cair-net Digest of: get.101_200
Topics (messages 101 through 200):
CAIR-NET: CA Officials Reject ADL Attempt to Exclude Muslim Speaker
101 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Jewish Defense League Leaders Arrested in Bomb Plot
102 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Foiled Bombings Incited by Anti-Muslim "Smear Campaign"
103 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Video Shows Bin Laden's Complicity in 9-11 Attacks
104 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Another U.S. Muslim Charity Shut Down
105 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Contact AG Ashcroft to Demand Due Process of Law
106 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Hispanic Muslims: New Minority Makes Itself Known
107 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Breaking News - INS Detains Muslim Group Board Member
108 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Ohio School Board Backs CAIR Speaker
109 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Poll - 2/3 Say War is Against Terrorism, Not Islam
110 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR-FL Meets With Officials About "Voluntary" Interviews
111 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Student Beaten/New Civil Rights Coalition Being Formed
112 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Latino Muslims/Fox Pulls Israeli Spy Stories
113 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Globe Column Slams Daniel Pipes for Smearing U.S. Muslims
114 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: "Teach Them Our Decadent Way of Living"
115 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Protesters Seek Release of Muslim Detainees in Florida
116 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Secret Service Agent Removed From Flight
117 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: President Bush Responds to Profiling of Muslim Agent
118 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Student Organizations Say They're Misunderstood
119 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Ohio Mosque Vandalism Prompts Call For Police Protection
120 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Ann Coulter: Middle Easterners are "Camel Riding Nomads"
121 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Columbus Dispatch Profiles CAIR-Ohio
122 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Passenger Supports Agent's Claim of Profiling
123 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Lawyers for Profiled Muslim Agent Hold News Conference
124 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Rep. Conyers Outraged Over Closed Hearing for Muslim
125 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Witnesses: Secret Service Agent Didn't Act Angry
126 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Trial of Imam Jamil Set to Begin
127 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Imam Jamil Held in Contempt for Media Interviews
128 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Airport Guard Forces Muslim Teen to Remove Hijab
129 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Magazine "Regrets" Misquote of CAIR Official
130 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR to Appear on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal"
131 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: DC Mayor to Visit Mosque/USF Faculty Object to Al-Arian
Firing
132 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Mosque Shooting Suspect Found Innocent by Reason of Insanity
133 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Turbulence on Flight 363: Prudence, or Profiling?
134 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Government Zips its Lips on Frozen Funds
135 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Tides of Support Buoy a City's Displaced Muslims
136 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Woman Strip-Searched at O'Hare Airport
137 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Delta Apologizes to Muslim Teen Forced to Remove Headscarf
138 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Alan Dershowitz Says Make Torture an Option
139 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: The Prime-Time Smearing of Sami Al-Arian (A Must Read)
140 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Justice Officials, Muslims Face Off
141 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Correctional Institutions Offered Guide to Islamic Practices
142 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Rights Groups Press for Names of Muslims Held in New Jersey
143 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CA Officials Again Reject ADL Attempt to Exclude Muslim
Speakers
144 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Testifies on Capitol Hill About Impact of Profiling
145 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Offers NASA Sensitivity Training Workshop
146 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Urges President Bush to Promote Freedom for All
147 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: ACLU Files Challenge to Closed Immigration Hearings
148 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Support Freedom of Speech in Florida/News Briefs
149 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Breaking News - Steven Emerson to be Featured on CBS "48
Hours"
150 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Launches Billboard Campaign to Promote Tolerance
151 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims to Take Part in Hajj
152 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Calls for Release of WSJ Reporter
153 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Newsweek Cover Story Focuses on Quran and Bible
154 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Quite the Odd Couple: Al-Arian and Sharon
155 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Urged to Contact President on Palestinian Rights
156 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Wash. Post Calls for Open Immigration Hearings
157 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Ashcroft Asked to Clarify Offensive Remarks on Islam
158 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Congressional Briefing on American Muslims Post 9-11
159 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Leaders Meet With FBI Director
160 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Launches Eid ul-Adha Voter Registration Drive
161 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Daniel Pipes Exposed on Fox's "On the Record"
162 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Sponsors Calif. Candidate's Forum/News Briefs
163 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Imam Jamil Trial Testimony Begins/Islam's Female Converts
164 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Sample Eid ul-Adha News Release/News Briefs
165 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: DC-Area Muslims Hold Voter Drive at Hajj Festival
166 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Canadian Muslims Call for Investigation of "Coercive"
Questioning
167 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Group Starts An Effort to Increase Voter Registration
(NY Times)
168 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Robertson's Claims Called "Incitement to Violence Against
Muslims"
169 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Sudan Slave Redemption Exposed as "Hoax" and "Scam"
170 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Michigan Columnist Says "Islam Sucks"
171 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Learn New Skills at CAIR's March 30 Training Conference
172 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Slave/Palestine/India/Chechnya/Profiling
173 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Indian Government Must Do More To Halt Violence
174 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Salon.com Slams "Terrorism Expert" Steven Emerson
175 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Provocation Helped Set India Train Fire/News Briefs
176 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Call for an End to the Killing in Palestine
177 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: New Immigration Bill/Israeli Spies in US/Imam Jamil
178 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: White House: Israel Attacks Must End/Witness: Imam Jamil Not
Gunman
179 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Jury Convicts Imam Jamil of Murder
180 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims React to Imam Jamil Verdict
181 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Canadian Univ. Accommodates Muslim Prayer Room Request
182 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Outrage Over Death of Handcuffed Suspect
183 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Editor Suggests "Nuking Mecca"
184 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Senator Says Palestinians "Did Not Exist"
185 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Detainees Deprived of Human Rights - AI
186 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims React to Violence in India and Palestine
187 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Using New Law on Secret Evidence
188 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims Condemn Church Attack in Pakistan
189 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Columnist Says More Palestinian Deaths Will Bring Peace
190 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Dershowitz Editorial Draws Fire
191 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: New "Voluntary" Interviews Create Perception of Profiling
192 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Publication Obtains DEA Report on Israeli Spy Ring
193 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Outraged by Government Raids
194 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Call Raids "Fishing Expedition"
195 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Canadian Professor Apologizes for Classroom Comments
196 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Groups Criticize US Raids
197 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Raids to be Topic of March 25 Town Hall Meeting
198 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Act Now to Prevent More Raids
199 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Florida Mosque Attack Result of Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
200 by: CAIR
---------------------------------
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 12/11/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: ALL THE PROPHETS
* CA OFFICIALS REJECT ADL ATTEMPT TO EXCLUDE MUSLIM SPEAKER
* ANOTHER CONVERT FOR ISLAM (Los Angeles Times)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: ALL THE PROPHETS
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)."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 136
-----
CA OFFICIALS REJECT ADL ATTEMPT TO EXCLUDE MUSLIM SPEAKER
(WASHINGTON, DC - 12/11/2001) - In the third such incident in a month,
a
demand to have a Muslim speaker excluded from a public forum designed
to
promote intercultural understanding has been rejected by event
organizers.
Sources say the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) had demanded that Helal
Omeira, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Northern California chapter (CAIR-NCA), be denied the right to offer
testimony at a December 6th public hearing hosted by the State of
California Select Committee on Hate Crimes.
SEE: http://santaclaracounty.org/ohr/ohr_events.html
(CAIR has recorded more than 1400 reports of bias-related incidents
against
Muslims, Arabs and those who appear to be "Middle Eastern" following
the
terrorist attacks of September 11th. SEE: http://www.cair-net.org)
Officials who were approached by the ADL told Omeira that his
participation
in the hearing was important and that they would not let international
issues divide California's diverse population.
"It is sad that the ADL seeks to promote divisions in our community
instead
of working together for the common good. This is just the latest effort
in
an ongoing politically-motivated smear campaign by the ADL and other
Islamophobic groups designed to marginalize the Muslim community in
America. We thank the hearing's organizers for not allowing tactics of
exclusion to succeed," said Omeira.
In his testimony, Omeira spoke of the need to fund educational programs
for
the Network for a Hate Free Community. He is a member of that network.
In two incidents last month, officials in Connecticut and Florida also
rejected demands by Jewish groups to exclude Muslim speakers from
similar
events.
SEE: "'Islamophobic Smear Campaign' Goes Public" at
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=4&articletype=3
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) had asked that Ghazi Khankan,
executive
director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations New York chapter
(CAIR-NY), be denied the right to speak at a panel discussion, titled
"Understanding Islam - after 9/11," sponsored by the Connecticut
Humanities
Council and the World Affairs Forum.
Earlier in November, the Florida Commission on Human Relations rejected
a
demand by that state's chapter of the ADL to exclude a CAIR
representative
from a panel discussion at an annual civil rights conference.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
CAIR-NCA - Helal Omeira, 408-986-9874
E-MAIL: cair_nca@cair-california.org
ACTION REQUESTED: Contact the event organizers to express appreciation
for
their refusal to be intimidated by an Islamophobic smear campaign.
CONTACT:
Ms. Judy Chu
Assemblymember, 49th District California Legislature
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
TEL: 916-319-2049
FAX: 916-319-2149
E-MAIL: assemblymember.chu@assembly.ca.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, cair_nca@cair-california.org
James P. McEntee, Sr.
Director, Office of Human Relations
County of Santa Clara
70 West Hedding Street
Lower Level
San Jose, CA 95110-2463
TEL: 408-299-2206
FAX: 408-297-2463
E-MAIL: jim.mcentee@hrs.co.scl.ca.us
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, cair_nca@cair-california.org
-----
ANOTHER CONVERT FOR ISLAM
By SOLOMON MOORE, Los Angeles Times, 12/11/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-121101convert.story
No one expected Dia Richardson to get religion, and certainly not the
one
she got.
After all, she had lived fast for many years. If the clubs were open,
Richardson was there. At Thanksgiving dinner one year, her uncle--one
of
three Christian ministers in her family--asked her reprovingly, "Just
how
many beers are you going to drink?"
"As many as I brought," she sassed.
Then her friend Khadijah Shabazz, who is Muslim, invited Richardson to
a
mosque wedding in Culver City. Richardson accepted, even though she
knew
she would have to wear a skirt that covered her legs, "my best asset."
It was the first time she had been inside a mosque. The simple
reverence of
the ceremony, the Arabic prayer resonating in the domed hall, awakened
something in her, Richardson said. So did the sound of her 10-year-old
son's voice when he intoned the Koranic verse Shabazz had taught him:
Bismallah Ir-Rahman Ir-Rahim. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the
Merciful.
But not until Sept. 11 did Richardson begin to imagine what it might be
like to be a follower of Prophet Muhammad. As reports of anti-Muslim
incidents mounted, Richardson witnessed Shabazz's forbearance.
"People told her to take off her head scarf to be safe, but she
wouldn't do
it," Richardson said. "I saw how disciplined and calm they were. And I
don't know any Christian who prays at the same time five times a day."
Richardson, 30, became her friend's protector, and eventually, her
fellow
believer...
CONTACT: letters@latimes.com
You must include your full name, street address and daytime phone
number.
Letters should be no more than 250 words.
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, cair@nayzak.com
-----
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 - 12/12/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: GENTLENESS
* TWO JEWISH DEFENSE LEAGUE LEADERS ARRESTED IN ALLEGED BOMB PLOT (CNN)
* CONGRESSMAN BONIOR OFFERS EID GREETINGS
* POLICE SEEK MICHIGAN ARABS WHO DIDN'T ANSWER LETTER (Wall Street
Journal)
* MUSLIM BAR ASSOCIATION OFFERS VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS FOR INTERVIEWEES
* MORE ARABS, MUSLIMS ALLEGE BIAS ON THE JOB (Washington Post)
* JUDGE ASKED TO EXCLUDE STATEMENTS TRIAL OF FORMER H. RAP BROWN (AP)
* GROUP TO MONITOR AL-AMIN HEARING (Atlanta Journal)
- TRACKING DOGS WILL GET THEIR DUE AT AL-AMIN'S TRIAL
* 'GOD HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED EVERYTHING' (Atlanta Journal)
* EDITORIAL: GETTING TO KNOW YOU (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
* PRAYERS AIM TO CONVERT MUSLIMS (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GENTLENESS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who is deprived of
gentleness is deprived of good."
Sunan of Abu Dawood, Hadith 2238
-----
TWO JEWISH DEFENSE LEAGUE LEADERS ARRESTED IN ALLEGED BOMB PLOT
CNN.com, December 12, 2001 Posted: 2:06 PM EST
http://www.cnn.com/2001/LAW/12/12/jdl.arrests/index.html
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Two leaders of the Jewish Defense
League
were arrested Wednesday by federal authorities in an aborted plot to
blow
up what law enforcement sources said were Arab-American institutions in
the
Los Angeles area, including a prominent mosque.
Irv Rubin and Earl Krugel were taken into federal custody following
early
morning raids by members of an anti-terrorism task force, said Thom
Mrozek,
a spokesman for U.S. Attorney John S. Gordon. More details are expected
to
be released at a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
...The Jewish Defense League is a militant Los Angeles-based group that
advocates use of "all necessary means -- even strength, force and
violence"
to defend the interests of Jews, as well as the return of all Jews to
Israel, according to its Web site. Its logo contains a silhouette of a
clenched fist over the Star of David. Rubin is identified as the
group's
chairman on the Web site...
SEE: http://www.jdl.org/
-----
CONGRESSMAN BONIOR OFFERS EID GREETINGS
Rep. David Bonior (D-MI) is sending the following message to Muslim
constituents: (NOTE: Bonior has a long history of support for the
American
Muslim community and its concerns.)
As we approach the end of Ramadan, I want to extend my heartfelt
greetings
to you and your family. Ramadan is a time for reflection. It is a time
for
fasting and for cherishing our blessings. It is a time to remember lost
loved ones and those less fortunate. Ramadan reminds us of what is
truly
important-our family, our traditions, our deepest values and our faith.
We all share grief and sorrow over the attacks of September 11. Such
attacks do not represent Islam. By the same token, the bigotry and
intolerance against Muslims which has followed does not represent the
ideals on which this great country was founded.
Throughout my career, I have tried to show that bigotry and intolerance
have no place in America's future. I led the effort to repeal secret
evidence and spoke out against profiling at U.S. airports, in shopping
malls and on highways. After the September 11 attacks, I introduced the
resolution condemning bigotry against Muslims, Arab-Americans and
Americans
of South Asian descent. I have also continued to reach out to the
Muslim
community.
Whenever I attend religious services reflecting the rich diversity of
religious traditions in Michigan, I speak about the need for tolerance
and
understanding. This is a time for Americans of all faiths to pull
together.
The magnitude of this moment calls upon us to focus on what unites -
not
what divides us.
As a Catholic, I will be heeding Pope John Paul II's call to fast on
December 14 as a sign of unity with the Islamic faith and a gesture of
tolerance and peace. The great religions of the world need to draw
closer
together at this time of crisis, not further apart.
Again, I want to wish you and your family a happy Eid and best wishes
for
the new year.
Sincerely,
David E. Bonior
Member of Congress
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
Congressman David E. Bonior
59 N. Walnut, Suite 305
Mt. Clemens, MI 48043-5677
TEL: 810-469-3232
FAX: 810-469-7950
E-MAIL: david.bonior@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
URL - http://davidbonior.house.gov/
-----
POLICE SEEK MICHIGAN ARABS WHO DIDN'T ANSWER LETTER
By Norihiko Shirouzu, The Wall Street Journal, 12/11/2001
DETROIT -(Dow Jones)- Local and federal law-enforcement agencies will
go
door-to-door in Southeastern Michigan looking for the 152 Middle
Eastern
men who didn't respond to a letter from the U.S. Attorney's office in
Detroit asking them to come in for questioning about knowledge they
might
have about terrorist activity.
U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Collins told reporters in Detroit Tuesday that
his
office and other law enforcement agencies will try to "make personal
contact" with the individuals who didn't respond...
...The effort in eastern Michigan is part of the nationwide terrorist
investigation aiming to interrogate some 5,000 men of Middle Eastern
origins, aged between 18 and 33, who had entered the U.S. from
countries
where terrorists are known to operate...
...Haaris Ahmad, director of the Michigan office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, based is in Southfield, Mich., said those
men
"should have responded whether they are planning to decline or agree to
be
questioned because (law enforcement agencies) will come after them
regardless, and then they will be in trouble." The CAIR and other Arab
rights groups in Michigan have been advising men who received the
letter to
respond regardless of whether they agree to be questioned or not...
-----
MUSLIM BAR ASSOCIATION OFFERS VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS FOR INTERVIEWEES
The Muslim Bar Association, in cooperation with the American Civil
Liberties Union, the National Lawyers Guild, and other organizations
has
initiated a program to provide volunteer attorneys to assist
interviewees
prior to questioning, representation at the interview sessions and
referrals for representation should the interviews result in detention
or
other legal action against them.
The MBA has agreed to provide volunteer attorneys with experience in
immigration and criminal defense law for this program, to assist
interview
subjects. Two training sessions have been planned for noon and 6 p.m.
on
Monday, December 17, 2001 at the ACLU offices, 180 N. Michigan Ave.,
Suite
2300, Chicago.
CONTACT: MBA President Anthony Simpkins at asimpkins@cityofchicago.org
or
(312) 744-8710, or MBA Past-President, LaDale George at
lgeorge@foleylaw.com or (312) 755-2524 to volunteer.
-----
MORE ARABS, MUSLIMS ALLEGE BIAS ON THE JOB
By Kirstin Downey Grimsley, The Washington Post, 12/12/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28251-2001Dec11.html
The number of workplace discrimination complaints filed by Arab
Americans,
Muslims and Sikhs has more than doubled since the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported
yesterday.
Between Sept. 11 and Dec. 6, officials said the EEOC received 166
complaints of illegal discrimination from members of those groups,
mostly
involving Muslim workers who were fired from their jobs. During the
same
period one year ago, only 64 such claims were filed.
EEOC Chairwoman Cari M. Dominguez said at a public hearing at the
agency's
headquarters that no other topic could be "more timely and more
appropriate." It was the first hearing she has held since becoming head
of
the commission in August.
She and other commissioners said they would act vigorously to pursue
such
allegations. And they praised as a "success story" the action many
companies took to tell employees after the attacks that harassment and
anti-Arab discrimination would not be tolerated...
-----
JUDGE ASKED TO EXCLUDE STATEMENTS TRIAL OF FORMER H. RAP BROWN
Associated Press Newswires, 12/12/2001
ATLANTA (AP) - A Superior Court judge has been asked to exclude from
Jamil
Abdullah Al-Amin's murder trial statements that he made when he was a
black
activist known as H. Rap Brown.
In the fiery rhetoric of the 1960s, Brown once declared violence "as
American as cherry pie." Lawyers for the Atlanta Muslim leader accused
of
fatally shooting a Fulton County sheriff's deputy argued Tuesday that
such
inflammatory remarks could prejudice jurors.
Judge Stephanie Manis said she would rule later on the defense request
to
block prosecutors from introducing any of Al-Amin's political and
religious
ideas and writings during his trial next month...
-----
GROUP TO MONITOR AL-AMIN HEARING
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 12/11/2001
Amnesty International will send a representative to monitor a hearing
in
Fulton County court today involving Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the West
End
Muslim imam accused of murdering one sheriff deputy and wounding
another.
Lawyers for Al-Amin want to block prosecutors from introducing at trial
any
of his political and religious ideas and writings. Al-Amin, once known
as
H. Rap Brown, made headlines in the 1960s with combative phrases such
as
"violence is as American as cherry pie."
"Our main concern is this is another attempt by [Fulton District
Attorney]
Paul Howard's office to pursue a death sentence," said Ajamu Baraka,
director of the southern region for Amnesty International. "He seems to
be
much more aggressive in pursuing this penalty than his predecessor."
SEE ALSO: TRACKING DOGS WILL GET THEIR DUE AT AL-AMIN'S TRIAL
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/1212alamin.html
-----
'GOD HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED EVERYTHING'
Ex-Fayetteville dance club now a Muslim community center
By ADD SEYMOUR JR., The Atlanta Journal - Constitution, 12/12/2001
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/1212mosque.html
First it was a grocery store, known for its meat market.
Later, it became The Market club, where teenagers did bump-and- grind
booty
dancing --- until a judge put a stop to it.
Now, the building near Fayetteville's town square has again come to
life
--- with Islam.
Muslims, who recently purchased the building, have transformed it into
the
Fayetteville Muslim Community Center...
-----
EDITORIAL: GETTING TO KNOW YOU
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 12/11/2001
Sometimes, all it takes to get beyond fear and distrust is a little
education. As Americans have taken the time to learn more about Muslims
since Sept. 11, American attitudes have changed - for the better.
A survey released recently by the Pew Research Center for the People &
the
Press shows that 59 percent of Americans had a favorable view of U.S.
Muslims in November, compared to 45 percent in March. Conservative
Republicans showed a big change, with 64 percent feeling favorably
toward
the group, compared to 35 percent in March. The survey indicated that
Americans are heeding President George W. Bush's call for tolerance...
...At the same time, interest in Islam has grown. The Islamic
Information
Center in Manchester and the Dar al-Islam mosque in west St. Louis
County
have received many requests for information. The mosque here and others
around the country have opened their doors to people of other faiths in
an
effort to show the differences between mainstream Islam and the
counterfeit
version practiced by the terrorists...
...Still, the Council on American Islamic Relations in Washington
reports a
steady stream of complaints. Initially the organization received many
reports of violence and property damage, but more recently there's been
a
shift to workplace discrimination and airline profiling...
...Treating Muslims right, helps convey the message to the world that
the
United States is fighting terrorism, not Islam. It also is an
all-American
thing to do.
-----
PRAYERS AIM TO CONVERT MUSLIMS
By PATRICK McGEE, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12/11/2001
Some Christians are praying for Muslims' conversion during Ramadan, the
Islamic holy month, but others say the timing is wrong.
...Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said he doesn't object to Christians such
as
Humphries praying for Muslims, but he takes issue with the kind of
missionary work espoused by Stewart.
"They come in with a lot of money, a lot of backing, a lot of resources
and
they use these to their advantage," Hooper said. "We're confident in
our
faith, but when they go to vulnerable individuals, this is when we have
some objections..."
-----
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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 BREAKING NEWS BELOW: SUSPECTED ISRAELI SPIES HELD BY U.S.
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR: FOILED BOMBINGS INCITED BY ANTI-MUSLIM "SMEAR CAMPAIGN"
(WASHINGTON, DC - 12/12/2001) - A prominent American Muslim group
tonight
blamed what it called the "ongoing anti-Islamic smear campaign" by
right
wing and pro-Israel extremists for creating an atmosphere of
Islamophobia
that may have incited the Jewish Defense League (JDL) to plot a
terrorist
bombing at a California mosque and other sites. (SEE: www.jdl.org)
JDL chairman Irv Rubin and another member of that group were arrested
Tuesday night on suspicion of plotting to blow up the King Fahd Mosque
in
Culver City and the offices of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and the Muslim
Public Affairs Council. Rubin was arrested after the last bomb-making
components were allegedly delivered to his co-conspirator's home. Other
bomb components were seized at the home. In court documents,
authorities
quoted one of those involved in the plot as saying that Arabs "need a
wake-up call."
"Since the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, a number of
extremist conservative and pro-Israel groups and individuals,
apparently
alarmed at the growing prominence of American Muslims, orchestrated an
ongoing anti-Islamic smear campaign seeking to marginalize the our
community and its leadership," said Omar Ahmad, board chairman of the
Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
"Words do have an impact, particularly on those who already hold
deep-seated hostility toward Islam and Muslims. For the safety of our
community, this malicious campaign must stop," said Ahmad.
"We extend thanks to the FBI for preventing a domestic terrorist
attack. We
call on President Bush to condemn all those who may have been involved
in
the plot. We request that law enforcement authorities offer added
protection for mosques nationwide and investigate the possibility that
other JDL terrorist cells may exist. And finally, we ask that
commentators
not link Judaism or the Bible to terrorism as many have done with Islam
and
the Quran," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad also offered support for Rep. Issa, an Arab-American lawmaker who
has
come under vicious attack by some of the same commentators who vilify
Muslims.
In three incidents within the last month, the Anti-Defamation League
(ADL)
and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) sought unsuccessfully to have
Muslim speakers barred for public events designed to promote
intercultural
understanding. CAIR has received many reports of similar
behind-the-scenes
efforts.* (See note below.)
The 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)
A Washington Post reporter wrote on November 18 that, "Jewish groups
and
some conservatives have been lobbying the president to stop courting
certain Muslim leaders."
CAIR also cited several recent articles by the Middle East Forum's
Daniel
Pipes in which he made the bizarre claim that American Muslims seek to
impose Islamic law in the United States.
* NOTE: In 1999, the ADL agreed to pay $25,000 to a community relations
fund that resolved a class-action lawsuit filed in 1993 accusing the
ADL of
spying on Arab-American, pro-Palestinian and anti-apartheid groups and
individuals. (AP, Sept. 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, July 1, 1994)
Kahane founded the JDL in the 1960s. An off-shoot of Kahane's group
continues to raise funds in the United States. (SEE: www.kahane.org)
The
FBI raided offices associated with that group in January.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
CAIR-LA - Hussam Ayloush, 714-776-1847
E-MAIL: cair_sca@cair-california.org
-----
SUSPECTED ISRAELI SPIES HELD BY U.S.
By Carl Cameron, Fox News, 12/12/2001
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40679,00.html
In a related development, Fox News is reporting that some 60 Israelis
are
among those detained by authorities following the September 11 attacks.
According to Fox:
"The Israelis, a handful of whom are described as active Israeli
military
or intelligence operatives, have been detained on immigration charges
or
under the new Patriot Anti-Terrorism Law. Federal investigators said
some
of them failed polygraph questions inquiring about alleged surveillance
activities against and in the United States.
"There is no indication the Israelis were involved in the Sept. 11
attacks,
but investigators suspect that they may have gathered intelligence
about
the attacks in advance and not shared it...
"...Numerous classified documents obtained by Fox News indicate that
even
prior to Sept. 11, as many as 140 other Israelis had been detained or
arrested in a secretive and sprawling investigation into suspected
espionage by Israelis 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 - 12/13/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: SPEAK FOR JUSTICE
* HADITH OF THE DAY: MURDER
* CAIR: VIDEO SHOWS BIN LADEN'S COMPLICITY IN 9-11 ATTACKS
* MUSLIM CONVERT TAKES ON LEADERSHIP ROLE (Christian Science Monitor)
* RUNNING TOWARD, NOT FROM, ISLAM (Contra Costa Times)
* QUESTIONING WITH A POWDER-PUFF EDGE (New York Times)
- KNOCK, KNOCK: THE FBI'S HERE (USA Today)
- U.S. STEPS SOFTLY WITH ANTI-TERROR INTERVIEWS (Chicago
Tribune)
- INS ARRESTS FOREIGN STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO CRACKDOWN (San
Diego
Union-Tribune)
* PALESTINIAN MEN FIND SUSPICION TRANSCENDS CONSTITUTION (AP)
* PEW RESEARCH CENTER: MUSLIM-AMERICANS MORE ACCEPTED
* JURY NOTICE STRIKABLE IN CIVIL CASES INVOLVING ARAB MUSLIMS (Lawyers
Weekly)
* CHRISTIAN GROUP SHIPS GIFTS TO AFGHAN KIDS (Newsday)
* CATHOLICS HEED INTERFAITH CALL BY THE POPE (Orange County Register)
* JDL LEADER ACCUSED IN MOSQUE BOMB PLOT (Los Angeles Times)
* FBI INVESTIGATES INCIDENTS AT (INDIANA) MOSQUE (AP)
* SCARF PARTIES PROVIDE AN OUTLET FOR MUSLIM WOMEN (Seattle Times)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: SPEAK FOR JUSTICE
Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant.
The Holy Quran, Chapter 7, Verse 199
HADITH OF THE DAY: MURDER
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "The biggest of Al-Kaba'ir (the great
sins) are (1) to join others as partners in worship with Allah, (2) to
murder a human being, (3) to be undutiful to one's parents (4) and to
make
a false statement..."
Sahih Al-Bukhari 9:10
-----
CAIR: VIDEO SHOWS BIN LADEN'S COMPLICITY IN 9-11 ATTACKS
(WASHINGTON, DC - 12/13/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today offered its
reaction to the videotape of Osama bin Laden released by the Pentagon.
CAIR stated:
For anyone who was not convinced of Osama bin Laden's complicity in the
events of September 11, the content of this videotape should remove all
doubt. Bin Laden clearly spoke as someone who had foreknowledge of the
attacks.
The tape was particularly disturbing for several reasons:
1. Bin Laden seemed to revel in the death and destruction in Washington
and
New York.
2. He falsely implied that the acts of the hijackers were justified by
Islamic beliefs.
3. He made the sickening statement that the attacks "benefited Islam
greatly."
As we have stated repeatedly, the tragedy that occurred on September 11
cannot be justified by any cause or religion. We restate our
condemnation
of those who committed this crime and look forward to seeing the
perpetrators brought to justice.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
MUSLIM CONVERT TAKES ON LEADERSHIP ROLE
By Jane Lampman, The Christian Science Monitor, 12/13/2001
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1213/p16s1-lire.html
Ingrid Mattson had her own brush with the Taliban before they came to
power. Back in 1989, just out of a Canadian university, she worked in a
crowded Afghan refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan, teaching young
girls
and trying to improve conditions for their families...
...A small, slender woman with an arrestingly calm demeanor, Mattson
has no
reluctance about speaking out on issues of import. Her articulate voice
was
one of the first after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to call publicly
on
Muslims to condemn not only the attacks, but any resort to violence in
the
name of Islam.
"Who has the greatest duty to stop violence committed by Muslims
against
innocent non-Muslims in the name of Islam?" she asked. "The answer
obviously is Muslims."
And her voice is one that is heard. Earlier this fall, she was elected
by
members of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), perhaps the
largest
and most diverse Muslim organization on the continent, to a two-year
term
as vice president. She is the first woman to hold that position.
It may seem surprising that a young Canadian-born convert should be the
first. "Ingrid is seen by our community as a woman par excellence as
representative of both Western and Muslim traditions," explains Sayyid
Syeed, executive director of ISNA. "She is Western-born and raised, but
has
been well educated in Islamic scholarship."
And her election has significance beyond these borders, Dr. Syeed adds.
"America is giving women the role that the Koran and the Prophet had
given
them originally, but has been denied them for cultural reasons in many
regions," he says. Women, for example, are members of executive
committees
of Islamic centers across the country. "To have a woman vice president
is a
message from the Islamic community in North America to those in other
countries..."
-----
RUNNING TOWARD, NOT FROM, ISLAM
KAREN HERSHENSON, Contra Costa Times, 12/12/2001
www.contracostatimes.com/news/columnists/hershenson/stories/karen12_20011212.htm
...Such a beautiful religion. So appealing that this young woman
severed
her Roman Catholic roots and embraced Islam six years ago at age 19.
Now
she goes by Joharrah Al-Tawil and studies network engineering at Diablo
Valley College, splitting her time between households in Fairfield and
Richmond.
...Instead of turning people off, the Sept. 11 tragedies have drawn
people
to Islam, with some clerics claiming conversions have quadrupled.
"America right now is having a colossal conversation on Islam," says
Agha
Saeed, a UC Berkeley teacher and national chairman of the American
Muslim
Alliance.
"People are seeing things and reading things for themselves," he says,
"and
I think reading the Quran is having an impact..."
-----
QUESTIONING WITH A POWDER-PUFF EDGE
By JODI WILGOREN, The New York Times, 12/13/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/13/national/13MUSL.html
The conversations have been less probing than most job interviews, more
comfortable than many a visit to the doctor. Sometimes, law enforcement
officials sit in armchairs next to the young foreigners rather than
across
the table, to make it less confrontational. They make small talk,
little
digs about the quality of passport photos. Often, they apologize for
questions that seem redundant or ridiculous.
After a while, according to people who have sat in and to tape
recordings,
the meetings sound like a broken record. Investigators read a
monotonous
list of questions -- Do you know anyone who has recruited terrorists?
Raised money for them? Trained in a camp? -- and their subjects, some
clearly nervous, others feigning nonchalance, reply in monosyllables:
No,
no, no. "You know, when you ask 5,000 people the same questions, at
some
point somebody's going to say yes to some of these, O.K.?" an F.B.I.
agent
said in a recent interview, according to an audiotape provided by a
lawyer
who attended. "So if you're thinking these are odd questions, perhaps
to
some people they're not."
A month after the Justice Department announced its plan to question
5,000
men ages 18 to 33 who arrived in this country over the last two years
from
nations suspected of links to terrorism, the canvass is just beginning
in
much of the nation...
SEE ALSO:
KNOCK, KNOCK: THE FBI'S HERE
Interviews of Muslim students create tension on campuses
By Mary Beth Marklein, USA Today, 12/13/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/news/attack/2001/12/13/muslim-students-usat.htm
For some, it began with a cordial letter of introduction; for others,
an
unceremonious knock on the door.
Either way, Muslim and Arab students on college campuses from Florida
to
Colorado to California to Vermont are wondering how it is that they
fell
under the scrutiny of federal agents.
As investigators seek answers to the Sept. 11 attacks, the foreign
student
population isn't the only one with questions. But with each new shift
in
immigration policy and each new twist in the investigation, many campus
communities -- students and administrative officials alike -- feel
vulnerable anew...
U.S. STEPS SOFTLY WITH ANTI-TERROR INTERVIEWS
By Shia Kapos and Cam Simpson, The Chicago Tribune, 12/13/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0112130298dec13.story
U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald told Arab-American leaders Wednesday his
office will send letters in the coming days to scores of Middle Eastern
men
here who are on a list of 5,000 people nationwide sought for
questioning by
the Justice Department, community leaders said...
INS ARRESTS FOREIGN STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO CRACKDOWN
By Anna Cearley, San Diego Union Tribune, 12/12/2001
http://www.uniontrib.com/news/nation/terror/20011212--n22372.html
SAN DIEGO - Federal immigration authorities took 10 people into custody
early this morning as part of an ongoing investigation of students of
Middle Eastern descent suspected of violating their student visas.
The operation is the first of its kind in the nation, according to
immigration authorities, and is part of the agency's effort to better
track
foreign students following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11...
-----
PALESTINIAN MEN FIND SUSPICION TRANSCENDS CONSTITUTION
By TOM WELLS, The Associated Press, 12/13/2001
LABELLE, Fla. (AP) - LaBelle is an unlikely place to find a family of
Palestinian heritage.
It seems a man with a prayer rug and whose wife wears traditional
Middle
East garb would be out of place in a place where the big deal of the
year
is the crowning of the Swamp Cabbage Festival queen in February.
But Fathi Mustafa, 66, has never tried to draw attention to himself and
knows how to keep a low profile, how to fit in.
When Mustafa took the pledge of allegiance in becoming a U.S. citizen,
nothing prepared him for what he and his oldest son went through in
Texas
after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The father spent 11 days in
federal
detention in Houston, his son 67 days. It appears their mistake was
straying from home at the wrong time and having the last name
Mustafa...
..Mustafa had been thinking about retiring, and for the first time took
the
oldest of his five sons, 29-year-old Nacer Mustafa, with him to Mexico
on
an annual trip to buy goods for the shop. The father has a heart
problem,
had prostate surgery for cancer two years ago and wears a hearing aid.
They left for Mexico on Sept. 9 and came back through the Bush
International Airport in Houston on Sept. 15. It couldn't have been a
worse
time.
Federal authorities accused them of having put an extra layer of
lamination
on their passports, raising suspicion that they had altered them.
"My dad and I were taken to separate rooms and questioned about why we
had
altered our passports," Nacer Mustafa said.
"The worst part was when I heard my dad pleading, crying in the next
room.
The poor guy has never had so much as a parking ticket. I was scared he
was
going to have a heart attack.
"Some anti-terrorist task force guy tried to get me to admit I had
laminated my passport. He said that in case I was deported, he wanted
to
know what country I would want to go to. I told him I was a U.S.
citizen,
but that didn't faze him.
"Dad and I were put in the same cell together, just us in there for one
night. I thought it would be a one-day investigation. But then they put
us
in separate cells in isolation for four nights and then we were back
together again.
"For a week we didn't see anyone else, just the hands of someone
sliding
food through a space in the door," he said...
"...I'll never forget how they humiliated my dad. They took us to court
twice. Each time we had to undress before we went into the court and
when
we got out before they took us back to our cells."
All four times there was a body cavity search, Nacer Mustafa said...
...The father has difficulty talking about the experience without his
eyes
getting moist and his voice choking.
He says they gave him an extra jail shirt to use to put on the floor
for
his prayers, so when he touched his head and the palms of his hands to
the
floor he wouldn't get dirty. They also gave him a copy of the Quran,
the
Muslim holy book. And he was grateful they did not serve him pork, an
unclean food for Muslims...
...Charges against both were dropped...
-----
PEW RESEARCH CENTER: MUSLIM-AMERICANS MORE ACCEPTED
http://www.people-press.org/120601rpt.htm
The survey finds clear evidence that Americans are heeding President
Bush's
call for tolerance toward Muslims, and the president's own core
constituents conservative Republicans have shown by far the biggest
turnaround. Nearly two-thirds of conservative Republicans (64%) feel
favorably toward Muslims in this country, up 29 percentage points since
March.
Despite the improving image of Muslim-Americans, few Americans know
much
about the Muslim faith and even fewer feel their religion has much in
common with Islam. Roughly four-in-ten (38%) say they know something
about
the Muslim religion and its practices, while 31% see common ground
between
their own religion and Islam.
-----
JURY NOTICE STRIKABLE IN CIVIL CASES INVOLVING ARAB MUSLIMS: JUDGE
By John Jaffey, The Lawyers Weekly (Canada), 12/14/2001
An Ontario Superior Court judge has concluded that it would be
appropriate
to strike jury notices in civil cases involving Arab Muslims, because
of
the likelihood of juror bias caused by the September 11 terrorist
attacks.
"I am not confident that at the present time in the prevailing climate
created by unprecedented coverage in the media a strong caution to the
jury
would be sufficient to ensure that all prejudices could be set
aside,"said
Justice John Jennings.
Based on their racial heritage, two Arab Muslim plaintiffs argued they
would be the subject of prejudice and would not receive a fair trial in
front of a jury. Justice Jennings interpreted his court's Rule 47.02(3)
as
permitting trial judges to strike juries in cases other than those
enumerated in the rule's sub-section (1)...
...Henry [the plaintiffs' attorney] told The Lawyers Weekly he believes
this is the first time an Ontario jury has been struck in a civil
matter
for reasons of prejudice.
-----
CHRISTIAN GROUP SHIPS GIFTS TO AFGHAN KIDS
By Carol Eisenberg, Newsday (NY), 12/13/2001
www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usgrah132508018dec13.story
With an icy wind bearing down on him on the tarmac of Kennedy Airport,
the
Rev. Franklin Graham's blue eyes teared and his cheeks turned ruddy.
But the son of the Rev. Billy Graham seemed exuberant yesterday as he
thanked dozens of New York City kids who had formed a human chain to
load
90,000 green and red shoeboxes filled with gifts for Muslim children in
Afghanistan onto a Russian cargo plane.
"I want children around the world to know that, yes, there is a God
that
loves them and cares for them," Graham, 49, told a cheering crowd of
several hundred people. Graham, who is heir to his father's worldwide
ministry, did not share with the crowd his belief that the God he spoke
about was not the same as the God to whom Muslim children prayed. Nor
did
he explain why he had recently called Islam "a very evil and wicked
religion" in a nationally televised interview...
..Graham said he was not calling Muslim people "evil," but only
criticizing
the evils that he had seen done by Muslims in the name of their faith.
He also insisted that Operation Christmas Child, which would send more
than
5 million shoeboxes to children in 90 different countries this year,
was
not about proselytizing Muslim children...
...While the dozens of children who turned out yesterday with arms
around
shoeboxes packed with Barbie dolls, toy cars, coloring books and
crayons,
were enthusiastic about the campaign, some American Muslims questioned
the
group's agenda.
"When they start off by saying that the religion of one-fifth of the
world's population is evil, it makes you wonder about their motives,"
said
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations
in
Washington, D.C...
-----
CATHOLICS HEED INTERFAITH CALL BY THE POPE
By Carol McGraw, The Orange County Register, 12/13/2001
http://www.ocregister.com/sitearchives/2001/12/12/news/fast01212cci.shtml
SANTA ANA, Calif. _ Many of Orange County's one million Catholics will
heed
Pope John Paul II's call to fast on Friday, the last day of the Islamic
commemoration of Ramadan.
The event _ to pray for world peace and promote understanding between
the
two faiths and others _ "is an extraordinary event," said Father Rafael
Luevano, ecumenical officer for the Catholic Diocese of Orange. "No one
can
remember anything like this ever happening," he said. "Who would have
imagined a year ago we would all be joining in something like this? It
is a
sign of the times, and an inspiration for hope."
Local Muslims said they are heartened by the Catholics' actions.
"This will create a bond of brotherhood between believers in God,
between
Muslims and Catholics, and others," said Hussam Ayloush, executive
director
of the Southern California Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The pope said this past weekend that he hoped the "common attitude of
religious penitence will increase the reciprocal comprehension between
Christian and Muslims, called more than ever in the current era, to be
constructors of justice and peace together..."
-----
JDL LEADER ACCUSED IN MOSQUE BOMB PLOT
By GREG KRIKORIAN, RICHARD WINTON, The Los Angeles Times, 12/13/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-000098987dec13.story
...In her 15-page affidavit, the FBI's Hogan alleged the following
account
of events following her initial contact with the informant:
On Oct. 20, the informant made a tape-recording of a meeting with
Krugel
and Rubin where the two discussed various potential targets, including
mosques.
During that discussion, "Rubin stated that it was his desire to blow up
an
entire building," the affidavit says, "but that the JDL did not have
the
technology to accomplish such a bombing (apparently alluding to the
Sept.
11 terrorist attacks).
"Rubin also said that the JDL should not go after a human target
because
they still had not heard the end of the Alex Odeh incident," the
affidavit
says, adding that Rubin referred to the Muslim Public Affairs Council
in
Los Angeles as a "viable target."
On Oct. 29, at another meeting secretly recorded by the FBI informant,
Krugel directed the informant to take photographs of the Muslim
council's
office.
And on Nov. 4, Krugel reviewed numerous photos of the building that
houses
the Muslim council's offices and said he and the informant could build
a
bomb to destroy the office. "Krugel also stated that they should plant
the
bomb at night because if they injured anyone it would bring 'heat' on
the
JDL," the affidavit says.
But at a Nov. 29 meeting, Krugel no longer seemed concerned about that
prospect. During another discussion about bombing the Muslim council's
offices, "the [informant ] asked Krugel about the possibility of an
Arab
getting killed should a bomb explode at the office . . . Krugel
replied,
'C'est la vie . . ,' " the affidavit says. Hogan said the alleged
plotting
continued until Tuesday, when the informant met with Rubin and Krugel
"to
finalize plans for the bombing."
At that meeting, Rubin specifically identified Issa's office and the
King
Fahd Mosque as targets, and plans were made for the informant to drop
off
explosive powder at Krugel's garage so the bomb could be assembled.
After
the powder was delivered to Krugel's garage, FBI agents and Los Angeles
police served a search warrant...
-----
FBI INVESTIGATES INCIDENTS AT MOSQUE
The Associated Press, 12/13/2001
MERRILLVILLE, Ind. - The FBI is investigating the firing of shots at
the
Northwest Indiana Islamic Center as a possible hate crime.
Members discovered two bullet holes in a window of the center last
week. It
was the third threatening incident reported by the center since the
Sept.
11 terrorist attacks.
The incidents are being investigated under federal civil rights laws,
Special agent Charles Porucznik at the FBI's Merrillville office said
Wednesday.
Police recovered two bullets last week after someone shot at windows in
the
basement while people were praying upstairs...
-----
SCARF PARTIES PROVIDE AN OUTLET FOR MUSLIM WOMEN
By Florangela Davila, The Seattle Times, 12/13/2001
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/
Search using the term "scarf."
SEATTLE _ Without a hub of Islamic clothing shops, contemporary Muslims
have found the next best thing: the at-home scarf party.
Women only, please.
Need a scarf with some heft, one that can withstand a round of tennis?
Or a shimmery one, perhaps, for an evening out? "I can see some
Pakistani
sisters wearing these," says Michaela Corning, the afternoon's hostess,
holding up a sparkly fuchsia scarf.
She points to some lime-green squares. "And the Somali sisters might
like
these..."
...Today's scarf party, a shoeless affair, is the brainchild of Corning
and
friends Nehal Hamdan and Kristen Jawad.
As Muslim women who cover their hair _ which not all Muslim women
choose to
do _ the three figured they could serve their community by offering a
selection of imported clothing as well as from Hamdan's hometown,
Dearborn,
Mich., home to the country's largest concentration of Arab Americans.
In Seattle, scarves are sold at downtown department stores,
particularly at
this time of year, as well as a number of shops on The Ave in the
University District or along Broadway on Capitol Hill.
But some women prefer shopping only among other women, with the
freedom,
literally, to let down their hair...
-----
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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 12/14/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* ANOTHER U.S. MUSLIM CHARITY SHUT DOWN (Business Wire)
* DETAINEES WORKED FOR ISRAELI COMPANY THAT HAS U.S. PHONE RECORDS
(FOX)
* ET TU, ISRAEL? (antiwar.com)
* DETAINEES COULD BE JAILED INDEFINITELY (MSNBC)
* MUSLIM GROUP DEMANDS AN ACCURATE ACCOUNTING OF DETAINEES
* AMERICAN MUSLIMS FEAR NEW ANTI-ARAB VIOLENCE (Houston Chronicle)
* JEWISH DEFENSE LEAGUE LINKED TO VIOLENCE SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1968
(San
Jose Mercury News)
* AT MOSQUE, RELIEF AND THANKS (Los Angeles Times)
* FORUM ON ISLAM ADDRESSES FAITH, TERRORIST ATTACKS (Imperial Valley
Press)
* SOME VIEW TAPE WITH SKEPTICISM (Washington Post)
* ISLAMIC SCHOLARS CALLING BIN LADEN TAPE A PERVERSION OF ISLAM (San
Francisco Chronicle)
* BIN LADEN TAPE HAS PEOPLE TALKING (AP)
* LETTERS: FANNING FLAMES (National Post)
* MUSLIM GROUPS TRYING TO SAVE STAMP (AP)
-----
ANOTHER U.S. MUSLIM CHARITY SHUT DOWN
GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION REACTS TO FREEZE ORDER
Business Wire, 12/14/2001
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - In response to government action freezing its
assets,
the Global Relief Foundation made the following statement:
"A compound tragedy has occurred today. We just commemorated the
three-month anniversary of the first one. The second was inflicted this
afternoon when the assets of Global Relief Foundation were frozen by
our
government. By halting medicine, food and other humanitarian aid, we
risk
the slow starvation and gruesome death in parts of the Muslim world
that
rely on such badly needed aid.
In return for a false sense of security, our government has inflicted a
great tragedy on countless innocent victims. "For weak, suffering and
innocent victims, the timing of this action could not have been worse.
This
is the month of Ramadan, when Muslim-Americans are most generous in
opening
up their pocketbooks to help those in need. With only two days
remaining,
while maximum resources were making their way through GRF, the assets
were
frozen and the group's world-wide humanitarian operations were
immediately
halted. While GRF fully expects to be vindicated, with its assets one
day
released, this action to halt the flow of charitable aid from the most
generous nation in the world will forever cast a blemish on America's
reputation to give to the world's needy.
"As President Bush prepares to host Muslim children in the White House
to
celebrate the holy day of Eid-ul-Fitr, we ask him to explain why
Muslim-Americans cannot send aid to Afghan, Palestinian and other
children
in Muslim regions through Muslim charities. Why must religiously
obligated
charity destined to help the freezing, starving children of Afghanistan
languish in a U.S. bank on this holy day and beyond?
"Representatives and supporters of Global Relief Foundation (GRF), a
non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 1992, strongly deny any
links to terrorism. We are in the business of helping innocent
civilians
and take every precaution to ensure our aid does not go to support or
subsidize any nefarious activity. Just as we would call the police if
our
collection box or computer equipment were being stolen, we would
certainly
alert the authorities if we had reason to believe the intended
humanitarian
purpose of our aid were being subverted to harm innocent lives.
"GRF understands and appreciates both the seriousness and urgency of
identifying potential threats to the United States and of locating
terrorist operatives and those who sponsor them. At the same time, GRF
also
emphasizes the equal seriousness and urgency of conducting such
investigations with precision and care. GRF intends to fully cooperate
with
the investigation and seeks a dialogue with federal authorities in
order to
determine standards of conduct and suspicious activity reporting. We
owe a
religious and legal obligation to ensure that this money goes to
intended
victims of disaster, famine, war and terrorism.
"Our national security interests are best guarded through the good will
generated from acts of kindness. It is no coincidence that American
Muslims
are perceived by Muslims throughout the world as their
benefactors-in-chief. By importing this generosity, the U.S. will
foster
genuine admiration, a form of public diplomacy that cannot be bought
with a
billion-dollar PR campaign or photo opportunities with
Muslim-Americans. By
shutting the flow of this aid to the Muslim world, we risk losing the
one
aspect that could make us rise above any other developed nation: acts
of
giving."
CONTACT: Global Relief Foundation, Bridgeview
Roger Simmons, 240/603-7183 URL: http://www.businesswire.com
-----
DETAINEES WORKED FOR ISRAELI COMPANY THAT HAS U.S. PHONE RECORDS
FOX NEWS: CARL CAMERON INVESTIGATES PART 2
Carl Cameron, Fox News, 12/14/2001
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40747,00.html
BRIT HUME, HOST: Last time we reported on the approximately 60 Israelis
who
had been detained in connection with the Sept. 11 terrorism
investigation.
Carl Cameron reported that U.S. investigators suspect that some of
these
Israelis were spying on Arabs in this country, and may have turned up
information on the planned terrorist attacks back in September that was
not
passed on.
Tonight, in the second of four reports on spying by Israelis in the
U.S.,
we learn about an Israeli-based private communications company, for
whom a
half-dozen of those 60 detained suspects worked. American investigators
fear information generated by this firm may have fallen into the wrong
hands and had the effect of impeded the Sept. 11 terror inquiry. Here's
Carl Cameron's second report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARL CAMERON, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fox News has learned
that some American terrorist investigators fear certain suspects in the
Sept. 11 attacks may have managed to stay ahead of them, by knowing who
and
when investigators are calling on the telephone. How?
By obtaining and analyzing data that's generated every time someone in
the
U.S. makes a call.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What city and state, please?
CAMERON: Here's how the system works. Most directory assistance calls,
and
virtually all call records and billing in the U.S. are done for the
phone
companies by Amdocs Ltd., an Israeli-based private telecommunications
company.
Amdocs has contracts with the 25 biggest phone companies in America,
and
more worldwide. The White House and other secure government phone lines
are
protected, but it is virtually impossible to make a call on normal
phones
without generating an Amdocs record of it.
In recent years, the FBI and other government agencies have
investigated
Amdocs more than once. The firm has repeatedly and adamantly denied any
security breaches or wrongdoing. But sources tell Fox News that in
1999,
the super secret national security agency, headquartered in northern
Maryland, issued what's called a Top Secret sensitive compartmentalized
information report, TS/SCI, warning that records of calls in the United
States were getting into foreign hands in Israel, in particular.
Investigators don't believe calls are being listened to, but the data
about
who is calling whom and when is plenty valuable in itself. An internal
Amdocs memo to senior company executives suggests just how Amdocs
generated
call records could be used. “Widespread data mining techniques and
algorithms.... combining both the properties of the customer (e.g.,
credit
rating) and properties of the specific ‘behavior….’” Specific behavior,
such as who the customers are calling.
The Amdocs memo says the system should be used to prevent phone fraud.
But
U.S. counterintelligence analysts say it could also be used to spy
through
the phone system. Fox News has learned that the N.S.A has held numerous
classified conferences to warn the F.B.I. and C.I.A. how Amdocs records
could be used. At one NSA briefing, a diagram by the Argon national lab
was
used to show that if the phone records are not secure, major security
breaches are possible.
Another briefing document said, "It has become increasingly apparent
that
systems and networks are vulnerable.…Such crimes always involve
unauthorized persons, or persons who exceed their
authorization...citing on
exploitable vulnerabilities."
Those vulnerabilities are growing, because according to another
briefing,
the U.S. relies too much on foreign companies like Amdocs for high-tech
equipment and software. "Many factors have led to increased dependence
on
code developed overseas.... We buy rather than train or develop
solutions
U.S. intelligence does not believe the Israeli government is involved
in a
misuse of information, and Amdocs insists that its data is secure. What
government officials are worried about, however, is the possibility
that
Amdocs data could get into the wrong hands, particularly organized
crime.
And that would not be the first thing that such a thing has happened.
Fox
News has documents of a 1997 drug trafficking case in Los Angeles, in
which
telephone information, the type that Amdocs collects, was used to
"completely compromise the communications of the FBI, the Secret
Service,
the DEO and the LAPD."
We'll have that and a lot more in the days ahead Brit.
HUME: Carl, I want to take you back to your report last night on those
60
Israelis who were detained in the anti-terror investigation, and the
suspicion that some investigators have that they may have picked up
information on the 9/11 attacks ahead of time and not passed it on.
There was a report, you'll recall, that the Mossad, the Israeli
intelligence agency, did indeed send representatives to the U.S. to
warn,
just before 9/11, that a major terrorist attack was imminent. How does
that
leave room for the lack of a warning?
CAMERON: I remember the report, Brit. We did it first internationally
right
here on your show on the 14th. What investigators are saying is that
that
warning from the Mossad was nonspecific and general, and they believe
that
it may have had something to do with the desire to protect what are
called
sources and methods in the intelligence community. The suspicion being,
perhaps those sources and methods were taking place right here in the
United States.
The question came up in select intelligence committee on Capitol Hill
today. They intend to look into what we reported last night, and
specifically that possibility Brit.
HUME: So in other words, the problem wasn't lack of a warning, the
problem
was lack of useful details?
CAMERON: Quantity of information.
HUME: All right, Carl, thank you very much.
-----
ET TU, ISRAEL?
Did the Israelis have advance notice of 9/11? Probably.
By Justin Raimondo, antiwar.com, 12/14/2001
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
…THE PLOT SICKENS
Ah, but now some government officials are talking, and we know a lot
more.
We know that some of the detainees have been identified as Israeli
military
or intelligence agents, and that some failed polygraph tests when asked
whether they had engaged in covert operations "against and in the
United
States." We also know, courtesy of Fox News, that as many as 140
Israeli
agents may have been rounded up in the US before 9/11: the extent of
Israel's covert action operation is described as "sprawling…"
...When asked for details about the detention of the Israelis, a highly
placed investigator huffed that "Evidence linking these Israelis to
9-11 is
classified, I cannot tell you about evidence that has been gathered. It
is
classified information." Aside from affirming that such evidence
exists,
this same source admitted to the Los Angeles Times that there were
certain
"tie-ins" with 9/11. Some patriotic law enforcement officials seem to
have
leaked just enough information to practically confirm our worst
suspicions.
As Brit Hume put it in his lead-in to the first of Carl Cameron's
four-part
investigative report, top US law enforcement officials now believe the
Israelis "may have known things they didn't tell us before September
11..."
-----
DETAINEES COULD BE JAILED INDEFINITELY
By Tom Curry, MSNBC, 12/13/2001
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_email.asp?/news/671114.asp
Dec. 13 Some of the non-citizens being held on immigration charges in
the
post-Sept. 11 dragnet may remain in jail for life, or at least
indefinitely, if their home countries refuse to take them back and if
the
U.S. government convinces judges that they are too dangerous to be
released. But some of the people in custody are seeking political
asylum in
the United States, which will create new legal challenges for the Bush
administration.
-----
MUSLIM GROUP DEMANDS AN ACCURATE ACCOUNTING OF DETAINEES
The Human Rights, Education, and Law Project (HELP), an organization
dedicated to protecting the civil and human rights of Muslims, has
issued
the following statement:
“HELP demands that the Justice Department provides a complete and
accurate
accounting of all detainees being held as a result of the investigation
of
the September 11 attacks. HELP further demands that the Justice
Department
move more quickly to clear existing cases and release those who are not
linked in any way to the tragedy.
"According to the Attorney General’s report of 11/27/2001, the number
of
FBI detainees is 104; the number of INS detainees is 548, for a total
of
652. However, HELP has learned from reliable sources that the Passaic
County Jail in New Jersey holds over 400 inmates that were connected
with
the 9/11 investigations. It is unrealistic to believe that there were
400
inmates in one county jail and approximately 250 in the all other jails
in
the nation. Such misleading accounting can only further diminish any
trust
in the Justice Department…
CONTACT: Sohail Mohammed, ESQ, at (973) 779-6589
41 Watchung Plaza, #210, Montclair, NJ 07042-4117
Phone: (973) 676-5660, Fax: (877) 865-5026
E-Mail: HELP4Muslims@ureach.com
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIMS FEAR NEW ANTI-ARAB VIOLENCE
By EDWARD HEGSTROM, The Houston Chronicle, 12/14/2001
After spending months trying to convince Americans that theirs is a
peaceful religion, moderate Muslim leaders watched in horror Thursday
as a
nationally aired videotape showed Osama bin Laden justifying mass
killing
in the name of Allah.
On the tape, bin Laden quotes the Quran as saying: "I was ordered to
fight
the people until they say there is no God but Allah, and his prophet
Mohammed." He says the terrorists were following the teachings of
Mohammed,
and claimed the attacks of Sept. 11 "benefited Islam greatly" by
bringing
new converts.
The tape also speaks of support for the terrorism among sheiks in Saudi
Arabia, suggesting a broader base of influence for the violent strain
of Islam.
"This film reinforces many of the worst stereotypes Americans have
about
Muslims," said John Voll, the assistant director of the Center for
Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University in Washington,
D.C.
"It showed men in turbans sitting around quoting the Quran to justify
violence."
Voll claims that by taking pleasure in the slaughter of innocent
people,
bin Laden clearly strays from the teachings of Islam.
Some experts disagree.
"Osama bin Laden does represent Islam, though in a particularly ugly
and
radicalized form," argued Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East
Forum,
a think tank based in Philadelphia...
…Some experts warn that it would be neither accurate nor productive to
blame the world's billion Muslims for the actions of a few. Voll said
Islam
is not the only religion whose tenets can be contorted to justify
violence.
"Jesus said: Don't think I came to bring peace. I came to bring the
sword,"
Voll said, paraphrasing Matthew 10:34 to show how the Bible might be
cited
by a religious fanatic to push for bloodshed…
…In Washington, the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a
statement calling bin Laden's declaration "sickening."
"As we have stated repeatedly, the tragedy that occurred on Sept. 11
cannot
be justified by any cause or religion," CAIR said in the statement...
-----
JEWISH DEFENSE LEAGUE LINKED TO VIOLENCE SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1968
By John Woolfolk, San Jose Mercury News, 12/14/2001
SAN JOSE, Calif. _ Nearly 10 years ago, police dropped murder-for-hire
charges against Jewish Defense League Chairman Irv Rubin, and he swore
then
it wouldn't be his last arrest.
So it wasn't completely surprising when the militant group's burly,
combative leader and an associate were arrested Wednesday on charges of
plotting to bomb a mosque and a Congressman's office…
…Hussam Ayloush, director of the Southern California chapter of the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations, refused a recent request to debate
Rubin.
"It would be the same answer if I was invited to debate the KKK,"
Ayloush
said. "It's not a legitimate organization to debate with. It's a
violent,
hateful and racist organization…"
-----
AT MOSQUE, RELIEF AND THANKS
Culver City site was an alleged terrorism target. New war of words
breaks
out between Jewish, Muslim groups.
By TERESA WATANABE, The Los Angeles Times, 12/14/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000099262dec14.story
Inside the King Fahd Mosque, as sunbeams danced off marble walls and
deep
chants in Arabic filled the hall, dozens of Muslims bowed, prostrated
themselves and offered silent prayers. A dominant emotion here Thursday
was
gratitude--to be alive, to be protected by God, to still have a place
to
pray after FBI agents this week foiled an alleged plot by the Jewish
Defense League to bomb the Culver City mosque…
…In a stream of news releases, national Muslim organizations seized on
the
alleged bomb plot to urge fair play: Treat JDL Chairman Irv Rubin and
his
associates with the same severity that Muslims and Arabs have
experienced,
particularly since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Rubin and another
JDL
official were arrested Tuesday on federal conspiracy charges.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council called on the Justice Department to
freeze the JDL's assets, just as federal authorities recently shut down
the
Holy Land Foundation, one of the nation's largest Islamic charities, on
charges that it funneled money to terrorist organizations.
The Los Angeles-based council, which federal authorities alleged was
Rubin's initial target, also called for the closure of all JDL offices.
Mimicking the language used against Islamic groups, the council said
the
JDL operated "alleged terrorist cells" in 11 countries and more than 20
U.S. cities. (The Anti-Defamation League estimates that Irvin's group
has
no more than a dozen followers locally and 200 nationwide.)
The alleged JDL plot made clear that "Jewish terrorism is just as
dangerous
as Muslim terrorism," said council Vice-President Aslam Abdullah. He
called
on authorities to profile those who "look like Rubin," just as
thousands of
Arabs and Muslims have been questioned at airports on suspicion of
terrorism.
In an even sharper statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations
demanded that the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee and
other pro-Israeli groups stop fomenting what it called "an atmosphere
of
Islamophobia" that may have incited Rubin and other alleged plotters.
Omar Ahmad, board chairman of the Washington-based council, said
pro-Israel
groups have "orchestrated an ongoing anti-Islamic smear campaign
seeking to
marginalize our community."
The council said the ADL and American Jewish Committee had
unsuccessfully
tried to bar its members from testifying at public hearings on hate
crimes
in Los Angeles, Orange County and Santa Clara, as well as Florida and
New York…
-----
FORUM ON ISLAM ADDRESSES FAITH, TERRORIST ATTACKS
By KELLY GRANT, Imperial Valley Press, 12/13/2001
http://www.IVPRESSonline.com/display/inn_news/news04.txt
CALEXICO Seeking to foster greater cultural understanding of Islam,
San
Diego State University-Imperial Valley campus and its Committee for
Diversity and Equity hosted a forum about the religion Wednesday night.
While an overview of the Islamic faith was presented, the discussion
also
covered the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the differences between
Islam
and the extremist beliefs of those suspected in the attacks.
Though there are some 7 million Muslims in the United States, including
200
to 300 in the Imperial Valley, Islam is a religion many Americans know
little about. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, many Muslim Americans want
to
answer questions people have about their faith and dispel myths.
Contrary to what many may think, Islam is actually a peaceful religion,
explained Omaram Abdeen, a representative of the Council on American
Islamic Relations...
-----
SOME VIEW TAPE WITH SKEPTICISM
'There Are Too Many Open Questions'
By Hanna Rosin, The Washington Post, 12/14/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40846-2001Dec13.html
Friday, December 14, 2001; Page A32 In the Albelad market in Cleveland,
the
Abu Dhabi TV news station is always on, and it gets the customers
talking.
Yesterday, there was only one thing to talk about: the Osama bin Laden
videotape, mostly what was suspicious about it.
"You can't hear the Arabic too well. Who knows what they're actually
saying?" said the day's first customer, a Lebanese man who bought
chocolate
bars, owner Ameen Hammad recalled.
The second customer, an Iraqi, thought the dialogue must have been
fabricated, dubbed onto an old home video of bin Laden having dinner…
…For some leaders of major U.S. Muslim organizations who have been
criticized for failing to condemn bin Laden, the tape was enough to get
them on record. For other Muslims in the United States who were more
suspicious of the nation's eagerness to justify the war in Afghanistan,
no
number of independent, nongovernment translations would be enough to
convince them...
…Before yesterday, the Council on American Islamic Relations would take
no
position on the government's allegation that bin Laden was behind the
Sept.
11 attacks. "Now, it's clear from the statements in the videotape that
he
was complicit in the attacks and had foreknowledge of the attacks,"
spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said, adding that he was "sickened" by bin
Laden's
contention that Islam had somehow benefited from the attacks…
…Altaf Husain, president of the Washington-based Muslim Student
Association, was not so sure. "I make it a huge point to stay away from
uninformed conspiracy theories," he said. "But this doesn't sit well
with
me..."
…Some who accepted the tape as a smoking gun did so anxiously, worried
that
the tape, with its talk of fatwas and snippets from the Koran, would
set
off a new round of anti-Muslim sentiment.
"When I was in my car this morning, I heard this was being released and
I
thought, 'Oh no,'" said Mohamed Magid, director of the All Dulles Area
Muslim Society in Sterling, which was vandalized Sept. 12. "What came
to
mind is that people should not stereotype us because of bin Laden. And
that
bin Laden is quoting the Koran and is misunderstanding the Koran…"
-----
ISLAMIC SCHOLARS CALLING BIN LADEN TAPE A PERVERSION OF ISLAM
By Nanette Asimov, The San Francisco Chronicle, 12/14/2001
Rahmah Lutz had one word for Osama bin Laden laughing on tape about the
Sept. 11 attacks: "deluded."
Lutz, a Muslim who works for a Berkeley nonprofit that helps teachers
understand the Arab world, believes that few educated Muslims subscribe
to
the brand of Islam portrayed by bin Laden on the tape released
yesterday by
the Pentagon.
"Educated Muslims will see this for what it is -- an act of evil," Lutz
said. "It is a transgression of the limits of Islam." The tape shows
bin
Laden and an unidentified sheikh recalling the planning of the
terrorist
attacks and the delight of followers at seeing them carried out. The
sheikh
tells a smiling bin Laden that Muslims who do not support the actions
are
"mentally impotent" and hypocrites.
"It's an absolutist view," said Hatem Bazian, who lectures on Islam at
the
University of California at Berkeley and is director of the Al-Qalam
Institute in Berkeley. "It's definitely outside the mainstream."
He fears that non-Muslims who don't see that could lash out at the
Islamic
religion in general.
"…Bin Laden seemed to revel in the death and destruction in Washington
and
New York," the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington,
D.C.,
said in a statement. "He falsely implied that the acts of the hijackers
were justified by Islamic beliefs, and he made the sickening statement
that
the attacks 'benefited Islam greatly…' "
-----
BIN LADEN TAPE HAS PEOPLE TALKING
By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press, 12/14/2001
…U.S. legal experts called the tape devastating, a "virtual
confession," in
the words of one.
Even so, some skeptics abroad remained unconvinced that bin Laden did
anything more than express pleasure at the success of attacks that
killed
more than 3,000 people. There was even a suggestion America cooked up
the
video using a stand-in. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage
found
such skepticism in the face of bin Laden's words "absurd."
"Some people think we didn't walk on the moon and others think Elvis is
among us," Armitage added on NBC's "Today" show Friday.
In an even, low voice, with the occasional chuckle, bin Laden recounted
at
length his reaction to the attacks on New York City and Washington. The
apparently candid video, which was shot at an Afghan guest house before
U.S.-backed forces overran the Taliban, was released Thursday by the
Pentagon.
"We calculated in advance the number of casualties who would be
killed,"
bin Laden said, according to the U.S. translation.
But he said he had not figured that the World Trade Center twin towers
would come down entirely, instead believing only floors at and above
the
planes' impact sites would be destroyed.
On the operation's planning, he said "we did not reveal" to the hijack
crews the details of what they were expected to do until just before
they
boarded the planes.
They knew only that they were preparing for a martyrdom operation, he
said…
…The Pakistani government said the tape vindicated its decision to back
the
U.S. war in Afghanistan despite the heated opposition from many of its
citizens.
And in Washington, a Muslim group that has been critical of aspects of
U.S.
policy in the anti-terror campaign found the tape convincing.
"Bin Laden clearly spoke as someone who had foreknowledge of the
attacks,"
the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement. The
group
found particularly "sickening" bin Laden's claim that the attacks
advanced
the cause of Islam.
Imad Hamad, director of the Dearborn, Mich., regional office of the
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said the translation
provided
by the government with the help of outside experts seemed accurate.
"It's clear in the tape that he had the prior knowledge," Hamad said.
"And
he was happy about it. This is insane…"
-----
LETTERS: FANNING FLAMES
By Ben Houston, The National Post (Canada), 12/14/2001
I hope the many commentaries and editorials published in the National
Post
on the subject of Islam's association with terrorism are motivated by a
desire to influence the situation for the better. Unfortunately, you
are
more likely ostracizing and discrediting the community and its leaders.
If
the Post does care about Muslims I recommend that it start to treat the
Muslim community with dignity and some empathy rather than simply
working
to inflame, discredit and polarize the Muslim community.
-----
MUSLIM GROUPS TRYING TO SAVE STAMP
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, Associated Press, 12/14/2001
WASHINGTON (AP) - After working five years to get the United States to
issue an Islamic holiday postage stamp, Aminah Assilmi uses it on all
her
mail. But now she also adds a United We Stand stamp, even if the extra
postage is unnecessary.
Assilmi, of Taylor Mill, Ky., isn't trying to solve the post office's
budget problems. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, she wants to show
that the Muslim community is part of America too.
The dark blue and gold "Eid Greetings" stamp was issued just 10 days
before
the terrorist hijackings.
Now, the Islamic community that greeted the stamp with joy is
struggling to
save it from oblivion.
"We are trying to reach our followers and members, whoever, to go into
the
communities to get people to use the stamp. Not just Muslims but
friends
from other religions as well," said Faiz Rehman, communications
director of
the American Muslim Council.
The stamp carries English text saying "Eid Greetings" plus Arabic
script
that reads "Eid mubarak," a phrase Muslims use to wish each other well
during major festivals…
…Assilmi, of the International Union of Muslim Women, started the
effort
after a Muslim fifth-grader who collected stamps saw the 1996 Hanukkah
issue and asked her what "our" stamp looked like.
"I told him there wasn't one and he said: 'You can get one for us,"'
she
recalled.
The result was more than 10,000 letters to the postmaster general,
8,000
proposed designs from school children, a mile-long banner and a
postcard
drive that culminated in release of the Eid stamp...
…Postal Service spokeswoman Cathy Yarosky said the Eid stamp seems to
be
popular but it is too early for accurate sales numbers. About 75
million of
the stamps were printed…
-----
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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
CAIR EID UL-FITR ALERT #318 (NOTE: An MS Word file of this alert
suitable
for photocopying is available by contacting cair@cair-net.org.)
CONTACT ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT TO DEMAND DUE PROCESS OF LAW
(WASHINGTON, DC - 12/16/2001) - At this time of Eid ul-Fitr, CAIR is
calling on Muslims nationwide to contact Attorney General John Ashcroft
and
demand that we receive the same civil, religious and legal rights as
any
other Americans.
Within the last week, three of the largest Muslim charities (Holy Land
Foundation, Global Relief Foundation and Benevolence International
Foundation) have been shut down without any judge making a ruling or
any
jury hearing evidence of criminal behavior. These actions against
American
institutions were taken through administrative procedures that would
normally apply to foreign entities.
Our community's zakat and sadaqah are now being held by the government,
instead of going to poor and hungry Muslims in Palestine, Kosova,
Afghanistan, and other areas afflicted by deprivation.
In the past three months, American Muslims have been subjected to
secret
detentions without legal recourse, denial of basic due process of law
and
widespread racial and religious profiling.
More than 1,000 people were detained in sometimes humiliating
circumstances. Little information has been revealed about these
detentions.
To date, only one detainee has been charged with any crime related to
the
terrorist attacks. Some 5,000 legal Muslim visitors to this country are
currently being singled out for questioning based on their religion and
national origins.
Many Muslims have been thrown off airplanes merely because they had an
Islamic name or appeared "Middle Eastern." CAIR also recorded more than
1400 incidents of anti-Muslim backlash since September 11, including
several murders.
American Muslims are now under a cloud of suspicion produced by a
drumbeat
of anti-Muslim rhetoric from those who are taking advantage of the 9-11
tragedy to carry out their agenda of silencing our community and its
leadership once and for all. (President Bush has set a tone of respect
for
Muslims and Islam, but his call for tolerance is being overshadowed by
virulent attacks from extremist Islamophobic groups and individuals.)
While we have been patient, knowing that the crime that prompted these
abuses was so horrific and understanding that the war against terrorism
will require sacrifices by all Americans, we are now coming to a time
when
we must again assert out full legal and civil rights.
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.)
Contact Attorney General John Ashcroft to demand that we receive the
same
rights as any other Americans. We will not stay silent as we are
relegated
to second class status in this society. We will speak up in defense of
our
rights and in defense of the Constitution on which they are based.
Ask that he:
1) Allow those Muslims charities who have been shut down to immediately
have their day in court before a judge and jury who can hear evidence
and
determine whether any laws have been broken.
2) Provide information about the number of Muslims detained, the
conditions
under which they are held and the status of their future release.
3) Put an end to the widespread use of racial, religious and ethnic
profiling.
CONTACT: (Letters are best, followed by calls and then e-mails.)
Attorney General John Ashcroft
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
TEL: 202-353-1555 (Public Comment Line), 202-514-2001 (Attorney
General's
Office)
FAX: (202) 307-6777
URL: http://www.usdoj.gov/
E-MAIL: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov
COPY TO: president@whitehouse.gov, vice.president@whitehouse.gov,
Judiciary@mail.house.gov, senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov,
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 12/17/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* EID MUBARAK
* HISPANIC MUSLIMS: NEW MINORITY MAKES ITSELF KNOWN (NY Times)
* WASHINGTON TIMES SAYS JDL HAD “REASON TO FEEL MURDEROUS RAGE”
* ANDY ROONEY DISTORTS THE QURAN, AGAIN
* LETTERS: DON'T BLAME ISLAM FOR THE ACTIONS OF A FEW (NY Times)
* ISLAMIC CHARITY CRACKDOWN TROUBLES S. FLORIDA MUSLIMS (Sun-Sentinel)
* THE CLASH (The Washington Post)
* U.S. ARRESTED OR DEPORTED SOME 200 ISRAELIS SUSPECTED OF BELONGING TO
“ORGANIZED INTELLIGENCE-GATHERING OPERATION"(Fox News)
- ISRAELI COMPANY PROVIDES WIRETAPPING EQUIPMENT FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT
-----
EID MUBARAK
CAIR wishes everyone a very blessed Eid ul-Fitr.
-----
HISPANIC MUSLIMS: NEW MINORITY MAKES ITSELF KNOWN
By EVELYN NIEVES, The New York Times, 12/17/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/17/national/17LATI.html
They file into the mosque when Sunday school is over and the conference
rooms are cleared, staking a small piece of turf in the main hall. For
many, Spanish is their only language, and this is a whole new world.
They
are new immigrants, new to the big city and new to Islam.
Over the last year, the Islamic Center of Southern California has been
conducting these weekly 90-minute Spanish-speaking sessions for new
Muslims
by popular demand. Marta Galedary, who converted after immigrating here
from Mexico two decades ago, has helped lead them. She finds that the
group, which can include 20 to 50 people in any given week, is
intensely
interested and a little nervous. "Something in these Latino meetings
that
we keep telling people," Ms. Galedary said, "is that you don't leave
your
culture because you convert to Islam. You have to continue to be proud
of
whatever part of Latin America you are from…"
…Indeed, Spanish-speaking immigrants, the nation's fastest-growing
minority, are converting to Islam to such an extent that a national
organization, the Latino American Dawah Organization, founded in 1997
by a
handful of converts in New York, now claims thousands of members in 10
states.
Why Islam, a religion cloaked in mystery in Latin America -- as it was
in
this country before Sept. 11 -- is attracting so many Latino converts
has
several answers. For many women who attend the Islamic Center of
Southern
California here, the path is a relationship with a Muslim man. Many
others
say they chose Islam because they preferred a religion without the
trappings of a vast hierarchy or the complicated dogma that they saw in
the
Catholic Church.
For new immigrants, Latino Muslim leaders say, the close-knit Hispanic
Muslim community is also an attraction, helping Latinos understand the
society as the Latinos help Muslims become more mainstream.
Religion scholars say that Islam also attracts those who prefer a more
rigorous way to worship than what they find here in the modern Catholic
Church...
-----
WASHINGTON TIMES SAYS JDL HAD “REASON TO FEEL MURDEROUS RAGE”
The Washington Times, 12/15/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20011215-71311384.htm
Knaves: The Jewish militants arrested in a plot to blow up Arab and
Muslim
buildings in the Los Angeles area.
While the Jewish Defense League's Irv Rubin and Earl Krugel may have
had
reason to feel anger, and even murderous rage towards Arabs, there is
no
excuse for plotting to take their lives. Indeed, federal
law-enforcement
authorities say Mr. Rubin and Mr. Krugel targeted not just any mosque
or
building, but also a building in San Clemente that occupies the offices
of
an American Rep. Darrell Issa, a grandson of Lebanese immigrants.
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE. To be considered for
publication,
your letter must include name, address, and a phone number where you
can be
reached.)
Contact the Washington Times to inquire whether they would offer
similar
justification for terrorist activities by other groups.
CONTACT: letters@washingtontimes.com, hbering@washingtontimes.com,
fcoombs@washingtontimes.com, mforbes@washingtontimes.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
ANDY ROONEY DISTORTS THE QURAN, AGAIN
NOTE: CAIR has received a number of complaints about the commentary
below
from Muslims concerned about its stereotypical and distorted portrayal
of
the Quran, Islam’s revealed text.
CBS 60 Minutes, 12/16/2001
Commentary by Andy Rooney
WHY ISLAM HAS A HOLD ON MUSLIMS
Andy Rooney Has Been Reading The Koran
http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,321447-412,00.shtml
NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2001 - A weekly commentary by CBS News Correspondent
Andy
ROONEY: Several weeks ago in a good speech, President Bush referred to
the
Koran.
BUSH: Let me quote from the Koran itself. "In the long run evil in the
extreme will be the end of those who do evil."
I don't know whether the president has read the Koran or not. I've been
reading it for the past six weeks now and I'm so pleased with myself. I
keep telling people that I've read it.
These are all versions of the Koran - all a little different...like the
difference between these versions of the Bible.
Anyone who's worried about what's happening in the world ought to read
some
of the Koran because it dominates the lives of 1.6 billion Muslims in
the
world, many of whom are unfriendly to us.
The Koran is divided into 114 chapters that get progressively shorter
as
they go along. The second is 27 pages long and the last one is only six
lines.
I suppose I could get in trouble for saying so, but the Koran is
probably
more important to Muslims than the Bible is to Christians. I also think
Islam has a stronger hold on Muslims than Christianity has on
Christians.
I don't know a lot of Christians who'd strap a bomb to themselves to
kill
people they don't know but hate. Fanatic Muslims do it because they
think
they'll go to heaven. I don't know whether they will or not, of course,
but
I doubt it.
You don't have to read the whole Koran to get the idea what it's like.
Religion has a strong hold on Muslims, too, because they aren't allowed
to
think there might be some truth to any other religion.
Listen to this: "And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it
shall
not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall burn in hell."
Of course, there's some of that in the Old Testament, too.
I was surprised to find out that Muslims believe Jesus Christ was a
good
guy - a prophet - they just don't believe that he was the son of God or
that he rose from the dead.
Another reason Islam has a strong hold is, there's no such thing as
separation of church and state in most Muslim countries.
Religious Americans, on the other hand, tolerate the First Amendment
because it protects them. Even if their minister, priest or rabbi makes
them think theirs is the only one true religion once a week, for the
rest
of the time, out in the real world, they have to act as though there
could
be some truth to the other religions.
This Constitutional necessity for being broad-minded gives religion
less of
a grip on Americans than Islam has on Muslims and thank God for that.
IN A SIMILAR EDITORIAL EARLIER THIS MONTH, ROONEY WROTE: “In case you
think
I'm doing missionary work for Islam in recommending that you read the
Koran, let me assure you that I don't think many Americans would be won
over to Islam by doing so.” (The Times Union [Albany, NY], 11/24/2001)
ROONEY ON DON IMUS: On the September 27 Don Imus radio show, Rooney was
asked, "Do we need to have a better understanding of Islam?" He
replied,
"Oh, no. Have you read the Koran? …There are things in the Koran that -
you
would be shocked. I mean, ‘Make not friends with Jews or Christians for
they are friends to each other.' …I mean, 'women are rebellious, beat
them.' " Then Imus asked: "Are the beliefs of these terrorists a
perversion
of the Koran?" Rooney answered, "I'm not sure it is a perversion. I
mean,
read it." (New York Post, 9/28/2001)
ROONEY DISTORTED VIEWS ABOUT ISLAM ARE NOTHING NEW, IN 1989 HE WROTE:
(Note
that the content of this 12-year-old article is very similar to
Rooney’s
commentary of last night.)
