call was initiated to provide community
feedback
on Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech dealing with U.S. proposals
for
peace in the Middle East. Reaction of call participants was generally
positive, but concerns were expressed about continued construction of
Israeli settlements, Muslim rights in Jerusalem and Palestinian
refugees'
right of return.
-----
GOOD NEWS: MUSLIM POSTAL WORKER GETS JOB BACK
Alhamdulillah - A Muslim postal worker in Connecticut is back on the
job
after being fired during the anti-Muslim backlash following the
September
11 terrorist attacks. The worker had been terminated after he
complained
about harassment from a co-worker. With CAIR's help, he filed an EEOC
complaint that resulted in his being re-hired and offered back pay.
-----
WRC-TV TO AIR "RAMADAN GREETINGS"
Beginning Tuesday, November 27, WRC-TV NBC Channel 4 in Washington,
D.C.,
will air "Ramadan Greetings" Station IDs. CAIR encourages local
community
members to contact WRC and express appreciation for being one of the
first
TV stations in the Washington metropolitan area to air "Ramadan
Greetings."
CONTACT:
Donna Weston
E-MAIL: donna.weston@nbc.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
GA CONGRESSMAN SAYS "ARREST EVERY MUSLIM THAT CROSSES THE STATE LINE"
LAWMAKER TRIES TO EXPLAIN REMARK
Rep. Chambliss, a Senate Hopeful, Commented on Muslims
By Thomas B. Edsall, The Washington Post, 11/21/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60899-2001Nov20.html
Rep. C. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), chairman of the House subcommittee on
terrorism and homeland security and a candidate for the Senate,
yesterday
sought to play down remarks to Georgia law enforcement personnel
suggesting
they "just turn [the sheriff] loose and have him arrest every Muslim
that
crosses the state line."
In a letter to the Valdosta Daily Times, Chambliss contended that his
comments were taken "out of context" and "should in no way be
interpreted
as my view of what should happen...If my remarks were offensive in any
way,
I apologize."
...Chambliss, according to sources in Valdosta, personally sought to
persuade the reporter, Bill Roberts, to kill the story using his
remarks,
and asked the local sheriff to help block publication. An aide to
Chambliss
said he did not know what the congressman did in connection with the
story.
Chambliss, in his letter to the Valdosta paper, said he agrees
"wholeheartedly with remarks made by President Bush expressing the
sentiment that this war is against terrorism -- not Muslims...I regret
that
any comments I made might have been misconstrued and misrepresented my
true
intentions and beliefs concerning this issue. Those of the Muslim faith
or
Arabic heritage are not our enemies. Terrorists are our enemy..."
ACTION REQUESTED:
CONTACT Rep. Chambliss to express your concerns about his remarks.
Congressman Saxby Chambliss
1019 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
TEL: (202) 225-6531
FAX: (202) 225-3013
URL: http://www.house.gov/chambliss/
E-MAIL: saxby.chambliss@mail.house.gov, michelle.hitt@mail.house.gov,
dhastert@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
KINDNESS OFFENSIVE?
By Cal Thomas, The Washington Times, 11/21/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20011121-84983942.htm
The weapon of choice following the hoped for vanquishing of the Taliban
appears to be kindness.
President Bush on Monday (Nov. 19) invited 50 ambassadors from Muslim
countries to the White House for a traditional Iftar meal, breaking the
sunrise-to-sunset daily fast of Ramadan. The ambassadors knelt and
touched
their foreheads to the floor of the East Reception Room. It's unlikely
they
were praying Lee Greenwood's lyrics for "God Bless the USA."
Last Thursday, a Muslim cleric delivered the opening prayer before the
U.S.
House of Representatives. Historically, only Christians and Jews have
delivered such prayers...
...In New York City, Islamic public school children are now allowed to
pray
during the school day, a practice denied to Jews and Christians...
...A president's primary duty is not to make friends but to protect the
United States and its people. Muslims who take their faith seriously
are
prohibited from making alliances with "infidels" except as a means to
the
end of forcing them to submit to Allah. In the Koran, Sura 9:123
commands
faithful Muslims to "Fight the unbelievers who are near to you and let
them
find harshness in you." In Sura 47:7, Muslims are commanded to "Smite
at
[unbelievers] necks" and are also instructed to "subdue" and "bind"
them.
There are no commands to make friends with "infidels."
E-MAIL POLITE COMMENTS TO: (NOTE: Cal Thomas WILL use hostile response
to
further defame Islam. Also note that the Washington Times has a
consistent
pattern of publishing Islamophobic articles.)
E-MAIL: jctlatsyn@aol.com, letters@washingtontimes.com,
hbering@washingtontimes.com, fschecker@tribune.com,
ddwilliams@tribune.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
NOT ALL CHRISTIANS REACH OUT TO ISLAM
FRANKLIN GRAHAM'S COMMENTS STIR CONTROVERSY
By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today, 11/21/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20011121/3641403s.htm
The Rev. Franklin Graham, a strict evangelical Christian, gave an
invocation at President George W. Bush's inauguration "in Jesus' name,"
and
he still toes a sectarian line on the hot topic of Islam -- even when
it
means breaking ranks with the president he blessed. Graham is the
latest of
several conservative Christians to call Islam evil and to make no
differentiation between the beliefs of terrorists and the teachings of
Islam's holy book, the Koran.
Bush never misses a moment to praise Islam as a religion of peace.
Tuesday, at a pre-Thanksgiving event, Bush talked about compassion and
charity as values Muslims share with everyone of faith. Monday, he held
the
first Iftar party in the White House, for ambassadors from Muslim
nations.
Muslims are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan with prayers and
fasting
from sunrise to sunset, when people gather for an Iftar meal.
Bush cited the teachings of "God's greatness and his commandments to
live
in peace and to help neighbors in need, according to the (Koran)."
But Graham, quoted last weekend calling Islam evil and wicked, has not
backed down.
Following criticism from Muslim leadership, Graham issued a brief
statement
saying, "All religions have differences." He specified concern for
Muslim
treatment of women and "the killing of non-Muslims or 'infidels,' " and
mentioned his relief mission, Samaritan's Purse, for its
multimillion-dollar aid to Muslims worldwide.
Graham should not be faulted for standing by the fundamental Christian
concept "that no man comes to the Father except through me (Jesus),"
says
the Rev. Chuck Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries,
often
cited by Bush as a model of faith-based public service.
"I wouldn't have said what Graham said. But I agree that Islam is a
religion, which, if taken seriously, promotes violence."
Colson decries "a mushy civil religion ecumenism where we want to be
united
as a nation so there are these interfaith services and there is a
tendency
to think one God is the same for everybody..."
...Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations,
counters that critics of Islam "don't know as much as they think they
know.
They know as much as they want to know..."
"...There's no problem with Christians saying Christianity is wonderful
and
everyone should accept it. It's when they attack other faiths that we
have
problems. Muslims begin everything we do 'in the name of God, the
compassionate, the merciful.' It opens almost every chapter of the
Koran --
and our letter to Graham."
-----
A POLICE FORCE REBUFFS F.B.I. ON QUERYING MIDEAST MEN
By FOX BUTTERFIELD, The New York Times, 11/21/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/21/national/21PORT.html
The Portland, Ore., police will not cooperate with the Federal Bureau
of
Investigation in its efforts to interview 5,000 young Middle Eastern
men
nationwide because such questioning violates state law, the
department's
acting police chief, Andrew Kirkland, said yesterday.
The decision is the first known case of a city's refusing to go along
with
the antiterrorism effort, which was announced last week by Attorney
General
John Ashcroft...
...Acting Chief Kirkland said the United States attorney's office in
Portland asked the police last Thursday to help with interviews of
young
Middle Eastern men in the city, sending along a list of 200 names. He
said
he quickly decided not to cooperate...
-----
"TAKE YOUR THING OFF!"
By Anila Sial, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 11/20/2001
http://home.post-dispatch.com/channel/pdweb.nsf/Tuesday
Click on "Editorial."
I prepared myself for some delays when I took my first post-Sept. 11
flight. Like most travelers, I had read about tighter security at
airports.
Plus, as a 22-year-old, scarf-wearing Muslim woman, I figured I might
be
targeted for extra scrutiny. But I wasn't prepared for what happened
when I
left St. Louis to visit my sister in New York City recently. Getting
there
from St. Louis was no problem. It was the return trip from John F.
Kennedy
Airport where things became surreal.
Following the same procedure as I have on countless other flights, I
checked my baggage and proceeded to the first security checkpoint. This
is
where travelers lay their luggage through the X-ray machine and walk
through the metal detector. I laid down my purse, jacket and cell phone
to
be scanned and walked through the metal detector without setting off
the
alarm. I stepped ahead to grab my belongings, when one of the airport
security women stopped me abruptly. "I need you to take that off," she
said, pointing towards my scarf.
Caught off guard by this unusual request, I stuttered, "What? Why?"
The woman repeated in a much louder voice, "Take your thing off!"
"I can't," I started to explain.
At this point, she began to yell: "Yes you can, take that off now!"
I had no choice but to follow her directions, especially since everyone
was
now looking at me. I unpinned my scarf and let it sit on my shoulder.
Under
the scarf I wore a tight cap to keep my hair in place. The security
guard
pointed to it and demanded I remove it, as well. I pulled the hat down
half
way. Finally, she was satisfied and allowed me to go.
Completely shocked and humiliated, I felt like crying. I realized that
the
security agent probably didn't even realize how violated I felt.
Imagine if
the woman behind me was randomly targeted and asked to remove her
blouse in
front of everyone. She would probably be stunned...
CONTACT: letters@post-dispatch.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
U.S. AMBASSADOR IN PAKISTAN JOINS RAMADAN FASTING
REUTERS, 11/21/2001
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlin, a
Christian, is fasting for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in a bid to
deepen her understanding of what Muslims experience.
"She decided she wanted to fast in Ramadan," embassy spokesman John
Kincannon said on Tuesday.
"I think it was a sense of cultural empathy," he added. "She wanted to
better understand what Muslims experience during Ramadan and gain a
sense
of spiritual values that Ramadan reflects, such as sympathy with the
poor."
"...I have never had a religious conversation with her but I believe
she is
a person of faith," Kincannon said...
-----
MUSLIMS FIND WELCOMING HOME ON TEXAS RANGE
Amarillo, with its growing Islamic community, was a litmus test of
tolerance following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
By Robert L Kaiser, The Chicago Tribune, 11/21/2001
During the long prayer Saturday after Iftar--the traditional dinner
that
breaks fasts for Muslims observing Ramadan--a boy kneeling in the
little,
brick mosque on Quail Street made a silent wish.
"I wished that my family would be OK, that nothing bad would happen
again
to America and that the whole world will be in peace," 11-year-old
Sonny
Teodosie said later.
Elsewhere in Amarillo as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began, the
rodeo
crowned a new steer-roping champion and the Kiwanis Club sponsored a
Bible-reading marathon.
Such is life in this city of 220,000, a Bible Belt town in cowboy boots
that is doing its best to make way for a swiftly growing Islamic
community...
-----
IN BROOKLYN, HEALING RHYTHMS OF RAMADAN
By DANIEL J. WAKIN, The New York Times, 11/21/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/21/nyregion/21RAMA.html
Wisps of gloom have settled in the Almontaser home these first days of
Ramadan.
For the first time, the older son, Yousif, was not at the table to
break
the fast. He is a national guardsman, called up after Sept. 11. The
second
son, Mohammed, spent most of the evening in his room. The attack
crushed
his spirit and he dropped out of his senior year of high school. Their
mother, Debbie, is saddened by the death of a close friend's brother in
the
World Trade Center.
The terrorist attacks weighed heavily on this Arab-American home in
West
Midwood, Brooklyn. But sitting around a food-laden table on Sunday, the
family talked about how the disaster had also made their observance of
Islam's holiest month that much more intense. They said that it had
made
them extra thankful at a time when Americans are about to celebrate
Thanksgiving...
...The Almontasers are prominent in Arab and Muslim circles in
Brooklyn.
The family owned the well-known Moroccan Star restaurant on Atlantic
Avenue
from 1977 to 1991. They seem to feel the responsibility of serving as
an
example of what it means to be a Muslim in America.
It wasn't always that way. Their parents were not observant as they
were
striving to assimilate. After a struggle to find a spiritual path, Mr.
Almontaser said he rediscovered his faith at age 19. Mrs. Almontaser,
originally from Buffalo, also grew more observant as an adult. They are
raising their children in the faith, and Ramadan is a prime occasion
for
that...
-----
AREA MUSLIMS FIND THEIR FAITH IS UNDER SIEGE
By Judith Cebula, Indianapolis Star, 11/21/2001
http://www.indystar.com/print/frontpage/sun/articles/islam18.html
Ismail Abdul-Aleem feels strangely invisible. Yet at no time in the 30
years since he became a Muslim has Islam, the faith that shapes his
life,
been more exposed in American culture.
Television news, the daily papers and the Internet are saturated with
information about Muslims and their beliefs. But much of the portrait
of
Islam emerging in America since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is
foreign
to Abdul-Aleem, a native of Indianapolis.
Islam does not promote terrorism, he said.
"I read the headlines about Muslims: 'Why Do They Hate Us?' And I'm
confused. I am Muslim. I am American. How can that be about me?"
Abdul-Aleem is not alone. An estimated 6 million Muslims in the United
States and 200,000 in Indiana now are participating in the fast and
prayers
of Ramadan, Islam's holiest month, which continues through Dec. 17.
They are facing an unprecedented onslaught of questions and criticism
about
their faith. Fellow Americans who knew little or nothing about Islam
before
Sept. 11 want to know how a religion that professes peace can inspire
followers to plow jetliners into New York skyscrapers in the name of
Allah...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/22/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* GOOD NEWS: MUSLIM GETS JOB BACK IN SAN DIEGO
* LETTERS: PANEL SEEKS UNDERSTANDING OF MUSLIMS (Harrisburg Patriot)
* EDITORIAL: HALL OF SHAME (Washington Post)
* LETTERS: FRANKLIN GRAHAM ON ISLAM (New York Times)
* ANTI-ISLAM SIGN AT CHURCH STIRS CONTROVERSY (AP)
* CHRISTIAN JIHAD (Beliefnet)
* U. FLORIDA SENIORS EXPERIENCE PROFILING (U-Wire)
* RECORD NUMBER OF WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS FILED SINCE
SEPT. 11
(Boston Globe)
* POLICE ARE SPLIT ON QUESTIONING OF MIDEAST MEN (New York Times)
* FOOD IMPORTANT PART OF RAMADAN TRADITION (Denver Post)
* LETTERS: STEVEN EMERSON (Washington Post)
-----
GOOD NEWS: MUSLIM GETS JOB BACK IN SAN DIEGO
Alhamdulillah - A Muslim employee at a Hollywood Video store in San
Diego
is back on the job after being fired because she refused to take off
her
headscarf. After CAIR intervened in the case, the worker was reinstated
and
allowed to wear her scarf.
-----
LETTERS: PANEL SEEKS UNDERSTANDING OF MUSLIMS
The Harrisburg Patriot, 11/21/2001
Sincerest thanks to the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg and the
newly
founded central Pennsylvania chapter of CAIR (Council on
American-Islamic
Relations) for their excellent program Nov. 18, "Civil Rights, Media
Relations and the Muslim Community."
The combined panel session, prayer service and dinner was a wonderful
opportunity for non-Muslims to learn more about this ancient
peace-promoting religion, and for Muslims to learn more about their
rights
as Americans in the face of others' fears, ignorance and prejudice.
It was also an opportunity for Muslims and non-Muslims to discuss
issues of
concern to both groups, and since the sexes are separated in Muslim
mosques, I want to particularly thank all the lovely women who were so
friendly, open and willing to share their customs with me.
What will stay with me most, however, is the understanding that the
terrorists responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks acted in complete
opposition to the teachings of Islam.
Throughout history, fanatics have always twisted their religions'
teachings
to suit their own malevolent ends, and those Arab criminals no more
represent all Arabs nor all Muslims, than the Ku Klux Klan represents
Christians.
Paulette Lee Harrisburg
-----
EDITORIAL: HALL OF SHAME
The Washington Post, 11/22/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1190-2001Nov22.html
IT SEEMS a small thing to ask of our religious and political leaders
that
they refrain from expressing outright bigotry in these sensitive times.
Muslims in this country have been attacked. Passions are running high,
and
American troops are on the ground in a Muslim country. President Bush
has
responded to the crisis by emphasizing consistently that this country's
battle is not with Islam but with terrorism. By and large, this
country's
leaders have followed suit. The exceptions, however, have been beauts
--
and they should not be forgotten...
...If people can't restrain themselves for the right reason -- that
such
expressions are wrong, irresponsible and dangerous -- they might at
least
consider how they undermine Mr. Bush's position. Comments that cast the
current struggle as a battle between the West and Islam, or that cast
Muslims as enemies, get noticed both here and abroad. They make the
White
House's laudable efforts at outreach look false...
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: letters@washpost.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
LETTERS: FRANKLIN GRAHAM ON ISLAM
To the Editor:
The Rev. Franklin Graham's despicable and sweeping bigotry against
Muslims
-- he said in an interview in October that he believed Islam to be "a
very
evil and wicked religion" -- is especially reprehensible in light of
the
access he is given to the highest levels of government, corporations
and
the media (news article, Nov. 20). Mr. Graham must apologize or be
ostracized from the mainstream of American society.
MUJEEB R. KHAN
Oak Park, Ill., Nov. 21, 2001
The writer is policy coordinator, Muslim Voters of America.
-----
ANTI-ISLAM SIGN AT CHURCH STIRS CONTROVERSY
Associated Press Newswires, 11/22/2001
http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/daily/20011122/LocalNews/189152.shtml
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A new sign outside the Crossroads Assembly of God
Church in the town of Wilder equates Islam with evil. The sign, posted
in
block capital letters, reads: "The spirit of Islam is the spirit of the
Antichrist."
The church's pastor, who put up the sign Monday, said the message
reflects
not hatred, but the Gospel.
But most of the town's residents, including the mayor, say the sign is
inappropriate and passers-by are complaining about the anti-Muslim
sentiment.
Wilder Mayor Steve Rhodes said he finds the sign offensive, but the
city
cannot censor the opinion reflected on the sign.
"It is inappropriate. It doesn't reflect the community, and it sure
doesn't
reflect myself or my council," Rhodes said.
The sign was put up by Pastor Geoff Cole, who has led the church for
three
years.
"It is not a hate crime against Islam," Cole said. Cole, who said he
has
read the Qur'an and the Bible extensively, said he draws the sign's
statements from the Bible: 1 John, 4:2-3. The quotation reads, in part,
"...every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This
is
the spirit of the Antichrist..."
...Those who are alarmed by the sign's message can complain, Rhodes
said,
but the sign is not a violation of any law.
"What makes this country great is our freedom of speech," Rhodes said.
Cole said the sign will eventually come down as part of his standard
message-rotating routine.
-----
CHRISTIAN JIHAD
By Deborah Caldwell, Beliefnet, 11/22/2001
http://www.beliefnet.com/
If the article is not on the home page, click on "previous."
When the Taliban captured humanitarian relief workers Dayna Curry and
Heather Mercer in August, religious and political leaders in the United
States were aghast. The Taliban accused the aid workers of being on a
secret campaign to convert Muslims. It seemed yet another sign of the
Taliban's dishonesty, extremism and paranoia.
But now that Curry and Mercer and the six other Shelter Now relief
workers
are safe, a different story can be told. The Taliban was partly right.
Curry and Mercer did spend time in Afghanistan evangelizing--in
violation
of Afghani law. More significantly, they are part of a widespread and
rapidly growing effort among American Christians to convert Muslims
around
the world.
They are warriors, in other words, in what can fairly be described as a
Christian jihad against Islam...
-----
U. FLORIDA SENIORS EXPERIENCE PROFILING
By Sarah Cervone, Independent Florida Alligator (U. Florida),
11/21/2001
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- University of Florida liberal arts and sciences
seniors Ismael Khan and Nauman Piracha planned to take Delta Flight 915
to
Atlanta last week.
Unfortunately, the flight crew had other plans.
Khan and Piracha were removed on Nov. 13 from the commercial airliner
because the Delta flight attendants thought they looked suspicious.
"A Delta employee told us we were suspicious because we didn't give eye
contact and we separated," said Khan.
He explained that he frequently closed his eyes to nap because he was
tired. Khan also joked about having a window seat, so Piracha moved to
an
empty chair directly behind him.
As they waited for take off, Khan and Piracha say they were approached
by a
flight supervisor who asked for identification and passports and
questioned
them about their nationality. The two students showed their driver's
licenses.
"I said, 'I am American born and raised. I don't need a passport to
travel
within the United States -- I am an American,'" Khan recalled. "I was
getting a bit frustrated; I knew what was happening."
The students eventually were forced to exit the plane. After additional
questioning, they were allowed to take the next flight...
...While some people are contacting governmental agencies to file
complaints, others are contacting advocacy groups tracking complaints
or
helping those who believe they have been victimized.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C., has
received
nearly 35 reports of Arab-Americans or Muslims being forced to evacuate
commercial airliners because of their ethnic or religious identity,
said
Joshua Salaam, civil rights coordinator for the group. Overall, the
organization has received more than 116 complaints that involve
discrimination in airports since Sept. 11.
"A lot of people think all Arabs are Muslims, so all Arabs are
suspicious.
But also, Indians and Pakistanis are being kicked off, or a white
American
who has changed their name to an Arabic name, or those dressed in
Islamic
attire," Salaam said...
-----
RECORD NUMBER OF WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS FILED SINCE SEPT.
11
By Diane E. Lewis, The Boston Globe, 11/22/2001
http://www.boston.com/globe/business/
Or go to http://www.boston.com/globe/ and search using the term "EEOC."
A record number of workplace discrimination complaints have been filed
with
the government since terrorists struck the nation's financial and
political
centers on Sept. 11, alleging threats, name-calling, demotions, and
firings
against employees thought to be Muslim, Arab-American, or sympathetic
to
the cause of Islamic extremists...
-----
POLICE ARE SPLIT ON QUESTIONING OF MIDEAST MEN
By FOX BUTTERFIELD, The New York Times, 11/22/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/22/national/22POLI.html
Police chiefs across the nation are torn between a desire to assist the
investigation of the Sept. 11 attacks by following Attorney General
John
Ashcroft's request that they help interview thousands of Middle Eastern
men
and a concern that the plan seems like racial profiling...
...Mr. Ashcroft announced the plan to find and interview 5,000 men,
most of
whom hail from Middle Eastern countries, in a Nov. 9 memorandum. Some
police chiefs have said they have no problem with the effort. But the
plan
has prompted a kind of role reversal, with the police now the guardians
of
civil liberties, instead of being criticized for violating them...
-----
FOOD IMPORTANT PART OF RAMADAN TRADITION
Kristen Browning-Blas Denver Post, 11/21/2001
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,40%257E231544,00.html
'Kullu am wa antum bi-khair' (May you be well throughout the year) -
Arabic
blessing for Ramadan, which began at the sighting of the new moon Nov.
16.
After Sept. 11, when a man on an RTD bus pointed at her and said, 'This
is
how terrorists dress,' Fatouma Ahmed stopped wearing her hajib. But now
that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has begun, Ahmed is once again
covering her head...
-----
LETTERS: STEVEN EMERSON
The Washington Post, 11/22/2001
The Nov. 14 Style article on Steven Emerson ignored one of the man's
most
ludicrous claims: that Oklahoma City was one of the largest centers of
Islamic radical activity outside the Middle East.
This comment was particularly imprudent considering that it was made on
national television the day the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma
City was bombed. Not surprisingly, Mr. Emerson incorrectly linked this
attack to Arab groups.
Mr. Emerson's claim that "information" drives terrorism policy is a
half-truth -- in his case, it is misinformation. And this
misinformation
can prohibit the truth from coming out by lulling us into a false sense
of
security, which is the last thing we need in our efforts to combat
terrorism and punish those responsible for it.
TAREK HELOU
San Francisco
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
STEVEN EMERSON'S CRUSADE - "Why is a journalist pushing questionable
stories from behind the scenes?" By John F. Sugg -
http://www.fair.org/extra/9901/emerson.html
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/24/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: THOSE WHO BELIEVE
* CAIR MICHIGAN SPEAKERS TRAINING PROGRAM
* GROUPS GIVE U.S. MUSLIMS A NEW VOICE (Los Angeles Times)
* NUMBER OF U.S. MUSLIMS DEPENDS ON WHO'S COUNTING (Washington Post)
* STAMP BACKLASH WORRIES MUSLIMS (Washington Post)
* THE LIMITS OF RELIGIOUS UNITY (Washington Post)
* PARISHIONERS UPSET ABOUT ANTI-ISLAMIC SIGN (AP)
* FAITH OF COLLEGE PRESIDENT BECOMES AN ISSUE (Winston-Salem Journal)
* AMERICAN ISLAMIC MEDIA: ASSORTED AND ASPIRING (New York Times)
* BIN LADEN, BAYWATCH AND THE BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS (San Diego
Union-Tribune)
* US PLANS TV STATION TO RIVAL AL-JAZEERA (The Guardian)
* CHICAGO MUSLIMS TO BUILD MINARET DISPLAY (Los Angeles Times)
* COMING TOGETHER FOR THEIR FAITH (Los Angeles Times)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: THOSE WHO BELIEVE
"Those who believe (in the Qur'an) and those who follow the Jewish
(Scriptures) and the Christians and the Sabians and who believe in
Allah
and the last day and work righteousness shall have their reward with
their
Lord; on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve."
Holy Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 62
-----
CAIR MICHIGAN SPEAKERS TRAINING PROGRAM
Introducing al-Risala:
The objective of the Risala program is to establish a speaker program
geared toward disseminating accurate and objective information about
Islam
to the general public.
WHAT: CAIR-MI Speakers Training Program
WHEN: December 1, 2001, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
WHERE: The University of Michigan-Dearborn Campus, School of
Management
(UMD is located on Evergreen Rd. in Dearborn Michigan between Ford Road
and
Michigan Avenue.)
For more information about al-Risala, contact Jameel Syed at:
jameelsyed100@hotmail.com
For general questions about CAIR-MI's Education Department, email:
cair_education@hotmail.com or cair@cairmichigan.org
-----
GROUPS GIVE U.S. MUSLIMS A NEW VOICE
Four organizations step up efforts to overcome historic obstacles,
scattered constituencies.
By SOLOMON MOORE, The Los Angeles Times, 11/24/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000093694nov24.story
Even before the second plane crashed on Sept. 11, Ibrahim Hooper of the
Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations was typing out a
condemnation of terrorism. By noon, it was ricocheting off faxes and
computer screens worldwide.
In the Washington office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Maher
Hathout and Salam Al-Marayati offered the "Muslim point of view" on the
Arab television network Al Jazeera, CNN and Fox News.
A few blocks away, executives at the American Muslim Council called an
ally, a GOP stalwart with presidential access. A lot of innocent,
hard-working American Muslims could get hurt because of this incident,
they
told their intermediary. We need the president to say something.
Two days later, during a televised conference call with New York Mayor
Rudolph W. Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki, President Bush did just
that:
"We must be mindful that as we seek to win the war, that we treat Arab
Americans and Muslims with the respect they deserve," he said.
Those moments illustrated how a bevy of young American Muslim
organizations
have suddenly risen in visibility. A decade ago many of those groups
did
not exist. Since Sept. 11 they have mounted a coordinated campaign to
contain an anti-Muslim backlash and weigh in on U.S. decisions
affecting
the Muslim world. They are also telling a fearful and suspicious
American
public who Muslims are, what they believe--and how they distinguish
themselves from madmen with box cutters...
...Following the lead of secular civil rights groups such as the
National
Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People and the Anti-Defamation
League,
U.S. Muslim groups are more likely to fax a news release than issue a
fatwa
(a religious edict). The new breed of U.S. Muslim groups that surged
into
action Sept. 11 is ecumenical and media-savvy. They endorse political
candidates and lobby Congress on the treatment of Muslims here and
abroad...
...From among about 20 national Muslim organizations, four groups have
taken the lead:
...The Council on American-Islamic Relations started sending out press
kits
with vocabulary lists and usage guides. (Examples: Allah means God, not
"a
god." jihad means struggle, not "holy war." "Moslems" prefer to be
called
"Muslims.") With 12 regional offices, the council's main strategy is to
use
public relations campaigns to combat anti-Muslim discrimination in
Hollywood and in the workplace.
The council's first major response came after the bombing of the Alfred
P.
Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. In the time it took
to
discredit false reports of "Middle Eastern suspects," there were a
spate of
hate crimes, including an attack on a pregnant Middle Eastern woman.
And an
innocent Jordanian American was arrested, named in news reports and
photographed in handcuffs.
"We actually flew [Executive Director] Nihad Awad [from Washington] to
the
site to coordinate the Muslim response there and meet with the media,"
said
council co-founder Hooper. Such a direct approach was unprecedented for
the
Muslim community, Hooper said. A photograph of that scene shows Awad
standing alone at the center of a thick moat of reporters.
"Since then we developed the idea of a crisis team," Hooper said...
The council also began publishing annual reports on anti-Muslim
incidents--spurring law enforcement agencies to be more vigilant in
their
protection of Muslims. In the same way African Americans have
historically
called upon the NAACP, the council has become one of the first places
many
Muslims turn when they believe their rights have been violated. Since
the
terrorist attacks the group has recorded more than 1,000 reported
anti-Muslim incidents...
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: letters@latimes.com,
solomon.moore@latimes.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
NUMBER OF U.S. MUSLIMS DEPENDS ON WHO'S COUNTING
By Bill Broadway, The Washington Post, 11/24/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7459-2001Nov23.html
With a spotlight cast on American Muslims since Sept. 11, one seemingly
simple question has defied a clear answer and become the focus of a
politically charged dispute: What is the size of the U.S. Muslim
population?
Four major Muslim organizations released a study in April that
estimated
the population at 6 million to 7 million. Based in part on that report,
most media organizations, as well as the White House and the State
Department, have said in recent weeks that there are at least 6 million
Muslims in the country.
But two studies released last month, including one commissioned by the
American Jewish Committee, concluded that the total is much lower: no
more
than 3.4 million and perhaps as few as 1.5 million.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, one of the sponsors of the April report, condemned the
AJC-sponsored study, calling it part of an effort by the Jewish
community
to "marginalize" Islam in the United States.
"Why are they worried about our numbers? What's it triggering?" Awad
asked.
"We have never misrepresented our figures and have never been
interested in
competing with any other faith or ethnic community..."
...Awad said the council's interest in U.S. Muslim population estimates
has
more to do with its desire to have a voice on domestic issues such as
health care, education, crime and drug abuse...
...The April report co-sponsored by CAIR, titled "The Mosque in
America: A
National Portrait," was the Muslim portion of the largest U.S.
denominational survey ever, a project coordinated by the Hartford
Institute
for Religious Research.
SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport/
...The AJC's Harris said his group knew it would be criticized for
commissioning Smith to do the study. Smith was known to be skeptical
about
the figure of 6 million U.S. Muslims; last year, he told the Los
Angeles
Times that the number was "completely invalid" and that Muslim groups
were
"inventing an estimate..."
-----
STAMP BACKLASH WORRIES MUSLIMS
By Sylvia Moreno, The Washington Post, 11/24/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7407-2001Nov23.html
Less than three months ago, American Muslims celebrated the debut of a
U.S.
Postal Service stamp commemorating two Islamic holidays as the ultimate
sign of acceptance in the United States. Now they're working to ensure
that
it doesn't become a symbol of rejection...
...Mekeel's and Stamps Magazine, a weekly philatelic newsletter, ran
editorials this month and last month against using the Eid stamp,
citing
the terrorist attacks. The newsletter urged Muslims and others to
instead
support the United We Stand stamp, which depicts a U.S. flag. Last
weekend,
the Free Congress Foundation, a conservative policy group, asked
Republican
congressional leaders to retract the stamp... (Contact: Mekeel's, Box
5050,
White Plains, NY 10602.)
SEE: http://www.freecongress.org/
"I am writing to suggest that the current stamps be withdrawn, to be
overprinted with the image of the Twin Towers and then reissued,"
foundation President Paul M. Weyrich wrote in letters to House Speaker
J.
Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.) and
Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.).
"I have no doubt a majority of Americans would find the altered stamps
a
more appropriate commemoration of Islam than the current celebratory
version," he said...
...Postal officials said there has been no attempt to cut back on the
stamp's distribution. "As far as we're concerned, it's going to stay on
sale and should be in stock at post offices around the country," said
Dave
Failor, manager of community relations for the Postal Service...
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
http://www.usps.com/news/2001/philatelic/sr01_054.htm
ACTIONS REQUESTED:
1. Buy the Eid stamp and encourage others to buy it. The stamp is
available
at the Postal Store (www.usps.com), or by calling toll free
1-800-STAMP-24.
2. Make sure the Eid stamp is available at your local post office.
3. Use the Eid stamp on all correspondence.
-----
THE LIMITS OF RELIGIOUS UNITY
Interfaith Services for Terrorism Victims Raise Questions for Clergy
By Bill Broadway, The Washington Post, 11/24/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7821-2001Nov23.html
The events of Sept. 11 prompted an unprecedented number of interfaith
services nationwide, featuring leaders of different religions praying
for
peace and remembering the more than 4,100 terrorist attack victims.
But some religious leaders have questioned the appropriateness of their
clergy participating in such gatherings, including the Sept. 23 "A
Prayer
for America" service at Yankee Stadium.
"...There's a movement afoot toward a kind of universalism that
evangelicals do not accept, that we all pray to the same God and have
different paths and the result is the same," said Richard Cizik,
spokesman
for the National Association of Evangelicals.
"...We take issue not so much with interfaith services but with the
impression they leave in the minds of millions of Americans who are
confused about the nature of God to begin with," Cizik said. "We want
it
understood that Christians, Buddhists and Muslims are not praying to
the
same god. Allah is not Jehovah."
The Rev. Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Northeast
Washington, said he has never participated in an interfaith service and
does not intend to.
"I don't want to be seen approving or encouraging prayer to Allah or to
a
Hindu god," said Dever, who calls himself a "conservative evangelical."
By appearing to be universal in scope, interfaith services "belittle
differences" between religions, he said. "The Allah I know is not at
all
the God of the Bible. I'd be lying if I say they are [the same]..."
-----
PARISHIONERS UPSET ABOUT ANTI-ISLAMIC SIGN
The Associated Press, 11/24/2001
NAMPA, Idaho (AP) - Some church members at the Crossroads Assembly of
God
Church in Wilder say they may picket over a church sign displaying an
anti-Islamic message.
The church moved into the spotlight this past week when the message
appeared on its reader board. The sign says: "The spirit of Islam is
the
spirit of Antichrist" in block capital letters.
Although Pastor Geoff Cole says the sign bears an important message, it
has
generated disapproval from some longtime church-goers.
"There are very few people in the church who agree with it," said
Sharon
Wilks, a caretaker of the church with her husband, Mike...
...The Wilkses called Cole after seeing reports last week in the news.
They
told him it reflects poorly on church members.
"It disgraces the church, the people who go to church here and the
community," Mike Wilks said. "There is good and bad in every faith,
every
race, creed and color."
The Wilkses said they want to try to mobilize church members to picket
before church services...
-----
FAITH OF COLLEGE PRESIDENT BECOMES AN ISSUE
Some Bennett College alumnae have expressed disapproval over having
Muslim
as leader
By John Railey, Winston-Salem Journal,
11/10/2001
http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/news/MGBTPD82VTC.html
GREENSBORO -- When Althia Collins became the first Muslim president in
the
United Methodist Church's national network of 124 affiliated colleges,
she
kept the news to herself.
Collins became the president of Bennett College in July. She didn't
volunteer information about her religion when she interviewed for the
job
at the historically black women's college of about 520 students. But by
late summer, alumnae across the country had learned that Collins was
Muslim, and some weren't happy.
...Though Collins did not discuss her faith, word of it began to leak
out
this summer. In an anonymous letter to a Greensboro newspaper, the
Carolina
Peacemaker, a writer said that Collins was mounting "a cultural
takeover"
of Bennett as a non-Methodist leader of "Muslim persuasion..."
...On Sept. 19, Collins met with the student body and dealt with the
complaints, including the one about her faith. "Yes, I am Muslim," she
said, according to The Bennett Banner. "And I do not believe that will
have
an effect on the way I perform my duties."
Few in the student body, composed almost entirely of Christians, have
criticized her for being Muslim...
-----
AMERICAN ISLAMIC MEDIA: ASSORTED AND ASPIRING
By GUSTAV NIEBUHR, The New York Times, 11/24/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/24/national/24RELI.html
When a visitor stopped by his office, Ahmed Osman pointed to a table
laden
with paperbacks that Amana Publications, a publisher of Islamic books,
had
been producing at its headquarters in Beltsville, Md., a Washington
suburb,
where Mr. Osman is director of publications.
"Muslim Teens: A Practical Islamic Parenting Guide" was one title.
Others
dealt with marriage, conversion and more. But the big seller was the
Koran,
in the English-language translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Mr. Osman
said.
Amana belongs to a widely scattered universe of American Muslim
publishing,
which links members of an ethnically diverse community through
newspapers,
magazines, books and Internet sites...
...Ibrahim Hooper, national director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said many American Muslims also got their news from the
Internet.
One site is IslamiCity.org, with a 12-member staff and headquarters in
Culver City, Calif. Its chief executive, Muhammed Abdul Aleem, said its
goal was to create "a medium for Muslims around the world and for
non-Muslims, where they can get an objective view of Islam..."
-----
BIN LADEN, BAYWATCH AND THE BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS
By Riad Z. Abdelkarim, San Diego Union Tribune, 11/22/2001
www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/fri/opinion/news_1e23riad.html
(Abdelkarim is Western Region Communications Director for the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest grass-roots
American Muslim civil rights and advocacy group.)
There has been much talk in recent weeks about winning "the hearts and
minds" of the Muslim and Arab worlds in order to earn their support in
the
U.S. "war on terrorism." The spectrum of those expounding this view has
ranged from armchair generals to columnists, pundits and an endless
array
of talking heads making the television talk-show rounds.
A common theme has been that, while we may quickly win the military
battle
in Afghanistan, we will have a much more difficult time winning the war
of
public opinion on the streets of Cairo, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur and
Amman...
...While the United States contemplates Madison Avenue tactics to
improve
our image overseas, a review of television programming in the Arab and
Muslim worlds demonstrates that this will be no easy task. In recent
weeks,
Arab and Muslim viewers have seen around-the-clock news images of the
war
in Afghanistan -- with emphasis on the daily civilian casualties of the
U.S. bombing provided by graphic photos of the bodies of men, women,
and
children pulled from the rubble. Except for minimal excerpts, this
footage
has not been aired here at home by the major networks...
...It is apparent that the United States faces an uphill struggle in
its
efforts to convince ordinary Arabs and Muslims that its campaign in
Afghanistan is not just the opening blow in a new "Crusade" being
launched
against the entire Islamic world. What will it take to win over these
"hearts and minds"? Perhaps what is needed is a deeper look at our
nation's
flawed foreign policy vis-a-vis the Muslim world. More likely to bear
fruit
would be efforts directed toward promoting less repression and more
democratization in that corner of the world -- and applying a single
standard when it comes to human and political rights.
In this regard, our nation's seven million citizens who are both
Americans
and Muslims can serve as "bridges of understanding" to the Muslim
world...
-----
US PLANS TV STATION TO RIVAL AL-JAZEERA
Propaganda Satellite channel would be aimed at anti-American Muslim
youngsters, while allies release details of regime's alleged brutality
By DUNCAN CAMPBELL IN LOS ANGELES, The Guardian (UK), 11/23/2001
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4305529,00.html
An Arabic-language satellite television station financed by the US and
aimed at winning hearts and minds in the Muslim world could shortly
become
a reality. President George Bush has been told of Initiative 911, which
would put half a billion dollars into a channel that would compete in
the
region with al-Jazeera and would be aimed specifically at younger
Muslims
who are seen as anti-American.
Senator Joe Biden, the Democrat chairman of the Senate foreign
relations
committee, is the driving force behind the scheme, which goes beyond
the
current radio broadcasting initiatives. It represents a new phase of
the
propaganda war and would be a third prong for the US in the media
battle
along with a beefed-up Voice of America and a new Radio Free
Afghanistan...
-----
CHICAGO MUSLIMS TO BUILD MINARET DISPLAY
The Los Angeles Times, 11/24/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000093698nov24.story
CHICAGO -- Chicago Muslims plan to mark the current holy month of
Ramadan
by building a minaret display at Daley Plaza in early December, joining
Christians and Jews as they decorate the public square for their
holidays.
The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago has preliminary
approval to build a 30-foot reproduction of the tower used to call
Muslims
to prayer and an illuminated crescent moon affixed to a dome. The
display
will stand alongside a Hanukkah menorah and Christmas manger scene...
-----
COMING TOGETHER FOR THEIR FAITH
A group of Muslim students meets quietly yet proudly to show support
for
Islam.
MARY ROURKE, The Los Angeles Times, 11/23/2001
http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-000093399nov23.story
Boys in front with their arms folded across their waists, girls in back
with scarves covering their hair. This arrangement fell into place as
naturally as if the classroom where they had gathered were a mosque.
Fourteen Muslim students were ready to begin their midday prayers.
Surrounded by desks, books, maps and slide projectors, the group paid
no
attention to the classroom chaos, nor to the racket outside the door.
It
was lunchtime at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, and the campus was
buzzing. More important for these boys and girls, it was Ramadan, the
sacred monthlong period during which Muslims are required to fast from
sunup to sundown. This year, these students, ages 14 to 18, are
determined
to stand up for their faith through prayer in this quiet yet public
way...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/25/2001
-----
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-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: ALL PROPHETS FROM THEIR LORD
* SWEPT UP IN A DRAGNET, HUNDREDS SIT IN CUSTODY AND ASK, 'WHY?' (NY
Times)
* WITHOUT WARNING, AL-NAJJAR JAILED (St. Petersburg Times)
* VISITORS TO U.S. CAN EXPECT PROBING TERRORISM QUESTIONS (Detroit Free
Press)
- HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE QUESTIONS LIST
- TASK FORCE INTERVIEW GUIDELINES
* NEW FEDERAL PATRIOT ACT TURNS RETAILERS INTO SPIES AGAINST CUSTOMERS
(Boston Globe)
* AFTER SEPT. 11, COMPLAINTS OF JOB BIAS MOUNT (New York Times)
* MUSLIMS IN GRAY (New York Times)
* DIFFERENT FAITHS, COMMON BOND (Chicago Tribune)
* FEAR RIDES IN CAB WITH HATE CRIME VICTIM (Chicago Tribune)
* HATE GROUPS USING ATTACKS TO PUSH AGENDAS (Atlanta Journal)
* US TARGETS THREE MORE COUNTRIES (Sunday Times)
* IDF BOOBY TRAP CAUSED DEATHS OF 5 GAZA SCHOOLBOYS (Jerusalem Post)
- ISRAELI ARMY ADMITS KILLING BOYS (The Guardian)
* S.F. BAY AREA MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: ALL PROPHETS FROM THEIR LORD
Say ye: "We believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and to
Abraham,
Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and
Jesus,
and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord. We make no difference
between one and another of them, and we bow to God (in Islam)."
Holy Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 136
-----
SWEPT UP IN A DRAGNET, HUNDREDS SIT IN CUSTODY AND ASK, 'WHY?'
By JODI WILGOREN, The New York Times, 11/25/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/25/national/25DETA.html
...Over all, more than 1,200 people have been detained as part of the
sweeping investigation, including men traveling the country with large
amounts of cash and box cutters, and those who sought information on
crop-dusters and flying lessons on large jets.
But a senior law enforcement official said for the first time last week
that just 10 to 15 of the detainees are suspected as Al Qaeda
sympathizers,
and that the government has yet to find evidence indicating that any of
them had knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks or acted as accomplices.
While most members of this small group are being held in New York on
material witness warrants, some 500 others - almost twice as many as
previously believed - are in federal custody on immigration charges for
violations like overstaying their visas or lying on documents...
-----
WITHOUT WARNING, AL-NAJJAR JAILED
Jailed for 3 1/2 years on secret evidence, then freed, the former USF
teacher's detention is not based on new evidence.
By MIKE BRASSFIELD, The St. Petersburg Times, 11/25/2001
http://www.sptimes.com/News/112501/TampaBay/Without_warning__Al_N.shtml
TAMPA -- With his wife at work and his three daughters still in bed,
Mazen
Al-Najjar walked out of his apartment Saturday morning to get quarters
to
do his laundry. Outside, INS agents were waiting to take him away.
Al-Najjar, a former University of South Florida teacher who was jailed
for
31/2 years on secret evidence allegedly tying him to terrorism, was
rearrested Saturday for overstaying his visa. After spending nearly a
year
in freedom, he is in federal prison.
His arrest Saturday was not based on new evidence or classified
information, according to the U.S. Justice Department...
"...Why detain a person who has never been accused of a crime, who has
already lost 31/2 years of his life to an unconstitutional detention
and
who has nowhere to go?" said David Cole, a Georgetown University law
professor who represents Al-Najjar. "It would be one thing if they had
a
country in mind. But it's unlikely they're going to be able to deport
him..."
...Al-Najjar's lawyers are arguing his case in court, and now they'll
be
fighting his detention. They say the government is using Al-Najjar as a
test case for expanding its antiterrorism powers in the wake of the
Sept.
11 attacks.
The Justice Department released a statement Saturday reiterating its
accusations against Al-Najjar, but the evidence that purportedly links
him
to terrorism remains a mystery...
-----
VISITORS TO U.S. CAN EXPECT PROBING TERRORISM QUESTIONS
BY TAMARA AUDI AND DAVID ZEMAN, The Detroit Free Press, 11/24/2001
http://www.detroitfreepress.com/news/metro/quest24_20011124.htm
Although federal terrorism investigators say none are suspects,
thousands
of Middle Eastern men in the United States will be asked detailed
questions
-- ranging from whether they sympathize with the Sept. 11 hijackers to
where they have traveled.
They will be asked whether they own guns or have scientific training.
As
well, investigators will ask for the phone numbers of their family and
close associates, according to an 8-page U.S. Justice Department memo
obtained by the Free Press.
Information gathered in the interviews, which may begin as early as
next
week, is to be entered into an electronic database.
The questions were developed by the deputy attorney general and
distributed
Nov. 9 to all U.S. attorneys and some police departments who have
officers
serving in federal terrorism task forces.
But some police chiefs, including in Detroit and Ann Arbor, have raised
serious reservations.
SEE ALSO: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE QUESTIONS LIST
http://www.detroitfreepress.com/news/metro/qlist24_20011124.htm
Here are some of the questions the U.S. Justice Department wants asked
of
5,000 Middle Eastern men in the United States. Federal officials say
none
of the men are considered suspects.