”…There are estimated to be as many as 6 million Moslems in the United
States. I don't want to make you nervous, but their numbers are growing
here faster than those of any other religion.
…The Moslems don't reject Christ, as I understand it. They think
Abraham
and Christ both were good guys and legitimate prophets, but they
believe
Christ took over from Abraham and that Muhammed took over from Christ.
I took the Koran out of the library the other day and spent several
hours
reading it. The translation I read didn't seem as poetic or as rich in
ideas as the Bible and I was surprised how tough it is on unbelievers.
You
can see where the ayatollah got his ideas. According to the Koran, if
you
don't buy the idea of God as told by Muhammed, there isn't anything bad
enough that can happen to you. If the Moslems are right, a lot of
Christians are going to hell.
"Yet, there is among men such a one as disputes about God. Make him
taste
the penalty of burning fire."
Of a more serious unbeliever, it says: "Add to him a double penalty in
the
fire."
Followers of Islam believe they go to heaven when they die. This makes
being a Moslem attractive for many people. Because Islam developed in
the
desert heat of the Middle East, heaven is described as a cool, shady
place
with running water, beautiful women and lots of food…
…One Moslem sect was called the Assassins. They were given hashish, and
their job was to murder the enemies of Islam. (The San Diego
Union-Tribune,
3/11/1989)
THIS IS A PUBLISHED RESPONSE FROM A CONCERNED TO ROONEY’S EARLIER
COMMENTS
ON THE QURAN:
Rooney, Quran and Muslims
This letter is in response to the column printed in the Nov. 26 paper
titled, "The great book of Islam not easy to understand" by Mr. Andy
Rooney. In this column, he states: "If someone really believed it would
please Allah to bring down an airplane, you can understand a devout
person
might believe it was the right thing to do."
On the basis of the Quran, how could Mr. Rooney explain that bringing
down
a plane would be fighting in the path of God or would please God? The
Arabic word "jihad" means "a struggle." Each of us experiences this
"jihad"
(struggle) while trying our best to live a virtuous life. For example,
abstaining from alcohol, drugs and gambling. This is Jihad. It also
includes fighting only to defend lives, property and right to practice
the
faith. Jihad has well-defined limits.
In the first 13 years of the prophet's time in Makka, in spite of
severe
persecution and torture by the non-believers, the Muslims were not
allowed
to fight even in self-defense. Only after they fled to Madinah, they
were
given the permission to defend themselves.
The translation of some of the verses from the Quran explaining this is
as
follows:
1. Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not
transgress
limits, for Allah loves not transgressors (2:190).
2. And we ordained therein for them: "life for life, eye for eye, nose
for
nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal." But if
anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, it is an act of
atonement
for himself (5:45).
3. With respect to those who do not fight you, because of your
religion, or
drive you out of your homes, you should deal with them kindly and
justly:
for Allah loves those who are just (60:8).
God commands in the Quran (22:40) to respect and honor all places of
worship including monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques. It is
very
clear in the Quran that if anyone killed a person, it would be as if he
killed all mankind; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he
saved
the life of all mankind (5:32).
Millions of Muslims practice the teachings of the Quran, yet they live
peacefully with the non-Muslims, more specifically with Christians and
Jews. Muslims do not relate the actions of singled out Christians, and
Jews
to the teachings of Christianity and Judaism. Isn't it only fair that
people like Mr. Rooney treat Muslims and Islam the same way?... (The
Advocate [Baton Rouge], 12/28/1999)
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE.)
Contact 60 Minutes to express your concerns about Rooney’s distorted
and
biased view of the Quran.
CONTACT:
Mr. Don Hewitt
Executive Producer
60 Minutes
524 West 57th St.
New York, New York 10019
TEL: 212-975-2867(Don Hewitt’s Office)
or 212-975-2065 (Rooney’s Direct Line)
FAX: (212) 975-2019
E-MAIL: bm@cbsnews.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
LETTERS: DON'T BLAME ISLAM FOR THE ACTIONS OF A FEW
By ARSALAN TARIQ IFTIKHAR, The New York Times, 12/17/2001
The writer is Midwest communications director, Council on
American-Islamic
Relations.
Thomas L. Friedman's "memo" to the Saudi minister of Islamic affairs
("Dear
Saudi Arabia," column, Dec. 12) assigns culpability to Islam for not
being
cosmopolitan to modern humanity.
Mr. Friedman implies that Islam is not a tolerant and peaceful faith by
telling the minister that "we need you to interpret Islam in ways that
sanctify religious tolerance and the peaceful spread of your faith."
Islam
is inherently a religion of tolerance and peace and does not need to be
interpreted by a Saudi sheik to prove that. If, as the Bush
administration
has repeatedly said, the war on terrorism is not a war on Islam, why
does
Mr. Friedman want Islam to rectify itself?
There are more than 1.1 billion Muslims on earth, and as many as seven
million living in America. As a contributing member of society, I
should
never have to apologize for my unflinching belief in Islam, nor should
I
ever have to be questioned about my loyalty to America.
-----
ISLAMIC CHARITY CRACKDOWN TROUBLES S. FLORIDA MUSLIMS
By Tanya Weinberg, The Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL), 12/16/2001
By the time millions of American Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan
today, many will have made sure to fulfill Islamic obligations of
charity.
Yet as the monthlong daylight fasting comes to a close, so have the
activities of some of the country's largest Islamic charities.
Federal agents announced Saturday they had raided the Illinois and New
Jersey offices of the Global Relief Foundation and Benevolence
International on Friday. The Treasury Department has frozen assets of
the
groups, which are suspected of sending money to terrorists. These
moves,
along with a search of Global Relief's Yugoslavia offices, followed a
Dec.
3 raid on the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation.
"It's very disturbing," said Hollywood resident Nadeem Uddin, 36.
The lab technician and Pakistani native has contributed to Holy Land
for
the past 10 years, with the assumption that his dollars would reach
poor
Muslims abroad. This year he gave to a local mosque instead, but
worries
that the money won't reach those most in need.
"Basically it makes it tough because normally we wait till the last 10
days
of Ramadan to make a donation."
South Florida visits
Some of the charities under investigation have raised money in South
Florida mosques. South Florida donors and community leaders say that
they
had no indication the charities were linked to terrorist, and that they
would never knowingly support terrorist activity. They also say
judgment
should be reserved until the allegations are proved.
As Muslims prepared Saturday for today's end of Ramadan celebrations,
many
were not aware of the latest raids, said Altaf Ali, who leads the South
Florida chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
"When this news hits the community it's going to be a triple blow," Ali
said…
-----
THE CLASH: Two professors, two academic theories, one big difference.
depending on which is right, September 11 may mark a brief battle
against
terrorism, or an endless struggle between Islam and the West
By Joel Achenbach, The Washington Post, 12/16/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34207-2001Dec12.html
…Muslims felt stereotyped and homogenized by Huntington. There are more
than a billion Muslims on the planet and they don't think and act
alike.
"For Huntington to say that there is an Islamic civilization, he has to
impose an unbelievable uniformity on the world of Islam, all the way
from
Morocco in the west to Indonesia," says Johns Hopkins political
scientist
Fouad Ajami. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations, points out that millions of Muslims live in the West. If
Huntington's thesis is true, he says, "what are we doing here, then?"…
-----
U.S. ARRESTED OR DEPORTED SOME 200 ISRAELIS SUSPECTED OF BELONGING TO
“ORGANIZED INTELLIGENCE-GATHERING OPERATION"
Fox News, 12/17/2001
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40981,00.html
Part 4: Carl Cameron Investigates
Monday, December 17, 2001
TONY SNOW, HOST: This week, senior correspondent Carl Cameron has
reported
on a longstanding government espionage investigation.Federal officials
this
year have arrested or detained nearly 200 Israeli citizens suspected of
belonging to an "organized intelligence-gathering operation."The Bush
administration has deported most of those arrested after Sept. 11,
although
some are in custody under the new anti-terrorism law.
Cameron also investigates the possibility that an Israeli firm
generated
billing data that could be used for intelligence purpose, and describes
concerns that the federal government's own wiretapping system may be
vulnerable. Tonight, in part four of the series, we'll learn about the
probable roots of the probe: a drug case that went bad four years ago
in L.A…
…Asked this week about another sprawling investigation and the
detention of
60 Israeli since Sept. 11, the Bush administration treated the
questions
like hot potatoes.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY:I would just refer you to
the
Department of Justice with that.I'm not familiar with the report.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE:I'm aware that some Israeli citizens
have
been detained. With respect to why they're being detained and the other
aspects of your question whether it's because they're in intelligence
services, or what they were doing I will defer to the Department of
Justice and the FBI to answer that.
CAMERON: Beyond the 60 apprehended or detained, and many deported since
Sept. 11, another group of 140 Israeli individuals have been arrested
and
detained in this year in what government documents describe as”an
organized
intelligence gathering operation," designed to "penetrate government
facilities." Most of those individuals said they had served in the
Israeli
military, which is compulsory there.
But they also had, most of them, intelligence expertise, and either
worked
for Amdocs or other companies in Israel that specialize in wiretapping.
Earlier this week, the Israeli embassy in Washington denied any spying
against or in the United States…
SEE ALSO:
ISRAELI COMPANY PROVIDES WIRETAPPING EQUIPMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40824,00.html
Carl Cameron Investigates Part 3
Friday, December 14, 2001
BRIT HUME, HOST: Last time we reported on an Israeli-based company
called
Amdocs Ltd. that generates the computerized records and billing data
for
nearly every phone call made in America.As Carl Cameron reported, U.S.
investigators digging into the 9/11 terrorist attacks fear that
suspects
may have been tipped off to what they were doing by information leaking
out
of Amdocs.
In tonight's report, we learn that the concern about phone security
extends
to another company, founded in Israel, that provides the technology
that
the U.S. government uses for electronic eavesdropping.Here is Carl
Cameron's third report.
CARL CAMERON, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over):The company is
Comverse
Infosys, a subsidiary of an Israeli-run private telecommunications
firm,
with offices throughout the U.S.It provides wiretapping equipment for
law
enforcement.Here's how wiretapping works in the U.S.
Every time you make a call, it passes through the nation's elaborate
network of switchers and routers run by the phone companies.Custom
computers and software, made by companies like Comverse, are tied into
that
network to intercept, record and store the wiretapped calls, and at the
same time transmit them to investigators.
The manufacturers have continuing access to the computers so they can
service them and keep them free of glitches.This process was authorized
by
the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or
CALEA.Senior
government officials have now told Fox News that while CALEA made
wiretapping easier, it has led to a system that is seriously vulnerable
to
compromise, and may have undermined the whole wiretapping system.
…Adding to the suspicions is the fact that in Israel, Comverse
worksclosely
with the Israeli government, and under special programs, getsreimbursed
for
up to 50 percent of its research and development costs bythe Israeli
Ministry of Industry and Trade.But investigators within theDEA, INS and
FBI
have all told Fox News that to pursue or even suggestIsraeli spying
through
Comverse is considered career suicide…
-----
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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
BREAKING NEWS - 12/17/2001
INS DETAINS MUSLIM GROUP BOARD MEMBER
By ALEXANDRA R. MOSES, The Associated Press, 12/17/2001
DETROIT (AP) - A Muslim who serves on the board of a group suspected of
funding terrorism has been detained by federal immigration officials on
a
visa violation, his attorney said Monday.
Attorney Ashraf Nubani said his client, Rabih Haddad, was detained by
the
Immigration and Naturalization Service on Friday, the same day federal
agents raided the offices of Global Relief Foundation of Bridgeview,
Ill.
Haddad, 41, is on the group's board of trustees.
INS officials refused to comment on the case and the FBI referred all
questions to the immigration agency. Nubani said INS officials told him
Haddad, a Lebanese native who lives in Ann Arbor, would be held without
bond or a detention hearing. He has a wife and four children here…
…Nubani said Haddad came to the United States in 1998 on a tourist visa
that has since expired. He said Haddad has applied for permanent
residency
and blamed the detention on the post-Sept. 11 political climate.
Michael Steinberg, legal director of the ACLU of Michigan, called
Haddad a
beloved member of the community.
“In my view the federal agents are destroying any trust that exists
between
the law enforcement and the Arab community,” Steinberg said.
-----
MCA ANN ARBOR MEMBERS QUESTION TIMING OF INS DETENTION OF MICHIGAN
PASTOR
www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/213510268&ticker=
ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 17, 2001--In response to the
INS'
detention of a prominent pastor [sic], the Muslim Community Association
of
Ann Arbor and the Vicinity had the following comment:
"Pastor Rabih Haddad is a well-known and respected member of the
community,
with strong ties to his family and community. Friends and colleagues
know
Pastor Haddad as a compassionate, law-abiding individual with no
criminal
record who has made significant contributions to the Ann Arbor
community as
a whole. He has been successful in his goal of bringing people together
through his participation in numerous community open houses, town hall
meetings, interfaith services and presentations at churches, colleges
and
universities. His message of inclusion has been especially pertinent
following the tragic events of September 11th.
"A true humanitarian, Pastor Haddad's arrest raises troubling
questions. He
is the only known Muslim to have been detained a day and a half before
one
of the holiest holidays in the Muslim year, Eid-ul-Fitr. Over a billion
Muslims around the world including the U.S. celebrate this holiday that
commemorates the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Taking him away from
his
wife and four young children during this sacred time is akin to
arresting a
Christian unjustly on Christmas Eve.
"The INS has offered no credible basis for its determination that he
should
be held without bond because he was both a flight risk and a danger to
the
community. He has been detained since the evening of Friday, December
15 in
Monroe County, Michigan, under the jurisdiction of the INS' Detroit
District Office."
CONTACT: Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Humam
Albaroudi, 734-276-0694
-----
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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 - 12/18/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: LOVE AND MERCY
* AMERICAN MUSLIM POLL TO BE RELEASED
- THE MOSQUE IN AMERICA: A NATIONAL PORTRAIT
* SCHOOL BOARD BACKS MUSLIM [CAIR] SPEAKER (Columbus Dispatch)
* ISLAMIC CHARITY CITES MIX-UP (Chicago Tribune)
- A FLIER FAXED BY RELIEF WORKERS MAY HAVE TRIGGERED RAIDS (LA
Times)
* LIVES TURNED UPSIDE DOWN (Newsday)
* EDITORIAL: ROUNDUP OF SAN DIEGO STUDENTS WAS THE PRODUCT OF
OVERZEALOUS
AND SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT BY INS (San Jose Mercury News)
* HATRED CONVICTION UPHELD (Toronto Star)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: LOVE AND MERCY
And among His signs is this that He created for you mates from among
yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put
love
and mercy between your (hearts); verily in that are signs for those who
reflect.
The Holy Quran, Chapter 30, Verse 21
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM POLL TO BE RELEASED
On Wednesday, December 19, Project MAPS: Muslims in the American Public
Square, will release results of a poll by Zogby International outlining
the
demographic makeup, religious practices and political opinions of the
American Muslim community.
WHEN: Wednesday, December 19, 9:30 - 11 a.m.
WHERE: National Press Club, First Amendment Room, 529 14th Street NW,
Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: Ayub Alam at 202-687-0291 E-Mail: zhb@georgetown.edu
URL: http://www.projectmaps.com/
SEE ALSO: THE MOSQUE IN AMERICA: A NATIONAL PORTRAIT
http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport/
-----
SCHOOL BOARD BACKS MUSLIM [CAIR] SPEAKER
By Mary Bridgman, The Columbus Dispatch, 12/18/2001
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/
Search using the term "Asma."
A Bexley mother blasted the school board and superintendent last night
for
inviting a Muslim speaker to a school assembly that she said
deteriorated
into a forum for anti-U.S. sentiments.
"Don't you think some organizations and ideas (are) too dangerous to
bring
into the schools?" Emily Haninger asked board members.
The speaker, Columbus pediatrician Asma Mobin-Uddin, is associated with
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations...Bexley Superintendent Michael
Johnson said Mobin-Uddin, an American born to Pakistani parents, "made
no
comments which were anti-American or against any ethnic or religious
group
in the United States."
Mobin-Uddin was invited to speak at the Bexley assembly Nov. 5 after
President Bush appealed to the public to better understand Muslim
Americans, Johnson said...
ACTION REQUESTED:
Contact the Bexley City School District to express support for their
decision to allow students to hear a Muslim perspective on important
issues.
CONTACT:
Dr. Michael L. Johnson, Superintendent
Bexley City School District
348 S. Cassingham Road
Bexley, Ohio 43209
TEL: (614) 231-7611 FAX: (614) 231-8448
E-MAIL: mjohnson@bexley.k12.oh.us, ahyland@bexley.k12.oh.us,
efocht@bexley.k12.oh.us, krobbins@bexley.k12.oh.us
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, ohio@cair-net.org
-----
ISLAMIC CHARITY CITES MIX-UP
Group shut by U.S. disavows flier that cited threat
By Laurie Cohen, The Chicago Tribune, 12/18/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0112180230dec18.story
An attorney for a Bridgeview-based Islamic charity said Monday that the
Treasury Department shut down the organization because of an apparent
mix-up over a threatening flier circulated near the charity's office in
Kosovo.
Federal agents froze the assets of Global Relief Foundation and seized
its
records on Friday, alleging links to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda
network.
The U.S. action followed a raid on the group's Kosovo operations by
NATO
forces and United Nations police, in which three people were detained,
NATO
said. A federal source said the U.S. moved quickly because of concerns
that
Global Relief's officials in the Chicago area had been tipped off about
the
raid in Kosovo and that evidence was in danger of being destroyed.
But Roger Simmons, Global Relief's attorney, said the action against
the
group seemed to stem from a "terrible misunderstanding" relating to an
anonymous flier, written in English and distributed in Kosovo, that
warned
about "some horrible act that was going to follow."
"Some flaky organization blanketed the whole countryside" with the
flier on
Thursday, and Global Relief's staff in Kosovo faxed it to the group's
Brussels office, Simmons said. Intelligence agents may have monitored
the
fax line and linked the flier to Global Relief, he said.
"If somebody misinterpreted this nasty flier, maybe that's what
triggered
all this nonsense," said Simmons, who has not seen the document but was
told about it by one of the charity's workers in Belgium.
A Treasury spokesman in Washington and a NATO spokesman in Pristina,
Kosovo, declined to discuss specific evidence against Global Relief...
...Both Global Relief and Benevolence International Foundation of Palos
Hills, another Muslim charity that was shut down Friday, have denied
any
connection with terrorism. The two groups, which raised a total of $8.9
million last year, say the money is used for humanitarian aid, such as
funding schools and health clinics.
Simmons said he knows of no link between the two charities, which were
both
founded in Illinois in early 1992. In the past year, both groups
collaborated with the Canadian Relief Foundation to distribute aid in
Afghanistan at a time when the Taliban had imposed restrictions on many
Western charities...
...Rabih Haddad of Ann Arbor, Mich., one of Global Relief's board
members,
was detained Friday by the Immigration and Naturalization Service for
an
alleged visa violation, Simmons said...
SEE ALSO: A FLIER FAXED BY RELIEF WORKERS MAY HAVE TRIGGERED RAIDS
By LISA GETTER, Los Angeles Times, 12/18/2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000100268dec18.story?
The president of a Chicago-based Islamic charity remained in INS
custody
Monday and two Iraqi-born members of the group overseas were being
detained
as part of a widening investigation into the group's possible ties to
terrorists.
But Roger Simmons, the charity's lawyer, said he believed that last
week's
global raids were mistakenly sparked by a flier the charity's workers
in
Yugoslavia faxed to relief workers in Belgium, warning of possible
terrorist attacks.
...a U.S. government official said Monday that the agency did not yet
have
enough evidence to prove that either group was funneling money to Al
Qaeda.
...Simmons confirmed Monday that the charity's offices in Albania had
been
searched and its officers interviewed, but he said the men were
released
with an "apology."
He said it was an outrage that U.S. officials classified the
justification
for the search warrants it used to raid the charity's offices and homes
of
charity officials. He said agents took computers, software and
documents,
including computer games played by one of the official's young
daughters.
"They opened up the presents they got for Ramadan and searched them,"
Simmons said.
-----
LIVES TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
Post-attack visa crackdown lands new husband in jail
By Bart Jones, Newsday (New York, NY), 12/18/2001
www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lideta182513834dec18.story?
Newlyweds Jennifer DeMarco and Issam Sadak curled up in their tiny
apartment near Times Square one Saturday night last month to watch the
famous movie about his storybook hometown, Casablanca, Morocco.
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman played out the last scenes of
"Casablanca," and the couple turned in for the night. Early the next
day,
Nov. 18, DeMarco headed to her hometown of West Hempstead to help her
mother prepare for Thanksgiving.
At 9:30 a.m., FBI and Department of Justice agents knocked on the
couple's
apartment door and handcuffed Sadak. He was under arrest in the
government's anti-terrorism campaign, detained partly because he
overstayed
a tourist visa. He's been in jail since, caught in one of the largest
dragnets in U.S. history - one involving 1,200 people held in secret,
with
the government releasing neither their names nor the allegations they
face.
It has turned life upside down for DeMarco, 22, a 1997 Floral Park
Memorial
High School graduate now forced to speak with the man she loves through
scuffed-up windows at Passaic County jail in Paterson, N.J.
"We're supposed to be in the honeymoon stage, and it's just a
nightmare,"
DeMarco said yesterday. "He's a good, loving man who came here to make
a
better life for himself ... Just because he's Moroccan doesn't mean
he's a
terrorist."
DeMarco said her husband, also 22, has done nothing more than overstay
the
tourist visa. They were in the process of applying for legal residency
for
him as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. She said the notion of him being
connected to terrorists is laughable...
-----
ARAB DETAINEE IN U.S. FACES KAFKAESQUE SITUATION
By Alan Elsner, Reuters, 12/18/2001
YORK, Pa., Dec 18 (Reuters) - For the past three months, Alaa Abdullah
has
been living a Kafkaesque nightmare, trapped indefinitely in a U.S.
prison,
one of hundreds of people caught in the aftermath of the Sept. 11
attacks.
Abdullah, 31, is stuck in a legal labyrinth with few civil or legal
rights
and no word on when he might be released. He is not suspected of any
connection to or contact with terrorism but nobody seems ready to take
the
responsibility of letting him go.
A Jordanian citizen who has lived most of the last 13 years in the
United
States and is separated from his American wife, Abdullah was arrested
in
November, 2000, and convicted last June of bank fraud.
With jail time he served awaiting trial added in, he had completed his
sentence on Sept. 14, three days after the hijacked aircraft attacks on
New
York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon near Washington.
In normal times, the next step for Abdullah would have been deportation
back to his native land. His deportation order was signed, all his
other
documents were in order, Jordan had agreed to take him back and
Abdullah,
who was not fighting the expulsion, was ready to go.
But these are not normal times. Instead, Abdullah finds himself in
indefinite detention in York County prison, together with many others
stuck
in the same legal black hole.
"Instead of taking me to the airport, they brought me here. I'm here
because I am from the Middle East and I have no idea how long I have to
stay," he said.
When Abdullah, interviewed through a glass partition, asked for a Koran
during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, he said an immigration
official
told him, "We don't have Korans in here. We can give you a pilot's
manual..."
...Abdullah falls into a different group -- people arrested well before
Sept. 11 who are still being held even though they have served their
sentences. The number of people in this category is unknown...
-----
EDITORIAL: ROUNDUP OF SAN DIEGO STUDENTS WAS THE PRODUCT OF OVERZEALOUS
AND
SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT BY INS
The San Jose Mercury News, 12/17/2001
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/opinion/edit/053712.htm
WITH the drama of a high-risk drug raid, the Immigration and
Nationalization Service swooped down on dozens of San Diego homes
Wednesday
and rounded up 10 college students.
The nature of their crimes? Not complying with the terms of their
visas,
which could range from not taking enough college credits, to dropping
out
of school. And, oops, one of the students, it turns out, was mistakenly
picked up. He was released. None of the students had anything to do
with
the Sept. 11 attacks, or posed a security threat to the United States.
Their high-profile arrests in the name of national security are the
product
of overzealous and selective enforcement by the INS, and a continued
targeting of the very community that investigators should be courting.
Similar transgressions -- entering or staying in the country illegally
--
are being committed by some 6 million to 7 million others. An estimated
40
percent of them originally entered on a valid visa, three-quarters of
them
as tourists.
For the INS to investigate the 2.4 million to 2.8 million holders of
expired visas would be an expensive, herculean and -- in furthering
national security, likely unproductive -- undertaking.
But of course the INS is not going to chase down all visa overstayers.
In
San Diego, it simply targeted students from Middle Eastern, South Asian
and
Muslim countries...
...President Bush proclaims he's not waging war on Muslims or Arabs. He
encourages Americans not to vilify people by race or religion. Yet his
administration's deeds speak differently, and are frightening and
alienating the very people whose cooperation this country needs.
-----
HATRED CONVICTION UPHELD
By Tracey Tyler, The Toronto Star, 12/18/2001
A 46-year-old cabinet maker and self-proclaimed Christian pastor must
begin
performing 340 hours of community service for Muslim organizations as a
result of an Ontario court decision to uphold his convictions for
hate-mongering.
The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled 3-0 yesterday to dismiss Mark
Harding's
appeal of his 1998 convictions for willfully promoting hatred against
Muslims through pamphlets and telephone messages. At his trial, Harding
admitted writing and distributing two fliers around Weston Collegiate
Institute in 1997 that accused Muslims of practicing a "false religion"
full of violence and hatred, and warned of Muslim terrorists living in
Canada.
He also recorded a phone message describing Toronto Muslims as no
different
than those who "torture, maim, starve, beat and kill Christians around
the
globe in the name of their God." He later said his comments were
confined
to Muslim fundamentalists.
Madam Justice Karen Weiler said being willfully blind to the effect of
the
pamphlets and telephone message was virtually the same as willfully
promoting hatred...
-----
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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 - 12/19/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE BEST JIHAD
* MUSLIM POLL: TWO-THIRDS SAY WAR IS AGAINST TERRORISM, NOT ISLAM
* COURT HEARING TODAY FOR RABIH HADDAD
* SUPPORTERS CALL FOR RELEASE OF MUSLIM MAN DETAINED BY INS (AP)
* EX-LAWMAKER FROM JORDAN IS HELD IN CHICAGO (New York Times)
* BENEVOLENCE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION RESPONDS TO ASSETS FREEZE
* CONTACT ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT TO DEMAND DUE PROCESS OF LAW
* RIVERA, FOX RIPPED BY RIVALS OVER WAR COVERAGE (Washington Times)
* FAITH AND TOLERANCE IN MUSLIM AMERICA (National Geographic Magazine)
* SOUTH AFRICAN JEWS POLARIZED OVER ISRAEL (The Washington Post)
* INFORMATION CENTER DEPLOYS ITS OWN TROOPS (USA Today)
* STATE DEPT. GETS INTO BIZ (Variety)
* IN PRAISE OF THE VEIL (Chicago Tribune)
- MUSLIM WOMEN DISCUSS ISLAMIC LIFE (Christian Science
Monitor)
* MD LT. GOVERNOR VISITS MUSLIM COMMUNITY CENTER
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE BEST JIHAD
The Prophet Muhammad was asked "what is the best type of Jihad." He
answered: “Speaking truth before a tyrannical ruler.”
Riyadh us-Saleheen Volume 1:195
-----
MUSLIM POLL: TWO-THIRDS SAY WAR IS AGAINST TERRORISM, NOT ISLAM
Ascribe Newswire, 12/19/2001
http://www.ascribe.org/onthewire/livewire.html
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- The first ever systematic
poll of
American Muslims finds a 58 percent approval rating of President Bush
for
his handling of the terrorist attacks on September 11 and two-thirds
agree
with the Bush Administration's assertion that the war is being fought
against terrorism, not Islam. Two-thirds also responded that a change
in
America's policy in the Middle East is the best way to wage the war
against
terrorism.
"The Poll clearly shows the determination of the Muslim community,"
said
Project MAPS Co-Director Zahid Bukhari of Georgetown University's
Center
for Muslim Christian Understanding. "Although it took the heat after
September 11, more than 50 percent experienced incidents of backlash,
the
community is yet very much eager to fully participate in the American
Public life. The American Muslims have great potential to become a
moral
voice in the society."
The poll results were released today by Project MAPS: Muslims in the
American Public Square at the National Press Club. Zogby International
interviewed 1,781 persons nationwide who identify themselves as Muslim
from
November 8 through November 19, 2001.
John Esposito, University Professor and Director of the Center for
Muslim-Christian Understanding, said "This opinion poll, part of a
major
project sponsored by the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and
the
PEW Charitable Trust, provides important new insights into the
demographics, voting habits, and participation of Muslims in American
public life."
The poll results also suggest that American Muslims favor big
government
solutions to issues like health care and poverty but are conservative
on
other social issues like the death penalty, gay marriage, abortion, and
pornography. American Muslims report significant involvement in the
broader
community through donations to non-Muslim social service programs and
participation in the American political process.
For a copy of the executive summary of the poll results, please contact
Doug Shaw at 202-687-4327.
-----
COURT HEARING TODAY FOR RABIH HADDAD
A court hearing for Rabih Haddad is set for today at 2:30 p.m. in
Detroit.
The Judge will be asked to allow Haddad to post bail. (See article
below.)
The hearing will take place at: 1155 Brewry Park Blvd., Room 450,
Detroit,
MI 48207
-----
SUPPORTERS CALL FOR RELEASE OF MUSLIM MAN DETAINED BY INS
By DEE-ANN DURBIN, The Associated Press, 12/19/2001
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - The wife of Muslim leader Rabih Haddad met with
supporters to protest his detention, but got little response from
federal
officials who remained tight-lipped about the case.
Haddad, 41, serves on the board of a group suspected of funding
terrorist
activities. He was detained on a visa violation by the Immigration and
Naturalization Service on Friday afternoon, the same day federal agents
raided the offices of Global Relief Foundation in Illinois.Haddad's
wife,
Salma al-Rashaid, denied that the organization has terrorist links.
"I don't know why the media's saying that," she told about 40
supporters
gathered at an Ann Arbor community center on Tuesday.
Haddad was scheduled to have a bond hearing at U.S. Immigration Court
in
Detroit at 2:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, said his attorney, Ashraf Nubani…
(703-256-1300)
…Al-Rashaid said INS officers never explained why her husband was being
taken and refused to tell her where he was going when they arrested him
on
the eve of Eid al-Fitr, the feast at the end of the Muslim holy month
of
Ramadan.
"They should have told us why they took him," she said, saying the
incident
frightened her and the couple's four children, ages 3, 7, 9 and 11. She
was
told she couldn't visit or call Haddad.
Greg Palmore, a spokesman for the INS in Detroit, said he couldn't
comment
on the case…
…Tariq Colvin, a member of the Muslim Community Association in Ann
Arbor,
questioned why Haddad is being held without a hearing and without bond
in a
Monroe County jail.
"Is this America or not?" he asked. "We won't stand for these KGB
tactics,
of coming in the middle of the night and taking people and throwing
away
the key."
Michael Steinberg, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union
in
Detroit, said American citizens may be held for no longer than 48 hours
without a hearing.
"If they have something on him, let's see it," Steinberg said. "The
Constitution protects people within the United States, regardless of
their
citizenship."
Nubani said Haddad has been in the United States on and off for 14
years
and first came on a student visa. Haddad attended the University of
Nebraska at Lincoln….
-----
EX-LAWMAKER FROM JORDAN IS HELD IN CHICAGO
The New York Times, 12/19/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/19/national/19ARRE.html
A retired Jordanian lawmaker who was here to lead local Muslims in a
celebration to mark the end of Ramadan is being held on immigration
charges.
The former official, Sheik Dib Aneef Shihadeh, is being detained on
accusations that his visa was revoked on Nov. 21, 2000, said Mr.
Shihadeh's
lawyer, Zuhair Nubani. Mr. Nubani said Sheik Shihadeh, who is 75,
entered
the United States assuming his visa was valid.
"He's been in and out of the U.S. many times over the last few years,"
Mr
Nubani said. "He had no idea there was a problem. He came in legally,
and
if there was a problem, he should have been told about it immediately
and
sent on the next plane back. You can't tell me that they can read the
license plates of cars in Afghanistan, but they missed someone's
expired
visa…"
…Marilu Cabrera, a spokeswoman for the immigration service here, said
Mr.
Shihadeh was charged with immigration violations on Monday. Ms. Cabrera
said he was originally held on a $15,000 bond on Friday, but is now
being
held without bond. She would not comment on the change…
…The sheik was the second prominent Muslim detained in the Midwest last
week. In Ann Arbor, Mich., Rabih Haddad, the co-founder of the Global
Relief Foundation, was arrested on Friday in his home by federal
officials
for an alleged immigration violation, his family and lawyers said…
-----
BENEVOLENCE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION RESPONDS TO ASSETS FREEZE
December 18, 2001 - This statement is issued by Benevolence
International
Foundation in response to the seizure on December 14, 2001, by the
Federal
Bureau of Investigation of financial records and other documents from
Benevolence International Foundation offices in Chicago and Newark.
These
actions were apparently taken pursuant to the newly enacted Patriot
Act. In
addition, on the same day, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign
Assets Control blocked the organization’s assets pursuant to the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Benevolence International Foundation is a humanitarian organization
dedicated to helping those afflicted by wars, natural disasters, and
extreme poverty. Specifically, Benevolence International carries out
its
mission by raising funds to assist orphans and to provide emergency
food
distribution, health care and education in the neediest areas of the
world.
We join the rest of the country in mourning the loss of life caused by
the
terrorist attacks of September 11. We abhor terrorist activities and
strongly deny any involvement in terrorism, including the funding of
terrorist activities. We are a law-abiding United States charity, and
have
nothing to hide. We will fully cooperate with the government’s
investigation of our activities as well as the activities of the
recipients
of our funding.
We are deeply disappointed by the government’s actions in seizing our
documents and freezing our funds, effectively shutting down our ability
to
provide greatly needed assistance throughout the world. It is
devastating
that the government has successfully prevented thousands of innocent
people
overseas from receiving essential services without providing any basis
for
its suspicion that Benevolence International is connected to terrorist
activities or groups. That the government acted at the end of the holy
month of Ramadan was especially unfortunate because of the generous
donations that Muslim-Americans had made to Benevolence International
in
order to fulfill their religious obligation to provide aid to those in
need.
The government’s drastic actions were not only disruptive, but
unnecessary. We have always stood ready and willing to cooperate with
any
legitimate government investigation. Executive Director of Benevolence
International Foundation, Enaam Arnaout, said: “Benevolence
International
is engaged in critically important charitable work in many of the
neediest
parts of the world. We will cooperate fully in the government’s
investigation and hope that it will be resolved quickly so we can
return to
our mission of providing charitable funds to impoverished, war-torn
regions
all over the world.”
For further information, please contact Matt Piers or Mary Rowland at
Gessler, Hughes, Socol, Piers, Resnick & Dym, Ltd. at (312)580-0100.
-----
CONTACT ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT TO DEMAND DUE PROCESS OF LAW
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=535&articletype=2
-----
RIVERA, FOX RIPPED BY RIVALS OVER WAR COVERAGE
By Jennifer Harper, The Washington Times, 12/19/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20011219-47404456.htm
Is it Geraldo bashing or Fox bashing? A peeved press has accused Fox
News
Channel correspondent Geraldo Rivera of false reporting, warmongering
and
questionable antics during his assignment in Afghanistan. But the
discord
may run deeper.
Mr. Rivera has not cried on camera yet, as CBS' Dan Rather did back in
September. But he has carried a pistol, rolled in the sand, sported a
suede
bush hat and offered his portrayal of Geraldo as Hemingway, of he-man
reportage, rife with guts, glory and meaningful pauses. Even his own
cameraman (cameramen, who can't fake anything, are the real captains of
derring-do) said, "They don't make a helmet big enough for his head."
Bombast notwithstanding, critics have questioned Mr. Rivera's
credibility,
both for the content of his dispatches and his decision to carry a gun
in a
war zone. The chorus includes CBS and ABC, a hint that the old
unwritten
rules of civility among broadcast competitors are eroding. Things are
getting personal. (The newspaper and magazine correspondents, who
generally
regard the TV journalists as more entertainers than reporters, anyway,
take
a more bemused view of the contretemps).
"Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera, who couldn't bear being away
from
the action in Afghanistan, was hundreds of miles from the site of a
friendly fire incident he reported on," CBS noted in a story, posted on
its
Web site yesterday, captioned "Where's Geraldo? Nowhere near site of
U.S.
casualties, as he claimed."
Indeed, on Dec. 6, Mr. Rivera told his viewers he was in Kandahar, on
the
"hallowed" spot where three Americans had been killed the day before.
But
Baltimore Sun television columnist David Folkenflik called him on it,
eventually getting Mr. Rivera to concede via satellite phone that he
had
been to the north in Tora Bora confused, he said, "by the fog of war…"
…Mr. Rivera has caught flak, meanwhile, for carrying a gun, an act that
might be misinterpreted as hostile in war-torn Afghanistan and endanger
the
lives of other correspondents.
But guns fit the Fox News image, at least according to Vanity Fair's
James
Wolcott, who recently wrote, "Geraldo Rivera and the Viagra posse at
Fox
News refilled their gas bags and began taking turns on Mussolini's
balcony
to exhort the mob…"
-----
FAITH AND TOLERANCE IN MUSLIM AMERICA
National Geographic Magazine
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/
Scroll down and click on “Learn more about Islam in America.”
Note also that the latest magazine has a section called: “In Focus: The
World of Islam”
…Since September 11 there have been more than a thousand
incidentsranging
from threats and vandalism to murdertoward Muslims or the 1,209 known
mosques in America, according to the Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that tracks civil rights
and
political issues for Muslims in the United States. CAIR activists
believe
American Muslims are vulnerable and under undue scrutiny, singled out
at
airport-security checkpoints and unlawfully detained and questioned by
federal agents.
Amid that societal fall-out from the attacks, religious prejudice
against
Muslims still remains even from the Reverend Franklin Graham, son of
the
Reverend Billy Graham, one of America’s most respected Christian
evangelists. Speaking at an October dedication of a chapel in his home
state of North Carolina, the younger 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.”
Graham’s remarks touched off dismay among Muslims, leading CAIR
Executive
Director Nihad Awad to respond: “We have found that negative
impressions of
Islam are most often based on a lack of accurate and objective
information.”
Last spring, long before the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, the
country’s
major Islamic organizations published an exhaustive report: “The Mosque
in
America: A National Portrait…” (www.cair-net.org/mosquereport)
The study found that Islam is a fast-spreading faith in America, with a
25
percent increase in the number of mosques over the past seven years.
About
30 percent of worshipers at an average mosque are converts from another
religion. Behind the large numbers, however, the study discovered that
Islam in America is itself a multicultural society.
“One of the most significant findings in this survey is that mosques
are
quite ethnically diverse,” says Ihsan Bagby, the report’s primary
researcher. Bagby noted that 93 percent of all mosques are attended by
more
than one ethnic group. At the average mosque, ethnic groups are almost
equally divided, with South Asians making up the largest third.
African-Americans are next, followed by members from the
Arabic-speaking world…
-----
SOUTH AFRICAN JEWS POLARIZED OVER ISRAEL
Anti-Racism Leaders Equate Country's Treatment of Palestinians to
Apartheid
By Jon Jeter, The Washington Post, 12/19/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63012-2001Dec18.html
It is a brief document, occupying less than half a page in a local
newspaper here. But since the "declaration of conscience" was published
10
days ago, it has polarized South African Jews like no issue since the
collapse of white-minority rule seven years ago.
Written by two Jewish heroes of South Africa's liberation struggle
against
the white government's apartheid system, and signed by 220 Jews, the
document asserts that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is
the
cause of the escalating violence in the Middle East and denounces
Israel's
campaign of violence. Titled "Not In My Name," the declaration
acknowledges
Israel's right to exist and its valid security concerns but compares
Israel's treatment of Palestinians to the oppression of South Africa's
black majority under apartheid.
"It becomes difficult," Ronnie Kasrils and Max Ozinsky write,
"particularly
from a South African perspective, not to draw parallels with the
oppression
experienced by Palestinians under the hand of Israel and the oppression
experienced in South Africa under apartheid rule…"
-----
INFORMATION CENTER DEPLOYS ITS OWN TROOPS
By Judy Keen, USA Today, 12/19/2001
http://www.usatoday.com/news/attack/2001/12/19/war-room-usat.htm
WASHINGTON -- A little-noticed but critical component of the war on
international terrorism operates beneath lamp-bearing cherubs in a
building
next door to the White House.
There, amid message boards that list upcoming events and clocks that
display the time in Washington, London, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the
Coalition Information Center has a mission nearly as important as
winning
the war: controlling the story.
Operating from the historic Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower
Executive
Office Building, 30 people huddle over computer screens as phones ring
constantly. Most staffers are borrowed from the White House and
administration agencies. Three are on loan from the British Embassy.
The
public-relations operation stretches from downtown Washington to
London,
Islamabad and Kabul, where people are stationed to help choreograph
foreign
reporters' perspectives on the war. "We've learned that you either
start
the news wave or you're swamped by it," says Jim Wilkinson, a White
House
communications aide who runs the center…
…War room staffers in four countries have set up news conferences and
photo
ops. When reports surfaced that many in the Arab world were not
convinced
of Osama bin Laden's guilt after last week's videotape ran on TV, they
culled from news accounts 10 quotes from people of Arab descent who
said
the tape did convince them.
They organized last week's remembrance ceremonies in 110 countries to
mark
three months after the attacks. They wrote speeches for President Bush,
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell.
They
made sure that administration officials talked to Arab media outlets to
counter inaccuracies and wild rumors…
-----
STATE DEPT. GETS INTO BIZ
By PAMELA McCLINTOCK, Variety, December 17, 2001 - December 23, 2001
WASHINGTON There's a certain spookiness to a new series of radio PSAs
urging every American to sign up for $ 25 million in reward money by
aiding
in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist network.
Produced by the U.S. State Department, the PSAs bowed last week and are
expected to get heavy play in the days to come. There's a separate set
for
newspapers. Washington has never been known to have the Lubitsch touch,
and
it shows in the PSAs. Mostly, the promos rely on fear --- cold,
straight-up
fear --- to drive the point home.
"Do you know a terrorist? Not long ago this would have seemed like a
ridiculous question. But not anymore," intones one of the four radio
PSAs.
"Stop and think about it. Information about suspicious activities
involving
aircraft. About stolen explosives or biological materials. About
letters or
packages. It could all add up to preventing at terrorist attack. Now,
do
something about it," the voice says…
…The PSA program is a co-production of the State Dept. and the
nonprofit
Rewards for Justice Program, set up years ago as a clearinghouse for
terrorist tips. After the Sept. 11 attacks, a special fund was set up
to
help in the capture of bin Laden and top Al Qaeda leaders.
Of the three other radio PSAs, one plugs the rewards fund by asking for
donations; another again encourages Americans to phone in any tips and
take
part in the rewards programs.
The fourth PSA is narrated by an American Muslim woman, interspersed
with
info about the $25 million reward.
"These terrorists do not follow the teachings of Islam," the woman
says.
"They worship only evil. I beg you to come forward if you can prevent
further acts of terrorism."
The ABC Radio Network is helping to distribute the PSAs, which are
likely
to set off a rewards frenzy. Let's just hope they don't turn neighbor
against neighbor.
-----
IN PRAISE OF THE VEIL
By Barbara Brotman, The Chicago Tribune, 12/19/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/women/chi-0112190006dec19.story
It is a lightning rod for both devotion and hostility. Banned in
government
offices in secular Turkey, mandated in its most severe form by the
Taliban
in Afghanistan, the Muslim head covering for women has been used as a
weapon in battles for and against modernity.
The head scarf is part of observing hijab, the Muslim practice of
modesty.
The word comes from the Arabic for hiding or concealing, and, for
women,
also encompasses covering the body completely with loose clothing. The
head
covering itself usually drapes around the neck and covers the bosom
too.
Hijab is also a state of mind, its practitioners say, a public modesty
that
requires both men and women to lower their gaze if confronted by an
inappropriate sight…
…These Chicago-area women choose to wear the head scarf, and here
explain why.
Toni Khatib
"…I've been wearing the hijab three years now. For me, it's been very
liberating. To tell you the truth, it allows you to be a person, and
not
just a woman/thing to be looked at. People listen to you. I used to be
very
heavy. ... When I lost the weight again, I noticed those looks and
things,
where ... someone is talking to you, but they're looking at your chest.
With the hijab, I notice it's gone away…
…A glossary of garments
Hijab: From the Arab word meaning "to hide or conceal," hijab is the
practice of women covering their heads, and often their bodies with
loose
clothing, when out in public. Hijab also commonly refers to the head
scarf
itself.
Niqaab: A face veil that leaves only the eyes visible.
Gilbab: An ankle-length coat worn in public, covering any style of
clothing
beneath it, worn in Jordan, Lebanon and by Palestinians.
Abaya: A full-length black silk dress worn in Saudi Arabia, often with
a
matching head scarf.
Chador: A head-to-toe cloak, which exposes the face, worn in Iran.
Burqa: The head-to-toe covering with a mesh opening for the eyes that
was
mandated by the Taliban, and is worn by some in the Persian Gulf and by
Bedouin women in Egypt.
SEE ALSO: MUSLIM WOMEN DISCUSS ISLAMIC LIFE
Women in conservative Islamic societies talk about their lives, and how
the
West perceives them.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1219/p1s3-wogi.html
-----
MD LT. GOVERNOR VISITS MUSLIM COMMUNITY CENTER
WHERE: Muslim Community Center (MCC), 15200 New Hampshire Ave., Silver
Spring, Maryland
WHEN: Wednesday, December 19, 2001, 6 PM - 7:30 PM
CONTACT: president@mccmd.org or 301-384-3454 ext 6.
For directions, link to: http://mccmd.org/directions.htm
-----
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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 - 12/20/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITHS OF THE DAY: MOTHERS
* 'PASSENGERS COMPLAINED' (AND I GOT THE BOOT) (Charlotte Observer)
- FACT SHEET: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Concerning
the
Air Travel of People Who Are Or May Appear to Be of Arab, Middle
Eastern or
South Asian Descent and/or Muslim or Sikh
* CAIR-FL MEETS WITH OFFICIALS ABOUT "VOLUNTARY' INTERVIEWS
* MUSLIMS, FDLE BUILD TRUST (Sun-Sentinel)
* THE DISMISSAL OF DR. SAMI A. AL-ARIAN BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH
FLORIDA
IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL - STATEMENT BY TAMPA BAY
COALITION FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE
- USF WILL FIRE AL-ARIAN (St. Petersburg Times)
- USF DECIDES TO FIRE AL-ARIAN (Tampa Tribune)
- FOX'S BILL O'REILLY OFFERS HIS VIEWS OF AL-ARIAN'S FIRING
* PALESTINIAN PROFESSOR CHALLENGES HIS DETENTION AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
- FREEDOM SOUGHT FOR AL-NAJJAR (St. Petersburg Times)
* CHARITY'S LEADER STAYS IN JAIL (Chicago Tribune)
- VIGIL FOR RABIH HADDAD
- INS LETS SHEIK GO TO RETURN TO JORDAN
* AL-AMIN JURY SELECTION OPEN TO PUBLIC (Atlanta Journal)
* LETTER: MURDEROUS RAGE ALL AROUND (Washington Times)
* ARAB SCIENTISTS RECOUNT HOSTILITY AND HARASSMENT AT MILITARY ANTHRAX
LAB
(Hartford Courant)
-----
HADITHS OF THE DAY: MOTHERS
A man came to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and asked, "Who is more entitled
to
be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said, "Your
mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother."
The
man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The
man
asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your
father."
Sahih al-Bukhari, 8:2
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Sometimes I enter prayer and I
intend to
prolong it, but then I hear a child crying, and I shorten my prayer
thinking of the distress of the child's mother."
Fiqh us-Sunnah, Volume 2, Number 51b
-----
'PASSENGERS COMPLAINED' (AND I GOT THE BOOT)
By Shaun Ahmad, The Charlotte Observer, 12/20/2001
http://www.charlotte.com/observer/opinion/pub/forum1220.htm
I was flying from Charlotte to New York. Soon after I took my seat, a
passenger of South Asian descent sat down next to me. Although I am an
American, I too have brown skin as my parents are from Pakistan
originally.
A couple of minutes later a US Airways security agent came to our row
and
asked my neighbor to leave the plane. Another agent then asked me to
take
my bags and follow him. When I asked why, he refused to answer.
After being escorted off the plane, I was searched. When I asked again
why
I had been removed from the plane, I was told that I and the passenger
I
was travelling with had acted erratically. When I asked why the agent
thought I was travelling with this other South Asian, he remained
silent.
When I suggested that I had been discriminated against because of to my
skin color, he replied that in this day and age the airlines had to
take
any sort of threat seriously and that "Passengers had complained."
I have brown skin and I am a Muslim, but I am also an American. I
should
not have to put up with harassment because of my ethnic or religious
background. And although Attorney General Ashcroft continues to insist
that
justice in America remains blind to race and religion (I'm not so
sure),
one thing is for certain: US Airways certainly does not.
FACT SHEET: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the Air
Travel
of People Who Are Or May Appear to Be of Arab, Middle Eastern or South
Asian Descent and/or Muslim or Sikh
http://www.faa.gov/acr/DOTAT-RNO.doc
-----
CAIR-FL MEETS WITH OFFICIALS ABOUT "VOLUNTARY' INTERVIEWS
FLORIDA � Representatives of the Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) met this week with Department of
Law
Enforcement (FDLE) Assistant Commissioner Bob Cummings and
representatives
from the Florida Commission on Human Relations in Tallahassee to
discuss
the "voluntary" interviews of legal Muslim visitors in that state. The
interviews are part of a nationwide effort targeting some 5,000 Muslims
and
Arabs.
CAIR-FL representatives expressed concerns as to how the interviews in
Florida were conducted, whether attorneys could be requested and what
type
of questions was asked. Cummings, along with newly appointed Chief of
Domestic Security Steven Lauer and Public Information Director Al
Dennis
sought to address CAIR-FL's concerns.
CAIR-FL and the FDLE have agreed to build better relations in order to
facilitate national security objectives while protecting the civil
rights
of Muslims. An action plan will be developed to provide sensitivity and
educational training about Muslims for agents. Further, the FDLE will
develop a dialogue with the Muslim community in Florida through various
means including CAIR-FL's newsletter.
"Had this initiative occurred earlier there would have been less
apprehension within our community. We thank the Florida Commission on
Human
Relations for establishing the avenue through which we can build better
relations and help to serve our country. Now as a team we are better
equipped to fulfill our obligations as citizens," said CAIR-FL
Executive
Director Altaf Ali.
CONTACT: Cair-Florida � Altaf Ali, 954-797-7493
E-mail: Florida@cair-net.org
-----
MUSLIMS, FDLE BUILD TRUST
Group Urges Legal Help for Detainees
By Tanya Weinberg, The Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), 12/20/2001
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/search/sfl-smuslims20dec20.story
This much community activists know: dozens of South Florida Muslims
have
been detained and hundreds have been questioned statewide in connection
with the federal government's terrorism investigations.
What they do not know are the names of most of the individuals affected
or
the reasons some are being detained.
On Tuesday, officials with the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
known
as CAIR, met with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to discuss
the
questioning of 500 Florida Muslims and Arabs and to ask that his group
be
consulted as a community liaison. "The problem is we're working in the
dark," said attorney Khurrim Wahid, Florida's civil rights director for
CAIR.
In order to ensure people are treated justly, CAIR is building
relationships with law enforcement and helping detainees get legal
representation.
"We established a very positive relationship," FDLE spokesman Al Dennis
said...
-----
THE DISMISSAL OF DR. SAMI A. AL-ARIAN BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH
FLORIDA
IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL - STATEMENT BY TAMPA BAY
COALITION FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE
CONTACT: Abe Kader (tbcjp@yahoo.com)
December 20, 2001, Tampa- University of South Florida president Judy
Genshaft's decision yesterday to dismiss Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian from his
tenured position at the university is clearly an affront to principles
of
free speech and academic freedom, principles that have been sacrosanct
and
protected in the U.S. constitution throughout American history.
Genshaft's
decision was undoubtedly politically motivated- because of Dr. Sami
Al-Arian's political opinions. It is a blatant abuse of the power and
authority that the academic community entrusts in a university
president.
If there is any institution that must be protected from political
influence
or pressure, it is the university campus. Hence, this wrong decision
will
have a huge negative effect on the academic community as well as an
enormous impact in chilling free speech.
President Genshaft provided flimsy and flawed reasons to dismiss Dr.
Al-Arian. The four reasons she cited for her unjust decision are: 1)
that
he did not make clear that his off-campus speeches reflected his views
and
not the university's, 2) that he is insubordinate because he visited
the
campus once after he was put on paid leave, 3) that USF fundraising and
other activities were hurt by the national media coverage, and 4) the
amount of disruption and security concerns that the university has to
deal
with because of the controversy and the death threats. We will address
the
legitimacy of each one of these claims.
First, Dr. Al-Arian never claimed to speak on behalf of the university
before, during, or after his appearance on FOX news on September 26. In
fact, in his open letter to the community on October 4, 2001, he
stated: "I
also told [the FOX producer] that although I was on the faculty of USF,
I'd
like to be introduced as chairman of the coalition that was established
to
defend civil rights and political freedom." Since that appearance, Dr.
Al-Arian was interviewed many times by many reporters who jokingly
asked
whether he spoke on behalf of USF to which the answer was obvious. Many
excerpts of his speeches that were shown on TV were from old speeches
dating back 10 or even 13 years.
The only public speech that Dr. Al-Arian gave since his paid leave
began on
September 27 was at the Amnesty International Human Rights day on
December
9, 2001. He spoke for 20 minutes about civil rights concerns,
especially
the case of Dr. Al-Najjar and the use of secret evidence. It was clear
that
the speech represented his views. More pointedly, does anyone in their
right mind think that when any of the thousands of USF professors speak
that they would speak on behalf of the university? Even if any of the
professors speaks on any issue including his or her specialty, does
anyone
think that they speak on behalf of the university? Does the standard
that
the USF president apply to Professor Al-Arian apply to all other USF
professor?
As for the violation that Dr. Al-Arian defied the administration in
coming
to campus on October 5 after being warned not to come to campus
earlier,
that is simply untrue. On the day that he was put on paid leave that
issue
never came up. When the Provost sent a letter to Dr. Al-Arian giving
him a
so-called "final warning" for coming to campus, Dr. Al-Arian wrote back
that he was not aware that he could not come to campus. This condition
was
never communicated to him neither in his letter nor in any other
manner.
Dr. Al-Arian was on campus on October 5 in his capacity as an advisor
to
the USF Muslim Students' Association (MSA). Dr. Al-Arian has not set
foot
on campus since that date but the so-called "final warning" was not
final
after all.
As for the other two reasons given by the USF President, it is clear
that
it falls in a "blame the victim" type argument. Instead of prosecuting
the
perpetrators of the death threats, the USF administrators are punishing
the
victim of the death threats. The most dangerous death threat that USF
received was on September 27. According to the USF police report, the
terrorist that threatened to kill Dr. Al-Arian and threatened the
computer
science department called the second day and said that: "He couldn't
control himself", and " did not mean to harm or frighten anyone. And
that
he was sorry." The report also said: "He sounded very proper, no
noticeable
accents. His voice was Caucasian."
It is not clear why other death threats were not investigated or
prosecuted
since many of them were easily traceable. Rev. Sharon Streater of the
Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality (HOPE), who
attended
the USF Board of Trustees meeting said: "Though I am not a student or a
professor, I was there for the whole sad event. It was very depressing
to
observe the lack of courage and the classic "blame the victim"
syndrome. What I witnessed was a horrible example of so-called
leadership
teaching bad lessons about how to get trustees to vote your way!"
The disruption that the university had to endure has nothing to do with
Dr.
Al-Arian's actions. The sensationalism of some media outlets and their
inaccurate and biased reporting after the September 11 tragedy was
beyond
his control. Most of his appearances were in conjunction to condemn the
September 11 horrible crimes and to defend Islam as President Bush has
urged the nation. Furthermore, the failure of some USF administrators
to
deal with the irrational behavior of some only exacerbated the problem.
They fell victim to the real perpetrators of terrorism on campus.
We call upon USF President Genshaft to reconsider her hasty decision in
the
hopes of protecting academic freedom and defending First Amendment
rights. Please contact President Genshaft with your call for the
reinstatement of Dr. Al-Arian. His loss sets a tragic precedent for us
all.
President Judy Genshaft
University of South Florida
Office of the President
4202 E. Fowler Ave.
Tampa, FL 33620
(813) 974-2791
(813) 974-5530 (fax)
jgensha@admin.usf.edu
http://www.usf.edu/board/contact.html
SEE ALSO: USF WILL FIRE AL-ARIAN
http://www.sptimes.com/News/122001/TampaBay/USF_will_fire_Al_Aria.shtml
USF DECIDES TO FIRE AL-ARIAN
http://www.tampatrib.com/MGASXUE5GVC.html
USF leaders concentrated on events triggered by Al-Arian's appearance
Sept.
26 on the national television program of Bill O'Reilly, who revived
accusations the professor condones terrorism. That appearance, in
essence,
made Al-Arian the first topic of conversation in most any discussion
involving USF.
"It comes down to reaction to one five-minute television appearance in
which he was accused unjustly by a TV bully," said Hussein Ibish,
spokesman
for the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington.
Al-Arian got 12 documented death threats while Genshaft and other USF
leaders were inundated with questions or backlash. USF cited security
reasons for suspending Al-Arian with pay, just as it had put him on
paid
leave during a federal investigation years ago...
FOX'S BILL O'REILLY OFFERS HIS VIEWS OF AL-ARIAN'S FIRING
The O'Reilly Facto, 12/19/2001
...the University of South Florida continues to run and hide. Their
president, board of directors dodging the media. State of Florida also
has
not been forthcoming about Professor al-Arian. But because of THE
FACTOR,
the citizens of Florida rightly ask, What the heck's going on?
Thus the university trustees have now voted to dismiss al-Arian. He can
appeal that dismissal.
Talking Points doesn't think that's fair. We would not have fired al-
Arian
without a complete investigation into acts-- his activities. Even
though it
looks like this guy is sympathetic to terrorism, it hasn't been proved.
So this could be a case of a cowardly administration at the University
of
South Florida just taking the easy way out and dumping al-Arian. What
should happen here is that the authorities in Florida should
investigate
the guy. Sami al-Arian may be a person who should not be teaching in
any
American classroom, but at this point Americans have a right to know
exactly what he did or did not do.
THE FACTOR has serious questions about him and his pals, but we don't
take
any joy in seeing the man fired. Once again, we are calling for a
complete
and professional investigation into Sami al-Arian's conduct...
CONTACT: Dr. Sami Al-Arian 813-300-9393
-----
PALESTINIAN PROFESSOR CHALLENGES HIS DETENTION AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Detained on Charges of Terrorist Ties that Have Been Proved Unfounded
A Statement by Dr. Al-Najjar's Attorneys, Dr. Al Najjar s family and
Tampa
Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
Miami, Florida, 12/19/2001 - Lawyers for Dr. Mazen Al Najjar, a
Palestinian
professor who spent more than 31/2 years in detention based on secret
evidence, and was released from detention on December 15 of last year
but
placed back in detention last month - returned to federal court today
to
challenge his latest re-arrest and detention as unconstitutional. Al
Najjar was released from immigration custody in December 2000 after a
federal judge declared his detention unconstitutional and an
immigration
judge ruled that there was no basis on the public record to justify
detaining him. On November 24, 2001, however, the INS rearrested Al
Najjar, and he is now detained at the Federal Correctional Complex in
Coleman, Florida. Today, Al Najjar filed a renewed petition for habeas
corpus seeking his immediate release...
...Write to Dr. Al-Najjar
Since Nov. 24, 2001, Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar has been in solitary
confinement
at the maximum security section of a federal correctional facility. His
prison conditions are extremely harsh and punitive as he is in a 23
hour
lock down and under 24 hour observation. Everyday, he is strip searched
twice. He has no access to the library, TV or papers. He has very
limited
access to phones and has just been afforded limited non contact visits
with
his immediate family members. Amnesty International has protested his
arrest and prison conditions in its report last month to Attorney
General
John Ashcroft.
If you want to write Dr. Al-Najjar, this is his mailing address:
Mazen Al-Najjar (#35673-019)
SHU: C-8
Federal Correctional Complex Penitentiary
P.O. Box 1033
Coleman, FL 33521
Contact Persons: Attorney David Cole (202) 662-9078
Attorney Joe Hohenstein, 215-893-8400
Attorney Nancy Chang, 212-614-6420
Attorney Randall Marshall, 305-576-2337
Attorney Martin Schwartz, 813-269-7421
SEE ALSO: FREEDOM SOUGHT FOR AL-NAJJAR
http://www.sptimes.com/News/122001/TampaBay/Freedom_sought_for_Al.shtml
-----
CHARITY'S LEADER STAYS IN JAIL
Muslims, ACLU protest secrecy
By Stephen Franklin and Laurie Cohen, The Chicago Tribune, 12/20/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0112200209dec20.story
DETROIT -- An official from a Chicago-area Islamic charity whose assets
were frozen last week by the federal government remained in detention
here
Wednesday as U.S. officials sought more time for a hearing on his
release.
Rabih Haddad, 41, chairman of Global Relief Foundation based in
Bridgeview,
Ill., had faced a bond hearing in a U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
Service court. After limited testimony, the hearing was continued until
Jan. 2 because government officials said some witnesses were
unavailable.
Several hundred supporters were on hand for the hearing, which was
closed
at the government's request. Haddad's lawyer and supporters protested
the
closed session, saying it implied a far more serious issue than his
staying
in the U.S. on a lapsed visa.
"Given the fact that the hearing is closed, it is clearly a pretext for
something else," said Michael Steinberg, legal director for the
American
Civil Liberties Union in Michigan. He said Haddad's detention and the
closed proceedings were "extremely unusual" because Haddad had recently
applied for permanent residency...
VIGIL FOR RABIH HADDAD
The Ann Arbor Ad Hoc Committee for Peace is sponsoring a candlelight
vigil
to call for the release of Rabih Haddad and the protection of civil
liberties.
WHAT: Candlelight vigil
WHEN: 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 21
WHERE: Gather in front of the Federal Building, Liberty between 4th &
5th
Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan
CONTACT: communications@mca-aa.org
SEE ALSO: INS LETS SHEIK GO TO RETURN TO JORDAN
The Chicago Tribune, 12/20/2001
www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/nation/chi-0112200226dec20.story
An immigration judge Wednesday gave a Jordanian man being held on a
visa
violation permission to return home, his attorney said.
Sheik Dib Aneef Shihadeh arrived in Chicago last month to take part in
Ramadan services with members of the local Islamic community. The U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service Dec. 13 took Shihadeh into
custody
for carrying a visa that expired in November 2000.
He believed his visa was in good standing, said Shihadeh's attorney,
Zuhair
Nubani.
Shihadeh, a 75-year-old cleric who is retired from Jordan's parliament,
was
held in jail and missed the Sunday services culminating Ramadan...
-----
AL-AMIN JURY SELECTION OPEN TO PUBLIC
Cobb police admit tape of arrest erased
By LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 12/20/2001
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/1220alamin.html
The public and the media will be able to witness the selection of the
jury
that will decide the fate of accused cop killer Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis decided not to bar
the
public from the jury selection process, at a pre-trial hearing
Wednesday,
after listening to objections from Al-Amin's defense attorneys and
lawyers
representing local media outlets, including The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution.
Al-Amin is charged in the March 16, 2000, shooting of Fulton County
deputies Ricky Kinchen and Aldranon English. Kinchen died in the
shooting.
The deputies were looking to arrest Al-Amin on a Cobb County warrant
when
they were shot...
...In other events in the hearing, Cobb County police Cmdr. Robert
Sampson
said Cobb police have erased a videotape of the May 1999 arrest of
Al-Amin...
...The trial will begin on Jan. 7.
-----
LETTER: MURDEROUS RAGE ALL AROUND
By MOHAMMED QUADIR, The Washington Times, 12/20/2001
The Washington Times in an editorial "(Nobles and Knaves," Dec. 15)
tried
to justify in a roundabout way the activities of the Jewish Defense
League
(JDL). The editorial, stated that JDL members had "reason to feel
murderous
rage." Now what I would like to know is whether the editorial board of
The
Washington Times would offer similar justification for terrorist
activities
by other groups such as Muslim fanatics. Somehow I am positive it would
not.
If American Muslims were implicated in such a plot to blow up
synagogues
and offices of pro-Israeli politicians, it wouldn't surprise me to see
your
paper link their terrorist activities directly to the Koran and the
Islamic
faith. If you would do this with Muslim extremists, why aren't you
doing
the same with Jewish extremists. Why aren't you making the claim that
the
JDL was motivated by the Torah and the Jewish faith?
The Washington Times is responsible for helping to foster a climate of
hatred against Muslim Americans. Your words defaming the Koran, the
Islamic
faith, and American Muslims in general, give comfort, aid, and
encouragement to men with racist, criminal, and terrorist tendencies. I
understand that you probably want to serve Israel and the Israeli
lobby.
Can't you possibly do it without spreading hatred?
-----
ARAB SCIENTISTS RECOUNT HOSTILITY AND HARASSMENT AT MILITARY ANTHRAX
LAB
By Lynne Tuohy and Jack Dolan, The Hartford Courant, 12/19001
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/134380111_detrick19.html
Days before the anthrax attacks became known, Dr. Ayaad Assaad sat
terrified in a vault-like room at an FBI field office in Washington,
D.C.
The walls were gray and windowless. The door was locked. It was Oct. 3.
Assaad, an Egyptian-born research scientist laid off in 1997 from the
Army's biodefense lab at Fort Detrick, Md., was handed an anonymous
letter
describing him as "a potential terrorist" with a grudge against the
United
States and the knowledge to wage biological warfare against his adopted
country.
"I was so angry when I read the letter, I broke out in tears," Assaad
recalled during a recent interview. "That people could be so evil."
After a brief interview, the FBI let Assaad go and assured him that
they
believed the letter was a cruel hoax. But for Assaad, the incident was
another in a series of humiliations he traces to a decade-long
workplace
dispute at the Fort Detrick lab.
He and other scientists allege that ethnic discrimination was
tolerated,
and even practiced, by the lab's former commander. A cadre of coworkers
wrote a crude poem denigrating Arab Americans, passed around an obscene
rubber camel and lampooned Assaad's language skills...
-----
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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 - 12/21/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: GOOD NEWS
* NEW POST 9-11 CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION BEING FORMED
* CAIR MEETS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ABOUT JDL BOMB PLOT
* TAKE CAIR'S SURVEY ON MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE CAMPAIGN
* MUSLIM STUDENT BEATEN BY MEN IN CAMPUSTOWN (News-Gazette)
* CRIMES AGAINST MUSLIMS MULTIPLY (Los Angeles Times)
* EGYPTIAN DOCTOR FILES SUIT OVER RAID (Post-Gazette)
* EDITORIAL: USF'S CHARADE (St. Petersburg Times)
* THE SECRET WAR: Pre-9/11, we fought a covert war on American soil -
against Israel (Antiwar.com)
* JESUS, THE MUSLIM MESSIAH (National Post)
* HOLLYWOOD PRODUCING PSA STARRING ALI (Variety)
* THE MEDIA'S FAVORITE ARAB EXPERT (Salon.com)
- JOHN WALKER'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: GOOD NEWS
Those who eschew evil and fall not into its worship, and turn to God
(in
repentance), for them is Good News. So announce the Good News to My
Servants.
The Holy Quran, Chapter 39, Verse 17
-----
NEW POST 9-11 CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION BEING FORMED
CAIR met yesterday on Capitol Hill with national civil rights leaders,
elected officials, congressional staffers, and Muslim and Arab-American
activists to discuss the creation of a new coalition to address civil
liberties concerns following the attacks on the World Trade Center and
the
Pentagon.
"All Americans suffered from the tragedy of September 11, but we must
recognize that civil liberties abuses will not make our country more
secure. The erosion of civil rights for one group means the erosion of
rights for all," said CAIR Director of Governmental Relations Jason
Erb.
CAIR MEETS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ABOUT JDL BOMB PLOT
Erb, along with other national American Muslim and Arab-American
groups,
also met yesterday with Ralph Boyd, Assistant Deputy Secretary for
Civil
Rights in the Department of Justice (DOJ) to discuss the alleged plot
by
leaders of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) to bomb a mosque and other
sites
in the Los Angeles area.
After thanking Boyd and the other DOJ officials attending the meeting
for
working with the Muslim community to establish an open dialogue, Erb
raised
the concern of the Muslim community about the perception of double
standard
in the fight against terrorism.
"We have seen Muslim charities have their assets frozen with little or
no
public evidence. Yet here is a group that was allegedly caught planning
an
attack on Muslim institutions and that group's assets have not been
seized
nor their offices closed down," said Erb. Erb added that the perception
of
this double standard is eroding trust between the Muslim community and
law
enforcement authorities.
Boyd asked that members of the community be patient and to wait for the
indictment and prosecution to see what steps are taken.
CONTACT: Jason Erb, jerb@cair-net.org, 202-488-8787, ext. 6066
-----
TAKE CAIR'S SURVEY ON MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE CAMPAIGN
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/openmosque.asp
CAIR's Research Center is trying to measure the public response to the
mosque open house events organized by Islamic centers nationwide since
September 11. If you attended or organized such an event, please fill
out
this survey or have someone from your mosque fill it out.
-----
MUSLIM STUDENT BEATEN BY MEN IN CAMPUSTOWN
By PAUL WOOD, THE NEWS-GAZETTE (ILL.), 12/20/2001
http://newsgazette.com/story.cfm?Number=10714
CHAMPAIGN - A Muslim student was beaten by a Campustown mob Sunday
morning
in what he described as a racially motivated attack.
Saleem Mahjub, a senior in mechanical engineering at the University of
Illinois, was attacked shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday outside an
apartment
building near the intersection of Fifth and John streets, in Champaign.
While his brother and friends were held back by several men, Mahjub was
beaten by at least six men, one of whom hit his nose with a blunt
object.
Mahjub was taken by ambulance to Carle Foundation Hospital, where he
received stitches and was treated for a broken nose.
He is recovering in Barrington, a Chicago suburb where his parents
live.
Mahjub said Wednesday that the men who attacked him blamed him for the
Sept. 11 attacks on America. His family is originally from Tunisia.
The student had left a celebration with his brother, also an
engineering
student, and a couple of Muslim friends.
"These people attacked us because we are Muslim/Arabs," said Mahjub,
24, in
an e-mail to the News-Gazette. "(We) are 100 percent American..."
-----
CRIMES AGAINST MUSLIMS MULTIPLY
Since Sept. 11, number of attacks on Middle Easterners in O.C. is six
times
the total for all of last year.
By MIKE ANTON, RICHARD WINTON, The Los Angeles Times, 12/21/2001
http://www.latimes.com/editions/ventura/la-000101018dec21.story
Middle Easterners and Muslims will probably top the list of groups
targeted
for hate crimes in Orange County for the first time this year,
authorities
say.
In the three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, 37 hate crimes
were reported against those groups or people perceived to be members of
them, according to the Orange County Human Relations Commission.
That's six times the number reported against the group in all of 2000,
and
the most since 1991, when 14 attacks against Middle Easterners were
reported against the backdrop of the Gulf War.
"There's been an unprecedented number of hate-related incidents in such
a
short period of time," said Rusty Kennedy, the commission's executive
director. "We're probably only seeing the tip of the iceberg." The
surge
comes as the number of hate crimes in Orange County has steadily
declined
since 1998. Since 1994, Jews have been the most targeted group in
Orange
County; last year, they were victims of 31 of the county's 122 hate
crimes.
Kennedy said that while a full report for 2001 won't be available until
March, it appears that the Sept. 11 backlash against Middle Easterners
and
Muslims will push them to the top of this year's list.
The one piece of good news: The surge in attacks dropped off quickly
since
early October, with only a couple since then, Kennedy said. He did not
have
a number.
That falloff, however, hasn't fully dampened the unease among Orange
County's Muslims, said Ra'id Faraj, a spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations in Anaheim.
"The community is very intimidated," he said. "The fear is still very
much
out there. People still don't know what could happen next..."
-----
EGYPTIAN DOCTOR FILES SUIT OVER RAID
By TORSTEN OVE, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 12/21/2001
http://www.post-gazette.com/headlines/20011221hussein1221p3.asp
On Sept. 11, within hours of the terror attacks in New York and
Washington,
D.C., things got a little crazy in quiet Neshannock Township outside
New
Castle.
A building manager at The Meadows Apartments walked into the unit
rented by
Dr. Basem Moustafa Hussein, saw some items she considered suspicious,
and
called the state police.
Federal agents swarmed in, television news crews set up shop on the
street,
neighbors gawked and talked.
In the days that followed, Hussein endured repeated questioning from
agents, lost his job in New Mexico, was evicted from his apartment, and
had
his name mentioned as a potential terrorist in media reports before the
U.S. attorney's office finally exonerated him. He says Egyptian police
also
ransacked his parents' apartment in Egypt at the request of U.S.
authorities, causing $200,000 in damage. Now he has filed a federal
civil
rights suit against the woman he says started the whole thing by
mistaking
a computer game for terrorist plans.
Hussein, 36, an Egyptian-born radiologist, has sued apartment manager
Sherri Lynn Wilson and her employer, Universal Development Management
Inc.,
of Girard, Ohio. UDE of Mitchell Road, Ltd., of Girard, a limited
partnership that owns the building, is also a defendant...
-----
EDITORIAL: USF'S CHARADE
St. Petersburg Times, 12/21/2001
http://sptimes.com/News/122101/Opinion/USF_s_charade.shtml
The flawed logic of the university's case for firing controversial
professor Sami Al-Arian sets dangerous precedents for USF's future
governance...
...Ensuring the safety of students and staff is a fundamental
responsibility of any university. Security concerns led Genshaft to
suspend
Al-Arian with pay several weeks ago. Fundraising and student
recruitment
also are vital university concerns. However, the freedom of expression
of
members of the university community should not be held hostage to the
sensitivities of every current or potential donor, much less those of
every
crackpot who calls in a death threat.
By the contorted logic USF officials used Wednesday, any student or
faculty
member could be run off campus if his words offended enough donors,
lawmakers or threatening cranks. USF trustee Connie Mack, the former
U.S.
senator, raised that concern during Wednesday's discussion, but he
ultimately joined the majority in calling for Al-Arian's removal. Only
Howard University president Patrick Swygert, the USF board's only
academician, cast a dissenting vote...
...Academic freedom is not absolute even for tenured professors, and
Al-Arian overstepped his bounds a decade ago. But in contriving a
belated
excuse for getting rid of a nuisance now, USF officials may have left
the
university vulnerable to much more serious encroachments on its
academic
integrity in the future.
-----
THE SECRET WAR:
Pre-9/11, we fought a covert war on American soil - against Israel
By Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 12/21/2001
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
You really have to hand it to the Israelis: they are nothing if not
blatant. Their response to Fox News reporter Carl Cameron's devastating
expos� of Israel's massive spy operation in the US can hardly be
repeated
with a straight face. Mark Regev, a spokesman at the Israeli embassy in
Washington is quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying:
"The report on Fox News contains no quoted source, it has in no way
demonstrated anything more than anonymous innuendo, and should be
regarded
accordingly. Israel does not spy on the United States of America."
Gee, Mark, does the name Jonathan Pollard ring a bell?
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
Naturally, the law enforcement sources who utilized Cameron's
investigation
to voice their concerns didn't dare allow their names to be used: as
Cameron related in his report, any question regarding the possibility
of
Israeli spying in the US is "career suicide" for those who dare raise
it.
Question: is it also career suicide for journalists to raise it?
I have seen a few news items reporting on the Cameron expos�, but,
given
the implications and scope of what we're talking about here, the answer
is,
apparently, yes. For Cameron and Fox News are not merely saying that
the
Israelis have been conducting a "sprawling" spy operation in the US,
involving the massive penetration of our communications systems and
government agencies...
...One would think that the sheer enormity of such a charge would
provoke a
storm of outrage from Israel's many defenders in the media: the
columnists,
the think-tankers, the publicists who dote on Ariel Sharon's every
word.
But, no: instead, there is an ominous, one might almost say a guilty
silence.
THANKS BE TO GOOGLE!
It's frightening, really, when you think about it. Here, after all, is
a
reporter's dream: a heretofore-undiscovered angle on the biggest story
of
our time. Yet no one will touch it. Why? It couldn't be because you'd
need
an army of researchers: you don't. All that's necessary is internet
access,
and, of course, the miracle of Google: anyone can go to google.com and
type
in the appropriate words and phrases, such as "Israelis detained," or,
better yet, "Israeli art students" along with the word "detained." Go
ahead: do it, and see what happens....
HOW ODD
The Arab detainees, as we have seen, have been the subjects of a
national
controversy between civil libertarians and the Bush administration. We
have
John Ashcroft denouncing those who would spread the "false fear" of a
police state as "aiding the terrorists," while on the other hand
Arab-Americans and the ACLU are rallying opposition to the round-up.
But
when it comes to the Israeli detainees, there is no controversy,
virtually
no mention of it in the national media, no nothing. Jewish groups are
not
rallying to the defense of these poor defenseless "art students," held
without bail and without lawyers, for the most part, in very
uncomfortable
and worrisome circumstances. Doesn't anybody find this odd?...
-----
JESUS, THE MUSLIM MESSIAH
John Casey, National Post (Canada), 12/21/2001
http://www.nationalpost.com/
Search using the term "Jesus."
Years ago, an agnostic friend of mine married a Jewish woman who
practised
her faith seriously. He took instruction in Judaism and seemed likely
to
convert -- but eventually did not. His chief reason was that he
remained
agnostic. But another obstacle surprised even himself: "I found that I
just
did not want to give up Jesus."
In European culture, there is no getting away from Jesus even if you
are
agnostic. True, Nietzsche tried to reject him with detestation and
contempt, calling him an "idiot," a purveyor of a sick, decadent view
of
the world. Yet the very ferocity of Nietzsche's onslaught showed how
strong
in his heart was the image he wanted to destroy.
What if my friend had married a Muslim? The interesting thing is that
he
could have kept Jesus -- not the Jesus who was the Son of God,
admittedly,
and who was crucified, but certainly the Jesus who was Messiah and
miracle
worker, who conversed regularly with God, who was born of a virgin and
who
ascended into heaven...
-----
HOLLYWOOD PRODUCING PSA STARRING ALI
By Pamela McClintock, Variety, 12/21/2001
WASHINGTON (Variety) - The committee mulling Hollywood's war effort has
greenlit its first international public service announcement (PSA), in
which Muhammad Ali will emphasize that the war on terrorism isn't a war
against Islam or Arabs.
The PSA, which is in production, will be translated into numerous
languages
for audiences in the Middle East, Pakistan and elsewhere in the Muslim
world.
Motion Picture Assn. of America president-CEO Jack Valenti, de facto
chair
of the special wartime committee, revealed details about the PSA at a
press
conference Thursday announcing a parallel series of PSAs unveiled by
cable
channel Starz! Encore. The Starz! campaign was hatched separately from
the
Hollywood committee...
...At the press conference, Valenti was asked if Hollywood has turned
Arabs
into villains.
"In Hollywood, we have equal-opportunity prejudice," since nearly every
ethnic group has been made the bad guy at one time or another, Valenti
said.
The international PSA featuring Ali, a Muslim, should get to audiences
in
the next couple of months.
-----
THE MEDIA'S FAVORITE ARAB EXPERT
By By Eric Boehlert, Salon.com, 12/21/2001
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/12/21/ajami/index_np.html
Scholar Fouad Ajami has garnered more prime-time airplay than any other
commentator on Arab-Muslim issues. But critics say he's far from a
representative voice...