TASK FORCE INTERVIEW GUIDELINES
http://www.detroitfreepress.com/gallery/2001/interviews/index.htm
-----
NEW FEDERAL PATRIOT ACT TURNS RETAILERS INTO SPIES AGAINST CUSTOMERS
By Scott Bernard Nelson, The Boston Globe, 11/18/2001
Ordinary businesses, from bicycle shops to bookstores to bowling
alleys,
are being pressed into service on the home front in the war on
terrorism.
Under the USA Patriot Act, signed into law by President Bush late last
month, they soon will be required to monitor their customers and report
"suspicious transactions" to the Treasury Department -- though most
businesses may not be aware of this.
Buried in the more than 300 pages of the new law is a provision that
"any
person engaged in a trade or business" has to file a government report
if a
customer spends $10,000 or more in cash. The threshold is cumulative
and
applies to multiple purchases if they're somehow related -- three
$4,000
pieces of furniture, for example, might trigger a filing.
Until now, only banks, thrifts, and credit unions have been required to
report cash transactions to the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network, under the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970. A handful of
other
businesses, including car dealers and pawnbrokers, have to file similar
reports with the Internal Revenue Service.
"This is a big deal, and a big change, for the vast majority of
American
businesses," said Joe Rubin, chief lobbyist for the US Chamber of
Commerce.
"But I don't think anybody realizes it's happened..."
-----
AFTER SEPT. 11, COMPLAINTS OF JOB BIAS MOUNT
By PAM BELLUCK, The New York Times, 11/25/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/25/national/25DISC.html
Since Sept. 11, Arab-American groups say, hundreds of people have said
they
are experiencing discrimination in the workplace because of their
nationality or religion.
Nearly 100 people have filed complaints with the Federal Equal
Employment
Opportunity Commission, and others have decided to sue over what they
perceive as a backlash against people of Arab descent. Their advocates
say
that the number of complaints to the commission would be higher but
that
many Arabs and Arab-Americans are suspicious of the federal government.
Of the complaints that have been filed, Reginald Welch, a spokesman for
the
commission, said: "These people say they were singled out for
mistreatment,
they were harassed, or they were fired. Something happened on the job
that
they believe would not have happened if it were not for Sept. 11 and if
they were not perceived to be of Middle Eastern descent."
But a look at a handful of complaints suggests the circumstances may be
murkier than that. Companies forcefully deny any discrimination. Some
said
the crippled economy was the culprit, forcing them to lay off many
people,
not only those of Middle Eastern descent. Others said workers were
fired
because of behavior or performance problems...
"...People who used to joke with them didn't return hellos," said Hodan
Hassan, a civil rights coordinator for the Council on American- Islamic
Relations, an Islamic advocacy group. "Some say e-mails would go
unanswered. Co-workers have anti-Muslim and anti-Islam conversations
that
were loud enough for them to hear, saying things like all Muslims
should be
deported."
The advocates say they believe there is more discrimination than is
being
reported to the commission because of suspicion of the federal
government
among some Arabs and Arab-Americans...
-----
MUSLIMS IN GRAY
By COREY KILGANNON, The New York Times, 11/25/2001
(The article is not online.)
To face Mecca from West Point, one must look across the Hudson River,
over
the rugged highlands of Garrison and past Putnam Valley.
In the 200 years since West Point opened, few cadets have needed to
know
this. West Point is known for molding the Army's finest officers --
think
Grant, Eisenhower, MacArthur and Patton -- not for its Muslim cadets.
But as ethnic diversity has grown at the military academy, so has the
number of Muslim cadets. Currently 9 out of some 4,000 cadets declare
themselves Muslim at West Point.
Of the roughly 4,000 Muslims that Army officials estimate are in its
ranks,
most of them are African-Americans. But there are also Arab- and
Asian-Americans and even white converts. Until 1993, the military had
no
Muslims among the 3,150 active duty chaplains. Now it has nine...
-----
DIFFERENT FAITHS, COMMON BOND
Non-Muslim students are rare in area Muslim schools, but such pupils
discover similarities with classmates and get a unique look at another
culture.
Tracy Dell'Angela, The Chicago Tribune, 11/25/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0111250380nov25.story
It's finals week in the Muslim school in Lombard, and Agnes Babinski is
poring over the notes from her 10th-grade Islamic studies class. Only
an
oval of her pale face peeks out from the fringe of her white hijab, and
a
shapeless, ankle-length tunic conceals her jeans and T-shirt.
Agnes and her younger brother, Piotr, are the only non-Muslims enrolled
in
the College Preparatory School of America or in any of the six other
Muslim
schools in the Chicago area. Nonetheless, theirs has been a seamless
transition into an educational culture largely ignored and
misunderstood by
non-Muslim-Americans.
"We have a Christian background, and we thought the cultural
differences
might be too much for them," said their father, Roman, an engineer and
Polish immigrant who lives with his family in Bolingbrook. "But the
biggest
adjustment was academic. They had to catch up to the other students and
there was so much homework..."
-----
FEAR RIDES IN CAB WITH HATE CRIME VICTIM
Celeste Garrett, The Chicago Tribune, 11/25/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0111250046nov25.story
More than two months after Mustapha was beaten and bloodied in a hate
crime
after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the part-time Chicago
cabdriver's
emotional wounds are eating their way into his pocketbook.
The 31-year-old grad student from Morocco has nervously resumed making
his
living by putting strangers in his cab, but he is often too terrified
of
the same people whom he depended on for good tips to pick them up.
"I make a lot less money now," he said. "By law, I'm not supposed to
avoid
anyone, but I'm always very suspicious. I have very bad memories."
Weeks after terrorists brought a new fear to most Americans, law-
enforcement officials and human rights organizations are sorting
through
hundreds of reports of related hate crimes with victims like Mustapha,
who
is so fearful of being attacked again that he asked that neither his
last
name nor photograph be published. The men charged with attacking him in
Evanston are free on $10,000 bond...
-----
HATE GROUPS USING ATTACKS TO PUSH AGENDAS
By RON MARTZ and JANE O. HANSEN, The Atlanta Journal, 11/25/2001
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/terrorism/homefront/1125groupsb.html
Within minutes of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade
Center
and Pentagon, Internet sites dedicated to the overthrow of the U.S.
government came alive with congratulations for the mass murderers...
...While most Americans were horrified by the attacks, domestic hate
groups
and some anti-government organizations have used Sept. 11 to push their
own
agendas, whether anti-government, anti-Jew, anti-black or
anti-foreigner,
say experts...
-----
US TARGETS THREE MORE COUNTRIES
By JAMES CLARK, NICK FIELDING AND TONY ALLEN-MILLS, The Sunday Times
(UK),
11/25/2001
http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/article/0,,9002-2001544397,00.html
THE war on terrorism is to be extended to three new countries as soon
as
the campaign in Afghanistan is over.
Targets linked to Osama Bin Laden in Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will be
at
the top of the hit list, according to senior sources in London and
Washington.
Tony Blair and President George W Bush have agreed that the momentum
created by the anti-terror coalition's successes must be maintained
with
swift action elsewhere.
"We have the wind at our backs and we don't want to lose it," said a
senior
Washington source.
Preparations are under way in all three countries...
-----
IDF BOOBY TRAP CAUSED DEATHS OF 5 GAZA SCHOOLBOYS
By Arieh O'Sullivan and Margot Dudkevitch, The Jerusalem Post,
11/25/2001
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/11/25/News/News.38671.html
TEL AVIV (November 25) - IDF forces laid the bomb that accidentally
killed
five Palestinian schoolboys in Khan Yunis on Thursday, the army
announced
last night.
The IDF had remained silent over the cause of Thursday's deadly
explosion
except to say no tank had fired a shell in that sector. OC Gaza Strip
Brig.-Gen. Yisrael Ziv is participating in the inquiry, but he himself
may
have been behind the decision to lay the bomb.
SEE ALSO: ISRAELI ARMY ADMITS KILLING BOYS
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,605273,00.html
Israeli politicians rounded on their army yesterday after senior
military
sources admitted soldiers probably planted the explosive device in a
Gaza
sand dune that killed five Palestinian schoolchildren...
-----
S.F. BAY AREA MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
WHEN: Saturday, December 1st, 2001, Noon to 4 PM
One-hour presentations at Noon and 2 PM
WHERE: MCA Islamic Center, 3003 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, California
(between San Tomas and Central Expressways)
For more information, visit MCA Islamic Center website:
http://www.mca-sfba.org or call (408) 970-0647
Sponsored by:
Muslim Community Association of the Bay Area (MCA)
-----
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To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/26/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION
* STATE DEPARTMENT PR HEAD MEETS WITH U.S. MUSLIMS
* ACADEMICS AND MUSLIMS AWAIT RESULTS OF PROBE (LA Times)
* SUPPORTERS WANT FREEDOM FOR AL-NAJJAR (Tampa Tribune)
* FOR AL-NAJJAR FAMILY, UNCERTAINTY RETURNS (St. Petersburg Times)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION
Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from
error;
whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most
trustworthy
hand-hold that never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all things.
Holy Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 256
-----
STATE DEPARTMENT PR HEAD MEETS WITH U.S. MUSLIMS
(WASHINGTON, D.C. - 11/26/2001) - The newly appointed head of the
administration's effort to present a positive image of America in the
Islamic world met today with several representatives of the American
Muslim
community. Charlotte Beers, under secretary of state for public
diplomacy,
called for the meeting to open a dialogue with Muslims on issues
related to
how America is perceived in other countries, particularly those with
Muslim
majority populations.
Muslim participants introduced topics such as American foreign policies
that do not serve our nation's long-term international interests, the
ability and willingness of American Muslims to serve as a bridge of
understanding to the Islamic world and the value of presenting the
American
Muslim community as an example of the successful application of
religious
diversity.
"We appreciate Ms. Beers' efforts to reach out to the Muslim community
and
we offer our assistance in helping her present an accurate portrayal of
the
positive role Muslims play in this society," said Council on American
Islamic-Relations (CAIR) Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, who
attended today's meeting.
Hooper also told Beers that recent defamatory statements about Islam
from
conservative commentators undermine President Bush's repeated
statements
that the current campaign against terrorism is not a war on Islam. He
cited
evangelist Franklin Graham's claim that Islam is an "evil and wicked
religion." SEE: http://64.78.3.23/nr/11-19.asp
Groups represented at the meeting included CAIR, North American Council
for
Muslim Women and Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide. SEE: CAIR's "The Mosque in America: A National
Portrait," at http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport and the State
Department's "Islam in the United States" at
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/islam/
-----
ACADEMICS AND MUSLIMS AWAIT RESULTS OF PROBE
By WILLIAM LOBDELL, The Los Angeles Times, 11/26/2001
http://www.latimes.com/editions/orange/la-000094160nov26.story
Results of an independent probe into allegations that an Orange Coast
College instructor vilified his Muslim students are expected to be
released
this week, with findings certain to draw intense scrutiny nationwide
from
Islamic groups and watchdogs for academic freedom.
The Orange County Department of Education has been conducting the
investigation...
...Four Muslim students from the two-year Costa Mesa college and at
least
one national Islamic organization say Hearlson's discussion on
terrorism
and Islam crossed the line of scholarship into personal attack and
discriminatory speech. They want to see him disciplined, if not fired,
saying he accused the students of being "terrorists," "Nazis" and
"murderers."
"We view this as an important case," said Ra'id Faraj, a spokesman for
the
Southern California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
"We definitely don't want a situation where someone feels uncomfortable
in
a learning institution because their religion is mocked."
C.C. Abdelmuti, a 20-year-old Muslim in the class, said Hearlson
directed
all his comments to the four Muslims who sat near the back of the
auditorium.
"He was talking to us, not to the class," she said. "Maybe he was
saying
[Muslims in general], but he was talking to us. I was in shock..."
-----
SUPPORTERS WANT FREEDOM FOR AL-NAJJAR
By LIZ BLEAU, Tampa Tribune, 11/26/2001
http://www.tampatribune.com/MGAL7NPSHUC.html
TAMPA - Supporters of Mazen al-Najjar, who now faces deportation on
immigration violations, will meet this week to see what, if anything,
they
can do to help free him from jail and keep him in the country where he
has
lived since 1981.
Federal agents arrested al-Najjar, a Palestinian researcher, outside
his
Tampa apartment Saturday for overstaying his visa. The deportation
order
recently was upheld by a federal appeals court in Atlanta.
The arrest, ordered by the U.S. Department of Justice, came as more
than
1,000 people across the country have been detained for questioning in
the
investigation of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks...
-----
FOR AL-NAJJAR FAMILY, UNCERTAINTY RETURNS
By DEBORAH O'NEIL, St. Petersburg Times, 11/26/2001
http://www.sptimes.com/News/112601/State/For_Al_Najjar_family_.shtml
Fedaa Al-Najjar called home from work Saturday afternoon to say hello
to
her three daughters and her husband, Mazen Al-Najjar. What she heard
horrified her.
Her children, ages 6, 11, and 13, were crying and pleading for her to
come
home. Their father left more than an hour earlier and had not come
back.
"What do you mean he's gone?" Mrs. Al-Najjar asked, panic rising. Her
oldest told her, "Mama, I think dad was taken again."
Al-Najjar, 44, was re-arrested Saturday at his Tampa home by federal
authorities seeking to execute a deportation order against him. The
arrest
came almost one year after Al-Najjar was released after 3 1/2 years in
jail
on secret evidence the government says links him to terrorism.
For Al-Najjar's family, the arrest is a nightmare begun anew...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/27/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: RIGHTEOUSNESS DEFINED
* CANADIAN GROUPS TO ISSUE OPEN LETTER ON ANTI-TERRORISM BILL
* STATEMENT BY DR. AL-NAJJAR'S FAMILY AND TAMPA BAY COALITION FOR
JUSTICE
AND PEACE: THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE STATEMENT IGNORES US IMMIGRATION
JUDGE'S RULING
- PROFESSOR TO BE DEPORTED AFTER SECRET EVIDENCE CASE (NY
Times)
* MICHIGAN ARABS POLITELY ASKED TO ATTEND INTERVIEWS (Washington Times)
* BAPTIST HEAD URGES PRAYERS FOR MUSLIM CONVERSION (AP/NY Times)
* SOME CHRISTIANS TRY TO CONVERT MUSLIMS (Wall Street Journal)
* ROME'S ENVOY TO SAUDI ARABIA CONVERTS TO ISLAM (Reuters)
- NOTE: WILL SMITH HAS NOT CONVERTED TO ISLAM
* EDITORIAL: THE REAL WAR (New York Times)
* LETTERS: 'THE SILENT IMAMS' (Washington Post)
* AS MUSLIM INMATES FIGHT NO-BEARD RULES, SEPT. 11 ENTERS DEBATE (Wall
Street Journal)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: RIGHTEOUSNESS DEFINED
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces toward East or West;
but it
is righteousness to believe in God, and the Last Day, and the Angels,
and
the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance out of love
for
Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for
those
who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer and
practice regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which ye have made;
and
to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and
throughout
all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth the God-fearing.
Holy Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 177
-----
CANADIAN GROUPS TO ISSUE OPEN LETTER ON ANTI-TERRORISM BILL
Coalition says that C-36 is intrinsically flawed, will result in a
legacy
of regret
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 11/27/2001) - A broad coalition of prominent lawyers
and
national ethnic, religious and advocacy organizations will hold a press
conference tomorrow to issue an open letter to Prime Minister Jean
Chretien
urging his government not to pass Bill C-36.
Members of the coalition are concerned that the vague and
hastily-drafted
anti-terrorism bill is a danger to fundamental rights and freedoms and
would disproportionately target certain religious and ethnic
minorities.The
coalition claims in the letter that the amendments are insufficient and
cosmetic. To views CAIR-CAN’s critique of the bill, go to:
http://www.caircan.ca
WHEN: Wednesday, November 28th, 2001 at 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: House of Commons, Charles Lynch Press Room -- 130-S, Centre
Block
CONTACT: Riad Saloojee, 613-798-0003 E-MAIL: canada@cair-net.org
-----
STATEMENT BY DR. AL-NAJJAR'S FAMILY AND TAMPA BAY COALITION FOR JUSTICE
AND
PEACE: THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE STATEMENT IGNORES US IMMIGRATION
JUDGE'S
RULING
Tampa, Florida, 11/26/2001 - On November 24, the Department of Justice
issued a statement following the re-arrest of Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar. The
statement repeated many of the allegations against him. Not only have
all
the assertions been proven false in a court of law, but US Immigration
Judge R. Kevin McHugh addressed each and every one of them in his
56-page
ruling on October 27, 2000, and totally rejected them. This ruling came
after more than two weeks of hearings in which the government submitted
all
its evidence. Later, the INS presented its so-called secret evidence,
which
the judge also dismissed as not much different from the open record
evidence. The following are excerpts from Judge McHugh ruling, that
conclusively respond to the DOJ statement:
DOJ Statement: [Al-Najjar .. had established ties to terrorist
organizations and held leadership positions in the Tampa-based Islamic
Concern Project (ICP) and the World and Islam Studies Enterprise. The
ICP
and the World and Islam Studies Enterprise are front organizations that
raised funds for militant Islamic-Palestinian groups such as the
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas.]
Judge McHugh Ruling (Oct. 27, 2000):
[The Court finds it remarkable that out of five-hundred videotapes that
were seized, from which a thirteen-minute composite tape was created,
not
one excerpt of the composite depicted [Al-Najjar] engaging in
fundraising
for any organization...Even if the Court found that the evidence
demonstrated that the ICP raised money for the PIJ at this event, it
was
not illegal to do so until 1997...However, in this case, there is still
no
evidence that [Al-Najjar] raised funds for the PIJ or sent funds to the
PIJ. In conclusion, the Court finds that the evidence does not
demonstrate
that [Al-Najjar] engaged in fundraising for the PIJ through the ICP.]
page 39
[The Court finds that the [INS’s] claim that [Al-Najjar] engaged in
fundraising activities for the PIJ, through either the ICP or WISE, is
unsupported by the evidence of record.] page 41
[The record before the Court is devoid of any direct or indirect
evidence
to support the conclusion that [Al-Najjar] was meaningfully
associated...with the PIJ.] pages 45-46
[Although there were allegations that "the ICP and WISE were 'fronts'
for
Palestinian political causes," there is no evidence before the Court
that
demonstrates that either organization was a front for the PIJ. To the
contrary, there is evidence in the record to support the conclusion
that
WISE was a reputable and scholarly research center and the ICP was
highly
regarded.] page 48
DOJ Statement: [The INS regularly detains individuals who have a final
order of deportation while it prepares for their removal from the
United
States if they are a flight risk, a threat to the community or a threat
to
national security. Al Najjar is being detained under this standard.]
Judge McHugh Ruling (Oct. 27, 2000) on whether Dr. Al-Najjar is a
threat to
US national security: [The Court finds, based on the evidence presented
at
the public portions of the remand bond redetermination proceedings,
that
there are no “facially legitimate and bona fide reasons to conclude
that
[Al-Najjar] is a threat to national security.”] page 49
After Judge McHugh’s ordered Dr. Al-Najjar’s release, the INS appealed
that
order to a 3-judge panel at the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in
Washington D.C. The panel had access to the secret evidence, but it
still
denied the appeal and affirmed Dr. Al-Najjar’s release. Subsequently,
the
INS asked then Attorney General Janet Reno to block his release.
Attorney
General Reno denied that request and allowed his release despite the
secret
evidence that she had access to, in effect affirming that Dr. Al-Najjar
is
NOT a threat to the community or to national security.
It is extremely disappointing as well as troubling that this Justice
department totally ignored Judge McHugh’s findings and rulings in its
statement in order to justify the indefensible detention of Dr.
Al-Najjar.
We call upon the justice department to respect Judge McHugh’s findings
and
ruling.
As a stateless Palestinian Dr. Al-Najjar does not have a country to be
deported to. But if and when a safe country is found for him and his
family, he’d be more than willing to re-locate to that country. The
September 11th horrible tragedy should not be used to perpetuate the
continuous suffering of Dr. Al-Najjar and his family. He deserves to be
with his wife, children, family, and community.
CONTACT: Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian (813) 300-9393
SEE ALSO: PROFESSOR TO BE DEPORTED AFTER SECRET EVIDENCE CASE
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/27/national/27DETA.html
-----
MICHIGAN ARABS POLITELY ASKED TO ATTEND INTERVIEWS
By Steve Miller, The Washington Times, 11/27/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20011127-60438125.htm
The Justice Department is asking rather than telling Michigan Arabs
to
set up interviews with local federal officials as part of its hunt for
terrorists.
Letters mailed yesterday to 700 people of Arab descent by Jeffrey
Collins,
U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, urge recipients to
contact his office for an interview "at a location, date, and time that
is
convenient for you."
"We have no reason to believe that you are, in any way, associated with
terrorist activities," the letter states in bold letters.
"Nevertheless,
you may know something that could be helpful in our efforts. In fact,
it is
quite possible that you have information that may seem irrelevant to
you
but which may help us piece together this puzzle."
Letter recipients were gleaned from a list of people who came to
Michigan
on a visa from a country "where there are groups that support, advocate
or
finance international terrorism," the letter says. Those contacted are
all
between 18 and 33 years old and have all been in the United States on
non-immigrant, tourist, business or student visas since Jan. 1, 2000.
The letter contains a Dec. 4 deadline for contacting authorities, and
there
is no penalty for not responding.
"We're going to cross that bridge when we come to it," said Bob Cares,
assistant U.S. attorney in Michigan's Eastern District. "If we talk to
them
by phone and they say they do not want to be interviewed, that's the
end of
it."
The soft tone of the letter is a response to complaints of profiling
and
civil rights violations from the 300,000-plus Arab community in
southeast
Michigan, the largest settlement outside of the Middle East…
-----
BAPTIST HEAD URGES PRAYERS FOR MUSLIM CONVERSION
By The Associated press/New York Times, 11/27/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/27/national/27BAPT.html
The head of the Southern Baptist Convention is asking its members to
"pray
and fast that God will miraculously reveal himself through Jesus Christ
to
Muslims" at the end of Ramadan, Islam's holy month.
"Just as they can pray and fast, we want to pray and fast that they
will
find the true way to heaven, and this is through Jesus Christ," the
Rev.
James G. Merritt, leader of the nation's second-largest Christian
denomination, said in a statement yesterday. SEE: “Merritt calls on
Baptists to fast & pray on last day of Ramadan,”
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=12242
…Calling Christianity "the only true religion," Mr. Merritt said that
"every other religion gives a false hope of having a relationship with
God."
"That's not what I say," he added. "That's what Jesus says."
"It's a free country," a spokesman for the Council on Islamic-American
Relations, Ibrahim Hooper, said. "If he wants to have Christians fast
and
pray, we're hardly in a position to tell people not to."
Mr. Hooper said Muslims had objected to Christian actions such as
appearing
at a mosque to lay hands on it or "going into refugee camps and
troubled
areas where people are poor and oppressed and using power relationships
to
push these kinds of beliefs."
-----
SOME CHRISTIANS TRY TO CONVERT MUSLIMS
How-To Books, Islam Classes Help the Proselytizers Prepare
By Robert Tomsho, The Wall Street Journal Europe, 11/27/2001
http://interactive.wsj.com/european/p/eurohome.html
...Driven in part by the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, a host of
Christian churches and missionary groups are engaged in a world-wide
campaign to convert Muslims. They have dispatched missionaries to what
they
call the "10/40 Window" -- a latitudinal designation referring to a
vast
swath of Africa and Asia that contains much of the Islamic world.
…Religious publishing houses have produced a vast library of how-to
books
on recruiting Muslims. One of the best known is "Answering Islam,"
co-written by Norman Geisler, president of the Southern Evangelical
Seminary, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Abdul Saleeb, a Muslim
convert
to Christianity. Published in 1993, the book has sold more than 42,000
copies.
Another genre offers Christian teachings graphically presented in the
fashion of Muslim texts. Written by an anonymous author, "The True
Furgan"
outlines basic Christian beliefs. It sells for $19.95 (22.66 euros) by
mail
order in the U.S. The word "furgan" means criterion in Arabic and
refers to
a similarly named section of the Quran that outlines the standard for
achieving salvation.
"The True Furgan" chapters are labeled "suras," the same word used for
such
purposes in the Quran. The Christian volume also mimics the Muslim holy
book's sentence structure. It "is a deliberate attempt to imitate the
style
of the Quran," says Khalid Blankinship, head of the religion department
at
Philadelphia's Temple University.
A growing number of churches have embraced "friendship evangelism."
Members
try to develop relationships with individual Muslims in the U.S. and
eventually talk about religion.
Sue Patt of suburban Philadelphia regularly attends religious
discussion
groups at a local mosque. Employed by the U.S. Center for World
Mission,
based in Pasadena, California, she also trains missionaries who are
sent to
the Islamic world. She won't say where precisely because in some
countries
such work is illegal and severely punished.
These efforts have yet to spark a significant shift in religious
allegiances, but they have added fuel to historic tensions between the
West
and parts of the Islamic world…
…Although few American missionaries to Muslim countries will discuss
their
work abroad, there is ample evidence that the proselytizing is growing.
With 800 missionaries in 37 countries, Frontiers, a group based in
Mesa,
Arizona, sends teams abroad for years at a time. Members take cover
jobs as
teachers, translators and sales representatives. They try to forge
personal
bonds with local residents and create small cells of Christians. Church
buildings are seldom part of the plan. "You don't taunt sensitive
Muslim
people by sticking a big cross in their face," says founder Greg
Livingstone…
-----
ROME'S ENVOY TO SAUDI ARABIA CONVERTS TO ISLAM
Reuters, 11/26/2001
ROME (Reuters) - Italy's ambassador to Saudi Arabia has converted to
Islam,
the second time in seven years that an envoy of Rome to the land of
Mecca
has adopted its religion.
Torquato Cardilli, a career diplomat from overwhelmingly Roman Catholic
Italy, revealed his decision to Saudi newspapers Saturday, his 59th
birthday. Italian diplomatic sources confirmed the announcement Monday…
…The conversion of Cardilli -- who is married with two children --
follows
the move to Islam made by Mario Scialoja, Italian ambassador to the
Arab
kingdom in 1994-95, who has since left the foreign service and is head
of
Italy's Muslim League…Corriere della Sera newspaper said Cardilli had
been
recalled to Rome "for consultations."
NOTE: A rumor has been circulating on the internet that actor Will
Smith
has converted to Islam. CAIR-LA contacted his publicist and was told
that
he is not a Muslim, but became sympathetic to Islam while making a
movie
about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali. The movie, "Ali," opens
nationwide
December 25. SEE: http://www.upcomingmovies.com/ali.html
-----
EDITORIAL: THE REAL WAR
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, The New York Times, 11/27/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/27/opinion/27FRIE.html
If 9/11 was indeed the onset of World War III, we have to understand
what
this war is about. We're not fighting to eradicate “terrorism.”
Terrorism
is just a tool. We're fighting to defeat an ideology: religious
totalitarianism…
…Many Jews and Christians have already argued that the answer to that
question is yes, and some have gone back to their sacred texts to
reinterpret their traditions to embrace modernity and pluralism, and to
create space for secularism and alternative faiths. Others -- Christian
and
Jewish fundamentalists -- have rejected this notion, and that is what
the
battle is about within their faiths.
What is different about Islam is that while there have been a few
attempts
at such a reformation, none have flowered or found the support of a
Muslim
state. We patronize Islam, and mislead ourselves, by repeating the
mantra
that Islam is a faith with no serious problems accepting the secular
West,
modernity and pluralism, and the only problem is a few bin Ladens.
Although there is a deep moral impulse in Islam for justice, charity
and
compassion, Islam has not developed a dominant religious philosophy
that
allows equal recognition of alternative faith communities…
POLITE COMMENTS TO: letters@nytimes.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
LETTERS: 'THE SILENT IMAMS'
The Washington Post, 11/27/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19484-2001Nov26.html
Maybe Charles Krauthammer went to sleep after the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks ["The Silent Imams," op-ed, Nov. 23].
SEE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3804-2001Nov22.html
Maybe he didn't see that the first people to condemn the attacks were,
in
fact, Muslim leaders in America and overseas.
Maybe he did not hear the news that mosques were vandalized, Muslims'
homes
were shot at and several people, Muslims and some men mistaken for
Muslims,
were murdered.
Maybe Mr. Krauthammer didn't hear that hundreds of those who perished
in
New York were Muslims.
Maybe he didn't hear about all those Muslims who lost their jobs the
next day.
Maybe he didn't notice all the mosques who closed for the two weeks
following the attacks, only to open their doors to their non-Muslim
neighbors through open house events in efforts to bridge gaps of
misunderstanding.
Maybe he failed to notice the congressman who called for the
deportation of
those who wear "diapers" on their heads and for the mass arrest of all
Muslims in America.
Maybe he didn't notice the bigoted remarks of the Rev. Jerry Falwell
and
the Rev. Franklin Graham, calling Islam a religion of hate. Maybe he
didn't
hear about the church sign in Boise, Idaho, that read: "The spirit of
Islam
is the spirit of the Antichrist."
Mr. Krauthammer clearly wants to promote tension and distrust of
Muslims.
The American people should turn their ears off and shut their eyes to
Charles Krauthammer. He has obviously done that for the rest of us.
JOHN M. JANNEY
Richardson, Tex.
As an American Muslim, I have heard nothing but condemnation of the
Sept.
11 attacks from the Muslim community. Within hours of the attacks,
every
national Muslim group, including the Islamic Society of North America,
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, and other key representatives of
American Muslims, condemned the attack in unequivocal terms.
During that week, I was flooded with e-mails from Islamic religious
scholars and institutions, domestic and international, denouncing the
terrorist acts as contradicting Islam.
In Friday prayer services I have attended since September, imams have
spoken forcefully against the violence in their sermons.
The American Muslim community is diverse, but on the attacks
themselves,
there is a single reaction: denunciation and dismay.
If Charles Krauthammer perceives silence, perhaps it is that the voices
of
Muslims are drowned out in the din of his own prejudice.
SHIRIN SINNAR
Palo Alto, Calif.
-----
AS MUSLIM INMATES FIGHT NO-BEARD RULES, SEPT. 11 ENTERS DEBATE
By Daniel Golden, The Wall Street Journal, 11/27/2001
http://public.wsj.com/home.html
VACAVILLE, Calif. -- After years of courtroom triumphs, the roughly 300
Muslim inmates at the Solano state prison here can purify themselves
with
authentic religious oils, study the Quran with a full-time imam and
skip
work assignments to attend Sabbath prayers.
Now, in their latest legal foray, they are pressing for another
devotional
coup: the right to facial hair. "If our lawsuit wins, a lot of us will
grow
beards to follow the prophet Muhammad," says Dante Gaines, a
clean-shaven
convicted murderer who converted to Islam in prison six years ago.
"This
was his way of life."
In decisions dating back more than a decade, federal courts have
generally
upheld prison rules that prohibit beards. Wardens say the rules are
needed
to prevent inmates from using beards to conceal drugs and other
contraband
or from being able to shave to change their appearance as part of an
escape.
But a law enacted last year makes it harder for states to restrict
inmate
religious practices. It has encouraged Muslim inmates in California and
elsewhere to renew demands for beards…
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/28/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: THAT YOU MAY KNOW EACH OTHER
* REACH OUT TO NEIGHBORS AND CO-WORKERS DURING EID UL-FITR
* DRAGNET PRODUCES FEW TERRORIST TIES (Los Angeles Times)
- U.S. MOVES TO QUESTION MIDEAST MEN
* SOUTHERN BAPTIST CALL TO PRAYER (Newsday)
* OTTAWA WRANGLES OVER TERROR LAW (Globe and Mail)
* HOW HATRED FOUND A LITTLE CITGO STATION IN BARKEYVILLE
(Post-Dispatch)
* BALTIMORE MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
* DC WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: THAT YOU MAY KNOW EACH OTHER
O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female,
and
made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that
ye
may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of
God
is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge
and is
well acquainted (with all things).
Holy Quran, Chapter 49, Verse 13
-----
CAIR ACTION ALERT #316
REACH OUT TO NEIGHBORS AND CO-WORKERS DURING EID UL-FITR
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/28/2001) As-salaamu alaykum (peace to you). As
the
blessed month of Ramadan moves to its end, we have an excellent
opportunity
to reach out to our neighbors and co-workers during Eid ul-Fitr.
ACTION REQUESTED:
FOR NEIGHBORS: Invite your neighbors on the day of Eid (or if not
possible,
the day after) for a light meal. The goal is to have an opportunity to
build rapport with our neighbors through the sharing of food and a
holiday.
Alternatively, you can give some sweets, snacks and/or some other gift
(Islamic decorations, books or other items) you believe reflect in some
way
our diverse Islamic culture. Coordinate with other Muslim families in
your
area.
FOR CO-WORKERS: As Eid will most likely fall on the weekend (December
15th
or 16th), take some traditional sweets to work on the following Monday
and
put them on your desk for colleagues to sample. Let others in your
office
know about the availability of the sweets be e-mail. Once they come to
your
desk, be prepared to answer basic questions about the importance of Eid
ul-Fitr and how it relates to Ramadan.
If you have Muslim co-workers, coordinate with them so that each of you
takes care of a certain department or work group. The idea is to make
the
sharing personal, so it is best to limit efforts to a specific group
and
let your Muslim co-workers handle their own areas. If you want to
announce
something company-wide, get approval first.
REPORT RESULTS: Please report the results of your Eid outreach
activities
to CAIR so that we may let others know. E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org FAX:
202-488-0833
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DRAGNET PRODUCES FEW TERRORIST TIES
By JOSH MEYER, The Los Angeles Times, 11/28/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-112801probe.story
Federal criminal charges have been filed against 104 people detained in
the
United States in the global investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, but most of those charges are not directly related to
terrorist
activity, according to government documents released Tuesday.
The Justice Department documents show that an additional 538 people
remained in federal custody on immigration charges and that none of
them
were charged with participating in or plotting acts of terrorism.
The records released by Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft amounted to the
government's first public accounting of more than 1,180 people swept up
in
that global dragnet. Until Tuesday, the Justice Department had refused
to
disclose whom it had detained or charged in connection with the
investigation, and for weeks, concern had been mounting in Congress and
elsewhere about the secrecy and scope of his investigation…
...Virtually all of the 538 immigration detainees are accused of
overstaying their visa, violating the terms of the visa, entering the
United States without permission or other immigration violations. The
detainees come from 47 countries, most of them from Pakistan, Turkey,
the
Middle East and north African nations…
…Ibrahim Hooper, representative of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, described the disclosure as "a step in the right direction."
"But we'd like to know who all these people are," he said, "whether
they're
getting proper legal representation and whether there is evidence of
any
links to terrorists. Or are they being held on technical violations
that
otherwise they wouldn't be facing? …We still think there's too much
secrecy."
SEE ALSO: U.S. MOVES TO QUESTION MIDEAST MEN
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-112801justice.story
Facing a deadline less than a month away, law enforcement agencies
across
the country are struggling with staffing shortages and legal questions
as
they attempt to interview about 5,000 foreign men who have entered the
country in the last two years.
-----
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CALL TO PRAYER
Group's leader asks vigil, hopes for religious conversions of Muslims
By Carol Eisenberg, Newsday (NY), 11/28/2001
www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usmusl282484041nov28.story
…In past years, Southern Baptists have prayed for the conversion of
Jews
and Hindus on the holy days of those faiths, often provoking anger and
consternation. "If someone wants to pray for my soul, they're welcome
to do
it," said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director for the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations, as well as a former Christian who
converted
to Islam. "I'm not going to stop them."
But Hooper noted that Merritt's call comes at a difficult time for
American
Muslims, when many are hearing inflammatory remarks from neighbors,
bosses
and co-workers. And he noted that a number of conservative Christian
leaders have openly disparaged Islam. A little more than a week ago,
the
Rev. Franklin Graham said in an interview aired on NBC News that Islam
is
"a very evil and wicked religion."
"What we've noticed," Hooper said, "is that since Sept. 11, people feel
much more free to attack the faith of Islam directly, whereas before
they
used to couch it in terms of, 'Oh no, we're not attacking Islam. We're
only
talking about fundamentalists and radicals…'"
-----
OTTAWA WRANGLES OVER TERROR LAW
By CAMPBELL CLARK and DANIEL LEBLANC, The Globe and Mail, 11/28/2001
http://www.globeandmail.com
OTTAWA -- The Liberal government was scrambling to fast-track portions
of
its newest terrorism bill, to prevent the United States from blocking
Canadian planes from flying into American airports next month.
Efforts to reach a deal were still fruitless last night as opposition
parties -- and a renegade Liberal MP -- bitterly attacked the
government
for cutting off debate on another piece of terror legislation.
…In addition, a group of academics, church groups and other
associations
released a letter today that calls for Bill C-36 to be scrapped.
It is signed by former NDP leader Ed Broadbent, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, the Jesuits of Upper Canada, the Council of
Canadians and the United Church of Canada, among others.
The government kept defending the legislation yesterday, saying it has
been
fully studied by the justice committee of the House of Commons and that
it
is time to move on. "The House is not only for debate, it is also for
decision," Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray said…
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE: www.caircan.ca
-----
HOW HATRED FOUND A LITTLE CITGO STATION IN BARKEYVILLE
By Dennis Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/28/2001
http://www.post-gazette.com/headlines/20011128homefront1128p2.asp
BARKEYVILLE, Pa. - After the television cameras had left with their
footage
of Sajjad Raja and the dime-size bullet hole just beneath the little
American flag sticker on his gas station window, the hunt for an
explanation remained.
"He really thinks it's just one sad, sick person," said Sarah Raja,
Sajjad's sister-in-law and business partner in the little Citgo station
just off the exit from Interstate 80 along the Venango- Butler County
border.
…It is a small station with two rows of pumps out front and a selection
of
quick foods inside. Perhaps the only thing that makes it stand out is
the
knowledge that, in the back office, Sajjad has laid out a prayer rug to
observe the daily worship schedule of the Muslim faith he brought with
him
from Pakistan.
The taunts after Sept. 11 were occasional and generally directed
through
Sarah.
"I had people ask where the `towelheads' went. Did they run and hide?"
she
said. They said worse. But until 1:05 Thanksgiving morning, they only
said.
On that day, Sajjad heard a horn outside. He peeked through the front
window of the station and a bullet crashed inches away, sending shards
of
glass into his face and eye…
-----
BALTIMORE MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
WHEN: Saturday, December 1st, 2001, From 3 -6 p.m.
(One-hour presentations at Noon and 2 p.m.)
WHERE: Masjid Al-Rahmah, Islamic Society of Baltimore, 6631 Johnnycake
Road, Baltimore, MD
CONTACT: 410-747-7366 or go to www.isb.org
-----
DC WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 8, between 6 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: DAR AL-HIJRAH ISLAMIC CENTER, 3159 Row Street, Falls Church, VA
CONTACT:(703) 536-1030
Please bring winter clothing and shoesthat are in clean and good
conditon.
All collections will be shipped to Afghanistan through a Muslim Relief
Agency. Clothing must be dropped off before Asr Prayer on Dec. 8.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/29/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: SAVING A LIFE
* COLIN POWELL HOSTS RAMADAN DINNER FOR U.S. MUSLIMS
* NEIGHBORS: NOT SUCH A RADICAL NOTION (San Diego Union-Tribune)
* TWO MUSLIMS ARRESTED FOR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY (AP)
* FEDERAL QUERIES WORRY MUSLIMS (Sun-Sentinel)
* MUSLIMS UNNERVED BY JUSTICE SWEEPS (Times-Picayune)
* LETTERS: MUSLIM IS SINGLED OUT (Post-Dispatch)
* TERROR BILL GETS GO-AHEAD (Toronto Star)
* CAIR-DFW JOINS FBI ON RADIO CALL-IN PROGRAM
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: SAVING A LIFE
We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person,
unless
it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land, it would be as
if
he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if
he
saved the life of the whole people.
Holy Quran, Chapter 5, Verses 32
-----
COLIN POWELL HOSTS RAMADAN DINNER FOR U.S. MUSLIMS
(WASHINGTON, D.C. - 11/29/2001) - Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
hosted
a Ramadan "Iftar" dinner this evening for representatives of the
American
Muslim community. Dinner attendees included several Muslim fire
department
and police personnel who took part in the relief efforts following the
recent terrorist attacks in Washington and New York.
(Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which
Muslims
abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. An Iftar is the meal
that comes after the sunset prayer. Dinner attendees first broke their
fast
with traditional dates and water before offering their prayer.)
Powell told the gathering that there still remains "much ignorance and
confusion" about Islam. He encouraged American Muslims to reach out and
educate others about their faith. Secretary Powell also noted that, as
a
member of a minority community, he had to deal with the same kind of
profiling that many Muslims and Arab-Americans have experienced since
September 11. SEE: http://www.state.gov/secretary/
"Secretary Powell is to be congratulated for his efforts to reach out
to
American Muslims. Muslims have unique perspectives on many important
policy
issues that need to be considered as the war on terrorism goes
forward,"
said Council on American Islamic-Relations (CAIR) Communications
Director
Ibrahim Hooper, who attended tonight's dinner. Hooper presented Powell
with
Ramadan greeting cards made by local Muslim students. The cards wished
him
a happy Ramadan and asked that America help feed the hungry in this
country
and in Afghanistan.
"American Muslims can play a valuable role in the fight against terror
by
serving as a bridge of understanding to the Islamic world. Events like
these offer a good opportunity to let policy-makers get to know Muslim
leaders on a personal level," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad.
Fasting (along with the declaration of faith, daily prayers, charity,
and
pilgrimage to Mecca) is one of the "five pillars" of Islam. (To
download
CAIR's "Ramadan Media Kit," go to http://www.cair-net.org/ramadan2001.
The
kit includes "Ramadan Facts," "Ramadan Q&A" and "Q&A About Islam and
American Muslims.")
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide. SEE: CAIR's "The Mosque in America: A National
Portrait," at http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport and the State
Department's "Islam in the United States" at
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/islam/
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
NEIGHBORS: NOT SUCH A RADICAL NOTION
By PETER ROWE, San Diego Union Tribune, 11/29/2001
http://www.uniontrib.com/
Search using the term "Abdeen."
Since Sept. 11, we've heard a lot about "Muslim extremists" and
"moderate
Muslims." But who defines these terms? Seeking the American Muslim
mainstream, whose charts should we use?
For insight, I turned to Dr. Omaran Abdeen, 31, a nephrologist and San
Diego representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
This,
I'm told, was a mistake.
The Media Research Center, a self-described "conservative media
watchdog
organization," calls the council a "radical group."
Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, a think tank based in
Philadelphia, says that Abdeen's group is "noisy and vicious."
Abdeen's response: "Certain commentators, certain pundits, have
consistently portrayed Muslims in a certain light -- especially
American
Muslims. They almost always make our loyalty and our patriotism
suspect. I
find this suspect, that they never find anything good to say about the
group."
SEE: "'ISLAMOPHOBIC SMEAR CAMPAIGN' GOES PUBLIC" at
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=4&articletype=3
As you've doubtless guessed, Abdeen is not a California native. But he
speaks unaccented English despite his exotic birthplace -- Chattanooga.
I had no trouble understanding him. I had a tough time, though, seeing
him
as radical, noisy or vicious...
...His radical, etc., advice? Go to the source. The next "Meet Your
Muslim
Neighbors" is Wednesday at Breeze Hill Elementary School, 1111 Melrose
Way,
Vista. Last week, while moderating the first session, I met a panel of
bona
fide, honest-to-Allah members of the faith...
...Despite his Dixie roots, Abdeen was raised in Los Angeles. He
attended
UCSD Medical School and has lived in San Diego ever since. While he
knows
the area, he was surprised by the post-terrorism, anti-Muslim backlash.
And
by the backlash to the backlash.
"In the first week after Sept. 11, the Islamic Center received 30 to 40
bouquets and 50 to 60 cards of support and sympathy, all from
non-Muslims.
There were even offers to do the shopping for Muslim women who are
afraid
to leave home."
In other words, many San Diegans redefined the term "Muslim neighbor."
Muslim? OK. Neighbor? First and foremost.
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: letters@uniontrib.com.
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, cair_sCA@cair-california.org
-----
TWO MUSLIMS ARRESTED FOR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY
Associated Press, 11/29/2001
TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) - Two Muslim men, free on bond Thursday on
charges
in connection with separate violations, say they were arrested after
stopping their rental vehicle to kneel in a parking lot and pray.
The Somalis who live in Houston had finished their prayers and were
about
to drive their rented U-Haul truck off the parking lot this week when
officers arrived to investigate a report of suspicious activity, said
Texas
City police Capt. Anthony Morgan.
...Police told the suspects that the U-haul van they were driving
looked
suspicious.
...After police got permission from Hassan and Yusuf to search the
truck,
officers found under the passenger seat a sheathed Bowie knife with a
blade
measuring 5 3/4 inches -- a quarter inch more than Texas law allows.
Yusuf
was charged with possession of an illegal weapon, Morgan said.
He said police notified the U.S. Immigration Naturalization Service and
the
FBI of the arrests.
Morgan said the men work for a company that requires them to pick up
boxes
from stores. Police were called after residents began to wonder what
the
men were doing.
-----
FEDERAL QUERIES WORRY MUSLIMS
Megan O'Matz and Jeff Shields Staff Writers, Staff Writers Tanya
Weinberg,
David Cazares and Sarah Cartmell contributed to this story.
Sun-Sentinel
(Fort Lauderdale, FL), 11/29/2001
The U.S. Justice Department's plans to interview 160 mostly Middle
Eastern
men in South Florida as part of a far-reaching terrorism investigation
has
stirred fear among local Arab-Americans and drawn protests from civil
libertarians.
Armed with a set of questions handed down from Washington,
investigators
from the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force are fanning out
across
the area in search of the men who made the list based on their ages,
country of origin and length of time in the United States. One question
asks how each man felt when he heard the news of Sept. 11.
Islamic leaders and civil rights groups say the move is akin to racial
profiling. "It's a type of investigation that carries a great potential
to
create the impression that interviewees are being singled out because
of
their race, ethnicity or religion," said Altaf Ali, director of the
Florida
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "This can have a
ripple effect on the community at large, especially the Muslim
community..."
-----
MUSLIMS UNNERVED BY JUSTICE SWEEPS
Mosque leader calls tactic racial profiling
By Bruce Nolan, The Times-Picayune, 11/29/2001
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/newsstory/muslim29.html
The Justice Department's imprisonment and aggressive questioning of
hundreds of Muslim immigrants across the country is violating the Bill
of
Rights and alienating a community the government ought to be
cultivating as
an asset, a Muslim scholar said Wednesday.
The Sept. 11 attacks have been a watershed for Muslims in America
partly
because the government response has left many disappointed in the
American
ideal, said Akbar S. Ahmed, a professor of international relations at
American University in Washington, D.C.
Ahmed and three other Muslim scholars spoke about Islam in the United
States at the invitation of the Carnegie Corp. as the philanthropic
foundation issued a report Wednesday in New York called "Muslims in
America: Identity, Diversity and the Challenge of Understanding."
Having lived in Britain for 10 years, followed by two years in the
United
States, "I find the greatest strength Muslims had was a sense of
freedom,"
said Ahmed. "I regret to say that sense has been lost."