...what most viewers and readers don't realize is that Ajami, who comes
across on TV and in print as a representative Arab voice, is widely
seen in
the world of Muslim studies as a distinct outsider whose skeptical
vision
of the contemporary Arab world and tendency to avoid criticizing Israel
are
not shared by many of his colleagues. (Ajami did not respond to several
phone requests for an interview.)...
SEE ALSO: JOHN WALKER'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS
By Anthony York, Salon.com, 12/21/2001
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/12/21/converts/index_np.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 - 12/22/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A CHEERFUL FACE
* LATINO MUSLIMS BALANCE 2 CULTURES (Chicago Tribune)
* FOX NEWS PULLS ISRAELI SPY STORIES (Antiwar.com)
* CAIR-NY SETS UP HOTLINE FOR INTERVIEWEES
* COMPLAINTS OF ANTI-ARAB BIAS CRIMES DIP, BUT CONCERNS LINGER (NY
Times)
* DUKE PROFESSOR REBUFFED PAKISTANIS (AP)
* LETTERS: RIGHTS HAVE BEEN ABUSED IN FIRING OF SAMI AL-ARIAN
(St. Petersburg Times)
* A DIFFERENT ENDING FOR RAMADAN (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A CHEERFUL FACE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Do not consider the
smallest good deed as insignificant. Even meeting your brother with a
cheerful face (is a good deed).”
Riyadh us-Saleheen Volume 1:121
-----
LATINO MUSLIMS BALANCE 2 CULTURES
Converts face cultural challenges from family and friends while staying
true to their newfound faith
By Teresa Puente, The Chicago Tribune, 12/22/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0112220141dec22.story
As he has for many years, Ricardo "Rashid" Pena will join his family
for
Christmas Eve dinner. He will eat the turkey, and Puerto Rican rice
without
sausage, but he will skip one of his favorites, the pork-filled
pasteles,
akin to tamales.
A former Roman Catholic who converted to Islam six years ago, Pena also
has
given up the after-dinner tradition of drinking tequila shots with his
uncle. And he does his best to refrain from dancing to salsa and
merengue
music.
Because he practices Islam, Pena doesn't dance, drink or eat pork. But
he
joins his Puerto Rican mother and Mexican father for their holiday
celebration out of respect.
Experts say the number of Muslims of Latino descent is small, but
growing.
Just as some Latinos have left the Catholic faith for Evangelical
churches,
others are choosing Islam…
…When Pena joins his parents for dinner Monday, he will not be the only
one
at the table to have changed his religion. Two of his siblings, his
fiance
and his brother-in-law also have converted to Islam in recent years…
"…There's an answer for everything in Islam," said Pena, 27, a Web site
designer who lives with his parents in their Sauganash home…
…When Cristina Figueroa wears a head scarf, or hijab, she notices that
some
people look at her differently. Once at a Mexican restaurant, a Mexican
man
made disparaging comments in front of her in Spanish, not realizing she
could understand.
After several minutes, Figueroa told the man in Spanish, "I think I'm
more
Mexican than you are, and I've given you no reason to disrespect me…"
"…I was looking for God and to live the right type of life with morals.
It's been a life change, a personal change," said Figueroa, who like
many
modern Muslim women doesn't wear the hijab all the time. "I still
consider
myself Hispanic. I haven't changed cultures, but I have changed my
behavior…"
…The Figueroas, Pena and Cruz said Muslims have welcomed them as
family.
"I looked at it as joining a larger brotherhood," Pena said. "We don't
look
at each other as Mexicans, or Arabs. We look at each other as Muslims."
-----
FOX NEWS PULLS ISRAELI SPY STORIES
NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T: A NOTE TO MY READERS
By Justin Raimondo, antiwar.com, 12/22/2001
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j122201special.html
For the past week or so, I have been writing about the ominous
implications
of Carl Cameron's four-part Fox News expos� of Israeli intelligence
operations in the US. My most recent column on the subject was posted
today
(December 21).
Cameron's reports are, of course, key to understanding the context of
these
columns: without them, there is no way to understand either the context
or
the content of what I have written. We provided links to these reports
in
the column, and fully expected the links to remain valid, as Fox
usually
keeps its stories up for a month or so. But not this time…
The news that Fox had pulled the Cameron reports from its website was,
to
me, quite surprising…As disturbing as it is to contemplate, it seems
that
censorship is indeed a strong possibility in this case that is, Fox
News
is engaging in self-censorship, for reasons of its own.
Our readers may wish to ask questions for themselves, or protest. They
can
do so by writing foxnewsonline@foxnews.com or special@foxnews.com.
Meanwhile, we have redirected those links to the posted articles at
FreeRepublic.com...
* Part 1 - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/589762/posts
* Part 2 - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/590068/posts
* Part 3 - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/590668/posts
* Part 4 - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/592499/posts
-----
CAIR-NY SETS UP HOTLINE FOR INTERVIEWEES
CAIR-NY has set up a telephone hotline to help protect the civil rights
of
those contacted by the FBI for an interview as part of a plan to
interview
some 5,000 Muslim visitors.
CAIR-NY General Counsel Omar Mohammedi is negotiating with the US
Attorney
General's Office in New York about the manner in which the interviews
will
be conducted. Mohammedi is suggesting that a lawyer, a member of the
Muslim
and Arab-American community or other observer be present at the
interview.
As a civil rights organization, CAIR-NY will monitor these interviews
so as
to avoid intimidation and abuse.
Anyone approached for an interview may contact:
Omar Mohammedi, Esq.
General Counsel, CAIR-NY
200 Madison Avenue, Suite 1901
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 725-3846
CAIR-NY MEDIA CONTACT: 212-725-3846
E-Mail: cair-ny@cair-ny.com
Web: www.cair-ny.com
-----
COMPLAINTS OF ANTI-ARAB BIAS CRIMES DIP, BUT CONCERNS LINGER
By JACOB H. FRIES, The New York Times, 12/22/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/22/nyregion/22HATE.html
Complaints to the Police Department of hate crimes against
Arab-Americans
and Muslims have dropped sharply since the terrorist attack on the
World
Trade Center, falling to less than one incident a week in the past
month
compared with 39 reported hate crimes in the week ending Sept. 22.
The downward trend in New York typifies what has occurred across the
nation: after an initial spate of bias incidents ranging from verbal
taunts
and threats to physical assaults, reports of hate crimes against
Arab-Americans have settled to levels common before Sept. 11, according
to
Muslim organizations that collect national statistics. But while police
officials, criminologists and Arab-American groups generally agree that
the
worst is behind, theories about what arrested the outpouring of
violence
and hate vary widely, as do opinions about the significance of recent
statistics…
…Hodan Hassan, a civil rights coordinator for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations in Washington, said that while criminal
verbal
and physical attacks had subsided in recent weeks, subtler forms of
discrimination have taken hold. The council, which collects complaints
from
a dozen branches across the country, has noted a marked increase in
school
and workplace complaints as well as continued profiling at airports,
Ms.
Hassan said…
-----
DUKE PROFESSOR REBUFFED PAKISTANIS
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/ap/20011221/us/attacks_duke_1.html
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - A Duke University professor rebuffed three
Pakistani
students who inquired via e-mail about medical lab jobs, replying: “It
is
not worth our trouble to try to determine if you are a well-disguised
terrorist.”
Michael Reedy, a cell-biology professor who has worked at Duke for 32
years, said Thursday that he regretted his reply. He said he has since
volunteered to help find the Pakistani students positions at Duke. “I
was
distressed beyond words by the futility of the deaths of suicide
bombers,”
he said. “My imagination was headed in a paranoid direction rather than
a
healing direction.”
Reedy sent the e-mail reply Dec. 6, shortly after the country was
placed on
heightened alert for further terrorist activity following the Sept. 11
attacks. In the e-mail, he told the students from Aga Khan University
Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan: “Your ethnicity and your age ...
are
so similar to those of jihad-minded terrorists from the schools that
nurtured the Taliban and Al-Quaeda that it is not worth our trouble to
try
to determine if you are a well-disguised terrorist or a real
learning-motivated medical student.”
Reedy and R. Sanders Williams, the medical school dean, apologized to
the
students…
-----
LETTERS: RIGHTS HAVE BEEN ABUSED IN FIRING OF SAMI AL-ARIAN
The St. Petersburg Times, 12/22/2001
http://www.sptimes.com/News/122201/Opinion/Rights_have_been_abus.shtml
I was saddened by the University of South Florida's decision to fire
Dr.
Sami Al-Arian. This man has been thoroughly investigated over a number
of
years and is apparently guilty of the "crime"of speaking freely.
Freedom is the quality that makes America great, including freedom of
speech. Our Bill of Rights guarantees free speech, even for those who
do
not express the views of the majority. In fact, the purpose of the Bill
of
Rights is to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority.
These rights have clearly been abridged in the case of Dr. Al-Arian. I
am
afraid the America I love doesn't even exist anymore. Melva Underbakke,
Temple Terrace
---
Not USF's finest hour
As a long-time supporter of the University of South Florida (a 15-year
member of the President's Council) and former adjunct professor, I
attended
the emergency meeting of the board of trustees on Wednesday at 9 a.m. I
was
surprised to learn that most faculty had not learned of the meeting
since
the notice had been sent out at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The board of
trustees
seemed to accept the positions of the chairman and the administration
without serious questioning. Only previously designated people were
permitted to speak and no faculty representative. However, it is the
failure to ask searching questions that raises the issue of the board's
responsibilities. A few of the questions that begged to be asked:
1. Since Dr. Sami Al-Arian has not violated any laws, the charges
against
him seemed a stretch. One of the main accusations was that he passed
himself off on television as a spokesperson for USF by not disclaiming
otherwise. Yet, how often do USF professors appearing on radio or TV
state
that they do not represent the university? Virtually never. It is
understood.
2. The principal cause for the near-unanimous vote to recommend
dismissal
of Dr. Al-Arian was the "disruption"that his case has caused to USF.
How
serious has the "disruption"been? Only the dean of engineering was
called
upon to speak. No other deans were asked for their opinion.
3. Have the threats of violence against Dr. Al-Arian or USF been
investigated by law enforcement agencies? If so, what have they learned
about those making the threats?
4. Since Dr. Arian's alleged ties to terrorists and public statements
all
relate to the Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian territory, it was curious that the board agreed that the
"content"of his remarks was not relevant to the main issue of
"disruption"versus freedom of speech. One might have at least asked if
there has been any effort by USF to determine if it has been the object
of
a campaign orchestrated by pro-Israeli elements?
5. Finally, the chairman of the board said Al-Arian demonstrated a
"character flaw"by voting in an election when he was not a citizen
since at
that time he had been in the country more than 10 years and was a Ph.D.
How
did this come about? Did it really prove a "character flaw"? No
questions
were asked.
This hearing was not USF's finest hour.
Arthur L. Lowrie, Lutz
---
Where are the defensible arguments?
Good decisions made for bad reasons put a university's academic
reputation
at risk.
No university should fire any professor whose views hurt fundraising.
University trustees know that they should not be bullied by donors into
making decisions that hurt the university. Somewhere there are donors
who
take the opposite view.
And I have never heard a faculty member make clear that his off-campus
speeches reflect his own views rather than the university's. That's
because
everybody knows it already.
Connie Mack was right to ask whether a professor with unpopular views
can
be protected at the University of South Florida.
If the University of South Florida wants to continue its prosecution of
professor Sami Al-Arian, I'd like to see some truly defensible
arguments.
Adam Kissel, Clearwater
-----
A DIFFERENT ENDING FOR RAMADAN
By Riad Z. Abdelkarim, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12/21/2001
web.star-telegram.com/content/fortworth/2001/12/21/opinions/fw010408-1221-XB015-3.htm
Riad Z. Abdelkarim is the Western Region communications director for
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations in Anaheim, Calif.
This year, Eid-ul-Fitr was somehow different. The Eid - which marks the
end
of the holy month of Ramadan and represents the first of two major
holidays
on the Islamic calendar - was marked Sunday by the world's 1.2 billion
Muslims and our nation's estimated 7 million American Muslims.
As always, American Muslims gathered at mosques and convention centers
and
halls early Sunday morning to offer communal Eid prayers. At one of the
larger gatherings in our nation in Southern California, an estimated
14,000
worshipers gathered at the regional fair grounds to pray and celebrate
together. Men, women and children of all stripes and backgrounds -
brown,
white, black, yellow - dressed in their best clothes.
But the differences in the Eid celebration this year were also
apparent.
Many worshipers wore red, white and blue pins with phrases such as
"Proud
American Muslim," demonstrating their pride in both their nation and
their
faith.
Also, tight security prevailed this year from the parking lot to the
prayer
hall entrance. Large signs declaring that personal belongings were
subject
to search seemed ubiquitous. And a sheriff's bomb squad team made its
rounds around the premises - complete with a bomb-sniffing dog...
…the arrest of two Jewish Defense League militants who were accused of
plotting a terrorist bombing attack on a Los Angeles area mosque and
the
offices of a Muslim advocacy group and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.,
have
heightened the American Muslim community's concerns about safety and
security.
The traditional sermons following the Eid prayers this year were also
different. The usual upbeat talks were replaced by more somber,
reflective
sermons. Prayers were said for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks and the loved ones they left behind. More prayers were uttered
for
the loss of innocent life in Afghanistan, Palestine, Kashmir and other
hot
spots around the world.
Preachers spoke of their concerns for the erosion of civil liberties in
the
post-9-11 era, which have hit the American Muslim and Arab-American
communities especially hard…
…This Eid was also different in a few positive ways.
American Muslims are particularly grateful to our nation's Christian
community, which has offered overwhelming support to us in these past
few
months. The pope's call for Roman Catholics to fast with Muslims on the
last Friday of Ramadan stood as a powerful example of this solidarity,
and
one not soon to be forgotten by Muslims worldwide. Here at home, many
Christians of differing denominations also broke bread with their
Muslim
neighbors by hosting them for the evening fast-breaking meal of Iftar.
American Muslims are quite appreciative of the support they have
received
from our Christian neighbors, and we hope to be able to reciprocate
with
similar displays of generosity and kindness in the near future. Such
acts
demonstrate that shared spiritual bonds among adherents of different
faiths
can transcend superficial differences and promote genuine interfaith
harmony…
-----
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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 - 12/24/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO ANIMALS
* GLOBE COLUMN SLAMS DANIEL PIPES FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
* WRITER DISTORTS ISLAM (San Diego Union Tribune)
* GERALDO RIVERA, IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE (Washington Post)
* STEREOTYPING RANKLES SILENT, SECULAR MAJORITY OF AMERICAN MUSLIMS
(NY Times)
- THE MOSQUE IN AMERICA: A NATIONAL PORTRAIT
* ISLAMIC SATELLITE CHANNEL PLANNED (Gulf News)
* HOLLYWOOD ENLISTS ALI'S HELP TO EXPLAIN WAR TO MUSLIMS (NY Times)
* EDITORIAL: NAME THE DETAINEES (Washington Post)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO ANIMALS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A man walking along a
path
felt very thirsty. Reaching a well he descended into it, drank his fill
and
came up. Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick
up
mud to quench its thirst. The man saw that the dog was feeling the same
thirst as he had felt, so he went down into the well again and filled
his
shoe with water and gave the dog a drink. God forgave his sins for this
action." The Prophet was asked: "...Are we rewarded for kindness
towards
animals?" He said, "There is a reward for kindness to every living
being."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, 3:551
-----
GLOBE COLUMN SLAMS DANIEL PIPES FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
THE REAL 'DANGER WITHIN; IS RELIGIOUS HATRED
By H.D.S. Greenway, The Boston Globe, 12/24/2001
http://www.boston.com/globe/
Search using the term "Daniel Pipes."
IN THE YEARS when I was living and working in the Middle East I used to
hear endless and misinformed complaints about the Jewish takeover of
the
United States.
The Zionist octopus had its tentacles into everything, went the story
line
- the press, the government, the banks, you name it. Later I heard
echoes
of such talk among Serbs and Croats in Bosnia who spoke of the Muslims
among them as different, alien, outlandish, not to be trusted, a danger
within.
It was with sadness, then, that I picked up a copy of Commentary last
month
to find that professor Daniel Pipes, a distinguished author, director
of
Philadelphia's Middle East Forum, and columnist for the Jerusalem Post,
had
written an article entitled: "The Danger Within: Militant Islam in
America."
After mocking editorial writers, politicians, and the president of the
United States for having "tripped over themselves" to describe American
Muslims as just ordinary people who "love their country," Pipes warned
that
the "Muslim population in this country is not like any other group, for
it
includes within it a substantial body of people...who share with the
suicide hijackers a hatred of the United States..."
Thus having set the stage for the entire Muslim population in this
country
to be considered "not like any other group," Pipes goes on to
cherry-pick
statements from Muslims, not all of them Americans, that would indicate
their evil intentions.
...One Muslim is quoted as saying that American Muslims are "ordained
by
Allah to help replace evil with good." Another is charged with saying
that
he had a vision of America in which Muslims owned property, businesses,
factories; Muslim pilots (Pipes knows the hot buttons), Muslim trucks
rolling down highways, and Muslim street names. But what immigrant
group
has not wished much the same for its people?...
...to say that all of Muslim America is different from the rest of us
because there are a few fanatics among them, or to call for an
"immediate
reform of immigration procedures to prevent a further influx of
visitors or
residents with any hint of Islamist ideology," smacks of the
intolerance
and scare- mongering that was once used against Catholics, Jews, and
Asians
among us.
This kind of rhetoric is the real face of the danger within.
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: letter@globe.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO: WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
WRITER DISTORTS ISLAM
THE LINKS BETWEEN JUDAISM AND ISLAM
By Michael Gotlieb, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/23/2001
Gotlieb, a former San Diego resident, is the rabbi at Kehillat Ma'arav
Congregation in Santa Monica.
www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/sun/opinion/news_1e23gotlieb.html
Islam, like Christianity, is an offshoot of Judaism. Both early Muslims
and
Christians actively sought Jewish converts, largely to substantiate
their
religion's theological claims. Muhammad initially targeted Jews for
that
purpose. But for historical as well as theological reasons, the Jews
overwhelmingly rejected his teachings as they had Jesus' 700 earlier...
...In Sura 28:38, he mistakenly has the Pharaoh of Egypt asking the
Jew-hater Haman to build a brick tower, much like the one described in
the
story of Babel.
When Islam was being formed, Muslims prayed in the direction of the
Jewish
holy city, Jerusalem. Muhammad fashioned Muslim dietary restrictions
around
the Jewish practice of Kashrut, or Kosher laws. He also included in his
ritual observance the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur, where food and
water were avoided for a full day, once a year.
But as soon as Muhammad realized that the Jews would not accept him as
the
"final" prophet and convert to Islam, he promptly reworked what would
later
become "normative" Muslim practice.
So, Mecca was substituted for Jerusalem, and instead of one day of
fasting
during Yom Kippur, the month-long fast of Ramadan was instituted, and
various dietary laws were either maintained or dropped -- observant
Muslims
will, to this day, avoid eating pork products.
Muhammad's desire for Jewish recognition reflected a similar need of
early
supporters of Jesus, even though Jesus, unlike Muhammad, was himself a
Jew.
No one could substantiate Muhammed's religious approach like the Jews,
and
for that matter, no one could theologically undermine his religious
convictions like they could.
...Many early Muslims, just like early Christians, were unadulterated
Jew
haters. Significantly, that attitude of hatred fomented and grew long
before the modern state of Israel was created; it thrived long before
the
Palestinians existed, and long before the West Bank and Gaza were ever
conceived, long before America was discovered.
...no one ever asks how the Moors arrived in Spain. No one asks about
the
imperial expansion of Islam, the Arab conquests of Syria and North
Africa
-- somehow all that is forgotten.
No one openly confronts the Muslim world's treatment of non-Muslims,
let
alone treatment of their own religious adherents. No one comments on
how
the Muslim world's push toward Islamic sovereignty has led to an
exclusive
application of Islamic law, referred to as sharia. When the religious
Muslim leadership openly addresses these issues, then true interfaith
dialogue can occur between Muslim, Christian and Jew.
In the meantime, we will continue to hear shallow apologies for Muslim
behavior, with its justification predictably based on external stimuli
like
the U.S. policy in the Middle East or colonialism or economics or
Israeli
oppression of Arabs living on the West Bank and Gaza...
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE. Hostile comments will be used
to
further defame the Muslim community and Islam. Include scholarly and
historical analysis in your reply. Letters to be considered for
publication
should include your contact information.)
CONTACT: letters@uniontrib.com, readers.rep@uniontrib.com,
opinion@uniontrib.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, cair@nayzak.com
-----
GERALDO RIVERA, IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE
By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post, 12/24/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19486-2001Dec23.html
Geraldo Rivera is offering to resign from Fox News.
If, that is, a panel of media analysts decides he did anything
unethical in
Afghanistan. Which, he insists, is ridiculous.
Rivera acknowledges that he made an "honest mistake" by saying he was
at a
"friendly fire" incident in which three American soldiers were killed
in a
U.S. bombing raid. He was hundreds of miles away, near what he
maintains
was a second such incident in which two or three Afghan opposition
fighters
were killed...
...Sun writer David Folkenflik "has slandered a journalist who is an
honest
person and has contributed arguably much more to American society than
he
has," Rivera says. "This cannot stand. He has impugned my honor. It is
as
if he slapped me in the face and challenged me to a duel. He is going
to
regret this story for the rest of his career."
Folkenflik says he was "very careful" in framing the story and could
find
no military official or journalist in the region who could confirm
Rivera's
account. "I don't know how many bites of the apple he gets to get a
version
that works," Folkenflik says. "There may be an explanation for this
that
bears up to scrutiny, but we haven't seen it..."
-----
STEREOTYPING RANKLES SILENT, SECULAR MAJORITY OF AMERICAN MUSLIMS
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, The New York Times, 12/23/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/23/national/23MUSL.html
Khalid Pervaiz is an American Muslim, an investment banker in Los
Angeles
with two young daughters. On the door of his home is a Christmas wreath
made by his 7-year-old, and in the living room is a Christmas tree with
an
angel on top. His daughters go to the mosque, or masjid, on Sundays for
classes in the Koran, but Mr. Pervaiz himself goes once a year on the
major
Muslim holiday of Id al-Fitr.
"I had the privilege of being exposed to other religions from the very
beginning, so I wasn't so fixed on the idea that Islam is the only way
to
live," Mr. Pervaiz said. "Every once in a blue moon I will go for my
Friday
prayers, but I still think I'm a good Muslim. If I don't go and pray
five
times a day, I don't think I'm less of a Muslim. I'm just not a
practicing,
going-to-the-masjid Muslim."
In behavior and belief, Mr. Pervaiz is among an overlooked silent
majority
of Muslims in America. They call themselves moderates, but another way
to
describe them is as cultural Muslims, akin to the assimilated cultural
Jews
who identify as Jewish, eat gefilte fish and celebrate Passover, but
are
for the most part not observant and not affiliated with a synagogue.
"...There are a large number of Muslims that hold on to their identity
as
Muslims, but choose not to practice, not to act out their beliefs in
everyday life," said Ihsan Bagby, a professor and an imam at Shaw
University in Raleigh, N.C., who helped write the report of a large
study
on American Muslims this year. "Most of them would not view the world
through the lens of religion and basically have put religion to the
side to
a certain extent to function in the world. A large portion of the
American
Muslim community are in this group."
Just how many American Muslims fit this description is hard to gauge,
but
by one measure the number could be significant. The report that Dr.
Bagby
helped write, "The Mosque in America: A National Portrait," revealed
that
only a fraction of the Muslims in the United States attend weekly
prayers
in one of the nation's 1,209 mosques. Of an estimated four million to
six
million Muslims in the United States, the study found, only about
350,000
on average attend the Friday midday prayers -- congregational prayers
expected of men, though not required, and optional for women...
SEE: THE MOSQUE IN AMERICA: A NATIONAL PORTRAIT
http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport/
-----
ISLAMIC SATELLITE CHANNEL PLANNED
By Dahi Hassan, Gulf News, 12/24/2001
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=36116
The Executive Council of the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural
Organization (ISESCO) yesterday approved a draft project for
establishing a
multi-language Islamic Satellite Channel at an estimated cost of $30
million, as part of a strategy to promote Islam and present the true
image
of Muslims worldwide...
-----
HOLLYWOOD ENLISTS ALI'S HELP TO EXPLAIN WAR TO MUSLIMS
By JIM RUTENBERG, The New York Times, 12/23/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Attacks-Hollywood.html
Hollywood, in search of a pitchman to explain America and its war to
the
Muslim world, has recruited Muhammad Ali.
The writers, producers and studio executives who have formed their own
campaign to bolster America's image abroad believe that Mr. Ali will
have
special credibility with an audience believed to be deeply suspicious
of
the United States. In the 1960's, he rattled American conventions by
converting to Islam, then defied the American government by refusing to
serve when drafted, an act that cost him his world heavyweight title...
...Mr. Valenti has said, and several Hollywood executives confirmed,
that
Mr. Ali has tentatively agreed to do a one-minute public service
announcement designed for broadcast in several translations over
networks
like Al Jazeera, the Middle East Broadcasting Centre transmitted to the
region from London and the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation in Beirut.
Although Hollywood 9/11 wants to avoid being seen as a government
propaganda arm, the announcement's themes parallel some of the
administration's. "Ali will hopefully be able to convey the idea that
Muslims in America lead a free life, practice their religion in a form
in
which they choose to practice it," Mr. Valenti said. The second point:
"It's not a war against Islam. It's a war against murderers who kill
innocent people..."
-----
EDITORIAL: NAME THE DETAINEES
By Russ Feingold, The Washington Post, 12/23/2001
The writer is a Democratic senator from Wisconsin.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15225-2001Dec21.html
Who are the people the Justice Department has detained in its
investigation
into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and why are they being held? I
have
asked the Bush administration this question repeatedly, but to little
avail. The Justice Department has provided scant information about the
identities and basis for detention of more than 1,100 people who have
been
or are currently being detained, the vast majority of whom, Justice
Department officials admit, have no link to Sept. 11 or the al Qaeda
terrorist network...
...Instead of expending resources to prevent the release of information
about the detainees, the administration should show that it has
confidence
in the Justice Department's investigation by opening the department's
actions to public scrutiny. The administration can begin by identifying
all
those who have been or are still in custody and the basis for their
detention. By insisting on keeping this information secret, the
department
only furthers suspicions that it is doing so to conceal abuses of
innocent
people.
SEE: http://feingold.senate.gov/
-----
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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 - 12/25/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: TOLERATION AND KINDNESS
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: TEACH THEM OUR DECADENT WAY OF LIVING (Ad Age)
* DANIEL PIPES COMPARES ISLAM TO NAZISM AND COMMUNISM (NY Post)
* LETTERS: FIGHTING BIAS (Chicago Tribune)
* MD FUNDRAISING DINNER TO HELP MUSLIM DETAINEES
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: TOLERATION AND KINDNESS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once told a man: “You have two
qualities which God, the Most Exalted, likes and loves. One is mildness
and
the other is toleration.”
Riyadh us-Saleheen Volume 1:632
The Prophet Muhammad also said: “God is kind and likes kindness in all
things.”
Riyadh us-Saleheen Volume 1:633
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: TEACH THEM OUR DECADENT WAY OF LIVING
HOW WOULD YOU SELL AMERICA TO THE MUSLIM WORLD?
Three Top U.S. Agency Executives Weigh In
By Richard Linnett, Ad Age, 12/17/2001
http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=33667
Jim Ferguson
President-chief creative officer
WPP Group's Y&R Advertising, New York
"I would hire a guerilla marketing unit. They could have fashion shows
over
there. They could have movies, dances. They can teach them our decadent
way
of living, how the infidels live over here and why it's so much fun. We
could recreate the Monkey Bar over there and invite them in. You have
to
infiltrate their lives, and I don't think making commercials is going
to do
it. You set up events. You show them movies: Boogie Nights, I'd show
them
that. When I worked on the [current] president's campaign, we kept in
mind
what was brand Bush. So a lot of it is like selling soap. There's no
doubt
about it. The first thing is to get people to like you. You always buy
something from someone you like."
SEE ALSO: SHOULD AMERICAN VALUES BE MARKETED TO MUSLIM NATIONS?
http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=33659
Researcher Mr. Zogby noted that "90% of Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates put the Palestinian problem in
their
top three concerns -- that's a huge cultural bridge to cross. To the
Arab
world, the lack of a Palestinian state in 2001 is what taxation without
representation was to us in 1776. You're not going to address it by
using
Julia Roberts to sell the West."
-----
DANIEL PIPES COMPARES ISLAM TO NAZISM AND COMMUNISM
JOHNNY WALKER GREEN
By DANIEL PIPES, The New York Post, 12/24/2001
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12242001/postopinion/opedcolumnists/37336.htm
…Green (militant Islam) has replaced brown (Nazism) or red (communism)
as
the ideology of choice for Westerners who loathe their own societies…
SEE: DANIEL PIPES SLAMMED FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
“The real 'danger within; is religious hatred,” The Boston Globe,
12/24/2001
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/358/oped/The_real_danger_within_is_religious_hatred+.shtml
SEE ALSO: WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
LETTERS: FIGHTING BIAS
By Jill Sevelow, The Chicago Tribune, 12/25/2001
Homewood -- A few weeks after the terrorist attacks, my daughter and I
were
trying to regain some sort of normalcy and went dress shopping for her
upcoming homecoming dance. We were waiting in line at Carson's in
Orland
Park when I noticed a young Islamic mother in a hijab (the head
covering
many Muslim women are required to wear in public) walking down the
aisle,
pushing her young child in a stroller. I held my breath while watching
the
crowd, painfully aware of the stares and sneers she was getting from
people
in the store as she walked.
My heart pounded into my ears; my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. As
she
approached me, her child dropped a hat out of the stroller. I gently
called
to her, and let her know. A simple gesture--but when she bent to
retrieve
it, and our eyes met, each set was laced with tears.
-----
MD FUNDRAISING DINNER TO HELP MUSLIM DETAINEES
With a Q&A on American-Muslim civil rights
WHEN: Saturday, January 12, 2001, 4 p.m.
WHERE: Masjid Al-Rahmah, 6631 Johnnycake Road, Baltimore MD 21244
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Umar Mustafa, President, Islamic Society of Baltimore
Dr. Sayyid Syeed, Secretary General, Islamic Society of North America
David Rocah, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
ORGANIZED BY: CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP OF AMERICAN-MUSLIMS
11 E. Chase Street, Suite 7C, Baltimore, MD, 21202
PHONE: 410-385-0085 FAX: 410-385-5897
CONTACT: 410-747-4869
-----
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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 - 12/26/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO WIVES
* CAIR-OHIO OPEN HOUSE - 1/2/2002
* PROTESTERS SEEK RELEASE OF 52 MUSLIMS DETAINED IN S. FLORIDA SINCE
SEPT.
11 (Sun-Sentinel)
* IT CAN HAPPEN HERE IN FACT, IT IS (Creative Loafing)
* UNDERSTANDING, TOLERATING THE RELIGIONS OF OTHERS (San Diego
Union-Tribune)
* LETTERS: MUSLIM CHARITIES (San Francisco Chronicle)
* LETTERS: AL-ARIAN FIRING REVEALS SKEWED USF PRIORITIES (St.
Petersburg Times)
* MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS BRIDGE GAP IN PALOS (Chicago Tribune)
* PRO-WAR RESOLUTION DRAWS CHARGES OF RACISM AT UNIVERSITY (AP)
* ARAB, MUSLIM STUDENTS WEATHER DOMESTIC WAR ON TERRORISM (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO WIVES
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The most perfect in
faith
amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife."
http://www.discoverislam.com/21.html
-----
CAIR-OHIO OPEN HOUSE - 1/2/2002
CAIR Ohio invites you to a monthly open house. Please come and join us
in
discussing issues of concern to you and our community
WHERE: CAIR Ohio, 4700 Reed Road, Suite B, Columbus, Ohio
WHEN: Wednesday, January 2, 2002, 6 - 8 p.m.
CONTACT: 614-451-3232, ohio@cair-net.org
-----
PROTESTERS SEEK RELEASE OF 52 MUSLIMS
DETAINED IN S. FLORIDA SINCE SEPT. 11
By Susannah Bryan, Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL), 12/26/2001
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/miami/sfl-cprotest26dec26.story
Nearly 30 people gathered Christmas Day in downtown Miami to protest
the
detention of 52 Muslim and Arab men at Krome Detention Center following
the
Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The men are being detained by the Immigration and Naturalization
Service in
connection with the federal government's terrorism investigations. The
protestors are asking that the men be released and given 30 days to get
their affairs in order before leaving the country. Dozens of South
Florida
Muslims have been detained and 500 questioned statewide, said Sofian
Abdelaziz, director of the American Muslim Association of North
America,
which organized the protest in front of the federal courthouse in
downtown
Miami...
...Reached after the demonstration, INS spokesman Rodney Germain said
that
INS does not detain people based on nationality or race, but on
immigration
violations...
...Simbad Elhaddad, 29, of Southwest Ranches, joined the demonstration
with
his wife, Taghrid Hassan, and their 5-month-old daughter, Amina.
Elhaddad said he was born and raised in New York City and had Muslim
friends who died in the attack on the World Trade Center. But the
tragedy
is no reason to persecute Muslims, he said.
"We have people in jail right now just because of their nationality and
religion," he said. "We have to wake up and see what's going on."
-----
IT CAN HAPPEN HERE IN FACT, IT IS
BY JOHN SUGG, Creative Loafing (GA), 12/26/2001
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2001-12-26/fishwrapper.html
Here are two recent episodes that should scare the hell out of
Americans as
we try to measure the craters in our national soul left by the
explosions
of Sept. 11.
First, on Nov. 20, U.S. Rep. Saxby Chambliss told cops in Valdosta that
officials should "just turn [the sheriff] loose and have him arrest
every
Muslim that crosses the state line..."
...Chambliss (R-Dumbasarock), who wants to move his bigotry to the U.S.
Senate, didn't realize that Bill Roberts, a reporter from the Valdosta
Daily Times, was tape recording his remarks...
...Was Georgia outraged? Hardly. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
yawned
about it in a half-dozen minor stories and columns. Jim Wooten, the
rightwing bullhorn of the AJC, did his damnedest to salvage Chambliss'
image by writing off the remarks as "lame attempts at humor." Ha, ha.
Compare that to the dozens of strident columns and stories bashing U.S.
Rep. Cynthia McKinney for urging that New York take a $10 million
donation
from a Saudi sheik. McKinney opined that America should be more
even-handed
in dealing with the Middle East (a position, polls show, that holds
widespread support).
Demagogues, such as U.S. Sen. Zell Miller (D-Kill 'em All),
mendaciously
sought to twist McKinney's reasonable position into an assertion that
America's foreign policy was at fault for the Sept. 11 attacks...
-----
UNDERSTANDING, TOLERATING THE RELIGIONS OF OTHERS
By OMAR HAMDI, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/26/2001
http://www.uniontrib.com/news/uniontrib/wed/opinion/news_1e26lets1.html
(Hamdi is with the Islamic Center of San Diego.)
Rabbi Michael Gotlieb ("The links between Judaism and Islam," Opinion,
Dec.
23) is correct in identifying the notion that there is "no God but God"
as
the single most important tenant of Islam. However, the remainder of
his
claims about Islam are unfounded.
First, Islam is not an offshoot of Judaism as he claims. Rather, Islam
asserts that all the prophets including Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad came forward with the same exact message of the "Oneness of
God."
Prophet Muhammad, however, came forward with that message to all of
humanity as opposed to one group of people related by a common
ancestry.
Second, prophet Muhammad's message sought the reversion of all of
humanity
to the message of the oneness of God whether they were Jews,
Christians,
Buddhists, Animists or Pagans.
Third, Gotlieb's claim that Jews were hated under early Islamic rule is
contradicted by historical facts. Jewish scholars -- Maimonides, for
example -- flourished under Islamic rule. Moreover, Jews lived
peacefully
and gained tremendous acceptance in society under both Islamic Spain
and
the Ottoman Empire.
Fourth, his claim that Muslims, by virtue of their faith, harbor hatred
toward Christians and Jews is a shallow discussion of a complex
reality. On
a global level, current day apparent animosities stem mainly from the
oppression suffered by the majority of world Muslims at the hand of
non-Muslims.
Unfortunately, the rabbi's unfounded claims about our faith and our
prophet
only serve to foster hatred and cast a net of suspicion on all devout
Muslims. Men of religion should search for common ground and emphasize
the
need for mutual respect and understanding.
SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE AT:
www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/sun/opinion/news_1e23gotlieb.html
-----
LETTERS: MUSLIM CHARITIES
By HYDER ALI, The San Francisco Chronicle, 12/26/2001
Shutting down Muslim charities without due process is wrong. President
Bush's decision to close three Muslim charities, including the Holy
Land
Foundation, flies in the face of his repeated rhetoric that this is not
a
war against Islam or Muslims.
The timing of these closures during the month of Ramadan, when most
Muslims
fulfill their obligations of charity, was akin to shutting down the
American Red Cross after Sept. 11. Many Muslims see the pattern of
incarceration of American Muslims, FBI interviews and now the closure
of
charitable institutions without due legal process as a witch-hunt
against
the Muslim community.
Our president chose to shut down these charities without due process
for
political expediency and to show support for Israel rather than uphold
the
American principle of "innocent until proven guilty." American
principles
of the rule of law and civil liberties must be able to withstand these
tough times in order for them truly to be our principles.
Organizations such as the Holy Land Foundation have been reviewed and
cleared before. Zealous action has now resulted in the loss of meager
support for sustenance of many innocent women and children in war-torn
and
occupied nations.
Do we not value human lives besides our own? Ironically, isn't this the
very principle for which we claimed to shut down these organizations?
Unfortunately, most Americans do not see such draconian laws as
affecting
them, nor do they know anyone whose life is touched by these shutdowns.
We
need to be grateful for the lifestyle we enjoy and show empathy for
less
fortunate human beings regardless of race, religion or national
borders.
-----
LETTERS: AL-ARIAN FIRING REVEALS SKEWED USF PRIORITIES
St. Petersburg Times, 12/26/2001
http://www.sptimes.com/News/122601/Opinion/Al_Arian_firing_revea.shtml
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
http://www.sptimes.com/News/122001/TampaBay/USF_will_fire_Al_Aria.shtml
Re: Al-Arian firing and the future of USF.
It is so unfortunate that USF President Genshaft chose the easy route
in
the Al-Arian saga...The greatness of a university is not measured by
the
size of its endowments. It is measured by the strength of a diverse
student
body, a talented faculty, a courageous administration, and all the
ideas
all three are allowed to contribute. Any less and that university is
just
another school.
What sort of university does President Genshaft want USF to be?
Robert Ela, Lutz
-----
USF should fight for freedom
Clearly, the reason for Mr. Al-Arian's termination is that the USF
trustees
and president bowed to the pressure of domestic terrorism.
It almost makes one feel sorry for President Genshaft, who must know
that
the insubordination and breach of contract charges are phony and that
the
real reason she must fire the public's prey is that he has uttered
unpopular words. None of these words, I might add, were sufficient to
justify termination before Sept. 11.
Antone Aboud, Clearwater Beach
---
The purpose of academic tenure
I am a retired professor from Yale University, where I taught and did
research for more than 35 years which included the difficult McCarthy
years, when many of its professors were persecuted because of their
outspoken views. Yale supported its faculty despite the adverse
repercussions it had to face. That support helped bring the community
together.
I read that Professor Al-Arian, whom I only know through the
newspapers,
was to be fired from USF by President Genshaft because he "failed to
make
clear that remarks made in off-campus speeches reflected personal
opinions
and not those of the university."
President Genshaft's act destroys the very concept of academic tenure,
which guarantees his right to freely express his opinions...
Evangelo Canellakis, Clearwater
---
Guilt by association
The University of South Florida has moved to fire a Palestinian
professor
who is tenured. Folks should recall that the institution of tenure was
established around the time of World War I in order to protect free
speech.
The only objective of tenure is to allow speaking truth to power...
...Al-Arian has been investigated by the FBI and never charged with any
crime. He is "guilty" only by association and as a Palestinian. By this
precedent we should note that the head and members of the JDL (Jewish
Defense League) have recently been arrested for planning domestic
bombings.
It follows that all Jewish professors and Zionists should be fired by
USF.
Glayde Whitney, Tallahassee
-----
MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS BRIDGE GAP IN PALOS
By Darlene Gavron Stevens, The Chicago Tribune, 12/26/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0112260132dec26.story
More than a year ago, the sedate suburb of Palos Heights became a
reluctant
international celebrity, a town linked with racism after some council
members tried to block a mosque from buying a local church building.
The Al Salaam Mosque Foundation backed out of the deal, the church
pulled
its building off the market, and the City Council was slapped with a
$6.2
million civil rights lawsuit. But the community accused of being
hostile
toward Muslims is now the home of a successful peace experiment--a
small
group of Christians and Muslims who began meeting at the urging of the
U.S.
Department of Justice, and who continue their interfaith chats
voluntarily
to this day.
Members of the Christian Muslim Dialogue Group were drafted for the
project
by their pastors, preachers and imams after the mosque controversy
flared.
When the group began meeting in summer 2000, the discussions were not
always peaceful...
-----
PRO-WAR RESOLUTION DRAWS CHARGES OF RACISM AT UNIVERSITY
Associated Press Newswires, 12/26/2001
SEATTLE (AP) - To Richey Kemmling, it seemed simple: University of
Washington students should go on record in support of the war in
Afghanistan.
Instead, the resolution he introduced in the Senate of the Associated
Students of the UW was assailed as racist and some are pushing a
resolution
that urges the school to adopt an anti-war stance.
Debate on the issue is scheduled to resume Jan. 15.
Kemmling, 21, a senior accounting major and president of the College
Republicans, lost the first round when his resolution died in committee
in
late October. He later tried without success to revive it on the senate
floor...
...He said he expected opposition from Muslim students and peace
activists
but was surprised when black and Hispanic groups chimed in.
"The reason why a lot of students from the (minority clubs) were
against
the war resolution was because our purpose for existing is to make
things
more equal and get rid of institutional racism - and, in this war, a
certain ethnic group was singled out," said Alex Narvaez, an Associated
Students board member. "There are a lot of innocent people in
Afghanistan."
Anthony Rose, a senator and freshman in the Black Student Union,
criticized
a passage stating, "The students of the University of Washington put
their
trust in the United States and our government," at a time when
discrimination and racial profiling remain pervasive...
-----
ARAB, MUSLIM STUDENTS WEATHER DOMESTIC WAR ON TERRORISM
By GREGG AAMOT, The Associated Press, 12/26/2001
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Sulieman Nader was sailing through his senior year
at
the University of Minnesota when the morning of Sept. 11 threw
everything
out of whack.
Since then, the senior from Amman, Jordan, has been spending less of
his
life in the stacks of Wilson Library and more time hunkered down at the
Minnesota International Student Association, where he's the secretary
general.
A recent 36-hour stretch involved phone calls to U.S. Sen. Dianne
Feinstein's office, dozens of e-mails to other foreign students, no
sleep
and a stinging letter to The Minnesota Daily in which Nader criticized
the
U.S. Justice Department's decision to question 5,000 Arab and Muslim
men.
"The pressure has been mounting," he said on a recent afternoon,
slumping
into a beat-up couch at the MISA's office on the Minneapolis campus.
"It's
like the guns are blazing from all sides."
Faced with new and pending visa restrictions and grilling from law
enforcement agents, many Muslim and Arab students are feeling the brunt
of
the domestic war on terrorism...
...A bill introduced by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee -
Feinstein, D-Calif., is a co-sponsor - would generally prohibit the
issuance of visas to students from countries the United States
considers to
be sponsors of terrorism - Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan
and
Syria. There would be some exceptions.
During the 1999-2000 academic year, 3,370 students from those seven
countries attended United States colleges, according to the Institute
of
International Education...
The bill also would require colleges to provide the U.S. Immigration
and
Naturalization Service with a foreign student's date of entry, date of
enrollment, date of graduation (or date of dropping out), and degree
program or field of study.
-----
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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
MUSLIM SECRET SERVICE AGENT REMOVED FROM FLIGHT
American Airlines asked to apologize, clarify policy on profiling
(WASHINGTON, DC - 12/27/2001) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today demanded an
apology from American Airlines for removing a Muslim Secret Service
agent
from a flight apparently based on religious and ethnic profiling.
SEE: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/27/national/27AGEN.html
The agent (for security reasons, CAIR is not releasing his name)
alleges
that he was kicked off American Airlines Flight 363 from Baltimore to
Dallas on December 25 because the captain had concerns about his
identity,
even though the agent went through the proper procedures for armed
security
personnel who are passengers. The agent's identification was
subsequently
checked several times by American personnel and by local police. He
even
offered to have the Secret Service confirm his identity.
When the agent asked to go back on the plane to retrieve his jacket,
the
captain said: "I don't want him back on that plane." A code denying the
agent access to other flights was also allegedly entered into
American's
computer system.
In a letter faxed today to American Chairman Donald J. Carty, CAIR
wrote:
"We are concerned that American Airlines would arbitrarily deny
boarding to
a Muslim passenger, particularly someone who has one of our nation's
highest security clearances, merely because of his religion or
ethnicity.
The passengers on Flight 363 would actually have been more secure had
Agent
----- been allowed to board."
"All Americans are concerned about improving safety for the traveling
public, but religious and ethnic profiling is not the way to make
flying
more secure," said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. Hooper
suggested instead that all passengers be subjected to heightened
security
checks, that new security screening technologies be funded and
implemented
and that airlines adopt strict baggage matching procedures.
CAIR asked that American Airlines clarify its policy on racial and
religious profiling so that a similar incident does not occur in the
future. The group's civil rights department has received more than 160
reports of airport profiling of Muslims or those who are perceived to
be
"Middle Eastern" since the terrorist attacks of September 11.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
SEE ALSO: WHY PEOPLE OF ALL COLORS SHOULD (STILL) RESIST RACIAL
PROFILING
By Chisun Lee, The Village Voice, 12/26/2001
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0152/lee.php
...The question today isn't whether law enforcement is engaging in
racial
profiling, it's how much. By all indications, a lot. The FBI and INS
have
targeted over a thousand people based on their national origin and
locked
them up for immigration technicalities or sometimes for nothing at all.
The Justice Department has tagged 5000 young men, also based on
nationality, for voluntary interviews that are not entirely free of
coercion or consequences and therefore not entirely voluntary. Muslim
names
prompt airport security checks-getting "wanded" is a part of the
customer
service experience for certain travelers. No space where police or
federal
agents patrol is free for those who appear Middle Eastern...
-----
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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 - 12/28/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: DO NOT CREATE HATRED
* PRESIDENT BUSH RESPONDS TO PROFILING OF MUSLIM AGENT
* CONGRESSMAN CHAMBLISS SAYS HE "REGRETS" COMMENTS ON MUSLIMS
* READER SAYS DANIEL PIPES IS "INTELLECTUALLY IRRESPONSIBLE" (Boston
Globe)
* THE MISADVENTURES OF GERALDO (Washington Times)
* CAIR ON FOX'S HANNITY & COLMES
* A LESSON IN SELF-INTEREST (Weekly Planet)
* EDITORIAL: MOB RULE AT UNIVERSITY (Palm Beach Post)
* ATTACKS ALTER MUSLIMS' MEETING (Atlanta Journal)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: DO NOT CREATE HATRED
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Make things easy and
convenient and don't make them harsh and difficult. Give cheer and glad
tidings and do not create hatred."
Riyadh us-Saleheen Volume 1:637
-----
PRESIDENT BUSH RESPONDS TO PROFILING OF MUSLIM AGENT
WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING
December 28, 2001, Friday, 11:52 AM Eastern Time
Q: Sir, were you upset that that Secret Service agent was kept off that
plane, because you've been saying this is --
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yeah, I was. I talked to the man this morning; I told
him
how proud I was that he was by my side. He's here on the ranch, and
he's
guarding me, and of course I was. We'll let the facts -- you know,
they're
going to get the facts out. There's an inquiry going on as to
specifically
what took place, but if he was treated that way because of his
ethnicity,
that's -- it may be -- that will make me madder than heck.
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE: MUSLIM SECRET SERVICE AGENT REMOVED FROM FLIGHT
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=559&articletype=3
FEDERAL AGENT ACCUSES PILOT OF DISCRIMINATION
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32362-2001Dec27.html
AGENT'S OUSTER FROM FLIGHT PROMPTS PROBE
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/12/28/MN60124.DTL
PILOT'S CONCERN KEEPS FEDERAL AGENT OFF FLIGHT
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000102683dec28.story
AIRLINE DENIES ETHNIC PROFILING KEPT BUSH GUARD OFF FLIGHT
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/28/national/28AGEN.html
-----
CONGRESSMAN CHAMBLISS SAYS HE "REGRETS" COMMENTS ON MUSLIMS
The following message is being sent to constituents of Rep. Chambliss
(R-GA) who expressed concerns about his comments to Georgia law
enforcement
personnel suggesting they "just turn [the sheriff] loose and have him
arrest every Muslim that crosses the state line."
Dear Constituent:
Thank you for contacting me about recent statements I made about
Muslims
during a meeting in Georgia.
My remarks about Muslims were not a serious suggestion. I absolutely do
not
believe Georgia law enforcement officers should or would target
innocent
Muslims for arrest. Those present at the meeting understood I was not
being
serious. I regret making the comment and have apologized for it. As the
son
of a minister, I strongly believe in the importance faith plays in our
daily lives. We must be inclusive and tolerant of the world's different
religions, and as a Member of Congress I am committed to keeping our
Constitutional freedom to practice religion intact.
As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland
Security, I
agree wholeheartedly with President Bush that we are engaged in a war
against terrorism--not Muslims. As elected officials, it is our duty to
set
the example of equal and fair treatment of everyone. I supported, and
the
House of Representatives unanimously passed, a resolution on September
15,
2001, condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans and
American
Muslims. I regret that my joking comments have been misconstrued and
distorted.
I understand your feelings about my comments. Let me say again, that my
comments were made purely tongue-in-cheek, for which I regret and
immediately publicly apologized. Since you felt moved to contact me, I
am
happy to reiterate that apology to you now.
Sincerely
Congressman Saxby Chambliss
1019 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
URL: http://www.house.gov/chambliss/
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE: LAWMAKER TRIES TO EXPLAIN REMARK
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60899-2001Nov20.html
-----
READER SAYS DANIEL PIPES IS "INTELLECTUALLY IRRESPONSIBLE"
LETTERS: MANY SCHOLARS PROMOTE BIAS
By JASON W. HANNAN, The Boston Globe, 12/27/2001
I WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH H.D.S. GREENWAY'S PIECE "THE REAL
'DANGER
WITHIN' IS RELIGIOUS HATRED" (OP ED, DEC. 24). NOT ONLY IS IT A HIGHLY
JUSTIFIED DENUNCIATION OF THE INTELLECTUALLY IRRESPONSIBLE DANIEL
PIPES; IT
IS ALSO AN INCISIVE PIECE OF SOCIAL COMMENTARY. Pipes is but one of
countless scholars in America who enjoy academic careers
misrepresenting
entire peoples and cultures. It is disturbing that some 20 years after
Edward W. Said's indictment of this scandalous profession of
Orientalism
that a solid academic market still exists for such fraudulent
scholarship.
Unfortunately, our television culture thrives on these oversimplified
images of reality. In the past four months, we have witnessed an
unprecedented number of hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims, to which
Japanese-Americans have rightly responded with shock and concern. If we
ever hope to overcome the menace of ethnic bigotry, it is imperative
that
we rise above the childish tendency to make wholesale condemnations and
commit ourselves to understanding our fellow human beings.
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
GLOBE COLUMN SLAMS DANIEL PIPES FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=558&articletype=1
WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
THE MISADVENTURES OF GERALDO
R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., The Washington Times, 12/28/2001
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20011228-2739736.htm
Geraldo Rivera is up to his old tricks again, namely, reporting
falsehoods
and bullying those who oppose him.
The falsehood this time is that he is to the Afghan war what war
correspondent Ernie Pyle was to World War II, a blood and guts
journalist
wriggling under enemy fire with the GIs. The bullying this time is
being
perpetrated upon a Baltimore Sun reporter, David Folkenflik, who,
according
to Mr. Rivera, "is going to regret this story the rest of his career."
The
offending story exposed Mr. Rivera, once again, as a fraud...
-----
CAIR ON FOX'S HANNITY & COLMES
December 27, 2001 Thursday
GUESTS: Ibrahim Hooper, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
HOSTS: Joe Scarborough, Alan Colmes
COLMES: Welcome back to HANNITY & COLMES. I'm Alan Colmes.
First, the trial of attempted shoe bomber Richard Reid is leading back
to a
London mosque, where Reid apparently worshipped along with indicted
terrorist conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. According to "The Times of
London," the leader of the mosque claims to have warned London police
repeatedly that Muslim radicals were recruiting young people in the
area.
So, is Reid another victim of a radical interpretation of the Islamic
faith
or is Islam unfairly being blamed for one man's violent act?
Joining us here to talk about it, the communications director for the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ibrahim Hooper.
Mr. Hooper, good to have you with us.
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Thanks for
having me.
COLMES: Unfortunately, Islam has become associated with hijacking, with
terror, with people who do extreme acts. Why don't we hear about,
though,
these same kinds of -- this same kind of behavior associated with
Christianity, with Judaism, people doing in the name of Jesus what some
people now do in the name of Allah? Why not the same with other
religions?
HOOPER: Well, I think it is a lack of understanding of the context in
which
to place these kinds of unacceptable acts. When somebody like David
Koresh
carries out acts of violence, or someone like Baruch Goldstein
massacres
Muslim worshipers in a mosque in Hebron, these things are put in
context.
People say, well, of course I'm not going to generalize to Judaism. Of
course I'm not going to generalize to Christianity based on these
actions.
But if a Muslim does something, many people don't have the context in
which
to place these, the knowledge that 99.999 percent of all Muslims will
live
and die without ever coming close to an act of violence or political
instability. So they don't have that context. So they say, well, maybe
I
can generalize to the faith of Islam...
...SCARBOROUGH: Mr. Hooper, you are hearing obviously from a lot of
Arab-Americans Muslim-Americans about what they are facing
post-September
11. You have given the media a fairly good score on how they handled
the
situation. You say some commentators have been irresponsible. How are
Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans, though, rating American society in
general? Are they saying, for the most part, it's understanding? How
widespread is the discrimination that they are facing now?
HOOPER: Along with the more than 1,500 incidents of anti-Muslim
backlash
that were reported to us, we also received many, many messages of a
Muslim
couple going into an Old Country buffet in West Virginia and having
other
customers pick up their tab just out of a feeling of solidarity for
what
they are going through. We have had a number of these kinds of things.
America is a country in which a Muslim can freely practice their faith.
It's something that can't always be said of countries in the so-called
Muslim world. For instance, an American-Muslim woman has the legal
right to
wear a head scarf while she's on the job. In Turkey, she couldn't go to
the
university wearing a head scarf.
So we see America as a place were there is religious diversity, where
we
can practice our faith. Sometimes we differ on American foreign policy
issues, but that's part of the society: the right to dissent...
-----
A LESSON IN SELF-INTEREST
BY SUSAN EDWARDS, The Weekly Planet, 12/28/2001
http://www.weeklyplanet.com/2001-12-27/notebook.html
The University of South Florida Board of Trustees had an opportunity
last
week to set an example of courage in the face of adversity. They had a
chance to teach a lesson in tolerance and in standing up for academic
freedom and free speech, even though that speech may be unpopular and
may
cause hardship, fear and even -- gasp -- expense to the university.
Instead, they staged a kangaroo court, filled with half-truths and
self-righteous speechifying. The accused was not even allowed to
witness,
much less rebut the systematic assassination of his character. The
trustees
and university President Judy Genshaft opted to put politics, money and
image first, trampling on the rights of an employee, even as they
invoked
the documents that govern those rights.
-----
EDITORIAL: MOB RULE AT UNIVERSITY
The Palm Beach Post, 12/27/2001
http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/
Search using the term "Al-Arian."
In the first hard test of academic freedom for the state universities'
new
governing boards, the University of South Florida's board flunked. It
played to the mob...
...Before the vote, board member Connie Mack, the former U.S. senator,
asked if a less controversial professor offended part of the public,
"would
we not find some way to protect that individual?" Don't bother to wait
for
the answer. Mr. Mack voted with the majority against Mr. Al-Arian. The
answer seems ominously apparent.
-----
ATTACKS ALTER MUSLIMS' MEETING
By Maurice Tamman, The Atlanta Journal, 12/28/2001
www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/friday/news_c3c2a0d76499428f1062.html
An annual meeting of Muslims from the Southeast that opens in Atlanta
today
is expected to take on added weight in the aftermath of the Sept. 11
attacks in New York and Washington.
The Islamic Circle of North America selected the theme of the three-day
conference --- "Living Islam in America" --- before the attacks, but
the
topic seems especially pertinent these days, said Zulfiqar Ali Shah,
the
organization's president.
"Muslims are used to participating quietly and politely on the
sidelines
[in the United States]," Shah said.
"We're not used to playing in the major leagues."
And Muslims must be more effective telling others that their faith
abhors
terrorism, he said.
Regional President Manzoor Khalid said Muslims must develop a mantra of
sorts.
"They have to continue with their side of the story as to who Muslims
are
and what they believe," he said...
-----
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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 - 12/30/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: MODESTY AND HUMILITY
* CAIR-PA PARTICIPATES IN LECTURE SERIES ON ISLAM
* CAIR DISCUSSES PROFILING OF MUSLIM SECRET SERVICE AGENT ON CNN’S
TALKBACK
LIVE
- CAL THOMAS CALLS FOR “ISRAELIZATION” OF AMERICAN AIRLINE
SECURITY (Washington Times)
- * AMERICAN AIRLINES: TWO BLOOPERS (Washington Post)
* MUSLIM STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS SAY THEY'RE MISUNDERSTOOD (San Francisco
Chronicle)
- BRICKS HURLED AT MUSLIM-OWNED STORE DRIVE OUT S.F. MAN *
SOMALI
IMMIGRANTS LEARNING AGAIN TO LIVE WITH FEAR (AP)
* BEWARE PATRIOTISM WHEN IT SEEKS TO TAKE AWAY RIGHTS (Chicago Tribune)
* MUSLIMS MUST WORK TO DISPEL MISINFORMATION, LEADERS SAY (Atlanta
Journal)
* THE STORY OF ISLAM'S GIFT OF PAPER TO THE WEST (New York Times)
* ARABS PLAN MEDIA BLITZ TO IMPROVE IMAGE IN WEST (Reuters)
-----
HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: MODESTY AND HUMILITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Modesty results in good
alone and nothing else.”
Riyadh us-Saleheen Volume 1:682
“And the [true] servants of [God] the Most Gracious are those who walk
on
the earth in humility, and whenever the foolish address them, they
reply
with [words of] peace.”
The Holy Quran, Chapter 25, Verse 63
-----
CAIR-PA PARTICIPATES IN LECTURE SERIES ON ISLAM
Muslim faith to be discussed
The Harrisburg Patriot, 12/29/2001
The Presbyterian Congregation of Middletown, Union and Water streets,
will
examine "Our Muslim Neighbors and Their Faith" 9:15- 10:15 a.m. Sundays
during January. The Contemporary Issues and Faith Class is sponsoring
the
series.
The schedule is:
*Jan. 6 -- "What Islam is All About" with Dr. Parvez Ahmed, chair of
the
Central Pennsylvania Chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations;
* Jan. 13 -- "Welcome to the Quran" with Imam Rassan Sonday of the
Islamic
Center of Lancaster, who will present overview of the basic message and
theme in the Quran, the sacred writings of Islam;
*Jan. 20 -- "Rights and Responsibilities in Islam" with Dr. Rand
Arnout,
who is a female physician and teaches classes for women on Islam as
well as
communications director of the CAIR. She will discuss the rights and
responsibilities of all members in society including women, men and
children; *Jan. 27 -- "The Life of the Last Prophet" with Dr. Parvez
Ahmed
and Imam Rassan Sonday.
The class is open to the public. For more information, readers may call
the
church office at 944-4322.
-----
CAIR DISCUSSES PROFILING OF MUSLIM SECRET SERVICE AGENT ON CNN’S
TALKBACK
LIVE - 12/27/2001
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL, AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: They don't say,
"get
off the plane, you stinking Arab," they -- you know, there are other
things
that occur that indicate what's going on here. I think it's clear that
if
this person had been non-Muslim, non-Arab American, that there wouldn't
have been a problem.
SEE ALSO:
CAL THOMAS CALLS FOR “ISRAELIZATION” OF AMERICAN AIRLINE SECURITY
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20011230-84230236.htm
CONTACT: letters@washingtontimes.com, hbering@washingtontimes.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
AMERICAN AIRLINES: TWO BLOOPERS
By Colbert I. King, The Washington Post, 12/29/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37200-2001Dec28.html
…Contrast that level of scrutiny with the experience of a Secret
Service
agent and member of President Bush's security detail on Christmas
evening
at Baltimore Washington International Airport. The armed federal agent
was
kicked off an American Airlines flight from Baltimore to Dallas,
notwithstanding his U.S. government identification and his reported
offer
to have the Secret Service confirm who he was. The pilot, according to
airline spokesman Gus Whitcomb, reviewed the agent's paperwork to carry
a
gun and was not satisfied "with the short-term results." Federal
airline
regulations allow a captain to refuse passage to a customer if he
thinks it
might "compromise the safety of a flight," said Whitcomb.
The rule sounds prudent. But if a federal agent with government
credentials
can get kicked off an American Airlines plane, what are my chances of
making the cut? Does it all depend on which pilot I draw?...
…Now, please visualize Richard Colvin Reid in Row 29 on American
Airlines
Flight 63 high over the Atlantic busily trying to fire up his
explosives-laden sneakers with a match. Next imagine the federal agent
on
his way to his assignment to protect the president of the United States
being forced off AA on Christmas Day. And then hear spokesman Burke
yesterday on the presence of the suspected would-be suicide bomber on
board
AA Flight 63: "Obviously, the captain felt there was no compromise with
the
safety of the flight." And next, the airlines' defense of the agent's
expulsion: "During this time of heightened security, we feel no one is
above the approved security procedures."
No offense, American Airlines, but I'd just as soon take the bus.
-----
MUSLIM STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS SAY THEY'RE MISUNDERSTOOD
Some groups fear being persecuted for raising funds
By Elizabeth Bell, The San Francisco Chronicle, 12/30/2001
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/12/30/MN129435.DTL
One of the first things Samrana Ihsan did when she got to college was
track
down the Muslim Students Association, so she could join her fellow
students
in prayer, friendship and outreach to dispel misconceptions about her
religion.
As vice president of the Muslim student group at the University of
California at Davis, she's helped raise money for Afghan refugees,
organized lectures on Muslim culture, and invited members of local
churches
to join Muslim students in breaking the Ramadan fast.
Muslim Student Associations, called MSAs, exist on college campuses
across
the country, but in recent weeks students like Ihsan feel they've come
under suspicion. Media reports and some government officials have
speculated that some campus groups might be wittingly or unwittingly
funneling money to terrorists.
"Many of us are really starting to feel there's this witch hunt
starting.
It's all right to be Muslim, but to be Muslim and active, you're going
to
get in trouble," said Muhammed Esam, an officer with the Islamic
Society of
Stanford University…
…Students, however, say speculation that they are actively working to
support terrorists is absurd. They worry it's hurting the image of
groups
that are more focused on the social and spiritual needs of members than
with fund-raising or politics.
The national Muslim Student Association, the umbrella group for campus
chapters, has begun receiving hate mail based on reports alleging that
it
is openly raising money for groups suspected of supporting terrorists.
The group says that is false, and students feel their side of the story
isn't getting out.
"People just don't know about the good work Muslim students do on
campus,"
said Ghaith Mahmood, a student at the University of California in Los
Angeles and vice president of MSA West, which includes all California
chapters...
…National chapter president Altaf Husain said students' fund-raising
efforts are meant only to help the poor.
"We're the second generation, we have been raised here, you can sense
our
balance of priorities," said Husain. "We look to the social welfare of
our
neighbors, Muslims and non-Muslims, but we never forget there are just
as
many Muslims around the world who are in need of our assistance."
SEE ALSO:
BRICKS HURLED AT MUSLIM-OWNED STORE DRIVE OUT S.F. MAN
Marsha Ginsburg, The San Francisco Chronicle, 12/29/2001
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/12/29/MN193186.DTL
For now at least, Ahmad Namrouti is giving up on America.
It's just too difficult to be an Arab and live here, said the San
Francisco
grocer.
"I'm afraid," said the native of Jordan, who came here seven years ago
to
follow his dreams.
"I came here for freedom, to live here . . . for the good life," he
said,
figuring he would eventually bring over the seven children he left
behind.
At 59, Namrouti had just received his U.S. citizenship when the
terrorist
attacks took place Sept. 11. Within the week, an angry young man
stopped by
his small store at Third Avenue and Balboa Street, poked his head in
and
said, "Are you Arab?"
Namrouti said yes, and told the man to have a nice day. About 4 a.m.,
as he
slept in a single bed in a small back room, a 15-pound brick came
flying
through the front window of his store.
It shattered the window and would have hit him squarely in the head had
he
been sitting in the chair behind the counter that he occupies most of
the day.
He isn't holding a grudge against America -- he knows the lone man who
harassed him is angry or ignorant or both. And tears well up in his
eyes
when he talks about the kindness of neighbors who have tried to offer
him
money toward the $1,500 repair on his window, which he can't afford…
…Still, three months later, Namrouti can't forget it. The store where
he
has occasionally given away candy bars to neighbors is up for sale and
he
plans to return to his native Jordan…
-----
SOMALI IMMIGRANTS LEARNING AGAIN TO LIVE WITH FEAR
By LIZ SIDOTI, The Associated Press, 12/29/2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Fear has crept back into the lives of refugees
who
found a Midwest haven after enduring years of violent clashes between
clans
fighting for control of their native Somalia.
Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Somali immigrants say they have
faced
so much ridicule and violence that they worry they will never become
established in their new country.
"As Americans and Somalis, we've become victims again. So, where are we
going to run now? Nowhere. This is our home," said Nasro Iman, who
immigrated in 1992 to Columbus. "But some wonder what will happen to
us.
Are we going to be kicked out or sent back? There's a lot of
questions."
At the root of the fear is that their Muslim religion leads to
suspicions
that they support Osama bin Ladin's terrorist al-Qaida network. There
also
has been speculation that Somalia could become a target if the United
States broadens its war on terrorism, or that bin Laden could take
sanctuary in the African country.
An estimated 15,000 to 17,000 Somalis live in Columbus, the nation's
second-largest Somali immigrant community. Only Minneapolis has more,
20,000 to 30,000…
...Since the attacks, Somali immigrants have shared stories about
violence,
vandalism and verbal assaults.
In Minneapolis in October, a 66-year-old Somali immigrant, Ali W. Ali,
died
two days after he was found injured and unconscious at a bus stop.
The coroner ruled that Ali died of natural causes. But members of the
Somali community in Minneapolis contend he was a victim of a hate crime
and
that a white man struck Ali in the face.
Somali women say they have been targeted by people who see them wearing
their traditional veils…
..Other Somalis tell stories about drivers trying to run their cars off
the
road, people throwing trash at them and generally not being as friendly
as
they once were.
Some say the worst part is when their children are ridiculed…
"…I am an American and I have a right, too, not to be afraid. We came
all
the way to America to have peace and be safe," said Salah, a
41-year-old
computer teacher at a Somali-owned Columbus business, Rite Technology.
"We've been through civil war, killings, starvation. We've learned how
to
survive and we'll survive again."
-----
BEWARE PATRIOTISM WHEN IT SEEKS TO TAKE AWAY RIGHTS
M Cherif Bassiouni, The Chicago Tribune, 12/30/2001
(M Cherif Bassiouni is a professor of law at DePaul University.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/perspective/chi-0112300204dec30.story
The mirror held up to America's national tragedy in the immediate wake
of
Sept. 11 reflected strength, courage, generosity and hope amid the
ruins.
The brutal destruction of the World Trade Center towers could not match
the
heroism of New York City firefighters, police officers and civilians
who
became living metaphors of American strength, courage and selflessness
on
that terrible day and in the days that followed. At the Pentagon, the
same
was equally evident.
Throughout the nation, thousands of Americans rushed to give blood and
make
contributions, raising in a matter of weeks an unprecedented $1.2
billion
in aid for the survivors and families of those who fell on Sept. 11.
These
Americans, too, demonstrated how deep and wide is the generous spirit
that
pervades this nation.
The generosity of American spirit and deeds is not limited to grand
gestures at times of national crisis. It recurs daily in countless acts
of
charity and volunteerism; thousands of charitable and humanitarian
initiatives in every major city across the nation draw hundreds of
thousands of people from all walks of life, whose help reaches millions
at
home and abroad…
…But even as the mirror held up to our national tragedy has reflected
American good, it also has begun to reflect an incipient encroachment
on
human values and civil rights, all in the name of patriotism…
…in a climate of fear in which existence has become suddenly
unchartable
and clouded by the prospect of further acts of terrorism and violence,
there have been lapses into racial prejudice. Hundreds of Muslims have
been
attacked and vilified. Several people were killed, including two Sikhs,
who
are not Muslim. Mosques and churches in Arab communities were defaced;
Muslim women wearing head scarves were insulted and intimidated.
Worse than the aberrations of misguided individuals, though, the
collective
political will has been expressed in ways reminiscent of the treatment
of
Japanese-Americans during World War II. Official racial profiling has
been
used by the FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service to detain
more
than 1,200 Muslims, one of whom died in custody.
Few were charged with anything other than immigration violations, which
are
common among many nationalities. None of them has been charged with a
crime
related to the World Trade Center attacks. But this new racially driven
policy has deprived the detainees of their constitutional rights, such
as
not being arrested without probable cause, the right to remain silent
and
the right to counsel…
…Congress' legislative package known as the USA Patriot Act contains
several violations of constitutional standards. Bush has announced that
defendants in terrorism trials will be subjected to military tribunals
in
which evidence can be secret and procedural rights can be abridged.
This is
precisely what we steadfastly threw in the face of the former Soviet
Union,
China and others we deemed undemocratic…
…The mirror held up to our national tragedy reflects back a disharmony
of
images at home and abroad--a clash between war and humanitarianism,
morality and legality and the limits of military power…
-----
MUSLIMS MUST WORK TO DISPEL MISINFORMATION, LEADERS SAY
By MARK BIXLER, 12/29/2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution
www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/saturday/news_c3d2963b7171325e00ba.html
Muslim leaders urged followers in the Southeast on Friday to try to
dispel
misconceptions about Islam.
"Take advantage of any opportunity to let people have firsthand
experience
with Islam and with Muslims," said Souheil Ghannouchi, president of the
Muslim American Society. He spoke at the three-day "Living Islam in
America" convention at the Atlanta Airport Hilton and Towers. About
1,000
people attended Friday.
The convention is sponsored by the Southeast region of the Islamic
Circle
of North America, made up largely of Muslims who live in Georgia,
Alabama,
North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The region's president,
Manzoor A. Khalid of Gwinnett County, said more Americans have
associated
Islam with terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks.
…Khalid said the government has unfairly targeted Muslims in its
investigation, citing FBI interviews with about 5,000 Arabs and the
prolonged detention of hundreds of Middle Eastern immigrants for
reasons
authorities will not divulge…
…He said Muslims should visit churches and synagogues, hold open houses
at
mosques and speak to civic groups. Khalid addressed the Roswell Kiwanis
club last week. Ghannouchi agreed that Muslims should venture outside
mosques and community centers to involve themselves in the larger
community.
"I think the isolation has lasted much longer than it needs to," he
said.
-----
THE STORY OF ISLAM'S GIFT OF PAPER TO THE WEST
By Holland Cotter, The New York Times, 12/29/2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/29/arts/design/29SHEL.html
The paper on which these words are printed comes to you courtesy of
Islamic
civilization. Not directly, of course. Paper was invented in China
around
the first century. But it was Muslim merchants traveling the Silk Road
in
the eighth century who first brought the light, thin, pliable stuff
west.
And it was through Islamic culture in North Africa that paper arrived
in
medieval Europe, where it took on an explosive life.
Islam seldom gets credit for this contribution to Western life, one
integral to advances in every aspect of the sciences and the
humanities.
Instead, accounts of how paper developed tend to jump from ancient
China to
15th-century Germany and Johann Gutenberg's invention of movable-type
printing, ignoring the centuries in between. A new book called "Paper
Before Print: The History and Impact of Paper in the Islamic World"
(Yale
University Press) fills that gap. Written by Jonathan M. Bloom, a
professor
of Islamic and Asian art at Boston College, it is an engaged, detailed,
lucidly argued study of paper's progress...
-----
ARABS PLAN MEDIA BLITZ TO IMPROVE IMAGE IN WEST
By Rawhi Abeidoh, Reuters, 12/29/2001
MUSCAT, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Gulf Arab leaders, worried that the West
increasingly sees Arabs and Muslims as "evil," plan to launch a
multi-million-dollar media campaign to improve their peoples' image at
a
summit opening on Sunday.
The annual conference of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
was
expected to approve a plan to counter what it sees as a campaign of
"hatred
and enmity" towards Arabs and Muslims since the September 11 attacks on
the
United States, delegates said on Saturday.
Gulf governments have condemned the attacks, but decry what they see as
Western media attempts to link Islam with terrorism.
"The campaign against Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, is
itself a
form of terrorism," Omani Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi bin
Abdullah
said on the eve of the two-day summit…
…A ministerial panel to implement the media blitz would be led by UAE
Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zaid al Nahayan, who runs Abu
Dhabi satellite television, one of the most prolific state-owned
channels
in the Arab world.
It calls for setting up three satellite television channels -- in
English,
French and Spanish -- to woo public opinion in North America and
Europe,
which have seen a spate of hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims since
the
September attacks…
-----
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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
OHIO MOSQUE VANDALISM PROMPTS CALL FOR POLICE PROTECTION
(COLUMBUS, OH - 12/30/2001) - The Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio
(IFCO)
and the Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR-Ohio) today called on law enforcement authorities in that state
to
step up protection of Muslim institutions and businesses following an
attack by vandals on the Islamic Center of Columbus.
The vandals caused severe damage overnight to all three floors of the
center. Copies of the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, were shredded.Water
pipes were ripped out of walls and broken in a way that would cause
maximum
damage to the center.
CAIR-Ohio has recorded several incidents of anti-Muslim harassment,
threats, discrimination, and violence over the past three months.
"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-Ohio Executive Director Jad Humeidan. Humeidan called on elected
officials to reiterate their statements rejecting anti-Muslim hysteria
and
discrimination.
“This attack is not against a mosque, it's an attack against all
religions,
against our liberties and against our values,” said IFCO President
Mohammed
Shareef.
IFCO is offering $1,000 reward for any leads that result in the capture
and
prosecution of the perpetrators.
The attack was not the first against Ohio religious institutions.
Immediately after the September 11th terrorist attacks, the Greater
Cleveland Islamic Center was attacked by a drunk driver who smashed his
car
through a wall, knocked over three pillars and landed on top of a
fountain
in the mosque rotunda. A drive by shooting also occurred at the Islamic
Center of Greater Toledo.
CAIR-Ohio is calling on Muslims and people of other faiths to help
repair
the damage done to the mosque.
- END -
CONTACT: Tel: 614-451-3232 E-Mail: Ohio@cair-net.org
ACTION REQUESTED:
1) Please Call the Islamic Center of Columbus and offer your support,
Tel:
614-253-3251
2) Send you donations to:
Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio
C/o CAIR-Ohio
4700 Reed Road, Suite B
Columbus, OH 43220
3) Call the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, Columbus Regional Office
(614-466-5928) to ask for their assistance in ending hate crimes
against
Muslims.
To subscribe/unsubscribe to CAIR’s Ohio-Net, go to:
http://cairohio.biglist.com/ohio-net/
-----
ISLAMIC CENTER VANDALIZED
By EMILY SWARTZLANDER, The Associated Press, 12/30/2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Members of the Islamic Center of Columbus said they
discovered holes drilled in floors, water pipes pulled from walls and
water-saturated floors and ceilings when they arrived Sunday morning…
…No damage estimate was available, though Shareef said the three-story
building would have to be completely renovated because of the damage.
Members of the center, which serves as a mosque and has classrooms,
discovered the damage when they came for prayer services about 7 a.m.,
said
Siraj Haji, one of the first to arrive at the building.
Vandals apparently broke into the center through a side door, said
Ahmad
Al-Akhras, president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in
Columbus.
They then went to a third floor bathroom and pulled the water pipes
from
the sink and walls, Al-Akhras said…
…In addition to the water damage, several copies of the Quran, the
Islamic
holy book, were shredded or thrown into the parking lot, and light
fixtures
also were pulled from the ceiling, Haji said…
…Police have no suspects and made no arrests, said spokesman Sgt. Earl
Smith. Officers will investigate whether the vandalism is related to
the
attacks...
…Mosques around Ohio have been targets of attacks since the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks, which have linked with Muslim groups.
At least one window was damaged by gunfire at The Islamic Center of
Toledo,
while a mosque in Parma, near Cleveland, has reported damage to
windows.
On Dec. 12, a suburban Cleveland man pleaded guilty to felony charges
of
burglary, ethnic intimidation and vandalism for ramming his car into
the
Islamic Center of Cleveland six days after the terrorist attacks…
-----
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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 - 12/31/2001
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: SEARCHING FOR KNOWLEDGE
* ANN COULTER CALLS MIDDLE EASTERNERS "CAMEL RIDING NOMADS" (Daily
Barometer)
* ISLAMIC CENTER RANSACKED (Columbus Dispatch)
* (GA.) MUSLIMS HOPE TERRORIST ATTACKS DON'T HURT CEMETERY (AP)
* EDITORIAL: RACIAL PROFILING? (Sacramento Bee)
* MUSLIMS HELP BINGHAMTON BUILD BRIGHTER FUTURE (Commercial Appeal)
* MUSLIMS IN THE MOSAIC (Essence)
- ADDRESSING THE MEDIA'S PORTRAYAL OF MUSLIM WOMEN (Azizah)
* 'MY DAD BUYS ME BOOKS ABOUT ISLAM' (Sunday Telegraph)
* AD WOMAN CHARLOTTE BEERS'S NEW CAMPAIGN: GETTING THE WORLD TO BUY
AMERICA
(Washington Post)
* 'GOOD VS. EVIL' VIEW OF THE WAR MAY BRING DEFEAT (Baltimore Sun)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SEARCHING FOR KNOWLEDGE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A person who goes (out
of
his house) in search of knowledge, he is on God's way and remains so
until
he returns."
Riyadh us-Saleheen, Volume 1:1385
-----
ANN COULTER CALLS MIDDLE EASTERNERS "CAMEL RIDING NOMADS"
WHO'S IRRATIONAL NOW, COULTER?
By Joel Fowlks, OSU (Oregon State U.) Daily Barometer, 11/28/2001
...An OSU College Republican invitee, Coulter gave a rousing, if not
controversial talk at the MU Ballroom, Nov. 18. As well as criticizing
the
political intelligence of college students, she raised the ire of many
audience members by referring to Native Americans as "Peyote Smoking
Indians" and Middle Easterners as "camel riding nomads." ...
...In fact, her insensitivity to Middle Easterners even got her fired
from
one the countries' most conservative publications. The National Review
canned Coulter for suggesting in her online column that in response to
the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks "We should invade their countries, kill
their
leaders, and convert them to Christianity..."
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,
webmaster@uexpress.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
ANN COULTER'S BIO: http://www.uexpress.com/anncoulter/bio.cfm
-----
ISLAMIC CENTER RANSACKED
By Michelle Everhart, The Columbus dispatch, 12/31/2001
www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/news/news01/dec01/1009808.html
The 15 Muslims who came to worship early yesterday morning at the
Masjidka
Islamic Center did not let the vandalism they encountered stop them --
they
prayed in the parking lot in sub-freezing temperatures.
"People don't wake up in the morning and just decide they are going to
do
something like this," Siraj Haji said. "These things brew in their
hearts
for years, and we have to change their hearts and minds."
The group arrived for morning prayer to find water pouring from the
ceiling, light fixtures hanging precariously from the walls and copies
of
the Quran scattered throughout the building.
Sometime after 10 p.m. Saturday, vandals broke into the center at 1428
E.
Broad St. through a side door.
They ransacked the three-story building, pulling light fixtures from
the
walls and overturning furniture.
A school project was ruined in a third-floor classroom. Picture frames
and
a chandelier lay broken in the mosque.
"We have been violated in a place of worship," said Ahmad Al-Akhras,
president of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
"The sacred Quran was thrown everywhere..."
...The center has received numerous threatening calls and letters since
the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks but nothing specific, Shareef said. "We got
a
letter a few weeks back saying we should all leave the country," he
said...
DONATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED TO REPAIR THE MOSQUE:
Send you donations to:
Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio
C/o CAIR-Ohio
4700 Reed Road, Suite B
Columbus, OH 43220
614-451-3232
-----
MUSLIMS HOPE TERRORIST ATTACKS DON'T HURT CEMETERY
The Associated Press, 12/31/2001
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - The Georgia Islamic Institute will go before
the
Board of Commissioners in January to ask for a permit to create an
Islamic
cemetery.
The Gwinnett County government had put off consideration of the
controversial plan, responding to Muslims who were concerned after the
terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
Commissioner John Dunn said the anti-Muslim sentiment is no longer an
issue
and that tabling the matter will not be necessary. The groups are
scheduled
to meet Jan. 22.
"I think that we've had several months to cool off," Dunn said. "I
think
people watch the news and understand it. They know Muslims are peaceful
people."
The proposed 1,500-plot cemetery was to go before a county planning
board
and its full county commission in September. Both boards postponed the
hearings at the request of Muslim community leaders.
Hafiz Abdal Ghaffar Khan, the leader of the Georgia Islamic Institute,
said
asking for a postponement was difficult. The imam worries that the
anti-Muslim sentiment will hurt their chances.
"It's still going on in this area," said Khan. "Waiting would give us a
better chance to make our case..."
-----
EDITORIAL: RACIAL PROFILING?
Agent's treatment sure sounds like it
The Sacramento Bee, 12/29/2001
http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/1389987p-1464038c.html
An Arab American Secret Service agent was pulled off an American
Airlines
flight in Baltimore by the plane's captain the other day. The pilot,
who,
by law, has ultimate authority aboard the airplane, said there was a
discrepancy in the paperwork the agent was required to fill out to
carry
his gun aboard the plane.
Because the details of the discrepancy have not been made public, it's
impossible to know for sure whether the pilot's action was justified or
another instance of racial profiling.
The agent himself has no doubts, though. He has filed a complaint with
the
Council of American-Islamic Relations.
Unfortunately, it is hard to believe the airline's contention that the
Secret Service agent's ethnicity was not a factor. This incident is all
too
similar to a number of other instances in which perfectly law-abiding
Arab
Americans or people of Middle Eastern descent have been thrown off
flights
for no good reason...
...When told of the incident involving the agent on his security
detail,
the president said that if the investigation shows that the agent was a
victim of racial profiling, he would be "madder than heck." All
fair-minded
Americans should be, too.
-----
MUSLIMS HELP BINGHAMTON BUILD BRIGHTER FUTURE
By Jacinthia Jones, The Commercial Appeal, 12/30/2001
www.gomemphis.com/mca/local_news/article/0,1426,MCA_437_924443,00.html
The first Muslim-sponsored housing initiative in Memphis is under way
in
the Binghamton neighborhood.
Local Muslims and Binghamton residents are partners in building a house
at
3015 Crystal as a demonstration project aimed at attracting grants and
other funding for future building projects.
The three-bedroom, two-bath brick home's foundation was poured this
month,
the first visible sign of progress on the often-delayed project.
The house-raising effort has been a labor of love for Hamidullah Adam,
who
is spearheading the project with initial money contributed by a local
mosque after the group was unable to get a federal grant or a loan from
a
bank.
"We don't want it to seem like we're begging," Adam said. "All we want
is
the opportunity to help in the community. Our first approach is small,
but
we hope it will grow."
Eventually, the group hopes to build and sell houses to low- and
middle-income families...
"...We are very excited about all of this," said Dr. Nabil Bayakly,
director of Masjid An-noor. "We tried to do this five years ago, but we
were small and couldn't make it."
Since then the Muslim community has grown and now are ready to try
again,
Bayakly said.
-----
MUSLIMS IN THE MOSAIC
BY EISA NEFERTARI ULEN, Essence Magazine, January 2002
(Eisa Nefertari Ulen teaches literature at Hunter College in New York
City.)
http://www.essence.com
I am an American Muslim, a woman who freely chose Islam, the second
largest
religion in the world, as my personal path to spiritual power. I am
also
African-American, instilled with a legacy of activism since childhood.
I am blessed to inhabit what many people think of as two different
worlds
-- I live in the secular, democratic United States, where many
religions
are practiced, and I also devoutly follow Islam. As a woman I can
attest
that these worlds are essentially parallel. Among all people there is
good
-- and evil...
...In both worlds I bear witness to sisters constrained by man's
convenient
misinterpretations of law. I also bear witness to my brothers -- Black
men
in sleek cars -- who are profiled by the police. Now, since the
terrorist
attacks, it's my Muslim brothers -- men in knitted kufis -- who are
profiled by their neighbors. And there are my American Muslim sisters
who,
because they wear the hijab (veil), now hesitate to leave their homes.
Yet
no one profiled scrubbed-faced White men in button-down collars after
Timothy McVeigh bombed the Oklahoma City federal building...
...I chose Islam because I insist on justice and because I love Allah.
I
think Allah chose me because I write, teach and demonstrate. Black life
has
often been held in opposition to American life. But since September 11,
as
a Muslim, I've felt my life held in opposition yet again. With more
than 1
billion Muslims, Islam represents about 20 percent of the world's
diverse
people. The United States, too, is a mosaic of cultures, and Islam --
with
up to 6 million American Muslims, approximately 30 percent of them
African-American -- belongs in that mosaic.
At congregational Jummah prayer at the mosque, I sit with my many-hued
Muslim sisters. I celebrate the sanctity of difference in Islam. But as
we
Americans rightfully insist on justice and legal retribution for the
attacks, we African-Americans must remember our history. If we forget
our
shared experience as people of color in America, if we shrink and cower
from one another because some of us don't know or understand Islam, we
simply acquiesce to more death, more war.
...We sisters, Black women of all faiths, must unite and protect the
ideal
of American freedom, standing up for any sister in this country who
feels
vulnerable to taunts and threats because she is veiled. We must do this
because we understand that beneath her hijab, that sister is one of us.
SEE ALSO: ADDRESSING THE MEDIA'S PORTRAYAL OF MUSLIM WOMEN
http://www.azizahmagazine.com/issue4Pg.htm
-----
'MY DAD BUYS ME BOOKS ABOUT ISLAM'
By Jonathan Petre, The Sunday Telegraph, 12/30/2001
www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/12/30/nmus3
30.xml
The son of a former British cabinet minister is one of a growing number
of
members of the British middle classes to convert to Islam.
Joe Ahmed-Dobson, 26, was brought up in an atmosphere which he
describes as
"agnostic at best."
He now prays to Allah five times a day "unless prevented by some act of
God," reads the Koran and is planning a pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike
many of
the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Britons who have converted to Islam over
the
past 20 years, his decision was not greeted with horror by his family
--
even though his father, Frank Dobson, was the secretary of state for
health
at the time.
Speaking publicly about his faith for the first time, he said his
initial
impressions of Islam were almost entirely negative.
When he was 16, however, a friend gave him an English translation of
the
Koran.
"Reading through it was a revelation," he said. "It was entirely
contrary
to all the perceptions I had of Islam.
"It praised education, for both men and women. It said that you had to
treat everyone with respect...
-----
AD WOMAN CHARLOTTE BEERS'S NEW CAMPAIGN: GETTING THE WORLD TO BUY
AMERICA
By Peter Carlson, The Washington Post, 12/31/2001
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43213-2001Dec30.html
...early this year, Powell summoned Beers to the State Department,
hoping
to use her advertising talents to help sell America overseas. She
accepted
his job offer, but by the time she was confirmed by the Senate on Oct.
2,
the country had been attacked by terrorists and Beers found herself
running
America's propaganda war.
...Beers stands in her office at the State Department, holding up a
copy of
an advertisement headlined, "Can a Woman Stop Terrorism?"
It's part of her first ad campaign for the feds and it's designed to
promote the State Department's Rewards for Justice program, which pays
people who provide information on terrorists. Beers and Powell are
about to
preview the ad campaign at a news conference, but first, dressed in
black
pants, a brown turtleneck sweater and a long string of beads, she's
showing
it to a handful of reporters in a sort of pre-preview preview.
"We're talking about the way this campaign will work," she says. "At
the
moment, we have it in print and radio in English. We intend to
translate it
into Spanish and Arabic..."
...Under her tutelage, the department distributed a pamphlet about the
September attacks that is illustrated with dramatic photos of the
victims
as well as a four-minute video with footage of the attacks, set to
ominous,
pulsing music. At Beers's behest, a State Department Web site aimed at
foreigners has added a feature on "Muslim Life in America," illustrated
with pictures of mosques and smiling Muslim families...
-----
'GOOD VS. EVIL' VIEW OF THE WAR MAY BRING DEFEAT
By Molly Ivins, The Baltimore Sun, 12/30/2001
http://www.sunspot.net/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.ivins30dec30.story
...It seems to me it does no one any good to keep saying, "Our enemies
are
evil people who hate us because we are successful." That's certainly
not
the way they look at it - and, at the very least, it is necessary to
understand your enemy in order to fight him.
We have already reached such a pass with oversimplification that the
words
"root causes" are used as a scornful code for wussiness ("He thinks we
should try to understand the 'root causes.' What a wimp!"), as though
trying to understand someone else's point of view is a weakness.
As many others have pointed out, we are probably dealing with at least
two
aspects of terrorism. One is the perverted holy-warrior fantasy of
Osama
bin Laden, and the other is the consequence of history and policy.
If you drive people off their land - say, the Palestinians - and leave
them
to rot in refugee camps for three generations, you are going to get
terrorism. If you further aggravate old wounds by sending settlers into
Palestinian territory and ruthlessly occupy same, you will get more
terrorism.
This is not a great mystery, nor is it caused by envy of American
success.
There is no weakness in re-examining policies that lead to terrorism.
We'd
be fools not to do so.
-----
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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 - 1/1/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: MEN AND WOMEN
* COLUMBUS DISPATCH PROFILES CAIR-OHIO
- NEIGHBORS REACH OUT TO MOSQUE
- OHIO STUDENT DEFENDS CAIR SPEAKER
* AS DRAGNET CONTINUES, CITIZENSHIP FILINGS RISE (New York Times)
* EDITORIAL: DETAINEES WRONGLY TREATED (St. Petersburg Times)
* MUSLIM TIES MAY HAVE PROMPTED ADL FIRING (Los Angeles Times)
* DETROIT EDITOR SAYS 15 PERCENT OF MUSLIMS ARE “EXTREMISTS” (Detroit
News)
* VA MOSQUE COLLECTS WINTER CLOTHING FOR AFGHANISTAN
-----
HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: MEN AND WOMEN
“The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another. They
enjoin
what is just and forbid what is evil.”
The Holy Quran, Chapter 9, Verse 71
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The best thing in this
world is a virtuous woman (wife).”
Riyadh us-Salaheen, 1:280
-----
COLUMBUS DISPATCH PROFILES CAIR-OHIO
COUNCIL SEEKS TO ATTACH TRUE FACE TO U.S. ISLAM
By Michelle Everhart, The Columbus Dispatch, 1/1/2002
http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/news/news02/jan02/1011102.html
…Members of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations
have been trying to teach people about Islam since long before the
Sept. 11
attacks on the United States.
They say more education is needed because Muslims have not been
represented
properly in the news media.
"We are the first to say that terrorism is against our religion, so why
is
it I have to prove my patriotism?” said Ahmad Al-Akhras, president of
the
Ohio chapter.
To curb ignorance about the religion, the group has committed itself to
teaching the community, improving relations with the news media and
protecting the civil rights of Muslims.
"We are similar to a Muslim NAACP,” said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman
for
the national group based in Washington...
"…We try to focus on domestic issues and mobilize the Muslim
community,''
he said.”We've had tremendous success.” [Alhamdulillah]
The success stems in part from educational pamphlets. Guides on Islamic
religious practices for employers, educators and health-care providers
explain time and scheduling considerations, dietary requirements,
Muslim
clothing and other facts about the religion, Hooper said...
…The Ohio chapter, formed in June 1998, opened its office at 4700 Reed
Rd.
in May, said Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, the vice president.
The local chapter helps workers such as Abdirahim Sheikh protect their
rights to pray. After the group contacted DecisionOne, a
computer-technology support provider in Columbus, work accommodations
were
made last year for Sheikh and about 60 other Muslim workers to pray…
…Sheikh said DecisionOne originally denied Muslims breaks for prayer.
"CAIR contacted the company and sent them information about our
religious
activity,” said Sheikh, an immigrant from Somalia. "The company was
completely understanding.”
The local council also has helped Muslim women overcome
misunderstandings
in their workplaces. As part of dressing modestly in public, many
Muslim
women cover their head with a scarf.
"Before, people didn't pray or wear religious clothes because they were
afraid to,” Mobin-Uddin said. "We are a solid resource for those people
to
educate their schools and companies.”
Jim Stowe, executive director of Columbus' Community Relations
Commission,
said the council has done an extraordinary job of teaching the
community
about the Islamic faith. The commission has worked with the group to
help
ensure workers' religious rights…
…The Council on American-Islamic Relations Ohio chapter has an open
house
from 6 to 8 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at its offices.
CONTACT: ohio@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
NEIGHBORS REACH OUT TO MOSQUE
Muslims want vandalism pursued as a hate crime
By Felix Hoover, The Columbus Dispatch, 1/1/2002
http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/news/news02/jan02/1011076.html
Central Ohio Muslims said yesterday that weekend vandalism at Columbus'
oldest mosque was obviously a hate crime, but police haven't yet
declared
it so.
While the investigation continues, non-Muslims are responding with
offers
of space, money and other support for worshippers who cannot use the
ransacked and flooded Islamic Center on E. Broad Street.
Mayor Michael B. Coleman, officials at the city's Community Relations
Commission and local Muslim leaders visited the historic building
yesterday
afternoon.
"Whether a burglary or a hate crime, this is unacceptable,” Coleman
said.
Police are investigating whether the damage was a hate crime, said Sgt.
Earl Smith, Police Division spokesman.
Muslim community leaders said the indication is clear: Qurans and other
religious artifacts were desecrated, but no money was taken from
collection
boxes near the rear entrance. The money has since been moved elsewhere
for
safekeeping…
…Earlier yesterday, Frank Morris of Bexley knocked on the front door of
the
center, 1428 E. Broad St., and handed a check to a mosque member "just
because I think what happened was terrible,” he said.
…Congregation Tifereth Israel, a nearby church and the Rotary Club of
Columbus have offered assistance while the center is closed.
…The vandalism has increased apprehension among Columbus-area Muslims,
who
had hoped that such incidents were abating 3 1/2 months after the
terrorist
attacks, said Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, vice president of the Ohio chapter
of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"It's scary…This was obviously planned,” she said, citing reports that
the
vandals had used drills to maximize the water damage.
"It shows in such a concrete way how much anger and how much hatred
there
is against the (Muslim) community,” she said.
DONATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED TO REPAIR THE MOSQUE
Send you donations to:
Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio
C/o CAIR-Ohio
4700 Reed Road, Suite B
Columbus, OH 43220
TEL: 614-451-3232
OHIO STUDENT DEFENDS CAIR SPEAKER
LETTERS: THOUGHT POLICE WOULD FIT IN WELL WITH TALIBAN
By Ted Endo, The Columbus Dispatch, 12/28/2001
I am appalled by Bexley resident Emily Haninger's personal crusade to
eradicate all beliefs that she feels are "dangerous” or "anti-American”
from the Bexley school system ("School board backs Muslim speaker,”
Dispatch article, Dec. 18).
As a junior at Bexley High School, I attended the assembly, and I found
all
three speakers, especially [CAIR representative] Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin,
to
be very fair and informative. To say that Mobin-Uddin's presentation
"argues that American foreign policy is so horrible that we can blame
it
for the terrorist attacks” is such a stretch of the truth that it is
laughable.
In truth, Mobin-Uddin thoroughly explained that she was not justifying
the
actions of the terrorists. Instead, she gave us a series of reasons
that
the terrorists use to justify their attacks on America.
Mobin-Uddin and the other two speakers presented cold, hard facts to
us.
There is no need for another speaker to rebuff what was said by the
Muslim
speakers because they did not, in any way, try to malign the U.S.
government.
Furthermore, each and every student in our school knows the U.S.
viewpoint
on this subject; we do not need to hear it from someone else. It is our
responsibility as students and as Americans to understand both sides of
this conflict so we can help to bring about a better resolution.
It is time that Haninger's quarrel with the Bexley school board and
superintendent is exposed for what it really is: a biased, unwarranted
and
purely anti-American attack on free speech that she is trying to pass
off
as some sort of patriotic crusade. If Haninger is really looking for a
school in which all viewpoints support the decisions of the government,
regardless of what they may be, she can always move to Afghanistan.
-----
AS DRAGNET CONTINUES, CITIZENSHIP FILINGS RISE
The New York Times, 1/1/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/01/national/01IMMI.html
The government's clampdown on the civil liberties of noncitizens since
the
attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon has led to an increase
in
naturalization requests by Arab and Muslim immigrants, some immigration
lawyers are reporting.
Although federal officials say naturalization applications are down
over
all, lawyers in some of the nation's largest Arab and Muslim
communities
say applications for citizenship from members of these groups have
increased by as much as a third since mid-September. Steven N. Garmo,
an
immigration lawyer with clients in Dearborn, Mich., where one in four
people are Arab-American, said he processed 80 to 100 requests for
citizenship last year, the majority of those for Arabs and Muslims with
permanent resident status. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Mr.
Garmo
said, filings are up by more than 30 percent.
"I attribute this to so-called aliens who feel that their liberties are
jeopardized" since the Bush administration began its domestic war on
terror, he said. "They are treated as foreigners and are deportable…"
…Since the government's investigation into the September attacks began,
hundreds of Middle Eastern immigrants have been detained on charges of
immigration violations. The Patriot Act, approved since the attacks,
gives
Attorney General John Ashcroft broad latitude in indefinitely detaining
foreigners if they are deemed a security threat.
Now, permanent residents lacking citizenship status face the
possibility of
detention -- even deportation -- for such infractions as violating
visas.
"Obviously, you have greater protection now if you are a citizen," said
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations,
an advocacy group in Washington. "If you are not an absolute
card-carrying
citizen, anything can be done to you."
-----
EDITORIAL: DETAINEES WRONGLY TREATED
St. Petersburg Times, 1/1/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/01/Opinion/Detainees_wrongly_tre.shtml
As reports come in from some of the 1,200 people the Justice Department
has
detained in the course of its investigation into the terrorist attacks
of
Sept. 11, it becomes clear that the FBI has mishandled some of the
cases…But what makes some of the detainees'stories so disturbing is the
way
a number of them were condemned to spend days and even weeks in jail
even
after it became clear that they had nothing to do with terrorism or
al-Qaida...
…there is the case of Floridians Nacer Mustafa and his father, Fathi
Mustafa, both American citizens, who were jailed in Texas on Sept. 15
as
they were returning from a business trip to Mexico. Federal officials
claimed their passports had been altered with an extra layer of
laminate.
The elder Mustafa, 66, was held for 11 days before being released on
bond
with an ankle bracelet. Nacer Mustafa, 29, was held for 67 days until
the
charges against both him and his father were dismissed…
…The federal agents conducting this investigation don't want to admit
mistakes. That makes the fact that they are still holding hundreds of
people without accounting for them that much more of a concern.
-----
MUSLIM TIES MAY HAVE PROMPTED ADL FIRING
LONGTIME L.A. JEWISH LEADER IS DISMISSED
By TERESA WATANABE, The Los Angeles Times, 1/1/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000000190jan01.story
David Lehrer, the Los Angeles regional director of the Anti-Defamation
League, has been abruptly dismissed from his post after 27 years with
the
nation's premier Jewish civil rights organization.
The dismissal, delivered Dec. 21 in New York by the league's national
director, Abraham Foxman, drew immediate statements of shock, sadness
and
outrage Monday from Jewish community members in Los Angeles.
It was not clear why Lehrer was dismissed, and he said he was "stunned"
by
the news…
…Los Angeles, some of Lehrer's differences with national leaders
surfaced
in his relations with Muslims. Lehrer was one of the first area Jewish
leaders to step forward and forge a code of ethics with Muslim leaders
to
civilize debate between the two sides in 1998. He also was known to
differ
with the national league's opposition to Los Angeles Muslim leader
Salam
Al-Marayati's appointment to a national counterterrorism commission.
(Al-Marayati's nomination was subsequently withdrawn after Jewish
opposition.)
"Probably he is paying the price for the more balanced view he took
toward
Muslims," said Aslam Abdullah, vice president of the Muslim Public
Affairs
Council…
-----
DETROIT EDITOR SAYS 15 PERCENT OF MUSLIMS ARE “EXTREMISTS”
MUSLIM WORLD MUST FIND MEANS TO RESOLVE ISSUE OF ISLAMIC EXTREMISM
By Nolan Finley, The Detroit News, 1/1/2002
http://www.detnews.com/2002/editorial/0201/01/a15-378387.htm
(Nolan Finley is editorial page editor of The Detroit News. Contact him
at
nfinley@detnews.com or (313) 222-2064.)
…Extremists make up about 15 percent of Islam's followers. If not dealt
with before that number reaches 30 or 50 percent, the clash of
civilizations predicted nearly a decade ago by Harvard professor Samuel
Huntington will be inevitable. Huntington wrote of "Islam's bloody
borders"
-- the chronic inability of Muslim nations to live peacefully with
neighbors of a different culture.
That fact belies the well-worn declaration that Islam is a religion of
peace. On paper, perhaps, and in the hearts of its majority. But in
practice, Islam has a bloody inner lining.
The well-being of the modern world rests on subduing this ancient
religion's violent practitioners. That will require Muslim states that
side
with civilization to take a more aggressive stand against radicals,
recognizing that the pre-modern, unified Islamic theocracy they
envision
will doom Muslims to poverty, isolation and ignorance…
CONTACT: letters@detnews.com, nfinley@detnews.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, cair@cairmichigan.org
-----
VA MOSQUE COLLECTS WINTER CLOTHING FOR AFGHANISTAN
WHERE: DAR AL-HIJRAH ISLAMIC CENTER, 3159Row Street, Falls Church, VA
WHEN: Wednesday January 2, 2002, From Zuhur Prayer (12:30 p.m.) Until
Isha
Prayer (8:30 p.m.)
Please bring winter clothing and shoes (in a clean and good condition)
to
Dar Al-Hijrah on Wednesday. Please drop off all items in the truck. The
truck will depart immediately after Isha Prayer
For More info please contact Br. Dawud at dawud3@netzero.net or call
(703)
536-1030.
-----
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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 - 1/2/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO PARENTS
* PASSENGER SUPPORTS AGENT'S CLAIM OF PROFILING
- EDITORIAL: BIGOTS IN THE COCKPIT (Denver Post)
* OHIO MUSLIMS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF VANDALIZED MOSQUE
* RANKS OF LATINOS TURNING TO ISLAM ARE INCREASING (New York Times)
* LETTERS: IMPRISONED (National Post)
* LEARNING ISLAM, TEACHING AMERICA (San Francisco Chronicle)
* ISLAM PORTRAYS A SENSUAL AFTERLIFE (Atlanta Journal and Constitution)
* BATTLING ISLAMIC 'PURITANS' (Los Angeles Times)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO PARENTS
Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him and that ye be kind
to
parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say
not to
them a word of contempt nor repel them, but address them in terms of
honor.
And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility and say: "My
Lord!
bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 17, Verses 23-24
-----
PASSENGER SUPPORTS AGENT'S CLAIM OF PROFILING
Seatmate of Muslim Secret Service agent says profiling was "blatant"
(WASHINGTON, DC - 1/2/2002) - The passenger sitting next to a Muslim
Secret
Service agent who says he was removed from an American Airlines flight
because of racial and religious profiling has come forward to support
that
allegation.
The passenger told the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a
Washington-based Islamic advocacy group handling the agent's civil
rights
complaint, that the actions of the flight crew amounted to "blatant
profiling." "He was kicked off the plane because of his race," said the
passenger.
That assessment is based on the comments and demeanor of the flight
attendant who allegedly searched the agent's jacket after he was pulled
off
the plane. The agent's seatmate reports that the flight attendant
indicated
she was not comfortable with the presence of the agent, particularly
after
she found a book on Middle Eastern history in his jacket.
The agent (for security reasons, CAIR is not releasing his name)
alleges
that he was kicked off American Airlines Flight 363 from Baltimore to
Dallas on December 25 because the captain had concerns about his
identity,
even though the agent went through the proper procedures for armed
security
personnel who are passengers. The agent's identification was
subsequently
checked several times by American personnel and by local police. He
even
offered to have the Secret Service confirm his identity.
SEE: "Federal Agent Accuses Pilot of Discrimination" at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32362-2001Dec27.html
When the agent asked to go back on the plane to retrieve his jacket,
the
captain said: "I don't want him back on that plane." A code denying the
agent access to other flights was also allegedly entered into
American's
computer system. President Bush has said that he would be "madder than
heck" if the incident was caused by profiling.
"We thank the agent's seatmate for coming forward and ask that American
Airlines reconsider its position based on this new information," said
CAIR
Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad added that CAIR's civil rights department has received more than
160
reports of airport profiling of Muslims or those who are perceived to
be
"Middle Eastern" since the terrorist attacks of September 11. The group
asked that American Airlines apologize to the agent and clarify its
policy
on racial and religious profiling. The agent has retained legal
counsel.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
EDITORIAL: BIGOTS IN THE COCKPIT
The Denver Post, 1/2/2002
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,417%257E308934,00.html
That an Arab-American Secret Service agent assigned to guard President
Bush
was bumped off an American Airlines flight from Baltimore to Dallas on
Christmas Day is an appalling example of outright bigotry no amount of
spin-doctoring can remedy...
-----
OHIO MUSLIMS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF VANDALIZED MOSQUE
WHAT: On Friday, January 4, 2002, at 3 p.m., central Ohio Muslims and
their
supporters will gather at the Islamic Center of Columbus to show
solidarity
and pledge to rebuild the Columbus Islamic Center.
Vandals recently caused severe damage to all three floors of the
center.
Copies of the Quran, Islam's revealed text, were shredded, water pipes
were
ripped out of walls and broken in a way that would cause maximum
damage.
WHEN: Friday, January 4, 2002, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Islamic Center, 1428 E Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio
SPONSORS: American Islamic Waqf, Arab-Americans of Central Ohio,
Christian
Peacemaker Team, Council on American-Islamic Relations-Ohio, Islamic
Foundation of Central Ohio, Islamic Society of Central Ohio, Islamic
Society of Greater Columbus, Muslim Community Center, Muslim Student
Association OSU
CONTACT: Jad Humeidan, 614-395-3583, Mohammed Shareef, 614-570-1133, M.
Nabih Tarazi, 614-668-7119
NOTE: Cliff Kindy (N. Manchester, Ind.) began a pilgrimage, a walk of
faith, leaving from Goshen, Ind., planning to reach Columbus, Ohio,
January
4. Cliff's pilgrimage is sponsored by Christian Peacemaker Teams, a
violence-reduction ministry sponsored by Church of the Brethren and
Mennonite congregations and Friends Meetings. Cliff Kindy cell phone on
the
road: 312-933-8986, Rich Meyer (base support) 219-642-3920
DONATIONS BEING ACCEPTED TO REPAIR COLUMBUS, OHIO MOSQUE
Send you donations to:
Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio
C/o CAIR-Ohio
4700 Reed Road, Suite B
Columbus, OH 43220
TEL: 614-451-3232
E-MAIL: ohio@cair-net.org
-----
RANKS OF LATINOS TURNING TO ISLAM ARE INCREASING
Many in City Were Catholics Seeking Old Muslim Roots
By DANIEL J. WAKIN, The New York Times, 1/2/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/02/nyregion/02HISP.html
The Alianza Islamica has bounced from East Harlem to the Bronx,
buffeted by
local resentments. Like its green-lettered sign, hanging crookedly
close to
the ground in front of its brownstone, it is keeping a low profile for
now.
But the Alianza endures as a touchstone for Latino Muslims, a
little-known
but growing population and one of the more surprising examples of the
kaleidoscopic nature of Islam in America. It is a population trying to
assert itself through community organizations like Alianza Islamica,
Web
sites and publications. It is also a subset of American Islam that
endures
a particular set of pressures, and presents an unusually diverse set of
paths to the faith.
Alianza Islamica, founded in 1975, is one of the oldest organized
Latino
Muslim groups in the United States.
It found a home on Lexington Avenue, off 107th Street, in East Harlem
in
1985, serving as something of a community center as well as a mosque.
It
took a stand against crime in the neighborhood and tried to spread the
word
of Islam...
...Nationwide, Latino Muslims number in the low tens of thousands,
according to their own estimates and those of national Islamic bodies.
They
are mainly converts, concentrated in Southern California, Chicago,
Miami
and New York. They span the spectrum of Hispanic people, from recent
Mexican arrivals to Puerto Ricans born on the mainland to Central
American
immigrants.
They are making their presence felt through groups like Alianza Latino,
Piedad, which tries to bring together Latino Muslim women, and the
Latino
American Dawah Organization, which promotes the faith through a
newsletter
and a Web site, Latinodawah.org. Another site, HispanicMuslims.com,
also
tries to link people through the Web. The Islamic Society of North
America
has a Latino coordinating committee. Other groups publish the Koran and
educational materials about Islam in Spanish...
...The process is similar to how some blacks view the adoption of Islam
as
an invocation of their African roots, said Hisham Aidi, a political
science
graduate student at Columbia University. He has studied Latino Muslims
as
part of a university project examining Muslim communities in New York
City.
At the same time, there has been a movement among scholars of Islam in
recent years to show the religion's influence on Spanish culture, Mr.
Aidi
said. "These scholars are taking on these works of art and literature,
considered unassailably Western, sacrosanctly Spanish, and showing how
there's a strong Islamic influence, an Arab component, a Moorish
component," he said.
For many Hispanics, turning to Islam is also a way of countering
feelings
of being downtrodden. "Islam historically has always started with
slaves
and moved up to kings," Mr. Aidi said. "In New York, you find a similar
phenomenon. Islam is entering America through the streets, through the
inner city, the ghetto, the prisons...
-----
LETTERS: IMPRISONED
By Riad Saloojee, The National Post (Canada), 1/2/2002
Riad Saloojee, Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic
Relations,
Ottawa.
Psychiatrist Theodore Dalrymple's column, Why Islam Appeals to
Prisoners
(Dec. 28), does little to illuminate the psychology of religious
conversions in prison.
In attempting to account for the comparative success of Islam in making
converts among whites and blacks, Dr. Dalrymple never once asks the
inmates
themselves. He presents no testimonials. Moreover, Dr. Dalrymple's only
sample is the prison he works in. His conclusions reek of
generalizations
about both inmates and the Islamic faith.
Converts I have spoken to in prison have indicated a wide variety of
motivations. But I suspect Mr. Dalrymple can't hear them -- imprisoned,
as
he is, in his own intellectual binary of Islam versus the West.
CONTACT: canada@cair-net.org
-----
LEARNING ISLAM, TEACHING AMERICA
South Bay school shows how Muslims meld 2 cultures
By Katherine Seligman, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/2/2002
http://www.sfgate.com
Search using the term "Granada."
They are best friends who love basketball, roller coasters and the same
television shows. They would rather talk, preferably to each other,
than
read. Both dream of becoming doctors.
And for eighth-graders Mariam Abdelgawad and Israa Ahmad, the Granada
Islamic School in Santa Clara has been a cornerstone of their lives.
It's
where they started kindergarten, memorized their first Koran passages,
learned fractions and became teenagers who wear the traditional head
scarf.
Lately, it's also become the place where they explain to visitors from
the
press and the neighboring community just what it's like to be both
Muslim
and American. Straddling two worlds is something they used to take for
granted.
Before Sept. 11, the biggest events at the school were holidays and
well-
attended family nights when students and their parents met to
socialize.
Now, students have spoken and sung at open houses at the mosque next
door
and have been urged to write to magazines and talk to outsiders...
...The parents come from 25 countries, including the United States, and
varied backgrounds. They are Chinese, Vietnamese, French, Latino,
African
American and Arab -- some born here, some not.
'This is the beauty of California,' said Obeid. 'You don't feel like
you're
a stranger here. You feel you are part of society.'
What unites students is Islam. Each afternoon they cross the connecting
corridor and remove their shoes to pray in the mosque. In class, they
study
not only the standard California curriculum in math, science and
English,
but also Arabic, the Koran and Islamic history...
-----
ISLAM PORTRAYS A SENSUAL AFTERLIFE
By JOHN BLAKE, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 1/2/2002
www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/terrorism/backgrounders/0102afterlife.html
"We shall wed them to maidens with beautiful, big and lustrous eyes.
There
can they call for every kind of fruit in peace and security."
Beautiful women who serve your every need. Monogamy not required. Wives
who
never age or stray. Some men would call that paradise. So does the
Quran,
based on that description of heaven in the 44th chapter of Islam's
holiest
text.
Christianity portrays the afterlife as an ethereal meet-and-greet
filled
with disembodied spirits. But Islam depicts heaven as a place where the
righteous sample all sorts of physical pleasure...
-----
BATTLING ISLAMIC 'PURITANS'
UCLA professor, once a fanatic himself, is now a leading scholarly
voice
against intolerance among Muslims. Death threats don't deter him.
By TERESA WATANABE, Los Angeles Times, 1/2/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-010202scholar.story
The most incendiary Muslim in American academia knows a thing or two
about
Islamic fanatics. He says he used to be one as a seventh-grader in his
native Kuwait.
UCLA law professor Khaled Abou El Fadl remembers beating up other kids,
condemning his parents as unbelievers and destroying his sister's Rod
Stewart tape, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
"I found it remarkably empowering to spew my hatred with the banner of
God
in my hand," he says.
But challenged by his father to take up true religious scholarship,
Abou El
Fadl began a journey of Islamic learning that would transform him into
a
nemesis of the extremists he once endorsed. Today, at 38, he is a
leading
warrior in the intellectual struggle that exploded into America's
consciousness Sept. 11: Who speaks for Islam? Who defines it? With
breathtaking bluntness, Abou El Fadl attacks Muslims who promote a
strict,
literalist trend in Islam, most prominently the creed of Wahhabism in
Saudi
Arabia...
-----
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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
BREAKING NEWS
LAWYERS FOR PROFILED MUSLIM AGENT HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE
(SOURCE: Relman & Associates)
Lawyers Representing Secret Service Agent Barred From Boarding
American Airlines Flight on Christmas Day To Hold Press
Conference To Discuss Facts of Incident
Additional important details will be provided at the press conference.
WHERE: Jurys Hotel, 1500 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., Wash. D.C.
WHEN: Noon, January 3, 2002
CONTACT: Relman & Associates, 1350 Connecticut Ave, N.W., Suite 304
Tel: 202-728-1888
Christy E. Lopez - clopez@relmanlaw.com
John P. Relman - jrelman@relmanlaw.com
Kelli M. Evans - kevans@relmanlaw.com
Attorneys representing the Secret Service Agent who was removed from an
American Airlines flight on December 25 will discuss the incident and
answer questions at a press conference on Thursday, January 3, 2002, at
12
p.m. at the Jurys Hotel, 1500 New Hampshire Ave. N.W., Washington D.C.
The Agent has decided it is necessary to provide accurate information
about
his removal from the American Airlines flight because inaccurate facts
have
recently appeared in the media.
The Agent, who is assigned to the President's security detail, has
requested that his account of the facts be released at this time
because
inaccurate information has recently appeared in the media that does not
reflect what transpired. The Agent's attorneys are not authorized at
this
time to release his name. The Agent is an American of Arab descent and
has
served in Federal Law Enforcement his entire professional life. The
Agent
has served with the Secret Service for seven years.
The Agent's own account of the incident makes clear that all proper
procedures were followed and that he was barred from the flight because
he
is of Arab descent.
He was introduced to the pilot on board and provided the pilot with the
forms authorizing travel as an armed Secret Service Agent. The Agent
provided all information necessary to confirm his identity as a Secret
Service agent. The pilot refused to verify the Agent's identity, even
after
the Agent tried to give the pilot the telephone number to the White
House
switchboard.
The Agent's conduct was professional throughout. When an American
Airlines
corporate security employee finally called the Agent's supervisor later
that evening, after American Airlines had apparently banned him from
all
future American Airlines flights, American Airlines was able to confirm
his
identity in less than five minutes and the Agent was allowed to fly the
next morning. American Airlines' discriminatory actions caused the
Agent to
miss nearly a full day of work.
-----
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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 - 1/3/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO CHILDREN
* REP. CONYERS EXPRESSES OUTRAGE OVER CLOSING OF DETENTION HEARING
* JEWISH GROUPS ENDORSE TOUGH SECURITY LAWS (New York Times)
* MAN SENTENCED FOR FALSE TERROR LINK (AP)
* FOREIGN STUDENTS' CONCERN GROWS (Washington Post)
* EDITORIAL: ATTORNEY GENERAL BETRAYS OUR BILL OF RIGHTS
(Virginian-Pilot)
* A VISIT TO A MOSQUE: BEYOND FEAR, UNDERSTANDING (Newsday)
* WRITING IN SKY SENDS WRONG MESSAGE (Palm Beach Post)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO CHILDREN
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever has three
daughters, cares and provides for them, and shows them mercy, will
enter
Paradise."
A man once told the Prophet that he had many children but did not kiss
any
of them. The Prophet (pbuh) replied: "Verily, God will only show mercy
to
those of His servants who do good to others."
As he carried his grandson on his shoulders, the Prophet was heard to
say:
"O God! I love him, so You love him too."
Imam Bukhari's Book of Muslim Morals and Manners
-----
Congressman John Conyers, Jr.
Fourteenth District, Michigan
Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
Dean, Congressional Black Caucus
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/2/2002
CONTACT: Dena Graziano (202) 226-6888
REP. CONYERS EXPRESSES OUTRAGE OVER CLOSING OF DETENTION HEARING FOR
RESPECTED MUSLIM PASTOR
"When legal proceedings are closed to the public, something very wrong
has
happened to the system of justice in America"
Rep. John Conyers, Jr, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee,
issued the following statement in connection with INS's decision today
to
close the Detroit detention hearing for Rabih Haddad, a Pastor in
Michigan's Muslim community. Both Conyers and the public in general
were
denied admission to the immigration proceeding, which are ordinarily
open.
"The treatment of Pastor Haddad over the last several weeks has
highlighted
everything that is abusive and unconstitutional about our government's
scapegoating of immigrants in the wake of the September 11 terrorist
attack.
First and foremost, the proceedings to date have all been in secret.
This
is an anathema to our system of due process and is more akin to the
treatment seen in a dictatorship than a constitutional democracy. The
Sixth
amendment is clear - "the accused shall enjoy the right to a public
trial."
Yet today we witnessed the closing of a detention hearing involving a
member in good standing of our Arab community. There was a secret list
of
'permitted attendees' - but we have not way of knowing who was on the
list
or why. Certainly, I was not one of the chosen few. When the Ranking
Member
of the House Judiciary Committee - the committee having oversight
responsibility for our immigration laws and our courts -- is not
permitted
to attend such a hearing in our court system, something very wrong has
happened to the system of justice in America.
Moreover, the decision to freeze the assets of Pastor Haddad's Global
relief fund have all been in secret as well. This is a group that has
raised millions of dollars to fight poverty and we have not seen a
shred of
evidence linking the charity in any way to terrorism. Here we have a
man
facing deportation allegedly because of his links to a charitable group
linked to terrorism without any foundation in public evidence.
Beyond that, we have one of the most prominent members of the Michigan
Islamic community -a man who helped bring about interfaith healing in
the
wake of the attack - being detained without any bond. The claim that he
is
a flight risk and a danger to the community appear to be totally
unfounded.
His passport has been taken and he has family in the U.S., so he will
clearly not flee. And although the INS claims he is dangerous because
he
owns arms, his rifle is registered and he is an avid hunter. The Fifth
Amendment states "no person shall be...deprived of life, liberty,
liberty
and property without due process of law." The last time I checked,
holding
someone in prison without a valid reason deprived him of his liberty.
Finally, I fear the government is merely seeking a delay so they can
trump
up more charges while the Pastor is detained also violates the Sixth
amendment, which promises a "speedy trial." If the government has
evidence,
they should produce it. But in this case, justice delayed translates to
justice denied.
I am particularly appalled the Bush administration would be championing
these secret proceedings and the use of secret evidence. During the
campaign, Mr. Bush promised to oppose the use of secret evidence. Now
the
President is not only using secret evidence, but by obtaining and using
new
powers for secret evidence for asset freezes derived from the so-called
'USA Patriot Act,' he is expanding it.
Now some would assert the constitution does not apply to immigrants
within
our borders. Yet the reality is every single court which has addressed
this
question in recent year has found that the constitution does apply to
immigrants, that's why secret evidence has been consistently thrown
out. If you don't believe me, look at Mathews v. Diaz, 426 U.S. 67
(1976),
and Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 U.S. 678 (2001), cases in which the Supreme
Court upheld this age old principle.
The attack of September 11th should not destroy our Constitution,
rather it
should strengthen our commitment to it. Pastor Haddad is entitled to
the
full disclosure of any evidence against him. He should be released
pending
future proceedings unless the Government can rely on something better
than
the lawful ownership of a gun by a man known to his friends as a
compassionate, law-abiding individual who has made important
contributions
to the Michigan community."
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
Representative John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan 14th district
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5126
Fax: 202-225-0072
E-MAIL: dena.graziano@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
JEWISH GROUPS ENDORSE TOUGH SECURITY LAWS
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, The New York Times, 1/3/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/03/national/03JEWS.html
Jewish groups long known for their outspoken defense of civil liberties
have been silent on or even supportive of the Bush administration's
counterterrorism legislation, breaking with their allies in the civil
liberties movement who have criticized the new measures as potentially
repressive.
But the groups appear to be in step with their constituencies. A recent
poll of American Jews disclosed a high level of support for the kind of
surveillance measures that are anathema to civil libertarians, for
example
placing cameras in public places and requiring national identity cards.
"Sept. 11 has forced all but the most doctrinaire on the right and the
left
to be open to a recalibration of the balance between security and
liberty,"
said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York. "Jewish groups
are
perhaps more open to this re-examination, since so many of the threats
are
directed not only at Israel but at Jews worldwide..."
...Leaders of major Jewish groups said that after the Sept. 11
terrorist
attacks, they decided not to sign statements circulated by groups like
the
American Civil Liberties Union and the National Council of Churches
that
urged Americans not to sacrifice civil liberties in the fight against
terrorism.
Richard T. Foltin, legislative director and counsel of the American
Jewish
Committee, said his group was among those that did not sign the
A.C.L.U.
statement...
...Critics of the antiterrorism legislation have objected to measures
like
the use of military tribunals to try people accused of terrorism, the
indefinite detention of immigrants and permitting law enforcement
officials
to monitor conversations between suspects and their lawyers. But other
than
civil libertarians, those objecting the loudest have been Muslims and
Arab-American groups. And many Jewish groups are unwilling to ally with
them...
...Most Jewish groups sided with the Clinton administration in
supporting
the use of evidence that is never revealed to the accused, a method
used to
detain several people of Middle Eastern background. Muslims and
Arab-American groups joined with some civil liberties groups to oppose
secret evidence...
-----
MAN SENTENCED FOR FALSE TERROR LINK
The Associated Press, 1/3/2002
NEW YORK - A federal judge handed down a longer-than-normal sentence
for a
man who falsely connected his fiancee's Arab-American boss to the Sept.
11
attacks.
Judge Nina Gershon of U.S. District Court sentenced Jack Barresi, 38,
to 21
months in prison for falsely telling the FBI that his fiancee's boss
was a
potential suspect. Prosecutors requested Barresi be given more than the
normal six-month sentence for such violations because of the
"heightened
anti-Arab sentiment."
Barresi told federal authorities right after the attacks that on Sept.
7,
his fiancee's boss told him that he could "not wait for you Americans
to
blow up and die," authorities said.
Barresi later admitted that he made the claim up...
-----
FOREIGN STUDENTS' CONCERN GROWS
Many Understand Investigation but Want Rights Protected
By Raymond Thibodeaux, The Washington Post, 1/3/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52199-2002Jan2.html
When Pakistani student Khurram Rauf learned federal immigration
officials
in California had begun cracking down on Middle Easterners suspected of
violating their student visas, he wasn't surprised.
Like many Muslim students at the University of Maryland in College
Park, he
has been interviewed by FBI agents. In his case, agents showed up at
his
door wanting to know how he felt about the Sept. 11 attacks, how his
parents felt about them and whether he knew any fellow students
involved in
suspicious activity.
He understands the rationale for singling out students from the Middle
East
and central Asian countries on the State Department's terrorism watch
list,
but, even so, it disturbs him. "There's got to be a more proper way,"
said
Rauf, 23, a mechanical engineering student. "You cannot generalize
about
all Pakistanis or Middle Eastern people. But it is related to the
Muslim
world..."
...Several Muslim students at College Park reported that FBI agents
interviewed them following the Sept. 11 attacks. Rauf said FBI agents
spent
nearly an hour asking him a range of questions, including whether he
could
identify any of the suspected hijackers.
"They showed up at my house at 10 a.m., without a warrant, and started
asking questions. I don't want to make it seem like I'm hiding
anything,"
he said. "I personally think that I'd be coming around myself asking
questions, too, but you can't [just] barge into someone's house..."
-----
EDITORIAL: ATTORNEY GENERAL BETRAYS OUR BILL OF RIGHTS
The Virginian-Pilot, 1/2/2002
http://www.pilotonline.com/opinion/op0102edb.html
...It was bad enough that, to prosecute the war on terrorism, Ashcroft
sought excessive powers that threaten to undermine precious civil
liberties. Even worse, the attorney general has shown an alarming lack
of
understanding of the importance of debate and dissent to the
preservation
of Americans' freedoms.
Recent steps by the administration to authorize secret tribunals
without
judicial review, to allow the government to eavesdrop on confidential
attorney-client conversations, and to blanket detain and interrogate
Arab-Americans and Muslims have put long-established rights at risk.
At the very least, such actions invite public debate about whether the
dangers that they pose are worth the aid they bring to the war on the
terrorism. Yet, incredibly, in congressional testimony earlier this
month,
Ashcroft equated legitimate dissent over the government's actions with
something unpatriotic and unAmerican -- even treasonous...
-----
A VISIT TO A MOSQUE: BEYOND FEAR, UNDERSTANDING
By Paul Wisenthal, Bill Zimmerman, Newsday (New York, NY), 1/3/2002
http://www.newsday.com/features/religion/ny-sbroot2533100jan03.story
A VISIT TO A MOSQUE Beyond Fear, Understanding AS THEY BOARDED a school
bus
to visit the mosque at the Islamic Center of Westbury, a few of the 42
students from Plainview Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School said
they
felt a little apprehensive and fearful.
But hours later, after the visit, the consensus on the bus was that
they
were much less anxious.
The field trip by the seniors to visit the center and meet with its
spiritual leader, Imam Hafiz Ahmad, and other mosque officials,
occurred a
few weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade
Center.
It was one of a number of activities organized by the school for a
humanities studies program called Facing History and Ourselves. The
elective course encourages students to study and confront issues of
religious and racial prejudice and to understand their responsibility
in
dealing with them. The trip to the mosque had stirred fears among those
eligible to make it. Some students' parents would not grant permission,
and
other students decided on their own not to board the bus.
"Many of my friends were saying, 'Why would you want to go there?
Aren't
you afraid?'" said student Jamie Gutterman, 17. After Sept. 11, she
said,
"there had been a few anti-Muslim remarks made by kids."
During the visit, Al-Haaj Ghazi Khankan, director of interfaith affairs
for
the center, spoke about the history of Islam and took questions from
the
students. He cited the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad as the true
sources of Islam...
[Khankan is director of CAIR-NY]
-----
WRITING IN SKY SENDS WRONG MESSAGE
By Scott McCabe and Alex Navarro Clifton, Palm Beach Post, 1/2/2002
http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/epaper/editions/wednesday/news_c3237ba656c370a80084.html
BOCA RATON -- Skywriter Jerry Stevens soared over Palm Beach County on
New
Year's Day, filling the heavens with God's praise. But instead of lofty
inspiration, his message drew dread for some on the ground.
"God is Great," Stevens penned in the clear blue yonder on Tuesday. His
mile-high message prompted a flurry of worried calls to police and The
Palm
Beach Post.
It seems that since Sept. 11, even praising God can seem sinister. "I
was
just wondering if a terrorist group was paying for someone to write
that,"
Boynton Beach resident Jon Rogers asked...
One family, visiting from Grosse Pointe, Mich., saw Stevens' message
about
12:45 p.m. Instead of God, they thought about the anthrax-laden letter
to
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle that praised Allah -- and then
called the cops.
"We were out by the pool," one of them said, too afraid to give her
name.
"We were ready to take cover..."
-----
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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 - 1/4/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO NEIGHBORS
* WITNESSES: SECRET SERVICE AGENT DIDN'T ACT ANGRY (CNN)
* FLY THE UNFRIENDLY SKIES (San Francisco Chronicle)
* ARAB-AMERICAN SECRET SERVICE AGENT, AIRLINE DISAGREE ON REASON FOR
REFUSAL (Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service)
* U.S. JAILING OF CANADIAN MAN MAY BREACH CONSULAR TREATY (Globe and
Mail)
* MUSLIM MAN DENIED BAIL (Detroit News)
* REP. CONYERS WRITES TO ASHCROFT ON DETENTION OF RABIH HADDAD
* LIVING IN AMERICA: ARAB, SOUTH ASIAN, AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: FIGHTING MUSLIM ACTIVITY ON U.S. COLLEGE CAMPUSES
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO NEIGHBORS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said" "[The angel] Gabriel
continued to recommend that I treat neighbors kindly and politely so
much
so that I thought he would order me to make them my heirs."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, 8:43
The Prophet also said: "A believer will not eat his fill while his
neighbor
is hungry."
Imam Bukhari's Book of Muslim Morals and Manners
-----
WITNESSES: SECRET SERVICE AGENT DIDN'T ACT ANGRY
From Jeanne Meserve, CNN Washington Bureau, 1/4/2002
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/04/agent.passengers/index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) --Two people who claim to have witnessed events
surrounding the ejection of an Arab-American Secret Service agent from
a
jetliner told CNN they never saw the agent act in an angry manner or
become
confrontational during the incident...
...Mark Pueschel told CNN he was sitting in the same row as Shater. He
said
a flight attendant twice patted down a leather jacket the agent had
left
behind.
Pueschel said the flight attendant also examined a book about the Arab
world that Shater had left in the sleeve of the seat in front of him,
and
when the attendant put it back, she made a hand gesture "like she was
grossed out." This led him to believe that the flight attendant found
the
book offensive, he said.
Pueschel said the flight attendant asked him if he found the agent
suspicious. He said he did not. At another point, Pueschel said, the
flight
attendant asked him "to cover me, keep an eye out for me." And after
the
flight left the Baltimore Washington International Airport, Pueschel
said
the attendant told him Shater had made the flight crew "uncomfortable."
Pueschel described Shater as "well dressed" and "confident," and said
he
did not appear "uncomfortable or nervous or fidgeting." He also said he
saw
no angry behavior on the agent's part.
Pueschel said he contacted the Council on American Islamic Relations
after
reading about the incident. Both his parents are native German
speakers,
and Pueschel said the thought of their being kicked off a plane because
of
the way they talked prompted him to get involved.
CNN also spoke with Molly Reeve, who believes she saw and spoke to
Shater
several times in the terminal Christmas night. She said she saw the
agent
after the events on the airplane, and that even at that point, he
appeared
calm.
Reeve also said she caught a glimpse at the disputed paperwork Shater
filled out to bring his gun on the flight. She described Shater as
"very
nice and professional" and said she never "witnessed any yelling or
hostile
behavior..."
-----
FLY THE UNFRIENDLY SKIES
Profiling does more harm than good when airlines start expelling
elected
officials and Secret Service agents
Riad Z. Abdelkarim, The San Francisco Chronicle, 1/4/2002
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/01/04/ED213035.DTL
(Riad Z. Abdelkarim is Western Region communications director for the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a grassroots American
Muslim
civil rights and advocacy organization.)
THE EXPULSION of an Arab American Secret Service agent from an American
Airlines flight on Christmas Day has once again raised questions about
the
use of ethnic, religious or racial profiling in security procedures
after
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
This incident, as well as another which caused Rep. Darrell Issa,
R-Oceanside, to miss an international flight a few months ago, serve as
extreme examples of what can happen when profiling practices are
carried
out to their logical conclusions.
Since Sept. 11, there have been numerous cases of airline profiling
resulting in the refusal of service to passengers who are (or merely
appear
to be) of Arabic, South Asian or Muslim background.
In one case, a San Antonio businessman was expelled from the plane
because
his presence made other passengers uncomfortable. In other cases,
several
people traveling together have been removed from flights and in some
cases
temporarily detained for lengthy questioning.
More than 160 incidents of airline profiling against American Muslims
have
been reported to the Council on American-Islamic Relations since Sept.
11.
The actual number of occurrences is believed to be much higher, and
even
non-Muslim South Asians and others have been targeted...
...This focus on safety, however, should not come at the cost of
degrading
and humiliating Americans of certain race, ethnicity or faith. When the
odious net of profiling is being cast wide enough to ensnare a
congressman
(elected by the people and entrusted with defending our nation's
Constitution) and a Secret Service agent (entrusted with the
responsibility
of guarding the president's life), then something is seriously wrong.
-----
ARAB-AMERICAN SECRET SERVICE AGENT, AIRLINE DISAGREE ON REASON FOR
REFUSAL
By Jack Hagel, Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, 1/4/2002
WASHINGTON _ Lawyers for an Arab-American Secret Service agent charged
Thursday that his ejection from an American Airlines flight Christmas
Day
amounted to racial profiling. American Airlines backed its pilot's
decision.
"The only reason why he wasn't allowed on that plane was because he is
an
American of Arab descent," said John P. Relman, managing director of
Washington-based civil rights law firm Relman & Associates. "Pure and
simple, this is a case of discrimination." Officials from American
Airlines
say the pilot was erring on the side of caution days after Briton
Richard
Reid allegedly made it past security with plastic explosives in his
shoes,
threatening an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami.
"Our captain acted correctly in not putting an angry man with a gun on
an
airplane," said Andrea Rader, an American Airlines spokeswoman. "Racial
profiling had nothing to do with it."
The agent, whose name has not been released, was en route to Texas for
duty
on the presidential security detail, of which he has been a member for
two
years. President Bush said Dec. 28 that he would be "madder than heck"
if
the agent had been barred from the flight solely because of his
Arab-American heritage.
In the pilot's report, released by American Airlines and submitted to
the
Secret Service, the pilot said one of the flight attendants was
"concerned
about the actions of one of the (passengers)." The passenger _ the
Secret
Service agent in question _ left the plane after boarding, according to
the
pilot's report, left his carry-on baggage on the plane, and told the
attendant not to let the flight leave without him.
While the agent was absent, the pilot wrote, a flight attendant
"observed
books in the individual's seat which were written in what she assessed
was
Arabic-style print."
Attorneys for the 33-year-old agent said the book was a college
textbook in
English on Middle Eastern history, that the agent doesn't read Arabic,
and
that he bought the book on Amazon.com...
...Attorney Relman said the agent "cooperated at all times," and that
he
acted in a "cool and professional manner..."
"...I think it's the airlines trying to reverse-engineer an excuse,"
said
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman Council on American-Islamic Relations. "We
don't
think it would have happened at all had the guy's name not been Arab or
Muslim or his appearance Middle Eastern..."
-----
U.S. JAILING OF CANADIAN MAN MAY BREACH CONSULAR TREATY
By Colin Freeze, The Globe and Mail, 1/3/2002
See www.globeandmail.ca and search for "baloch."
Shakir Baloch is among more than 1,000 people who were detained in the
United States after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. For most of the
past
three months, he has been held in a Brooklyn jail, but even his lawyers
don't know why.
Mr. Baloch, a doctor in his native Pakistan before coming to Toronto,
was
arrested in the United States on Sept. 20, and his lawyers say he was
not
told why.
Since the terrorist attacks, U.S. authorities have detained many mostly
Middle Eastern and Central Asian men for unexplained reasons, often
saying
they are wanted for immigration violations.
Advocates say that Mr. Baloch has been unable to talk to his family,
his
lawyers and consular officials until recent weeks. Under U.S. and
international law, prisoners must be allowed such contact with the
outside
world.
Canadian officials are perturbed that it took months for them to find
out
that Mr. Baloch was being held. Under the Vienna Convention on Consular
Relations, governments have a duty to notify one another of such
arrests...
-----
MUSLIM MAN DENIED BAIL
Ann Arbor community leader may be deported
By David Shepardson, The Detroit News, 1/3/2002
http://detnews.com/2002/metro/0201/03/d01-381167.htm
DETROIT -- An immigration judge refused Wednesday to free an Ann Arbor
Muslim community leader who co-founded an Islamic charity suspected of
supporting terrorist activities.
Judge Elizabeth Hacker ordered Rabih Haddad, 41, held without bond
after a
closed-door, two-hour hearing...
...U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, tried to attend the hearing, but
was
refused admittance.
"John Ashcroft has made a mockery of our criminal justice system. No
public
hearing, no oversight, no charges," Conyers said. "This sounds more
like a
dictatorship than America."
Carol Jenifer, head of the INS in Detroit, and U.S. Attorney Jeffrey
Collins declined to comment.
-----
REP. CONYERS WRITES TO ASHCROFT ON DETENTION OF RABIH HADDAD
January 3, 2002
The Honorable John D. Ashcroft
Attorney General of the United States
U.S. Department of Justice
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable James W. Zigler
Commissioner
Immigration and Naturalization Services
425 I Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20536
Dear Mr. Attorney General and Mr. Commissioner:
I am writing to express my deep concern with the Immigration and
Naturalization Service's detention of Pastor Rabih Haddad
(A#74-546-461) in
general and the INS's decision to close any hearings involving Pastor
Haddad to the public. These actions threaten to make a mockery of our
system of justice, and send a terrible signal to the international
communities regarding our treatment of foreign nationals.
Pastor Haddad is a prominent member of the Michigan Islamic Community.
Among other activities, in the aftermath of the September 11 attack, he
was
an important participant in an Ann Arbor town hall meeting designed to
promote healing among faiths. Pastor Haddad has also received petitions
of
support from thousands of friends from Michigan and Oregon. The
apprehension, detention and lack of due process afforded Pastor Haddad
once
again highlights many of the concerns raised by our government's
treatment
of immigrants in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack.
Why have the immigration proceedings regarding Pastor Haddad been held
in
secret? On January 2, 2002, I went to a previously scheduled detention
hearing fully expecting to attend an open and fair judicial process. To
my
amazement, I personally witnessed the closing of the detention hearing,
a
highly unusual practice. When the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary
Committee - the committee having oversight responsibility for our
immigration laws and our courts -- is not permitted to attend such a
hearing in our court system, it seems to me that something is very
wrong
with the system of justice in America. Please describe in detail the
rational used to close these proceedings to the public.
1. Who was permitted to attend the January 2nd hearing and what was the
process and criteria for inclusion on the list of "permitted
attendees"? When I arrived at the hearing, there apparently was a
secret
list of 'permitted attendees' - but I have no way of knowing who was on
the
list or why. I do know that I was not one of the chosen few. Please
inform
me of the method by which persons are included or excluded from such
lists.
How is it possible for members of Congress to oversee our executive
branch
if we are denied access to immigration hearings?
2. Why is Pastor Haddad being prohibited from being released on bond?
As
you know, a person must be released on bond, unless he is considered a
flight risk or a danger to the community. In this case, it appears to
me
that Pastor Haddad is neither. His passport has been taken, his family
is
in the United States (including his son and brother who are both U.S.
Citizens), and he is a longstanding and prominent member of the Islamic
community. Further, the court has received a petition from 5,000 people
plus 60 personal letters and 6 affidavits from U.S. Citizens in support
of
Pastor Haddad's release. To suggest his ownership of a hunting rifle
makes
him dangerous fails to take into the account that the rifle is licensed
and
that he is an avid hunter.
3. Is Pastor Haddad's detention linked in any manner to his involvement
with the Global Relief Foundation? According to press accounts, Pastor
Haddad's involvement in this organization was in part the reason for
the
denial of Pastor Haddad's bond request and the unusual treatment he is
receiving. Please let me know if this is accurate and if so, what is
the
legal rationale for linking such involvement with the status of his
case. Also, please inform me regarding any basis in fact or law for
linking the Global Relief Foundation to any alleged terrorist activity.
4. Does the Government intend to use classified evidence in Pastor
Haddad's
case or any other immigration case? As you know, President Bush has
previously stated that "secret evidence" will not be used in
deportation
cases. The Judiciary Committee has also previously reported legislation
prohibiting the use of "secret evidence." It would be helpful if you
could
confirm that this is your policy and that "secret evidence" will not be
used in this or any other immigration case.
Please respond to the aforementioned questions as quickly as possible,
and
by no later than January 10, as Pastor Haddad continues to be held in
detention. Please also contact me or my staff at 202-225-6504 if you
have
any questions.
Sincerely,
John Conyers, Jr.
Ranking Member
ccs: The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
The Honorable Carol Jenifer, District Director
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The Honorable Daniel J. Bryant
Assistant Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
Joseph Karpinski, Director of Congressional Relations
and Public Affairs
Immigration and Naturalization Services
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
Representative John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan 14th district
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5126
Fax: 202-225-0072
E-MAIL: dena.graziano@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
LIVING IN AMERICA: ARAB, SOUTH ASIAN, AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES
The American Museum of Natural History Department of Education
January 12 & 13, January 19 & 20, and January 25, 26, & 27, 2002
http://www.amnh.org/education/jan2002/
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: FIGHTING MUSLIM ACTIVITY ON U.S. COLLEGE CAMPUSES
TIFFS AT THE FAMILY TABLE
By Lily Galili, Haaretz, 1/4/2002
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=113695&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y&itemNo=113695
The 700 members of Hillel (The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life) who
participated last month in the General Assembly of the United Jewish
Communities (UJC) in Washington, D.C. wore on their lapels a
blue-and-white
button bearing the slogan: "Israel. We're family..."
The number of students who came to the GA in Washington this year from
all
over the U.S. was the largest ever. They were swallowed up in the sea
of
VIPs from the Jewish establishment, but it was clear to everyone that
these
students constitute the special task force that now has a mission of
great
political importance. THE GOAL: FIGHTING ARAB AND MUSLIM ACTIVITY ON
U.S.
COLLEGE CAMPUSES...
-----
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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
IMPORTANT NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS: Inviting other members of the community
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-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 1/6/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: STAND FOR JUSTICE
* AL-AMIN ON TRIAL: MORE THAN A MAN ON TRIAL (Atlanta Journal)
- IMAM JAMIL'S WEB SITE
- PROSECUTION ARGUES AL-AMIN BROKE GAG ORDER WITH LETTER TO
CONGREGATION
- TEXT OF AL-AMIN'S LETTER TO CONGREGATION
- 60'S FIREBRAND, NOW IMAM, IS GOING ON TRIAL IN KILLING (NY
Times)
- PROSECUTOR: AL-AMIN ARREST TAPE USELESS
- 3/21/2000 STATEMENT BY MUSLIM GROUPS
* MICH. MUSLIMS CALL FOR RESOLUTION ON BEHALF OF DETAINED COMMUNITY
LEADER
* CAIR ON ABCNEWS.COM SEGMENT ABOUT PROFILING
* SOMETHING IN THE AIR ON FLIGHT 363 (Washington Post)
* CAIR-NY OFFERS "INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM"
* CAIR-OHIO REPRESENTATIVE APPEARS ON MSNBC'S "HARDBALL"
- FBI JOINS VANDALISM PROBE OF ISLAMIC CENTER
- HATE BLINDS DESECRATORS OF MOSQUE
- MOSQUE VANDALS SADDENED MANY BUT DID NOT SHAKE OUR FAITH
* JUDGE DENIES BAIL TO SUSPECTED JEWISH MILITANT BOMBER (AFP)
* NATIONAL PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST NOW TARGETING ISLAM (Decatur Daily)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: STAND FOR JUSTICE
O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to God,
even as
against yourselves or your parents or your kin, and whether it be
(against)
rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of
your
hearts) lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do
justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
The Holy Quran, Chapter 4, Verse 135
-----
AL-AMIN ON TRIAL: MORE THAN A MAN ON TRIAL
Ability to ensure justice for all is at stake
By LATEEF MUNGIN, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/6/2001
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/010602.html
Four months ago, the trial of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin threatened to
resurrect the divisiveness of the radical '60s. Now, as 1,500 potential
jurors are summoned to the Fulton County Courthouse this week to start
the
murder trail of the man once known as H. Rap Brown, the case raises a
new
question: Can a Muslim get a fair trial after Sept. 11?
"This trial is of great concern to Muslims and the Muslim community,"
said
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, a
Washington-based advocacy group. "We see this trial as a barometer on
whether a Muslim can get a fair trial, free of bias, and whether a jury
will make decisions based on external factors or look at the facts of
the
case."
The trial had been scheduled to begin Sept. 12. But after the terrorist
attacks, Fulton Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis delayed the
trial...
...Al-Amin is charged with the slaying of Fulton County sheriff's
Deputy
Ricky Kinchen, 35, and the wounding of his partner, Deputy Aldranon
English, then 28. The officers were shot in March 2000 as they tried to
serve a Cobb County arrest warrant on Al-Amin...
...Some legal experts say the case against Al-Amin could be a gauge of
how
jurors view Muslims after the terrorist attacks...
SEE ALSO:
IMAM JAMIL'S WEB SITE
http://www.imamjamil.com
PROSECUTION ARGUES AL-AMIN BROKE GAG ORDER WITH LETTER TO CONGREGATION
Fulton County prosecutors are asking that Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin be
held in
contempt of court for writing a seven-page letter proclaiming his
innocence.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/010502.html
TEXT OF AL-AMIN'S LETTER TO CONGREGATION
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/010502letter.html
60'S FIREBRAND, NOW IMAM, IS GOING ON TRIAL IN KILLING
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/06/national/06ATLA.html
PROSECUTOR: AL-AMIN ARREST TAPE USELESS
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/thursday/metro_c333df018119c1110040.html
A police videotape of the 1999 arrest of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin in Cobb
County would have been no help to lawyers defending him on charges of
shooting two deputies, even if it still existed, the Cobb district
attorney
said Wednesday.
Lawyers for Al-Amin grilled a Cobb police commander in court last month
over the tape's erasure, suggesting they believe it may have held
important
evidence about the chain of events leading up to the night Fulton
County
deputies Ricky Kinchen and Aldranon English were shot, and that police
should have realized its significance after the shootings and
safeguarded
the tape...
STATEMENT MADE BY MUSLIM GROUPS AT THE TIME OF IMAM JAMIL'S ARREST ON
3/21/2000
A joint statement issued at a Washington, D.C., news conference read in
part:
"We are not here today to judge the guilt or innocence of any party to
this
tragic series of events. Just as we do not prejudge, we ask that others
wait until all the facts are known. In America, as in Islam, anyone
accused
of a crime is innocent until proven guilty.
"At this point, the role of the Muslim community is four-fold.
"First, we wish to remind everyone of Imam Jamil Al-Amin's longstanding
role as a community leader who had a positive impact on the lives of so
many people. The charges against Imam Jamil are especially troubling
because they are inconsistent with what is known of his moral character
and
past behavior as a Muslim.
"Second, we want to ensure that Imam Jamil receives proper legal
representation. To that end, we will offer our services to his legal
team
in Atlanta. This team will then address all aspects of the case.
"Third, we will see that his trial is monitored by observers who will
insist that any legal proceedings be fair and impartial. We also
believe
that this process can best take place in a location that allows Imam
Jamil
to be tried by a jury of his peers.
"Finally, we make note of a past incident in which Imam Jamil was
apparently falsely accused of a similar, though far less serious crime.
At
that time, the alleged victim recanted and claimed that he was
pressured by
the authorities to name Imam Jamil as the perpetrator...
SPONSORS:
American Muslim Council (AMC)
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Muslim American Society (MAS)
-----
MICH. MUSLIMS CALL FOR RESOLUTION ON BEHALF OF DETAINED COMMUNITY
LEADER
On Monday January 7, 2002, representatives of various Ann Arbor
grassroots
organizations, including the Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor
and
the Ann Arbor Ad Hoc Committee for Peace, will join forces to propose a
resolution on behalf of detained Muslim leader Rabih Haddad.
Haddad was arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
at
his home in Ann Arbor on December 14th in front of his wife and young
children for alleged visa violations. Since then the INS has held
Haddad
without bond alleging he poses a danger to the community and a flight
risk.
WHEN: Monday January 7, 2002, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Ann Arbor City Hall, 100 North Fifth Ave. (2nd Floor), Ann
Arbor, MI
CONTACT: Tariq Colvin, MCA: 734-368-6879, Nazih Hassan, MCA:
734-657-3035,
Phillis Engelbert, AAACP: 734-662-0818
-----
CAIR ON ABCNEWS.COM SEGMENT ABOUT PROFILING
RACIAL PROFILING ON BOARD? FLYING WHILE ARAB
http://abcnews.go.com/webcasts/samdonaldsonnew/20020104/index.html
The Arab-American Secret Service agent kicked off a flight on Christmas
Day
says he is the victim of racial discrimination. American Airlines says
he
was removed because of "inconsistencies" in his paperwork. Sam talks to
David Stempler, president of Air Travelers Association, and Hodan
Hassan,
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
-----
SOMETHING IN THE AIR ON FLIGHT 363
By Colbert I. King, The Washington Post, 1/5/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64767-2002Jan4.html
Word that an Arab American Secret Service agent on the president's
security
detail was ordered off an American Airlines flight on Christmas Day
reached
George W. Bush down in Crawford, Tex., this week. "If he was treated
that
way because of his ethnicity, that will make me madder than heck," said
the
commander in chief, which, as swearing goes, ranks right up there with
dang, doggone and gosh-darn.
American Airlines says not to worry: The agent's ethnicity played no
part
in the pilot's decision. "Inconsistencies" in the agent's paperwork
prompted his removal from the aircraft, said American Airlines
spokesman
Todd Burke -- a point dutifully noted in last Saturday's column. But
lawyers for 33-year-old Walied Shater, the seven-year veteran Secret
Service agent, say he was a victim of discrimination...
...Missing from the account released by American Airlines, but
contained in
a version I obtained last Saturday from supporters of the captain, were
the
following two sentences: "During the delay, I was given an AA form E2.
I
put the form on the cockpit center console to continue some pre-flight
duties."
The form notifies the pilot about the presence of an armed passenger.
In
both the edited and unedited versions of his statement, the captain
wrote,
"It would have been a pleasure to carry an 'armed passenger.' "That
seems
supported by his continuation of pre-flight duties. The captain wasn't
drawn in until the flight attendant contacted him about the actions of
one
of the passengers.
He said the No. 1 flight attendant was concerned about the actions of
one
passenger who had departed the plane but left carry-on bags on his
seat.
The passenger reportedly asked the flight attendant not to leave
without him.
Wrote the captain: "While the passenger was away a flight attendant
observed books in the individual's seat which were written in what she
assessed was Arabic style print." "Upon further investigation, when the
individual came back, it was determined that he was in fact our 'armed
passenger.'"
Thus the triggering event that caused the captain to stop his
pre-flight
duties and review the agent's form appears to have been the flight
attendant's report that Walied Shater, a man appearing to be of Middle
Eastern descent, had "Arabic" reading material.
-----
CAIR-NY OFFERS "INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM"
On Saturday, January 5, the Queens Borough (NY) Public Library offered
a
lecture about the basic beliefs and practices of the Islamic faith by
Ghazi
Al-Haaj Y. Khankan. Mr. Khankhan is Executive Director of the New York
Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Director of
Interfaith Affairs at the Islamic Center of Long Island.
CONTACT CAIR-NY: (212) 870-2002, cair-ny@cair-ny.com, www.cair-ny.com
-----
CAIR-OHIO REPRESENTATIVE APPEARS ON MSNBC'S "HARDBALL" 1/5/2002
MIKE BARNICLE, co-host:
Police in Columbus, Ohio, are investigating who vandalized that city's
oldest mosque over the weekend. The Islamic Foundation of Columbus has
been
shut down after vandals drilled holes in the floor, pulled water pipes
from
the walls and ripped up copies of the Quran. Dr. Ahmad Al-Akhras is
with
the Islamic Foundation of Columbus and is president of the Ohio chapter
of
the Counsel on American/Islamic Relations. He joins us now from the
vandalized mosque...
...BARNICLE: It would appear from the--the live shot of those pictures
that
we just saw as well as the pictures that you're holding up that whoever
did
this was inside the mosque for some period of time. I mean, that's not
the
sort of thing you do in a couple of minutes. What have the police told
you
about their investigation thus far? First of all, what was the police
reaction toward you when this was reported?
Dr. AL-AKHRAS: Well, all of us were outraged, stunned. We--we could not
believe it, how anyone could do such a terrible thing, a hateful thing.
We
met with the police. They came immediately and--and they checked the
place.
BARNICLE: Good.
Dr. AL-AKHRAS: They're investigating it. We met with them and i--it's
still
early on in their investigation, but we believe it is a hate crime
against
the entire Muslim community...
SEE ALSO:
FBI JOINS VANDALISM PROBE OF ISLAMIC CENTER
http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/news/news02/jan02/1015012.html
HATE BLINDS DESECRATORS OF MOSQUE
http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/news/editorials02/jan02/1015262.html
MOSQUE VANDALS SADDENED MANY BUT DID NOT SHAKE OUR FAITH
http://www.dispatch.com/news/religion/faith-story.php?story=dispatch/news/features02/jan02/1015330.html
-----
JUDGE DENIES BAIL TO SUSPECTED JEWISH MILITANT BOMBER
Agence France-Presse, 1/5/2002
LOS ANGELES, Jan 4 (AFP) - A Los Angeles judge on Friday denied bail to
a
member of a militant Jewish group who is accused of plotting to blow up
a
mosque and the office of an Arab-American Congressman.
Federal Magistrate Judge Victor Kenton ordered Jewish Defense League
(JDL)
member Earl Krugel, 59, held without bond saying he and co-accused --
JDL
chairman Irv Rubin -- posed a potential danger to the community.
"My concerns in this case are primarily danger to the community," the
judge
said at a bail hearing here.
Krugel and Rubin were arrested in a police raid on December 11 after an
informant exposed an alleged plot by the men to blow up several Muslim
targets in Los Angeles.
The two were allegedly planning to blow up the King Fahd mosque in the
Culver City area, the offices of Arab-American Congressman Darrell Issa
and
the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) in Los Angeles, prosecutors
said.
Bomb making equipment, including lengths of pipe and explosive powder,
and
a number of guns were confiscated from Krugel's home in the federal
anti-terror swoop, prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
said...
-----
NATIONAL PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST NOW TARGETING ISLAM
By Melanie B. Smith, Decatur Daily, 1/5/2002
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/020105/terry.shtml
Randall Terry was -- and probably still is -- the country's best known
pro-life activist.
But, on a Decatur visit Friday, the founder of Operation Rescue spent
more
time talking about his new music goals and criticizing Islam than
denouncing abortion...
...Terry said he hasn't abandoned his pro-life stance but has broadened
to
address other issues in contemporary culture. His Loyal Opposition
organization, based in Windsor, N.Y., has taken on the issue of stem
cell
research, for instance, and has landed him on CNN, he said.
He also recently published "The Crescent Terror," a 25-page booklet,
which
costs $6, claiming that Islam has been at war with Christendom and
Judaism
since its founding...
-----
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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 - 1/7/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: TELLING SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM
* AL-AMIN HELD IN CONTEMPT FOR INTERVIEWS (Atlanta Journal)
* PRESIDENT BUSH SAYS MUSLIM AGENT IS "HONORABLE FELLOW"
- WITNESSES: SECRET SERVICE AGENT DIDN'T ACT ANGRY (CNN)
* TOUGHER PREFLIGHT QUESTIONS FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS? (AP)
- INCREASED SAFETY NEED NOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF CIVIL
LIBERTIES
(ACLU)
* MUSLIMS ASKED TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR FREE SPEECH AT USF SENATE MEETING
* LETTERS: ATTACK ON LOCAL MOSQUE WAS AN ACT THAT HURT ALL (Columbus
Dispatch)
* NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC RELEASES "THE WORLD OF ISLAM"
* CAIR-MI SPEAKERS TRAINING PROGRAM
* CAIR WRITERS SYNDICATE OFFERS MUSLIM VIEW OF ISSUES
* CANADIAN NEWSPAPER APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIM CHARITY
* DANIEL PIPES SAYS ISLAM GIVEN "SPECIAL PRIVILEGES" IN U.S. (CBN)
- GLOBE COLUMN SLAMS DANIEL PIPES FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: TELLING SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If one of you loves his
brother, he should tell him that he loves him."
Imam Bukhari's Book of Muslim Morals and Manners
-----
AL-AMIN HELD IN CONTEMPT FOR INTERVIEWS
By LATEEF MUNGIN and ALAN JUDD, Atlanta Journal, 1/7/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/010702.html
A Fulton Superior Court judge today found Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin in
contempt of court for interviews published in news outlets, including
the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Judge Stephanie Manis said the Muslim cleric, who faces capital murder
charges in the death of a Fulton County deputy and the wounding of
another
deputy nearly two years ago, would not be allowed to make telephone
calls
from jail, mail any letters or have any visitors other than his lawyers
until jury selection is completed.
"I think the comments of the defendant may taint the jury pool," the
judge
said.
The New York Times on Sunday published portions of a telephone
interview
with Al-Amin. In December, the Journal-Constitution published portions
of a
letter Al-Amin had written to members of his mosque. In the letter, the
cleric proclaimed his innocence.
The judge said the timing of Al-Amin's public statements appeared aimed
at
prejudicing jurors.
"He can profess his innocence, but in the courtroom, not in the
newspaper,"
the judge said.
In the Times interview, Al-Amin was quoted as strongly criticizing the
judge's gag order and attributing charges against him to a government
conspiracy dating to his days as the 1960s black activist H. Rap Brown.
"I can't even say I'm innocent," Al-Amin complained in the telephone
interview with the Times, published in Sunday's editions. "Do you know
of
any other defendant who is not allowed to say he is innocent? It's just
part of the same continual persecution and prosecution against me, just
part and parcel of the same thing..."
-----
PRESIDENT BUSH SAYS MUSLIM AGENT IS "HONORABLE FELLOW"
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, WITH Q&A FOLLOWING, AT BEGINNING
OF
MEETING WITH HIS ECONOMIC TEAM AND FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN ALAN
GREENSPAN
LOCATION: CABINET ROOM, THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, D.C. DATE:
MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2002
Q Mr. President, during the holidays you stood by your secret service
agent, and American Airlines has come out with a new statement today
saying
that he was bitter and hostile. What are your thoughts about the
situation
with your Arab-American agent now, as it pertains to him trying to
protect you?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I know there's an investigation going on, and I
look
forward to see the findings. But as I said, if he was mistreated
because
of his ethnicity, I'm going to be plenty hot. That means angry.
(Laughter.)
And I know the man. I am most appreciative of his service to me and my
wife. He is an honorable fellow, but I don't know enough about the
details
of this particular incident. But I know there's an investigation going
on,
and I look forward to seeing it. I would be surprised if he was
hostile,
but I wasn't there, so it's hard for me to comment on something which I
did
not see.