He said the aggressive sweeps are "alienating a community which wants
to
act as an ambassador between American civilization and the Muslim
world..."
-----
LETTERS: MUSLIM IS SINGLED OUT
http://home.post-dispatch.com/
Racial profiling has finally hit home for me. One of my closest friends
from college, Usmaan Ahmad, a graduate of Washington University and a
student at the Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts University, was
escorted off of an American Airlines plane because of his appearance
(Nov.
24 news article).
It enrages and saddens me that our country, a nation founded on the
bedrock
of civil liberties and freedoms, is now succumbing to the greatest form
of
terrorism, which is ignorance. How are we to combat terrorism at its
root
if we perform acts of terror on our peaceful citizens?
What did Usmaan do aside from being Muslim? Did he not pass through the
security checkpoint? Were his bags not conforming to FAA standards?
Usmaan attends the best diplomacy school that our nation has to offer.
For
years, he has been directly involved in human rights struggles in East
Timor, Tibet and Kashmir -- regions that we in our charmed lives fail
to
consider.
"Safety concerns" were the rationale for throwing him off the flight.
Even
though he may have been embarrassed by this, as his friend and brother,
I
promise you that he will continue to struggle for the betterment of
humankind and that the flight attendant who threw him off will, one
day, be
ashamed of her blatantly racist, ignorant and un-American gestures.
Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar
Midwest Communications Director
Council on American-Islamic Relations
-----
TERROR BILL GETS GO-AHEAD
By Tonda MacCharles, Toronto Star, 11/29/2001
A sweeping anti-terror bill that has been under attack from both the
left
and right won approval in the House of Commons last night.
It now heads to the Senate where opponents vow to continue their fight.
However, the Senate is expected to approve the bill.
The proposed law easily passed third reading by a vote of 190 to 47. Of
the
backbench Liberals who had voiced concern about the sweeping
anti-terrorism
measures, only one in the end, Andrew Telegdi (Kitchener-Waterloo)
voted
against it...
...Passage of the bill came after an announcement that the Liberal
government would be rushing through a second anti-terrorism measure - a
requirement that Canadian air carriers share passenger information with
U.S. authorities.
Transport Minister David Collenette said that measure must pass before
Christmas because the United States is insisting on receiving the
information about airline passengers arriving there starting in
mid-January.
The bill passed yesterday creates new criminal offences, expands police
powers to investigate, wiretap and prosecute suspects, and allows the
federal government sweeping powers to invoke secrecy over
information...
...A nationwide coalition of 19 religious, ethnic and legal
organizations
and 26 lawyers and academics also released an open letter to the Prime
Minister, pleading for anti-terrorism measures to be completely
re-drafted.
The coalition, which includes many Muslim and Arab groups who testified
during parliamentary hearings on Bill C-36, called the government's
offered
amendments "minor and cosmetic changes" that will not prevent wrongful
arrests and the destruction of lives and reputations.
"Many rights that we now take for granted - due process, full answer
and
defence and fundamental justice - are all threatened by Bill C-36,"
said
Hadeel Al-Shalchi of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Canada,
who
read portions of the letter to reporters.
"While it is necessary to implement measures to ensure the safety of
Canadians in these uncertain times, we are concerned that Bill C-36 -
The
Anti-Terrorism Act - is itself a threat to the legal and civil rights
that
Canadians now enjoy..."
-----
CAIR-DFW JOINS FBI ON RADIO CALL-IN PROGRAM
On Saturday, December 1st, CAIR-DFW Director Mohamed Elmougy and FBI
Special Agent in Charge Danny Daffenbaugh will answer call-in questions
on
radio station AM 1150 from 3-4 p.m. Please fax or call-in with your
comments or questions. The fax number and call-in number will be made
available at the start of the show.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 11/30/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: WITH HARDSHIP COMES EASE
* U.S. MUSLIM GROUP RECEIVES POSSIBLE ANTHRAX THREAT
* INS MEMO CITES POSSIBLE DETENTION FOR THOSE QUESTIONED IN TERROR
PROBE (CNN)
* OREGON CITIES REJECT ANTI-TERROR INTERVIEWS (Reuters)
* IMMIGRANTS OFFERED INCENTIVES TO GIVE EVIDENCE ON TERRORISTS (NY
Times)
* PRISONERS' FATE, TREATMENT NOT IN U.S. HANDS, OFFICIALS SAY
(Washington Post)
* MUSLIMS TRY TO BOOST SALES OF STAMP WITH ARABIC GREETING (San
Francisco
Chronicle)
* EPISCOPAL PROTEST ON PALESTINIAN ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS CHRISTIAN-JEWISH
DIVIDE
OVER ISRAEL (AP)
* DANIEL PIPES HIRES PR FIRM FOR STEVEN EMERSON (National Journal)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: WITH HARDSHIP COMES EASE
And, behold, with every hardship comes ease. Verily, with every
hardship
comes ease! Hence, when thou art freed [from distress], remain
steadfast,
and to thy Lord turn (all) thy attention.
Holy Quran, Chapter 94, Verses 5-8
-----
U.S. MUSLIM GROUP RECEIVES POSSIBLE ANTHRAX THREAT
News release from the Islamic Society of North America:
http://www.isna.net/news.asp?view=detail&id=43
Friday, November 30, 2001
Plainfield, IN. - Indiana State Police laboratory is testing a
threatening
letter for anthrax and other harmful contaminants that was received at
the
headquarters of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) on November
28,
2001.
The letter contained threats and ended with the warning, "Your next
breath
may have spores," said ISNA secretary general Dr. Sayyid Muhammad
Syeed.
The secretary general's executive secretary who opened the letter
placed it
in a sealed plastic bag, along with the envelope which bore no return
address--and the letter opener she used, before contacting the FBI.
Consequently, a local fire department officer collected the letter from
ISNA.
Clifford Ong, director of the Indiana Counter-Terrorism and Security
Council, said a state health lab should be able to determine in about
36
hours whether the letter contained anthrax.
Dr. Syeed said that ISNA has been receiving calls and e-mails of
support
and comfort from the local community as well as religious and civic
leaders. He said that ISNA deeply appreciates such gestures of goodwill
and
neighborliness in these trying times.
The secretary general has advised all Muslim organizations to be
vigilant
about their security and report any suspicious activity to the law
enforcement agencies such as FBI.
CONTACT ISNA: (317) 839-8157
-----
INS MEMO CITES POSSIBLE DETENTION
FOR THOSE QUESTIONED IN TERROR PROBE
CNN, 11/29/2001
http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/11/29/inv.terrorism.interviews/index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. government memo sent to attorneys general
across
the country says that some of the 5,000 men wanted for voluntary
questioning may be held without bond if an immigration violation is
suspected.
The memo from the Immigration and Naturalization Service -- a copy of
which
was obtained by CNN -- notes that the men, mostly from Middle Eastern
and
predominately Muslim countries, are not suspects in the September 11
terrorist attacks, but it also concludes that some of them probably
have
overstayed their visas.
"Requests either by the FBI of the United States Attorney's Office to
detain immigration violators under 'No Bond' should be honored and will
be
handled in the same manner as all prior cases with a direct nexus to
the
September 11th investigation," the November 23 memo reads...
-----
OREGON CITIES REJECT ANTI-TERROR INTERVIEWS
By Bruce Olson, Reuters, 11/29/2001
CORVALLIS, Ore, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Police chiefs in three Oregon cities
Thursday joined Portland's chief in balking at a request by federal
officials to question foreigners who may have information regarding
terrorist attacks.
The police department in Eugene, the state's second largest city,
joined
Corvallis, a college town in the central portion of the state, and
Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland, in refusing to conduct interviews
sought
by the federal government.
Corvallis Police Chief Pam Roskowski said she felt her officers were
"best
used in doing interviews where we have reason to believe there may be
some
criminal information to investigate."
Eugene Police Chief Jim Hill said he was concerned with "burning
bridges we
have built with the community."
Hillsboro Chief Ron Louie said that because "this is an intelligence
gathering operation and those to be interviewed are not suspected of
criminal activity it would not be appropriate for the Hillsboro police
department..."
-----
IMMIGRANTS OFFERED INCENTIVES TO GIVE EVIDENCE ON TERRORISTS
By NEIL A. LEWIS, The New York Times, 11/30/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/30/national/30JUST.html
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 -- Attorney General John Ashcroft today offered a
deal
to foreigners -- if they provide useful evidence against terrorists,
the
administration will help them remain in the United States and may even
offer a fast track to American citizenship.
"The people who have the courage to make the right choice deserve to be
welcomed as guests into our country and perhaps to one day become
fellow
citizens," Mr. Ashcroft said as he described how he hoped to use a
little-known seven-year-old program to offer incentives for providing
information on terrorism. Officials said it was meant to represent a
carrot
to go along with the several other recent law enforcement initiatives
that
were less popular among many immigrant groups.
Civil liberties advocates were uncertain of its impact. Many lauded it
as a
useful counter to the administration's previous initiatives, including
plans to question some 5,000 men in the country who have come from 26
Arab
and Muslim nations. Others said it was flawed because illegal
immigrants
might be reluctant to come forward and make themselves known to the
government...
-----
PRISONERS' FATE, TREATMENT NOT IN U.S. HANDS, OFFICIALS SAY
By Walter Pincus and Steven Mufson, The Washington Post, 11/30/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36536-2001Nov29.html
...The handling of prisoners in Afghanistan and the role of U.S.
military
and intelligence personnel on the ground have become growing issues
amid
allegations of mistreatment and executions by captors. Hundreds of
prisoners have been seen loaded into trucks and crammed into makeshift
detention buildings, and 600 were killed after a prison riot broke out
several days ago near the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif.
While U.S. officials acknowledge that U.S. Special Forces and CIA
officers
have been taking part in the interrogations of some prisoners, they say
that control over the prisoners remains in the hands of various rebel
factions holding them.
"To say that we can control or dictate what the opposition groups might
do
is just an overstatement. We can't," Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria
Clarke
told reporters yesterday...
-----
MUSLIMS TRY TO BOOST SALES OF STAMP WITH ARABIC GREETING
By Anastasia Hendrix, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/30/2001
http://www.sfgate.com/
Search using the term "Helal."
Heading to prayer services at his Santa Clara mosque one recent Friday
afternoon, Helal Omeira saw another Muslim near the entrance selling
postage stamps to passers-by.
Imams, or mosque leaders, have urged people to make extra trips to the
post
office. Mass e-mails from Muslim organizations encourage the same. And
people are selling sheets of stamps to friends and at fund-raisers --
all
in an attempt to increase the circulation of the new Eid stamp. The
stamp,
issued just 10 days before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, features
golden
Arabic calligraphy on a blue background that says "Eid Mubarek" -- the
greeting used to celebrate the two holiest Islamic holidays, Eid
al-Fitr,
the end of Ramadan fasting, and Eid al-Adha, the end of the annual
pilgrimage to Mecca.
Several Muslim organizations are worried that bewilderment about the
stamp's meaning and design might limit its popularity and future
availability...
...Omeira, executive director of the Northern California chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, has sent hundreds of e-mail
messages
reminding organizations and individuals to buy the stamps.
"I personally went out and bought a couple of hundred dollars worth and
put
them on all my letters and everything that leaves my office," Omeira
said...
...Don Smeraldi, a spokesman for the post office in Washington, D.C.,
said
about 35 million Eid stamps are left in distribution warehouses.
Because the stamp was released as part of the holiday series and not as
a
one-time commemorative, Smeraldi said, the reissuing process is more
flexible and will depend largely on whether postal rates change and
whether
the stamps sell out.
CONTACT: cair_nca@cair-california.org
-----
EPISCOPAL PROTEST ON PALESTINIAN ISSUE
HIGHLIGHTS CHRISTIAN-JEWISH DIVIDE OVER ISRAEL
By JAY LINDSAY, The Associated Press Writer, 11/30/2001
BOSTON (AP) - The pro-Palestinian rally outside the Israeli consulate
was
as notable for the protesters as their message.
Three Episcopal bishops, holding crosses and wearing purple vestments,
joined 60 people in October carrying signs that read "Christian-Muslim
solidarity in the face of Israeli invasion" and "Destruction in
Bethlehem."
Boston-area Jewish leaders were outraged. They felt critics were
ignoring
that Israelis also have been killed.
The exchange was one example of how - as violence in the Mideast has
intensified - long-simmering tensions between some Christians and U.S.
Jews
over Israeli treatment of Palestinians have become more public.
The Christian-Jewish dispute "has an acid affect," said Rabbi James
Rudin,
who formerly oversaw interfaith relations for the American Jewish
Committee.
The current unease between Jews and mainline Christians has roots that
go
back decades. After the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel annexed the
West
Bank and Gaza, the view of Israel in the eyes of some Protestant groups
changed from oppressed country to aggressor, said Philip Cunningham,
executive director of Boston College's Center for Christian-Jewish
Learning.
"It's no longer David vs. Goliath, but Goliath vs. David," Cunningham
said...
...Christian critics say Israeli occupation of the territories is
illegal
under international law, and many consider the expansion of Israeli
settlements theft of Palestinian land. They back United Nations
resolutions
calling for the withdrawal of Israel to its pre-1967 borders.
"How long would you expect people to live under these circumstances and
not
do what they can to get out of it?" said Peter Makari, a global
ministries
executive for the United Church of Christ...
Churches for Middle East Peace: http://www.cmep.org/
-----
DANIEL PIPES HIRES PR FIRM FOR STEVEN EMERSON
A Little PR Help Never Hurts
National Journal, 12/01/2001
Prominent anti-terrorism expert Steven Emerson has received a lot of
attention recently, thanks in part to help from the PR and lobbying
firm
BKSH & Associates. The Middle East Forum [headed by Daniel Pipes],
which
helps finance Emerson's research on terrorism, hired BKSH after
September
11. BKSH played a role in arranging airtime recently for Jihad in
America,
a 1994 video that Emerson made about terrorist cells in the United
States.
The video was aired at a congressional hearing in October at which
Emerson
testified.
FOR BACKGROUND, GO TO:
"WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?"
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
STEVEN EMERSON'S CRUSADE - "Why is a journalist pushing questionable
stories from behind the scenes?" By John F. Sugg -
http://www.fair.org/extra/9901/emerson.html
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 12/3/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: TRUTH, PATIENCE AND CONSTANCY
* DOONESBURY TAKES ON ISSUE OF DETAINEES
* CONYERS CRITICIZES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S PLAN TO INCREASE SURVEILLANCE
OF
DOMESTIC ORGANIZATIONS
* JUSTICE KEPT IN THE DARK (Newsweek)
* COMMENT: NATIONAL SECURITY STATE (The Nation)
* LETTER TO CONGRESS ON SECRET EVIDENCE REPEAL ACT
* VOLUNTARY QUESTIONING LEAVES U.S. ARABS TORN (LA Times)
* CANADA'S TERRORISM BILL RAISES FAMILIAR WORRIES (Wash. Post)
* FAITH HEALING (Entertainment Weekly)
* THE FREEDOM TO BELIEVE DOESN'T GO FAR (Newsday)
* LOCAL MUSLIMS OBSERVE RAMADAN (Star Press)
* COMMENTARY: FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND 'EVIL RELIGION'
* RABBI HIER SAYS QURAN HAS "EXTREMIST" VIEWS (CNN)
* COMMENTARY: WE ARE ALL ONE (Post-Dispatch)
* VISITORS TO CENTER REACH OUT TO MUSLIMS (Post-Gazette)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: TRUTH, PATIENCE AND CONSTANCY
By (the Token of) time (through the Ages). Verily Man is in loss,
except
such as have Faith and do righteous deeds and (join together) in the
mutual
teaching of Truth and of Patience and Constancy.
Holy Quran, Chapter 103, Verses 1-3
-----
DOONESBURY TAKES ON ISSUE OF DETAINEES
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/
-----
CONYERS CRITICIZES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S PLAN TO INCREASE SURVEILLANCE
OF
DOMESTIC ORGANIZATIONS
http://www.house.gov/conyers/pr120301.htm
Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Ranking Member of the House
Judiciary
Committee, issued the following statement in response to reports that
the
Justice Department is planning to loosen restrictions on the FBI's
ability
to monitor domestic groups, including religious organizations.
"The administration's race down the slippery slope of eroding
constitutional safeguards seems to have no end in sight. I call on the
Attorney General to immediately halt any efforts to unilaterally expand
surveillance authority and to consult with the Congress before
implementing
any further intrusions on our rights. Any government effort to utilize
the
same powers that allowed the FBI to wrongfully spy on the activities of
civil rights organizations and disclose information on the private
affairs
of Martin Luther King, Jr. would constitute an embarrassing step
backwards
for civil liberties in this country.
"I hope it is clear to all that taking it upon himself to institute new
rules to wiretap religious organizations, including places of worship,
the
Attorney General will do little to help us battle terrorism. Instead,
it
will only alienate the groups we need to work with in fighting
violence.
Piece by piece, the Attorney General seems intent on dismantling the
judicial system by unilaterally implementing a package of
constitutionally
dubious practices that target specific ethnic and religious groups. It
is
time to take a 'time out' and work with the people's representatives
before
the government further erodes our precious rights."
-----
JUSTICE KEPT IN THE DARK
Closed military tribunals. A dragnet that's swept up 1,200 men. As
America
fights terror, where will we strike the balance between liberty and
security?
By Evan Thomas and Michael Isikoff, Newsweek, 12/10/2001
http://www.msnbc.com/news/666237.asp
Dec. 10 issue - Mohammed Irshaid has lived in the United States for 22
years. Now a civil engineer in New York, the Jordanian-born Irshaid,
41,
went to college in Ohio at the University of Toledo; his three children
are
American citizens, and he was close, he thought, to obtaining his
long-cherished green card. As he was sitting in his office on the
morning
of Nov. 6, he was arrested by federal agents who told him his visa had
expired and implied that they had information linking him to a
terrorist
plot. Irshaid was ashamed to be led away in handcuffs in front of his
co-workers. "It was absolutely the most humiliating thing to happen to
me
in my life," he says.
MORE HUMILIATION was to follow. He was thrown into a cell in Passaic,
N.J.,
with nearly three dozen other men. The men, all Muslims, asked to hold
on
to their food trays so they could observe the Ramadan fast and eat
after
sundown. The guard wasn't having any of it. "I don't care about f-king
Ramadan," the turnkey said. The U.S. government never filed any charges
against Irshaid. After three weeks, he was finally released. Irshaid
says
he was so happy he would have jumped for joy, had he not still been
shackled and chained in leg irons. "This doesn't change my love of
America," he told NEWSWEEK. "But with all due respect to Mr. Ashcroft,
if
somebody wants to accuse you of something, they should tell you what it
is."
Such stories are becoming uncomfortably commonplace. As innocent Muslim
men
swept up in the post-September 11 dragnet begin to emerge after being
held
in custody, often in secret, for weeks and months, they are telling
embarrassing and sometimes horrifying tales of official indifference
and,
occasionally, abuse. Civil libertarians and a growing chorus of
oped-page
Cassandras are warning of a new McCarthyism and accusing Attorney
General
John Ashcroft of playing a modern-day Torquemada...
...Some of the 1,200 men swept up in the FBI's dragnet since September
11
feel as though they might as well have been sent to a Third World
dungeon.
On Sept. 18, Hasnain Javed, 20, a Pakistani national who lives with his
aunt in Houston, was on his way back to Queensborough College in New
York
to study computer information systems. In Alabama, he was pulled off
the
bus by the federal Border Patrol, who discovered that Javed was
carrying an
expired visa. They sent him to a county jail in Wiggins, Miss., where
he
was put in a cell with 10 other inmates. What happened next was out of
a
bad movie...
-----
COMMENT: NATIONAL SECURITY STATE
By DAVID COLE, The Nation, 12/17/2001
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20011217&s=cole
...But a brief overview of what we've done so far in the interest of
"homeland security" makes clear that we have already abandoned several
of
our "immutable principles" and have already begun to repeat the
mistakes of
the past.
Consider first the USA Patriot Act, an omnibus law of 342 pages enacted
under in terrorem threats from Attorney General John Ashcroft, who
suggested that if another terrorist incident occurred before Congress
passed it, the blame would rest on Congress. The nuts and bolts of the
law
were worked out in a couple of all-night sessions and approved by large
majorities the day they were introduced, even though members could not
possibly have read the bill before casting their votes.
The Patriot Act imposes guilt by association on immigrants, rendering
them
deportable for wholly innocent nonviolent associational activity on
behalf
of any organization blacklisted as terrorist by the Secretary of State.
Any
group of two or more that has used or threatened to use force can be
designated as terrorist. This provision in effect resurrects the
philosophy
of McCarthyism, simply substituting "terrorist" for "communist."
Perhaps
not realizing the pun, the Supreme Court has condemned guilt by
association
as "alien to the traditions of a free society and the First Amendment
itself." Yet it is now the rule for aliens in our free society.
The Patriot Act also authorizes the Attorney General to lock up aliens,
potentially indefinitely, on mere suspicion, without any hearing and
without any obligation to establish to a court that the detention is
necessary to forestall flight or danger to the community. Moreover,
most of
the more than 1,200 detentions already effected have not relied upon
this
authority; the detainees are instead held on pretextual criminal
charges,
as material witnesses and under pre-Patriot Act immigration authority.
The government claims that about ten to fifteen of the detained may be
linked to Al Qaeda, but what about the other 1,185? We can't know the
answer to that question, because the Justice Department refuses to
disclose
even the most basic information about most of the detainees, such as
who
they are, what they are being held for or where they're imprisoned. On
November 27 Ashcroft reluctantly identified about fifty people in
custody
on federal criminal charges but refused to identify more than 500 held
on
immigration charges, or even to put a number on those held as material
witnesses or on state charges. Never in our history has the government
engaged in such a blanket practice of secret incarceration...
-----
JOINT LETTER TO CONGRESS ON SECRET EVIDENCE REPEAL ACT
Dear Representative:
We, the undersigned organizations, representing a total of almost
800,000
members, are writing to thank you for your co-sponsorship of the Secret
Evidence Repeal Act, H.R. 1266, and to ask for your continued support.
The
bill establishes a process for dealing with classified information in
deportation cases that protects both classified information and the
rights
of the non-citizen.
As you know, at the end of the last Congress, the House Judiciary
Committee
on a voice vote overwhelmingly approved the Secret Evidence Repeal Act,
H.R. 2121. As amended, the bill permitted the use of classified
information
in immigration cases by means of procedures modeled after the
Classified
Information Procedure Act. Under that process, the government may use
classified evidence in deportation proceedings, if it provides an
unclassified summary of the evidence that is approved by a federal
judge
The amended bill was reintroduced as H.R. 1266 in this Congress, and
has
garnered approximately 100 co-sponsors.
In these difficult days, it is important to look carefully at a range
of
legal processes to see which best can address the fight against
terrorism.
It is clearly essential that law enforcement track down all the heinous
criminals who are responsible for the horrible attacks of September 11,
2001 and the recent anthrax mailings. As it proceeds with enforcement,
the
government should also respect the Constitution. As the Supreme Court
has
repeatedly made clear, deportation proceedings must respect
constitutional
rights, as the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process of law
applies to
every "person" in the United States, not only United States citizens.
As Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter wrote in Joint Anti-Fascist
Refugee Committee v. McGrath, "Secrecy is not congenial to truth
seeking...give a person in jeopardy of serious loss notice of the case
against him and the opportunity to meet it."
Experience has proven Justice Frankfurter right. Judges have determined
that the secret evidence used in recent cases is inherently unreliable.
In
one case, In re Ahmed, the immigration judge said that most of the
secret
evidence being used to deny asylum and bond amounted to double or even
triple hearsay, and may have originated with the foreign government
accused
of persecuting the person seeking asylum. In Kiareldeen v. Reno, a
federal
district court in New Jersey joined the Ninth Circuit and the United
States
District Court for the District of Columbia in ruling that the use of
secret evidence violates due process rights. Every other federal court
to
examine the issue has agreed.
The serious shortcomings in the government's use of secret evidence in
the
past decade have also been the subject of two House hearings. The
accused
and their lawyers cannot defend against information they cannot see.
Far from undermining security, the Secret Evidence Repeal Act is
essential
to give the government a constitutional way of pursuing deportation
proceedings that involve classified information while respecting
national
security. When the government seeks to use classified information in
immigration proceedings outside the narrow context of the Alien
Terrorist
Removal Court, current law provides no process at the beginning of the
case
for the government to obtain federal court approval of a summary of the
classified information. Without this court-approved summary, the
government's use of secret evidence would likely result in a court
ruling
requiring release of an accused terrorist.
By contrast, under H.R.1266, the government could instead hold a
hearing to
produce a summary of classified evidence that affords both safety for
secrets and due process for the non-citizen. This approach is
consistent
with the views of President Bush, who said that he believes secret
evidence
is "not the American way." Attorney General Ashcroft affirmed this
position
in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on June 6, 2001, when
he
stated that "we have not to date during this administration used such
evidence." Likewise, Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Jim
Ziglar stated on October 30, 2001 that no present plans exist to use
secret
evidence against any of the individuals detained in the investigation
of
the attacks on September 11, 2001.
Recently, the Senate added its voice to those who recognize the
importance
of allowing non-citizens to receive a summary of the classified
information
used in deportation proceedings. On November 8, 2001, the Senate
rejected
on a voice vote an amendment, which was opposed by the Department of
Justice, that would have expanded the use of secret evidence by
deleting
the requirement that a non-citizen brought before the Alien Terrorist
Removal Court be given an unclassified summary of the classified
information used against him.
We urge that you stay the course. Maintain your co-sponsorship of the
Secret Evidence Repeal Act, H.R. 1266. Constitutional rights must be
defended especially in times of crisis. Legal proceedings must be fair
both
to withstand challenge and to ensure accuracy. Thank you again for your
support.
Sincerely,
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
American Civil Liberties Union
American Immigration Lawyers Association
American Muslim Council
Americans for Democratic Action
Arab American Institute
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Asian Law Alliance
California First Amendment Coalition
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Democracy and Technology
Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights
Common Sense for Drug Policy Legislative Group
Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
First Amendment Foundation
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Immigration and Refugee Services of America
Islamic Institute
Japanese American Citizens League
Jewish Community Council of
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
Metropolitan Detroit
Muslim Public Affairs Council
National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
National Association of Korean Americans
National Black Police Association
National Committee Against Repressive Legislation
National Council of La Raza
National Immigration Project of the National
Privacyactivism.org
Lawyers Guild
Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force
Solidarity USA
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
The Multiracial Activist and Examiner
Abolitionist Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
World Organization Against Torture USA
-----
VOLUNTARY QUESTIONING LEAVES U.S. ARABS TORN
In one Michigan community, Ashcroft's plan for
interviews threatens bonds of trust.
By ERIC SLATER, The Los Angeles Times, 12/3/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-120301arabs.story
He knew precisely what the letter was about. It was from the U.S.
attorney's office--there was no mystery. What he didn't know was
whether he
should open it.
"I feel like I'm in trouble if I do or if I don't," said the
24-year-old,
who asked to be identified only as Michael, even though that isn't his
given name, isn't the name on the envelope. "Finally, I opened it. But
I
didn't call them. I don't know if I should talk to them. I don't have
anything to tell them."
Michael is one of more than 600 Michigan men of Middle Eastern descent,
the
vast majority living in this Detroit suburb, to receive the letter
asking
them to speak with federal investigators. His quandary and anxiety go
far
in explaining the pall over the Arab community here--the largest in the
United States--since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Michael, a native
of
Syria, falls into all the categories of men sought for questioning by
Atty.
Gen. John Ashcroft: He's within the age range of 18 to 33, arrived in
the
U.S. less than two years ago, holds a student visa and came from a
nation
believed to harbor terrorists...
----
CANADA'S TERRORISM BILL RAISES FAMILIAR WORRIES
By DeNeen L. Brown, The Washington Post, 12/3/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46646-2001Dec2.html
An anti-terrorism bill is speeding through Canada's Parliament, drawing
broad support from the public but causing civil liberties groups to
worry
that the government may be destroying basic freedoms Canadians have
enjoyed
since the country was founded.
Opponents argue that the proposed law, which would expand police powers
to
spy on people and make "preventative arrests" without warrants,
resembles
some of the ways of repressive regimes that many immigrants here had
fled.
The bill, approved on Wednesday by the House of Commons, the lower
house of
Parliament, and now being considered by the Senate, would allow police
to
designate any area in Canada a military zone and remove and arrest
anyone
within those boundaries. The government could collect DNA samples of
suspected terrorists. It could list people as terrorists based on
secret
information and freeze their assets. In an era of intense fear of
terrorism, governments across North America and Europe are moving to
gather
more legal power to go after the perpetrators. Canada's bill is crucial
to
protecting the public, proponents say. And far from undermining basic
rights, it would provide "a foundation for protection of civil
liberties,"
said Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray.
But as has happened with similar moves in the United States, critics in
Canada and Europe are citing a risk of abuses of government power that
could harm the innocent and leave them without recourse...
-----
FAITH HEALING
By Lynette Rice, Entertainment Weekly, 12/7/2001
You knew it had to happen: In late January, The WB's family-values
drama
7th Heaven will weigh in on the Sept. 11 attacks by airing an episode
about
religious intolerance. Inspired by an actual case in Arizona in which a
Sikh was killed after being mistaken for a Muslim, 7th Heaven will tell
the
story of a Muslim girl who's victimized by her schoolmates.
Creator Brenda Hampton cast 10-year-old Muslim and first-time actress
Ashley Solomon in the role. "The show is about prejudice, and I wanted
to
find a Muslim actor for the part," says Hampton, who insists Heaven is
not
out to preach. "Our policy is to try to be harmless rather than
helpful,
which is harder to do. Part of the story is how Mary (Jessica Biel) and
Lucy (Beverley Mitchell) get a petition together to support their
Muslim
neighbors and stop the harassment. They make a lot of people aware of
Muslim neighbors they never knew they had."
-----
THE FREEDOM TO BELIEVE DOESN'T GO FAR
By Ferhana Yeasmin, Newsday (NY), 12/3/2001
Ferhana Yeasmin is a junior at Franklin K; Lane High School in
Woodhaven,
Queens
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpyea032495133dec03.story
I THOUGHT the United States was a country where people have religious
freedom because it's written in the Constitution. People here are not
supposed to have any problems while following their own religion.
In fact, the first European settlers came here for religious freedom.
So,
why can't Muslims walk freely outside now? Why do Muslims have to fear
when
they are outside? Why did this religious right end? And why can't
everything be like it was before Sept. 11? Are we Muslims responsible
for
all these tragedies? The word "Islam" means peace. Islam has nothing to
do
with terrorism. In fact, Islam forbids terrorism. Just because those
terrorists are Muslims, it doesn't follow that all Muslims are
terrorists.
The terrorists might call themselves Muslims but they are not "pure."
In
the Koran, it's written that if you kill an innocent person, you will
get
killed the same way. Those terrorists gave an inaccurate view of Islam
to
others...
-----
LOCAL MUSLIMS OBSERVE RAMADAN
By ROBIN GIBSON The Star Press, 12/3/2001
http://www.thestarpress.com/Lifestyles/01/dec/1201ramadanlifs.html
MUNCIE - When members of the Islamic Center of Muncie assemble tonight,
the
gathering will be more than just another carry-in dinner.
Rather, the event will be the local mosque's weekly communal meal
during
Ramadan, at which members gather to break that day's fast.
During the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan - which this year falls
between
Nov. 17 and Dec. 16 - all Muslims are required to abstain from food and
drink from dawn until sunset, according to the information from the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations.
"Normally, food is our basic need," said A. Faiz Rahman, a member of
the
local center and a teacher at Ball State University. Going without is
supposed to remind Muslims of God, while also teaching discipline and
prompting people to feel for and help the needy...
-----
COMMENTARY: FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND 'EVIL RELIGION'
By Bob Ray Sanders, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12/2/2001
http://web.star-telegram.com/content/fortworth/columnist/
Click on "Bob Ray Sanders."
A preacher I once knew had a habit during his sermons of nudging his
sometimes complacent and inattentive congregation by yelling, "Somebody
ought to help me out here."
On cue, members would begin to nod, sway in their seats and shout,
"Amen."
Well, on this day, I'm calling on some preachers to help me out. Help
me
with some questions that have been bugging me lately.
Is God so small that he can be defined by a single man - a minister, to
be
exact - and claimed like a bingo or lottery prize?
What I'm wondering is, do those who profess Jesus as "Lord and Saviour"
have the divine right (and obligation) to denounce selective others as
being servants of Satan, or "evil and wicked" people?...
-----
RABBI HIER SAYS QURAN HAS "EXTREMIST" VIEWS
Can Three Ancient Religions Peacefully Coexist?
GUESTS: Max Lucado, Wallace Mohammed, Marvin Hier, Michael Manning,
Maysam
Al-Faruqi, Larry King Weekend, CNN, 12/1/2001
HIGHLIGHT:
Members of the Islamic, Christian and Jewish faiths discuss the
possibility
of peaceful coexistence between devotees.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight: the roots of hatred and the war on terror;
can
three ancient religions live together in peace?
From San Antonio, Texas, best-selling author of "Traveling Light," and
"He
Chose Nails," the senior minister of the Oak hills Church of Christ,
Max
Lucado.
In Chicago, the spiritual leader of the Muslim-American society, Imam
Wallace Mohammed. From Los Angeles, founder and dean of the Simon
Wiesenthal Center, Rabbi Marvin Hier.
And with him, host of "The Word and the World," Father Michael Manning.
And finally in Washington, professor of theology at Georgetown
University,
Maysam Al-Faruqi...
...KING: Rabbi, do you see the violence in the Koran that Max Lucado
sees?
HIER: There are direct references in the Koran to violence. I'll read
one
from the Koran: "O you who believe, take not the Jews and Christians
for
friends. He among you who taketh them for friends is one of them." And
that's a quote from the Koran.
KING: It doesn't say kill them.
HIER: No, but it infers, of course, that there is a difference. And
there
are other quotes, as well. So if someone asks me straight: Are there
any
extremist views in the Koran? I would say yes...
-----
COMMENTARY: WE ARE ALL ONE
By Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 12/2/2001
http://home.post-dispatch.com/channel/pdweb.nsf/Sunday
Click on "Editorial."
...To most people, Ramadan is a catchword they hear on sound bites of
the
10 o'clock news. To most of them, it is a foreign month of a foreign
faith. In the aftermath of the tragedies of Sept. 11, Ramadan has new
significance and meaning to billions of people. To be true citizens of
the
world, a greater respect and understanding of the significance of
Ramadan
is necessary...
-----
VISITORS TO CENTER REACH OUT TO MUSLIMS
By ERVIN DYER, Pittsburg Post-Gazette, 12/3/2001
http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20011203humanity1203p4.asp
Since Sept. 11, Muslims in Pittsburgh have rushed into the community to
explain the tenets of their faith.
To spread its message of peace, they've traveled to schools, libraries,
houses of worship. No forum has been too far away.
Last night, the community came to the Muslims. More than 350 of the
curious
flowed into Oakland's Islamic Center of Pittsburgh for the seventh
Humanity
Day -- a chance to give non-Muslims a peek at the religion...
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FREEZE ON GROUP'S ASSETS QUESTIONED BY U.S. MUSLIMS
(WASHINGTON, D.C. - 12/4/2001) - National American Muslim organizations
today asked President Bush to reconsider his decision to freeze the
assets
of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), one of
the
nation's largest Muslim charities.
The charity had been targeted by pro-Israel organizations and
individuals
for several years because of what they said was the group's support for
Palestinian militants. HLF officials have consistently denied those
charges
and no one has made public any concrete evidence to support today's
action.
The only specific accusation made against HLF has been that among the
thousands of Palestinians who received its relief aid were the children
of
suicide bombers.
In a joint statement issued today, the American Muslim Alliance (AMA),
American Muslim Council (AMC), Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Islamic Circle of
North
America (ICNA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Public Affairs
Council (MPAC), and Muslim Student Association of USA and Canada, said:
"American Muslims support President Bush's effort to cut off funding
for
terrorism and we call for a peaceful resolution to the Middle East
conflict. These goals will not be achieved by taking food out of the
mouths
of Palestinian orphans or by succumbing to politically-motivated smear
campaigns by those who would perpetuate Israel's brutal occupation.
"No relief group anywhere in the world should be asked to question
hungry
orphans about their parent's religious beliefs, political affiliations
or
legal status. Those questions are not asked of recipients of public
assistance whose parents are imprisoned or executed in the United
States,
and they should not be a litmus test for relief in Palestine.
"Charity is a duty for people of all faiths. In fact, it is one of the
five
'pillars' of Islam. Islamic charities in this country help American
Muslims
fulfill their religious obligation to help orphans and the needy. The
frozen assets therefore belonged not to HLF, but to the entire Muslim
community. This action is particularly disturbing, coming as it does
during
the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a time when Muslims make many of
their
annual charitable donations.
"We ask that President Bush reconsider what we believe is an unjust and
counterproductive move that can only damage America's credibility with
Muslims in this country and around the world and could create the
impression that there has been a shift from a war on terrorism to an
attack
on Islam."
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
HLF'S STATEMENT ON THE FREEZING OF THEIR ASSETS
Below is a statement from the Holy Land Foundation released early
Tuesday
after the Bush Administration froze the organization's assets.
"The Holy Land Foundation denies allegations that it provides any
financial
support to terrorist groups or individuals.
The foundation is a humanitarian organization that has worked to serve
the
needy both at home and abroad since 1989.
We feel the Holy Land Foundation has been unfairly targeted in the
nationwide smear campaign to undermine Muslims and the institutions
that
serve them.
The decision by the U.S. government to seize the charitable donations
of
Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan is an affront to millions of
Muslim Americans who entrust charities like ours to assist in
fulfilling
their religious obligations.
We are confident that the Holy Land Foundation will eventually be
cleared
of these allegations."
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 12/5/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: PROVIDING FOR ORPHANS
* HOLY LAND FOUNDATION HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE AND VIGIL IN TEXAS
* GROUPS PROTEST BUSH'S FREEZING OF FOUNDATION'S ASSETS (NY Times)
- FEDERAL CRACKDOWN ON HOLY LAND CHARITY SURPRISES AMERICAN
MUSLIMS (Dallas Morning News)
* ANOTHER DOONESBURY CARTOON ON DETAINEES
* REPORT DETAILS ABOUT DETAINEES TO CAIR
* IT IS CRAZY TO CURTAIL DUE PROCESS RULES (Los Angeles Times)
* DATELINE NBC REPORTS ON ISLAM IN AMERICA
* TV NETWORK THIRSTS FOR U.S. REVENGE ON BIN LADEN (NY Times)
* KRAUTHAMMER'S VENDETTA (Salon.com)
* ISLAM-O-PHOBIA (OC Weekly)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PROVIDING FOR ORPHANS
The Prophet said, "I and the person who looks after an orphan and
provides
for him, will be in Paradise like this," putting his index and middle
fingers together.
Sahih Al-Bukhari 8:34
(A hadith is a saying or action of the Prophet Muhammad.)
-----
HOLY LAND FOUNDATION HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE AND VIGIL IN TEXAS
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 5, Noon (CT)
WHERE: Holy Land Foundation Headquarters, 525 International Parkway,
Suite
509, Richardson, Texas
WHO: Holy Land Foundation Representatives
WHY: To announce the foundation's next step in their response to the
government's recent actions against America's largest Muslim charity.
NOTE: There will also be a community vigil outside HLF's headquarters
at
4:30 p.m. today. Community members will break fast together as part of
the
vigil.
CONTACT: media@hlf.org, www.hlf.org
-----
GROUPS PROTEST BUSH'S FREEZING OF FOUNDATION'S ASSETS
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, The New York Times, 12/5/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/05/international/middleeast/05HOLY.html
Each year at the end of Ramadan, American mosques raised millions of
dollars for the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, the
largest American Muslim charity in the nation.
Yesterday, after President Bush announced that he was freezing the
foundation's assets, eight American Muslim organizations asked him to
reverse his decision and accused him of capitulating to the demands of
the
Israeli government and the pro-Israel lobby.
"This action is really creating outrage in the Muslim community," said
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American Islamic
Relations,
one of the groups. "The holy foundation has a long history of being a
respected Muslim charity that does good work, not only in Palestine,
but
other parts of the world."
The Bush administration accuses the foundation, based in Richardson,
Tex.,
of funneling money to the radical Palestinian group Hamas, which has
claimed responsibility for a string of suicide bombings in Israel. The
foundation, which has been under scrutiny by the American government
for at
least five years, says the accusations are untrue.
"We have always denied that accusation, and the administration did not
produce any qualitative evidence," said Shukri Abu-Baker, the
foundation's
chief executive. "The foundation is strictly a humanitarian
organization,
and we have never supported Hamas..."
...The foundation spent $5 million of that last year, half in the West
Bank
and Gaza, and the rest on causes like Turkish earthquake victims,
refugees
in Chechnya, Kosovo, Jordan and Lebanon, Mr. Abu-Baker said. It also
contributed to food pantries in New Jersey and Texas, and established a
fund for the victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center
and
the Pentagon, he added.
The Bush administration, and the Clinton administration before it,
accused
the foundation of providing money to the families of suicide bombers...
"...I think that Muslims have a duty to feed the orphans and the
needy,"
Mr. Hooper said, "and it's not our obligation to ask that orphan who
was
your father or what did your father do. The only question we should ask
is,
are you hungry."
SEE ALSO: FEDERAL CRACKDOWN ON HOLY LAND CHARITY SURPRISES AMERICAN
MUSLIMS
http://www.dallasnews.com/
Search using the term "Badawi."
DALLAS _ Muslims across the country said they were surprised by
Tuesday's
federal crackdown on the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and
Development...
...Dr. Jamal Badawi is an Islamic scholar and the head of the
Canada-based
Islamic Information Foundation. He spends much of his time visiting
Muslim
communities across North America. The Holy Land Foundation has had a
good
reputation, and Tuesday's shutdown is not likely to rock that
reputation
among many people, he said.
"The government has an agenda," he said. "It's not only me who is
saying
that..."
...Some Muslims seemed most troubled by the federal accusation that
foundation money went to support families of suicide bombers. It's hard
to
make the case that hungry children should not be fed _ no matter what
their
father did, said Mohammed Suleman, president of the board of trustees
of
the Dallas Central Mosque.
The United States is dumping food out of airplanes over Afghanistan, he
said. "Are we being very sure that the guy who gets the food over there
is
not a Taliban or al-Qaida member?..."
-----
ANOTHER DOONESBURY CARTOON ON DETAINEES
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/
-----
REPORT DETAILS ABOUT DETAINEES TO CAIR
Anyone who has information about specific individuals being held in
detention since the September 11 terrorist attacks is asked to contact
CAIR'S civil rights department to provide names of those detained and
the
circumstances of their detention. All reports are strictly
confidential.
CONTACT: fmowlana@cair-net.org or call 202-488-8787, ext. 3282
-----
IT IS CRAZY TO CURTAIL DUE PROCESS RULES
Don't gut civil liberties by invoking evil
By ROBERT SCHEER, The Los Angeles Times, 12/4/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-000096318dec04.story
How short the memory of even our more respected pundits. Take Thomas L.
Friedman, who argued in the New York Times on Sunday that because we
now
face an enemy unlike any other, "Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft is not
completely
crazy in his impulse to adopt unprecedented, draconian measures and
military courts to deal with suspected terrorists."
The argument, which polls suggest has vast public approval, is that the
terrorists are uniquely evil, and while democratic measures may have
worked
just fine with other enemies, they won't work this time around...
...The assumption that we are at war with a uniquely evil force is
dangerous precisely because it is again used to defend undemocratic
measures that will destroy our society as effectively as any enemy
might
hope to...
...What is "completely crazy" is for Ashcroft to abandon the standard
of
due process--which would fully and publicly document the crimes--in
favor
of "draconian measures." That only serves the terrorists' purpose to
destroy Western democracy.
-----
DATELINE NBC REPORTS ON ISLAM IN AMERICA
http://www.msnbc.com/onair/default.asp?program=Dateline%20NBC
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7 - 9:00 PM ET
Roots of rage
The war against America started long before Sept. 11. Where does this
hatred come from? From the midwest to the Middle East "Dateline NBC"
reports on an ancient faith that many say has been hijacked by
fanatics.
-----
TV NETWORK THIRSTS FOR U.S. REVENGE ON BIN LADEN
By Jim Rutenberg, New York Times Service, 12/5/2001
http://www.iht.com/articles/40913.html
Fox Anchors and Correspondents Wave the Flag Openly -- and Ratings Have
Been Rising Fast
...The network, owned by the News Corp. of Rupert Murdoch, has always
had a
reputation - one it disavows - of being politically conservative. But
its
demeanor since Sept. 11 has surprised even its critics. The network is
encouraging correspondents and writers to tap into their anger and to
let
it out in a way that reminds some rivals and press critics of the war
drumbeat of the old Hearst papers and the ideologically driven British
tabloids...
-----
KRAUTHAMMER'S VENDETTA
Why does the conservative pundit keep insisting a Muslim spiritual
leader won't condemn the Sept. 11 attacks, when it isn't true?
By Eric Boehlert, Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/11/30/krauthammer/index_np.html
It's never a good sign when a once-a-week political columnist starts
recycling his material, especially when it's done within just a
two-month
span. But let's assume that when conservative Washington Post pundit
Charles Krauthammer decided to offer up a rerun in his column Nov. 23,
it
was simply a case of trying to coast through the hectic holidays.
What's disturbing, though, is the material Krauthammer chose to
recycle: an
outrageous accusation against an American Muslim spiritual leader that
happens not to be true...
-----
ISLAM-O-PHOBIA
By Nick Schou, OC Weekly, 12/6/2001
http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/02/13/news-schou.shtml
Ten days after terrorists attacked New York City and Washington, D.C.,
President George W. Bush called for moderate Muslims to join America's
war
on terrorism. Since then, newspaper columnists, radio talk-show hosts,
and
TV anchors have picked up the chant, demanding that moderate Muslims
speak up.
But moderate Muslims find that speaking up isn't easy...In fact, well
before the Sept. 11 attacks, Ayloush claims, any moderate
Muslim-himself
included-who dared to criticize U.S. foreign policy was automatically
branded a supporter of terrorism.
Of course, the stakes have only gone up since Sept. 11. Now, being a
moderate is insufficient. What the administration defines as "moderate"
is,
in fact, a blank check for war, and criticizing U.S. policy in the
Middle
East is viewed by some as tantamount to treason. Such was the reaction
when
CAIR called two weeks ago for an end to U.S. bombing in Afghanistan, a
statement either ignored or disparaged by Bush administration officials
and
mainstream news outlets.
"With the approach of the month of Ramadan and the mounting civilian
casualties, we felt it was important to call for an end to the
bombing,"
Ayloush recalled during a conversation at CAIR's regional headquarters
in
Anaheim. "We knew it would not be a popular position because everybody
thinks that if you are against the terrorists, you have to be for the
bombing of cities in Afghanistan...What we face today is probably the
biggest challenge for anybody who has ever dared to dissent..."