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE: WITNESSES: SECRET SERVICE AGENT DIDN'T ACT ANGRY
From Jeanne Meserve, CNN Washington Bureau, 1/4/2002
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/04/agent.passengers/index.html
-----
TOUGHER PREFLIGHT QUESTIONS FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS?
By DAVID CRARY, The Associated Press, 1/7/2002
NEW YORK - Did you pack your bags yourself? Have they been out of your
possession? The questions asked of airline passengers aren't designed
to
trip up a terrorist, and that raises another question: Should passenger
questioning be tougher?
Israel's airline, El Al, routinely interrogates passengers boarding its
flights, often probing their background and travel plans. But its
operation
is a tiny fraction of the U.S. aviation system, and El Al's painstaking
security methods would not transfer easily to U.S. airlines.
Some aviation security experts say tougher questioning could be a
valuable
tool in the United States, at least in theory. In practice, they admit,
it
would be unfeasible to subject all U.S. passengers to such
interrogation
and difficult to find an acceptable method of selecting a subset of
travelers to be grilled. Mary Schiavo, a former Transportation
Department
inspector general and now a lawyer for victims of airline accidents,
said
intensified questioning would be worth trying - but only after expert
profilers developed an effective set of questions.
"We'd like to see a more scientific basis," she said. "Just delaying
people
while we ask more inane questions won't get us anywhere."
She stressed that authorities would have to develop sound criteria for
selecting some passengers for thorough questioning.
"There's no way in the United States that you can ever do it on the
basis
of national origin or race," she said. "We're a melting pot."
El Al has no compunctions about profiling - Arabs, even if Israeli
citizens, and some foreigners routinely come under closer scrutiny than
most Israeli Jews. While many passengers are asked only about their
luggage, others might be asked to explain their itinerary or past
travels
recorded in their passports.
In the United States, Arab-Americans and civil liberties groups see
pitfalls in emulating El Al.
"I don't know if that's a road we want to go down - Israelizing our air
transportation system," said Ibrahim Hooper of the Washington-based
Council
on American-Islamic Relations. "We've always been in favor of
heightened
security for everyone - not offering an illusion of security by
singling
out people on the basis of ethnicity."
SEE ALSO: INCREASED SAFETY NEED NOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF CIVIL
LIBERTIES
http://www.aclu.org/safeandfree/facts-airport.html
-----
MUSLIMS ASKED TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR FREE SPEECH AT USF SENATE MEETING
The Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace calls upon all supporters
of
free speech to attend the USF Faculty Senate meeting concerning Dr.
Sami
Al-Arian's dismissal by USF president Genshaft and the issue of
academic
freedom.
WHEN: Wednesday, January 9, 2002, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI) Auditorium. (USF campus
on
Bruce B. Down Blvd. between Fowler and Fletcher.)
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE: USF'S CHARADE
http://sptimes.com/News/122101/Opinion/USF_s_charade.shtml
-----
LETTERS: ATTACK ON LOCAL MOSQUE WAS AN ACT THAT HURT ALL
William Lane, The Columbus Dispatch, 1/6/2002
http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/news/editorials02/jan02/1017930.html
One of the most important lessons from the events of Sept. 11 is that
our
freedom is precious and fragile. That freedom is clearly based on our
willingness to be subject to a rule of law and to have a deep respect
for
the opinions and diversity of others. America is a haven and a melting
pot
that continues to embrace people from all over the world.
The board of directors of the Rotary Club of Columbus writes to add its
voice to those who are deeply concerned by the vandalism of the
Masjidka
Islamic Center on Broad Street. While the motives of the perpetrators
are
still unknown, some of the consequences are very clear. Damaging and
desecrating any house of worship is itself a contemptible act. And
vandals
have done more. They have created a threatening environment for some
members of our community.
We are all guaranteed by the laws and the core values of this country
the
right to practice religion in peace and security. For a healthy
community,
we must ensure that this intimidating action does not lead to a sense
of
isolation for those who were victimized...
-----
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC RELEASES "THE WORLD OF ISLAM"
WHAT: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC presents an event marking the release of the
new
National Geographic book, The World of Islam, a collection of NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC stories and photographs on Islam, published from 1910 though
2001. The book was edited by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC senior editor Don
Belt.
The program will begin with a photographic retrospective narrated By
Belt,
followed with presentations by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC senior editor
Michael
Edwards and former NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC writer Tom Abercrombie, who will
read and discuss excerpts from their own articles. Other excerpts will
be
read by National Public Radio's cultural issues reporter Susan Stamberg
and
Neal Conan, host of NPR's Talk of the Nation.
The evening will conclude with a panel discussion moderated by Belt.
Participants will include Edwards, who has traveled widely in Central
Asia;
Abercrombie, a convert to Islam who made the pilgrimage to Mecca and
wrote
about the experience for the Geographic's readers; [CAIR Board Member]
Sulayman S. Nyang, professor of African Studies at Howard University
and
author of Islam in the United States of America; Richard W. Murphy, a
former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State and currently director of
Middle
East Studies for the Council on Foreign Relations; and Yvonne Haddad,
professor of the History of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at
Georgetown University and co-editor of the book Christian-Muslim
Encounters. Haddad writes extensively on Islam's interaction with
Christianity and the west and also on the role of women in Islam.
WHEN: Monday, January 14 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: The Gilbert H. Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M Street, N.W.
COST: $8 for Society members, $10 for nonmembers
CONTACT: 202-857-7700, Lori Dynan, 202-857-7692; Rock Wheeler,
202-775-7885
(Press only)
-----
CAIR-MI SPEAKERS TRAINING PROGRAM
The CAIR-MI Speakers Bureau is designed to establish a speaker's
program
geared towards disseminating and retrieving information about Islam to
and
from the general public.
WHEN: JANUARY 12th -Program A: Basic Training
JANUARY 13th -Program B: Intermediate Training
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Both Days
WHERE: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - ANN ARBOR OR
THE ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION OF GREATER DETROIT
(IAGD MASJID)
(Donations Appreciated)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Br. Jameel Syed at jameelsyed100@hotmail.com CAIR-MI: 248-910-7396
Registration: cairmi_registration@yahoo.com
CAIR-MI Speakers Bureau is a branch of the Education Department at
CAIR-MI.
For more information about CAIR-MI Education email
cair_education@hotmail.com.
-----
CAIR WRITERS SYNDICATE OFFERS AMERICAN 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.
Commentaries are 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.
Opinion page editors may also request columns on specific topics.
CONTACT: Riad Abdelkarim, riadzuhdi@aol.com (Those wishing to have
their
commentaries considered for distribution on the syndicate should
contact
Mr. Abdelkarim.)
-----
CANADIAN NEWSPAPER APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIM CHARITY
APOLOGY TO HUMAN CONCERN INTERNATIONAL
The Ottawa Citizen, 1/5/2002
An article in the Dec. 27, 2001 edition of the Citizen erroneously
reported
that the Ottawa-based charity, Human Concern International, had its
assets
frozen by the Canadian government two months earlier as part of an
effort
to cut off suspected sources of terrorist financing around the world.
The Citizen further erroneously reported that Human Concern
International
had been shut down as part of the FBI's effort to starve terrorists of
funds ostensibly raised for charitable purposes. These statements are
incorrect. Human Concern International has never had its assets frozen
or
otherwise been closed by Canadian or U.S. authorities.
The Citizen regrets the false impression that Human Concern
International
was or is guilty of participating in terrorism or fundraising for
terrorist
activities, and apologizes to Human Concern International, its board of
directors, volunteers and donors for any embarrassment or harm its
errors
have caused.
-----
DANIEL PIPES SAYS ISLAM GIVEN "SPECIAL PRIVILEGES" IN U.S.
CBN.com, 1/2/2002
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/news/020103d.asp
"Militant Islam is the enemy and we have just begun the fight against
it."
CBN.com - In this new year, the Middle East will continue to remain at
the
center of concern in the war on terrorism. For new insights, Pat
Robertson
spoke with Dr. Daniel Pipes, an expert on the Islamic world, and Chris
Mitchell, CBN News' Middle East Bureau Chief.
ROBERTSON: You have written that the United States government, with
taxpayer dollars, has actually helped to spread Islam. Could you expand
on
that a little bit?
PIPES: You are putting it a little more strongly than me. I wrote an
article recently showing that, if one takes the last 10 years, if one
takes
President Clinton, and to a certain extent President Bush, and their
aids,
one finds a constant pattern of promoting Islam, saying that this is a
wonderful religion and has nothing to do with terrorism, and Americans
need
to know more about it, and it's great that there are more Muslims. And
this
is a striking contrast to the approach of the American government
toward
other religions - in particular Christianity.
One finds over and over again that Islam is given special privileges.
You
may have followed that in New York and in Philadelphia; the school
systems
at the end of last year permitted Muslim students to use the schools as
a
place of prayer. I don't need to point out to your audience that that
is
not something that Christians get to avail themselves of. So there is
this
contrast, this special treatment of Islam that I think needs to be
noted.
And, you know, the government needs to be much more cautious about
this...
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
GLOBE COLUMN SLAMS DANIEL PIPES FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=558&articletype=1
-----
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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 - 1/8/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: MODESTY
* BWI GUARD FORCES MUSLIM TEEN TO REMOVE RELIGIOUS HEADSCARF
(Washington Post)
* COUNCIL SUPPORTS DETAINEE: RESOLUTION REQUESTS HEARINGS (Michigan
Daily)
* FLORIDA WITCH HUNT (Salon.com)
* JUDGE WORRIED ABOUT JURY SELECTION SAYS NO LETTERS OR CALLS FROM JAIL
(Atlanta Journal)
- PHOTOS FROM IMAM JAMIL'S PRE-TRIAL HEARING
* TEXAS: VISA ISSUED TO DETAINED MUSLIM (New York Times)
* NEW JERSEY: HOTEL ACCUSED OF ANTI-MUSLIM BIAS (New York Times)
* DEMAND GROWS FOR MUSLIM SCHOOLS (The Gazette)
* KAREN ARMSTRONG DISCUSSES JERUSALEM AT LONG ISLAND MOSQUE
-----
HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: MODESTY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Modesty is part of
faith."
Al-Muwatta, 47:10
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their
modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well
acquainted with all that they do.
"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and
guard
their modesty..."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 24, Verses 30-31
-----
BWI GUARD FORCES MUSLIM TEEN TO REMOVE RELIGIOUS HEADSCARF
Islamic advocacy group says action at airport amounts to "public strip
search"
(WASHINGTON, DC - 1/8/2002) - A 17-year-old Muslim high school student
from
Virginia says that she was intimidated into removing her religiously
mandated headscarf by a security guard at Baltimore/Washington
International Airport (BWI). The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a prominent Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, said today
that the incident amounted to a "public strip search" and called for an
apology from airport, airline and security officials.
(A Muslim Secret Service agent was recently removed from a flight at
BWI
because of what he says was racial and religious profiling.)
The teenage traveler told CAIR that after she went through a security
checkpoint on her way to a Northwest Airlines flight, a guard shouted,
"Hey
you need to take that off," referring to her headscarf. She responded
by
asking, "Why do I have to take off my head cover?" The girl was then
surrounded by military personnel in camouflage uniform with combat
rifles.
She became terrified and removed her headscarf immediately.
The student also said that a Muslim airport employee saw what was
happening
and came to her assistance. The employee informed the guard that it was
wrong to force the student to remove her headscarf in public.
"For a Muslim woman, being forced to remove her headscarf in this
manner is
equivalent to a public strip search," said CAIR Civil Rights
Coordinator
Hodan Hassan.
"This incident reaffirms the need for additional training on policies
and
procedures that will improve airport security without violating civil
liberties and religious rights," said Hassan. She added that CAIR
provides
such training for corporations nationwide.
CAIR's civil rights department has received more than 170 reports of
airport profiling of Muslims or those who are perceived to be "Middle
Eastern" since the terrorist attacks of September 11. The group is
asking
for an investigation of the incident and an apology to the Muslim teen.
That request is being sent to BWI, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines
and
Globe Aviation Services, the firm hired to screen passengers at that
gate.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
U.S. SEEKS THOUSANDS OF FUGITIVE DEPORTEES
Middle Eastern Men Are Focus of Search
By Dan Eggen and Cheryl W. Thompson, The Washington Post, 1/8/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11180-2002Jan7.html
Authorities will soon begin searching for thousands of Middle Eastern
men
in the United States who have disappeared after being ordered to leave
the
country, according to officials familiar with the operation.
The Justice Department has identified about 6,000 young men from the
Middle
East who have ignored deportation orders, and has decided to make the
arrest and removal of them the highest priority among efforts to locate
hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals who have defied such
rulings,
authorities said.
The men hail from nations that U.S. authorities consider havens for
members
of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network, and some have criminal
backgrounds, authorities said. U.S. officials declined to identify the
countries of origin or provide other details about the group.
The plan to give priority to a group of Arab and Muslim men over other
foreign nationals has raised concerns among some Arab American and
immigrant advocate groups that the Bush administration is practicing
racial
profiling in its war on terrorism. The vast majority of people ignoring
deportation orders are Hispanics from Latin America...
-----
COUNCIL SUPPORTS DETAINEE: RESOLUTION REQUESTS HEARINGS
By Jacquelyn Nixon, The Michigan Daily, 1/8/2002
http://www.michigandaily.com/articles.php?uniqid=20020108n01
Detained Ann Arbor Muslim leader Rabih Haddad gained the city's support
yesterday evening after City Council members approved by a partisan 9-2
vote a resolution proposed by community members requesting due process
and
open hearings for his case.
Haddad, co-founder of the Global Relief Foundation, an Islamic charity
suspected to have terrorist ties, was arrested Dec. 14 by the
Immigration
and Naturalization Service for an expired visa and is being held at the
Monroe County Jail...
-----
FLORIDA WITCH HUNT
When a tenured professor loses his job for vocally backing the
Palestinian
cause, Jeb Bush applauds, Bill O'Reilly boos and academics say it's the
worst threat to free speech since Sept. 11.
By Bruce Shapiro, Salon.com, 1/8/2002
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2002/01/08/professor/index_np.html
Jan. 8, 2002 - When Sami Al-Arian, a computer science professor at the
University of South Florida and a local Muslim community leader, agreed
to
go on Fox News' popular "O'Reilly Factor" Sept. 28, he thought he'd be
discussing American Muslims' reaction to Sept. 11. Instead he found
himself
denounced by host Bill O'Reilly as a "terrorist" for his work
supporting
Palestinian statehood, with O'Reilly quoting incendiary anti-Israel
remarks
Al-Arian made 15 years ago.
Being lambasted on national television wasn't the end of the
professor's
ordeal. His O'Reilly appearance triggered hundreds of phone calls and
e-mails (as well as death threats) from critics outraged that USF would
employ the supposed "terrorist." Three days after his Fox appearance,
university president Judy Genshaft suspended Al-Arian with pay; just
before
Christmas, she fired him. Genshaft made no pretext that Al-Arian's
academic
performance was at issue; he is both tenured and popular with his
students.
Al-Arian was terminated, she said, for failing to make clear he was
speaking for himself and not the university, and thus making the
university
the vortex of right-wing fury about his views. "We are experiencing a
level
of disruption that no university anywhere is set up to deal with on an
ongoing basis."
Al-Arian's firing has made this community the storm center of the most
intense debate anywhere in the nation about academic freedom in the
wake of
Sept. 11. The firestorm has pulled in Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who
praised
Genshaft's move, and Bill O'Reilly himself, who has defended the
Palestinian academic's right to his views and denounced the university
president for firing him.
The firing has been criticized by the American Association of
University
Professors and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. On
Thursday, Al-Arian will get a chance to defend himself to the
university's
administration in an appeal required under his union contract...
...the firing of a university professor for his views, past or present,
has
its own profound and disturbing echoes of witch hunts past. The plight
of
the Al-Arian family -- one member jailed awaiting deportation, the
other
fired from his teaching post -- recalls the precise conditions that
inspired the creation of the American Civil Liberties Union during
World
War I: on the one hand, roundups of immigrant radicals, and on the
other
hand, the firing of antiwar academics like James McKeen Cattell, the
founder of Columbia's psychology department, and political scientist
Scott
Nearing, who after being fired from the Wharton School of Business,
achieved cult status for books on "Living the Good Life" in rural
Vermont
and Maine.
The very institution of academic tenure was created to ensure that
scholars
feel free to speak out on public controversies, whether in or outside
their
official academic portfolio. What's more, in a world haunted by
terrorism,
the stakes in the Sami Al-Arian case go beyond civil libertarian
abstraction. If anything helps fuel terrorism, it is a sense that
politics
cannot work. Sami Al-Arian may be a militant Palestinian nationalist --
but
he is a militant who proved to himself, and to his communities both in
the
US and abroad, that politics and democratic institutions like courts
can
work, by clearing his name and freeing his brother-in-law. Firing
Al-Arian
because of public hysteria over spurious charges turns the hiring and
firing at USF over to a gang of hecklers and telephone thugs. And like
the
rearrest of his brother-in-law, it sends a disquieting worldwide
message
that democracy will betray those most clamoring for it.
-----
JUDGE WORRIED ABOUT JURY SELECTION SAYS NO LETTERS OR CALLS FROM JAIL
By STEVE VISSER and LATEEF MUNGIN, Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
1/8/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/010802.html
A Superior Court judge ordered the Fulton County Jail to stop prisoner
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin from making phone calls or mailing letters after
he
spoke out about his high-profile murder case on the eve of the jury
selection.
Judge Stephanie Manis cited Al-Amin, who faces the death penalty, for
contempt of court after a telephone interview with a New York Times
reporter and after the Muslim cleric answered written questions from
WSB.
Manis barred Al-Amin from mailing letters, making or taking telephone
calls
and meeting with visitors other than his lawyers. The judge said she
would
reconsider the restrictions after a jury is chosen and sequestered...
PHOTOS FROM PRE-TRIAL HEARING
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/photos/image1.html
-----
TEXAS: VISA ISSUED TO DETAINED MUSLIM
By Jim Yardley, The New York Times, 1/8/2002
A Muslim doctor in San Antonio who was arrested after the Sept. 11
attacks
but later released was prohibited from re-entering the country last
month
after a trip to Saudi Arabia. A State Department official said the
doctor,
Al-Badr Al Hazmi, was issued a visa on Saturday and would be allowed to
return. Muslim leaders in San Antonio had expressed outrage over the
situation. On Sept. 12, Dr. Hazmi was handcuffed and dragged away from
his
San Antonio home in his pajamas. After 12 days of questioning, he was
released.
-----
NEW JERSEY: HOTEL ACCUSED OF ANTI-MUSLIM BIAS
By Steve Strunsky, The New York Times, 1/8/2002
A mosque in Bergen County has charged that a hotel discriminated
against
its members by refusing to rent them a ballroom for their post-Ramadan
celebration. Waheed Khalid, president of the Dar-Ul-Islah Mosque in
Teaneck, said the Marriott at Glenpointe would not rent the ballroom to
the
mosque on Dec. 15 or 16.
The hotel had previously allowed the mosque to rent the room, on Dec.
27,
2000, but that was for the first time since the mosque began asking in
1988, and only after it complained to government agencies. Mike
Condrat,
general manager of the Marriot, denied the discrimination charge and
said
the room had been booked already when the mosque wanted to rent it.
-----
KAREN ARMSTRONG DISCUSSES JERUSALEM AT LONG ISLAND MOSQUE
TOPIC: The Holiness of Jerusalem: Some Lessons From the Past for the
Future
WHEN: SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2002, 3:30 P.M. - 5:45 P.M.
WHERE: Islamic Center of Long Island, 835 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury,
New
York 11590
CONTACT: (516) 333-3495
DIRECTIONS: Northern State Parkway Exit 34, left on Brush Hollow Road,
ICLI
is half mile down on the right.
Ms. Armstrong's best-selling books include: A History of God;
Jerusalem:
One City, Three Faiths; In the Beginning: A New Interpretation of
Genesis;
Islam: A Short History.
-----
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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 - 1/9/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: VARIATIONS IN LANGUAGE AND COLOR
* MAGAZINE "REGRETS" MISQUOTE OF CAIR OFFICIAL (The New Republic)
* CAIR DISCUSSES AIRPORT HIJAB CASE ON FOX'S O'REILLY FACTOR
- OTHER CAIR MEDIA APPEARANCES (ABC, CNN)
* HAIR UNCOVERED, APOLOGY SOUGHT (Washington Post)
- SIKH MAN TO SUE AIRLINE, ISLIP FOR TURBAN INCIDENT (Newsday)
* I.N.S. TO FOCUS ON MUSLIMS WHO EVADE DEPORTATION (New York Times)
- U.S. TARGETS ARAB, MUSLIM MEN IN SWEEP FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
(Wall
Street Journal)
* COALITION CITES RIGHTS CONCERNS (Newsday)
* DC RALLY FOR CIVIL RIGHTS 1/19/2002
* CONYERS CONDEMNS DISCRIMINATORY INS DEPORTATION POLICY
* EDITORIAL: HADDAD CASE SUSPICIOUSLY SECRET (Michigan Daily)
* COMMUNITY FORUM ON DISCRIMINATORY BACKLASH
* NEW BOOK: "TERRORISM AND THE CONSTITUTION"
* JURY SELECTION IN AL-AMIN CASE SEEN AS LONG, TEDIOUS (Atlanta
Journal)
* POLICE SEEK LEADS IN VANDALISM CASE (Columbus Dispatch)
* MUSLIM COMMUNITY WEIGHS IN FOR FOOD BANK (Calgary Herald)
* CAIR CANADA JOINS FORUM ON FAITH AND THE MEDIA
* A IS FOR ARABS (Salon.com)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: VARIATIONS IN LANGUAGE AND COLOR
"And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and
the
variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs
for
those who know."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 30, Verse 22
-----
MAGAZINE "REGRETS" MISQUOTE OF CAIR OFFICIAL
The New Republic, 1/14/2002
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: A November 12 piece, "Fevered Pitch," by
Franklin Foer, and a December 24 Notebook item, "Flopaganda," both
incorrectly attributed a statement to the Council on American-Islamic
Relations' executive director Nihad Awad. The statement, about the
involvement of Mossad and Egyptian intelligence in the 1993 World Trade
Center bombing, appeared in an unsigned editorial in the March 31,
1994,
issue of the Muslim World Monitor, where Awad was the contributing
editor.
We regret the error.
[NOTE: We thank The New Republic for making this correction and hope
other
media outlets that have used similar misquotations will follow suit.
CAIR and many other American Muslim organizations have recently been
the
targets of a vicious smear campaign based on misquotations,
distortions,
fabrications, outdated and out of context information, and guilt by
association.
This campaign 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.
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.]
FROM: "ISLAMOPHOBIC SMEAR CAMPAIGN" GOES PUBLIC
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=4&articletype=3
-----
CAIR DISCUSSES AIRPORT HIJAB CASE ON FOX'S O'REILLY FACTOR
Fox News Network, January 8, 2002 Tuesday
http://fn.emediamillworks.com/fox/
HOST: Bill O'Reilly
O'REILLY: In the "Personal Story" segment tonight, we told you in the
Talking Points memo that some security screeners at the airports are
using
very poor judgment, to say the least.
Now comes a case from the Baltimore-Washington airport where a
Northwest
Airlines screener forced a 17-year-old Muslim high school student to
remove
her head covering. Joining us now from Washington is Ibrahim Hooper,
the
communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
All right. So this high school student was wearing a head covering,
which,
in the Muslim religion, is a sign of modesty, and these guys wanted to
see
what was underneath it, right?
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Yes. I -- the
point
isn't so much that it was -- that would -- they asked her to remove it.
If
they had taken her to a private area and asked -- a female guard had
been
there and asked her to check out the head scarf or whatever, that
wouldn't
have been a problem.
The problem was, a 17-year-old high school student being surrounded by
soldiers in camouflage uniforms with M-16s and being forced to remove
what
we consider to be a religiously mandated head scarf...
OTHER CAIR MEDIA APPEARANCES:
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad appeared last night on ABC's
"Nightline"
CAIR Civil Rights Coordinator Hodan Hassan appeared this morning on
CNN's
AMERICAN MORNING WITH PAULA ZAHN.
HOST: Hodan Hassan, do you view this incident as racial profiling?
HODAN HASSAN, AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Well, it could be racial
profiling. I think our issue with this particular incident is that
rather
than have her have to take off her veil in public, this should have
been
done in the privacy of a screening room, a room or maybe a screened off
area. This isn't the first case. We've actually had at least 13 other
cases
of women who have contacted CARE and said that they were forced to
remove
their scarves in public.
HOST: I'm sorry. We had a case of a U.S. congressman in the last day or
two, John Dingle, who was forced to strip down to his shorts because an
artificial hip set off a metal detector. You know, there is heightened
security in this country in the wake of the events of 9-11. What would
you
like to see happen as a result of this? Are you planning legal action?
Do
you want an apology? What'll it take to make this right?
HASSAN: Yes, there's no, at this point, consideration of legal action.
What
we're asking, what our organization is asking on behalf of Mrs. Sarsour
is
that first that there be an apology to her and her family, that there
be an
investigation of this incident and more importantly that there be some
clear guidelines set as to how searches should be conducted, in this
case
of Muslim women...
-----
HAIR UNCOVERED, APOLOGY SOUGHT
BWI Screening Prompts Complaint From Muslim Teenager in Va.
By Katherine Shaver, The Washington Post, 1/9/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16470-2002Jan8.html
Enaas Sansour began wearing a black head scarf a year ago as part of
her
Muslim faith, so that no man outside her family would see her hair
until
she married.
Her hair remained hidden, the Falls Church teenager said yesterday,
until a
male airline security screener at Baltimore-Washington International
Airport forced her to remove her scarf last month. In front of
strangers.
In front of men. Even though the metal detector, she said, never
sounded.
"No guys are supposed to see my hair until my husband sees it when I
get
married," said Sansour, 17, a junior at the Islamic Saudi Academy in
Alexandria. "It was very humiliating with all those people staring at
me
like I did something wrong...It was against my religion."
On Monday, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations
filed
a complaint on the teenager's behalf, seeking apologies from the
screener's
employer, Globe Aviation Services, and Northwest and Delta airlines.
Sansour said the incident occurred when she, her father and two
brothers
passed through BWI's Pier C security checkpoint Dec. 18 before boarding
a
Northwest flight to San Francisco. Delta Airlines contracts with Globe
to
provide security for all airlines that use Pier C, including Northwest.
Hodan Hassan, the Islamic group's civil rights coordinator, said
requiring
Muslim women to remove their head scarves, or hijab, is tantamount to a
public strip search because it violates Muslim teachings about modesty.
Hassan said Sansour's complaint is one of a dozen the group has
received
from Muslim women forced to remove head scarves in public at airports
under
heightened security since Sept. 11. The group has received about 160
other
complaints of racial or religious profiling at airports, officials
said.
Hassan said the group does not object to Muslim women being asked to
remove
their head scarves in a private area and in front of a female security
screener, as long as they are not singled out for extra scrutiny...
SEE ALSO:
SIKH MAN TO SUE AIRLINE, ISLIP FOR TURBAN INCIDENT
By Lauren Terrazzano, Newsday (New York, NY), 1/9/2002
http://www.newsday.com/ny-lisuit0109.story
A Family Court official who said he was twice barred from flights at
Long
Island MacArthur Airport in October because he refused to remove his
turban
during a security check has taken the first step toward suing the Town
of
Islip, which operates the airport.
Tejindar Singh Kahlon, 64, a practicing Sikh who lives in East Meadow,
said
yesterday that he also planned to sue Southwest Airlines on federal
civil
rights charges stemming from incidents in October in which he
subsequently
missed the wedding of a friend's daughter in Arizona...
...The potential lawsuit raises questions about the difficult balancing
act
between civil liberties and airport security in the post-Sept. 11
world. It
also comes amid a maelstrom of recent incidents in which Muslim or
Sikhs
have undergone increased scrutiny at airports...
-----
I.N.S. TO FOCUS ON MUSLIMS WHO EVADE DEPORTATION
By NEIL A. LEWIS, The New York Times, 1/9/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/09/national/09DEPO.html
Justice Department officials said today that a new effort to find and
deport people who have fled to avoid previous deportation orders would
begin with tracking several thousand men from Muslim and Middle Eastern
countries that have Al Qaeda presences.
The officials said although the men from Muslim and Middle Eastern
countries constituted a small fraction of those who have ignored
deportation orders, they would be the initial focus of efforts to
locate
evaders and expel them...
...Some civil liberties and Arab American advocacy groups questioned
the
fairness of that policy. A spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations in Washington, Ibrahim Hooper, said the policy was greatly
dismaying.
"If you add in this new policy," Mr. Hooper said in an interview, "with
several others announced by this administration like their plans to
question 5,000 Muslim men who are here legally, the effect is to create
a
perception in the Muslim and Arab American community that there is a
two-tier legal system, one for the majority and another for the people
who
are Muslim or Arab American.
"Anybody who breaks the law and ignores a deportation order deserves to
be
arrested. But to single people out solely on their religion and
ethnicity
goes against longstanding values of equal protection of the law."
Before Sept. 11, the merest hint of using profiles to screen for
potential
wrongdoers was widely regarded as a violation of some elementary
American
value. But the debate has become more complex...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. TARGETS ARAB, MUSLIM MEN IN SWEEP FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
By Nicholas Kulish and Gary Fields, The Wall Street Journal, 1/9/2002
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Justice Department is gearing up to locate Arab
and
Muslim men who have overstayed their visas as part of a broader push to
crack down on illegal aliens in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks...
...The policy has raised concerns of undue racial profiling in the hunt
for
terrorists. "We would ask for enforcement of the law across the board
and
not just singling out people based on their religion or ethnicity,"
said
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations. "At some point due process and legal
procedures
have to be followed..."
-----
COALITION CITES RIGHTS CONCERNS
Detainees, wiretap surveillance top list
By Deborah Barfield Berry, Newsday (New York, NY), 1/9/2002
www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uscivi092542849jan09.story
Washington - Fearing the impact of Justice officials' sweeping new
powers,
national civil rights groups and Arab and Muslim organizations have
formed
a coalition to defend against practices they say violate people's civil
liberties.
The coalition, which includes the American Civil Liberties Union, the
Arab
American Institute and the Black Leadership Forum, is calling for more
congressional oversight, including hearings. It also is demanding that
Justice Department officials release more information about the 500
remaining detainees held for immigration violations and stop the
questioning of 5,000 young male foreigners, most of whom are from
Middle
Eastern and Central Asian countries. The coalition will kick off its
campaign with a rally Jan. 19 in Washington in commemoration of Dr.
Martin
Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
"There's a recognition among all these folks that we're all in the same
boat and we can't sit back while one group gets singled out and think
it's
not going to happen to another," said Jason Erb, director of
governmental
affairs for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is also
part
of the coalition.
The groups have raised concerns about legislation that expands Justice
Department powers, including the authority to detain indefinitely
noncitizens suspected of terrorism and to broaden wiretap
surveillance...
-----
DC RALLY FOR CIVIL RIGHTS 1/19/2002
A broad coalition of civil rights groups will hold a rally on January
19 at
12:00 to 2:30 p.m., at the Washington DC Convention Center to draw
attention to the damage done to civil liberties protections in the wake
of
new anti-terrorism legislation.
The coalition, including the CAIR, ACLU, National Action Network, MPAC,
Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, AMC, People for the American Way,
AAI,
Black Leadership Forum, Blacks in Government, and other organizations
will
rally to remind Americans of the spirit of Martin Luther King.
"The civil rights gains of the 60s and 70s took place in the context of
immense social change and a foreign war," said Jason Erb, Director of
Governmental Affairs. "Dr. King recognized that civil rights and
national
security are not contradictory, but complimentary," said Erb.
CONTACT: Jason C. Erb, 202-488-8787, jerb@cair-net.org
-----
CONYERS CONDEMNS DISCRIMINATORY INS DEPORTATION POLICY
Rep. John Conyers, Jr, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee,
issued the following statement in response to reports that the Justice
Department will focus on Middle Easterners who have not complied with
deportation orders:
"We must have a rational law enforcement policy to ensure that people
who
are issued deportation orders actually leave the country. The fact that
there are over 300,000 people in the United States who have ignored
deportation orders is indicative of INS's lack of resources to enforce
our
immigration laws. However, it is un-American to single out individuals
for
more aggressive law enforcement scrutiny on the basis of race, sex or
national origin without evidence of criminal behavior.
A policy that focuses on finding people based on their national origin
is
short sighted as it will fail to meet its desired result - to protect
America from terrorism. The Justice Department should not be using
racial
profiling; rather it should treat people in similar circumstances
equally. This decision by the Justice Department is just one more in a
long list of decisions that use race or ethnicity as a determinative
factor
to guide law enforcement rather than focusing on specific evidence of
criminal behavior."
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
Representative John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan 14th district
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
TEL: 202-225-5126
FAX: 202-225-0072
E-MAIL: Rashad.Hussain@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
EDITORIAL: HADDAD CASE SUSPICIOUSLY SECRET
The Michigan Daily, 1/9/2002
http://www.michigandaily.com/articles.php?uniqid=20020109e01
Rabih Haddad, a leader of the Ann Arbor Muslim community, was arrested
on
Dec. 14 by the Immigration and Naturalization Service on charges of
overstaying his tourist visa. Since then he has been detained and has
been
denied bond on two separate occasions, the latest reasons proferred by
the
court being risk of flight and danger to society.
Haddad has visited the U.S. off and on for more then a decade and in
that
time has founded the Global Relief Foundation, taught at a local
Islamic
school, served as assistant to the leader of Ann Arbor's mosque and
applied
for permanent residency.
While it is within INS jurisdiction to arrest or detain visitors for
overstaying visas, the elements of secret evidence, racial profiling
and
inconsistency indicate justice is not being served in this case...
...While the government warns that terrorism will undermine democracy
and
freedom, it should take care to uphold the civil liberties that are
fundamental to those values.
-----
COMMUNITY FORUM ON DISCRIMINATORY BACKLASH - 1/16/2002
WHEN: Wednesday, January 16, 2002, Doors Open at 6:30 p.m., Program
Begins
at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: George Mason University Law School (Room 329), 3401 North
Fairfax
Drive, Arlington, VA, Orange Line Metro Stop - GMU/Virginia Square
* Has your child been harassed by other students, teachers, or
administrators because of his or her race, national origin or religion?
* Have you been fired from your job or harassed at work because of your
race, national origin, religion or citizenship status?
* Have you faced discrimination in boarding a plane or during a flight
because of your race, national origin or religion?
* Have you, a member of your family, or your property been physically
attacked because of your race, national origin or religion?
Since September 11, 2001, Arab, Muslim, South Asian and Sikh Americans,
and
others perceived to be members of these groups have experienced
incidents
of discrimination, including assaults, harassment and vandalism.
Please join staff from the Civil Rights Division and Community
Relations
Service of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S.
Department of Transportation for a discussion about your rights and how
to
file a discrimination complaint with the appropriate agency. A question
and
answer period will follow agency presentations. Materials will be
available, and staff will be present to receive complaints.
The law school is accessible. For further accommodations, please
contact
Naheed Qureshi at (202) 514-3831 or at naheed.qureshi@usdoj.gov by
January
11, 2002.
-----
NEW BOOK: "TERRORISM AND THE CONSTITUTION"
Join Jim Dempsey and David Cole for a discussion of the war on
terrorism
and the future of civil liberties in conjunction with the publication
of
their newly revised and expanded "Terrorism and the Constitution:
Sacrificing Civil Liberties in the Name of National Security" (First
Amendment Foundation, 2002).
WHEN: Thursday, January 17, 2002, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Politics and Prose Bookstore,
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Dempsey and Cole's book, originally published in 1999, discusses the
dangers of granting unchecked powers to the federal government in the
war
on terrorism. This new edition is fully revised, including a new
chapter on
the government's domestic response to the events of September 11. It
argues that much of the government's response is not only
unconstitutional,
but likely to be counterproductive in the war on terrorism.
David Cole is a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, legal
affairs correspondent for The Nation, and a commentator on National
Public
Radio's All Things Considered. Jim Dempsey was former assistant
counsel to
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights and is
now
deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology.
For more information about the book, contact Kit Gage at 202-529-4225.
-----
JURY SELECTION IN AL-AMIN CASE SEEN AS LONG, TEDIOUS
STEVE VISSER, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 1/9/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/010902.html
A population equivalent to a small town is expected to trudge through
the
Fulton County courtroom during this week as lawyers begin picking
jurors in
the high-profile trial of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin.
A total of 1,500 people have been summoned for jury duty --- a number
several lawyers said is the most they could remember being called for a
criminal case in Fulton County.
"I've been doing this for well over 20 years, and I've never seen this
number of jurors called before . . . not in Georgia," said Michael
Mears,
director of the Multi-County Public Defender Office. Al-Amin is on
trial
for his life on charges of murdering a deputy sheriff. He was once
known as
the 1960s militant H. Rap Brown --- who sparked legions of admirers and
critics --- and now is a prominent Muslim cleric. The case against
Al-Amin
was scheduled for trial in September, but was postponed after the Sept.
11
terrorist attacks because of fears of a backlash...
-----
POLICE SEEK LEADS IN VANDALISM CASE
By Felix Hoover, The Columbus Dispatch, 1/8/2002
http://www.columbusdispatch.com
Search using the term "Islamic."
Law-enforcement officials are turning to the community for leads in the
recent vandalism at the Islamic Center at 1428 E. Broad St.
Finding who caused the damage, which members discovered Dec. 30 when
they
arrived at the mosque for morning prayer, "is going to hinge on someone
knowing something giving us a call," said Columbus Police Cmdr. Paul
Denton. The FBI joined the investigation last week but has no comment
about
it, said Brian W. Lynch, supervisory agent for the bureau's Columbus
office.
Damage to the mosque is estimated at $100,000. That includes torn
Qurans
and extensive water damage that occurred after the vandals ripped
plumbing
from a bathroom wall and stopped up a sink to flood the three-story
building.
On Friday, Denton said, Muslim leaders told authorities about previous
threatening calls and hate mail received at the mosque.
Most came shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center
and
the Pentagon, but one typewritten letter arrived about three days
before
the vandalism, said Jad Humeidan, executive director of the Ohio
chapter of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The letter warned mosque
members
to get out of the country...
...The Islamic Foundation, which manages the mosque, and the Islamic
Society of Greater Columbus are offering a $5,000 reward for
information
about the vandalism. Columbus police are encouraging anyone with
information to call Crime Stoppers, 614-645-TIPS (8477).
-----
MUSLIM COMMUNITY WEIGHS IN FOR FOOD BANK
By Brendan Richardson, Calgary Herald (Canada), 1/9/2002
The donation of 3,505 kilograms of food and $1,000 in cash Tuesday is a
sincere gesture aimed at helping the city's less-fortunate, says a
leader
of Calgary's Muslim community.
In fact, the charity drive on behalf of the Calgary Inter-Faith Food
Bank
is in its fifth year. "We want to show people that this is what Islam
is
all about," said Nagah Hage, chairman of the Muslim Council of Calgary.
"Islam is a religion of peace, caring, sharing and compassion. Our
values
are to teach our children to be sympathetic towards the
less-fortunate."
Monica Brinck, community co-ordinator for the Calgary Inter-Faith Food
Bank, said: "We're very grateful for the donations, and we're extremely
pleased to be in a partnership with the Muslim community.
"When it comes to helping hungry Calgarians, the Muslim community has
always come through. This year is no different. They really are a part
of
this community..."
-----
CAIR CANADA JOINS FORUM ON FAITH AND THE MEDIA
On January 21, CAIR-CAN Executive Director Riad Saloojee will join a
panel
of media professionals to discuss media coverage of faith after 9/11.
The
event is sponsored by The Winnipeg Free Press and Department of
Canadian
Heritage. Admission is free. For further Information, call 204-667-1419
WHAT: Media Coverage of Faith After 9/11
WHEN: Monday, January 21, 7-9 p.m.
WHERE: Jubilee Place, 180 Riverton Ave., Winnipeg, MB
PANELISTS:
* Nick Hirst, Editor, Winnipeg Free Press
* Riad Saloojee, Executive Director, CAIR-CAN
* Kirk Lapointe, Senior VP, CTV News
* Gord Legge, Director, Centre for Faith and the Media
Moderated by Donald Benham, CBC Radio One
CONTACT: canada@cair-net.org
-----
A IS FOR ARABS
By George Rafael, Salon.com, 1/8/2002
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2002/01/08/alphabet/index.html
From algebra and coffee to guitars, optics and universities -- an
alphabetical reminder of what the West owes to the People of the
Crescent
Moon.
-----
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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
CAIR TO APPEAR ON C-SPAN'S "WASHINGTON JOURNAL"
CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper is scheduled to appear
Thursday
(1/10) morning on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" at 8 a.m. (Eastern) It
is a
call-in program. SEE: http://www.c-span.org/journal/
You may also submit questions to:
http://www.c-span.org/community/submitwj.asp
-----
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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 - 1/10/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: DOING GOOD
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: ANN COULTER ON PROFILING
* CAIR'S IBRAHIM HOOPER DISCUSSES DEPORTATIONS ON C-SPAN
* DC MAYOR VISITS MOSQUE TO LAUNCH FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE FOR
EX-OFFENDERS
* WIDOW OF FLIGHT 93 HERO GIVES BIRTH TO HEALTHY BABY GIRL (AP)
* FACULTY LEADERS REFUSE TO BACK AL-ARIAN FIRING (St. Petersburg Times)
* OTHER NATIONS FIND 'TERRORIST' LABEL USEFUL (Christian Science
Monitor)
- MUSLIM IN AMERICA
* IN SOUTH AFRICA, MANY BLACKS CONVERT TO ISLAM (Christian Science
Monitor)
- 'ALLAH CAME KNOCKING AT MY HEART' (London Times)
* ENFORCEMENT OR WITCH HUNT? (Newsday)
* AL-HAZMI ABUSE TROUBLING TREND (Express-News)
* FBI SAYS WOMAN MADE FALSE STATEMENTS (AP)
* OHIO MAN WHO DROVE INTO MOSQUE SENTENCED (Reuters)
* DON'T BLAME ISLAM (Charlotte Observer)
* I AM AN AMERICAN MUSLIM WOMAN (Kansas City Star)
-----
HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: DOING GOOD
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon hi) said: "Doing good is having
good
manners. Doing evil is what troubles you inside and what you would not
like
others to know about."
Imam Bukhari's Book of Muslim Morals and Manners
"Bad and good are not equal, even though the abundance of the bad may
dazzle you; so fear God, O people of understanding, that you may
prosper!"
The Holy Quran, Chapter 5, Verse 100
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: ANN COULTER ON PROFILING
IF THE PROFILE FITS...
Townhall.com, 1/10/2002
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/ac20020110.shtml
"There is no principled basis for opposition to using Arab appearance
as a
factor in airport screening procedures."
POLITE COMMENTS TO: (Hostile comments will be used to harm the image of
Muslims and Islam.)
CONTACT:
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,
webmaster@uexpress.com, info@townhall.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
ANN COULTER'S BIO: http://www.uexpress.com/anncoulter/bio.cfm
-----
CAIR'S IBRAHIM HOOPER DISCUSSES DEPORTATIONS ON C-SPAN
http://www.c-span.org/journal/
-----
DC MAYOR VISITS MOSQUE TO LAUNCH FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE FOR
EX-OFFENDERS
Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams is scheduled to speak January
11
at a local mosque to help launch "Re-Entry Weekend," a program designed
to
assist ex-offenders rejoin the community. Program sponsors have asked
the
faith community to partner with this initiative. Mayor Williams will
address the mosque's congregation following Friday prayers.
WHEN: Friday, January 11, 12:45 p.m.
WHERE: Masjid Muhammad, 1519 4th Street NW (4th and New Jersey Ave.
NW),
Washington, D.C. (TEL: 202-483-8832)
CONTACT: Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
TEL: 202-220-5320 or e-mail Gail Francois at gail.francois@csosa.gov
-----
WIDOW OF FLIGHT 93 HERO GIVES BIRTH TO HEALTHY BABY GIRL
The Associated Press, 1/10/2002
PRINCETON, New Jersey - Lisa Beamer, the widow of the man who
confronted
hijackers on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania Sept. 11, has given
birth to a healthy baby girl.
Morgan Kay Beamer was born Wednesday afternoon at Princeton Medical
Center,
Diane Morrow, a spokeswoman for the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, said
Thursday. Morgan was Todd Beamer's middle name...
...Todd Beamer, 32, was one of several passengers aboard United Flight
93
who made phone calls to relatives or authorities, alerting them that a
hijacking was taking place and saying they were making plans to fight
back.
Beamer ended his conversation with a GTE operator by dropping his phone
and
saying, "Let's roll!" A short time later, the plane crashed into a
field
near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 on board...
...Lisa Beamer set up the Beamer Foundation to assist other children
who
lost parents on United Airlines Flight 93; her own family will not
receive
assistance from the fund.
The foundation's Web site asks that in lieu of baby gifts, those
wanting to
can make a donation to either the foundation or to a children's charity
in
the baby's honor.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Send donations to:
The Todd M. Beamer Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 32
Cranbury, NJ 08512
TEL: 1-866-BEAMER-23
FAX: 609-443-7912
E-MAIL: WBeatty@BeamerFoundation.org
URL: http://www.beamerfoundation.org
-----
FACULTY LEADERS REFUSE TO BACK AL-ARIAN FIRING
By BARRY KLEIN and BABITA PERSAUD, St. Petersburg Times, 1/10/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/10/TampaBay/Faculty_leaders_refus.shtml
TAMPA - There were protestations, denunciations and arguments about the
difference between free speech and hate speech.
One University of South Florida professor delivered a pointed lecture
on
the bad things that happen when universities fail to protect academic
freedom. Others rose to say that academic freedom should offer no
protection to Sami Al-Arian, the professor whose controversial
statements
had brought them here in the first place. But after more than two hours
of
debate Wednesday, a sizable majority of USF faculty leaders voted
against a
motion that would have endorsed president Judy Genshaft's recent move
to
fire Al-Arian, a tenured professor at USF for 16 years.
Instead, the Faculty Senate approved a resolution calling for the
creation
of a committee of professors to help deal with faculty discipline...
...Nancy Jane Tyson, a former president of the Faculty Senate, told
members
she thinks the university has deliberately exaggerated the security
concerns generated by Al-Arian's public statements.
As evidence, she offered a police report on a death threat against
Al-Arian
called into USF's computer science department one day after his
appearance
on The O'Reilly Factor.
She said the university never disclosed that the caller phoned again
about
a half-hour later to apologize for the threat...
-----
OTHER NATIONS FIND 'TERRORIST' LABEL USEFUL
By Howard LaFranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 1/10/2002
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0110/p2s1-usgn.html
America's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism is being adopted by
other
countries confronting protracted internal or regional conflicts -
sometimes
with negative consequences.
So far in Afghanistan, the US has demonstrated that blunt force can
produce
results. Now, other countries are tracing the American template:
They're
defining their own conflicts with a much heavier emphasis on
"terrorism,"
and - as the US did with Afghanistan's Taliban regime - they're issuing
ultimatums to adversaries to either topple "their" terrorists, or face
war.
Israel, for example, lost little time after President Bush made the war
on
terrorism his central priority before it began labeling Palestinian
leader
Yasser Arafat a "terrorist." Russian President Vladimir Putin has made
clear that he expects greater international understanding now of his
country's equation of Chechen separatists with terrorists.
And now, India is seeking an international label for rival neighbor
Pakistan - a key US ally in the war on terrorism - as a "terrorist
state."
India's campaign in particular is forcing the US into a tricky
diplomatic
dance - and raising questions about how broadly the war on terrorism
should
be defined.
Just how the "terrorism" label is used could have far-reaching
consequences. In some cases, it could provide a cover for internal
crackdowns on dissident or minority groups. The label could also become
the
first step in ratcheting up already-dangerous cross-border conflicts...
SEE ALSO: MUSLIM IN AMERICA
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0110/p15s1-lire.html
-----
IN SOUTH AFRICA, MANY BLACKS CONVERT TO ISLAM
By Nicole Itano, The Christian Science Monitor, 1/10/2002
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0110/p13s1-woaf.html
When Bilal Motsau converted to Islam in 1976, he was considered an
oddity
in Soweto, a sprawling black township on the outskirts of Johannesburg
that
was once the center of anti-apartheid activism. In the South Africa of
that
period, Islam was practiced primarily by the country's small South
Asian
and Malay populations, and blacks considered it an "Indian" religion.
But these days, Mr. Motsau, who wears short, trimmed beard and a black
and
white prayer shawl over dark, Western-style clothes, is being joined in
his
faith by a growing number of South African blacks. Though still a small
force in black townships, Islam is gaining a foothold in many black
communities in this predominantly Christian country. The faith is
attracting both poor shantytown dwellers who appreciate Islam's
emphasis on
charity, and young intellectuals attracted by the faith's focus on
lifestyle and social reform...
SEE ALSO:
'ALLAH CAME KNOCKING AT MY HEART'
By GILES WHITTELL, The (London) Times,
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,7-2002010026,00.html
Anecdotal evidence suggests that there has been a surge in conversions
to
Islam since September 11, especially among affluent young white
Britons.
-----
ENFORCEMENT OR WITCH HUNT?
By Bart Jones, Newsday (New York, NY), 1/10/2002
www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-liins10q2544305jan10.story
Groups favoring tighter controls on immigration yesterday praised a
government crackdown on 6,000 Middle Eastern and Muslim men who
overstayed
their visas and ignored deportation orders.
The groups said it demonstrates that the Department of Justice may
finally
be getting serious about enforcing immigration laws.
"It's encouraging," said Dan Stein of the Federation for American
Immigration Reform in Washington, D.C. "It's certainly a good start."
But Arab-American and Muslim groups said the action is unfair and a
form of
racial profiling. The 6,000 men being targeted are a fraction of the
314,000 immigrants who are ignoring deportation orders, according to
government officials. Most are Latin Americans, mainly Mexicans...
...A Department of Justice official who asked not to be named denied
the
government is targeting Middle Easterners and Muslims. He said that
within
a year all 314,000 names will be inserted into the database, but that
authorities had to start somewhere. They chose nations where Osama bin
Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network has cells. The network is believed
responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks.
"You've got to set priorities," the official said. "We are at war, and
we
have to use every tool available."
Arab-American and Muslim leaders such as Majid said they don't dispute
that
immigrants issued deportation orders should leave the country. But they
want the crackdown enforced uniformly.
"I call on the INS to do the same for other nationalities and not to
zero
in only on the Arab-Americans and Muslims," said Ghazi Khankan of the
Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury. "Otherwise it will be racial
profiling and discrimination..."
-----
AL-HAZMI ABUSE TROUBLING TREND
By Jan Jarboe Russell, San Antonio Express-News
news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=1055&xlc=573871&xld=1055
You would think that by now the federal government would be tired of
making
Al-Badr M.H. Al-Hazmi its whipping boy. Apparently, however, there is
no
end to Al-Hazmi's harrowing experiences with the U.S. justice system.
Al-Hazmi, a Saudi Arabian doctor studying in San Antonio, was among the
first Muslim men rounded up and jailed by the FBI after the Sept. 11
attacks. Then he got the bull-in-the-china-shop treatment from the
Immigration and Naturalization Service.
You would think that after holding Hazmi in jail for 13 humiliating
days -
seven of them without access to a lawyer - and then determining he had
no
connection to terrorism, the government would call off the dogs.
Incredibly, his victimization continued...
-----
FBI SAYS WOMAN MADE FALSE STATEMENTS
The Associated Press, 1/10/2002
HOUSTON (AP) - A woman who contacted law enforcement officers and told
them
that her husband was a terrorist has been indicted on charges of making
false statements to the FBI.
During a Dec. 19 hearing, an FBI agent said Shahlah Jaffer Hussain, 39,
made up the story about her husband, Fouad Esshassah. The agent said
Hussain was furious with her husband because he left town for an
extended
period without telling her where he was going.
Hussain was indicted on Jan. 2 for making the accusation.
Officials said Hussain contacted the FBI four days after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks claiming her husband received an e-mail three days
before
the attacks that included images of a skull, an airplane and the World
Trade Center...
-----
OHIO MAN WHO DROVE INTO MOSQUE SENTENCED
Reuters, 1/9/2002
CLEVELAND, Ohio (Reuters) - A 29-year-old man who smashed his car into
an
Ohio mosque six days after the Sept. 11 hijacking attacks was sentenced
Wednesday to a five-year prison term.
Eric Richley pleaded guilty in Cuyahoga County Court to burglary,
ethnic
intimidation, vandalism and drunk driving in the Sept. 16 incident in
which
he drove his car at high speed through the glass entrance of the
Islamic
Center of Greater Cleveland...
-----
DON'T BLAME ISLAM
The Charlotte Observer, 1/9/2002
http://www.charlotte.com/observer/opinion/pub/meckminrec0109.htm
Remember, Muslims also were victims of Sept. 11 terrorism
A statement of Mecklenburg Ministries regarding recent criticism of the
Muslim faith:
These days, when love and acceptance are sorely needed, faith groups
have
reached out to those suffering from the tragedy of Sept. 11. People
everywhere have showed a new kind of sensitivity and civility.
Remember, Muslims, too, have suffered from the attacks on New York and
Washington. These attacks are all the more painful for them because
extremists, apparently from their own religion, carried out the
violence.
Yet, the murderers of Sept. 11 do not speak for Islam. The violence
they
committed in the name of Allah does not admit to the universality of
the
Muslim faith.
A major tenet of most religions is respect for others. Too often, we
hear
the cries of extremists demeaning other faiths. No religion has
exclusive
access to God, other than the vision they themselves have fashioned.
Religious figures who attack the faith and tenets of Islam exploit this
linguistic difference only to capitalize on the sorrow we all feel.
Using
this time of grief to proselytize for their own benefit is insensitive
and
uncaring. It is itself an evil act.
They should adopt real leadership qualities by reaching out and make an
effort to understand their Muslim brethren instead of declaring that
their
own faith is the only way...
-----
I AM AN AMERICAN MUSLIM WOMAN
By MAHNAZ SHABBIR, The Kansas City Star, 1/9/2002
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/news/opinion/2427372.htm
I am an American Muslim woman. These words are very powerful for me.
Words
I would never have said out loud, yet unquestionably that is who I am.
Why
would this be so difficult you ask? Would you have difficulty saying
that
you were an American Christian or Jewish woman? Probably not. Yet my
identification as a first-generation American Muslim woman has been a
struggle.
The events of Sept. 11 have caused more concern -- but the need to
share
and disperse misunderstandings is far greater...
-----
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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 - 1/11/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS AND SIMPLICITY
* MOSQUE SHOOTING SUSPECT FOUND INNOCENT BY REASON OF INSANITY (AP)
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: ANN COULTER (AGAIN) ON PROFILING
* AMERICAN AIRLINES VS THE SECRET SERVICE (Antiwar.com)
- BLACK, ARAB-AMERICAN LEADERS ASSAIL RACIAL PROFILING
(Detroit
Free Press)
* 2 JDL LEADERS ARE INDICTED BY U.S. GRAND JURY (Los Angeles Times)
* JUDGE DENIES AREA MUSLIM LEADER BOND AGAIN (Michigan Daily)
* VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES RECOUNT HORROR STORIES (San Francisco
Chronicle)
* EEOC SUIT SETTLED (Chicago Tribune)
* FEDERAL JUDGE IN SEATTLE REJECTS CHALLENGE TO MANDATORY BOWING IN
JUDO (AP)
* OREGON MUSLIMS REACT TO CHARGES BY SEN. SMITH
- SEN. SMITH'S CLAIMS OF TERRORIST SUPPORT IN STATE RAISE
QUESTIONS (Oregonian)
- STEVEN EMERSON'S CRUSADE (FAIR)
* AL-ARIAN NEWS CONFERENCE IN FLORIDA - 1/14
- USF FACULTY UNION SUPPORTS AL-ARIAN (St. Petersburg Times)
* ST. LOUIS MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
* TURKEY MULLS PILGRIMAGE BOYCOTT OVER DEMOLITION OF OTTOMAN FORT
(Agence
France-Presse)
* LIGHTER SIDE: TRUE COLOR OF THE COSMOS REVEALED, PALE GREEN (CNN)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS AND SIMPLICITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Be kind, for whenever
kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it. Whenever it is
taken
from something, it leaves it tarnished."
He also said: "Make things simple and do not complicate them. Calm
people
and do not drive them away."
Imam Bukhari's Book of Muslim Morals and Manners
-----
MOSQUE SHOOTING SUSPECT FOUND INNOCENT BY REASON OF INSANITY
The Associated Press, 1/11/2002
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A man who critically wounded a Muslim worshipper
at a
Memphis mosque nearly two years ago has been found innocent by reason
of
insanity and ordered to a mental institution for at least 60 days.
Brent Fong, 28, was charged with shooting and wounding mosque member
Najeh
Abdel-Karim, 28, during a confrontation outside the house of worship
the
morning of June 20, 2000.
Abdel-Karim sought refuge in the mosque - Masjid Al-Noor located near
the
University of Memphis - and his attacker fired into the building after
him,
police said...
"...He was tremendously disturbed," said psychologist Dr. Lynne Zager,
who
said she feared for her safety when interviewing Fong three days after
the
shooting. "He was psychotic."
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: ANN COULTER (AGAIN) ON PROFILING
AMERICAN MORNING WITH PAULA ZAHN 07:00, 1/11/2002
"We are looking for Muslims. We know that's what the next terrorist
will
be, and it's preposterous for airlines to be wasting everyone's time."
POLITE COMMENTS TO: (Hostile comments will be used to harm the image of
Muslims and Islam.)
CONTACT:
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,
webmaster@uexpress.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
ANN COULTER'S BIO: http://www.uexpress.com/anncoulter/bio.cfm
-----
AMERICAN AIRLINES VS THE SECRET SERVICE
Bush is right to be 'madder than heck'
By Justin Raimondo, 1/11/2002
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j011102.html
It was Christmas Day, and Walied Shatter, a bodyguard to the President
of
the United States, couldn't get a flight to Dallas. Not that he didn't
have
a reservation, or a ticket: both had been made and paid for by his
employer, the Secret Service, well in advance. The problem was the
pilot:
no way was he going to let an armed Arab male on his plane. According
to
Shatter's lawyer, John Relman, "Pure and simple, this is a case of
discrimination. Our client believes he was denied the right to fly
because
he is an American of Arab descent." Informed of what had happened to
his
Secret Service bodyguard, George W. Bush said he would be "mad as heck"
if
the allegation of discrimination turned out to be true - and it wasn't
long
before the President's conservative supporters turned on him with a
vengeance.
First up to bat was one Debbie Schlussel, a conservative columnist, who
proclaimed "Three Cheers for Captain X!" Although "he's President
Bush's
least-favorite pilot," nevertheless "we should all applaud the
embattled
Captain 'X,' unnamed pilot of American Airlines Flight 363, who refused
to
allow a suspicious, belligerent, armed passenger to fly on his
plane..."
...The woman is a harpy whose last vicious attack on a prominent
Arab-American - a thoroughly misleading smear job on Rep. Darrell Issa
(R-California) - almost ended in the death of its target. Schlussel's
column smearing Issa as a supporter of terrorism - because he observed,
in
a congressional hearing, that Hamas runs an efficient charity
organization
- could arguably have been a factor in the recent attempt on Issa's
life by
the pro-Israel fanatic Irv Rubin and some other Jewish Defense League
crackpot. Shortly after Schlussel's column came out, Rubin and his
confederate were caught trying to bomb Issa's office, as well as a
Southern
California mosque.
Did she apologize then? Of course not. For this is precisely what
Schlussel
and the blindly pro-Israel faction of the conservative movement want:
to
import to our shores the tribal violence that makes life in Israel so
miserable...
...Oh, those dirty rotten Arabs, so "self-important" - well, we know
how to
treat them in Israel, now don't we Debbie? The pure hate that emanates
from
Schlussel's poison pen is enough to send one reeling and choking...
...Schlussel's incitements are not an isolated case, unfortunately: the
entire neoconservative apparatus is now mobilized behind a post-9/11
campaign that runs directly counter to the President's war aims and
strategy, one intent on inciting hatred against all Arabs...
...George W. Bush was not my choice for President. I oppose this war,
and
many if not most of the foreign policy stances taken by this
administration. But I have to admit that the President has personal
integrity of a sort that harkens back to an earlier era. He didn't have
to
travel to a mosque right after the 9/11 attacks and stand with Arab and
Muslim Americans. He didn't have to explicitly warn against attacks on
Americans or immigrants by other Americans, and he wasn't compelled to
go
out of his way to defend Walied Shatter. But he did, and for that he
deserves a lot of credit, especially from the very people who will
never
give it to him - the yapping leftists who are marching "against war and
racism..."
SEE ALSO: BLACK, ARAB-AMERICAN LEADERS ASSAIL RACIAL PROFILING
By NIRAJ WARIKOO, The Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/news/locway/deport11_20020111.htm
Finding a common cause through civil rights, Arab-American and
African-American leaders met Thursday in Detroit to denounce what they
see
as racial profiling against Middle Eastern men by the U.S. government.
-----
2 JDL LEADERS ARE INDICTED BY U.S. GRAND JURY
By DAVID ROSENZWEIG, The Los Angeles Times, 1/11/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000002681jan11.story
A federal grand jury indicted leaders of the militant Jewish Defense
League
on Thursday on charges of plotting to bomb the Muslim Public Affairs
Council in Los Angeles, the King Fahd mosque in Culver City and a field
office of U.S. Rep. Darrell E. Issa (R-Vista).
Irv Rubin, the JDL's national chairman, and Earl Krugel, the group's
West
Coast coordinator, could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted on
the
most serious charges in the nine-count indictment.
The pair, arrested by the FBI last month, were charged with conspiring
to
use a weapon of mass destruction against a U.S. government office,
which
carries a maximum life term. They also face charges of conspiracy,
possession of a destructive device, attempted arson, possession of
illegal
weapons, and soliciting another JDL member to carry out the bombings...
-----
JUDGE DENIES AREA MUSLIM LEADER BOND AGAIN
By Jacquelyn Nixon, Michigan Daily, 1/11/2002
http://www.michigandaily.com/articles.php?uniqid=20020111n2
A federal immigration judge gave Immigration and Naturalization Service
officials more time to build their case against Ann Arbor Muslim leader
Rabih Haddad, who was once again denied bail and must remain behind
bars as
the federal government pursues evidence to support his removal from the
country.
In what is being called an unusual course of action for federal
proceedings, Haddad's hearing yesterday - similar to all his previous
court
appearances - was conducted behind closed doors, without the presence
of
media or the public.
...William Dance, a partner for Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen and Loewy, a
firm in Troy that specializes in immigration, said he was surprised
that
Hacker had the bond hearing closed to the public. He said deportation
hearings are normally open...
...Yesterday's decision was met with mixed reactions from some of the
100
people who protested outside the court.
"Public opinion and political representatives pushed the judge to say
enough is enough and that you have to present evidence," said Tariq
Colvin,
a trustee of the Islamic Center of Ann Arbor.
"I think what this does is it brings us to a point, a fork in the
road..My
worry is that there is going to be some other angle they will come from
that will potentially subvert the due process," Colvin said.
Nazih Hassan, vice president of the Muslim Community Association for
Ann
Arbor said the INS has had ample time to present its evidence.
"If they have something, please put it out in the open and we'll
examine it
and act accordingly," Hassan said.
Hassan said he was disappointed that the hearings remain closed to the
public and media.
"The government is really alienating the Muslim and Arab community,"
Hassan
said. "We're losing trust we have in the government..."
-----
VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES RECOUNT HORROR STORIES
Rachel Gordon, The San Francisco Chronicle, 1/11/2002
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/11/MN80674.DTL
Life changed fast for Saif Ataya after the jetliners hijacked by
terrorists
slammed into the Pentagon and World Trade Center towers four months ago
today.
First came the name-calling and death threats. Then the hateful
graffiti
and vandalism at his small San Francisco store. The breaking point,
however, was when his 5-year-old daughter was called a terrorist on her
schoolyard. "I was devastated," said Ataya, an Arab American who runs a
corner grocery store in the city's quiet Eureka Valley neighborhood.
Ataya's post-Sept. 11 experience is part of a disturbing trend.
According to figures recited yesterday during a hearing at San
Francisco
City Hall, the number of hate crimes and cases of discrimination and
harassment against Arab Americans and Muslims has soared nationwide
since
Sept. 11...
-----
EEOC SUIT SETTLED
The Chicago Tribune, 1/11/2002
Judge Blanche Manning entered a consent decree in U.S. District Court
in
Chicago, ending an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission religious
discrimination lawsuit against Motorola. The EEOC alleged that in May
2000
Motorola failed to accommodate a request by two Muslim workers to leave
work to attend prayer services and then fired them after they attended
the
services. The workers had been placed at a Motorola facility in
Arlington
Heights by a temporary agency. The consent decree requires the company
to
pay the two $60,000.
-----
FEDERAL JUDGE IN SEATTLE REJECTS CHALLENGE TO MANDATORY BOWING IN JUDO
The Associated Press, 1/11/2002
SEATTLE (AP) - Requiring judo contestants to bow before a picture of
the
founder of the Japanese martial art does not violate freedom of
religion, a
federal judge ruled.
In a 13-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said three
Seattle-area residents could be required to observe the ritual while
participating in competitions.
James and Leilani Akiyama, 17 and 14, and Jay Drangeid, 40, had fought
the
rule, saying it amounted to a religious ritual being imposed on them. A
1997 injunction has allowed the three to compete in U.S. judo matches
without performing the ritual.
"Virtually any restriction or regulation imposed by a public
accommodation
could impinge upon a person's religious beliefs," Lasnik wrote in
dismissing the injunction Thursday...
"...We have a half-dozen Muslim kids who want to compete in the state
championships coming up Jan. 26 and they can't compete because of their
religious beliefs," Holm said.
Competitors in judo, which has its roots in Shintoism, bow several
times
during competitions, usually to a portrait of Jigoro Kano, the Japanese
founder of the sport. Bowing is mandatory in international
competitions.
-----
OREGON MUSLIMS REACT TO CHARGES BY SEN. SMITH
A news conference with spokespersons from the Council of Islamic
Organizations of Oregon and South Washington and representatives of the
interfaith community of Portland will be held Friday, January 11th,
2002,
at around 11 a.m, Koinonia House, 633 SW Montgomery and Broadway
Streets,
downtown Portland, across the street from PSU Smith Center.
CONTACT: Wajdi Said, Muslim Educational Trust Executive Director, at
(503)
228-3754
In a statement issued today (1/10), [Oregon] Islamic leaders explained
their response and the nature of their fundraising.
"The American Muslim community in Oregon and Southwest Washington
believe
that Senator Smith's allegations are all the more unfortunate because
Senator Smith relies on national security concerns to avoid identifying
the
basis for his allegations and offering hard evidence, which means that
all
Muslim organizations are automatically suspect. By engaging in this
type of
campaign, Senator Smith adopts the tactics of the discredited Steven
Emerson...
We believe that Senator Smith, who is up for reelection, is attempting
to
curry favor with the electorate by engaging in Muslim-bashing. While
such
a tactic to exploit the September 11 tragedy and the current war on
terrorism may improve his visibility with the electorate, it comes at a
very high price to many already-marginalized citizens...
SEE: SEN. SMITH'S CLAIMS OF TERRORIST SUPPORT IN STATE RAISE QUESTIONS
By ASHBEL S. GREEN, The Oregonian, 1/11/2002
U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith's recent claim that Oregon has been a hub of
terrorist fund-raising activities has perplexed local officials and
left
many questions unanswered.
Smith, R-Ore., citing unclassified information he learned in
confidential
security briefings, said terrorism-related fund raising has occurred in
Corvallis and at Portland State University...
PSU officials said they knew nothing about Smith's claims.
"The article in this morning's Oregonian was the first that we had
heard of
the allegations and to our knowledge the university has not been
contacted
by any authorities concerning the allegations," said Jeanie-Marie
Price,
PSU's director of marketing and communications.
Some PSU students have set up an emergency meeting tonight on campus to
deal with what they call Smith's "extremely irresponsible accusations,"
said Marc Hinz, a student senator and meeting organizer. Hinz said he'd
like for Smith to issue a public apology...
...The possible Corvallis connection stems from "Jihad in America," a
1994
PBS documentary that said Muslim extremists in America were plotting an
attack on the United States.
In the documentary, a man identified as a Palestinian said he raised
$9,500
for the cause in Corvallis.
Islamic groups have accused the producer, Steven Emerson, of trying to
smear Muslims. Emerson received wider criticism in 1995 when he wrongly
theorized a day after the Oklahoma City bombing that Arabs were
responsible...
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
-----
AL-ARIAN NEWS CONFERENCE IN FLORIDA - 1/14
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
Press Conference by Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian
A press conference will take place on Monday, January 14, 2002, at 1:30
pm.
Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian and his Attorney Robert McKee will release Dr.
Al-Arian's response to USF's letter of intent to dismiss him from his
tenured faculty position at the University. Several national and local
organizations will be represented at the press conference including
some of
the largest Arab-American, Muslim and civil rights organizations in the
country.
Place: The Civic Center on the Islamic Community of Tampa Compound
located
at 5901 E. 130th Ave. in Tampa (Directions: 130th Ave. is off 56th
street
between Fowler Ave. and Fletcher Ave.)
SEE ALSO: USF FACULTY UNION SUPPORTS AL-ARIAN
By BABITA PERSAUD, The St. Petersburg Times, 1/11/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/11/TampaBay/USF_faculty_union_sup.shtml
TAMPA -- A union representing University of South Florida professors
voted
Thursday night to throw its full support behind fired professor Sami
Al-Arian as he fights to regain his job at USF.
-----
ST. LOUIS MOSQUE OPEN HOUSE
Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis Invites our Friends and
Neighbors
To an Open House. An opportunity to have questions answered about:
Islam,
Islamic Cultures, and Muslims in the USA
WHEN: Saturday, January 19, 2002
There will be three sessions of approximately 1 1/2 hours starting at 9
AM,
Noon, and 3 PM.
WHERE: 517 Weidman Road, Manchester - MO (Across Queeny Park in West
County)
CONTACT: For more information please contact Aisha Wilawan at
636-394-7878 x-12
----
TURKEY MULLS PILGRIMAGE BOYCOTT OVER DEMOLITION OF OTTOMAN FORT
Agence France-Presse, 1/11/2002
ANKARA, Jan 11 (AFP) - Turkey will consider the cancellation of
pilgrimage
trips by its citizens to Mecca and other Saudi Islamic religious sites
amid
a diplomatic spat with Saudi Arabia over the demolition of an ancient
Ottoman fort in Mecca, the country's chief cleric has said.
In the popular Sabah daily on Friday, Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, the head of
the
state-run religious affairs directorate, said the planned boycott of
trips
to the sites would not affect hajj trips already arranged for the
February
Eid al-Adha festival, as "this will create some legal problems."
Yilmaz said a government board would convene to discuss whether to
cancel
pilgrimage trips to Mecca by Turks outside the Eid al-Adha season, the
most
popular time for Muslims to travel to the holy lands...
-----
LIGHTER SIDE: TRUE COLOR OF THE COSMOS REVEALED, PALE GREEN
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/01/10/color.cosmos/index.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 - 1/13/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: COVERING FAULTS
* CAIR-PA SPONSORS SEMINAR ON ISLAM
* TURBULENCE ON FLIGHT 363: PRUDENCE, OR PROFILING? (Washington Post)
* RACIAL PROFILING MISFIRES AS TOOL IN WAR ON TERROR (Atlanta Journal)
* PROFESSOR'S TERRORIST LINKS DIVIDE UNIVERSITY IN TAMPA (Orlando
Sentinel)
* FORUM: FOR AFGHANISTAN'S WOMEN, ISLAM IS THE ANSWER (Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: COVERING FAULTS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “One who covers up the
failings of someone in this world will have his shortcomings covered up
by
God on the Day of Judgment.”
Riyadh us-Saleheen, 240
-----
CAIR-PA SPONSORS SEMINAR ON ISLAM
WHAT: CAIR-Central Pennsylvania (CAIR-PA) will conduct two seminars on
Islam at the Bosler Free Library in Carlisle, Pa.The seminars will
cover
the following topics:
January 19 - Islam Between Rejection and Extremism - by Dr. Parvez
Ahmed,
Chair, CAIR-PA. Description: Islam is the path of moderation - the
middle way.
January 26 - Muslim Women 2002: Ancient Relics or Friends of the Future
-
by Ms. Mumina Kowalski, Muslim Chaplain at the State Correctional
Institution at Muncy, PA.
WHEN: January 19 and 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. each day.A question and
answer
session will follow the 1-hour presentations.
WHERE: The Bosler Free Library, 158 West High Street, Carlisle, PA
17013
CONTACT: Ms. Tienya B. Smith, Assistant Director at 717-944-4713
E-mail:
tsmith@CCPA.net, or Dr. Parvez Ahmed at 717-730-4400 E-mail:
pahmed11@home.com
CAIR-PA
P.O. Box 4516
Harrisburg PA 17111
TEL: 717-730-4400
FAX: 717-730-0856
E-MAIL: pahmed11@home.com
-----
TURBULENCE ON FLIGHT 363: PRUDENCE, OR PROFILING?
Secret Service Agent Rebuts Airline Account of Boarding Clash
By Darryl Fears, The Washington Post, 1/13/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37201-2002Jan12.html
As he sat in Seat 19B aboard American Airlines Flight 1191 to Dallas,
Walied Shater said he had reason to smile. It was a work day, but he
was
dressed comfortably in a knit shirt, khakis and sneakers, plus he was
collecting holiday pay for volunteering to protect the president on
Christmas Day, when other Secret Service agents would rather take time
off.
But events were about to happen at Baltimore-Washington International
Airport that would wipe the smile off Shater's face. Minutes before
takeoff, the airplane broke down. Shater had to leave his seat and walk
to
a gate next door to catch American Flight 363. The schedule change
voided
the E2 form he had filled out to carry his loaded handgun aboard the
plane.
He had to get another one. His troubles were about to begin.
In his first public statement since his ejection from the plane and the
flurry of national news reports that followed, Shater rebutted
American's
contention that he was thrown off the plane for acting suspiciously and
for
being hostile after he was confronted for improperly filling out
paperwork
and not signing it.
"I was never told there was a problem with American's paperwork,"
Shater said.
"If someone had asked me, I could have told him that American Airlines'
employees made the changes to the first form and that I was simply
waiting
for the gate agent to complete his portion of the second form before I
completed and signed it."
Shater, an agent assigned to the Presidential Protection Division of
the
Secret Service, was on his way to Crawford, Tex., to guard President
Bush.
He would not comment directly to The Washington Post for this article.
His
statement, co-written by his attorney Christy E. Lopez of Relman and
Associates in Washington, was provided yesterday via e-mail. Lopez said
Shater believes he was pulled from the flight because he is Arab
American
and Muslim...
…Lopez said her client spoke out to give his version of the story and,
thereby, widen the explanation of what happened aboard Flight 363:
careful
policing by the airline or a case of racial intolerance? Two federal
agencies, the Department of Transportation, where Shater filed his
complaint, and the Secret Service, where the airline filed its
complaint,
are investigating.
A third organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, filed
a
complaint with the airline in hopes of getting an apology for removing
Shater from the plane…
-----
RACIAL PROFILING MISFIRES AS TOOL IN WAR ON TERROR
Cynthia Tucker, The Atlanta Journal, 1/13/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/opinion_c3140201428501021080.html
Sadly, American Airlines' shabby treatment of an Arab-American Secret
Service agent has not dampened the growing enthusiasm for racial
profiling
as a standard security measure.
Among those still supporting this dubious security tool are many who
ought
to know better, including Jonathan Turley, a distinguished law
professor at
George Washington University and frequent media commentator. Even black
Americans --- who know the indignities of racial profiling better than
any
other ethnic group --- have become enthusiastic supporters of the
racial
profiling of citizens of Middle Eastern or Arab backgrounds since Sept.
11.
American Airlines has been applauded in many quarters for its actions
toward Walied Shater, 33, a seven-year veteran of the Secret Service.
Donald Carty, American Airlines' chief executive, issued a statement
firmly
supporting the actions of the pilot in denying Shater permission to
fly.
The pilot became alarmed after a flight attendant searched the agent's
belongings and found a book with the word "Arab" in the title.
Apparently,
a person who is both armed and literate poses a grave threat…
…The practice is particularly offensive because security experts
already
know that it's utterly ineffective. A Justice Department report on
"citizen-police contacts" in 1999 concluded:
"Although African-Americans and Hispanics were more likely to be
stopped
and searched, they were less likely to be in possession of contraband.
On
average, searches and seizures of African-American drivers yielded
evidence
only 8 percent of the time; searches and seizures of Hispanic drivers
yielded evidence only 10 percent of the time; and searches and seizures
of
white drivers yielded evidence 17 percent of the time..."
…Given the environment, it seems likely that security personnel and
immigration officials will come to rely more and more on the crudest
methods --- physical features --- to determine those most likely to
present
a security risk. Since the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11
attacks
were all young men of Middle Eastern or Arab heritage, the burden of
intrusive searches, airline rejections and even detentions will fall
heavily on young men who share that heritage (or who look as if they
do,
which could include large numbers of Latinos and African-Americans.)…
…Nor was racial profiling considered after the bombing of the Murrah
federal building in Oklahoma. The FBI stepped up its surveillance of
right-wing hate groups, but federal authorities did not adopt a
strategy of
stopping and searching all young white males entering federal
buildings.
Instead, the law enforcement strategy depended on old-fashioned
investigation and intelligence-gathering.
Then as now, those strategies are far more effective than racial
profiling.
-----
PROFESSOR'S TERRORIST LINKS DIVIDE UNIVERSITY IN TAMPA
By Scott Powers, The Orlando Sentinel, 1/12/2002
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-asecterrorprof12011202jan12.story
TAMPA -- Anger, fear, charges of terrorism support, death threats and
cries
of trampled liberties are tearing at the University of South Florida as
administrators there try to fire a tenured professor.
Sami Al-Arian, a 43-year-old Palestinian and associate computer-science
professor, has been investigated by the FBI and the university on
suspicions that he once supported Islamic extremists who may be
involved in
terrorism. He steadfastly denies any wrongdoing, insisting such
accusations
are based on old reports that have been investigated and dropped and
are
misunderstood when discussed out of the context.
He has never been charged with a crime or -- until now -- with breaking
university rules.
But Al-Arian's alleged ties to terrorists nonetheless have caused havoc
and
fear on the USF campus. The climate has led school officials to
conclude
Al-Arian must go. And they're forcing him to fight for his job. Further
aggravating USF leaders, Al-Arian has continued, against their wishes,
to
speak out about allegations of his past. And every time he does, the
university fields more death threats.
The fight over his job has split the university. And it has gained
national
notoriety, becoming a touchstone for two causes that now clash at USF
since
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks: campus safety concerns and freedom of
speech…
-----
FORUM: FOR AFGHANISTAN'S WOMEN, ISLAM IS THE ANSWER
By Dalia Mogahed, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/13/2002
http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/20020113edmog13p7.asp
Dalia Mogahed, a writer living in Mt. Lebanon, is a contributor to
Al-Jumuah, an English-language Islamic magazine. She is an MBA student
at
the Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh.
After 20 years of ceaseless war and famine, the women of Afghanistan
must
heal themselves, and ultimately their nation, by rediscovering their
identity as empowered, dignified Muslim women.
To many, such an assertion seems like an exact reversal of the truth.
After
so much suffering, some think, the last thing these women need is more
of
what apparently caused it. However, a brief look at history and women's
rights through a correct understanding of Islam paints quite a
different
picture.
It was Islam, in the 7th century, that established women's spiritual
and
intellectual equality with men. Muslim women were granted the right to
vote, own property, inherit, receive a higher education and even run a
business in which men were subordinates.
These teachings were immediately put into practice, where 1,400 years
ago
women played an active political role, not only voting for their
leader,
but also advising him. The Prophet Mohammed's wife, Khadijah, was one
of
the most successful businesswomen in Mecca, employing many men,
including
at one point the Prophet himself. Aisha, whom the Prophet married some
years after the death of Khadijah, became a scholar of Islam. A man of
the
time described her by saying, "I have not seen a greater scholar than
Aisha
in the learning of the Koran, shares of inheritance, lawful and
unlawful
matters, poetry, literature, Arab history and genealogy." It was not
surprising, then, when the world's first institution of higher
education --
Al-Azhar Islamic University, founded in Cairo in 969 A.D. -- was named
after a woman, Fatima al-Zahraa…
-----
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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 - 1/14/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE/HADITH OF THE DAY: THE MIDDLE WAY
* OHIO MUSLIMS MEET WITH DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICIALS
* PROFILING IS 'FLAWED' TOOL TO BEAT TERROR (Washington Times)
* GOVERNMENT ZIPS ITS LIPS ON FROZEN FUNDS (St. Petersburg Times)
- DETAINED MUSLIM LEADER TO BE MOVED (AP)
- AN OPEN LETTER TO 'LADY LIBERTY' (Ann Arbor News)
* SEEKING UNDERSTANDING (Kansas City Star)
* WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ISLAM? ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK (Newsday)
* BANK ACCUSED OF PROFILING (Seattle Times)
* MUSLIM YOUTHS COLLECT FOOD (NY Daily News)
* AWARENESS OF ISLAM AIM OF DIVERSITY EFFORT AT FORD (AP/Chicago
Tribune)
* RESOURCES: U.S. POLICY TOWARDS PALESTINE AND ISRAEL SINCE 1945
-----
VERSE/HADITH OF THE DAY: THE MIDDLE WAY
"And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so
that
[with your lives] you may bear witness to the truth before all
mankind..."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 143
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "So be moderate in your
religious practices and do the deeds that are within your ability..."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, 7:577
-----
CAIR-OHIO MEETS WITH DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICIALS
(COLUMBUS, OH) - Representatives of central Ohio Islamic organizations
met
recently with Department of Justice officials to discuss issues of
concern
to the Muslim community in that state.
Regional directors of the FBI and INS, and the Deputy Chief of Columbus
Police Department met with representatives of the Ohio Chapter of
Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), the Islamic Foundation of
Central Ohio, the Islamic Society of Greater Columbus, and the Muslim
Community Center. Meeting participants discussed recent vandalism at
the
Islamic Center of Columbus and proposed measures to prevent similar
incidents from occurring in the future.
Central Ohio Muslim groups will organize a follow-up community forum.
CONTACT: TEL: 614-451-3232 E-MAIL: ohio@cair-net.org
-----
PROFILING IS 'FLAWED' TOOL TO BEAT TERROR
By Tom Carter, The Washington Times, 1/14/2002
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20020114-3407892.htm
Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on
Civil
Rights, answered by e-mail a list of questions from reporter Tom Carter
on
airport security, racial profiling and civil rights.
Question: Profiling, including racial profiling, is being used by
security
agents at airports in Europe to screen people to identify potential
threats
to passenger safety. Is there anything wrong with that? Does it violate
any
U.S. civil rights laws?
Answer: Racial profiling is a flawed law-enforcement tactic and a
flawed
tactic in the war on terrorism. It is inefficient, ineffective and
violates
core American values, including the constitutional guarantee of equal
protection. President Bush has condemned all forms of racial profiling,
both before and after September 11, and I commend him for that stance.
Bipartisan legislation to ban racial profiling is pending in Congress
and I
urge its enactment.
While there is widespread agreement that the practice of racial
profiling
is unacceptable in routine law-enforcement activities, it is just as
much
an unsound tool to combat terrorism. Profiling rests on the erroneous
assumption that any particular individual of one race or ethnicity is
more
likely to engage in misconduct than any particular individual of other
races or ethnicities...
...Profiling is a crude substitute for behavior-based enforcement and .
. .
invites screeners to take a less vigilant approach to individuals who
don't
fit the profile, even if they engage in conduct that should cause
concern.
This is especially true of appearance-based profiles which may lead law
enforcement officers to "rule out" individuals on first glance and not
look
more closely at suspicious conduct. Profiling creates a sense of
security
that could easily be proven false - with tragic consequences...
...Finally, racial profiling violates the most fundamental civil rights
law: the U.S. Constitution. A government policy that discriminates
against
individuals on the basis of race must be narrowly tailored in
furtherance
of a compelling government interest. While there is no doubt that
preventing terrorism is a compelling interest, reliance on inaccurate
generalizations is not a narrowly tailored way to achieve that goal...
-----
GOVERNMENT ZIPS ITS LIPS ON FROZEN FUNDS
By MARY JACOBY, The St. Petersburg Times, 1/13/2002
http://www.sptimes.com
Search using the term "Haddad."
Last month, federal agents raided the suburban Chicago offices of
Global
Relief Foundation, a Muslim charity. They carted away files, froze bank
accounts and put the charity's founder in jail, where he awaits
deportation
on immigration charges.
The Bridgeview, Ill., charity is "suspected of funding terrorist
activities
linked to al-Qaida and other associated groups," said Tasia Scolinos, a
Treasury Department spokeswoman. It is under investigation.
But that's all the government will say. Under authority of the Patriot
Act,
the expansive new antiterrorism law enacted in response to the Sept. 11
attacks, no further public explanation is required. A federal judge
issued
a criminal search warrant against Global Relief, but the government's
reasons for raiding the charity Dec. 14 remain under seal.
"They've said nothing to us except that they have a reason for what
they
did, and it's classified," said Global Relief's attorney, Roger
Simmons.
Civil libertarians are watching cases like Global Relief closely for
signs
the government will not abuse its new powers...
...Simmons, Global Relief's attorney, has mounted an energetic campaign
to
clear the charity's name. He has sued the New York Times, ABC News, the
Associated Press and other news organizations for reporting on the
charity's alleged ties to terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.
And he has chastised the government for, he says, trying to scare
donors
away from Global Relief on the basis of classified information the
charity
cannot view or rebut.
Simmons has written to Rob Nichols, a Treasury Department spokesman,
protesting Nichols' Dec. 26 statement on National Public Radio that
"clear,
credible information that we simply cannot share with you" suggests
Global
Relief funds terrorism.
"I don't believe donors now armed with this information will be
providing a
lot of resources to these entities," Nichols said in the interview.
In a letter to Nichols, Simmons complained that such statements are
meant
to destroy the charity's donor base. He again asked to be shown the
evidence against Global Relief.
"It is interesting you have said the donors are 'armed with
information'
when (Global Relief) has not been armed with any such information," he
wrote.
Nichols said the Patriot Act makes clear the government's authority to
use
classified information in terrorism-related investigations...
...Meanwhile Global Relief's co-founder, a Lebanese man named Rabih
Haddad
who had been living in Ann Arbor, Mich., remains jailed for overstaying
a
tourist visa. The government is working to deport him.
His attorney has said that Haddad should not be deported because
although
his visa had expired, he had applied for permanent U.S. residency and
was
awaiting resolution.
SEE ALSO:
DETAINED MUSLIM LEADER TO BE MOVED
The Associated Press, 1/14/2002
DETROIT (AP) - The founder of an Islamic charity accused of funding
terrorist activities is now in the custody of U.S. Marshals after being
held by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, a federal official
said
Monday.
Lou Stock of the U.S. Marshals Service said officials were in the
process
of moving Rabih Haddad to Chicago.
He would not comment on the changes and referred questions to the U.S.
Attorney's office in Chicago, which had no comment.
Haddad, 41, of Ann Arbor, had been held in the Monroe County Jail on a
visa
violations charge since Dec. 14. He recently was taken to an
undisclosed
location, The Ann Arbor News reported...
AN OPEN LETTER TO 'LADY LIBERTY'
By Rabih Haddad, Than Ann Arbor News, 1/13/2002
http://aa.mlive.com/columns/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020113aletters113.frm
My Dear Sweet Lady:
You don't know me, yet I am one of your forsaken sons. In my dreams you
come to me with promises of freedom and great aspirations, in a land
far
away. "One nation, indivisible, under God," you said. "Life, liberty,
and
the pursuit of happiness were guaranteed to all," you said. "A land
where
justice is blind," you said. Your words swept me up in a tornado of
hope,
dreams, and inspiration. I answered your call and came to you with open
arms, and oh, what a sight you were! Standing tall over the world,
holding
your torch like a beacon, calling stray ships on a turbulent ocean to
safe
harbor.
It was then that I pledged to you that I will uphold and practice the
values that you stand for. Little did I know that I will be persecuted
in
your name, and little did you know what your children were doing behind
your back, some wittingly, but most unwittingly. They are afraid, my
dear
Lady, and fear almost always begets hate...
...Come what may, I will hold true to the pledge I made to you, "truth"
and
"justice" will ultimately prevail! With love and hope,
Your forsaken son,
Rabih Haddad
Monroe County Jail
-----
SEEKING UNDERSTANDING
The Kansas City Star, 1/14/2002
In an effort to dispel stereotypes about Muslims, the Islamic Society
of
Greater Kansas City held its first open house Saturday.
"After Sept. 11, it seemed the world was going crazy about who these
Muslims are - these terrorists," said Khalid Kabbati, a member of the
mosque at 8501 E. 99th St.
Visitor Betty Waite of Raymore said it was unfortunate that many people
do
not accept Islam.
"I'm interested to know what the Islamic people do believe," Waite
said.
"I'm sure it's not to blow up the world."
The open house featured tours, calligraphy, food and demonstrations of
the
salat, the obligatory prayers that are said five times a day.
Tour guide Belqis Safi said she hoped for a society in which everyone
can
live in peace...
-----
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ISLAM? ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK
By Romena Yusuf, Newsday (New York, NY), 1/14/2002
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpyus142550027jan14.story
Romena Yusuf is in the 11th grade at John Bowne High School in Flushing
WHEN MANY people think of the word Islam today, they think of
terrorism,
but this is not what the religion is really about. In English, the word
Islam means "complete resignation to the divine will or command."
There are five beliefs, which are known as the five pillars of Islam.
The
first pillar is to believe in one God and that's "Allah." The second is
the
daily prayer, which is done five times a day. The third is to help the
poor. The fourth is to fast during the holy month of Ramadan and the
fifth
is to visit the holy city of Mecca once in your lifetime, if you can
afford
it. Ramadan is the Muslims' holiest month because it is the month when
the
holy Quran was revealed to the people. The rules for fasting during
Ramadan
are no eating, drinking or smoking from sunrise to sunset. People are
not
to use foul language or lie. Those who are sick do not have to fast,
but
they are each required to feed one person two meals a day for 30 days
if
they can afford it.
To convert to Islam, all you have to do is go to a mosque and ask the
priest to convert you. He'll give you an Islamic name and teach you the
beliefs. Then he will tell you that you should not change the religion.
"Once a Muslim always a Muslim." Every day people change their religion
to
Islam...
-----
BANK ACCUSED OF PROFILING
By Florangela Davila, The Seattle Times, 1/12/2002
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/
Search using the term "profiling."
Seattle businessman Hussain Alshafei operates Alshafei Family Connect,
a
money-wiring business popular among immigrants wanting to send money to
family members in Iraq.
For more than two years, Alshafei, 34, has banked with Bank of America
without any problems.
But last month, the bank sent him a letter saying it was closing his
account Jan. 10. "We regret we must take this action," stated the Dec.
11
letter, which gave no reason for the closure.
In this post Sept. 11-world, when nothing is taken for granted,
Alshafei,
an Arab and a Muslim, says he suspects he is the latest victim of
ethnic
profiling.
Bank of America, he says, "had helped and respected me a lot."
-----
MUSLIM YOUTHS COLLECT FOOD
By RALPH R. ORTEGA, New York Daily News, 1/14/2002
http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-01-14/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-138115.asp
Zena Mourabet, 7, hands off to Miran Ebrahim, 14, at Islamic Center of
Long
Island in Westbury yesterday to go onto Island Harvest truck.
"Islam means love," said the 17-year-old Muslim from East Northport as
the
food was driven off to feed the hungry in Suffolk and Nassau counties.
Khan and other youths from the Islamic Center of Long Island, a
Westbury
mosque, set out to defend their faith after the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks.
The result was the largest collection ever for the mosque's third
annual
food drive.
Despite a backlash against Muslims after the attacks, congregants
responded
generously, donating 3,000 pounds of canned food and nonperishable
goods
during the fasting month of Ramadan...
...Muslims practice charity as one of the "five pillars of Islam." The
others are faith, prayer, self-purification, and the pilgrimage to
Mecca
for those who are able...
-----
AWARENESS OF ISLAM AIM OF DIVERSITY EFFORT AT FORD
By Ed Garsten, The Associated Press, 1/13/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Search using the term "Islam."
DEARBORN, Mich. -- The speaker was nearing the end of his lunch-hour
talk
on the basics of Islam, and his audience--about 60 Ford Motor Co.
employees--was beginning to get a little fidgety.
Then he uttered what amounted to verbal caffeine: "On Sept. 11..."
Mohamed E.M. El-Sayed, a Kettering University professor who is an imam,
a
Muslim spiritual leader, was trying to help the gathering of white,
black,
Hindu, Hispanic and Muslim employees understand how the terrorists who
carried out the attacks on Sept. 11 may have used Islam as a rationale.
"There is a clear verse in the Koran: Fight those who fight you,"
El-Sayed
said. He said the terrorists may have confused the Koran's definition
of
"fight" with "kill." The Koran forbids killing anything, even a tree,
he said.
Not everyone accepted the explanation, but they were listening closely.
Although efforts to raise employee awareness of ethnic and minority
issues
aren't new at Ford or at competing automakers' plants, a greater focus
on
Islam has developed since the attacks. Dearborn is in an area that is
home
to one of the country's largest communities of Arab-Americans and
Middle
Eastern immigrants, many of whom are Muslim.
After Sept. 11, the need for a series of "Islam 101" sessions became
acute
at Ford, said Mona Abdelall, a 17-year employee who heads the Ford
Interfaith Network, an umbrella group representing seven religious
groups
within the company.
"We found we had so many questions to answer, we formed a task force to
come up with Islam 101 to understand what Islam is all about," Abdelall
said...
-----
RESOURCES: U.S. POLICY TOWARDS PALESTINE AND ISRAEL SINCE 1945
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/fallenpillars.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 - 1/15/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO PARADISE
* CALIF. MUSLIMS HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING WITH DOJ OFFICIALS
* TIDES OF SUPPORT BUOY A CITY'S DISPLACED MUSLIMS (Christian Science
Monitor)
* 2 MUSLIM CHARITIES GET U.S. SUBPOENAS (Chicago Tribune)
* CIVIL LIBERTIES (City News Service)
* DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INSPECTOR GENERAL NAMES OFFICIAL TO COORDINATE
REVIEW OF CIVIL RIGHTS & CIVIL LIBERTIES COMPLAINTS
* GORDON SMITH: SPECIAL OP OR LOOSE CANNON? (The Oregonian)
* AL-AMIN JURORS SCREENED FOR BIAS (Atlanta Journal)
* AL-ARIAN PLEDGES TO FIGHT FOR JOB (St. Petersburg Times)
* CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION CELEBRATES DR. KING'S LEGACY
* CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS TO BROADCAST COURSES IN ISLAMIC AND MIDDLE
EASTERN CULTURE, CIVILIZATION AND POLITICS (Business Wire)
* SEN. LIEBERMAN: AFGHANISTAN AND THE NEXT STEPS IN THE WAR AGAINST
TERRORISM
* THE ATHEIST-CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE (American Prospect)
-----
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO PARADISE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “One who treads a path
in
search of knowledge has his path to Paradise made easy by God…”
Riyadh us-Saleheen, 245
-----
CALIF. MUSLIMS HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING WITH DOJ OFFICIALS
CAIR-LA invites community members to participate in a town hall meeting
with officials from three key branches of the Department of Justice:
- United States Attorney
- Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
- Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
The Town Hall meeting will address several issues such as:
- Racial profiling
- The closure of Muslim charity organizations
- Secret evidence/Detentions
- Status of Immigrants who overstayed their visa
- Status of hate crime investigations related to the backlash from the
9/11 attack
WHEN: Saturday, January 19, 2002, 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
WHERE: The Holiday Inn Select, 14299 Firestone Blvd, La Mirada, CA
90638,
Tel: 714-739-8500 (for direction only)
To confirm your attendance or for more information, please contact:
Ra'id Faraj at CAIR-LA, Tel: 714-776-1847, E-Mail:
CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
Sponsoring organizations include: The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR); The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC); The
Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC); The Arab American
Republican Club of Orange County; The Arab American Democratic Club of
Orange County; and others.
-----
TIDES OF SUPPORT BUOY A CITY'S DISPLACED MUSLIMS
When vandals rendered an Ohio mosque unusable, a nearby church offered
to
house its Islamic school.
By Dave Ghose, The Christian Science Monitor, 1/15/2002
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0115/p2s2-ussc.html
…Here in Columbus, Ohio, a displaced Islamic school has found an
unusual
new home - a Congregational church. For the next several months, nearly
130
young Muslims will learn about the Koran and the prophet Muhammad in
the
same place where Christians will be taught about the gospels and Jesus
as
Savior.
This unprecedented arrangement comes on the heels of the city's most
notorious example of post-Sept. 11 bigotry. In late December, vandals
caused $100,000 in damage to the city's oldest mosque, leaving nearly
500
worshippers and the city's only Islamic school without a home. But
within
hours, donations and letters of support flooded the mosque, members of
other faiths condemned the attack, and Christian churches and a nearby
synagogue offered to house the center's Islamic Weekend School…
-----
2 MUSLIM CHARITIES GET U.S. SUBPOENAS
By Laurie Cohen, The Chicago Tribune, 1/15/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0201150019jan15.story
Representatives of two southwest suburban Muslim charities whose assets
were frozen last month by the U.S. Treasury Department have been
subpoenaed
to testify before a federal grand jury in Chicago.
The grand jury involvement appears to indicate that prosecutors may be
considering criminal charges in addition to financial sanctions against
the
groups, which have been accused of funneling money to Osama bin Laden's
Al
Qaeda network.
On Monday a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago
declined to
comment.
Lawyers for the charities--Benevolence International Foundation and
Global
Relief Foundation--denied any links to terrorism and said Islamic
charities
have faced intense scrutiny because of political pressure in the wake
of
the Sept. 11 attacks.
Matthew Piers, a lawyer for Benevolence International, said one of the
group's former employees was among those subpoenaed, although no date
has
been set for testimony. A Global Relief employee who received a grand
jury
subpoena was questioned by FBI agents and subsequently excused from
testifying, according to Roger Simmons, a lawyer for that group.
Also Monday, Rabih Haddad, Global Relief's chairman, who had been
detained
in Michigan on visa violations since the government shut down the
charity,
was moved to the Chicago by the U.S. Marshals Service. A spokeswoman
for
the service in Chicago declined to comment on the reason Haddad was
moved
but said he would be held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center...
SEE ALSO: MARSHALS TAKE CUSTODY OF HADDAD
http://www.michigandaily.com/articles.php?uniqid=20020115n01
-----
CIVIL LIBERTIES
By ALEX DOBUZINSKIS, City News Service, 1/14/2002
http://www.socalnews.com/
Community leaders and an ACLU attorney expressed concern today over the
detention and deportation of Muslims and Arabs since Sept. 11.
"The violation of civil liberties is an addictive behavior. If we allow
it,
it will increase. It will not diminish," said Dr. Maher Hathout, senior
adviser with the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Hathout said his
organization has assembled a diverse panel to show that the violation
of
civil liberties is a concern to "all Americans."
In addition to members of MPAC, the panel includes: attorney Stephen
Rohde
of the ACLU; Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on
American-
Islamic Relations; Ken Fujimoto of Los Angeles Metropolitan Organizing
Strategy; and Mark Masouka of Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress...
…The ACLU and other groups filed a request in federal court Dec. 5
under
the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information on the 425 people
being detained without charge. Rohde said the ACLU wants to find out
their
names and why they are being detained.
Rohde said the ACLU also will challenge the planned deportation of the
6,000 people singled out from the general population of illegal
immigrants.
Ayloush said the U.S. Patriot Act was an "assault on the Constitution,"
and
it violated the principle of due process and allowed for secret
evidence to
be used against defendants…
…Ayloush said CAIR will ask Congress to create a citizens commission
made
up of academics and civil rights leaders, who would monitor the state
of
civil liberties. Ayloush said there should also be a congressional
committee to monitor the application of the U.S. Patriot Act…
…Masouka, recalling the forced detention of Japanese-Americans during
World
War II, said, "One lesson our community has learned: that we must not
let
any other community be targeted, isolated or vilified as we have been."
-----
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INSPECTOR GENERAL NAMES OFFICIAL TO COORDINATE
REVIEW OF CIVIL RIGHTS & CIVIL LIBERTIES COMPLAINTS
For Immediate Release
Contact:Paul K. Martin (202) 514-3435
January 9, 2002 (Washington, D.C.) - Glenn A. Fine, Inspector General
of
the U.S. Department of Justice, today announced the appointment of an
official to implement a provision of the recently enacted
anti-terrorism
law that provides a forum for individuals alleging that Department
employees have violated their civil rights or civil liberties.
Section 1001 of the USA Patriot Act, signed into law by the President
on
October 26, 2001, directs the Inspector General (IG) to designate an
official to review information and receive complaints alleging abuses
of
civil rights and civil liberties by Department of Justice employees. In
addition, the IG is required to advertise through various media the
responsibilities and functions of - and how to contact - this official.
"Historically, the Office of the Inspector General has had
responsibility
for investigating allegations of misconduct by Department of Justice
employees," said IG Fine."The USA Patriot Act focuses attention on the
fact
that individuals who believe that a Department employee has violated
their
civil rights or civil liberties have a place to send their misconduct
allegations," Fine said.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has created a special section
in
its Investigations Division to process these complaints. This section
will
identify the more serious civil rights and civil liberties allegations
and
assign them to one of 17 OIG Investigations Division field offices
across
the country for investigation. The OIG will refer other complaints to
Department components for their review and handling. In addition, IG
Fine
said the OIG also may conduct audits, inspections, and special reviews
to
exam systemic issues related to Department practices implicated by the
complaints received.
The OIG is recruiting to fill the position of Special Counsel to
oversee
and coordinate the OIG's response to the Patriot Act directive. In the
interim, IG Fine has appointed Paul K. Martin, who serves as Counselor
to
the Inspector General, as the acting official mandated by the
legislation.
Individuals who believe that their civil rights or civil liberties have
been violated by a Department of Justice employee - such as an employee
of
the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, or the United States
Marshals
Service - can e-mail the complaint to: inspector.general@usdoj.gov, or
fax
the complaint to the OIG at (202) 616-9898, or write the OIG at:
Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Complaints
Office of the Inspector General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
Finally, individuals also can call the OIG's toll-free Hotline at
1-800-869-4499 to hear information about how to send a complaint to the
OIG.
-----
GORDON SMITH: SPECIAL OP OR LOOSE CANNON?
By STEVE DUIN, THE OREGONIAN, 1/13/2002
http://www.oregonlive.com/morenews/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/10108401445004210.xml
Looking ridiculous is, on occasion, part of a U.S. senator's
obligation.
When Oregon's Gordon Smith wagered a truckload of frozen peas --
against
Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard's slab of buffalo meat -- on the Fiesta
Bowl, he
aptly illustrated that grand tradition of goofiness.
But when Smith shot off his mouth about terrorist activity in Oregon,
the
ridiculous got out of hand.
Following a Salem Chamber of Commerce lunch in mid-December, Smith told
reporters, "I have reason to believe that there are some finding aid
and
comfort here in the state of Oregon who have been a party to terrorist
activity that found ultimate expression in New York City." Smith -- who
claims to have been briefed extensively by the FBI and CIA -- was
reluctant
to provide details. The information, he said, is classified. In a
bizarre
follow-up interview with The Oregonian's Tom Detzel, Smith disdained
all
specifics.
Are there people linked to the Sept. 11 attacks in Oregon? Detzel
asked.
"I'll talk to you at some point," Smith said. "I mean, it's classified.
I
can't confirm or deny it."
You're saying there are people linked to the 9-11 attacks in Oregon
right now?
"That could be. I can't confirm that to you." You can't? "No, it may
be, it
may not be."
Smith carries on like this for 10 minutes: "I just can't go there . . .
There could be . . . It could be . . . I just can't reveal that." The
only
non-classified specific Smith was willing to provide was a video titled
"Jihad in America" that aired on PBS . . . in 1994.
That video -- copies of which were given to all 535 members of Congress
this fall -- is the work of terrorism "expert" Steven Emerson, who is
best
known for suggesting, on the day after the Oklahoma City bombing in
1995,
that the bombers were Arabs. "To inflict as many casualties as possible
--
that is a Middle Eastern trait," Emerson said.
Given that Smith had absolutely nothing new -- or responsible -- to add
to
the intense, anxious dialogue about public safety in Oregon, he kept
his
mouth shut…for all of three weeks…
-----
AL-AMIN JURORS SCREENED FOR BIAS
By STEVE VISSER, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 1/15/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/tuesday/metro_c3345d2fe12361821030.html
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks became an issue almost immediately
Monday in
selecting the jury for the trial of Muslim cleric Jamil Abdullah
Al-Amin.
The second potential juror questioned said she had thought she wouldn't
be
able to put someone to death for religious reasons until September.
"I could send [Osama] bin Laden and his group to death, so my views
have
changed," the woman said. "Those people need to be brought to justice
so
that could never happen again." Al-Amin, 58, is charged with killing a
Fulton County deputy and wounding another in March 2000. His trial was
scheduled to begin in September, but was delayed because of concerns
that
the events of Sept. 11 in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania would
bias
potential jurors.
On Monday, lawyers began the grueling questioning of individual
potential
jurors to ferret out their biases.
Last week, a juror had filled out a questionnaire in which she
expressed
hesitation about imposing execution, fearing it might be a sin. She
said
through studying the Bible and praying she came to the conclusion that
the
Biblical mandate "Thou shall not kill" referred to murder, not a legal
punishment. "I tied that to the situation on Sept. 11," she said.
She said she also had read at her Roswell church about Muslims
persecuting
Christians in Pakistan. "That kind of upset me some," she said.
Al-Amin wears a red beard and was dressed Monday in white garments
associated with Islam.
"As you look at Mr. Al-Amin, do you connect him in anyway to Mr. Bin
Laden?" asked Jack Martin, the lead defense lawyer.
"The dress, yes, and the beard, yes," the woman said.
"Is that something that could affect you?" Martin asked.
"I would hope not," said the woman.
Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis stopped lawyers from probing too
widely into the woman's views on Muslims in general or her feelings
about
the terrorist attack.
"Every person in the United States has a feeling about Sept. 11th,"
said
Manis. "This case is not about Muslims…however, I perfectly recognize
that
Sept. 11 has changed the ground rules…"
-----
AL-ARIAN PLEDGES TO FIGHT FOR JOB
By BABITA PERSAUD, St. Petersburg Times, 1/15/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/15/TampaBay/Al_Arian_pledges_to_f.shtml
TAMPA - Accusing the University of South Florida of bigotry, professor
Sami
Al-Arian on Monday announced he will fight his dismissal and challenged
the
board of trustees to hear his side.
"I am not the culprit here,"Al-Arian said. While his decision to oppose
his
dismissal was not surprising, his first step was unusual: Al-Arian
called
on the board of trustees, which recommended that he be fired, to give
him a
chance to plead his case.
Al-Arian did not have that opportunity when the board met in an
emergency
session Dec. 19, with much of the campus shut down for the winter
break.
Hours later, USF president Judy Genshaft announced that she would
follow
the board's advice and fire Al-Arian because he had failed to distance
his
outspoken views about Israel and the Palestinians from the university
and
he had become a security risk.
Al-Arian had until Monday to respond. His response came in a letter to
provost S. David Stamps and later at a news conference at the Islamic
Community of Tampa compound in North Tampa.
"America is the only place you can fight and fight to win,"Al-Arian
said.
The fight could take months.
If the board rejects his request to hear from him and reconsider its
recommendation, Al-Arian said he will file a formal union grievance to
regain the job he has held for 16 years.
-----
CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION CELEBRATES DR. KING'S LEGACY
WHAT: In the aftermath of September 11, a diverse coalition of civil
rights
leaders, elected officials, immigrant advocates and religious groups
will
hold a rally and town hall discussion to explore how Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. would face today's challenges to civil liberties.
WHEN: Noon until 2:30 PM on Saturday, January 19th
WHERE: The Washington DC Convention Center 900 9th Street, NW, Metro
Center/Gallery Place Chinatown
CONTACT: Jenny Salan of the Arab American Institute, 1-202-429-9210; or
Melissa Schwartz, 1-202-675-2323, or Rachel Norlinger, 1-212-876-5444,
both
for the Arab American Institute.
-----
CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS TO BROADCAST COURSES IN ISLAMIC AND MIDDLE
EASTERN CULTURE, CIVILIZATION AND POLITICS
Business Wire, 1/15/2002
CARSON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 2002--In response to ongoing
tensions between the Islamic world and the West, California State
University, Dominguez Hills will broadcast two courses exploring
Islamic
and Middle Eastern civilization.
The courses will be broadcast live via television and the Internet on
Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons beginning in February on cable
television stations such as L@36 in Los Angeles and on the Internet at
www.dominguezonline.csudh.edu.
For information, call 877-GO-HILLS or visit the Web site at
www.csudh.edu/extendeded. CONTACT: California State University,
Dominguez
Hills Keith Otterberg, 310/243-3069
-----
REMARKS BY SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D-CT) AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
LECTURE
FUND DISCUSSION RE: AFGHANISTAN AND THE NEXT STEPS IN THE WAR AGAINST
TERRORISM LOCATION: GASTON HALL, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON,
D.C.
TIME: 12:14 P.M. EST DATE: MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2001
…We at home should begin with a far-reaching discussion about how to
protect our national security and promote our values in this
dramatically
changing world. And with this in mind, today I want to offer some
reflections on America's defense and foreign policy after September
11th.
Specifically, I will propose that as we continue the critical work of
rooting out terrorist enemies militarily, we must launch a long-term
geopolitical and ideological initiative akin to the great campaign that
won
the Cold War against communism; in this case, to combat the despotism,
poverty and isolation that terrorists exploit. If we do not help
Islamic
nations affirmatively choose the path of progress and peaceful
coexistence
by actively encouraging political reform, economic advancement and
cultural
integration, the conditions that enabled yesterday's terrorists to kill
more than 3,000 Americans will spawn many more and even more worse
threats,
I fear, to our nation and our people in the future.
In other words, while we drain the swamp, we must also seed the garden.
We've won the first battles of the war against terrorism in
Afghanistan,
but, to paraphrase Churchill, this is just the end of the beginning,
not
the beginning of the end.
…Let me take you back to a different time, after the Second World War,
as
we now are after the Cold War, and remind you that Winston Churchill
described the communist domination of Eastern Europe in a speech he
gave at
Fulton, Missouri, as an "iron curtain" that had descended across Europe
"from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic," separating the
rigid and repressive orthodoxies of communism from the free and open
societies of the world.
Today, from Iraq in the Persian Gulf to terrorist camps in the
mountains of
Central Asia, from the sands of Somalia, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia to
terrorist cells in Singapore, Indonesia, and even Hamburg and London,
the
fanatical forces of jihad are trying to build a theological Iron
Curtain to
divide the Muslim world from the rest of the globe, a new Berlin Wall,
if
you will, this one built with bricks made from poverty and tyranny,
cemented by the mortar of hatred and
violence…
…Now, let me talk about how we might reorient our foreign policy around
human rights. Our strategy to stop the theological Iron Curtain from
falling should begin with a fundamental reassessment of our diplomatic
relations with many Muslim nations…
…the United States must become a vocal proponent of women's rights
throughout the Muslim world. For years, the United States has muted our
support for the rights of women, for fear of upsetting our relationship
with existing regimes. It's time to become a more outspoken advocate
for
the right of women everywhere in the world to be educated, to live
freely
and to rise as far as their talents and hard work will take them, as
they
do in many Muslim countries today, including, for instance, our
longtime
great ally, Turkey…
…QUESTION:I, like many other Muslims, agree with you about the dire
need
for political, social and economic reforms in the Muslim world. But
last
year, I had a roommate from Turkey who told me about the reality of the
situation there. Muslim women are not allowed to cover their heads in
most
public places, such as -- in Turkey -- such as universities. A
prominent
Muslim woman was taken from her position as a member of parliament
because
she covered her hair. What do you think about setting the precedent and
making Turkey the example for other Muslim nations?
SEN. LIEBERMAN: It's a very good point. And it's -- you know, as we
were
reminded, being in Turkey, in the 1920s, after the collapse of the
Ottoman
Empire and the end of the First World War, this remarkable man, Kemal
Ataturk, came to power, and he, by force of will, personality,
strength,
aimed to build Turkey into a modern Muslim state that was, however,
secular. And interestingly, we were told that in the 1920s he had the
goal
of expanding his vision next to Afghanistan, to trying to encourage the
leadership there to do that -- never quite happened, and there's some
interest in Turkey in seeing if they could do it this time.
But it is true that in the interest of secular -- a secular state in
Turkey, some things have been done which we wouldn't tolerate here, I
wouldn't tolerate here…
-----
THE ATHEIST-CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
Chris Mooney, The American Prospect, 1/8/2002
http://www.prospect.org/webfeatures/2002/01/mooney-c-01-08.html
The motley marriage of convenience between serious intellectual critics
of
Islam (whatever you may think of them) and the Christian right (who're
just
bashing a rival religion) continues. In the latest development, the
Middle
East Forum's Daniel Pipes has appeared on Pat Robertson's Christian
Broadcasting Network to discuss the "need to have a general
understanding
that militant Islam is the enemy and we have just begun the fight
against
it," as Pipes put it.
I recently wrote an article detailing how the anti-Muslim apostate Ibn
Warraq, the author of Why I Am Not a Muslim, has been hoisted onto the
shoulders of the religious right even though he's an atheist. Pipes too
is
basically areligious; according to the Washington Post he has described
himself as an "agnostic Jew." Granted, it's not that surprising to find
Pipes and Robertson in the same camp when you have the situation that
Pipes
describes here:
One finds over and over again that Islam is given special privileges.
You
may have followed that in New York and in Philadelphia; the school
systems
at the end of last year permitted Muslim students to use the schools as
a
place of prayer. I don't need to point out to your audience that that
is
not something that Christians get to avail themselves of. So there is
this
contrast, this special treatment of Islam that I think needs to be
noted.
And, you know, the government needs to be much more cautious about
this…
-----
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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 - 1/16/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: FIGHTING OPPRESSION
* ACLU CHALLENGES STRIP SEARCH OF MUSLIM WOMAN AT O'HARE AIRPORT
* WANT SECURITY? END THE OCCUPATION (Washington Post)
* TREATMENT OF DETAINEES IN CUBA QUESTIONED (Washington Post)
- CUBA DETAINEES ARE PRISONERS OF WAR-UN'S ROBINSON (Reuters)
* CONYERS TO HOLD FORUM ON CIVIL LIBERTIES AFTER SEPTEMBER 11
* COMMENT: THE NATURE OF ISLAM (Globe and Mail)
* WAR ON TERRORISM VEILS TYRANNY (Atlanta Journal)
- ANTI-TERROR CAMPAIGN CLOAKING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE (Human
Rights
Watch)
* MINISTER CALLS ISLAM EVIL THREAT FROM PULPIT (The Tennessean)
- COMPARING BIBLICAL, KORAN QUOTES (Citizen-Times)
* WASHINGTON TIMES DEFAMES ISLAM (AGAIN)
-----
* HADITH OF THE DAY: FIGHTING OPPRESSION
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Help your brother,
whether
he is an oppressor or he is oppressed." People asked, "...It is right
to
help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an
oppressor?" The Prophet said, "By preventing him from oppressing
others."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, 3:624
-----
ACLU CHALLENGES STRIP SEARCH OF MUSLIM WOMAN AT O'HARE AIRPORT
CHICAGO, Jan. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by
the
ACLU of Illinois:
An Illinois National Guardsman and three private security personnel at
O'Hare International Airport engaged in an unnecessary, unjustified,
illegal and degrading search of a 22-year-old United States citizen of
Pakistani descent last November, according to a lawsuit filed today in
federal district court in Chicago.
In the complaint, lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union of
Illinois assert that Samar Kaukab was pulled out of a group of airline
passengers and subjected to repeated and increasingly invasive searches
based on her ethnicity and her religion. Ms. Kaukab's religion was
evident
because she was wearing a traditional head covering for Muslim women,
known
as a "hijab." The lawsuit names Major General David Harris, Adjutant
General for the Illinois National Guard, and Argenbright Security,
Inc., as
defendants for their personnel's role in the outrage directed toward
Ms.
Kaukab.
The lawsuit asserts that the intrusive search of Ms. Kaukab violated
the
United States Constitution's guarantees of freedom of religion, freedom
from unlawful ethnic and religious discrimination and protections
against
unreasonable search and seizure. The complaint filed today asks the
federal
district court to issue an injunction preventing any future
unreasonable
searches or searches based upon ethnic and religious discrimination, in
addition to monetary damages.
"Ms. Kaukab was identified and subjected to a humiliating search not
because she posed any security threat, but only because her wearing of
a
hijab identified her as a Muslim," said Lorie Chaiten, a lawyer for the
ACLU of Illinois, in announcing the lawsuit. "Security personnel
surrounded
her, detained her and subjected her to an embarrassing and degrading
search
simply based on her ethnicity and religion."
Lawyers for the ACLU of Illinois today cited the harassment of Ms.
Kaukab
as one of the numerous documented instances across the nation in which
Muslims and persons of Middle Eastern descent have been the target of
insidious discrimination. The ACLU noted that these acts of
discrimination
have taken place predominantly in the travel industry, especially for
passengers on commercial airlines.
"Many of our nation's highest public officer holders have publicly
decried
any acts of discrimination or violence being directed at Muslims and
persons of Middle Eastern descent," said Harvey Grossman, legal
director of
the ACLU of Illinois. "This case is symptomatic, however, of the fact
that
these same public officials have not provided appropriate training and
oversight to ensure that no person is singled out for abuse and
discrimination based upon their ethnicity and religion."
Ms. Kaukab, a citizen of the United States and resident of Columbus,
Ohio,
was traveling home on November 7, 2001, after attending a conference in
Chicago hosted by Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). Ms. Kaukab
and
a number of attendees from the VISTA conference traveled to O'Hare,
checked
their luggage and proceeded to the security checkpoint in Terminal 1 of
the
airport.
Ms. Kaukab passed through the metal detector without setting off the
machine. A member of the Illinois National Guard present at the
security
station then approached an employee of Argenbright Security and
insisted
that Ms. Kaukab be searched further despite the fact that there was no
indication that she was carrying any banned materials on her person or
in
her carry-on bags. Following the instruction from the National
Guardsman, a
security employee repeatedly passed a handheld metal detector over Ms.
Kaukab's body, including placing the metal detector into Ms. Kaukab's
boots. In addition, the security employee patted Ms. Kaukab's upper
body,
pulled at the straps and hook on her bra.
As a crowd of persons gathered, some delayed by the search of Ms.
Kaukab
and others simply watching the event, a security guard passed the
handheld
metal detector slowly over and around Ms. Kaukab's head. Although the
security device was not "set off" on any occasion when passed over and
around Ms. Kaukab's head, a security employee, again based upon
instruction
from the National Guardsman, demanded that Ms. Kaukab remove her hijab.
Ms.
Kaukab responded by telling the security personnel that she could not
remove the hijab in public, but would be willing to do so in a private
location and only in the company of women. She made it clear that this
was
not an attempt to be uncooperative, but was necessary as part of her
religious beliefs. After a further conversation with the National
Guardsman, the security employee repeated the demand that the hijab be
removed in public, ignoring Ms. Kaukab's pleas.
"The security personnel and the National Guardsman were completely
insensitive to Ms. Kaukab's religious beliefs. Moreover, there was no
valid
security concern to justify her removing her hijab," added the ACLU's
Chaiten. "The search continued to escalate even though Ms. Kaukab
passed
through the metal detector without incident, and further searches
produced
no indication of anything being hidden beneath her hijab. The
escalating
nature of the search was completely unjustified."
After further discussions between the security personnel and the
National
Guardsman, Ms. Kaukab was escorted to a small office area adjacent to
the
security checkpoint. Despite repeated objections from Ms. Kaukab, the
male
employee insisted on entering the small room with her and conducting
the
search. After Ms. Kaukab again asserted her religious beliefs and
requested that a woman conduct any search involving the removal of her
hijab, the male security employee finally acceded to her request and
she
entered the private area with two female employees.
Once the hijab had been removed, one of the security personnel ran her
fingers through Ms. Kaukab's hair and over her scalp. The security
employee
then felt around her neck and collarbone, opened her sweater and felt
around her chest and breasts and felt up and down her legs on the
outside
of her pants. The security employee then unbuttoned and unzipped Ms.
Kaukab's pants, opened her pants and patted down her lower abdomen and
between her legs over her underwear.
At no time did security personnel discover any contraband, nor did the
initial searches with the metal detectors give any indication that
contraband might be present, suggesting no reason for the escalation of
the
search.
Abruptly, the security personnel ended the search and released Ms.
Kaukab,
who felt frightened and humiliated by the entire event.
"During the entire experience, I was scared not only by what was
happening,
but also by what might happen next," said Ms. Kaukab at a news
conference
today announcing the lawsuit. "I kept wondering what else might happen
to
me - would I be detained or subjected to a body cavity search."
"The entire experience was degrading. I felt as though the security
personnel had singled me out because I didn't belong, wasn't trusted
and
wouldn't be welcomed in my own country. Nothing like this ever happened
to
me before," added Ms. Kaukab. "When it was over, I went to the restroom
to
gather my emotions and telephoned my mother. I was just so humiliated."
Lawyers for the ACLU of Illinois noted that the search of Ms. Kaukab
fits
an emerging pattern in which security personnel at airports target
Muslims
and persons of Middle Eastern descent. Recent media reports indicate
that
many Muslims have been subjected to unnecessary harassment and searches
because of their ethnicity or religious affiliation. One such incident
involves security personnel surrounding a 17-year-old Muslim high
school
student from Virginia, and intimidating her into removing her hijab in
public.
Charles Peters, Laura Weinberg and Carolyn Morehouse of the Chicago law
firm Schiff, Hardin & Waite and Kamran Memon, a Chicago attorney in
private
practice, are assisting lawyers from the ACLU of Illinois in this case.
Contact: Edwin C. Yohnka of ACLU of Illinois, 312-201-9740 ext. 305 or
pager: 312-851-2832
-----
WANT SECURITY? END THE OCCUPATION
By Marwan Barghouti, The Washington Post, 1/16/2002
The writer is general secretary of Fatah on the West Bank and was
elected
to the Palestinian Legislative Council.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51887-2002Jan15.html
...The only way for Israelis to have security is, quite simply, to end
the
35-year-old Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. Israelis must
abandon the myth that it is possible to have peace and occupation at
the
same time, that peaceful coexistence is possible between slave and
master.
The lack of Israeli security is born of the lack of Palestinian
freedom.
Israel will have security only after the end of occupation, not
before...
...Let us not forget, we Palestinians have recognized Israel on 78
percent
of historic Palestine. It is Israel that refuses to acknowledge
Palestine's
right to exist on the remaining 22 percent of land occupied in 1967.
And
yet it is the Palestinians who are accused of not compromising and of
missing opportunities. Frankly, we are tired of always taking the blame
for
Israeli intransigence when all we are seeking is the implementation of
international law.
And we have no faith in the United States, the provider of billions of
dollars in annual aid to fund Israel's expansion of illegal colonies,
the
"fighter of terrorism" that supplies Israel with the F-16s and
helicopter
gunships used against a defenseless civilian population, the "defender
of
freedom and the oppressed" that coddles Sharon even as he faces war
crimes
charges for his responsibility in the 1982 massacre of Palestinian
refugees. The role of the world's only superpower has been reduced to
that
of a mere spectator with nothing to offer other than a tired refrain of
"Stop the violence" while doing nothing to address the root causes of
that
violence: denial of Palestinian freedom....
...So we will protect ourselves. If Israel reserves the right to bomb
us
with F-16s and helicopter gunships, it should not be surprised when
Palestinians seek defensive weapons to bring those aircraft down. And
while
I, and the Fatah movement to which I belong, strongly oppose attacks
and
the targeting of civilians inside Israel, our future neighbor, I
reserve
the right to protect myself, to resist the Israeli occupation of my
country
and to fight for my freedom. If Palestinians are expected to negotiate
under occupation, then Israel must be expected to negotiate as we
resist
that occupation.
I am not a terrorist, but neither am I a pacifist. I am simply a
regular
guy from the Palestinian street advocating only what every other
oppressed
person has advocated -- the right to help myself in the absence of help
from anywhere else.
This principle may well lead to my assassination. So let my position be
clear in order that my death not be lightly dismissed by the world as
just
one more statistic in Israel's "war on terrorism..."
-----
TREATMENT OF DETAINEES IN CUBA QUESTIONED
By John Mintz, The Washington Post, 1/16/2002
Human Rights Groups Urge U.S. to Declare Taliban, Al Qaeda Members POWs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51634-2002Jan15.html
As Red Cross officials prepare to inspect the U.S. Navy base in Cuba
where
50 al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners are being held, human rights
organizations are escalating allegations that the detainees are being
housed under inhumane conditions and should be declared prisoners of
war to
guarantee them certain rights.
The detainees from the Afghanistan conflict, who have been transported
to
the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay over the past week, are being housed in
temporary 6-by-8-foot pens exposed to the elements, with metal roofs
and
chain-link fencing as walls. The floors are concrete, but the prisoners
are
given mats and blankets on which to sleep and pray.
"We're concerned about the conditions, the open cages, the chain-link
fence
enclosures," said Jamie Fellner, director of U.S. programs for the
nonprofit organization Human Rights Watch. "We believe this doesn't
meet
international norms."
U.S. military officials deny their treatment of the detainees is
inhumane.
The prisoners are being held at the isolated Camp X-Ray until permanent
facilities can be constructed...
...Human rights groups have criticized the fact that at least some of
the
prisoners were hooded during the flight from Afghanistan, saying it
violates U.N. rules against sensory deprivation...
...Yesterday, Amnesty International joined the International Committee
of
the Red Cross and other groups in asking the government to define the
prisoners as POWs.
"It is not the prerogative of the Secretary of Defense or any other
U.S.
administration official to determine whether those held in Guantanamo
are
POWs," Amnesty International said in a statement. "An independent U.S.
court, following due process, is the appropriate organ..."
...Officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross are
scheduled to visit the prisoners at Camp X-Ray this week...
SEE ALSO: CUBA DETAINEES ARE PRISONERS OF WAR-UN'S ROBINSON
GENEVA (Reuters) - The 50 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters held at a U.S.
navy
base in Cuba are prisoners of war and entitled to the protection of
international law, U.N. human rights chief Mary Robinson said
Wednesday.
Robinson said most legal experts disagreed with Washington's view that
the
fighters were "illegal combatants" and therefore not protected by the
Geneva conventions on prisoners' rights.
"The situation is complex (but) ... the overwhelming view of legal
opinion
is that they were combatants in an international armed conflict," the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights told reporters.
"Their status is defined and protected by the Geneva conventions of
1949 --
they are prisoners of war," she said.
Robinson added that if there were any doubt about their status, the
Geneva
protocols, which the United States has signed, called for the question
to
be decided by a tribunal.
-----
PRESS ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE:
CONTACT: Dena Graziano, (202)
226-6888
CONYERS TO HOLD FORUM ON CIVIL LIBERTIES AFTER SEPTEMBER 11
Congressman John Conyers, Jr., ranking member of the House Judiciary
Committee, will hold a forum on Thursday, January 24th to address and
analyze the civil liberties implications of recent policies and
programs
implemented as a part of America's continuing war on terrorism.
Conyers and members of Congress will be briefed on surveillance and
intelligence gathering, attorney-client monitoring, immigration policy,
and
the international impact of national security policy.
WHEN: Thursday, January 24, 2002 at 10 AM - 1 PM
WHERE: 2141 Rayburn HOB, Washington, D.C.
-----
COMMENT: THE NATURE OF ISLAM
A little knowledge of the Koran is a dangerous thing. A lot has been
said
about Islam in the media, says American-Islamic relations expert RIAD
SALOOJEE. Much of it is wrong. Riad Saloojee is executive director of
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (Canada).
By RIAD SALOOJEE, The Globe and Mail, 1/16/2002
http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Search using the term "Riad."
An enduring aftermath of Sept. 11 is the continued spotlight on Islam.
Almost daily, self-declared experts dissect Islam in articles,
commentaries, political prognostications, and, too often, the
apocalyptic
scenario of a clash of civilizations. Some of these attempts at
understanding Islam betray a shocking and simplistic method. Two
fallacies
-- one textual, the other sociological -- seem to predominate.
First are those whose analysis reflects their own cultural, historical
or
political prejudices. They utilize a crude, cut-and-paste analysis that
uses Koranic texts self-servingly without concern for context. Verses
discussing the combative aspect of jihad figure prominently and
demonstrate, we are told, Islam's dark side.
It is forgotten (or conveniently ignored) that one tenet of Islamic
interpretation, as in Talmudic interpretation or Christian scriptures,
is
that a verse cannot be explained apart from its context. Verses on a
given
topic must be read together, holistically, for only then can their
intent
be gleaned. In Islamic law, rules pertaining to human interactions
always
have a rationale or understandable cause, which, if absent, renders the
legal ruling inapplicable.
Take one oft-quoted verse: "Kill the unbelievers wherever you find
them."
It usually escapes mention that the intent behind legislating the
combative
aspect of the jihad here is self-defence. Specifically, this verse
refers
to a situation of war at the beginning of the seventh century, when the
tribal elite in Arabia had persecuted the nascent Islamic community
unrelentingly for 15 years, intent on eradicating it.
To read this verse as requiring that all non-Muslims are to be killed
runs
counter to verses that prohibit killing civilians or non-combatants, or
to
this important verse: "God does not forbid you with regard to those who
do
not fight you or your faith nor drive you from your homes from dealing
kindly and justly with them; for Allah loves those who are just" (Koran
60:8). It is worth noting that the Arabic word for "kind" in the verse,
birr, is used to express the affection and gentleness mandated to
parents.
...History has recorded the full entitlements of citizenship granted by
the
Prophet to non-Muslims in treaties, the amnesty he gave to those who
persecuted him, and his moral exhortations to maintain justice: "On the
Day
of Judgment, I will be the advocate of non-Muslim subjects who were
oppressed" and "Observe scrupulously the protection accorded by me to
non-Muslim subjects..."
...To be fair, there is sometimes another cause of misunderstanding:
Muslims themselves. Too easily, some Muslims blame modernity for their
own
malaise, and all too often act contrary to the universal constants of
justice, moderation and mercy, which are the essential animating values
of
any Islamic individual or social action...
-----
WAR ON TERRORISM VEILS TYRANNY
By BOB DEANS, Atlanta Journal - Constitution, 1/16/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/news_c354022cf03ca07e0094.html
Washington --- In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe has begun calling
dissenters and some journalists "terrorists," accusing his political
opponents of trying to poison him with anthrax.
In Beijing, the Chinese government claims its longstanding oppression
of
Islamic minorities is helping the U.S. war on terror.
And in Russia, President Vladimir Putin has stepped up the military
campaign in Chechnya, asserting that Muslim separatists are part of the
global terror network targeted by the United States.
In the months since the United States launched its war on terrorism,
governments around the world have used the campaign to justify human
rights
abuses, according to a new study by Human Rights Watch, a New
York-based
investigative and advocacy group.
"A lot of countries saw 9/11 as a wonderful opportunity to legitimize
repressive practices in the name of America's cause," said Tom
Malinowski,
advocacy director for the Washington office of Human Rights Watch.
The group's 700-page annual report on human rights practices in 67
countries will be released today. The use of the anti-terror campaign
as a
veil for repression is the dominant theme...
SEE: ANTI-TERROR CAMPAIGN CLOAKING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE
http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/01/wr2002.htm
-----
MINISTER CALLS ISLAM EVIL THREAT FROM PULPIT
By ANITA WADHWANI, The Tennessean, 1/16/2002
http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/02/01/12453042.shtml?Element_ID
A Madison-area pastor has begun a four-part series of sermons on the
"evils
of Islam" and says his church's eventual goal is to convert
Nashville-area
Muslims to Christianity.
Maury Davis, pastor of Cornerstone Church, began the first sermon in
the
series Sunday, titled "Hard Questions - Real Answers. Islam ... The
Evil
Religion."
"I want to go on record as telling you that I believe the greatest
threat
to the American way of life, to the Constitution of the United States
of
America and to the gospel of Jesus Christ, is the religion of Islam as
it
stands today," Davis said from his pulpit on Sunday to an audience of
about
2,000.
"It is a great task that you and I have to infiltrate the Muslim
community,
but we can do it with the help of God."
...Those opposing Davis' messages said he has just gotten it wrong and
said
that efforts to promote inclusiveness and diversity in Nashville won't
be
affected.
"Members of Nashville's Muslim refugees in particular who are here did
not
flee Islam, they fled political extremists who misused Islam as a
disguise
for their violent agenda," said Carter Moody, chairman of the Nashville
Task Force on Immigrants and Refugees. "The mainstream Nashville
community
has made a lot of progress in building bridges across cultures and
across
faiths and will continue to do so."
Davis said his sermons were also prompted by the increasing visibility
of
Islam in mainstream America, which has sometimes resulted in
evangelical
faiths like his being eclipsed...
TO COMMENT ON THE ARTICLE, GO TO:
http://www.citizen-times.com/contact/ltr_editor.shtml
SEE ALSO: COMPARING BIBLICAL, KORAN QUOTES
http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/letters/5066
-----
WASHINGTON TIMES DEFAMES ISLAM (AGAIN)
ANGLICAN PRIEST BELIEVES WEST IS UNDERESTIMATING ZEAL OF ISLAM
The Washington Times, 1/16/2002
http://www.washtimes.com/culture/20020116-99672079.htm
The Rev. Patrick Sookhdeo, an expert on Islamic history and politics,
directs the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity in London
and
the Barnabas Fund, a charity...The following are excerpts from a talk
he
gave Sunday in Fairfax County.
I think we have a greater problem in Islam than we realize. Much as I
understand why politicians in the U.S. and UK have made the kinds of
affirmatory statements they have made, I think time will show they have
made a mistake.
In dealing with Islam, you have to tell the truth. And you have to meet
it
head on. It understands power and only power. And so you have to know
how
to exercise power. I believe we face a much greater threat from Muslim
communities within our own countries than we realize...
...With the advent of Islam in the West, the Western countries have to
come
to terms with a minority and they didn't know how to do it because of
civil
liberties. We have got societies that are strong liberal democracies.
Our
own legal framework stops us from dealing with extremist religion.
Historically, Islam has never learned to live as a minority because its
basis exists in power...
...I think we must drive Islam to have a reformation, which is what
Salman
Rushdie is saying, that Islam unreformed will be brutal and barbaric...
...If I say the history of the West has been infinitely superior to
that of
the Muslim world; that freedom, democracy, human rights and religious
liberty have come out of Christianity and the West...
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE.)
CONTACT the Washington Times to express your concern at the
Islamophobic
views presented in the article.
Mr. Fran Coombs
Deputy Managing Editor/News
The Washington Times
3600 New York Ave., N.E.,
Washington, DC 20002
TEL: 202/636-3000
FAX: 202/269-3419
E-MAIL: fcoombs@washingtontimes.com, khanner@washingtontimes.com,
letters@washingtontimes.com, hbering@washingtontimes.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
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 - 1/17/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE
* DELTA APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIM TEEN FORCED TO REMOVE HEADSCARF
* KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS AN AIRLINE PASSENGER
* WOMAN SUING OVER O'HARE SEARCH (Chicago Tribune)
- AS AN ARAB, I CAN FEEL THE EYES OF SUSPICION (USA Today)
* REMARKS BY U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT AT AN EVENT
COMMEMORATING
MARTIN LUTHER KING
* "7TH HEAVEN" EPISODE DEALS WITH ANTI-MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION
* KNOWING YOUR MUSLIM NEIGHBOR (Minnesota Public Radio)
* CAIR-LA TAKES PART IN COMMUNITY DAY FOR NEEDY CHILDREN
* ISLAMIC LEADERS, OFFICIALS TO MEET (Orange County Register)
* EGYPTIAN CLEARED IN AVIATION RADIO CASE (Washington Post)
-----
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If Judgment Day comes
when
you are planting a seedling, if you are able to plant it before the Day
arrives, do so."
Imam Bukhari's Book of Muslim Morals and Manners, Hadith 479
-----
DELTA APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIM TEEN FORCED TO REMOVE HEADSCARF
Airline's president makes personal call to express "regret" for
incident
(WASHINGTON, DC - 1/17/2002) - The president of Delta Air Lines has
apologized personally to a Muslim high school student who was forced to
remove her religiously-mandated headscarf by guards hired by the
airline at
Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI).
Delta President and Chief Operating Officer Frederick W. Reid called
17-year-old Enaas Sarsour after issuing a formal apology for the
December
18 incident. In his letter to Sarsour, Reid stated: "We regret and
apologize for the embarrassment and discomfort you experienced. Be
assured
that we take this matter very seriously." He quoted Delta's Code of
Ethics
and Business Conduct that states: "...discrimination is not only
illegal,
it is wrong and will not be tolerated."
The apology had been requested by the Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group. CAIR said the forced
removal of a Muslim woman's scarf, called hijab, amounted to a public
"strip search."
"We appreciate Mr. Reid's personal intervention in this case. The
safety of
the traveling public is of paramount concern to all Americans. This
unfortunate incident demonstrates that religious rights need not be
sacrificed in the ongoing search for passenger security," said CAIR
Civil
Rights Coordinator Hodan Hassan. Hassan said that the security
inspection
could have taken place in private with a female guard.
Sarsour told CAIR that after she went through a security checkpoint on
her
way to a flight, a guard shouted, "Hey you need to take that off,"
referring to her headscarf. She responded by asking, "Why do I have to
take
off my head cover?" Sarsour was then surrounded by military personnel
in
camouflage uniform with combat rifles. She became terrified and removed
her
headscarf immediately.
CAIR's civil rights department has received more than 170 reports of
airport profiling of Muslims or those who are perceived to be "Middle
Eastern" since the terrorist attacks of September 11.
A Muslim Secret Service agent was recently removed from a flight at BWI
because of what he says was racial and religious profiling. On
Wednesday, a
Muslim woman from Ohio filed suit over a strip search at Chicago's
O'Hare
International Airport that she says was prompted by her religion and
ethnicity.
-----
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS AN AIRLINE PASSENGER
* 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 www.cair-net.org.
FROM CAIR'S "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS POCKET GUIDE"
To order a free pocket guide, contact publications@cair-net.org or call
202-488-8787 and ask for the Publications Department.
-----
WOMAN SUING OVER O'HARE SEARCH
By Amy E. Nevala, The Chicago Tribune, 1/17/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0201170032jan17.story
An Ohio woman of Pakistani descent who was asked to lift her sweater
and
unzip her pants during a security check at O'Hare International Airport
filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Wednesday, seeking damages from
an
airport security company and the Illinois National Guard...
...Samar Kaukab, 22, was returning home to Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 7
after
a conference in Chicago when security employees and a National
Guardsman
conducted a 30-minute search that she called "embarrassing, intrusive
and
unnecessary..."
SEE ALSO: AS AN ARAB, I CAN FEEL THE EYES OF SUSPICION
http://www.usatoday.com/news/comment/2002/01/17/ncguest1.htm
-----
REMARKS BY U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT AT AN EVENT
COMMEMORATING
MARTIN LUTHER KING
LOCATION: THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME: 11:31 A.M.
EST
DATE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2002
ATTY GEN. ASHCROFT: ...It's a testimony to Dr. King's legacy that
almost
immediately following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, voices
were
raised cautioning Americans not to turn their anger against
Arab-Americans
and people of the Muslim faith. Americans overwhelmingly heeded this
message. In many cases, individuals reached out to Muslims and to
others to
reassure them that they were still welcome and valued members of our
communities. The vast majority of Americans seemed to understand that
the
nation had suffered a great loss. To seek vengeance through ethnically
or
religiously motivated violence, most Americans understood, would only
compound the loss.
Tragically, however, some Americans chose ignore Dr. King's legacy.
Since
September the 11th, the Department of Justice has investigated
approximately 300 incidents, including violence and threats against
those
perceived to be of Middle Eastern origin. Misguided individuals have
made
bomb threats. They've attacked those they perceive to American --
Arab-Americans or Muslim-Americans, and they've threatened mosques and
businesses.
Dr. King challenged Americans to live out the true meaning of our
values,
and today our values are embodied in laws that protect the civil rights
of
all Americans. Even in a time of great national tragedy, to strike out
in
violence on the base of someone -- basis of someone's race, religion or
national origin is not merely a violation of our values; it's against
the
law. Working together, the Department of Justice, state and local
officials
are prosecuting over 60 cases of civil rights violations that stem from
the
September 11th tragedy. In these cases, as in all civil rights cases,
we
take each complaint seriously. We thoroughly investigate every
incident,
and we prosecute violators to the fullest extent of the law...
-----
"7TH HEAVEN" EPISODE DEALS WITH ANTI-MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION
Monday, January 21, 8 p.m. (Eastern)
http://www.thewb.com/Shows/Episode/0,8201,||596,00.html
Ruthie (Mackenzie Rosman) steps in to protect her Muslim friend Yasmine
(guest star Ashley Solomon) from bullies who have been terrorizing her
because of her ethnic and religious background, and gains the support
from
the entire Camden family. Eric (Stephen Collins), Annie (Catherine
Hicks)
and the other kids all work together to defend Yasmine and her family
and
discover in the process the sad truth that many people in their
community
share the same fears.
-----
KNOWING YOUR MUSLIM NEIGHBOR
By Laurel Druley, Minnesota Public Radio, 1/17/2002
http://news.mpr.org/features/200201/16_druleyl_muslimneighbor-m/
Members of Rochester's Muslim community have taught Islam courses for
years. Over the last few months the classes have grown very popular.
Since
Sept. 11, Americans have had a growing fascination with Islam.
-----
CAIR-LA TAKES PART IN COMMUNITY DAY FOR NEEDY CHILDREN
WHAT: 7th Annual Community Day - "Save the Children II"
In an effort to build bridges between members of various faith and
ethnic
groups, CAIR-LA is partnering with H.O.P.E. for Life Foundation in
organizing a community day joining Muslims, Christians and Jews in
helping
needy children.
Special Guests: Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca and other elected
officials
Exhibits include:
* Health Fair
* Business Expo
* Camp Can-Do
* Food & Clothing
* Job Fair
* Youth Empowerment
* And Much More!
WHEN: Sat., Jan. 19, 2002, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
WHERE: Power of Love Christian Fellowship, 1430 W. Manchester Ave., Los
Angeles, CA
Hosted by:
H.O.P.E. for Life Foundation, Power of Love Christian Fellowship,
In partnership with:
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
City of L.A., L.A. County Sheriff's Department, County of L.A.
Business Partners:
L.A.M.N Consortium, Centinela Hospital,
Downtown L.A. Motors, Phoenician Lions Club, Felix Chevrolet, Eittocs
International, Lamar & Associates, Burger King, McDonalds, Ralphs, TJC
Financial, Louisiana Fried Chicken
For more information please call (323) 752-6525, (323) 753-HOPE (4673)
or
714-776-1847 (CAIR-LA) E-mail: CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
-----
ISLAMIC LEADERS, OFFICIALS TO MEET
By JOHN GITTELSOHN, The Orange County Register, 1/16/2002
Representatives of the FBI, Immigration and Naturalization Service and
the
U.S. Attorney's Office will join local Islamic community leaders at a
town
hall meeting from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Holiday Inn Select, 14299
Firestone Blvd., in La Mirada.
Topics at the meeting organized by the Anaheim-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations of Southern California will include: racial
profiling of Muslims, crackdowns on Muslim charities, secret evidence
and
detentions and the progress of hate-crime investigations since Sept. 11
-----
EGYPTIAN CLEARED IN AVIATION RADIO CASE
The Washington Post, 1/17/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58742-2002Jan16.html
NEW YORK -- Charges have been dropped against the Egyptian graduate
student
accused of lying to federal investigators about an aviation radio found
in
his hotel room near the World Trade Center, a U.S. attorney's office
spokesman said Wednesday.
Another hotel guest came forward after Abdallah Higazy was charged this
week and told officials the radio belonged to him, said Marvin Smilon,
a
spokesman for the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New
York...
...Higazy had insisted in two rounds of FBI interviews that he knew
nothing
of the hand-held radio found in a safe in his room along with his
Egyptian
passport, a copy of the Quran and a gold medallion, prosecutors had
said.
-----
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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 - 1/18/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: A GOOD WORD
* CAIR DISCUSSES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WITH TURKISH OFFICIAL
* DERSHOWITZ: MAKE TORTURE AN OPTION (CBS)
* PAUL WEYRICH SAYS U.S. MUSLIMS ARE "FIFTH COLUMN," "TOLD TO DECEIVE"
* ASSOCIATED WITH WAR, JIHAD ALSO SIGNIFIES A NOBLE, INTERNAL QUEST
(Detroit Free Press)
* EDITORIAL: USF'S FIRESTORM (St. Petersburg Times)
* SOMALI GROUP PROTESTS "BLACK HAWK DOWN" MOVIE
* MANY AMERICAN MUSLIMS WELL OFF, COLLEGE EDUCATED, POLL SHOWS (Denver
Post)
* RE-RELEASE OF AL-AMIN BOOK SET FOR APRIL (Atlanta Journal)
* INTRODUCTION TO THE QUR'AN: THE ESSENTIAL TEACHINGS
* REMINDER: CIVIL RIGHTS RALLY AND TOWN HALL DISCUSSION
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: A GOOD WORD
Seest thou not how God sets forth a parable: A good Word (is) like a
good
tree whose root is firmly fixed and its branches (reach) to the
heavens. It
brings forth its fruit at all times by the leave of its Lord...
...And the parable of an evil Word is that of an evil tree. It is torn
up
by the root from the surface of the earth: it has no stability.
The Holy Quran, Chapter 14, Verses 24-26
-----
CAIR DISCUSSES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WITH TURKISH OFFICIAL
CAIR Governmental Affairs Director Jason Erb, along with several other
American Muslim representatives, met yesterday with Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz,
Director General of the Turkish Department of Religious Affairs to
discuss
religious and human rights in that country.
The meeting was organized by the State Department's Office of
International
Religious Freedom.
CONTACT: jerb@cair-net.org
-----
DERSHOWITZ: MAKE TORTURE AN OPTION
CBS News "60 Minutes," 1/20/2002, 7 p.m. (Eastern)
http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,324751-412,00.shtml
Alan Dershowitz, the civil libertarian defender of O.J Simpson,
believes
the law should sanction torture so it may be applied in certain cases,
such
as terrorist acts.
In a report to be broadcast Sunday on 60 Minutes, Dershowitz tells
Correspondent Mike Wallace that torture is inevitable. "We can't just
close
our eyes and pretend we live in a pure world," he says.
After the events of Sept. 11, with many al Qaida members in custody,
Dershowitz says he wants to bring the debate to the forefront. He gave
the
"ticking bomb" scenario - a person refusing to tell when and where a
bomb
will go off - as an example of the type of case warranting torture.
The FBI has anonymously leaked to the press the belief inside the
bureau
that torture may be an option in these trying times. But Lewis
Schiliro,
former New York bureau director, warns of problems with torture.
"If anybody had the ability to prevent the events of Sept. 11... they
would
have gone to whatever length...The problem becomes, where do we draw
that
line?" he tells Wallace.
Torture is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution, says Human Rights Watch
Executive Director Kenneth Roth, who also says it's not reliable. He
points
out that an Islamic terrorist, convicted in America for terrorist plots
he
admitted to after torture by authorities in the Philippines, had also
admitted to being the Oklahoma City bomber.
"People will say anything under torture," says Roth, adding that
resorting
to torture degrades humanity and the idea of democracy. "We, in many
important respects, become like the terrorists," he tells Wallace.
"They
will have won. Our democracy will have lost."
This is a na�ve viewpoint, says Dershowitz. "If anybody has any doubt
that
our CIA, over time, has taught people to torture, has encouraged
torture,
has probably itself tortured in extreme cases, I have a bridge to sell
you
in Brooklyn."
-----
PAUL WEYRICH SAYS U.S. MUSLIMS ARE "FIFTH COLUMN," "TOLD TO DECEIVE"
Conservative Icon Weyrich Warns 'Moral Minority' Still Dwindling
By Lawrence Morahan, CNSNews.com, 1/14/2002
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200201\POL20020114b.html
...if the United States continues to emulate the lax immigration
policies
of Western Europe - where Muslim communities are growing in France,
Germany
and Great Britain - soon the security of the United States will be at
considerable risk, he added.
"They're going to, at some point or another, attack us. It's like
having a
giant fifth column in your own country."
Weyrich...is also not convinced that Islam requires its followers to be
up-front with their intentions. "In fact, they're told to deceive,
which
makes it very difficult."
These views bring him into conflict with the Bush administration. "If
you
were Jewish in Weimar Germany, this is the kind of thing you might have
heard," said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic relations, in response to Weyrich's remarks...
-----
ASSOCIATED WITH WAR, JIHAD ALSO SIGNIFIES A NOBLE, INTERNAL QUEST
BY EMILIA ASKARI, Detroit Free Press, 1/16/2002
http://www.freep.com/news/locoak/njihad16_20020116.htm
...Many Americans know that Osama bin Laden has called for his
followers to
wage a jihad against the United States. But often, when Muslims use the
word jihad, they speak of an internal struggle to become better people.
All
Muslims are exhorted by the Koran to wage that kind of jihad. In
effect,
Muslims are asked by their faith to make New Year's resolutions and
really
stick to them.
Haaris Ahmad's jihads, for example, include getting up early to pray,
not
sleeping too much, not eating too much, controlling his temper and
working
hard.
"When you think about it, self-control is the hardest thing, the
biggest
jihad," says Ahmad, Michigan director of the Council on American
Islamic
Relations, who lives in Canton.
This other meaning of jihad -- to struggle for personal betterment --
is
the one that thousands of parents of Middle Eastern background have in
mind
each year when they choose the name Jihad for their babies. The
old-fashioned name is usually given to boys, though it can work for
girls,
too. It's a bit like naming a child Faith, Hope or Patience.
Even some Christian Arabs christen their children Jihad, though the
name
seems to be decreasing in popularity as it becomes more strongly
associated
with terrorism. Jihad is also a fairly common last name throughout the
Arabic world.
There were four Christian boys called Jihad in Jad Kash's grade school
classes in the city of Ramallah on the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Kash,
who lives in Dearborn Heights, was one of them. Though his first name
is
officially Jad, his family and friends all call him Jihad.
"If you know Arabic, you know that it doesn't mean just holy war," says
Kash, 53, who drives a shuttle between a private parking lot and
Detroit
Metro Airport. "It's about being ambitious in life, to work hard and
get
over difficulties..."
-----
EDITORIAL: USF'S FIRESTORM
St. Petersburg Times, 1/18/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/18/Opinion/USF_s_firestorm.shtml
The Sami Al-Arian controversy won't go away until university officials
either reinstate the professor or come up with a better reason for
firing
him...
...At this point, Genshaft and the trustees have only two honorable
options
for defusing this controversy: Either make a more persuasive case for
firing Al-Arian, or give him back his job under conditions that protect
the
integrity and safety of the university community.
Last month, Genshaft and the trustees offered these rationales for
firing
Al-Arian: They said he failed to make clear during his public
appearances
that he did not speak as an official representative of USF. They said
he
violated an agreement with USF officials when he returned to campus
after
being put on paid leave. And they said his presence on campus has
created
security problems.
The first two charges are spurious. It is broadly understood that
Al-Arian
and the thousands of other faculty at USF speak for themselves and not
in
any official capacity for the university. Al-Arian also has generally
abided by the restrictions placed on him during the periods in which he
has
been suspended from his faculty duties.
The issue of security is a more serious one. Ensuring the safety of the
university community is a core responsibility for USF administrators.
However, USF officials have offered no public evidence that Al-Arian's
continued employment would present unacceptable security risks for the
university. In any case, the academic integrity of a university
shouldn't
be held hostage to every crank who phones in a bomb threat...
-----
SOMALI GROUP PROTESTS "BLACK HAWK DOWN" MOVIE
By RENEE RUBLE, The Associated Press, 1/17/2002
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Local Somali leaders called Thursday for a boycott
of
the movie "Black Hawk Down" because it depicts Somalis as savages and
could
create a backlash against refugees who fled to the U.S.
"We don't know what Americans will think of us Somalis after they watch
this movie," said Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice
Advocacy Center in St. Paul. Somali groups in Columbus, Ohio, and
Boston
also planned to seek a boycott, he said.
"Black Hawk Down," which goes into wide release Friday, portrays the
1993
firefight in Somalia that left 18 American soldiers dead and more than
70
wounded. The military mission to Mogadishu was to capture two top
lieutenants of warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.
A Minneapolis newspaper invited about a dozen people from the Advocacy
Center to see the movie in advance Wednesday night. Jamal said they all
left in shock. The film was confusing and didn't have a story or
message,
he said.
"The Somali people are depicted as very savage beasts without any human
element," Jamal said. "It's just people shooting each other..."
...In Columbus, Ohio, Abdi Mohamud, a board member of the Council of
American-Islamic Relations, said he had not heard about a boycott, but
added that people should know the movie perpetuates stereotypes.
"I found the movie to sensationalize the whole issue and to put the
Somalis
in one category," said Mohamud, who immigrated from Somalia and became
a
U.S. citizen.
"There were many Somalis against the warlords..."
Many in the Columbus Somali community, second in size to Minneapolis,
are
worried about the timing, Mohamud said.
"Most of the Somalis in Ohio and here in Columbus have family members,
people they care about, in Somalia," he said. "They're tired of war."
Some
also fear a backlash here, Mohamud said.
"There's a segment of society that takes movies for reality," he said.
U.S. Somali groups have worked hard to show they support the war
against
terrorism, Jamal said...
-----
MANY AMERICAN MUSLIMS WELL OFF, COLLEGE EDUCATED, POLL SHOWS
By Virginia Culver, The Denver Post, 1/18/2002
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,53%257E342642,00.html
Friday, January 18, 2002 - Half of American Muslims earn more than
$50,000
a year, 58 percent are college graduates, and 36 percent were born in
the
U.S., according to what may be the most exhaustive poll ever done of
American Muslims.
The poll, sponsored by Georgetown University, also shows that 40
percent of
U.S. Muslims are Democrats, 23 percent are Republicans and 28 percent
are
independents.
Other findings showed that 84 percent want tougher laws to prevent
terrorism, 79 percent support stronger gun laws, 68 percent favor the
death
penalty for murder, and 92 percent want stricter environmental laws.
The poll is part of a three-year project, called Muslims in American
Public
Square (MAPS), which, with the support of the Pew Charitable Trusts, is
documenting the roles of Muslims in America. Further projects will look
at
six other major groups in America, including African-American churches,
Hispanic churches, evangelical Protestants, Catholics and mainline
Protestants.
A majority, 57 percent, said the opinions of Americans toward Muslims
and
Arabs since Sept. 11 has been unfavorable, but only 8 percent said that
Americans have been disrespectful and intolerant of them in general...
-----
RE-RELEASE OF AL-AMIN BOOK SET FOR APRIL
By LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 1/18/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/metro_c3748c54f64b909700df.html
An updated version of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin's autobiography will hit
bookstores around the same time as a verdict in his death penalty
trial.
The book, "Die Nigger Die!," will be re-released in April by Lawrence
Hill
Books. Al-Amin, the former '60s radical H. Rap Brown, is charged in the
March, 16, 2000, fatal shooting of a Fulton County sheriff's deputy and
wounding of another.
Jury selection for the trial is under way, and the trial is expected to
last two months.
The book, first published in 1969, will stay the same except for a new
foreward written by Ekwueme Michael Thelwell, a University of
Massachusetts
professor who worked with Stokely Carmichael on his as yet unreleased
biography said Lawrence Hill Books editor Yuval Taylor.
"As of this writing, Imam Al-Amin has been, since March of 2000,
incarcerated under conditions which seem unnecessarily draconian,"
Thelwell
wrote. "In solitary confinement, he was for a time deprived of his Holy
Quran."
Al-Amin previously was kept in solitary, and both the defense and the
prosecution are under a gag order not to talk about the case...
-----
INTRODUCTION TO THE QUR'AN: THE ESSENTIAL TEACHINGS
Wed., Jan. 23-March 6, 6 p.m.
http://www.residentassociates.org/com/quran.asp
Gain some insights into the Qur'an (Koran), the Muslim Holy Scripture.
Imam
Yahya Hendi, Muslim chaplin at Georgetown University, leads
participants in
a thoughtful, thorough discussion of the essential Qur'anic foundations
of
Islamic faith and practice; explores the history of the Scripture; and
examines its teachings on creation, existence, life, inspiration,
women,
world religions, laws, morals, and ethics.
LOCATION: S. Dillon Ripley Center, Room 3037; 1100 Jefferson Drive,
S.W.,
Washington, D.C.
-----
REMINDER: CIVIL RIGHTS RALLY AND TOWN HALL DISCUSSION
WHAT: Dr. King's Legacy: Protecting Civil Liberties in the
Wake of September 11th
WHEN: Saturday, January 19th, Noon - 2:30 PM
WHERE: DC Convention Center - 900 9th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
(Metro Center--Gallery Place--Chinatown)
RALLY SPEAKERS: Civil Rights Leaders and Activists
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Mahdi Bray 202-421-3623
-----
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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 - 1/19/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: MERCY
* THE PRIME-TIME SMEARING OF SAMI AL-ARIAN (Salon.com)
- STEVEN EMERSON'S CRUSADE (FAIR)
* NEW MUSLIMS (National Post)
* ISLAM UNVEILED (St. Petersburg Times)
-----
* HADITH OF THE DAY: MERCY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “When God created living
creatures, He wrote in the Book which is with Him in the highest
heaven:
‘My mercy shall prevail over My wrath.’”
He also said: “God divided mercy into 100 parts, out of which he
retained
99 parts with Him, and sent down one part to earth. From this one part
emanates all the compassion that all of creation exercises toward one
another, so much so that an animal lifts its hoof above its young lest
it
should get hurt…On Judgment Day, He will perfect and complete His
mercy.”
(That is, he will use all 100 parts of mercy for His servants on that
day.)
Riyadh us-Saleheen, 1:419-420
-----
(IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a long article, but it is worth reading every
word.)
THE PRIME-TIME SMEARING OF SAMI AL-ARIAN
By Eric Boehlert, Salon.com, 1/19/2002
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/01/19/bubba/index.html
HIGHLIGHT: By pandering to anti-Arab hysteria, NBC, Fox News, the
Tribune
Company and Clear Channel radio disgraced themselves -- and ruined an
innocent professor's life.
It may not provide him much comfort, but tenured University of South
Florida professor Sami Al-Arian, recently fired after his appearance on
a
conservative talk show revived discredited, years-old allegations of
ties
to anti-Israel terrorists, may be the first computer science professor
ever
mugged by four of the nation's most influential news organizations.
USF administrators fired the Kuwaiti-born professor after he appeared
on
national television for five minutes of punditry last fall. His crime?
Not
telling viewers that his views did not necessarily reflect those of the
school. It was a tortured rationale that all but guaranteed future
litigation.
As Salon recently reported, the Al-Arian episode raises disturbing
questions about free speech, academic freedom and the future of tenured
status. But what's also important to understand is the crucial role the
press played in the unfolding saga. The University of South Florida is
ultimately responsible for firing Al-Arian. But equally culpable are
Fox
News Channel, NBC, the Tribune Company (specifically its Tampa
newspaper)
and the giant radio conglomerate Clear Channel Communications.
In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, all four media giants,
eagerly tapping into the country's mood of vengeance and fear, latched
onto
the Al-Arian story, fudging the facts and ignoring the most rudimentary
tenets of journalism in their haste to better tell a sinister story
about
lurking Middle Eastern dangers here at home.