...While Ayloush gives the Bush administration high marks for declaring
that America is not at war with Islam, he doesn't think such
disclaimers
will create any goodwill in the Muslim world on their own. "Real steps
need
to be taken-not an ad campaign-but public relations with real
substance,"
Ayloush suggested. "We need to ease the punishing sanctions on
Iraq...According to the United Nations, more than 1 million Iraqi lives
have been lost because of the sanctions. If this keeps happening, we'll
be
partly responsible."
Another key policy area that needs fixing, according to Ayloush, is
America's firm and unyielding diplomatic, economic and military support
for
Israel. "Certainly the Arab-Israeli conflict needs to be resolved," he
argued. "Palestine is a dear place to Muslims, Christians and Jews.
When we
take the side of one group, it basically inflames people and creates an
atmosphere of high frustration..."
...Ayloush also says he wants to be able to continue challenging
America's
tactics in that war without being accused of supporting terrorism. "I
want
my fellow Americans to know that when I comment negatively or
positively
about my government, I do it for America," he said. "I don't have any
other
loyalties."
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUSLIMS ASK RABBI TO CLARIFY REMARKS ABOUT QURAN
Hier says Islam's revealed text contains "extremist views"
(WASHINGTON, D.C. - 12/5/2001) - A prominent national Islamic advocacy
group today called on Rabbi Marvin Hier to clarify his accusation that
the
Quran, Islam's revealed text, holds "extremist" views. Hier, dean of
the
Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, made that
claim
during a discussion of the possibility of peaceful coexistence between
Judaism, Christianity and Islam on CNN's Larry King Weekend last
Saturday.
"Rabbi Hier's inaccurate and offensive claim that the Quran, the very
bedrock of the Islamic faith, contains 'extremist' views is seemingly
incompatible with his leading role in an institution that purports to
promote tolerance and interfaith understanding. He should clarify these
remarks to avoid tainting his museum's reputation with anti-Muslim
bigotry," said Council on American-Relations (CAIR) Communications
Director
Ibrahim Hooper.
Rabbi Hier told Larry King:
RABBI HIER: "There are direct references in the Quran to violence. I'll
read one from the Quran: 'O you who believe, take not the Jews and
Christians for friends. He among you who taketh them for friends is one
of
them.' And that's a quote from the Quran."
LARRY KING: "It doesn't say kill them."
RABBI HIER: "No, but it infers, of course, that there is a difference.
And
there are other quotes, as well. So if someone asks me straight: Are
there
any extremist views in the Quran? I would say yes."
A Muslim guest on the program, Dr. Maysam Al-Faruqi of Georgetown
University, corrected Hier's mistranslation of the Quranic text. She
said:
"The verse that the Rabbi actually quoted is not at all what he says.
It
is: 'Do not take Christians and Jews as auwliya,' which does mean
friends,
it means as overlords. In other words, people who will dictate to you
your
behavior. In fact, the verse that deals with friendship is that one
that
says: 'As for such as those who do not fight you on account of your
faith
and neither drive you forth from your homeland, God does not forbid you
to
show them kindness and equity, he only forbids you to turn in
friendship to
those who fight you because of your faith.'"
In its letter faxed to Rabbi Hier requesting the clarification and
proposing a meeting with Muslim representatives, CAIR quoted the
Quranic
verse: "Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful
preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious:
for
thy Lord knoweth best who have strayed from His Path and who receive
guidance." (16:125)
This controversy comes on the heels of a similar incident in which
Christian evangelist Franklin Graham was widely criticized for claiming
Islam is an "evil and wicked religion." (See article below.)
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
GRAHAM FOCUSES ON KIDS' GIFTS
Evangelist says ministry plans to ship thousands of boxes to
Afghanistan
By KEN GARFIELD, The Charlotte Observer, 12/4/2001
http://www.charlotte.com/observer/local/pub/franklin1204.htm
On the day he tried to clarify his criticism of Islam, evangelist
Franklin
Graham announced Monday in Charlotte that his Operation Christmas Child
campaign plans to ship 150,000 gift-filled shoeboxes to Muslim children
in
Afghanistan.
Graham didn't publicly mention his view of Islam to the 1,000
supporters
who turned out for the ministry's annual rally and news conference at
the
massive processing center in south Charlotte.
Instead, he referred reporters and anyone else who asked about the
furor
surrounding his position to a column he wrote in Monday's Wall Street
Journal in which he said: "The (Quran) provides ample evidence that
Islam
encourages violence in order to win converts and to reach the ultimate
goal
of an Islamic world..."
...Graham provoked controversy with comments he made during an October
interview at the dedication of an N.C. chapel in the name of his
parents,
Billy and Ruth Graham: "We're not attacking Islam, but Islam has
attacked
us. The God of Islam is not the same God. He's not the son of God of
the
Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It's a different God, and I believe
it
is a very evil and wicked religion."
Several interfaith and Muslim groups criticized Graham for his
comments.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations sought a
meeting
with the Boone evangelist, but Graham said he was too busy to meet with
them this year...
...Aminah McCloud, who teaches Islamic studies at DePaul University in
Chicago, on Monday called Graham's views "uninformed" and said
evangelical
Christians often try to paint Judaism and Islam in a negative light.
McCloud disputed Graham's view that the Muslim holy book, the Quran,
promotes violence. She said much of his criticism about repressive
practices should be aimed at governments that pervert Islamic faith.
She
also said Islamic-dominated nations aren't the only governments that
limit
proselytizing by Christians.
Said McCloud: "He has taken jargon and stereotypes and what others have
said (about Islam) as opposed to studying it himself..."
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 12/6/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* SURA OF THE DAY: NEIGHBORLY NEEDS
* CAIR OFFERS DOT SENSITIVITY TRAINING WORKSHOP
* CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS SUE JUSTICE OVER DETAINEES (Dallas Morning
News)
- GROUPS SUE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OVER DETAINEE INFORMATION
(Newsday)
* ARAB CENTER FIRE LABELED ARSON (Chicago Tribune)
* MOVIES NEGATIVELY STEREOTYPE ARABS (Hamilton Spectator)
* ISLAM RISING: US CHALLENGE (Christian Science Monitor)
* CNN'S PAULA ZAHN DISCUSSES AL-JAZEERA TV
-----
SURA OF THE DAY: NEIGHBORLY NEEDS
Seest thou one who denies the Judgment (to come)? Then such is the
(man)
who repulses the orphan (with harshness) and encourages not the feeding
of
the indigent.
So woe to the worshippers who are neglectful of their prayers. Those
who
(want but) to be seen (of men). But refuse (to supply even) neighborly
needs.
The Holy Quran, Chapter (Sura) 107
-----
CAIR OFFERS DOT SENSITIVITY TRAINING WORKSHOP
CAIR's Sensitivity and Diversity Training Center (SDTC) recently
conducted
a sensitivity training workshop for the US Department of
Transportation.
Some 40 civil right directors, legal staff, and attorney generals from
USDOT and the Coast Guard participated in the training. SDTC Director
Nancy
Hanaan presented an introduction to Islam and Muslims and demographics
of
the American Muslim community. Workshop attendees also received
suggestions
and models for workplace accommodation of Muslim employees.
CAIR's Sensitivity and Diversity Training Center offers several
training
programs available for a wide range of environments. For more
information,
contact: Nancy Hanaan Serag at 202-488-8787, ext. 6052, or
nserag@cair-net.org
-----
CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS SUE JUSTICE OVER DETAINEES
By Michelle Mittelstadt, The Dallas Morning News, 12/6/2001
http://www.dallasnews.com/
Search using the term "ACLU."
WASHINGTON _ Demanding that the Bush administration lift the veil of
secrecy surrounding most arrests in the terrorism investigation, the
American Civil Liberties Union and 18 other organizations went to
federal
court Wednesday in hopes of obtaining detailed information on
detainees.
The groups, which include Amnesty International, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, and Human Rights Watch, filed suit in U.S.
district court in Washington under the Freedom of Information Act. They
are
seeking the names of the more than 1,100 people detained in connection
with
the investigation, along with charges filed, length of detention, place
where the detainees are jailed, and names of their lawyers...
SEE ALSO: GROUPS SUE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OVER DETAINEE INFORMATION
www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uscivi062498818dec06.story
-----
ARAB CENTER FIRE LABELED ARSON
Group was target of threatening e-mail and calls
By Shia Kapos, The Chicago Tribune, 12/5/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com
Search using the term "arson."
A fire that damaged an Arab-American community center and two stores on
the
Southwest Side late Monday was arson, investigators said Tuesday.
Investigators were trying to identify the arsonists Tuesday and to
determine their actual target. However, the fire comes after a string
of
harassing phone calls and e-mails that the center has received since
Sept.
11, said an official of the organization...
...Investigators from the police bomb and arson unit determined the
fire
was arson after discovering signs that it was started by the igniting
of a
flammable liquid, said police spokeswoman Patrice Harper...
SEE ALSO: FIRE AT ARAB AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER CALLED ARSON
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/120401_ns_arson.html
-----
MOVIES NEGATIVELY STEREOTYPE ARABS
Filmmakers creating climate for hate, intolerance: author
By Michael Paulson, The Hamilton Spectator, 12/6/2001
Fleshy women in gauzy veils, belly dancing to finger cymbals and ouds
in a
seedy club. Oily sheiks with too much money and too many women. Angry
Palestinians with red-checked kaffiyehs around their heads and menacing
guns slung across their chests.
These are the images of Arabs Jack G. Shaheen sees when he watches the
movies...
...The timing is either incredibly bad or incredibly good for Shaheen's
scathingly angry, critique of the way the movie industry depicts Arabs,
spelled out in a new book, Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a
People...
...Shaheen has become increasingly concerned about the impact of the
current political climate on depictions of Arabs in film since the Bush
White House sent senior adviser Karl Rove to Beverly Hills Nov. 11 in
an
effort to enlist the entertainment industry in the war on terrorism.
Days
later, Shaheen went to the White House to meet with Rove's aides, and
told
them he is concerned that the effort could backfire...
TO OBTAIN A COPY OF DR. SHAHEEN'S NEW BOOK, GO TO:
http://www.amazon.com/
Search using the term "Jack Shaheen."
Dr. Shaheen's other book, "ARAB AND MUSLIM STEREOTYPING IN AMERICAN
POPULAR
CULTURE," is available at: http://www.astrolabepictures.com
-----
ISLAM RISING: US CHALLENGE
By Geneive Abdo, The Christian Science Monitor, 12/6/2001
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1206/p9s1-coop.html
...Since Sept. 11, the US government has tried to reach out to
mainstream
Muslims in unprecedented ways.
For the first time, a traditional dinner was held at the White House to
break the Ramadan fast; President Bush made a high-profile visit to a
Muslim community center; and Laura Bush delivered a radio address to
point
out the suffering of Afghan women under Taliban rule.
Such attempts at bridge-building are being received with guarded
optimism
in the Muslim world. If the rhetoric is not followed up with a change
in
policies, Islamic societies will know that this campaign to bring
harmony
between East and West was simply a calculated move in the heat of
wartime
to win support among ordinary Muslims. It is these millions of Muslims
seeking self-determination and peaceful accommodation with the West -
not
Osama bin Laden - who will decide whether the United States will
ultimately
be successful in the war on terrorism.
-----
CNN'S PAULA ZAHN DISCUSSES AL-JAZEERA TV
Arab Television Strongly Condemning Israel for Unleashing Fierce
Attacks
Against Palestinian Targets, Aired December 5, 2001 - 08:32 ET
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/05/ltm.09.html
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to issues in the Middle East, Arab
television
is strongly condemning Israel for unleashing its fiercest attacks
against
Palestinian targets in 14 months of conflict. The Israeli strikes were
in
retaliation for a weekend of suicide bombings that left 25 Israelis
dead...
...ZAHN: Mr. Al-Mirzari, I think we could all agree this morning we are
products of our culture.
HAFEZ AL-MIRAZI, AL-JAZEERA: Al-Mirazi.
ZAHN: But as you know, your station has been accused of using
anti-American
language, of running graphics that feature and glorify Osama bin Laden.
Even Secretary of State Colin Powell denounced the station when you
repeatedly aired Osama bin Laden's statement and Colin Powell said that
that was vitriolic, irresponsible kinds of statements. What is your
defense
to his criticism?
AL-MIRAZI: Well, Secretary Colin Powell gave interviews to Al Jazeera
and
later also said good words about Al Jazeera, as well as Dr. Condoleezza
Rice and other U.S. officials. They respected the credibility of Al
Jazeera
and the objectivity.
The problem actually is with the American media and the Western media,
who
instigated the government, and they always instigate against an
independent
media like Al Jazeera, because they do what the American media cannot
do,
which is not to mix patriotism with journalism.
We cover a war in Afghanistan by putting both sides of the story, the
side
coming from Kabul at that time and...
ZAHN: Well, Mr. Al-Mirzari, I have to stop you there...
AL-MIRAZI: It's Al-Mirazi.
ZAHN: I think that charge is blatantly ridiculous.
AL-MIRAZI: Well, I'll tell you what is ridiculous...
-----
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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 12/7/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSES OF THE DAY: MARY AND JESUS
* U.S. MUSLIMS' IMAGE GAINS, POLL FINDS (AP/LA Times)
* ASHCROFT DEFENDS ANTITERROR PLAN AND SAYS CRITICISM MAY AID FOES (NY
Times)
* PROLONGED DETENTIONS BRING CRITICISM (AP)
* ABC'S "THE PRACTICE" DEALS WITH DETAINEES
* ARABS ARE OFFERED LEGAL AID (Chicago Tribune)
* MAN CHARGED IN RACIALLY MOTIVATED U. PITTSBURGH STUDENT BEATING (Pitt
News)
* * BEFORE HE DIED, C.I.A. MAN INTERROGATED U.S. CAPTIVE (NY Times)
- FOR MANY, VERDICT'S IN FOR TALIBAN VOLUNTEER (AND SKIP THE
TRIAL)
* BASKETBALL STAR BACKS BID FOR STUDENT PRAYER ROOM (Toronto Star)
* MUSLIMS ON THE COURT (Chicago Tribune)
* 'IT'S TOUGH, BUT I CAN'T SIT OUT," SAINTS' STAR SAYS (Hamilton
Spectator)
-----
VERSES OF THE DAY: MARY AND JESUS
Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her
family
to a place in the East.
She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them: then We sent to her
Our
angel and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.
She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (God) Most Gracious: (come not
near)
if thou dost fear God."
He said: "Nay I am only a messenger from thy Lord (to announce) to thee
the
gift of a holy son."
She said: "How shall I have a son seeing that no man has touched me and
I
am not unchaste?"
He said: "So (it will be): thy Lord saith `That is easy for Me: and (We
wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us': it is a
matter (so) decreed."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 19, verses 16-21
-----
U.S. MUSLIMS' IMAGE GAINS, POLL FINDS
The Associated Press, 12/07/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000097331dec07.story
The image of U.S. Muslims improved significantly in the eyes of their
fellow Americans after the terrorist attacks, despite fears that the
opposite would occur, according to a survey released Thursday.
Fifty-nine percent of Americans had a favorable view of U.S. Muslims in
November, compared to 45% in March, according a survey conducted by the
Pew
Research Center for the People & the Press.
Conservative Republicans showed the most dramatic change, with 64%
feeling
favorably toward the group, compared to 35% in March.
"The survey finds clear evidence that Americans are heeding President
Bush's call for tolerance," the report's authors said.
Muslims--and members of other religions who were mistaken for
Muslims--were
targets of hate crimes after the hijackers struck the World Trade
Center
and the Pentagon. Along with other political and religious leaders,
Bush
urged Americans not to blame their Muslim neighbors for the
destruction...
...The poll of 1,500 adults was conducted Nov. 13 to 19 and has a
margin of
error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
-----
ASHCROFT DEFENDS ANTITERROR PLAN AND SAYS CRITICISM MAY AID FOES
By NEIL A. LEWIS, The New York Times, 12/7/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/07/politics/07CIVI.html
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 - In forceful and unyielding testimony, Attorney
General
John Ashcroft today defended the administration's array of
antiterrorism
proposals and accused some of the program's critics of aiding
terrorists by
providing "ammunition to America's enemies."
Emboldened by public opinion surveys showing that Americans
overwhelmingly
support the administration's initiatives against terrorism, Mr.
Ashcroft
told the Senate Judiciary Committee, "To those who scare peace-loving
people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: your tactics
only
aid terrorists."
He said that people who were hoping that the kind of attacks that
occurred
on Sept. 11 would not be repeated "were living in a dream world."
Holding
up what he said was a training manual for Al Qaeda, Mr. Ashcroft said
that
"terrorists are taught how to use America's freedoms as a weapon
against us."
The Democratic critics on the committee were careful in their
questioning
and most laced their remarks with some support for the administration,
even
for the proposal thought to be the most controversial, the
establishment of
military tribunals to try terrorists. But they also sought to show the
potential for abuse raised by the broad scope of the presidential order
on
tribunals and called for more Congressional involvement in drafting
such
initiatives...
...In his testimony, Mr. Ashcroft provided updated numbers for those
who
had been arrested in connection with the investigation of the Sept. 11
attacks. He said that federal criminal charges had been brought against
110
people, 60 of whom are in jail. The department has named most of them.
There are also 563 people detained on immigration charges; their names
have
not been released.
Mr. Ashcroft's comments describing criticism of the administration as
aiding the enemy produced angry rebuttals from several civil liberties
groups. In one example, Ralph G. Neas, the president of People for the
American Way, said Mr. Ashcroft was trying to intimidate his critics
into
silence. "Smothering dissent is not the American way," Mr. Neas said.
-----
PROLONGED DETENTIONS BRING CRITICISM
By WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press Writer, 12/07/2001
KEARNY, N.J. (AP) - He's a 19-year-old from the Middle East with the
same
name as the leader of the Taliban. That, and a bit of moonlighting as a
gas
station attendant, helped put Mohamed Omar in jail as the FBI
investigated
the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
As it turned out, his lone offense was violating a tourist visa by
working
for pay. The FBI questioned him and quickly lost interest. Within days
a
judge ordered him sent home to Egypt.
More than 11 weeks later, Omar still sits in the Hudson County Jail. No
one
seems able to tell him when he might be freed.
"I want to go home as soon as possible," Omar said in a telephone
interview. "I don't know why they kept me here. Nobody told me
anything."
The prolonged detention of hundreds of men, mostly from the Middle
East,
has helped stir criticism of government tactics in the attacks
investigation.
Attorney General John Ashcroft defended those tactics Thursday before
the
Senate Judiciary Committee, saying they are needed to fight terrorism
and
supported by the American public. He accused his critics of giving
"ammunition to America's enemies and pause to America's friends..."
-----
ABC'S "THE PRACTICE" DEALS WITH DETAINEES
"Inter Arma Silent Leges"
Sunday, December 9, 10 p.m. (ET)
http://abc.go.com/primetime/thepractice/index.html
Rebecca faces what could be the greatest challenge of her career when
she
attempts to uncover why her doctor's husband, an Arab, was detained by
federal agents without any explanation. After encountering a series of
impenetrable legal roadblocks, she learns a difficult truth: "Inter
arma
silent leges...in war law is silent." Meanwhile, Eugene's
court-appointed
client forces him to use the race card.
-----
ARABS ARE OFFERED LEGAL AID
Groups set to aid those called for 9/11 questioning
Aamer Madhani, The Chicago Tribune, 12/7/2001
www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/tribwest/chi-0112070153dec07.story
A coalition of Chicago-area legal organizations announced Thursday they
would offer free legal service to Arab and Muslim men called in for
questioning by the U.S. Department of Justice in because of the Sept.
11
terrorist attacks...
...The Chicago-based attorneys requested that U.S. Atty. Patrick
Fitzgerald
tell them how many individuals his office will be contacting. They also
want Fitzgerald to inform the interviewees of the offer for free legal
counsel...
-----
MAN CHARGED IN RACIALLY MOTIVATED U. PITTSBURGH STUDENT BEATING
By James DeWeese, The Pitt News (U. Pittsburgh), 12/6/2001
http://www.pittnews.com/
Search using the term "assault."
PITTSBURGH -- An Etna, Pa., man was formally arraigned Wednesday in the
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on charges stemming from his
alleged
involvement in the racially motivated assault of a University of
Pittsburgh
student.
David Hardwig, 43, faces three criminal misdemeanor charges for
allegedly
attacking Humair Ahmed on Sept. 19 as the 22-year-old Pakistani-born
Pitt
student was returning home from class.
After the incident, Ahmed told police that his attacker had punched him
repeatedly and kicked him in the ribcage and stomach while shouting,
"Are
you from Afghanistan?" and threatening to kill him...
...The Allegheny County district attorney's office has charged Hardwig
with
ethnic intimidation and making terroristic threats -- both class one
misdemeanors, which carry possible sentences of two and half to five
years
in jail -- and simple assault, a class two misdemeanor with a potential
jail sentence of one to two years...
...Ahmed said that just after 4 p.m. he was walking down the 3600 block
of
Dawson Street, when he saw a white man running toward him from across
the
street. As the man approached, his arms were already swinging and he
was
shouting, Ahmed said. "I didn't even have time to say anything," Ahmed
said. "He just started swinging."
According to Ahmed, his attacker repeatedly shouted, "Are you from
Afghanistan?" and "I'm gonna kill you," while punching and kicking
him...
...Ahmed said he is no stranger to anti-Muslim prejudice. "There's
always
been a big huge thing with Muslims," Ahmed said. "But I just never had
stuff like this happen."
...Eric Shakir, a staff attorney for the Council on American Islamic
Relations in Washington, D.C., said his organization has received a
steady
stream of complaints, but that the nature of complaints has changed
over time.
Shakir said that initially his organization received many complaints of
violence and property damage, but that more recently he has witnessed a
shift to workplace discrimination and airline profiling...
-----
BEFORE HE DIED, C.I.A. MAN INTERROGATED U.S. CAPTIVE
By CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS, The New York Times, 12/7/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/07/international/asia/07CIA.html
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Just hours before he was slain in Afghanistan,
Johnny
(Mike) Spann of the Central Intelligence Agency interrogated John
Walker
Lindh, the American who joined the Taliban, and loudly discussed with a
colleague whether Mr. Walker wanted to live or die, Newsweek reported
today.
The encounter was videotaped by an Afghan film crew and showed Mr.
Spann
and a second C.I.A. agent, identified only as "Dave," questioning a
kneeling Mr. Walker, who refused to respond or even state his name.
The tape, which was viewed by a Newsweek correspondent, provides a
curious
intersection of two Americans whose roles in the war, however minor,
have
stirred considerable interest at home. It also indicates that Mr. Spann
knew that Mr. Walker was an American, or at least a Westerner, because
he
spoke to him in English.
SEE ALSO:
FOR MANY, VERDICT'S IN FOR TALIBAN VOLUNTEER (AND SKIP THE TRIAL)
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY, The New York Times, 12/7/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/07/national/07WALK.html
LONGMONT, Colo., Dec. 6 -- If John Walker Lindh's fate were in the
hands of
many people here, he might well be headed for execution, life in prison
or
any other penalty suffered by turncoats.
-----
BASKETBALL STAR BACKS BID FOR STUDENT PRAYER ROOM
Raptor Hakeem Olajuwon sends letter to Ryerson
By Stephanie Cesca, The Toronto Star, 12/07/2001
Muslim students at Ryerson University who are frustrated with having to
pray in halls and student lounges hope the support of a basketball
superstar will help them get a larger prayer room so they can fulfill
their
"religious obligations."
Hakeem Olajuwon - a devout Muslim and a 7-foot centre for the Toronto
Raptors - wrote a letter to Ryerson administrators, asking them to
provide
students with a larger prayer room.