The story went national when Al-Arian was invited on the Fox News
Channel's
"The O'Reilly Factor" show back on Sept. 26…
…But the Gulf Coast hysteria was entirely created by the media. Without
the
Tampa Tribune, which undertook a dubious seven-year crusade against
al-Arian, there would have been no story to begin with. Without "The
O'Reilly Factor" -- a showcase for noisy right-wing ranting whose
producers
apparently didn't even know that Al-Arian had been cleared of charges
before they handed him over to their equally ignorant hanging-judge
host --
the controversy would never have been revived. Without incendiary,
know-nothing Clear Channel radio jocks, led by a gentleman named Bubba
the
Love Sponge, there would almost certainly have been far fewer USF death
threats. And without NBC's sloppy work on "Dateline" there would
probably
have been no firing.
The Al-Arian story reveals what happens when journalists, abandoning
their
role as unbiased observers, lead an ignorant, alarmist crusade against
suspicious foreigners who in a time of war don't have the power of the
press or public sympathy to fight back. It's called a pile-on, and this
game first began in Tampa, seven years ago. On April 21, 1995, Tampa
Tribune reporter Michael Fechter wrote a news story about the bombing
at
the Oklahoma City federal building, which had been destroyed two days
earlier by domestic right-wing terrorists. Law enforcement officials
had
yet to make an arrest, but Fechter had his own ideas. "More and more,"
he
wrote, "terrorism experts in the United States and elsewhere say
Wednesday's bombing in Oklahoma City bears the characteristics of other
deadly attacks linked to Islamic militants."
Fechter seemed to be an odd choice to write the piece, since at the
time
the county news reporter had virtually no experience covering religion,
politics or terrorism for the Tribune. Instead, he wrote crime stories,
covered local city council politics and monitored neighborhood action
groups.
But what readers didn't know was that Fechter had recently befriended
controversial terrorism expert Steve Emerson -- who has been accused of
sloppy journalism and with having a pervasive anti-Arab bias -- and
behind
the scenes was remaking himself into a self-styled authority on
terrorism.
The following month the Tribune would uncork Fechter's sprawling series
about Al-Arian and the alleged ties between him, his USF think tank and
terrorists. The story would keep Fechter busy for the next six years,
as he
churned out nearly 70 stories on the topic.
But first, as a sort of dry run, Fechter wrote about the Oklahoma City
bombing case. Taking the cue from his terrorist mentor Emerson, who
made
the same bogus claim on national television, Fechter pointed an
accusatory
finger at Muslims. Looking back, the glaring mistake should have raised
a
red flag among Tribune editors about their new in-house terrorist
expert…
…When prepping O'Reilly's producers, Fechter never mentioned Judge
McHugh's
definitive ruling, which completely exonerated Al-Arian and WISE. "I
felt
confident that Dr. Al-Arian would be capable of pointing out the
judge's
writings on his own," wrote Fechter in an e-mail response to Salon. "My
interest is in getting answers to questions Al-Arian does not want to
face
and that other reporters choose not to ask."
Incredibly -- or maybe not so incredibly -- O'Reilly's producers
apparently
never bothered to look into the legal disposition of Al-Arian's case.
John
Sugg, now senior editor of Atlanta's Creative Loafing newspaper,
recently
talked to Fox producers when they contacted him about appearing on the
show
for a follow-up segment about Al-Arian. "They said they did not know
there
was exculpatory information or that a judge had examined this stuff,"
says
Sugg. "They felt like O'Reilly got blindsided."
So much for the no-spin zone.
For weeks, O'Reilly played up the Al-Arian interview, returning to the
topic 14 different times. Despite assuring viewers "we researched it
pretty
thoroughly," he routinely bungled the facts…
…Certainly the veteran terrorism expert and NBC news consultant, Steve
Emerson would take credit, not blame, for Al-Arian's firing. Despite
the
fact no charges have ever been brought against the USF professor (on
the
contrary; he's met personally with both Presidents Clinton and Bush in
recent years), Emerson has been branding Al-Arian a terrorist for close
to
a decade. During a 1996 speaking engagement in St. Petersburg, Emerson,
citing anonymous sources, assured the audience that Palestinian
radicals at
USF were involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing…
…Despite that string of hollow indictments, producers at NBC's news
magazine "Dateline" didn't hesitate to usher Emerson on the air last
October for a segment to -- what else? -- accuse Al-Arian of aiding
terrorists.
In her introduction, NBC's Jane Pauley recklessly stressed a connection
between Al-Arian and Sept. 11: "We're told that it's probable, if not
certain, that there are still terrorists among us. Now investigators
say
there is evidence that an organization with ties to Middle East
terrorists
may have been operating in Florida for as long as a decade."
The "investigators" turned out to be…Steve Emerson. In fact, NBC never
interviewed a single law enforcement official for its Oct. 28 report.
The
"Dateline" piece consisted entirely of Emerson, who was given a
prime-time
platform to air his creative accusations. (Al-Arian refused to appear
on
the show.)
Emerson told "Dateline" reporter Bob McKeown that Islamic Jihad "had
essentially relocated to the United States in the city of Tampa," where
it
was operating as "a shadow government" for the terrorist group.
Emphasis on shadow, since neither the FBI, the INS, the CIA, USF nor
the
Tampa police were ever able to uncover it. Only Emerson.
Of course, Emerson never mentioned that Judge McHugh had looked at
these
allegations in 2000 and found no wrongdoing. It's not clear whether
McKeown
even knew about the judge's ruling…
…Al-Arian's battle to get his job back at USF will likely end up in the
courts. Perhaps while his attorneys examine the university's egregious
behavior, they should train their attention on some of America's
biggest
media players as well.
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: boehlert@salon.com, dtalbot@salon.com,
kamiya@salon.com, scottr@salon.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO: 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
-----
NEW MUSLIMS
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have served as a catalyst to conversion
for
some Americans attracted by Islam's 'mysticism and clear theology'
Marina Jimenez, The National Post, 1/19/2002
www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20020119/1180278.html
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Like all Americans, Debra Portmann felt overcome
with
grief after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and mourned for the
slaughter
of her countrymen.
But she also felt something else: a lingering sadness for Islam itself,
a
faith she felt had been grossly abused by the terrorists to justify
their
actions.
Ms. Portmann, a Boston native whose Christian ancestors arrived here in
1649, wrote a note of sympathy and slipped it under the door of the
Islamic
students' group at the University of Massachusetts, where she studies
classical music.
Less than a month later, the 46-year-old liberal converted to Islam, in
the
basement of the Islamic Society of Boston's Sunni mosque. It was a
simple
ceremony that took only moments. She said the shahadah (There is no God
but
Allah and Mohammed is his messenger) in Arabic, a simple testimony of
faith
she will repeat five times a day for the rest of her life.
Tiffany Motschenbacher, an extroverted theatre major from Michigan with
curly brown hair, converted a few days later, sitting on the floor of
the
society's cultural centre with a group of sisters, celebrating the
occasion
later over pizza and soda.
"I said the testimony and, poof, I was a Muslim. I was shaking and
weeping," recalls Ms. Motschenbacher, 30, with a laugh. "I really felt
that
this religion was the truth and what I'd been looking for my whole
life. I
used to feel something was wrong with me because I couldn't grasp the
concept of God. Now I finally had peace of hear."
The terrorist attacks perpetrated by fundamentalist Islamists served as
a
kind of a catalyst for both of these women and at least four others in
their class of New Muslims, propelling them forward on a long and
sometimes
hesitant spiritual journey toward conversion…
"…Americans have bought more flags since 9/11, but they've also bought
more
Korans," says Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who runs the al-Taqwah mosque in
Brooklyn,
N.Y. "I've had more converts since 9/11 and I've spoken in so many
different forums and inter-faith meetings..."
…The eldest class member, Karen Courtenay, a 61-year-old linguist who
said
the shahadah over the telephone last May, sums up how many of the
converts
feel about what she calls Islam's rich mysticism and clear theology and
rules, which include fasting during Ramadan, praying five times a day
and
making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
"Many Christians express dismay about the Trinity, about the
tri-partite
God. With Islam, there are no miracles and things you can't understand.
Also, the congregational prayer, where everyone prays in a certain way
in
Arabic and in ritual positions is very powerful. Then there's the
social
aspect: If you come from a cold, WASP New England culture, the hugging
and
hospitality you get from Arab sisters is just wonderful..."
-----
ISLAM UNVEILED
By ANGELA MILLER, St. Petersburg Times, 1/19/2002
Muslim women explain their beliefs about God and faith to young,
curious
minds.
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/19/Pasco/Islam_unveiled.shtml
SAN ANTONIO - Why do you wear that veil and those clothes?
That was the question of the day when six Muslim women visited St.
Anthony
Interparochial Catholic School on Jan. 11. Children sat in awe of the
women, who wore head scarves called hijabs and clothing that covered
most
of their bodies.
The students listened attentively while the women explained that their
modest dress was to preserve their beauty for family members. They also
talked about how the hijab boosts their confidence by forcing people to
judge their character rather than their looks.
"The more we can understand other people, the more we can live in peace
and
harmony,"said the Rev. Henry Riffle. "(The children) are at a very
informative age."
The women, who attend the University of South Florida in Tampa, are
part of
a student group that promotes the Islamic faith by speaking at events.
"This is a way of life for me and my friends,"said Maysi Hnin, who
directed
most of the program. "I try and remain calm and open-minded to
questions,
to help people understand."
Four of the women were born into Islam; the others converted.
The women told the students about God, whom they call Allah, which is
Arabic for God. They also talked of their belief in prophets. Jesus was
one
of them, they said, though Muslims do not consider him the Messiah.
Rather
than pray through Jesus, they said, Muslims pray directly to God. They
showed the children their holy book, the Koran, and demonstrated how
Muslims pray five times a day. They kneel on a rug that faces a certain
direction, saying the words of a prayer along with body movements.
"We are constantly remembering God this way,"Hnin said.
The women said Islam is a peaceful religion and that they are taught to
be
kind to people, animals and nature.
After the program, students said they didn't know that not all Muslims
are
Arabs, and that Muslims also speak English, revere Jesus and come from
all
over 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 - 1/21/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: RESPECTING ELDERS
* QUOTE OF THE DAY: V.S. NAIPAUL SAYS OIL MONEY MADE ARABS “MAD”
* RESERVE YOUR HAJJ PACKAGE NOW
* CAIR “KNOW YOUR RIGHTS” SEMINAR IN DC
* JUSTICE OFFICIALS, MUSLIMS FACE OFF (Orange County Register)
- VIGILANTE JUSTICE COULD BECOME PART OF U.S. FUTURE (Columbia
Daily Tribune)
* CANDIDATES REACH OUT TO MUSLIM VOTERS (Chicago Tribune)
* AL-ARIAN'S FIRING JEOPARDIZES USF FACULTY TENURE RIGHTS (Tampa
Tribune)
- THE PRIME-TIME SMEARING OF SAMI AL-ARIAN (Salon.com)
* BEING PROFILED IS NEVER JUST AN INCONVENIENCE (Washington Times)
* FAIR DEPORTATION IS BEST FOR SECURITY (St. Petersburg Times)
* AL-AMIN TRIAL: BROWN AGAIN AT BAT FOR HIS YOUNGER BROTHER (Atlanta
Journal)
* MUSLIM WOMEN: AN IDENTITY REDUCED TO A BURKA (Los Angeles Times)
* MUSLIMS OPEN DOORS TO SAY THANKS (Sun-Sentinel)
-----
* HADITH OF THE DAY: RESPECTING ELDERS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “If a young man honors
an
older person on account of his age, God will appoint someone to honor
him
when he attains old age.”
Riyadh us-Saleheen, 1:359
-----
QUOTE OF THE DAY: V.S. NAIPAUL SAYS OIL MONEY MADE ARABS “MAD”
Naipaul on politics and language
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan), 1/19/2002
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20020119woc1.htm
YOMIURI SHIMBUN: We were terrified by the terrorist attacks on Sept.
11.
What do you think is the main issue for the world now that the Cold War
has
ended?
NAIPAUL: It is nonsense to say that the terrorism of Sept. 11 was due
to
globalization or poverty. The terrorism was just what it appears to be:
an
expression of Islamic religious hate. The idea of the constant
religious
war is an important aspect of Islam. This constant religious war
implies
that there is always an enemy. The idea of the eternal enemy implies
eternal hate for other groups. When you are weak it is enough to
express
this hate only in your heart. When you are strong you express this hate
militarily. The Arabs--especially after the breakup of the Soviet
Union--now feel themselves rich and strong. Their oil money has made
them
mad. So you might say that it was money, and not poverty, that
encouraged
Sept. 11. This Islamic religious war is the main issue for the world
now.
-----
RESERVE YOUR HAJJ PACKAGE NOW
Only two weeks remain to reserve your travel packages for Hajj through
CAIR’s web site. Visit www.cair-net.org and click on the Hajj banner
for
more information.
-----
CAIR “KNOW YOUR RIGHTS” SEMINAR IN DC
WHAT: "Know Your Rights in the Workplace and the Public Domain"
Learn About:
* Your Rights After September 11
* CAIR and How We Can Help You
* How You Can Get Involved
WHERE: Masjid Muhammad, 15194th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
WHEN: Sunday, January 27, 2002, 12:30 p.m., After Dhuhr (Noon) Prayer
-----
JUSTICE OFFICIALS, MUSLIMS FACE OFF
BY VALERIE TAKAHAMA, The Orange County Register, 1/20/2002
www.ocregister.com/sitearchives/2002/1/20/local/arabs00120cci4.shtml
Ban Al-Wardi knows the federal government is looking closely at Arabs
and
Muslims. On Saturday, she had a chance to look back.
Al-Wardi, an immigration lawyer in Los Angeles, was among 120
Arab-Americans and others who attended a community meeting in La Mirada
with top regional officials from the Justice Department. The meeting
was
sponsored by the Anaheim- based Council of American- Islamic Relations,
or
CAIR.
"People are being singled out on the basis of religion," Al-Wardi said,
referring to a State Department directive about security checks on
residents of some Muslim nations who apply for visas.
Profiling based on religion and race was only one of the issues that
arose.
People also discussed a perceived double standard for Muslim charity
organizations. And hate crimes. And so-called secret evidence and
detentions. It made for a sometimes-contentious three-hour meeting.
In the hot seat were John Gordon, the U.S. attorney for the California
Central District; Johnny Williams, the Immigration and Naturalization
Service regional director; and Stephen Steinhauser of the Federal
Bureau of
Investigation…
"…Focusing our inquiries on people from those countries is not racial
profiling. It is following practical investigative leads…We are
speaking to
anyone who might have information related to these crimes…regardless of
their religion, their appearance or their nationality..."
…Many in the packed hall seemed skeptical that Arabs, Arab-Americans
and
Muslims are not unfairly targeted for questioning and detention…
…Hussam Ayloush of CAIR said Muslims in America were "doubly
victimized" by
the terror attacks.
"We were horrified by the attack against our nation," he said. "As
Muslims
living in this country ... we were given the looks of suspicion by our
fellow Americans.
"Thankfully, our president and many officials made it clear that this
was a
war against terrorism and not a war against Islam," he said…
"…It was a good start, but we need to do more, definitely," said Sabiha
Khan, a spokeswoman for CAIR.
SEE ALSO: VIGILANTE JUSTICE COULD BECOME PART OF U.S. FUTURE
http://archive.showmenews.com/2002/Jan/20020119Comm008.asp
…President George W. Bush and his crew tell us not to take our
frustrations
out on Arab-Americans. Muslims are not our enemy, he says. The fact
that
all the bastards who hijacked the planes were Middle Eastern isn’t
supposed
to mean anything? Perceptions in the real world are that if you wear a
turban, burqa and pajamas or nightgown, you’ll be perceived as an
enemy…
-----
CANDIDATES REACH OUT TO MUSLIM VOTERS
By Tom McCann, The Chicago Tribune, 1/21/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0201210206jan21.story
With some of Illinois' top politicians busily pressing the flesh of
Muslim
constituents in the other room, Amena Khan leafed through campaign
literature Sunday at the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, excitedly
preparing for her first vote in a U.S. election.
"My husband has been voting for a while, but now I want to join him,"
said
Khan, 29, after listening to almost three hours of candidate speeches
as
part of Sunday's town hall meeting, designed to help the area's
Muslim-American community learn to flex its political muscle. "Unless
we
get involved and reach out politically, people will never get to know
us,"
said Khan, who immigrated to Streamwood from India six years ago and is
now
a citizen. "That's what today is for. The more of us who vote, the
better."
More than two dozen political candidates, running for everything from
attorney general to township committeeman, came to the Villa Park
mosque
before afternoon prayers to discuss civil rights and political
participation for Illinois Muslims.
Speakers included gubernatorial candidates Corinne Wood, Roland Burris
and
Patrick O'Malley; DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom;
and
Illinois attorney general candidate Joe Birkett.
Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka spoke to the group wearing a
traditional white hijab over her hair. Wood did the same with her
flowered
kerchief. All the candidates took pains to stress Muslim rights should
not
be weakened…
-----
AL-ARIAN'S FIRING JEOPARDIZES USF FACULTY TENURE RIGHTS
By SUSAN GREENBAUM, The Tampa Tribune, 1/20/2002
http://tampatrib.com/News/MGA4M2PLMWC.html
As a USF faculty member opposed to the firing of Professor Sami
Al-Arian, I
challenge your editorial “Faculty Ire Over Firing Of Al-Arian Is
Disingenuous” on Jan. 12. You say faculty members who voted not to
support
President Judy Genshaft are arrogant and childish. We fail to
appreciate
the gravity of this case, and we foolishly cling to our defense of
tenure.
I would like to explain why I think you are wrong.
Tenure, which grants professors very strong protections against
dismissal,
is at the heart of this issue. The editorial correctly makes that
point. If
the University of South Florida is successful in terminating a tenured
professor - Al-Arian - given the facts of this particular case, the
tenure
rights of all faculty at USF are jeopardized. His termination was not
based
on his ideas or speech, or anything that he personally did, but rather
on
the reactions of other parties. Death threats and threats to withhold
donations were the main cause for this action…
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE: THE PRIME-TIME SMEARING OF SAMI AL-ARIAN
By Eric Boehlert, Salon.com, 1/19/2002
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/01/19/bubba/index.html
HIGHLIGHT: By pandering to anti-Arab hysteria, NBC, Fox News, the
Tribune
Company and Clear Channel radio disgraced themselves -- and ruined an
innocent professor's life.
-----
BEING PROFILED IS NEVER JUST AN INCONVENIENCE
By CHRISTY E. LOPEZ, The Washington Times, 1/21/2002
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20020121-67387484.htm#3
Mona Charen's Jan. 16 Commentary piece "Better to be profiled" asks
whether
we are "strong enough to risk being called names" after September 11.
As
our client, the Secret Service agent barred from flying on American
Airlines on Dec. 25, has demonstrated by speaking out against
discrimination, yes, we are strong enough…
…Ignoring the facts because of stubborn adherence to a stereotype is
bad
security and the worst type of discrimination…
…Some say that being subjected to discrimination on the basis of one's
skin
color is an "inconvenience" that (other) people should be willing to
put up
with. This agent has come forward to say that's just not the American
way.
Whether it's being asked to stand at the back of the bus or being told
to
come back and fly another day with a pilot who's more "comfortable"
with
you, being treated poorly because of the color of your skin is never
just
an "inconvenience."
-----
FAIR DEPORTATION IS BEST FOR SECURITY
By ROBYN E. BLUMNER, St. Petersburg Times, 1/20/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/20/Columns/Fair_deportation_is_b.shtml
The announcement came and went with barely a notice and, beyond
Arab-American and Muslim groups, barely a whimper of protest. The
Immigration and Naturalization Service said even though a majority of
the
314,000 immigrants who have skipped out on their deportation orders are
from Latin America, the agency is going after men from certain Middle
Eastern and Muslim countries first. Same goes for student visa
violators.
Our government has bluntly declared that it is enforcing laws
selectively
against a group of people on the basis of their nationality, and no
one's
raising an eyebrow. Well, I for one object. Even after Sept. 11, equal
protection of law has meaning. "Don't be a blind fool,"my critics will
say.
"The terrorist threat is coming from a certain community. It would be
political correctness ad absurdem to ignore this reality. The men the
government is targeting for deportation are here illegally. Our
government
is merely enforcing immigration laws in a way that will enhance
American
security."
I understand the intrinsic appeal of this argument. But I believe our
Arabs-first efforts are wrongheaded from both a civil liberties and
safety
perspective…
…Tracking down and deporting Middle Eastern absconders because a
handful of
Muslims have proven to be terrorists is like enforcing speeding laws
against young, black males, since there is a greater likelihood of
catching
dangerous criminals in the process. Hey, the Highway Patrol can't catch
every speeder so why not put the resources where they would do the most
good?...
…Regardless of the law, however, our long-term safety is best served
when
we are seen as fair and evenhanded. This is not an "us"against
"them"situation, but we're making it one.
-----
AL-AMIN TRIAL: BROWN AGAIN AT BAT FOR HIS YOUNGER BROTHER
By STEVE VISSER, LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal, 1/20/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/index.html
H. Rap Brown's fiery words made him famous. "Violence is as American as
cherry pie," he said in the riotous 1960s.
Ed Brown has spent much of his life explaining that quote to defend his
little brother. For 35 years, whenever H. Rap Brown got into a jam with
the
law, Ed appeared to plead the case to the public, marshal support and
put
his brother in the best light possible. "Somebody asked me the other
day if
I regret that my brother made that statement," Ed Brown said. "I said,
'Hell no, why should I regret it? That statement is historically
accurate.' "
Now Ed Brown is fighting to save his brother's life in an Atlanta
courtroom…
-----
MUSLIM WOMEN: AN IDENTITY REDUCED TO A BURKA
LAILA AL-MARAYATI and SEMEEN ISSA, The Los Angeles Times, 1/20/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-000005034jan20.story
(Semeen Issa, a schoolteacher in Arcadia, and Laila Al-Marayati, a Los
Angeles physician, are the president and spokesperson, respectively,
for
the Muslim Women's League.)
A few years ago, someone from the Feminist Majority Foundation called
the
Muslim Women's League to ask if she could "borrow a burka" for a photo
shoot the organization was doing to draw attention to the plight of
women
in Afghanistan under the Taliban. When we told her that we didn't have
one,
and that none of our Afghan friends did either, she expressed surprise,
as
if she'd assumed that all Muslim women keep burkas in their closets in
case
a militant Islamist comes to dinner. She didn't seem to understand that
her
assumption was the equivalent of assuming that every Latino has a
Mexican
sombrero in their closet.
We don't mean to make light of the suffering of our sisters in
Afghanistan,
but the burka was--and is--not their major focus of concern. Their
priorities are more basic, like feeding their children, becoming
literate
and living free from violence…
What doesn't penetrate Western consciousness, however, is that forced
uncovering is also a tool of oppression. During the reign of Shah
Mohammad
Reza Pahlavi in Iran, wearing the veil was prohibited. As an expression
of
their opposition to his repressive regime, women who supported the 1979
Islamic Revolution marched in the street clothed in chadors. Many of
them
did not expect to have this "dress code" institutionalized by those who
led
the revolution and then took power in the new government.
In Turkey, the secular regime considers the head scarf a symbol of
extremist elements that want to overthrow the government. Accordingly,
women who wear any type of head-covering are banned from public office,
government jobs and academia, including graduate school. Turkish women
who
believe the head-covering is a religious obligation are unfairly forced
to
give up public life or opportunities for higher education and career
advancement…
-----
MUSLIMS OPEN DOORS TO SAY THANKS
By Nancy L. Othon, Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL), 1/20/2002
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/search/sfl-pmosque20jan20.story
In the days immediately after Sept. 11, the number of Muslims who
showed up
to the Islamic Center for evening prayers dramatically dropped, because
many people were scared.
But according to the center's members, the feeling of safety slowly
returned, partly because of the support received from the Boca Raton
Police
Department's extra patrols at the center.
"Believe me, it was very tense," said Mirsad Krijestorac, security
adviser
for the center. "It was very reassuring how much professionalism they
showed ... just the fact we saw the police around really brought us a
sense
of security."
The Islamic Center of Boca Raton said thanks to the department on
Saturday
with an appreciation ceremony and meal, opening up the center to police
and
members of the public…
…The center had received a number of anonymous threats by phone, and
the
center's spiritual adviser was threatened at gunpoint at the end of
September.
"Those incidents were an unfortunate by-product of the whole thing,"
Fagan
said.
"The overwhelming majority of Muslims are peace-loving people here to
make
a better life for themselves and unfortunately, some were victims of
people
who chose to blame them…"
-----
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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 - 1/22/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: CARING FOR PRISONERS
* CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS OFFERED GUIDE TO ISLAMIC PRACTICES
* MORE SCRUTINY OVER SUSPECTS' TREATMENT (AP)
- U.S. SENDS MUSLIM CHAPLAIN TO DETAINEES (Washington Post)
* PENNSYLVANIA PRISON NEEDS QURANS
* CLOSED IMMIGRATION HEARINGS VIOLATE THE LAW (Detroit News)
- JAILED CHARITY LEADER'S WIFE GETS DEPORTATION ORDER (Detroit
Free Press)
- JAILED JEWISH MILITANT PROTECTOR OR TERRORIST? (Los Angeles
Times)
* MANHUNT PUTS MIDDLE EASTERNERS AT MERCY OF ORDINARY AMERICANS
(Village Voice)
* RELIGIOUS GROUPS REFLECT ON ROE V. WADE RULING (Toledo Blade)
-----
* VERSE OF THE DAY: CARING FOR PRISONERS
"...they feed for the love of God the indigent, the orphan and the
captive
(saying): 'We feed you for the sake of God alone. No reward do we
desire
from you nor thanks.'"
The Holy Quran, Chapter 76, Verses 8-9
-----
CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS OFFERED GUIDE TO ISLAMIC PRACTICES
New booklet outlines religious requirements of Muslim prison inmates
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/22/2002) - As controversy grows over the treatment
of
prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, a Washington-based
Islamic advocacy group today announced the publication of a booklet
designed to sensitize correctional institutions to the religious needs
of
Muslim inmates.
NOTE: Excerpts from the guide may be viewed at www.cair-net.org
The Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) publication, "A
Correctional Institution's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,"
contains
information about the religious rights of inmates, as well as basic
details
about Islamic beliefs, dietary and clothing needs and the requirements
for
the five daily prayers. The booklet also describes the Islamic
perspective
on the issue of inmates' beards. (The booklet costs $3+S/H.)
"Since CAIR's inception as a civil rights and advocacy organization, we
have dealt with issues related to religious accommodation in schools,
prisons, hospitals, and the workplace. Each setting has its own
requirements and limitations. We offer this guide as a tool to be used
in
protecting inmate religious rights while at the same time promoting a
secure correctional environment," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad
Awad.
Awad added that CAIR has noted an increase in the number of requests
for
Islamic materials from prison officials and inmates.
The correctional institution's guide is the fourth in a series of CAIR
publications designed to support the religious rights of American
Muslims.
Other booklets in this series include "A Health Care Provider's Guide
to
Islamic Religious Practices," "An Employer's Guide to Islamic Religious
Practices" and "An Educator's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices."
Thousands of these booklets are now being used by corporations, schools
and
hospitals nationwide.
There are an estimated 7 million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion
worldwide.
-----
PENNSYLVANIA PRISON NEEDS QURANS
CAIR has received a request from a Pennsylvania correctional facility
for
200 Qurans and 100 prayer rugs. Anyone who would like to sponsor the
purchase of these items is asked to fill out the form below and return
it to:
TEL: (credit card donations) 202-488-8787, ext. 3236
E-MAIL: cair@cair-net.org
FAX: 202-488-0833
MAIL: CAIR, 453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C.
AMOUNT PLEDGED:
Estimated cost for purchase and distribution of the items is $3,000.
Any
donation is welcome. Donations in excess of the actual cost will be
used
for similar activities. Checks should be made payable to "CAIR."
Name:
Address:
City:
State/Country:
Zip:
___Check ___VISA ___MasterCard ___Discover ___Money Order
Credit Card Number:
Exp. Date:
Name as on Card:
Signature: ________________________________________________
TEL:
E-MAIL:
-----
MORE SCRUTINY OVER SUSPECTS' TREATMENT
By LYNNE SLADKY, The Associated Press, 1/22/2002
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) - The treatment of detained
terrorist
suspects from the Afghanistan war is getting more scrutiny from the
international community and a federal judge in Los Angeles.
U.S. District Court Judge A. Howard Matz set a Tuesday hearing for a
petition filed by a coalition of Los Angeles clergy, journalism
professors
and civil rights attorneys, including former Attorney General Ramsey
Clark.
The first court challenge of the detention of al-Qaida suspects at the
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base demands that the U.S. government bring the
suspects before a court and define the charges against them.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands, Amnesty International and the International
Committee of the Red Cross demanded the detainees be given
prisoner-of-war
status subject to the Geneva Conventions, and Sweden called for fair
treatment for a Swedish captive...U.S. officials say stringent security
is
needed because some captives have threatened to kill their American
guards...
...The Red Cross, which has a team at Guantanamo, said Monday it
considers
the detainees prisoners of war...Recognizing the detainees as prisoners
of
war would mean trying them under the same procedures as U.S. soldiers -
by
court-martial or civilian courts, not military tribunals...Guards say
the
prisoners mainly eat, pray and meditate in their open-air cells flooded
by
security lights at night, and are shackled to go to shower stalls or
latrines without doors.
SEE ALSO:
U.S. SENDS MUSLIM CHAPLAIN TO DETAINEES
Driver Reports Taliban Leader Barely Eluded Bombs in War's First Days
By Bradley Graham, The Washington, 1/22/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15725-2002Jan21.html
A Muslim chaplain is being sent to minister to the religious needs of
al
Qaeda and Taliban detainees being held at the U.S. military base in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, American military officials announced
yesterday...The
move follows expressions of concern by rights groups and others about
U.S.
treatment of the prisoners, who are being kept in open-air, 6-by-8-foot
cells under extremely tight security. The prisoners are permitted to
pray
several times a day, but have been shown in some photographs kneeling
on
the ground in handcuffs...
-----
CLOSED IMMIGRATION HEARINGS VIOLATE THE LAW
By U. S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., The Detroit News, 1/22/2002
http://www.detroitnews.com/2002/editorial/0201/22/a06-396349.htm
I recently strongly criticized the Justice Department's decision to
change
its longstanding practice of holding public immigration hearings behind
closed doors ("Muslim man denied bail," Jan. 3) I became concerned
after
being denied admission to a bond hearing in Detroit involving Rabih
Haddad,
a well-respected member of Michigan's Muslim community who was being
detained for an immigration violation.
In this time of heated passions and rhetoric, we must make the critical
distinction between our government's detention of suspected terrorists
based on specific evidence of illegal behavior and the government's
disregard for the constitutional rights to have a fair and public
hearing.
To be clear, I have firmly supported the need to bring terrorists to
justice, while consistently protesting against government abuses of our
Constitution...
...Persons charged with immigration violations typically are released
pending a hearing, and hearings before an immigration judge are open to
the
public. What I find objectionable is the fact that Pastor Haddad
continues
to be detained without credible evidence being offered regarding the
need
for his detention and without the benefit of public hearings...I fear
the
Justice Department, in its zealousness to protect our freedoms by
detaining
Middle Easterners without disclosing evidence and holding secret
hearings,
is quickly whittling away the constitutional foundation that has made
freedom a beacon for the world.
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
Representative John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan 14th district
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
TEL: 202-225-5126
FAX: 202-225-0072
E-MAIL: Rashad.Hussain@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
JAILED CHARITY LEADER'S WIFE GETS DEPORTATION ORDER
http://www.freep.com/news/mich/fed22_20020122.htm
The wife of an Ann Arbor man detained for alleged links to terrorism
said
Monday that she had received a deportation order during the weekend
asking
her to leave the country. Salma Al-Rashaid, the wife of detained Muslim
leader Rabih Haddad, admitted Monday that she overstayed her visa. She
said
she had applied for an extension and was waiting for a response from
the
government...Haddad's case has become a rallying point for local civil
rights advocates opposed to profiling...
JAILED JEWISH MILITANT PROTECTOR OR TERRORIST?
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000005577jan22.story
Now, Rubin finds himself behind bars. He and fellow JDL member Earl
Krugel
will be arraigned today on charges of plotting to bomb the King Fahd
Mosque
in Culver City and a field office of Lebanese American Rep. Darrell E.
Issa
(R-Vista). Both Rubin and Krugel are expected to plead not guilty.
Federal
authorities, who have tried to connect Rubin with violent attacks in
the
past, accuse him of conspiring to commit the same sort of terrorist
acts
for which he has long blamed--and reviled--others...
-----
MANHUNT PUTS MIDDLE EASTERNERS AT MERCY OF ORDINARY AMERICANS
By Chisun Lee, The Village Voice, January 22-28, 2002
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0204/lee.php
...it is an irony of the post-September 11 times that suspicion in the
name
of safety has brought only harm to some. Federal authorities have
jailed
over 1000 immigration violators, and tagged for questioning some 5000
visitors and students, from the Middle East without charging any with
terrorist activity. Dozens of airport profiling cases and thousands of
hate
incidents have been tallied by Arab and South Asian advocacy groups. In
all, there is "a cumulative effect of fear and apprehension," says
Ibrahim
Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations...
...Criticism directed at the Legal Aid Society reflects the bias
dogging
immigrants these days, Lonegan says. The frequent accusation is, "
'You're
representing terrorists,' " he says. "No, we're representing
immigrants."
That lack of distinction in the public's mind is no accident, say
critics
of policies that target particular groups. The drive to persecute
immigrants is clearly compensating for a failure to prosecute
terrorists,
says Juliette Kayyem, a terrorism expert at Harvard's Kennedy School of
Government and a former member of Congress's terrorism commission...
"...The hope is, enough vocal criticism of the route the administration
is
taking will create some checks," says Kayyem. But "there's not a lot of
love right now for Arab or Middle Eastern immigrants," and "there's
absolutely no political will" left around keeping the government from
doing
with them what it will...
-----
RELIGIOUS GROUPS REFLECT ON ROE V. WADE RULING
By JUDY TARJANYI, The Toledo Blade, 1/19/2002
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
Search using the term "abortion."
People of faith will remember the Supreme Court decision legalizing
abortion as either a tragic reality or an important right in worship
services around the country today and tomorrow.
For religious groups on both sides of the abortion issue's great
divide,
the weekend preceding the 29th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade
ruling, which falls on Tuesday, is a time to reflect on a decision that
has
touched millions of lives since 1973. Some also plan prayer services
and
other events on the day of the anniversary...Although most Christian
and
Jewish groups have added their voices to the abortion debate by taking
stands, Muslims have not formally aligned themselves with either side.
Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said
this is partly because Islamic scholars have varying opinions about
abortion, although he said that, in general, Muslims want children. "We
don't seek ways to get rid of our children."
He said Muslims are just coming into their own in terms of coalition
building on various issues, including abortion.
"Abortion is one of those things there is religious opinion on, but it
wouldn't be a top priority because Muslims kind of want big families.
We're
more likely to go to a fertility clinic than an abortion clinic."
-----
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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 - 1/23/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A STRANGER IN THIS WORLD
* CAIR-LA TAKES PART IN PRESENTATION ON ISLAM TO LOCAL OFFICIALS
* OHIO MUSLIMS HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING WITH DOJ OFFICIALS
* MARCHERS FOLLOW KING'S DREAM OF PEACE (Columbus Dispatch)
* RIGHTS GROUPS PRESS FOR NAMES OF MUSLIMS HELD IN NEW JERSEY (New York
Times)
* SOMALI SECURITY GUARDS CHARGE BURNS WITH DISCRIMINATION (Star
Tribune)
* OLD HATES BELONG IN PAST (Denver Post)
* SEARS DENIAL OF RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION PROMPTS EEOC COMPLAINT
* CENSUS BUREAU ESTIMATES 115,000 MIDDLE EASTERN IMMIGRANTS ARE IN THE
U.S.
ILLEGALLY (New York Times)
* IOWA MOSQUE HOLDS OPEN HOUSE
- MOSQUES URGED TO HOLD OPEN HOUSES (CAIR)
* JEWISH GROUP VISITS BALTIMORE MOSQUE
-----
* HADITH OF THE DAY: A STRANGER IN THIS WORLD
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Be in the world as
though
you were a stranger or wayfarer."
An-Nawawi's "Forty Hadith," Number 40
-----
CAIR-LA TAKES PART IN PRESENTATION ON ISLAM TO LOCAL OFFICIALS
In coordination with the Santa Barbara Human Relations Commission and
the
Islamic Society of Santa Barbara, CAIR-LA today took part in a
presentation
to local government officials and community members called "Islam - The
Path of Peace."
Topics of discussion included: 1) Understanding Islam, 2) passenger
profiling, and 3) bias crimes against American Muslims.
CONTACT: CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
-----
OHIO MUSLIMS HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING WITH DOJ OFFICIALS
On Saturday, January 26, CAIR-Ohio invites community members to
participate
in a town hall meeting with officials from three key branches of the
Department of Justice:
Meeting with key representatives of:
- US Department of Justice:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Immigration and Naturalization Service
- United States Attorney
- Ohio Civil Right Commission
- Columbus Community Relations Commission
- US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Columbus Police
The Town Hall meeting will address several issues such as:
- Racial profiling
- The closure of Muslim charity organizations
- Secret evidence/Detentions
- Status of Immigrants who overstayed their visa
- Status of hate crime investigations related to the backlash from the
9/11
attack
WHEN: Saturday, January 26, 2002, 3 - 5 p.m.
WHERE: Auditorium, the Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road,
Columbus,
Ohio, Tel (614) 292-1342, (800) 637-2316 (Intersection of Olentangy
River
Road and Lane Avenue.)
To confirm your attendance or for more information, please contact:
CAIR-Ohio, Tel: 614-451-3232, e-mail: ohio@cair-net.org
SPONSORS: The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ohio (CAIR-Ohio),
Islamic Society of Greater Columbus (ISGC), Islamic Foundation of
Central
Ohio (IFCO), Muslim Community Center (Imam W. Deen Muhammad),
Arab-Americans of Central Ohio.
-----
MARCHERS FOLLOW KING'S DREAM OF PEACE
By Dean Narciso, Columbus Dispatch, 1/22/2002
http://www.columbusdispatch.com
Search using the term "Jad."
Among the banners and flags flapping in the twilight during yesterday's
Martin Luther King Jr. Day march was a placard hoisted by
Arab-Americans.
As marchers rounded Marconi Boulevard onto the Broad Street bridge, the
message "Muslim and Arab-Americans Share MLK's Dream" stood out. "This
year, more than ever, the message needs to get across to everybody,"
said
Jad Humeidan, director of the Ohio chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
Humeidan said that peace, tolerance and nonviolent confrontation were
among
his thoughts as he stepped onto the bridge.
But the reality of increasing scrutiny and hostility toward
Arab-Americans
since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks also touched him.
The latest local example was the Dec. 30 vandalism of the Islamic
Center on
E. Broad Street. Damages there are expected to exceed $370,000...
-----
RIGHTS GROUPS PRESS FOR NAMES OF MUSLIMS HELD IN NEW JERSEY
By TAMAR LEWIN, The New York Times, 1/23/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/23/national/23LAWY.html
With about half the Muslim men detained on immigration charges after
the
Sept. 11 attacks now in county jails in New Jersey, advocacy groups are
increasing their efforts to find out who, where and how many detainees
are
in custody there -- and to ensure their access to lawyers.
In Newark yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union's New Jersey
chapter sued Hudson and Passaic Counties, seeking the names of all
Immigration and Naturalization Service detainees jailed there. "Our
lawsuit
is relying on very clear state law, three different statutes, requiring
that jails make public the names and other information on all those
being
held," said Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the A.C.L.U. of New
Jersey.
Kerry Gill, a spokesman for the immigration service's district office
in
New Jersey, said the agency would not comment on pending litigation...
...The government has repeatedly refused to release the names or
locations
of the detainees, most recently in its Jan. 11 response to a Freedom of
Information Act lawsuit brought by the A.C.L.U., the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee and other advocacy groups. In its
response,
the Justice Department provided information on 725 detainees -- but
blacked
out the names and arrest and custody locations. What was left was the
detainee's nationality, date of arrest, legal charge and date of
charging
document. In more than a dozen cases, the documents showed a lag of
more
than a month between the arrest and the filing of charges...
...The advocacy groups say they have been stymied in their efforts to
ensure that all detainees have access to lawyers, through a kind of
Catch-22: they are only allowed to visit detainees if they know the
names
and alien numbers, which the Justice Department will not release...
-----
SOMALI SECURITY GUARDS CHARGE BURNS WITH DISCRIMINATION
Lucy Y. Her, The Star Tribune, 1/23/200
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1557/1117246.html
A group of Somali security guards has filed complaints against Burns
International Security Services alleging discrimination, harassment and
mistreatment.
The guards claim they were threatened and cursed at by supervisors, who
also made insulting remarks about their Muslim religion. And since
Sept.
11, the attacks have intensified, said Cynthia Kain, spokeswoman for
the
Service Employees International Union, which is helping the guards file
the
complaints and working on a union organizing effort.
The complaints first were filed with the Minnesota Human Rights
Commission
in October and then with the National Labor Relations Board in
December.
The guards worked at Minneapolis Public Housing Authority buildings.
Kain
said that there are 40 public housing high-rises in Minneapolis and
that
Somali officers work in 25 of them...
-----
OLD HATES BELONG IN PAST
By Peter G. Chronis, The Denver Post, 1/22/2002
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,73%257E349753,00.html
Last month, during a University of Maryland seminar for opinion
writers, I
scored a family first by visiting a mosque.
In a global context, that's insignificant, considering that about 1.5
billion of our fellow human beings regularly go to mosques. In the
narrower
context of my family's history, however, the visit to Dar al-Hijra
Mosque
was singular because of psychological baggage inherited from Greek
Orthodox
Christian forebears.
Four centuries of often brutal Ottoman rule engendered an antipathy
towards
Islam that survives even in Greek-Americans whose families arrived here
in
the 19th century. Many don't know that most of the time, Greek
Christians
and Muslims got along fairly well. That doesn't diminish genocidal
outrages
by greedy Ottoman overlords who reduced many Christians to serfdom as
Turkish sultans lost control of their far-flung empire. Dispossessed
Christians rebelled in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Turkish
warlords'
avarice had little to do with Islam.
Indeed, during the Greek War of Independence, Muslim clerics refused a
Turkish commander's demand for a fatwah for the slaughter of insurgent
Greeks.
Nonetheless, many modern Greeks and their overseas relatives still feel
animosity toward Islam and know little about it.
Ancient hatreds, though, have no place in a pluralistic society like
the
United States, and thanks to meeting Muslims during college days, I
learned
that they worship the same God as Jews and Christians, whom they
consider
'people of the Book.' Nearly 40 years ago, I read the Koran in English
translation and recently, re-read it.
Several times, the Koran says Muslims shouldn't molest Jews and
Christians
who do them no harm - one Surah warns against religious arguments with
people of the Scripture.
Like the Bible, the Koran can be interpreted many ways, and it would be
silly to say there aren't theological gulfs among the three faiths -
Judaism, Christianity and Islam - that share many bedrock beliefs.
I was particularly impressed with the warmth with which our entourage,
which was studying terrorism, was welcomed at Dar al-Hijra. In addition
to
sharing Middle Eastern food, the mosque's members candidly expressed
concern that the American Muslim community has been unfairly maligned
in
the aftermath of Sept. 11.
Despite civil rights issues involving Muslims, Ibrahim Hooper,
communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
noted
that if the tragedies had occurred in another country 'there probably
would
have been massacres,' such as the slaughter of thousands of Indian
Sikhs
after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi...
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: letters@denverpost.com,
pchronis@denverpost.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
SEARS DENIAL OF RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION PROMPTS EEOC COMPLAINT
Muslim transfer employee told religious headscarf violates company
policy
CAIR today filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) on behalf of a Muslim woman in Georgia who says she
was
denied the right to wear a religiously-mandated headscarf by Sears,
Roebuck
and Co. According to the CAIR complaint, the woman applied for a
transfer
position with Sears and was interviewed by a manager in the jewelry
department. (She worked for Sears for five years at other locations.)
The
manager informed the woman a position was available, but that she may
not
be hired because of a store policy forbidding head coverings.
The applicant sought clarification of this policy from store managers
and
was allegedly told there can be "no head covering while working." Sears
managers were told the applicant's request was religiously-based.
(Under
EEOC guidelines, an employer is obligated to accommodate a current or
prospective employee's religious practices unless the company can show
that
the accommodation would create an "undue hardship.") The Islamic
advocacy
group is asking that Sears thoroughly investigate the incident,
apologize
to the Muslim woman, and offer her a new position and compensation for
lost
pay. (Sears did not contact the applicant in its initial investigation
of
the incident.)
CAIR publishes a booklet, called "An Employer's Guide to Islamic
Religious
Practices," designed to prevent these incidents from occurring.
CONTACT:
Alan J. Lacey
Chairman and CEO
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
TEL: 847-286-2500
FAX: 888-265-9865
E-MAIL: jhatte2@sears.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CENSUS BUREAU ESTIMATES 115,000 MIDDLE
EASTERN IMMIGRANTS ARE IN THE U.S. ILLEGALLY
By CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS, The New York Times, 1/23/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/23/national/23IMMI.html
At least 58,000 men from Middle Eastern nations are in the United
States
illegally, nearly 10 times the number that the United States is seeking
to
deport, census data show...
...The new information, based on the 2000 census, has led to criticism
that
the government strategy is too narrow.
"It is difficult to overstate the implications of this new report for
the
security of our nation," said Steven A. Camarota, research director for
the
Center for Immigration Studies, a group in Washington that has pushed
for
lowering the number of immigrants who enter the country. "While the
vast
majority of illegals from the Middle East are not terrorists, the fact
that
tens of thousands of people from that region and millions more from the
rest of the world can settle in the United States illegally means that
terrorists who wish to do so face few obstacles."
But advocates for Arab and Muslim Americans argue that the government
approach is too expansive and unfairly singles out certain citizens and
residents for legal scrutiny because of their ethnicity.
A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ibrahim
Hooper,
said the government needed to enforce its immigration rules across the
board, and not just as they related to Muslims.
"The point is you can't single out a specific race and ethnicity for
selective law enforcement," Mr. Hooper said. "It's not within the
American
value system."
The number of illegal immigrants from the Middle East is a fraction of
the
overall underground population, which has exploded in the last 10
years...
-----
IOWA MOSQUE HOLDS OPEN HOUSE
WHAT: Darul Arqum Islamic Center of Ames Open House
WHEN: Saturday, January 26, 2002 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
WHERE: 1212 Iowa Avenue, Ames, Iowa
For more information on our new mosque, please visit www.arqum.org
SEE: MOSQUES URGED TO HOLD OPEN HOUSES
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=612&articletype=2
-----
JEWISH GROUP VISITS BALTIMORE MOSQUE
WHAT: Jewish Council of Baltimore visits Islamic Society of Baltimore
WHEN: Wednesday, January 23rd, 2002 at 7 p.m.
TOPIC: Women in Islam, Imam Abdul Razzak, Guest Imam
Women in Judaism, Rabbi Ilyse Kramer, Guest Speaker
WHERE: ISB Gymnasium, 6631 Johnnycake Road, Baltimore, MD 21244
Refreshments will be served.
CONTACT: Islamic Society of Baltimore, Tel: (410) 747-7366,
info@isb.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
ACTION REQUESTED: Read the release below and then contact the Santa
Barbara
Human Relations Commission to express appreciation for their refusal to
be
intimidated by an Islamophobic smear campaign.
CONTACT:
Mr. Keith Davis
Administrator
Santa Barbara Human Relations Commission
E-MAIL: kdavis@co.santa-barbara.ca.us
COPY TO: cair_sca@cair-california.org, cair@cair-net.org
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CA OFFICIALS AGAIN REJECT ADL ATTEMPT TO EXCLUDE MUSLIM SPEAKERS
(LOS ANGELES - 1/24/2002) - In the fifth such incident in three months,
a
demand to have Muslim speakers excluded from a public forum designed to
promote intercultural understanding has been rejected by event
organizers.
Sources say the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) had demanded that the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations Southern California chapter (CAIR-LA) and
the
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) be denied the right to offer
presentations on Islam to Santa Barbara County officials and employees,
local organizations and community members at a public event that took
place
yesterday.
"It is unfortunate that the ADL feels the need to perpetuate an
atmosphere
of exclusion instead of fostering interfaith relations. At a time in
our
nation's history when Americans want to learn more about one another,
it is
a shame the ADL believes it is more important to divide communities
along
religious lines. This unfortunate incident is just one in a series of
attempts by the ADL to marginalize and silence American Muslims," said
CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. "We thank the organizers of
this
successful event for rejecting such un-American tactics," Ayloush
added.
In four other incidents since November, officials in California,
Connecticut and Florida also rejected demands by Jewish groups to
exclude
Muslim speakers from similar events.
In November of last year, the ADL attempted to bar CAIR-LA from
presenting
at a hearing on hate crimes organized by Assemblywoman Judy Chu.
Also in November, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) asked that Ghazi
Khankan, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations
New York chapter (CAIR-NY), be denied the right to speak at a panel
discussion, titled "Understanding Islam - after 9/11," sponsored by the
Connecticut Humanities Council and the World Affairs Forum.
Again that month, the Florida Commission on Human Relations rejected a
demand by that state's chapter of the ADL to exclude a CAIR
representative
from a panel discussion at an annual civil rights conference.
In December, the ADL demanded that Helal Omeira, executive director of
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations Northern California chapter
(CAIR-NCA), be denied the right to offer testimony at a public hearing
hosted by the State of California Select Committee on Hate Crimes.
Just this week, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) issued a
statement demanding that a MPAC leader be prevented from addressing a
State
Department forum. That demand was also rejected.
SEE: "'Islamophobic Smear Campaign' Goes Public" at
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=4&articletype=3
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-LA Hussam Ayloush, 714-776-1847
E-MAIL: cair_sca@cair-california.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 - 1/24/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: JUDGING BY DEEDS
* CAIR TESTIFIES ON CAPITOL HILL ABOUT IMPACT OF PROFILING
* LAWYER CALLS SEPT. 11 A FACTOR IN KILLING OF AFGHAN FILMMAKER (New
York
Times)
* HATE-CRIME ACCUSATIONS AT ALICE GRIFFITH IN S.F (San Francisco
Chronicle)
* MICHIGAN: LAGGING LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVIEWS (New York Times)
* HEAD COVERING KEEPS WOMAN FROM GETTING ID PHOTO TAKEN (News Journal)
* AMERICANS ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH ISLAM, BUT MOST SAY IT'S NOT VIOLENT
(ABC)
* IMAM'S ROLE IN ISLAM ISN'T IDENTICAL TO THAT OF CLERICS IN OTHER
RELIGIONS (Dallas Morning News)
* RALLYING FOR FREEDOM (The Oracle)
-----
* HADITH OF THE DAY: JUDGING BY DEEDS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "God does not judge you
according to your bodies and appearances, but He looks into your hearts
and
observes your deeds."
Discover Islam, http://www.discoverislam.com
-----
CAIR TESTIFIES ON CAPITOL HILL ABOUT IMPACT OF PROFILING
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, along with other civil liberties
advocates and experts, today testified before members of the House of
Representatives about the impact racial and religious profiling has had
on
the American Muslim community since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The
forum was sponsored by Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), ranking member of
the
House Judiciary Committee.
In his prepared remarks, Awad stated in part:
First I would like to thank Congressman Conyers and other members of
the
Judiciary Committee for inviting me to speak before you today. I am
honored to present you with information CAIR has compiled about the
status
of American Muslim civil rights since the tragic events of September
11.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is one of the largest
grassroots advocacy and civil rights organizations for Muslims in the
United States. CAIR was founded in 1994 to defend Muslim civil
liberties
and to provide accurate and balanced information about Islam to the
media,
policy-makers and to the general public.
CAIR also undertakes proactive steps such as sensitivity training and
the
publication of guides for religious accommodation of Muslims in the
workplace, correctional facilities, schools, and in the field of health
care. Our organization has worked, and will continue to work, with
local,
state and federal officials in building a bridge of understanding to
the
Muslim and Arab American communities.
Like all Americans, our community was horrified by the terrorist
attacks
against America. We again repeat our condemnation of these attacks and
of
all terrorist activities. The Muslim community was doubly pained by
these
attacks, as they not only struck at our nation, but they also harmed
the
image of our faith.
As difficult as these times are, our hope is not diminished that a day
will
come when all Americans will understand that the Islamic religion has
nothing to do with these crimes. We are encouraged by the warmth,
generosity and openness offered by so many of our neighbors, friends
and
colleagues of other faiths.
Muslim physicians, fire fighters and counselors rushed to the scene of
the
attacks in New York and Washington to help bring relief to the victims
and
their families. Many American Muslims were also victims of these
crimes.
Since September 11, CAIR has registered 1658 cases of discrimination,
harassment, profiling, physical assault, and inappropriate law
enforcement
behavior. This compares with 640 total cases from the previous year...
In his conclusion, Awad stated:
Every American has the right to legal counsel, the right to face one's
accusers, the right to protection against unwarranted search and
seizure,
and the right to be assumed innocent until proven guilty.
CAIR shares the desire for increased security against terrorism.
Security
will only come through time-tested investigative work, not by
scapegoating
and profiling vulnerable minorities. Racial and religious profiling,
anti-immigration measures, indefinite detention, and political
persecution
will not make Americans safe, but provide instead a false sense of
security
while reinforcing racial prejudice and stereotypes.
To address these civil rights concerns, without prejudicing legitimate
steps to safeguard the security of our nation, I urge Congress to take
the
following steps:
1. Hold quarterly civil liberties oversight hearings on the
implementation
of the USA PATRIOT Act.
2. Enact legislation to combat the use of racial and religious
profiling.
3. Repeal the use of secret evidence.
4. Assure that the most troublesome new laws or regulations issued in
connection with the events of September 11 are narrowly tailored to
true
terrorism activity and are rescinded when they are no longer needed.
We believe that security does not have to come at the expense of civil
liberties and of the long history of tolerance and multiculturalism
that
defines the American experience...
TO VIEW AWAD'S ENTIRE TESTIMONY, GO TO:
http://www.cair-net.org/downloads/housetestimony.pdf
-----
LAWYER CALLS SEPT. 11 A FACTOR IN KILLING OF AFGHAN FILMMAKER
By ELISSA GOOTMAN, The New York Times, 1/24/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/24/nyregion/24DEFE.html
INEOLA, N.Y., Jan. 23 �€" A Queens man charged with murdering an
Afghan-born filmmaker and then freezing his head was motivated in part
by
patriotism and the stress of witnessing the Sept. 11 attack, the man's
lawyer said today.
The lawyer, Thomas F. Liotti, said that his client, Nathan C. Powell,
was a
loyal American who grew angry after the filmmaker, Jawed Wassel, blamed
the
United States for instigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks...
-----
HATE-CRIME ACCUSATIONS AT ALICE GRIFFITH IN S.F.
By Ilene Lelchuk, The San Francisco Chronicle, 1/24/2002
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/24/MN149137.DTL
San Francisco - Jawad Al-Gazawi sat in his cramped living room at the
Alice
Griffith housing project in San Francisco, where one of the few windows
in
his apartment that hasn't been broken bears an American flag sticker.
"We came from war," said Al-Gazawi, a devout Muslim who moved to the
United
States after fleeing his native Iraq. "And now, we are at war."
His family, he said, has been under siege at the housing project in
Bayview-Hunters Point since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. And his
landlord -- the city's Housing Authority -- has moved sluggishly to
help,
Al-Gazawi said. Now, the U.S. Justice Department and FBI are looking
into
whether the 52-year-old Al-Gazawi, his wife and their four children
were
victims of racially charged violence and whether the Housing Authority
--
an agency already under court scrutiny for its lax response to past
discrimination and hate crimes -- did enough to protect them...
-----
MICHIGAN: LAGGING LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERVIEWS
By Jodi Wilgoren, The New York Times, 1/24/2002
One month after the federal deadline passed, officials in Eastern
Michigan
have interviewed fewer than half the Middle Eastern or Muslim men in
their
area wanted for questioning after the Sept. 11 attacks. Of the 521 men
sought near Detroit, 44 have left the country, 36 have moved out of
state
and 8 have declined the voluntary interviews. Law enforcement officials
have been unable to find 56 of the men, and they are still waiting for
reports on 119 others. The interviews are part of a nationwide canvass
of
5,000 Middle Eastern or Muslim men ages 18 to 33 in the United States
on
temporary visas.
-----
HEAD COVERING KEEPS WOMAN FROM GETTING ID PHOTO TAKEN
By CINDI BROWNFIELD, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 1/24/2002
http://www.news-journalonline.com/2002/Jan/24/AREA2.htm
DAYTONA BEACH -- Najat Tamim-Muhammad considers herself a deeply
religious
woman. So devout, in fact, that it may keep her from getting a Florida
driver's license.
Tamim-Muhammad, 41, a practicing Muslim, is battling the state
Department
of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles over the agency's requirement that
she
remove her head covering, a scarf called the "hijab," for her
photograph on
a state-issued identification card. State law, which also applies to
driver's licenses, requires "a full-face photograph."
"To take it off would be the equivalent of some other woman being
forced to
remove her blouse," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based Islamic advocacy
group.
Practicing Muslim women are required by their religion to keep all but
their face and hands covered while in public...
-----
AMERICANS ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH ISLAM, BUT MOST SAY IT'S NOT VIOLENT
ABCNEWS.com, 1/24/2002
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/poll_Islam020124.html
Unfamiliarity seems to direct negative views: Americans who feel
they're
familiar with the basic tenets of Islam are much more likely than
others to
call it peaceful, to say it teaches respect for non-Muslims and to view
it
favorably overall.
But that familiarity is in short supply. Only 31 percent in this
ABCNEWS/Beliefnet poll say they have a good basic understanding of the
teachings and beliefs of Islam, a number that's essentially unchanged
from
a few months ago...
-----
IMAM'S ROLE IN ISLAM ISN'T IDENTICAL TO THAT OF CLERICS IN OTHER
RELIGIONS
By Susan Hogan/Albach, The Dallas Morning News, 1/24/2002
http://www.dallasnews.com/religion/imam_12rel.ART0.6b976.html
Non-Muslims often assume that since imams are spiritual leaders, they
function like priests, pastors and rabbis. In reality, imams aren't
needed
to perform many of the pastoral duties expected of other clergy, such
as
officiating at funerals and weddings or visiting the hospitalized.
"Some imams do those things, but not necessarily so," said Kevin
Jaques, a
scholar of Islam at Indiana University. "Muslims have developed
communal
traditions so when someone dies or is sick, there's family members or
designated leadership to do that kind of ministerial work."
At the most basic level, imams are prayer leaders. Muslims pray five
times
daily: at sunrise, noon, afternoon, sunset and night. Seven days a
week,
Kavakci arrives before dawn to prepare for prayers and the lectures
that he
leads...
"...As an imam, I'm like a man with a broken leg," he said because of
the
long days he spends at the mosque leading prayers, counseling married
couples, teaching classes and fielding questions.
"I can't easily leave the mosque and go here and there," he said.
-----
RALLYING FOR FREEDOM
By Rob Brannon, The Oracle (FL), 1/24/2002
http://www.usforacle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/01/24/3c500e31b2a3e?in_archive=1
The Muslim Students Association and the Coalition of Progressive
Student
Organizations joined forces Wednesday to march in protest of the
much-publicized firing of professor Sami Al-Arian.
The protesters called for the reinstatement of Al-Arian and questioned
the
decisions of the Board of Trustees and university President Judy
Genshaft...
-----
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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 - 1/27/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO CHILDREN
* CAIR OFFERS NASA SENSITIVITY TRAINING WORKSHOP
* CAIR-OHIO MEETS COLUMBUS DISPATCH EDITORIAL BOARD
- INDEPENDENT WRITERS SYNDICATE (CAIR)
* RELIGION RISES FROM OBSCURITY (Winnipeg Free Press)
* EDITORIAL: PROTECTING SPEECH ON CAMPUS (New York Times)
* SUDAN FACT-FINDING DELEGATION TO HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE
* GHOSTS AND SECRETS AT MASS KILLER'S FUNERAL (Independent)
- WAS THIS ANOTHER TARGETED KILLING? (Independent)
- SECRETS SHARON WILL TAKE TO HIS GRAVE (The Herald)
* POWELL ASKS BUSH TO REVERSE STAND ON WAR CAPTIVES (New York Times)
* GOD SQUAD: A STORIED, GLORIOUS RELIGION (Newsday)
* MUSLIM LEADERS MEET U.S. OFFICIALS (Chicago Tribune)
* FOLLOWING ISLAM IN THE UNITED STATES (Washington Post)
* LETTER: RACISM AT O'HARE (Chicago Tribune)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO CHILDREN
Aisha (may God be pleased with her), the wife of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be
upon him), related the following: “A poor woman came to me along with
her
two daughters. I gave her three dates. She gave a date to each of them
and
then she took one date and brought it to her mouth in order to eat, but
her
daughters expressed desire to eat it. She then divided the date that
she
intended to eat between them. This (kind) treatment impressed me and I
mentioned what she did to the Holy Prophet (Muhammad). Thereupon he
said:
‘Verily God has assured her Paradise because of (this act)...’”
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1210
-----
CAIR OFFERS NASA SENSITIVITY TRAINING WORKSHOP
CAIR's Sensitivity and Diversity Training Center (SDTC) recently
conducted
a sensitivity training workshop for THE National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA).
Some 35 NASA civil rights directors, engineers and staff participated
in
the training. SDTC Director Nancy Hanaan Serag presented an “Islam:
Myths
and Stereotypes” seminar, including a brief overview of basic Islamic
beliefs and practices. Workshop attendees also participated in an
interactive quiz testing their prior knowledge about the Muslim faith
and
group exercises dealing with issues of prejudice and stereotyping.
”Since the horrific attacks of September 11, there has been a quest for
knowledge and understanding of the Muslim faith. It is now time to
appreciate our nation’s religious and cultural diversity,” said Serag.
CAIR's Sensitivity and Diversity Training Center offers several
programs
for a wide range of environments and needs. For more information
contact:
Nancy Hanaan Serag at 202-488-8787, ext. 6052
-----
CAIR-OHIO MEETS COLUMBUS DISPATCH EDITORIAL BOARD
Representatives of CAIR-Ohio met recently with the editorial board of
the
Columbus dispatch. Board members were presented with a content analysis
of
their opinion/editorial pages since the terrorist attacks of September
11.
This analysis indicated that only a tiny percentage of commentaries
were
written by Muslim. CAIR-Ohio pointed out that the Muslim community
would
like more opportunities to speak for itself. CAIR’s Independent Writers
Syndicate was suggested as a source of commentary writer from a Muslim
perspective.
INDEPENDENT WRITERS SYNDICATE
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.
Commentaries are 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.
Opinion page editors may also request columns on specific topics.
CONTACT: Riad Abdelkarim, riadzuhdi@aol.com (Those wishing to have
their
commentaries considered for distribution on the syndicate should
contact
Mr. Abdelkarim.)
-----
RELIGION RISES FROM OBSCURITY
Panel discovers lack of coverage in the wake of Sept. 11 attacks
By MaryLou Driedgerm, Winnipeg Free Press, 1/26/2002
It wasn't until a couple of hours after the first airliner crashed into
the
World Trade Center when CTV News's Kirk Lapointe discovered a
significant
gap in the network's reporting.
"Just after 10:30 on the morning of Sept. 11, I remember looking around
our
newsroom and realizing I did not see a single Muslim face. We had no
in-house resource, no one to explain the religion of Islam, or help us
understand what the Muslim people must be thinking and feeling,"
recalled
Lapointe, the senior vice-president of CTV News, during a forum on
Faith
and the Media held this week in Winnipeg…The media received praise,
however, from Riad Saloojee, executive director of the Canadian Council
of
American- Islamic Relations. He noted Canada's 500,000 Muslims have
found
some things about the coverage given their faith community in recent
months
encouraging.
"There has been a sincere attempt to understand the Islamic
perspective,"
he said. "Particularly during Ramadan, a significant effort was made to
provide information which would help Canadians understand their Islamic
neighbours."
Saloojee, hastened to add that some negative things needed
highlighting,
too. "Certain reporters have tried to minimize the backlash against
Muslim
Canadians. They have suggested the reaction has been limited to
name-calling and verbal slurs. In fact, police have documented over 115
incidents including death threats and assaults."
Saloojee also suggested some columnists have thoughtlessly linked the
words
Muslim or Islam with the words terrorist, fundamentalist or holy war.
Lapointe agreed with him. "We don't call terrorists in Ireland
Protestant
or Catholic," he noted…
-----
EDITORIAL: PROTECTING SPEECH ON CAMPUS
The New York Times, 1/27/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/27/opinion/27SUN3.html
Wartime is precisely the moment when unpopular views and the role of a
university as an open forum for ideas must be most vigorously defended.
The case involves Sami Al-Arian, a tenured professor of computer
science
active in the Islamic movement. In 1988, he gave a speech in which he
called for "victory to Islam" and "death to Israel." Last September, in
a
television appearance, Mr. Al- Arian was reminded of his words 14 years
ago
and asked about militant Muslims whom he had invited to the university.
Mr.
Al-Arian distanced himself from his previous statements and from
violence
of any kind.
Nevertheless, the next day, the university, in Tampa, received hundreds
of
phone calls and e- mail messages, some threatening the university and
others threatening Mr. Al-Arian.
The university has sent him a letter of dismissal. It said that he
failed
to make clear on television that he was not representing the University
of
South Florida and that his presence on campus was such a disruption
that
the business of the university could not proceed. Both complaints are
groundless and make a mockery of free speech and academic freedom.
Governor
Bush has compounded the problem by publicly backing the university's
approach.
University officials say they are not getting rid of Mr. Al-Arian
because
of his views. That is disingenuous. The documentation they have
produced
focuses on the "disruption" he is said to have caused and refers
repeatedly
to a drop in contributions. In other words, Mr. Al-Arian's politics are
costing the university too much so it wants to get rid of him.
If Mr. Al-Arian were a moderate receiving threats from militant
Muslims,
there is little doubt that the university would stand up for him…Free
speech and academic freedom must be blind to politics. Conservatives
deserve as much protection as liberals. Critics of affirmative action
have
been harassed or threatened at colleges. Firing a professor because his
views are causing others to criticize or threaten the university is a
betrayal of the academic code. No campus should be run that way.
-----
SUDAN FACT-FINDING DELEGATION TO HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE
An American fact-finding delegation which recently returned from Sudan
will
report on its trip in a press conference Monday, Jan. 28 at 9:30 a.m.
in
the Lisagor Room of the National Press Club, 529 14th St. N.W. in
Washington, D.C.
The trip was organized by the Coalition to Give Peace a Chance in
Sudan, an
ad-hoc group of organizations and individuals seeking to promote peace
in
Sudan and improve U.S.-Sudan relations.
CONTACT: Coalition to Give Peace a Chance in Sudan, 301-728-8949
-----
GHOSTS AND SECRETS AT MASS KILLER'S FUNERAL
By Robert Fisk, The Independent, 1/27/2002
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=116610
Hobeika was ready to give evidence against Ariel Sharon, Israel's Prime
Minister, in Belgium in March - evidence he believed would prove that
the
then Israeli defence minister was directly culpable for the Beirut
massacre. The car bomb that killed Hobeika and three of his bodyguards
-
two of their coffins flanked his yesterday - exploded less than two
days
after he had agreed to testify against Mr Sharon. So all of us felt
another
presence in the ugly little concrete church of Mar Tackla, with its
blood-red stained-glass windows: that of the Israeli Prime Minister for
whom Hobeika once worked and who, the Lebanese believe, ordered his
murder.
The Lebanese police have already identified the car that blew Hobeika
to
bits. The professional assassins had erased the chassis serial number
which
would have allowed the owner to be traced, but Lebanese intelligence
men
found the engine number and telephoned Mercedes headquarters. It came
back
with the chassis number, and the police immediately traced the vehicle
to a
man living in the town of Jezzine - notorious under Israeli occupation
for
19 years as a headquarters for Israeli Shin Beth intelligence men.
SEE ALSO:
WAS THIS ANOTHER TARGETED KILLING?
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=116256
SECRETS SHARON WILL TAKE TO HIS GRAVE
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/25-1-19102-0-11-9.html
-----
POWELL ASKS BUSH TO REVERSE STAND ON WAR CAPTIVES
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE, The New York Times, 1/27/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/27/politics/27DETA.html
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 Breaking with other cabinet officials, Secretary
of
State Colin L. Powell has asked President Bush to declare that the
United
States is bound by the Geneva Conventions in its treatment of the
captives
in Afghanistan and at Guant�namo Bay, Cuba, administration officials
said
today.
Seeking a review of a presidential decision made nine days ago, when
the
administration determined that the captured fighters were not prisoners
of
war and hence not fully protected by the Geneva Conventions, Mr. Powell
and
his lawyers at the State Department urged Mr. Bush to affirm that the
international law of war does govern the United States' treatment of
all
captives of the Taliban military and the terrorist network Al Qaeda.
Mr. Powell asked for the review after allies and human-rights advocates
suggested that the United States had skirted some of the conventions'
technical requirements…
-----
GOD SQUAD: A STORIED, GLORIOUS RELIGION
By Rabbi Marc Gellman & Msgr; Thomas Hartman, Newsday, 1/26/2002
http://www.newsday.com/features/religion/ny-p2dexmaster2565686jan26.story
Q. It's tough to love your enemy. Since Sept. 11, I find myself
consumed
with anger toward Muslims. I know only a few are terrorists, but I keep
hearing that the Quran tells Muslims to kill unbelievers.
I don't know what to think about Islam, and I don't know how to control
my
anger. - S.B.
A. Islam is not a good religion - it's a great religion. For 1,600
years,
it has had no Inquisitions, sponsored no Crusades and had no Holocaust.
In 1492, when the Jewish people were expelled from Christian Spain,
they
were warmly accepted in Muslim Turkey. The Muslim King Hassan of
Morocco,
who was allied with Hitler and Mussolini during World War II, refused
Hitler's orders to transport even a single Moroccan Jew to Europe for
extermination. Islamic translators and philosophers, called
mutikalimun,
translated Plato, Aristotle and the Greek classics into Arabic when
Europe
was in the Dark Ages.
In view of this glorious past, it's particularly tragic that today
Islam
has been hijacked just like those planes on Sept. 11. A small number of
fanatics have used Islam to justify their political agenda and their
murderous obsessions.
Islam also teaches that both Moses and Jesus were holy prophets from
God.
Jews and Christians are not unbelievers (kafirs), according to explicit
Muslim teaching. In fact, the clear teaching of Islam is that "to kill
one
single innocent person is like killing the whole world."
Islam teaches that jihad, which means struggle, justifies holy war only
as
a defense of one's homeland (very much like the "just war" teaching of
Christianity and Judaism). It forbids killing innocent noncombatants
and
never allows people who are not respected Muslim scholars to issue
fatwas,
or religious orders.
Osama bin Laden is not a scholar. His version of fatwas, his terrorism
and
his teachings are against every tenet of Muslim law. So condemning all
of
Islam for the Sept. 11 attacks is like condemning all of Christianity
for
the Crusades or the Inquisition.
Sometimes, religions go through a time of trial and testing, and need a
reformation to return to their true teachings of love and compassion.
Islam
seems to be going through such a time now, and we must hear the voices
of
those Muslims speaking out against this perversion of a great religion
and
pray for their ability to reclaim their faith.
We non-Muslims must keep hatred out of our hearts and guard against
making
all Muslims scapegoats for the hateful distortions of a few maniacs.
-----
MUSLIM LEADERS MEET U.S. OFFICIALS
By GLEN ELLYN, The Chicago Tribune, 1/26/2002
Seeking to bridge racial and cultural rifts they say have deepened
since
the Sept. 11 attacks, more than two dozen area Muslim leaders attended
a
forum led by local U.S. Department of Justice, federal law enforcement
and
immigration leaders this week at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.
Alleged incidents of racial profiling by law enforcement, airport
officials
and Immigration and Naturalization Service agents, along with concerns
about the closing of Islamic charities accused of aiding terrorism and
Muslims being detained by the INS and Justice Department, dominated
discussion during the nearly two-hour forum Thursday night. "We are
Americans too. This is where we live. This is where we are born. This
is
where we bury our dead. This is where we raise out children. But we do
not
feel like we are being treated like Americans," said Oussama Jamall, a
member of the Council of Islamic Organizations in Lombard…
-----
FOLLOWING ISLAM IN THE UNITED STATES
The Washington Post, 1/26/2002
"Islam in America," a free symposium examining the emergence of Islam
in
the United States from the 19th century to the present, will be held
from
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Library of Congress, Thomas
Jefferson Building, Room 119, First Street SE between Independence
Avenue
and East Capitol Street. 202-707-3302.
-----
LETTER: RACISM AT O'HARE
By Arsalan T. Iftikhar, Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Chicago Tribune, 1/26/2002
When a woman's integrity is jeopardized for no other reason than what
demographic she belongs to, it amounts to nothing less than
discrimination.
Regarding Ronald Rodriguez's letter calling profiling the Muslim woman
at
O'Hare justified ("Profiling at O'Hare," Voice of the people, Jan. 22),
he
fails to remember that the equal protection clause of the 14th
Amendment
forbids the racial classification of members of a certain racial group
solely for that purpose.
It seems if it were up to him and many others, the Constitution would
just
be used as a floormat that they could just walk right over.
-----
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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 - 1/28/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: ESTABLISHING JUSTICE
* CAIR URGES PRESIDENT BUSH TO PROMOTE FREEDOM FOR ALL
- FL MUSLIMS REACT TO STATE OF UNION ADDRESS (CAIR)
* WESTERN UNION APOLOGIZES FOR FREEZING MUSLIM'S FUNDS (CAIR)
* CAIR DISCUSSES STUDENT VISA TRACKING ON CNN
* GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION SEEKS JUDICIAL REDRESS AGAINST FEDERAL
AGENCIES
OVER ASSET BLOCKING
- HADDAD FAMILY WAITS FOR ANY NEWS (Ann Arbor News)
* FORUM ADVISES LOCAL MUSLIMS ON HANDLING DISCRIMINATION (Columbus
Dispatch)
* NOT ALL MILITANT ISLAMIC GROUPS ARE OUT TO GET AMERICA (St.
Petersburg Times)
- WHO IS STEVEN EMERSON?
* ARAB STUDENTS REDISCOVER VOICES SILENCED ON SEPT. 11 (New York Times)
* IMMIGRANT DEPORTED AFTER 3 MONTHS IN JAIL (Newsday)
* MUSLIMS KEEP AN ANCIENT FAITH IN A MODERN TIME (Post-Gazette)
* NO LAND'S MAN (Weekly Planet)
* INTO THE PUNDITRY VACUUM, FRESH WIND (Washington Post)
- HOW THE MEDIA HAVE COVERED THE WAR ON TERRORISM (PEJ)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: ESTABLISHING JUSTICE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "...for every day on
which
the sun rises there is a reward of a charitable gift for the one who
establishes justice among people."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, 3:870
The Prophet also stated that God said: "O My servants, I have forbidden
oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not
oppress one another."
Hadith Qudsi, 17
-----
CAIR URGES PRESIDENT BUSH TO PROMOTE FREEDOM FOR ALL
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based
Islamic advocacy group, today sent the following letter to President
Bush
in anticipation of Tuesday's State of the Union address:
Dear Mr. President -
I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits.
First, I would like to thank you for your efforts to reach out to the
Muslim community during this time of national crisis. Your meetings
with
Muslim leaders just after the horrific terrorist attacks of September
11
were particularly appreciated.
While you prepare for your State of the Union address, I would like to
offer suggestions that could serve to strengthen America's image and
interests worldwide.
As you have stated repeatedly, we are not in a war against Islam or
Muslims. Unfortunately, a perception seems to be developing that any
demand
for freedom by Muslims anywhere on earth is now viewed as a
manifestation
of terrorism. Muslims worldwide support freedom and human rights in
Chechnya, Palestine, Kashmir, China, and many other areas. Our nation's
interests are best served by promoting the American values of liberty
and
justice for all people, including the Palestinians and Kashmiris.
American Muslims, along with many other citizens, also have grave
concerns
about the civil liberties implications of several government policies
ostensibly designed to improve domestic security. These policies have
specifically targeted American Muslims, thereby creating the impression
that our entire community is suspect.
America's Muslim citizens and immigrants can serve as a bridge of
understanding to the Islamic world. Carrying out this important duty is
made more difficult when Muslims feel besieged by ethnic and religious
profiling, selective enforcement of laws and a "dragnet" approach to
immigration policies. (CAIR has received more than 1600 reports of
anti-Muslim backlash following the September attacks.)
As a candidate, you spoke out against the use of profiling and secret
evidence. Your leadership is once again needed on these important
issues.
I would respectfully request that you take these concerns into
consideration while preparing your address.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Sincerely,
Nihad Awad
Executive Director
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
FL MUSLIMS REACT TO STATE OF UNION ADDRESS
WHAT: On Tuesday, January 29, the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Florida chapter (CAIR-FL) will invite representatives from the local
Muslim
community to participate in the viewing of President Bush's State of
the
Union address. The event is designed to gather Muslims views on the
issues
that the president will be addressing.
"Muslims, like all Americans, care about a variety of social, moral and
political issues faced by our society. This event will offer members of
the
Muslim community an opportunity to hear what the President has to say
and
to offer their reactions," said CAIR-FL Executive Director Altaf Ali.
WHEN: Tuesday, January 29, 8 P.M. (Eastern)
WHERE: Miami Gardens Mosque, 4305 NW 183rd Street, Miami, FL. 33055.
TEL:
(305) 624-5555
CONTACT: CAIR-FL, Altaf Ali, 954-797-7493 or 954-298-8214. E-MAIL:
Florida@cair-net.org
-----
WESTERN UNION APOLOGIZES FOR FREEZING MUSLIM'S FUNDS
CAIR today announced that Western Union has apologized for freezing the
funds of a Muslim family apparently based on religious and ethnic
profiling.
An Atlanta Muslim, a five-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserve,
was
informed that the money his family sent him from Virginia was not in
Western Union records. When his mother called to see what had happened
to
the funds she transferred, she discovered that the money was frozen
until
her son provided further documentation of his American citizenship.
(The
son is African-American.)
In his letter to CAIR, Western Union President Michael C. Yerington
wrote:
"We are certainly sorry for any inconvenience caused by the delay in
the
delivery of funds to [the Muslim recipient]."
Yerington said the delay in delivery was the result of an Office of
Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC) requirement that blocks any funds in which a
"specially designated national" (SDN) has an interest. He said the
Muslim
veteran's name was similar to several on the SDN list.
----
CAIR DISCUSSES STUDENT VISA TRACKING ON CNN
CNN LIVE TODAY
January 28, 2002 Monday 1:40 PM Eastern Time
HEADLINE: Studying Student Visas
GUESTS: Ibrahim Hooper, Dan Stein
HOST: Leon Harris
HIGHLIGHT: Among the security reforms touted in the aftermath of
September
11th was tighter scrutiny of non-Americans who were living in the U.S.
on
student visas.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Among the security reforms touted in the
aftermath
of September 11th was tighter scrutiny of non-Americans who were living
in
the U.S. on student visas.
Today, however, the "New York Times" reports that any meaningful
tracking
system is still at least a year away.
Joining us now to talk about the process and the principle as well, our
Ibrahim Hooper. He is with the Council on American-Islamic relations,
and
Dan Stein, with the Federation for American Immigration Reform, both of
them are in Washington. Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming in
and
talking with us this afternoon about this topic. Mr. Hooper, I would
like
to begin with you, because as I understand it, your stance on this
issue,
you are against what's being proposed as this monitoring system for
students who are coming in from outside the country, but when you look
at
what happened here back on September 11th, the biggest terrorist act to
ever hit this nation was perpetrated by those who were here on those
particular visas. Why doesn't it make sense to actually target people
who
are using they that visa to get into the country?