The university has a prayer room, but members of the Ryerson Muslim
Student
Association say the Multifaith Centre is too small to accommodate the
up to
200 Muslim students who wish to use it at the same time for Friday
prayers.
But administrators said it's not Ryerson's responsibility to provide a
bigger space...
-----
MUSLIMS ON THE COURT
By Alan Sutton, The Chicago Tribune, 12/7/2001
www.chicagotribune.com/sports/printedition/chi-0112070483dec07.story
There are only a few more than 30 people in the stands of the Niles
West
gym at 4:35 p.m. when the sophomore girls basketball teams take the
court
for their pregame ritual.
And while scant attention is paid to the perfunctory layups or passing
drills, one can't help but notice 5-foot-3-inch Tayyaba Ahmad.
She's the girl wearing the hijab, the head covering many Muslim women
are
required to wear in public. She's the girl in the long black warmup
pants--not the white and red uniform shorts Niles West would be wearing
for
this game against New Trier. And she wears a T- shirt under her
sleeveless
jersey.
But it is the white hijab, a scarf that reveals only Ahmad's serious
game
face, that raises this question: How can she play with that on?
"It does affect me a little bit," the 15-year-old Ahmad said after she
and
her teammates lost to New Trier 31-17. "When I'm running, it might get
looser. Or when there's contact. But since I've been playing with it
for
such a long time, I don't feel anything. It's become natural..."
-----
'IT'S TOUGH, BUT I CAN'T SIT OUT," SAINTS' STAR SAYS
Muslim believer has limited fluids during Ramadan
By Carol Phillips, The Hamilton Spectator, 12/07/2001
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com
Go to Sports and then search using the term "Ramadan."
Chaz Elhag wasn't feeling quite himself in the fourth quarter. The
anchor
of the Sherwood Saints senior boys' basketball team scored 18 points in
a
66-60 loss to Father Henry Carr of Toronto yesterday at the first
Southern
Ontario Shootout Invitational (SOSI) in Hamilton. But he was feeling a
little lightheaded by the end of the game.
Elhag is Muslim, and this is the month of Ramadan. To follow his faith,
the
18-year-old doesn't eat or drink anything, even water, during daylight
hours.
"It's hard because I can't really drink or eat anything from sunrise to
sunset," said the member of Team Ontario at this summer's Canada Summer
Games.
"I'm playing basketball, but it's not myself out there. By the time you
get
to the fourth quarter, you don't know what to expect. There's no fluids
in
me so I get cramped up."
But for Elhag, there's no question of sitting out.
"It's tough, but I can't sit out," he said. "I have to play to the best
of
my ability all the time. If I get to the point where I can't perform,
and
someone else can do a better job, I'll sit out. But that won't be too
many
times..."
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS 12/9/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: INVITING TO ALL THAT IS GOOD
* Q&A: WHAT IS LAILAT UL-QADR?
* ACLU AND CAIR-FL LAUNCH HOTLINE FOR INTERVIEWEES
* 'IT'S TORTURE': FREED TEACHER JAILED AGAIN (Palm Beach Post)
* RELUCTANT COPS STALL QUERIES OF ARABS (Chicago Tribune)
- MUSLIM BEHIND BARS, DESPITE A JUDGE'S ORDER (U.S. News)
- TENSION, RELIEF: ONE MAN ANSWERS FBI'S QUESTIONS (Free
Press)
* STEADFAST IN THEIR NEW FAITH (New York Times)
- MISSIONARIES WILLING TO TAKE RISKS IN PUSH TO CONVERT
MUSLIMS
(Dallas Morning News)
* KEEPING THE FAITH…ER, FAITHS (San Francisco Chronicle)
* LETTERS: KRAUTHAMMER SPREADS A MESSAGE OF HATRED (Columbus Dispatch)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: INVITING TO ALL THAT IS GOOD
Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is
good,
enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong. They are the
ones to
attain felicity.
Holy Quran, Chapter 3, Verse 104
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The recompense of one
who
directs somebody to do a good deed will be equal to the reward of the
latter.” (Muslim)
-----
Q: WHAT IS LAILAT UL-QADR?
A: Lailat ul-Qadr (“Night of Power”) marks the anniversary of the night
on
which the Prophet Muhammad first began receiving revelations from God,
through the angel Gabriel. An entire chapter in the Quran deals with
this
night: “We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:
and
what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is? The Night of
Power is
better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the
Spirit
by God’s permission, on every errand. Peace!...This until the rise of
morn.” (Chapter 97) Muslims believe Lailat ul-Qadr is one of the last
odd-numbered nights of Ramadan.
-----
ACLU AND CAIR-FL LAUNCH HOTLINE FOR INTERVIEWEES
(FLORIDA, 12/09/2001) The Florida affiliates of the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations -
FL
(CAIR-FL) today launched a toll-free hotline to provide legal
assistance to
individuals who have been contacted by law enforcement for questioning
related to the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Through the hotline, the ACLU and CAIR will provide legal assistance,
including attorney referrals and translators, for individuals who have
been
asked to consent to “voluntary” interviews by law enforcement agencies
collecting information about the attacks.
Individuals (Florida residences only) calling the hotline,
1-888-597-4909,
ext. 17, can receive assistance 24-hours-a-day.
“We hope anyone who has information about the horrific events of
September
11th would cooperate fully with authorities,” said Howard Simon,
Executive
Director of the ACLU of Florida. “Our concern, however, is that this
dragnet investigation involves questioning by police of individuals who
federal officials acknowledge are not suspected of any wrongdoing.”
“This type of investigation carries a stigma that can create a negative
image of the individuals that are being identified based on their race,
ethnicity, or religion,” said Altaf Ali, Executive Director of CAIR FL.
“Although we are encouraging individual to cooperate with authorities,
at
the same time we would like to see due process and civil liberties
taken
into strong consideration,” added Ali.
“We are urging anyone contacted by the FDLE or other law enforcement
agencies to seek legal help before consenting to any interviews so that
they do not become innocent victims caught up in a massive government
investigation,” added Simon.
The ACLU of Florida is also distributing brochures in English, Spanish
and
Arabic advising people about their rights when stopped or questioned by
the
FBI, police or INS officials. The pamphlets - entitled, “Know Your
Rights
What to Do If You’re Stopped by the Police, the FBI, the INS or the
Customs
Service” - answer the vast majority of questions that have been raised
about stops, questioning, searches, and the rights of non-citizens.
They can be obtained at the following addresses:
English:http://www.aclu.org/library/know_your_rights.pdf
Spanish:http://www.aclu.org/library/know_your_rights_sp.pdf
Arabichttp://www.aclu.org/library/know_your_rights_ar.pdf
- END -
CONTACT: Altaf Ali, 954-797-7493. E-mail: Florida@cair-net.org
-----
'IT'S TORTURE': FREED TEACHER JAILED AGAIN
By Paul Lomartire, Palm Beach Post, 12/9/2001
http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/
Al-Najjar, 44, is in a cell guarded around the clock at the
maximum-security U.S. Penitentiary at Coleman, about 70 miles north of
Tampa. He is one of more than 560 people around the country being
detained
for immigration violations. The former professor is being held on a
deportation order that only the U.S. Supreme Court can stop.
…Using secret evidence that neither Al-Najjar nor his lawyers have
seen,
the U.S. government jailed him for the first time in 1997. Denied bail,
he
was accused of using two Palestinian academic groups to raise money for
terrorists.
The Miami federal immigration judge who signed the 1997 order to lock
him
up heard the feds' evidence three years later and wrote a 56-page
opinion
that found Al-Najjar had no ties to terrorists. The judge's conclusion:
Release him.
INS appealed to a three-judge panel that concluded: Release him.
INS next went to then-Attorney General Janet Reno, who read the
open-court
and secret evidence and concluded: Release him. Now.
After 1,307 days in the Manatee County jail, Al-Najjar, never charged
with
or convicted of any crime, was sent home last December, his teaching
career
at the University of South Florida ruined by the rumors.
Although the Justice Department claims no new evidence, it sent a news
release about the Nov. 24 arrest of Al-Najjar that states he "had
established ties to terrorist organizations." It fails to mention the
federal judges and attorney general who dismissed the allegations…
"…It's torture," says his brother-in-law, Sami Al-Arian. "This is the
worst
kind of situation he could be in. They strip him everyday to search
him.
Why would they do that but to humiliate him? This is sadistic."
Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog, agrees.
"Dr. Al-Najjar's current conditions of confinement, as reported, are
unnecessarily punitive and constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment, prohibited under human rights treaties ratified by the
U.S.A.
(and which they are bound to observe)," e-mails Angela Wright, Amnesty
International's U.S.A. researcher in London. "We shall be raising our
concerns about his treatment, calling for an urgent review of his
prison
conditions…"
-----
RELUCTANT COPS STALL QUERIES OF ARABS
Tim Jones and Cam Simpson, The Chicago Tribune, 12/9/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0112090437dec09.story?
Nearly two weeks after Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft announced plans to
interview 5,000 men of Middle Eastern descent in the U.S. on temporary
visas as part of a broad and controversial terrorism investigation, the
probe has been slowed by the concerns of some law- enforcement
officials.
Across the country, police and prosecutors are raising legal concerns
about
racial profiling and the possibility that targeting Arabs could damage
police relations with immigrant and minority communities. Several
police
forces, including those in Portland and Corvallis, Ore., have refused
to
participate. Chicago police also will not participate in the
interviews…
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM BEHIND BARS, DESPITE A JUDGE'S ORDER
U.S. News & World Report, 12/7/2001
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/usinfo/press/1207detain.htm
A Turkish Muslim from White Plains, N.Y., held in a New Jersey jail for
more than two weeks, remains behind bars, despite a judge's order that
he
be released.
TENSION, RELIEF: ONE MAN ANSWERS FBI'S QUESTIONS
BY TAMARA AUDI, The Detroit Free Press, 12/7/2001
http://www.freep.com/news/metro/quest7_20011207.htm
"…Hi. My name is Bob Beeckman. Please call me Bob," the agent says to
the
couple when he walks into the office. Beeckman, a special agent with
the
FBI in Detroit, the couple and their lawyer, Nabih Ayad, sit at the
table.
They shut the door. For the next half hour, the wife will watch
Beeckman
intently as he asks her husband a series of questions…
-----
STEADFAST IN THEIR NEW FAITH
By RAMIN GANESHRAM, The New York Times (Long Island Edition), 12/9/2001
(Article is not online.)
ON Sept. 12, less than 24 hours after the attacks on the World Trade
Center, Enrique Espinel of Farmingville made a life-changing decision:
The
35-year-old father of two went to a mosque near his office and
converted to
Islam.
“I decided to do it that day after some co-workers had come into my
office
and were saying terrible things about Muslims and Islam,” Mr. Espinel
said.
“I told them I was a Muslim, even though I wasn't. I don't know what
made
me say that, but the urge to do it was powerful. Then I explained real
Islam to them, and told them the attacks that happened were un-Islamic.
After, I went to the mosque and formally accepted Islam.”
Mr. Espinel is part of what local imams say is an Islamic surge on Long
Island. Though they provide no statistics, they say they are busier
than
ever helping people interested in their religion, including those
interested in converting to it.
“As a result of Sept. 11 the demands on the mosque and requests for our
time have been geometrically increased,” said Ghazi Khankan, director
of
interfaith affairs at the Islamic Center in Westbury, the largest of
the 22
Long Island mosques listed by the Council on American Islamic
Relations. "I
used to be invited to one speaking engagement a month. Now it's two or
three a day.
“We consider that those who were brave enough to accept Islam in this
hard
time are very blessed,” he added. “They are doing a lovely thing…”
SEE ALSO:
MISSIONARIES WILLING TO TAKE RISKS IN PUSH TO CONVERT MUSLIMS
By JEFFREY WEISS, The Dallas Morning News, 12/8/2001
http://www.dallasnews.com/
Search using the term “missionaries.”
…In this country, some Christians have stepped up interfaith efforts to
reach out to Muslims in the weeks after Sept. 11. But others see the
higher
profile of Islam in the United States as a threat to be countered, even
as
they believe that missionaries need to redouble their efforts abroad…
…At what point is missionary work coercive? Does the advantage American
missionaries have in money and resources overwhelm the existing
culture? Is
it acceptable for missionaries to deceive governments that have
oppressive
laws against their work? Do American missionaries abroad reinforce an
image
of the United States as an arrogant nation seeking to impose its values
and
even its dominant faith upon the rest of the world?...
-----
KEEPING THE FAITH…ER, FAITHS
Companies adjusting to growing religious diversity in workplace
Julie N. Lynem, San Francisco Chronicle, 12/09/2001
http://www.sfgate.com/
Search using the term “Lynem.”
At Intel, Christmas isn't the only holiday that gets attention.
Employees
can log on to the intranet site to learn about a different religious
holiday every month. During the holiday season, workers create window
displays, which are just as likely to include a Nativity scene as an
explanation of the five pillars of Islam…
…With 86,000 employees in offices from Santa Clara to Shanghai, Intel
has a
history of embracing religious diversity in the workplace. As people of
varying ethnic and religious backgrounds enter the workforce in greater
numbers, more employers appear to be stepping up efforts to accommodate
employees of all faiths, religion experts say…
…Helal Omeira, executive director of the Northern California Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said most disagreements can be resolved
outside
of a courtroom. Often, it boils down to a misunderstanding or lack of
knowledge about an employee's religious practices.
"I've found that resolutions are often calm, collective and mutually
beneficial," Omeira said. "People understand that a happy employee is a
productive employee."
-----
LETTERS: KRAUTHAMMER SPREADS A MESSAGE OF HATRED
The Columbus Dispatch, 12/7/2001
By Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, vice president
Council on American-Islamic Relations Ohio Chapter
Charles Krauthammer's recommendations for U.S. policy ("America's power
is
answer," Forum column, Dec. 3) show that he is ruled by his hatred,
anger,
arrogance and self-righteousness. The terrorists who murdered thousands
of
innocent American civilians were ruled by the same emotions. The
terrorists
paint every man, woman and child in America with one brush: as people
worth
nothing who can be killed without guilt to advance a political agenda.
Krauthammer is painting the same picture of innocent masses in other
lands
as he exhorts us to "tame the Arab street…with raw power and victory."
Neither the terrorists who attacked us nor Krauthammer shed tears as
innocent people suffer. Neither seem to think punishment should be
reserved
for those guilty of crimes but accept its careless application to
innocent
bystanders, as well.
Basing our policy on unbridled fury is not a mark of civilization; it
is a
mark of barbarism. Krauthammer's attempts to make others succumb to
these
emotions debases all of us. We have to reject the worldview that might
makes right. We have to believe that we share a common humanity with
others
and that all people have worth, whether they live next door or halfway
across the world. The lives of innocent people must be respected and
defended. That others have not respected this principle does not
provide us
with an excuse to set it aside, as well. Do we have moral standards for
our
own actions, or do we just aspire to be no lower than those who have
perpetrated barbarism?
The prophet Muhammad taught that true strength lies not in fighting
well
but in being able to control one's anger. The Quran teaches that if one
repels evil with good, those who are one's enemies will become one's
dearest friends. Answer hate with hate, and the world will continue to
bleed. Answer hate with compassion, mercy and justice, and we set
ourselves
on the path to peace.
-----
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-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 12/10/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: INTENTION
* POSITIVE ACTION OF THE DAY: GIVE BOOKS TO FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS
* U.S. MUSLIMS CELEBRATE END OF RAMADAN FAST WITH PRAYERS
* VA CHURCH OBSERVES FAST OF SOLIDARITY WITH MUSLIMS
* MUSLIMS SHARE THEIR FOOD, FAITH (Chicago Tribune)
* RELIGIOUS LEADERS REACH OUT WITH UNITY SERVICE AT LI MOSQUE (Newsday)
* ROCKS SHATTER MOSQUE'S PEACE (San Francisco Chronicle)
* ACLU, ISLAMIC GROUP OPEN HOT LINE (AP)
* ISRAELI HELICOPTERS KILL PALESTINIAN TODDLER, YOUTH (Reuters)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: INTENTION
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "The reward of deeds depends upon the
intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he
has
intended."
Al-Bukhari, 1:1
-----
POSITIVE ACTION OF THE DAY: GIVE BOOKS TO FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS
Order books or other materials about Islam to give to friends and
co-workers of other faiths. Suggested: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to
Understanding Islam," by Qasim Najar and Yahiya John Emerick. To order,
go
to: http://www.amazon.com
SEE ALSO:
http://www.astrolabepictures.com
http://www.soundvision.com
http://www.discoverislam.com
http://islamicity.com/bazar/
http://www.amicaint.com/Amica/amica.html
http://www.iqrabookcenter.org/
Send suggestions for other positive actions to: cair@cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: Local Muslim communities should modify the following news release
for
distribution to television assignment editors, newspaper city editors
and
the "Daybook" editor at the nearest Associated Press bureau. Call each
media outlet to obtain the correct contact information.
See CAIR's "Ramadan Publicity Resource Kit" at:
http://www.cair-net.org/nr/ramadankit.asp
U.S. MUSLIMS CELEBRATE END OF RAMADAN FAST WITH PRAYERS
WHAT: On December 16, 2001* (date may vary, see below), the American
Muslim
community will celebrate the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan with
communal prayers in locations around the country. Ramadan is the month
on
the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food,
drink
and other sensual pleasures from break of dawn to sunset.
The prayers mark the beginning of the Eid ul-Fitr (eed-al-fitter), or
"feast of fast breaking" holiday, in which Muslims exchange social
visits
and seek to strengthen bonds of brotherhood in the community. During
this
holiday, Muslims greet each other by saying "Eid mubarak"
(eed-moo-bar-ak),
meaning "blessed Eid," and "taqabbalallah ta'atakum," or "may God
accept
your deeds." Many communities hold bazaars following the prayers.
Eid ul-Fitr is the first of the two major Muslim holidays. The second
holiday comes at the end of the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.
Demographers
say Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in this country and
around the world. There are an estimated 7 million Muslims in America
and
some 1.2 billion worldwide.
WHEN: December 16, 2001 (*Because Ramadan is a lunar month, the actual
date
is governed by sighting of the new moon. The other possible date for
Eid is
Saturday, December 15.) Prayers are held early in the morning. Ask
local
coordinators for exact dates and times.
WHERE: The Eid prayers are held either in local mosques or in public
facilities designed to accommodate large gatherings. Call local
community
representatives for details.
CONTACT: Call local Muslim organizations for details about Eid
celebrations. If there are no known contacts in local communities, call
CAIR at 202-488-8787 to obtain phone numbers.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Each year, Muslims from America and many different
countries come to the prayers in colorful dress. The prayers themselves
are
quite visual, with worshipers arranged in neat rows and bowing in
prayer in
unison. Participants exchange embraces at the conclusion of the
prayers.
NOTE: Because this is a religious service, reporters and photographers
of
both sexes should dress modestly. That means no shorts for men or short
skirts for women. Some communities may ask female reporters and
photographers to put a scarf over their hair while in the actual prayer
area. Photographers should arrive early to get into position for the
best
shots. Photographers are also advised not to step directly in front of
worshipers and to seek permission for close-up shots. Shots of shoes
removed for prayer, and rear-angle shots of prostrating worshipers are
considered inappropriate and clichéd.
-----
VA CHURCH OBSERVES FAST OF SOLIDARITY WITH MUSLIMS
On Sunday, December 16, members of the Unitarian Universalists of
Sterling
(UUS), Virginia, will observe a one-day fast in solidarity with their
friends and neighbors at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS
Center).
The date was chosen to correspond with the end of Ramadan, and falls on
the
day of the Feast of Eid.
According to UUS member Jonathan Hammer, "the purpose of this fast is
to
demonstrate solidarity, shared values, and shared experience with our
Muslim neighbors."
CONTACT: Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, 703-406-3068,
www.uusterling.org
-----
MUSLIMS SHARE THEIR FOOD, FAITH
Ramadan meal unites religions
By Kevin Lynch, The Chicago Tribune, 12/10/2001
www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/tribwest/chi-0112100026dec10.story
As a small group of Muslim men stood shoulder-to-shoulder Sunday
evening,
giving thanks to God for the sundown meal they were about to eat, Rabbi
Laurence Edwards noticed something special--their unity.
"In a synagogue, everyone is praying as a community, but it's still a
much
more individual thing. Here, it was strikingly communal," Edwards said
at
an interfaith Iftar, the meal that ends daily fasting by Muslims during
the
holy month of Ramadan.
Later, he waited in line for chickpeas and vegetables at the Howard
Johnson's banquet room in North Aurora.
Edwards, who works in the department of interreligious affairs at the
American Jewish Committee in Chicago, was one of about 80 people
representing a variety of religions at the Iftar, hosted by Mazher and
Hamid Ahmed...
-----
RELIGIOUS LEADERS REACH OUT WITH UNITY SERVICE AT LI MOSQUE
By Bart Jones, Newsday, 12/10/2001
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liisla10.story
In an unprecedented act, the leader of Long Island's Catholic Church
visited the Island's largest mosque yesterday, attending a multifaith
service aimed at fostering religious unity in the wake of the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks.
Bishop William Murphy, of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, was joined
by
Protestant ministers, a rabbi and about 150 others at the Islamic
Center of
Long Island in Westbury...
-----
ROCKS SHATTER MOSQUE'S PEACE
Rick DelVecchio, San Francisco Chronicle, 12/10/2001
http://www.sfgate.com/
Search using the term vandals."
Rock-throwing vandals smashed the front window of an East Bay mosque
early
yesterday while 15 worshipers were inside celebrating a notably
prayerful
time in the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.
Two large river rocks, each twice the size of a fist, crashed through
the
10-foot-by-5-foot window at The Islamic Center of Contra Costa on
Clayton
Road in Concord, showering the interior with broken glass.
"We were all in a group, we were just talking about Islam and making
prayer
and all of sudden, boom-boom-boom," said Abdullah Shaghasi, one of the
worshipers who had gathered for prayer and fellowship on the 23rd day
of
Ramadan...
-----
ACLU, ISLAMIC GROUP OPEN HOT LINE
By BRENT KALLESTAD, Associated Press, 12/10/2001
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A toll-free hot line offering legal advice
became
available Sunday for individuals sought by Florida authorities for
questioning about terrorism activity.
The 24-hour toll-free phone number provides advice to people of Muslim,
Arab and South Asian descent targeted for questioning about the Sept.
11
terrorist attacks.
Hot line calls are forwarded to volunteer attorneys, Florida American
Civil
Liberties Union spokeswoman Allessandra Soler said Sunday...
...The ACLU and Council on American-Islamic Relations are also
distributing
brochures in English, Spanish and Arabic advising people about their
rights.
Working with the U.S. Justice Department, the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement is seeking "voluntary" interviews with 546 men in Florida
on
nonimmigrant visas who "fit the criteria of persons who might have
knowledge of foreign-based terrorists."
"We want to make sure that once they're there and cooperating there's
someone looking after their interest as well because clearly the
investigators have their own agenda," said Khurrum Wahid, spokesperson
for
the council...
EDITOR'S NOTE: The hot line number is 888-597-4909, extension 17.
-----
ISRAELI HELICOPTERS KILL PALESTINIAN TODDLER, YOUTH
By Christine Hauser, Reuters, 12/10/2001
HEBRON, West Bank, Dec 10 (Reuters) - An Israeli helicopter strike
killed
two young Palestinians, including a toddler, in the West Bank on Monday
as
both sides urged a frustrated U.S. peace envoy to continue a mission
marred
by constant violence...
...The toddler's twisted, burned body was laid out on a hospital floor
before being covered with an orange blanket. The child's father, who
had
been walking in the street with the baby, was among 12 people wounded.
He
was in critical condition...
-----
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