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: ...Whether it's
at
airports, whether it is by the immigration service, whether it's by the
Justice Department in terms of the detainees, I think inevitably what
you
will have when have you a half million of these students, they are
going to
say, well, we can't focus on all of them, we are going to have to focus
on
the Muslims and Arabs, and that's what they are saying with airport
profilings and all of these other policies...
HOOPER: I think that we miss the point also that these students are a
bridge to the rest of the world. If there is a negative perception to
America in the rest of the world, hundreds of thousands of students
going
back home with a positive image of America is going to help our image
worldwide.
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 28,
2002
CONTACT: Asim Ghafoor, 202-497-2219
GLOBAL RELIEF FOUNDATION SEEKS JUDICIAL REDRESS AGAINST FEDERAL
AGENCIES
OVER ASSET BLOCKING
Bridgeview, IL-Global Relief Foundation, Inc. ("GRF"), a US-based
501(c)(3)
charitable relief organization headquartered in Bridgeview, IL today
announced it has filed a civil lawsuit against the federal government.
The
suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of Illinois and suit seeks to overturn the U.S. Treasury
blocking
notice issued on December 14, 2001 that blocked all assets and records
held
by GRF. The federal government took these actions on December 14, 2001
purportedly invoking laws designed to seize assets of foreign
organizations, even though GRF is a U.S.-based corporation.
The allegations against the federal government in the suit include:
* That Section 106 of the USA PATRIOT Act (P.L. No. 107-56) as applied
against GRF is unconstitutional;
* That the FBI seized and failed to timely return personal items seized
from GRF's staff during its December 14 raid of GRF's office and the
home
of one of GRF's officers;
* That the U.S. Treasury's action in freezing and holding GRF's monies
is
unlawful, unjustified, factually indefensible and unconstitutional;
* That the federal government is unlawfully prohibiting the creation of
a
legal defense fund to allow U.S. citizens to voluntarily contribute to
legal and media efforts to defend GRF;
* That government officials have falsely smeared GRF as having ties to
terrorism but have failed to disclose any credible evidence or provide
GRF
with any notice of charges against it even though it has effectively
shut
down this Muslim charity.
Plaintiffs are represented by the Frederick, MD-based law firm of
Gordon &
Simmons.
Roger Simmons, lead attorney for GRF, said, "GRF is a lawful American
company. The US government has made no charges against GRF and has not
given it a day in court to prove its innocence. The blocking of GRF's
assets, seizure of its documents, and subsequent public statements by
representatives of the federal government accusing GRF of ties to
terrorism
have violated the constitutional rights of this US corporate citizen.
We
seek due process and a legitimate means of redressing of GRF's
grievances."
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
HADDAD FAMILY WAITS FOR ANY NEWS
Case grows to epitomize conflict between civil rights, security.
By ART AISNER, The Ann Arbor News, 1/27/2002
http://aa.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020127a1015a1haddad27.frm
Salma Al-Rushaid feels trapped in her Scio Township apartment.
Since federal agents arrested her husband, local Muslim leader Rabih
Haddad, on an immigration violation Dec. 14, information about his case
has
come frustratingly slow. Any answers she gets from her lawyers and
government officials lead not to solutions but only more
questions...Haddad
is being held without bail and all of his court proceedings are closed
at
the government's request. His attorneys and hundreds of local
supporters
believe his detention is tied to the ongoing Justice Department
investigation into the Global Relief Foundation, a charity he
co-founded
that benefits Muslim countries around the world and is suspected of
supporting terrorists...
U.S. Treasury Department officials won't comment on the case involving
Global Relief, but it is not among other charities listed by the
government
as definite supporters of terrorism, such as the Texas-based Holy Land
Foundation.
It's a dubious distinction, said Global Relief spokesman Asim Ghafoor,
because the government has made general allegations that tarnish its
reputation without legitimate proof...
-----
FORUM ADVISES LOCAL MUSLIMS ON HANDLING DISCRIMINATION
By Alice Thomas, The Columbus Dispatch, 1/27/2002
http://www.columbusdispatch.com
Search using the term "Muslims."
Although Ohio hasn't had a lot of problems with hate crimes, Muslims
should
document any discrimination they encounter.
That was the advice an FBI agent gave more than 100 people gathered
yesterday at Ohio State's Fawcett Center for a town meeting organized
by
the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Questions from the crowd touched on topics that ranged from airport
security and racial profiling to the investigation of an attack on a
local
mosque and media coverage of the Arab community...
-----
NOT ALL MILITANT ISLAMIC GROUPS ARE OUT TO GET AMERICA
By SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN, St. Petersburg Times, 1/28/2002
http://www.sptimes.com
Search using the term "Steven Emerson."
Since that awful September day, millions of words have been written and
spoken about the 19 hijackers - men of mostly Saudi or Egyptian
nationality
who belonged to the al-Qaida terrorist network.
All but overlooked is who the hijackers were not. There were no
Palestinians among them. Nor Kashmiris, nor Chechens nor Chinese
separatists from Xinjiang Province. Although each of these groups is
largely Muslim in makeup, there is no evidence they had anything to do
with
the U.S. terrorist attacks or that they bear any murderous hatred for
America.
Still, the idea persists that there is a monolithic force called
"militant
Islamic fundamentalism." And since Sept. 11, it has given rise to the
related idea that all militant Islamic groups spring from the same
ideological roots as al-Qaida and must have the same insidious aim - to
destroy America's democratic way of life and indeed all of Western
civilization. "Militant Islamic fundamentalism is a phenomenon that
seeks
to impose its sovereignty around the world," Steven Emerson, producer
of
the 1994 film Jihad in America, said in a recent speech in St.
Petersburg.
Is that a realistic notion? Or is it a simplistic view that makes the
United States ill-prepared to recognize and deal with what may be
legitimate political movements, albeit movements that sometimes use
violence?...John Esposito, director of the Center for Muslim-Christian
Understanding at Georgetown University, thinks pro-Israel groups and
scholars are trying to tie the Palestinian organizations to al-Qaida as
a
way of cementing Israel's alliance with the United States.
It is in their interest to foster the idea that "there is kind of a
militant Muslim monolith out there and that Israel is the only friend
the
United States has in the region," Esposito says...
SEE: WHO IS STEVEN EMERSON?
http://www.cair-net.org/html/emerson.htm
-----
ARAB STUDENTS REDISCOVER VOICES SILENCED ON SEPT. 11
By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO, The New York Times, 1/28/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/28/national/28ARAB.html
When hijackers rammed jetliners into the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, Arab students at Johns Hopkins University were in the middle
of
plans to remember the intifada's start in Israel's occupied territories
and
the 1982 massacres of Palestinians at Sabra and Shatila.
A national group, Students for Justice in Palestine, was organizing an
investment divestiture campaign against Israel, similar to the one that
had
isolated South Africa under apartheid. But on campuses across the
country,
the carnage and shock of Sept. 11 silenced political activism among
Arab
students, and it is only now returning to the forefront. This weekend,
hundreds of Arab students from around the country gathered here for
their
first post-Sept. 11 meeting to pick up their banners again.
The roster of causes students are organizing around has expanded in the
interim, from opposition to Israel to newer issues of discrimination in
housing and jobs, the profiling of Arab men at airports and due process
for
an unknown number of largely unidentified Muslims being detained by the
Immigration and Naturalization Service...
-----
IMMIGRANT DEPORTED AFTER 3 MONTHS IN JAIL
Forced to leave family, job behind in New York
By Indrani Sen, Newsday (New York, NY), 1/28/2002
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-likhan28q2567717jan28.story
Without a coat or a penny in his pocket, Mohammed Khan was put on a
flight
to Pakistan Jan. 20 and told by the Immigration and Naturalization
Service
that he could never return to his home in Hicksville, his job at P.C.
Richard & Son and his three American-born children who attend school
here.
His wife, Shaheen, heard of his deportation when he called her from
Turkey
on a stopover, using $4 he borrowed.
Khan, 35, a general manager at the appliances chain, had been in INS
custody since Oct. 23. He was one of 1,200 people, mostly young Muslim
men,
detained in the wake of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11. He was held
based
on a tip, but he was cleared by the FBI of any involvement in the
attacks,
said his attorney, Roland Gell of Manhattan. "They handled it in a
lousy
way," Gell said. "They let him sit in jail for months and months and
months..."
-----
MUSLIMS KEEP AN ANCIENT FAITH IN A MODERN TIME
By Dennis Roddy, The Post-Gazette, 1/28/2002
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20020127homefrontroddyp2.asp
Most elders of a congregation worry about the kids falling away from
the
faith. Safdar Chaudhary worries about the feds turning up at his home
with
questions he can't answer satisfactorily.
Put aside the fact that what most Americans know about Chaudhary's
religion
is that members claiming adherence to it flew planes into crowded
buildings, and the Muslim Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in
Monroeville is indistinguishable from the Christian church up the road
or
the synagogue a few hundred yards farther up.
The nexus between religion and politics is shaped by economics.
Chaudhary,
a Pakistan-born psychiatrist, drives a BMW, lives comfortably, will
send
his two sons to college and reads a far different Koran than Mullah
Omar.
"You can use a knife to cut bread. You can use a knife to kill
somebody,"
he says. His knives cut bread. His Koran preaches peace and learning...
-----
NO LAND'S MAN
BY ROCHELLE RENFORD, Weekly Planet
http://www.weeklyplanet.com/current/cover.html
As unpopular as his views are, Sami Al-Arian continues to exercise his
right to free speech. This is his story.
Part of it is what he says. Since he was a teenager, Sami Al-Arian has
spoken publicly about his religious beliefs, his political views and
his
feelings about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. What he says can be
tough
to swallow. He talks about the oppression his people endure under the
Israeli occupation and he calls for it to end -- passionately,
intelligently and sometimes harshly. He has inspired some, educated
some
and made some angry beyond reason...
-----
INTO THE PUNDITRY VACUUM, FRESH WIND
By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post, 1/28/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47180-2002Jan27.html
A new study says that the media's outpouring of analysis, opinion and
speculation in the war on terrorism now exceeds the level during the
Monica
Lewinsky scandal, a low-water mark for journalistic prestige.
But not all media outlets are created equal: Newspapers have remained
the
most factual and balanced, says the Project for Excellence in
Journalism.
By November, the newspapers studied were devoting 14 percent of their
war
and terrorism stories to analysis, opinion and speculation, compared
with
54 percent of the coverage on television.
"This is the Pentagon clampdown coming home to roost," says Tom
Rosenstiel,
the project's director. "If the media is largely denied access, it
fills
that vacuum with punditry. It's more easily spun and in turn spins the
public...Everyone suffers if people don't trust the press."
Equally striking, in this era of flag-bedecked networks, is that
newspapers
were twice as likely as television to carry criticism of the Bush
administration...Overall, the media coverage has been "demonstrably
pro-administration," the group says, with half of all reports
containing
only viewpoints that favor American policies and 13 percent mostly
pro-United States...
SEE: HOW THE MEDIA HAVE COVERED THE WAR ON TERRORISM
http://www.journalism.org/publ_research/normalcy1.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 - 1/29/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: RELIGION IS EASY
* CAIR "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS POST SEPTEMBER 11" WORKSHOP IN MD
* ACLU FILES CHALLENGE TO CLOSED IMMIGRATION HEARINGS
- LAWSUITS FILED FOR ACCESS TO INS HEARINGS (Chicago Tribune)
- MUSLIM CHARITY SUES U.S. OVER FINANCIAL SANCTIONS (Chicago
Tribune)
* OPINION: WE TOO WERE ATTACKED (Courier Times)
* COVERED HEADS MEET UNVEILED BIGOTRY (Star Tribune)
* LETTERS: O'HARE SEARCH (Chicago Tribune)
* ABA PROGRAM TO ADDRESS PROFILING OF ARAB AND MUSLIM AMERICANS (PR
Newswire)
* BUSH MUST SEE PAST THE ACTS OF TERROR TO THE ROOT CAUSES (Los Angeles
Times)
- ISRAELI SOLDIERS REFUSE TO SERVE IN WEST BANK, GAZA (Washington
Post)
- YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SAY, 'WE DIDN'T KNOW' (Ha'aretz)
* BOOK HAS 'EXPLOSIVE IMPLICATIONS' FOR U.S.-ISRAELI TIES (Newsmax.com)
* BAIL DENIED FOR JDL CHAIRMAN, MEMBER (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: RELIGION IS EASY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Religion is very easy
and
whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to
continue in
that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to
perfection
and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded..."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1:38
He also said: "...I have been sent with an easy and straight-forward
religion."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, 2:153
-----
CAIR "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS POST SEPTEMBER 11" WORKSHOP IN MD
A Panel of lawyers and civil rights experts will discuss issues facing
American Muslims in the wake of 9-11. The workshop will be followed by
Q&A
session.
PRESENTERS: Ashraf Nubani, Salahuddin Shakir
DATE/TIME: Sunday, February 10, 2002 after Dhuhr prayer (1:40 p.m.)
LOCATION: 5301 Edgewood Road, College Park, Maryland (Take I-495 Exit
25
(Route 1 South. Make a left onto Edgewood Rd. Go to the end of street.)
CONTACT: (301) 982-9848, pr@alhuda.org, http://www.alhuda.org
-----
ACLU FILES CHALLENGE TO CLOSED IMMIGRATION HEARINGS
http://www.aclu.org/news/2002/n012902a.html
CONTACT: Michael Steinberg, ACLU of MI (313) 578-6814, Emily Whitfield,
ACLU Nat'l Office (212) 549-2566 or 2666, ewhitfield@aclu.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
DETROIT--In a case that could open the doors to legal proceedings of
detainees around the nation, the American Civil Liberties Union today
filed
a lawsuit on behalf of two local newspapers and Rep. John Conyers,
D-MI,
saying that a categorical block on public access to immigration
hearings is
unconstitutional and un-American.
"If hearings of this nature are being conducted in secret, how can we
be
sure that our justice system is really working and that detainees are
being
treated fairly?" said Kary Moss, Executive Director of the ACLU of
Michigan.
The lawsuit was filed in federal district court here by the national
and
state offices of the ACLU on behalf of Rep. Conyers, the Detroit News,
and
the Metro Times, an alternative weekly. They were among hundreds turned
away from three recent deportation hearings in the case of Rabih
Haddad, a
Muslim community leader from Ann Arbor who co-founded an Islamic
charity
suspected of supporting terrorist activities.
At issue is a policy set forth in a September 21, 2001 memo from Chief
Immigration Judge Michael Creppy to all immigration judges, requiring
the
closure of all deportation proceedings to the public and the press when
directed by the Justice Department. That policy was apparently invoked
to
close the hearings in Mr. Haddad's case...
The legal complaint is online at http://www.aclu.org/court/haddad.pdf
For more information about the ACLU's fight to stop the war on
terrorism's
growing infringement on our civil liberties, go to
http://www.aclu.org/safeandfree/index.html
SEE ALSO:
LAWSUITS FILED FOR ACCESS TO INS HEARINGS
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-020129detention.story
DETROIT -- Two federal lawsuits have been filed seeking to open the
deportation hearings of a founder of a Chicago-area Islamic charity
accused
of funding terrorist activities.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit today on behalf of The
Detroit News, the weekly Metro Times and Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit.
The Detroit Free Press and The Ann Arbor News filed a separate lawsuit
Monday...
MUSLIM CHARITY SUES U.S. OVER FINANCIAL SANCTIONS
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0201290149jan29.story
-----
OPINION: WE TOO WERE ATTACKED
By SALIHA CATOVIC, Bucks County Courier Times, 1/27/2002
http://www.phillyburbs.com/couriertimes/editorial/0128guest.htm
What planet has columnist Betsy Hart been on for the past four months?
She
claims that Muslims have been silent with regard to Sept. 11 or that
she
"maybe...she just somehow missed it." Well, she missed it alright!
Within hours of the Sept. 11 tragedy, nearly every major Muslim
organization in the United States, including Islamic Society of North
America, Islamic Circle of North America, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad,
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, as well as numerous others,
issued
statements condemning the attacks as terrorism that is abhorred by
Islam...
-----
COVERED HEADS MEET UNVEILED BIGOTRY
By Manijeh Daneshpour, The Star Tribune, 1/29/2002
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/1116263.html
I have worked very hard to be at the place I am today. During my years
of
training, I always needed to start with a provocative, almost shocking
conversation to let my professors, supervisors and mentors know about
who I
am and what some of my beliefs are, including the idea that my hijab
represents my hard-core feminist ideology that women should be
respected
for the intelligence and skills they possess, not for their body image.
I
tried hard to convince these concerned professionals that maybe my
people
skills could go beyond my Middle East accent and my appearance, and
that
maybe it was possible for a walking, talking stereotype to be more than
just that. In fact, I might just be a very capable professional, even
if
some people thought I looked like a slave of Ali Baba.
I had become comfortable using my people skills, and had come to think
that
I might just have gotten through to a few people who otherwise would
have
seen me for what they wanted me to be, when Sept. 11 happened.
The very next day, a struggling contract worker for my in-laws left me
a
message about her discovery that I was the terrorist involved. She very
kindly informed me that her next phone call would be to the FBI. It
seemed
she wanted to take advantage of a horrific and mind-boggling tragedy to
somehow squeeze some extra bucks out of us...
Maybe we can use our cultural sensitivity to push us one step further,
to a
world where open-mindedness is just another term for honesty, just
another
way to make us understand each other in depths that we never imagined
we
could. I believe when coming into contact with people from diverse
backgrounds we cannot afford to cling to our stereotypes.
So do we have the capacity to use cultural sensitivity as the ultimate
tool
to make this world a diversity-loving, stereotype-free place? Or are we
just pretending to be open-minded?
-----
LETTERS: O'HARE SEARCH
By Edwin C. Yohnka, The Chicago Tribune, 1/29/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-0201290020jan29.story
Yohnka, Communications director, ACLU of Illinois.
Two letters published by the Tribune on Jan. 22, one by Ronald H.
Rodriguez
("Profiling at O'Hare") and the other by Janet Poore ("Get over it"),
miss
the point of our recent lawsuit on behalf of Samar Kaukab, a U.S.-born
woman who was strip-searched at O'Hare International Airport.
The humiliating search Kaukab endured had nothing to do with making
airline
travel safe. She was singled out for degrading treatment because she
was
wearing a scarf over her hair called a "hijab," in conformity with her
Muslim religious practices requiring modesty in her manner of dress.
Solely
because of the exercise of her religious beliefs, Kaukab was subjected
to a
search that included a security employee unzipping her pants and
sticking
her hand between Kaukab's legs, as well as placing her hand inside
Kaukab's
bra. Others, wearing secular head coverings and not of Middle Eastern
appearance, were sent on their way without scrutiny.
Kaukab was willing from the start to remove her hijab to dispel any
concern
that something might be hidden underneath. She asked only to be
permitted
to do so in a private setting, as dictated by her religious practice.
Kaukab's request that her religious beliefs and practices be respected
in
no way jeopardized the security effort under way, and certainly did not
justify the intrusive examination involuntarily imposed on her...
Permitting security personnel to use ethnicity and religion as a proxy
for
suspicion of terrorist intentions will only divert critical resources
from
the work that must be done to assure that the flying public is safe.
-----
ABA PROGRAM TO ADDRESS PROFILING OF ARAB AND MUSLIM AMERICANS
CHICAGO, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- "Confronting Racial/Ethnic Profiling
in
the New Millennium: The Dilemma of Arab Americans & Individuals of the
Muslim Faith," will be addressed at a program during the American Bar
Association's 2002 Midyear Meeting at the Philadelphia Convention
Center,
Room 113c, Street Level, on Sunday, February 3, 2002, from 9:00 a.m. -
12:00 noon.
In addition to the issue of profiling of Arab-Americans and individuals
of
the Muslim faith, other related subjects to be explored cover the
Patriot
Act and its potential for abridging the fundamental civil rights of
these
and other people. An overview of the impact of current detention,
interrogation, immigration, secret evidence, asset freezing and hate
crime
policies also will be included.
-----
BUSH MUST SEE PAST THE ACTS OF TERROR TO THE ROOT CAUSES
By GRAHAM E. FULLER, The Los Angeles Times, 1/29/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-000007196jan29.story
Graham E. Fuller is a former vice chairman of the National Intelligence
Council at the CIA.
The Israeli-Palestinian situation has moved into what can only be
described
as a stage of collective madness. And Washington is walking right down
that
same path, apparently unaware of or unconcerned about the abyss yawning
ahead.
Two basic schools of thought exist. One says: Unacceptable terrorism is
running rampant in Israel and nothing can be done until the terror is
brought under control or eliminated. The other view says: The core of
the
problem is 35 years of harsh and humiliating occupation. Ending the
occupation is the sole means of beginning to attain peace.
The first view has triumphed; the second has been largely silenced. And
things are deteriorating fast. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is
committed to the first view. He believes he can crush Palestinian
terrorism
and is using extreme military power to do so. The Bush administration
over
the past month seemingly has accepted this rationale--a tragedy for
Washington, Israel and the Palestinians because the terror isn't
abating
but increasing. Washington is treating only the symptoms of the massive
Palestinian frustration: bitterness, impotence and rage...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAELI SOLDIERS REFUSE TO SERVE IN WEST BANK, GAZA
By Lee Hockstader, The Washington Post, 1/29/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50479-2002Jan28.html
Monday, January 28, 2002; 4:12 PM JERUSALEM, Jan. 28 More than 60
Israeli
army reservists, half officers and all of them combat veterans, have
publicly refused to continue serving in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on
the
grounds that Israeli occupation forces there are abusing and
humiliating
Palestinians.
"We will no longer fight beyond the Green Line for the purpose of
occupying, deporting, destroying, blockading, killing, starving and
humiliating an entire people," declared the petition signed by the
reservists and published in Israel's best-selling daily newspaper,
Yedioth
Ahronoth.
Over the years there have been instances of eligible Israelis declining
to
serve in the army at all, or refusing to serve in certain places for
reasons of conscience or politics. What makes the current case unusual
is
that so many combat reservists, both soldiers and officers, have come
forward publicly at one time...
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SAY, `WE DIDN'T KNOW'
By Gideon Samet, Ha'aretz, 1/28/2002
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=122464
It's no longer a matter of reports from people obsessed with how the
good
boys in the army treat the Palestinians. The oppressive descriptions
made
it to the Friday night TV news magazines on both channels last weekend.
Those who averted their eyes when a few stubborn people brought in such
stories, can no longer hide behind their denial and rage in their
living
rooms. It was on TV.
The programs only showed what could fit into short items. There were
the
soldiers who "love" to see the bodies of terrorists and to have (as one
soldier so graphically demonstrated with a deep inhale) the smell of
their
bodies. The small screen carried descriptions of how soldiers abuse
Palestinians at checkpoints, and the inner torment of embarrassed
soldiers
who just followed orders. And there was a mention of the babies who
died
while their mothers, asking to reach a hospital, remained stuck in
those
traffic jams of the horror's routine...
-----
BOOK HAS 'EXPLOSIVE IMPLICATIONS' FOR U.S.-ISRAELI TIES
http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2002/1/28/205623
"There's a lot of talk about an Israeli role" in Chinese spying during
the
Clinton administration at Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory, revealed in
Gordon
Thomas' new book, "Seeds of Fire..."
-----
BAIL DENIED FOR JDL CHAIRMAN, MEMBER
The Associated Press, 1/29/2002
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The chairman of the Jewish Defense League and a
group
member were denied bail Tuesday on charges of conspiring to blow up a
mosque and the office of an Arab-American congressman.
U.S. District Judge Ronald S.W. Lew said JDL Chairman Irv Rubin, 56,
"remains a flight risk, and also clearly there is a danger to the
community...''
Rubin and Krugel were arrested Dec. 12 after an informant delivered
five
pounds of explosive powder to Krugel's home. They have been indicted on
federal charges of plotting to bomb the field office of Rep. Darrell
Issa,
R-Calif., and the King Fahd Mosque in suburban Culver City...
-----
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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 - 1/30/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: PLANTING IS A FORM OF CHARITY
* SUPPORT FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN FLORIDA
* CAIR SUPPORTS MICHIGAN HALAL FOOD BILL
* BUSH REACHES OUT TO SKEPTICAL ISLAMIC WORLD (Reuters)
- U.S. TO FOSTER VALUES IN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES (Los Angeles
Times)
* TORTURE AND THE SMILE OF POLICEMAN AGADI (Ha`aretz)
- MAKING TERRORISTS TALK (Weekly Standard)
* CANADIAN ATTEMPTS FREEDOM ON HABEAS SUIT BUT GETS CHARGED (Village
Voice)
* MUSLIM WOMAN HIT, PUSHED OFF BUS (Toronto Star)
* SAUDI MAILINGS ALARM SCHOOLS (Washington Post)
* CAIR-MI CO-SPONSORS LECTURE SERIES: ISLAM AND AMERICA
* TRAINING FOR MUSLIM FOSTER PARENTS IN MINNESOTA
* CALIF. WORKSHOP: CHALLENGES FACING MUSLIMS AFTER SEP 11
* CAIR-LA PARTICIPATES IN CIVIL LIBERTIES FORUM
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PLANTING IS A FORM OF CHARITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If any Muslim plants
something and a human being or animal eats of it, he will be rewarded
as if
he had given that much in charity."
Sahih Al-Bukhari Summarized, Hadith 2021
-----
CAIR ACTION ALERT #319
SUPPORT FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN FLORIDA
(WASHINGTON, DC - 1/30/2002) - CAIR is urging Muslims nationwide to
contact
the University of South Florida to voice their concerns about the
firing of
professor Sami Al-Arian, the Florida academic fired by the University
of
South Florida in Tampa for speaking out in support of Palestinian
rights.
There has been a recent outpouring of editorial support for professor
Al-Arian.
Time magazine states: "The dismissal, which al-Arian said last month he
will fight, adds the free flow of ideas in academia to the catalog of
freedoms that civil libertarians say is at stake in post-Sept. 11
America."
SEE:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101020204-197629,00.html
The New York Times editors wrote: "Wartime is precisely the moment when
unpopular views and the role of a university as an open forum for ideas
must be most vigorously defended...University officials say they are
not
getting rid of Mr. Al-Arian because of his views. That is disingenuous.
The
documentation they have produced focuses on the 'disruption' he is said
to
have caused and refers repeatedly to a drop in contributions. In other
words, Mr. Al-Arian's politics are costing the university too much so
it
wants to get rid of him...Firing a professor because his views are
causing
others to criticize or threaten the university is a betrayal of the
academic code. No campus should be run that way."
SEE: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/27/opinion/27SUN3.html
Eric Boehlert of Salon.com wrote in "The Prime-Time Smearing of Sami
Al-Arian" stated that: "...Sami Al-Arian, recently fired after his
appearance on a conservative talk show revived discredited, years-old
allegations of ties to anti-Israel terrorists, may be the first
computer
science professor ever mugged by four of the nation's most influential
news
organizations...the Al-Arian episode raises disturbing questions about
free
speech, academic freedom and the future of tenured status...The
Al-Arian
story reveals what happens when journalists, abandoning their role as
unbiased observers, lead an ignorant, alarmist crusade against
suspicious
foreigners who in a time of war don't have the power of the press or
public
sympathy to fight back.
SEE: http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/01/19/bubba/index.html
A commentator wrote in Tampa Tribune: "If the University of South
Florida
is successful in terminating a tenured professor - Al-Arian - given the
facts of this particular case, the tenure rights of all faculty at USF
are
jeopardized. His termination was not based on his ideas or speech, or
anything that he personally did, but rather on the reactions of other
parties. Death threats and threats to withhold donations were the main
cause for this action."
SEE: http://tampatrib.com/News/MGA4M2PLMWC.html
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.)
1) REVIEW the articles above. 2) CONTACT the University of South
Florida to
support academic freedom and respect for freedom of speech.
CONTACT:
President Judy Genshaft
University of South Florida
Office of the President
4202 E. Fowler Ave.
Tampa, FL 33620
TEL: (813) 974-2791
FAX: (813) 974-5530
E-MAIL: jgensha@admin.usf.edu
COPY TO: dstamps@acad.usf.edu, reich@admin.usf.edu,
usflegal@admin.usf.edu,
dbeard@trustees.usf.edu, cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR SUPPORTS MICHIGAN HALAL FOOD BILL
CAIR is supporting an effort in the Michigan House of Representatives
to
introduce a bill that would protect consumers against fraudulent
"halal" food.
Halal food is processed or prepared in accordance with Islamic
religious
requirements, much like kosher food in Judaism. This bill will protect
against those who intentionally deceive Muslim consumers about the
nature
of their products.
There are few states that have laws guaranteeing that halal food has
actually been prepared according to Islamic guidelines. Both New Jersey
and
Illinois currently have laws governing the sale and distribution of
halal
food. California, Georgia, New York, and Washington are now considering
their own halal bills.
CONTACT: Jason C. Erb, Director of Governmental Affairs, 202-488-8787,
jerb@cair-net.org
-----
BUSH REACHES OUT TO SKEPTICAL ISLAMIC WORLD
By Joanne Allen, Reuters News Service, 1/29/2002
WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush tried in his
State
of the Union address on Tuesday to reach out to a skeptical Islamic
world,
saying the United States had a duty to "lead the world toward the
values
that will bring lasting peace."
Addressing Congress, Bush said his leadership on the path to peace
would be
guided by values such as religious tolerance, respect for women and the
rule of law, which he said are shared by Muslims and Americans alike.
"America will take the side of brave men and women who advocate these
values around the world - including the Islamic world - because we have
a
greater objective than eliminating threats and containing resentment,"
Bush
said. "We seek a just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror."
The United States has fought an uphill battle to rally public opinion
in
the Islamic world to its cause in the war on terror, with many Muslims
complaining about unequivocal U.S. support for Israel in its conflict
with
the Palestinians.
A spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
relations
said he was encouraged by Bush's words but said he hoped all of the
things
that the president mentioned would be widely applied and include
Palestinians.
"What we see often is that these American values are promoted, but are
promoted only in certain circumstances. We just hope that the things
that
he mentions will be applied across the board, not just in selected
cases,"
Ibrahim Hooper said...
SEE ALSO: U.S. TO FOSTER VALUES IN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000007645jan30.story
-----
TORTURE AND THE SMILE OF POLICEMAN AGADI
By Abdel Rahman al-Ahmed, Ha`aretz, 1/30/2002
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=123485
The writer is a Palestinian human rights activist, who was arrested in
May
2001 for being in Jerusalem illegally. A few days later he was
transferred
to the Shin Bet for interrogation, and was put in administrative
detention,
for reasons unknown.
[Ha`aretz - Wednesday - January 30, 2002]: Finally, they let me go to
the
toilet. My body shook with cold. My hands were swollen and my body
throbbed
with pain. I fantasized about sleep, about free hands so I could
scratch my
nose, about looking for my mother.
In the Shin Bet facility where the good cop is the one who kicks the
tray
of food into the cell, and the bad cop is the one who shoves it into
the
hole that was the toilet, I could only fantasize about such things: and
about decent respect; about an interrogation in which the interrogator
doesn't curse, spit, kick, shake, torture.
But this time something that had never happened before took place. On
my
way to the toilet, weaving like a drunk, in a shaking, smashed body, I
heard someone stammer, "What's happening to this guy. They've destroyed
him."
The thick hood, stinking of piss and vomit, which was on my head, made
it
impossible for me to move my head to see who was speaking. I couldn't
believe my ears. The torture and lack of sleep had often made me
delirious...
SEE ALSO:
MAKING TERRORISTS TALK
America doesn't use torture to get information out of terrorists.
Perhaps
we just need to use the magic word: "Mossad."
By Victorino Matus, The Weekly Standard, 1/29/2002
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/000/844kxdzq.asp
So what was it that Murad was expecting the Mossad would do to him? For
starters, there's sleep deprivation and starvation. Then it gets
physical.
The Washington Post reported on Palestinian prisoners lucky enough to
survive Mossad interrogations. Some of the tactics include "binding and
gagging them in painful positions, forcing them to wear hoods soaked in
vomit or urine,...and subjecting them to blasts of cold air and loud
music." Another method mentioned is "violent shaking."
Upon reading this, the first thought that ran through my head was: Big
deal. I used to know nuns who specialized in violent shaking. But the
reality of it is much more serious. "Imagine being shaken for a long
time--it's like your brain is being scrambled," says one intelligence
expert. "Unlike other forms of torture, there is no focal point when
you
are being shaken violently..."
-----
CANADIAN ATTEMPTS FREEDOM ON HABEAS SUIT BUT GETS CHARGED
By Chisun Lee, The Village Voice, Week of January 30 - February 5, 2002
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0205/lee.php
By late December, Shakir Baloch, a Canadian of Pakistani origin
detained by
the U.S. government, had been in solitary confinement 23 and a half
hours a
day for about 90 days, in a six-and-a-half-by-seven-foot cell, where
the
lights were on day and night, in a special jail unit meant for violent
felons, deprived of contact with family and counsel for most of that
time-without ever having been charged with a crime.
"He was desperate to get out," says Monami Maulik, an organizer with
Desis
Rising Up & Moving (DRUM), the South Asian community group supporting
Baloch's case.
So on December 20 his lawyers ventured a legal challenge, one that had
stood the test of centuries but seemed risky in the law enforcement
climate
following September 11. They filed a habeas corpus petition in federal
court, claiming Baloch was being "unlawfully detained," without
official
basis. Soon after, the U.S. attorney's office in New York's Southern
District charged him with a crime, on which he was subsequently
indicted,
creating an official basis.
The petition's backfiring means Baloch remains in the Metropolitan
Detention Center in Brooklyn. But it also has a potentially wider
significance. For others the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS)
jailed after September 11-early this month, the official figure was 725
overall with 460 still in custody, while rights groups suspect many
more-Baloch's case is an indication that those who claim unjust
imprisonment could end up paying for it...
-----
MUSLIM WOMAN HIT, PUSHED OFF BUS
By Colin Perkel, Canadian Press/Toronto Star, 1/30/3003
http://www.thestar.com Search using the term "Muslim," or go to:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/020130/6/i1u9.html
The bruises under her eyes still bear witness to what Fatema Hussain
says
was an unprovoked beating on a TTC bus, one she says provoked laughter
among other passengers.
The 50-year-old mother of eight children, five still at home, is a
victim,
her supporters say, of a post-Sept. 11 backlash against Muslims in
Canada,
and something must be done.
"I couldn't sleep from the pain," Hussain, wearing a traditional
headscarf,
told a news conference yesterday through an interpreter. "I'm still in
pain
and I'm not feeling at peace."
Hussain, who fled violence and oppression in Iraq two years ago, said
she
was heading home from a shopping expedition just after 4 p.m. one day
last
week when the bus driver rejected her transfer, ripped it up and told
her
to pay again.
When she refused, she says the driver and passengers began yelling at
her
to get off the bus, while others laughed.
Hussain says a passenger then grabbed her shopping bags, threw them off
the
bus and pushed her roughly out the door as she got off to retrieve
them.
When she turned around, she says the man punched her in the head,
knocking
her briefly unconscious...
-----
SAUDI MAILINGS ALARM SCHOOLS
FBI Receives Calls Asking Whether the Padded Envelopes Are Safe to Open
By Emily Wax and Ian Shapira, The Washington Post, 1/30/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58626-2002Jan29.html
The Saudi Embassy has mailed out more than 5,000 padded envelopes --
bulky
with videos and books about Islam -- to schools nationwide in the last
few
weeks. But the schools, upon receiving the unexpected packages, have
been
unsure about the mailings and, in some cases, have even called the FBI
to
ask whether they are safe to open.
The packages, which had return addresses marked, "Prince Bandar Bin
Sultan,
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia," included a two-part PBS video called
"Islam: Empire of Faith," Karen Armstrong's book, "Islam: A Short
Story,"
and a Saudi-produced publication, "Understanding Islam and the
Muslims."
...Saudi Embassy officials said the packages, which were sent to more
than
100 schools in the Washington region, were meant to inform the public
about
their faith and dispel rumors or stereotypes after the Sept. 11
attacks,
said Sherry Cooper, secretary to the ambassador...
-----
CAIR-MI CO-SPONSORS LECTURE SERIES: ISLAM AND AMERICA
As part of its ongoing Continuing Education lecture series, and in an
effort to educate the community and to promote understanding, the Wayne
County Community College District, in conjunction with area Islamic
organizations will host a conference on Islam, titled "Islam and
America -
The Path to Understanding."
The one-day lecture series will be held on February 9, from noon to 5
p.m.
at the WCCCD Western Campus, 9555 Haggerty Road, in Belleville, Mich.
The event is expected to bring together more than 1,000 individuals of
Islamic and non-Islamic faiths. The objective is to educate the general
public on Islam and to promote an understanding of the faith.
Organizations helping to make the event a success are the American
Muslim
Alliance, American Muslim Center, Muslim Community Political Action
Committee, Muslim Community of Western Suburbs and the Council on
American
Islamic Relations of Michigan.
Session topics are geared towards informing participants about the
basics
of Islam. Other topics will focus on Islam in relation to America,
which
will address the overview of Islam's relationship to America and
Americans
in general. Some breakout sessions will focus on specialized issues
such as
"Islam and Violence" and "Women in Islam."
Other topics include:
* Islam 101, a basic overview of Islamic beliefs and practices
* Muslims and Islam in 20th Century America: emphasizing the current
Muslim
community in America
* Islam in American History: Islam and its interaction with North
America
through history
For more information on the lecture series, contact the following:
CONTACT: Council on American Islamic Relations of Michigan,
248-569-2203;
The Muslim Political Action Committee, 313-865-6770; or WCCCD Public
Affairs Department, 313-496-2727
-----
TRAINING FOR MUSLIM FOSTER PARENTS IN MINNESOTA
Al-Birr Family, Social, & Counseling Services will be hosting a foster
care
orientation and training sessions for Muslim parents who are interested
in
becoming foster parents.
Foster care is temporary situation. It provides a family setting for
children who have been removed from their parents. Foster care provides
them with stability while their parents deal with the issues at hand.
Foster parents are caring and stable people who can support and nurture
a
child. They help the child develop physically, mentally and socially -
according to their needs.
Children are placed in foster homes when they have been removed from
their
birth home because of abuse or neglect or other family issues that
endanger
their safety. Children and birth family have visitation rights as they
work
to resolve the issues.
Reserve your seat today. Space is limited. Please call 612-521-1230.
Orientation Session
Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 5:00-7:30 PM
Training Session
Part I - Wednesday. February 6, 2002
Part 2 - Wednesday, February 13, 2002, 5:00 - 7:30 PM
PILOT CITY HEALTH CENTER
1313 Penn Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Direction: take HWY 94 to Olson HWY west to Penn Ave.
Al-Birr's North Office
1810 Bryant Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
(1 block west of Target Store on Broadway/Lyndale Avenues)
-----
CALIF. WORKSHOP: CHALLENGES FACING MUSLIMS AFTER SEP 11
Organized by Islamic Center of Hawthorne and
Islamic Shura Council of Southern California
WHEN: Saturday, February 9th, 2002
WHERE: Islamic Center of Hawthorne
12209 Hawthorne Way
Hawthorne, CA 90250
CONTACT: Call (310) 973-8000
SPEAKERS:
Dr. Hassan Hathout
Siddiq Saafir, Masjid Ibaadillah
Ra'id Faraj, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Dr. Maher Hathout (to be confirmed)
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, ISOC (to be confirmed)
Admission is Free...Refreshments Served...All are Welcome
-----
CAIR-LA PARTICIPATES IN CIVIL LIBERTIES FORUM
The Social Concerns Committee of the Unitarian Church of Orange County
cordially invites you to a civil liberties forum:
WHEN: Saturday, February 2, 2002, 1 - 3:30 P.M. (Doors open @ 12:15
P.M.)
WHERE: UNITARIAN CHURCH OF ORANGE COUNTY, 511 South Harbor Blvd.,
Anaheim,
California (Located on the Southwest corner of Harbor Blvd. and Santa
Ana
Street)
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
RA'ID FARAJ - Mr. Faraj is Director of Public Relations for the
Southern
California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
He
holds a B.A. in Peace Studies and a Masters in Organizational
Leadership
from Chapman University, where he was the Albert Schweitzer Scholar in
Peace Studies.
If you have any questions, please call Duane Roberts at (714) 563-9364
or
e-mail cair_sCA@cair-california.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
BREAKING NEWS: STEVEN EMERSON TO BE FEATURED ON CBS "48 HOURS"
http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,326185-412,00.shtml
48 HOURS: TRACKING TERROR
CBS, Wednesday, Jan. 30, At 10 p.m. ET/PT
(CBS) Last December, Erin Moriarty was blindfolded and taken to a
secret
location somewhere in the Washington DC area.
She was taken to the headquarters of the Investigative Project, where
workers say they are tracking Islamic terrorists in this country. They
say
their lives would be in danger if their identities were known.
The group's leader is former journalist Steve Emerson, who runs this
group
of self-appointed terrorist hunters. He himself maintains a high
profile,
appearing on TV as a terrorism analyst...In an interview after the
Oklahoma
City bombing, Steve Emerson confidently pointed his finger at the wrong
culprits at Muslim terrorists. As everyone now knows the bombing was
the
work of an American Methodist, Tim McVeigh.
"I've been chastened by that experience," he says. "Absolutely, I mean
I
learned my lesson..."
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE: WHO IS STEVEN EMERSON?
http://www.cair-net.org/html/emerson.htm
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be firm, but POLITE.)
1) BEFORE THE PROGRAM, go to "Who is Steven Emerson" (link above) for
background on Steven Emerson's Islamophobic views.
2) TAKE NOTES while watching the program.
3) CONTACT 48 HOURS to express your views.
E-MAIL: elk@cbsnews.com, 48hours@cbsnews.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
MAIL:
Ms. Susan Zirinsky
Executive Producer
CBS News 48 Hours
524 W 57th St
New York, NY 10019-2902
TEL: (212) 975-6472
FAX: (212) 975-5000
-----
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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 - 1/31/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: CHARITY EVERY DAY
* PRAYER RALLY FOR IMAM JAMIL AL-AMIN
* CAIR LAUNCHES BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE TOLERANCE
* 2ND MUSLIM CHARITY SUES U.S. OFFICIALS ON SANCTIONS (Chicago Tribune)
- SECRECY IN HADDAD'S CASE SERVES JUSTICE POORLY (Detroit Free
Press)
- GROUPS FIND WAY TO GET NAMES OF INS DETAINEES (Washington
Post)
* MANY ARABS SAY BUSH MISREADS THEIR HISTORY AND GOALS (New York Times)
- ISRAEL'S ESPECIALLY CRUEL SANCTION (Christian Science
Monitor)
* WAS IT HATRED OR IGNORANCE? (CBC)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: CHARITY EVERY DAY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Charity is prescribed
for
each descendant of Adam every day the sun rises." He was then asked:
"From
what do we give charity every day?" The Prophet answered: "The doors of
goodness are many...enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing harm from
the
road, listening to the deaf, leading the blind, guiding one to the
object
of his need, hurrying with the strength of one's legs to one in sorrow
who
is asking for help, and supporting the feeble with the strength of
one's
arms--all of these are charity prescribed for you."
He also said: "Your smile for your brother is charity."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 3, Number 98
-----
PRAYER RALLY FOR IMAM JAMIL AL-AMIN
ATLANTA - Imam William Abdur-Rahim, other Muslim leaders and local
clergy
held a prayer rally for Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin today at Fulton County
(Ga.)
Superior Court. A CAIR representative attended the rally. Contact:
Nadim
Ali, 404-840-2420.
SEE: http://www.imamjamil.com/
-----
CAIR LAUNCHES BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE TOLERANCE
Billboards send messages of goodwill from American Muslims
WHAT: On Friday, February 1, 2002, the Council on American-Islamic
Relations Southern California chapter (CAIR-LA) will launch a billboard
campaign designed to promote tolerance, unity and kindness. The first
billboard, "Even a smile is Charity - a message from your Muslim
neighbor,"
shows how the simple act of smiling can promote goodwill. (See hadith
above.)
The billboards will be located along major freeways in Los Angeles and
Orange counties. Two more billboards are scheduled in San Bernardino
for
February. Each month, a new positive theme will be displayed on the
billboards.
Link: To see Billboard for February:
http://www.cair-california.org/bboard.htm
CAIR-LA has also initiated the "Library Project" in which books on
Islam
are donated to libraries across California to meet the public's demand
for
accurate information about Islam and Muslims. For more information on
the
Library Project, go to: http://www.cair-california.org/library.htm
WHEN: Friday, February 1, 2002
WHERE:
Billboard 1: Hwy 5: Garfield exit on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway facing
south.
Billboard 2: Hwy 55: Moulton Parkway exit on the Newport (55) Freeway
facing north.
Billboard 3: Near LAX: Century Blvd. east of Aviation Blvd. facing
west.
CONTACT: Sabiha Khan at CAIR-LA, Tel: 714-776-1847,
sabiha@cair-california.org
-----
2ND MUSLIM CHARITY SUES U.S. OFFICIALS ON SANCTIONS
By Laurie Cohen, The Chicago Tribune, 1/31/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0201310014jan31.story
A second local Muslim charity hit with financial sanctions by the
Treasury
Department because of suspected links to terrorism has charged federal
officials with violating its constitutional rights and jeopardizing its
survival.
Benevolence International Foundation of Palos Hills alleged Wednesday
in a
lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago that the government
improperly and unfairly froze its assets and seized its business
records
last month without a hearing and without any evidence of wrongdoing.
Earlier this week, another Islamic charity, Global Relief Foundation of
Bridgeview, filed a similar lawsuit. The government froze the assets of
both charities on Dec. 14, citing suspected links to Osama bin Laden's
Al
Qaeda network. Both organizations have denied any connection to bin
Laden
or terrorism...
SEE ALSO:
SECRECY IN HADDAD'S CASE SERVES JUSTICE POORLY
The Detroit Free Press, 1/30/2002
http://www.freep.com/voices/editorials/efoia30_20020130.htm
Closed hearings for an Ann Arbor Muslim leader jailed for overstaying
his
visa are unconstitutional and unfair. Government officials say a
charity
cofounded by Rabih Haddad, the Global Relief Foundation, has financed
terrorism. Since his arrest last month for the visa violation, Haddad
has
had three deportation hearings -- all closed to the public -- in
immigration court in Detroit.
Such hearings are traditionally open. The government has so far refused
to
say why it wants these closed, or provided any public evidence of
wrongdoing by Haddad. The Detroit Free Press sued Monday in federal
court
asking for access to the hearings. The newspaper wants the right to
observe
future proceedings related to Haddad, transcripts of earlier hearings
and
copies of all documents related to the case...
Secret hearings, without even a public pretext, are the stuff of
dictatorships. In its war against tyranny and terror, the U.S.
government
must guard against becoming what it detests.
SEE ALSO: GROUPS FIND WAY TO GET NAMES OF INS DETAINEES
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64559-2002Jan30.html
-----
MANY ARABS SAY BUSH MISREADS THEIR HISTORY AND GOALS
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR, The New York Times, 1/31/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/31/international/middleeast/31ARAB.html
Charlotte Beers, the advertising executive hired by the State
Department to
improve America's image abroad, spent three days in town last week
talking
to Arabs about mending fences.
But the visit seemed only to magnify the problem. Egyptians who spoke
with
her came away shaking their heads, saying American officials do not
appreciate that Muslims feel picked on by the United States, or how
deep
feelings run for the Palestinian cause -- or just how heavily history
weighs here. "The United States says that U.N. resolutions should be
applied everywhere in the world except Israel. Why?" asked Muhammad
Abdel
Hadi, the editor of diplomatic news at the semiofficial daily Al Ahram.
He
complained that American officials brush him off when he makes this
point.
"They say, 'Forget about the past, let's talk about the moment.' "
Mr. Abdel Hadi said the sentiments he felt at a lunch for Ms. Beers
resurfaced in hearing President Bush's State of the Union address, with
its
emphasis on war and not a mention of the Palestinians.
"Every American political speech is the same," he said. "Ms. Beers
expressed herself like President Bush in every possible way. No matter
how
hard you try to make them understand, they don't."
Across the Middle East, the region that spawned the terrorists of Sept.
11,
the Afghan conflict and American support for Israel in the intensifying
Arab-Israeli crisis have clearly left a sour aftertaste. Recent
conversations in several countries underscore the sense that if
Washington
is campaigning to win hearts and minds here, it is not making
headway...
The perception that the United States has taken a scattershot approach
toward Islamic charities also breeds resentment.
As Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi editor, wrote this week, "A Saudi
businessman
cannot prevent himself from signing a check for the benefit of a
Ramallah
orphanage just because the Americans happen to be angry with the
Palestinians these days, while Saudis are encouraged to donate to a
similar
orphanage in Kabul because the Americans are content with Afghanistan."
SEE ALSO: ISRAEL'S ESPECIALLY CRUEL SANCTION
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0131/p09s02-coop.html
The Bush administration is weighing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon's
request to break all ties - and end all American aid - to Yasser
Arafat's
Palestinian Authority.
Washington should also consider the especially cruel nature of Israeli
punishments and reprisals - as well as Arab terrorism and resistance to
Israeli occupation that lead to these reprisals.
One form of Israeli punishment is the destruction of Muslim and
Christian
Arab homes with explosives and bulldozers...This odious practice -
banned
by the Fourth Geneva Convention on the conduct of foreign military
occupation - has continued, both in areas under Israeli control and in
others temporarily conquered by Israeli forces, as in Syria (in 1967
and
1973-74) and south Lebanon and Beirut's Palestinian outskirts (between
1978
and the Israeli withdrawal in May 2000). I have watched it happen
repeatedly since 1965...
-----
WAS IT HATRED OR IGNORANCE?
CBC (Canada), 1/29/2002
http://charlottetown.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=watson29jan02
Summerside, P.E.I. - A man who attacked a Muslim family near Kensington
last fall was convicted on two charges Tuesday. Charles Franklin
Watson,
75, of Summerside was found guilty of dangerous driving and committing
an
unprovoked assault.
The court was told that the incident, which came just weeks after the
terrorist attacks in the U.S., took place when the couple stopped their
car
near Watson's truck. On seeing the woman's traditional Islamic dress,
he
yelled "Are you a terrorist? You are a terrorist. What are you planning
to
bomb here?"
The couple drove away and Watson pursued them at speed up to 120 km an
hour
before going into the ditch.
When police arrived, he said: "They're getting away. The terrorists are
getting over. You don't know where they are."
-----
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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 - 2/1/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: ESTABLISHING JUSTICE
* U.S. MUSLIMS TO TAKE PART IN HAJJ
* HAJJ Q&A
* SOUTHLAND MUSLIMS TAKE A PR APPROACH (Los Angeles Times)
- MUSLIMS LAUNCH GOODWILL CAMPAIGN ON BILLBOARDS (AP)
* LORENA MAN GETS PROBATION, $500 FINE FOR THREATENING CALLS (Waco
Tribune-Herald)
* MUSLIM NOT GUILTY (Richmond Free Press)
* HATE HAS NO HOME HERE (PR Newswire)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: ESTABLISHING JUSTICE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "To administer justice
between two people is charity."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, 3:98
-----
U.S. MUSLIMS TO TAKE PART IN HAJJ
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/1/2002) - On February 20,* Muslims in America and
around the world will begin observing activities associated with the
annual
Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. (Many people will arrive for Hajj prior
to
this date.)
According to visa records at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, some 9,000
American Muslims took part in the pilgrimage last year. Embassy
officials
say that number has been increasing yearly.
Hajj is one of the "five pillars" of the Islamic faith. (The other
"pillars" include a declaration of faith, daily prayers, offering
regular
charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan.) The main activities
of
Hajj take place during six days (8th-13th) of the Islamic lunar month
of
Dhul-Hijjah. Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those
Muslims who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the
journey. It is also a form of worship that involves the entire being:
body,
mind and soul.
The obligatory and optional activities of Hajj include:
* entrance into a state of self-control called "ihram," during which
pilgrims are forbidden to harm living creatures, even insects or
plants, or
raise the voice in anger. The state of ihram is signified (for men) by
the
wearing of two pieces of unsewn white cloth. This clothing signifies
the
equality of all before God. No specific clothing is prescribed for
female
pilgrims.
* circling of the Ka'aba (Tawaf), the stone building Muslims believe
was
originally built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. The Ka'aba is viewed
as
the first sanctuary on earth dedicated to the worship of the One God.
It is
a symbol of unity for Muslims because all prayers, wherever they are
performed, are oriented in the direction of the Ka'aba.
* the Sa'i, or "hastening" between two small hills near the Ka'aba, to
commemorate Hagar's search for water to offer her son Ishmael.
* the "Day of Arafah" on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah (February 21*).
Arafah
is a mountain and its surrounding empty plain near Mecca. On this day,
the
climax of the Hajj season, pilgrims assemble for supplication to God.
* the stoning of three pillars representing Satan's temptation of
Abraham.
The stoning indicates the pilgrim's rejection of evil deeds.
* cutting the hair to symbolize the completion of Hajj.
* sacrifice of an animal to help the poor, and in remembrance Abraham's
willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God's command. The meat is
distributed to relatives and to the needy.
When the major portion of the pilgrimage is completed, Muslims
worldwide
gather for communal prayers on the first day (February 22*) of Eid
ul-Adha
(eed-al-odd-ha), the second of the two major Muslim holidays.
- END -
* NOTE - Because the beginning of Islamic lunar months depends on the
actual sighting of the new moon, the start date for Hajj and Eid
ul-Adha
may vary by one day. (Eid ul-Adha may occur on February 23.)
-----
HAJJ Q&A
Q: WHAT DOES THE QURAN SAY ABOUT HAJJ?
A: In the Quran, Islam's revealed text, God says:
"Thus We settled Abraham at the site of the House (the Ka'aba)
[saying]:
'Do not associate anything with Me, and purify My house for those who
walk
around it, and those who stand there (praying), and those who bow down
on
their knees in worship. Proclaim the pilgrimage among mankind: they
will
come to you on foot and on every lean (beast of burden); Let them come
from
every deep ravine, to bear witness to the advantages they have, and to
mention God's name on appointed days..." Chapter 22, verses 26-28
Q: WHAT DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE THEY GAIN FROM HAJJ?
A: The main benefit of Hajj for many people is the sense of
purification,
repentance and spiritual renewal it instills. After his Hajj, Malcolm X
wrote in his autobiography: "...I have eaten from the same plate, drank
from the same glass, and slept in the same bed (or on the same rug) -
while
praying to the same God - with fellow Muslims whose eyes were bluest of
the
blue, whose hair was blondest of the blonde and whose skin was whitest
of
the white. And in the words and in the actions and in the deeds of the
white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among black
African
Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana...In the past I permitted myself to
be
used to make sweeping indictments of...the entire white race...Because
of
the spiritual enlightenment which I was blessed to receive as a result
of
my recent pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca, I no longer subscribe
to
the sweeping indictments of any one race. I am now striving to live the
life of a true Muslim."
Q: WHY DOES HAJJ BEGIN ON A DIFFERENT DAY EACH YEAR?
A: Because Dhul-Hijjah is a lunar month, it begins about eleven days
earlier each year.
Q: WHY DO MUSLIMS SACRIFICE A LAMB OR OTHER ANIMAL DURING THE FESTIVAL
OF
EID UL-ADHA?
A: The sacrifice commemorates the Prophet Abraham's readiness to
sacrifice
his son, identified in Islam as Ishmael, at God's request. This is not
a
blood offering. In the Quran God states: "Neither their meat nor their
blood ever reaches God, but heedfulness on your part does reach Him."
(Chapter 22, verse 37) The meat is distributed to relatives and to the
needy.
Q: IS HAJJ AN OBLIGATION ON ALL MUSLIMS?
A: Yes, but only for those who are physically and financially able to
make
the trip.
Q: WHAT ARE THE MOST VISUALLY STRIKING ASPECTS OF HAJJ?
A: All pilgrims must do tawaf, or circling the Ka'aba. This obligation
creates a stunning scene as thousands of people circle the building at
all
times of the day and night. Also, the standing at Arafah on the 9th day
of
the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah presents a scene in which several
million
people all dressed alike and with the same intention to worship God,
gather
on a barren plain.
Q: HOW SHOULD NON-MUSLIM FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS INTERACT WITH SOMEONE
WHO
IS GOING ON HAJJ OR CELEBRATING AT HOME?
A: Hajj is a high point in a Muslim's life. Questions are welcome and
congratulations are in order. Most communities welcome visitors at Eid
ul-Adha prayers. Just ask a Muslim friend to act as an escort and
guide.
-----
SOUTHLAND MUSLIMS TAKE A PR APPROACH
Advertising: Billboard campaign emphasizes shared values to promote
good
relations and counter negative images after Sept. 11 attacks
By WILLIAM LOBDELL, Los Angeles Times, 2/1/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000008021feb01.story
A new advertising campaign aimed at promoting good relations between
Muslims and their neighbors will be unveiled today on billboards in
Southern California.
Two billboards in Los Angeles County and one in Orange County will show
a
diverse group of smiling Muslims above the slogan, "'Even a smile is
Charity'--a message from your Muslim neighbor." Two additional
billboards
are scheduled to be put up in San Bernardino County next week. The
$15,000-a-month campaign, funded by the Southern California chapter of
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, is designed to counteract the
negative images of Islam and Muslims since the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks...
Ayloush said his organization is using Southern California to test the
potential for a national billboard campaign...
The campaign will change monthly or every other month, depending on
donations. Other planned slogans include "Family is life, life is
family,"
"Kindness is a mark of faith" and "A nice thought is an act of
worship."
The themes are taken from the Koran, Islam's holy book, or the words of
the
prophet Muhammad, although they remain uncredited on the billboards...
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS LAUNCH GOODWILL CAMPAIGN ON BILLBOARDS
By DAISY NGUYEN, The Associated Press, 2/1/2002
Billboards designed to restore the image of Islam are going up along
Southern California roads and freeways.
Beginning Friday, three billboards sponsored by the Council on
American-Islamic Relations of Southern California in Los Angeles and
Orange
Counties will show the faces of seven smiling Muslims from various sex,
age
and ethnic backgrounds. A message below the pictures reads: "Even a
smile
is Charity - a message from your Muslim neighbor."
The image of Islam and its followers was tarnished because of the
actions
of a few on Sept. 11, CAIR officials said. Now the group is doing what
it
can to try to change that.
"There have been some people who have damaged the image of Islam," said
CAIR Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. "Our goal is to simply correct
that
image..."
"Any effort to promote religious tolerance is a good one," said Rabbi
Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center...
-----
LORENA MAN GETS PROBATION, $500 FINE FOR THREATENING CALLS
By TOMMY WITHERSPOON, Waco Tribune-Herald, 1/30/2002
www.wacotrib.com/auto/feed/news/2002/01/30/1012451479.05426.5242.1291.html
A Lorena man who threatened a Hewitt truck stop owner whom he thought
was
from the Middle East less than a week after terrorists destroyed the
World
Trade Center was placed on probation Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Walter S. Smith Jr. sentenced Joe Luis Montes to
two
years' probation and fined him $500 during a brief sentencing hearing
in
Waco's federal court.
Federal authorities charged Montes, 38, with making two bomb threats
and
three life-threatening calls to the Liberty Food Mart/RBD's Truck Stop
in
Hewitt on Sept. 17...
Montes asked a store clerk if he was Iranian and said, "There's a bomb
in
RBD's where you're standing. In the truck stop, there's a bomb in the
building," according to court records...
"Those responsible for acts of retaliation against innocent citizens in
the
wake of the tragedy in New York and Washington, D.C., will be
prosecuted to
the fullest extent of the law," U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman of San
Antonio
has said.
-----
MUSLIM NOT GUILTY
9/11 attacks fueled fear of co-worker
By Phil Wilayto, Richmond (VA) Free Press, January 31 - February 2,
2002
(Article is not online. Reprinted with permission.)
John Edmonds Blakely, a Henrico County Muslim and former employee of
Capital One Financial Corp., has been found not guilty of threatening
to
bomb the company's West Broad Street offices.
The decision came after a nearly four-hour trial Wednesday in Henrico
County Circuit Court.
"I can certainly understand why Capital One was concerned, and why they
took the action they did," said Judge Catherine Hammond in pronouncing
her
verdict. "However, the testimony simply does not support the charge."
Cries of, "Thank God! Thank God!" erupted as the judge pronounced the
words
"not guilty."
The 36-seat courtroom was standing room only, packed with Mr. Blakely's
family, friends and supporters, many of whom wore green lapel ribbons
as a
sign of solidarity with the defendant...
Though he has no prior criminal record, Mr. Blakely spent two months in
jail while awaiting trial with bail set at $250,000. His parents were
finally able to post bond on Dec. 10.
Delane Hall, a co-worker of Mr. Blakely and the prosecutor's key
witness,
testified Wednesday that she became suspicious when Mr. Blakely arrived
at
work that day with a carrying case she had never seen before.
When he declined to answer her repeated questions about what was in the
case, she testified that she reported to her supervisor, Chris Bevans,
that
she thought Mr. Blakely might be carrying a bomb.
In response to her concerns, Capital One management evacuated the
four-story building and called Henrico County police. Mr. Blakley left
the
building with Mr. Bevans and stood for about three hours with some 500
other evacuated employees in the company's back parking lot until he
was
suddenly arrested by county officers. He was still carrying the case at
the
time of his arrest.
As described by Henrico County Police Investigator Sean Hoey, the case
was
later found to contain a portable television, one unit of a two-way
Motorola communications device and a bag for use in martial arts
exercises.
In his turn on the stand, Mr. Blakely testified he had purchased the
electronic items and the case over the weekend in preparation for a
vacation he was scheduled to begin on Oct. 9. He said he had declined
to
answer Ms. Hall's questions because, "I thought she was being nosy."
Ms. Hall also testified she became nervous after noticing that Mr.
Blakely
was carrying the second Motorola unit on his belt. She testified she
had
thought the device, which resembles a cell phone, "looked like a remote
control device."
Michael Gerrard, Henrico County deputy commonwealth's attorney,
suffered an
apparent setback in his prosecution when Ms. Hall testified she
couldn't
remember the exact words Mr. Blakely had said to her just before she
reported her suspicions to the supervisor.
"He told me something like, 'If at any time today I tell you to go and
get
some water, go and get it."
He didn't say that you should leave the building? Mr. Gerrard asked in
several different ways.
Ms. Hall insisted she didn't remember those words being spoken - even
after
Mr. Gerrard had her read a section of a written statement she had made
to
police after Mr. Blakely's arrest. The section was not read aloud in
court.
Mr. Gerrard apparently sought to link this case to events related to
the
Sept. 11 attacks.
In cross-examining Mr. Blakely, Mr. Gerrard asked the defendant if he
knew
that Oct. 8 was one day after the United States began bombing
Afghanistan.
Mr. Blakely replied that he hadn't been following the news.
Mr. Gerrard also asked another witness, Capital One employee Edward J.
Williams, if he knew that Mr. Blakely is a Muslim.
Defense attorney Thomas Bondurant objected that Mr. Blakely's religion
had
nothing to do with the case.
"It goes to the question of motive," Mr. Gerrard responded.
At that point, an audible murmur was heard from the spectators, four of
who
were wearing traditional Muslim clothing.
Judge Hammond ruled the questioning was permissible.
In his direct testimony, Mr. Blakely said he had told Mr. Williams he
believed the attacks of Sept. 11 were acts of terrorism, which, he
said,
are forbidden by the Islamic faith...
-----
HATE HAS NO HOME HERE
Minneapolis Residents Request Public Hearings for Somali Security
Officers
and Public Housing Tenants Targeted in Hate Campaign
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Community and religious leaders
presented dozens of petitions with over six hundred signatures
requesting a
public hearing for Somali security officers and public housing
residents
who were made targets of a hate campaign. Minneapolis City Councilman
Dean
Zimmerman (Ward 6) received the petitions at a community meeting in the
Brian Coyle Center in Minneapolis.
"I want to thank those who brought this problem to my attention. This
behavior by the company has to stop. I won't stand for it, not on my
watch," said Minneapolis City Councilman Dean Zimmerman (Ward 6).
Zimmerman assured the nearly 100 residents who attended the meeting
that he
would share the petitions with his council colleagues and the mayor.
Representatives from Minneapolis public housing also attended the
meeting
and said they would be meeting with Burns Security on Friday morning.
Following the attacks of September 11, 2001 many Somali officers who
work
for Burns International patrolling Minneapolis public housing
high-rises
were victims of hateful remarks, cruel threats and religious
discrimination
by Burns supervisors. Burns supervisors also subjected Somali tenants
to
crude remarks and innuendo. Security officers who came to the defense
of
the Somalis have been harassed and even fired.
Burns International, now owned by the world's largest security company,
Securitas, holds a contract with the Minneapolis Public Housing
Authority
to provide security officers to work with city police and tenant
patrols.
This is not the first time the Burns has found itself at the center of
a
controversy involving Muslim workers. In December 2000, Burns violated
the
rights of a Muslim security officer in Illinois after firing her for
wearing her hajib, a religious headscarf, at her post. Burns was
ordered to
modify its uniform policy and pay the officer $50,000 for damages and
attorneys fees.
CONTACT: Tom Kelly for Service Employees International Union,
612-309-3303
-----
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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 - 2/2/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* AMERICAN MUSLIM GROUP CALLS FOR RELEASE OF WSJ REPORTER
* SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE PROFILES CAIR BOARD CHAIRMAN
* CALIF. CONFERENCE ON AMERICAN MUSLIM IDENTITY
* SECURITY SCREENERS SHOULD FOCUS ON BEHAVIOR, NOT OUTWARD APPEARANCES
* ACLU POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: ARAB AMERICAN ADVOCACY FELLOW
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM GROUP CALLS FOR RELEASE OF WSJ REPORTER
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/2/2002) - A prominent national Islamic advocacy
group
today called for the unconditional release of Daniel Pearl, the Wall
Street
Journal reporter who was abducted Jan. 23 in Pakistan.
In a statement, Omar Ahmad, board chairman of the Washington-based
Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) wrote:
“We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Daniel Pearl
and an
end to the targeting of journalists in any area of the world. Such
actions
by those claiming to act on behalf of Muslims are in sharp
contradiction to
Islamic teachings and violate the internationally-accepted neutral
status
of journalists during times of conflict. Those who seek justice for
themselves should not inflict injustices on others.
“As God says in the Quran, Islam’s revealed text: ‘O ye who believe!
Stand
out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against
yourselves, or
your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor.
For
God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest
ye
swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily
God is
well-acquainted with all that ye do.’” (The Holy Quran, Chapter 4,
Verse 135)
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE PROFILES CAIR BOARD CHAIRMAN
FROM REFUGEE CAMP TO SUCCESS IN U.S.
Santa Clara man promotes Muslim cause
By Jonathan Curiel, The San Francisco Chronicle, 2/02/2002
http://www.sfgate.com/
Search using the term “Ahmad.”
Omar Ahmad has been called many things -- some flattering, some not --
but
even his critics can't argue with his success: Ahmad, who grew up in a
squalid refugee camp in Amman, Jordan, runs his own software company in
Santa Clara and is board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, one of the most influential Muslim organizations in the
United
States.
When Ahmad speaks Saturday at CAIR's conference in Santa Clara, he will
do
so with the authority of a man who helped get concessions from Nike,
Burger
King, DoubleTree Hotels, Anheuser-Busch and other corporations whose
products or ad campaigns were deemed offensive to Muslims.
Ahmad, a 42-year-old Santa Clara resident, has spearheaded drives that
have
boosted Muslim American voter registration and raised millions of
dollars.
As a Palestinian American who now gets invitations to the White House,
Ahmad is seen as a role model for U.S. Muslims. He co-founded CAIR in
1994.
"Among Muslims, CAIR has become a household name brand," Ahmad says in
an
interview at CAIR's Northern California office in Santa Clara. "Even in
the
greater Muslim world, CAIR has gotten a good name."
That name received its biggest boost in 1997, when Ahmad and other CAIR
officials flew to Beaverton, Ore., and asked Nike to recall a line of
shoes
because the stitching that spelled "Air" closely resembled the Arabic
word
"Allah," which means God.
Initially, lawyers at Nike headquarters told Ahmad's delegation "no."
When
CAIR, which is based in Washington, D.C., and has chapters around the
United States, further explained the sacrilege of the shoes and
threatened
a Muslim boycott of all Nike products, the corporation agreed to recall
the
line and to build several playgrounds for the Muslim community…
Because the events surrounding Sept. 11 have made many Muslims feel
vulnerable, CAIR's Northern California office is holding a conference
on
Saturday for members and other Muslims to talk about "how to deal with
the
aftermath of Sept. 11."
Ahmad expects more than 700 to attend the seminars and panel
discussions at
the Islamic Center in Santa Clara. He says donations to CAIR have
increased
since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the military campaign in
Afghanistan, and that CAIR is in a good position to grow even more.
After just eight years, the organization now owns its building in
Washington, a building in Los Angeles and has 28 full-time staff
members…
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
letters@sfchronicle.com, jcuriel@sfchronicle.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, CAIR_NCA@cair-california.org
-----
CALIF. CONFERENCE ON AMERICAN MUSLIM IDENTITY
We invite you to join us this Saturday,February 2, 2002, at the MCA in
Santa Clara to listen to two prominent Islamic scholars -- Dr. Jamal
Badawi
and Dr. Ingrid Mattson. This conference will examine the history of
Islam
in America and seek to address that history from the Quranic
perspective of
al-Wasitiya (The Middle Path).
TIME: 3-10 PM
DATE: February 2, 2002
LOCATION: MCA, 3003 Scott Blvd, Santa Clara CA
COST: Dinner $10
CONTACT: (408) 986-9874, CAIR_NCA@cair-california.org
SPONSORS:
Muslim American Society (MAS)
Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)
American Muslims for Global Peace and Justice (AMGPJ)
Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
Muslim Community Association of the San Francisco Bay Area (MCA)
American
Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ)
-----
SECURITY SCREENERS SHOULD FOCUS ON BEHAVIOR, NOT OUTWARD APPEARANCES
BY FEDWA WAZWAZ, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 2/3/2002
http://www.pioneerpress.com/opinion/ocl_docs/239824.htm
There has been a growing debate in our country about whether racial
profiling is a reasonable security policy, used judiciously.
Defenders argue that all of the men involved in the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks were young Arab Muslim males. So why not target Arabs and
Muslims
at airports? Logical, right?
Well, if we think along those lines, then we must believe that the acts
of
19 Arab Muslim men outweigh the fact that the overwhelming majority of
Arab-Americans, Muslim-Americans, and Muslim and Arab residents in our
country are law-abiding citizens.
We are falsely assuming that any Arab or Muslim is more likely to
engage in
terrorism than any particular individual of other races, religions or
ethnicities. Moreover, we need to study the response of the Arab and
Muslim
American communities to being singled out for such profiling.
Initially, it
sends a message of implicit blame for the terrorist attacks. Americans
will
start to overlook the fact that Arabs and Muslims are victims of terror
as
well…
SEND COMMENTS TO: letters@pioneerpress.com, fwazwaz@hotmail.com
-----
ACLU POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: ARAB AMERICAN ADVOCACY FELLOW
The national headquarters of American Civil Liberties Union, a national
not-for-profit public interest organization, is seeking a fellow for
its
work on racial profiling related to Arab Americans. The Fellow will
work
under the supervision of the ACLU's Communications Unit Director.
JOB SUMMARY AND DUTIES:
The responsibilities of the Arab American Advocacy Fellow include
preparing
and distributing specialized materials to the Arab and Muslim
communities;
conducting outreach to the Arab and Muslim communities; staffing an
improved racial profiling hotline; monitoring the individuals detained
following the terrorist attacks; and producing a report on the racial
profiling of Arab-Americans and Muslims.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Must have knowledge of, and experience in civil liberties and civil
rights;
familiarity with community-based, policy and media organizations in the
Arab American, Muslim and/or South Asian communities. Must be well
organized and have excellent oral, written and interpersonal skills.
Law
degree or other advanced degree and fluency in Arabic preferred.
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
Commensurate with experience, within the parameters of the ACLU
compensation scale.Excellent health and welfare benefits are provided.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Interested persons should submit a letter of interest, a resume, and a
writing sample no later than February 22, 2002 to: ATTN: Director of
Communications, AAA FELLOW, ACLU, 125 Broad Street - 18th Floor, New
York,
NY 10004
-----
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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 - 2/4/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: PRACTICING WHAT YOU PREACH
* CAIR-CAN MEDIA ACTIVISM WORKSHOP FEB. 16
* OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR SAYS RACIAL PROFILING NEEDED (AP)
* NEWSWEEK COVER STORY FOCUSES ON QURAN AND BIBLE
* WIFE, CHILDREN VISIT DETAINED MUSLIM LEADER (AP)
* JUDGE RESTRICTS JURY QUERY BY AL-AMIN TEAM (Atlanta Journal)
* MIXED REVIEWS ON ANTI-TERROR INTERVIEW PLAN (Los Angeles Times)
* AS AUTHORITIES KEEP UP IMMIGRATION ARRESTS, DETAINEES ASK WHY THEY
ARE
TARGETS (New York Times)
* AMERICAN MUSLIM PROFILES: MOHAMMAD SULEMAN (Dallas Morning News)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PRACTICING WHAT YOU PREACH
The Prophet (peace be upon him) quoted a person who will face severe
punishment on Judgment day as saying: "I enjoined others to do good,
but
did not do it myself, and I forbade them to do evil, but did it
myself."
Riyadh-us-Saleheen, Hadith 198
-----
CAIR-CAN MEDIA ACTIVISM WORKSHOP FEB. 16
This workshop will outline how to effectively interact with the media.
It
will look at the specific tools used for media relations, including: 1)
letters to the editor, 2) op-ed pieces, 3) interviews, 4)
statements/backgrounders, 5) press releases, and 6) press conferences.
Space is limited and reservation is necessary. Make a reservation by
calling (514) 996-0300, or e-mail: rashaayouby@yahoo.com
WHEN: February 16, 2002, 9:30 a.m. - 4:40 p.m.
WHERE: Concordia University Hall building, Room 611
COST: $5 per person, Donations are also appreciated to cover the costs.
CAIR-CAN: http://www.caircan.ca/
E-MAIL: canada@cair-net.org
-----
OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR SAYS RACIAL PROFILING NEEDED
Gov. Frank Keating, R-Okla., Associated Press, 2/2/2002
The Transportation Department is foolish to tell airport screeners not
to
consider some racial and ethnic factors when screening passengers,
Keating
said.
The department has instructed "if someone is speaking Arabic or reading
the
Koran or praying, that is not to be a factor at all," Keating said.
"Well,
that's reckless in my view..."
POLITE COMMENTS TO: governor@gov.state.ok.us
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
NEWSWEEK COVER STORY FOCUSES ON QURAN AND BIBLE
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE THE HOLY BOOKS
The Bible and the Qur'an both reveal the word of God. Both speak of
prophets, redemption, heaven and hell. So why the violence? Searching
the
sacred texts for answers
By Kenneth L. Woodward, Newsweek, 2/11/2002
http://www.msnbc.com/news/698874.asp
Feb. 11 issue - He was a pious family man, a trader from Mecca who
regularly retreated into the hills above the city to fast and pray. In
his
40th year, while he was praying in a cave on Mount Hira, the angel
Gabriel
spoke to him, saying, "Muhammad, you are the Messenger of God," and
commanded him to "Recite!"
MUHAMMAD PROTESTED that he could not-after all, he was not gifted like
the
traditional tribal bards of Arabia. Then, according to this tradition,
the
angel squeezed him so violently that Muhammad thought he'd die. Again
Gabriel ordered him to recite, and from his lips came the first verses
of
what eventually became the Qur'an, regarded as the eternal words of God
himself by some 1.3 billion Muslims around the world...in just a
hundred
years, the Qur'an created an entire civilization that at its height
stretched from northern Africa and southern Europe in the West to the
borders of modern India and China in the East. Even today, in streets
as
distant from each other as those of Tashkent, Khartoum, Qom and Kuala
Lumpur, one can hear from dawn to dusk the constant murmur and chant of
the
Qur'an in melodious Arabic...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: letters@newsweek.com, kwoodw@newsweek.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
(Please include your name, address and daytime phone number.)
----
WIFE, CHILDREN VISIT DETAINED MUSLIM LEADER
By HERBERT G. McCANN, The Associated Press, 2/4/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-020204haddad.story
CHICAGO (AP) - The wife of the founder of a Muslim charity that was
closed
down as part of the government's terrorism investigation was allowed to
visit her husband in jail Monday for the first time since his arrest
for
alleged visa violations nearly two months ago.
Rabih Haddad has been in government custody since Dec. 14, when federal
agents closed the suburban Chicago offices of the Global Relief
Foundation,
which he co-founded.
Arrested in Ann Arbor, Mich., Haddad was transferred to the federal
Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, where he has been denied
visits from his wife and children and allowed limited telephone
contact.
"It is not right what the government is doing," Salma al-Rushaid said
Monday before entering the correctional center. "(Attorney General
John)
Ashcroft, (President George) Bush, if you can hear this, this is not
right..."
Haddad, 41, of Ann Arbor is the co-founder of Global Relief, whose
assets
have been frozen in the terrorism investigation. He was arrested for a
visa
violation the same day federal agents raided the foundation's
headquarters
in Bridgeview.
Haddad has had three hearings, all closed to the public, in an
immigration
court in Detroit...
-----
JUDGE RESTRICTS JURY QUERY BY AL-AMIN TEAM
STEVE VISSER, BILL MONTGOMERY, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/3/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/sunday/metro_c3c5dd18c2401045006e.html
The potential juror, a gray-haired, white man, had retired early from
the
Coca-Cola Co. He favored the death penalty. He certainly didn't fit the
profile of a juror a defense lawyer would want deciding the fate of a
former 1960s black militant charged with killing a lawman.
The man, however, said he could be fair and promised to consider all
punishments --- execution, life without parole, or life with the
possibility of parole --- should Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin be convicted of
murder.
"What we're looking for here are honest answers," defense lawyer Bruce
Harvey said. "That's the only kind I have," the potential juror
answered,
with a polite smile.
A short time later, Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis cut off
Harvey's
inquiry, ruling the lawyers questions were improper. "I think you're
trying
to have a confrontation with me," the judge warned Harvey, who has a
history of contempt of court citations.
The judge eventually made Harvey stop questioning potential jurors. In
fact, she blocked the defense team, except for lead counsel Jack
Martin,
from quizzing the jury pool.
By Monday, Harvey and co-counsel Michael Warren sat in the back of the
courtroom, in silent protest, while Martin protested that the judge had
pitted him against four prosecutors.
Last week, jury selection in the trial of the murder case against
Al-Amin,
the Muslim cleric once known as H. Rap Brown, reached roughly its
half-way
point. Al-Amin's trial has become one of the most closely watched
murder
cases in Fulton County since the missing and murdered children cases
two
decades ago. Jury selection is Feb. 18...
-----
MIXED REVIEWS ON ANTI-TERROR INTERVIEW PLAN
Michigan: Many of the men sought--most from Arab countries--never
responded. Officials say program serves purpose.
By TERRIL YUE JONES, The Los Angeles Times, 2/3/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-020302profile.story
He was sought out for questioning by the FBI after the Sept. 11
terrorist
attacks, even though he had violated no laws. And, he said, he
certainly
hadn't consorted with terrorists.
But the young man--a native of the Middle East who asked to be called
Mourad--agonized for weeks about whether he should agree to the
"voluntary"
interview. "I was shocked. I thought: 'I don't fit the profile. What
did
they come to me for?' I don't know anything about the people detained."
After consulting a lawyer, he decided to go ahead with the interview,
if
only to show that he had nothing to hide. Two months after federal
authorities sent out letters seeking interviews with 700 foreign-born
men
in Michigan--most from Arab countries--as part of the government's
investigation into terrorism, only half have been questioned.
In eastern Michigan, where most of the men reside, 250 either have
declined
to be interviewed or could not be located as of Jan. 24, the date by
which
law enforcement officials had hoped to finish the questioning...
"We try to find them. We'll visit them more than once to try to get to
them," said Robert Cares, the assistant U.S. attorney in Detroit who is
in
charge of the counter-terrorism task force here.
Michigan's operation is part of a nationwide effort by the Bush
administration to question about 5,000 people holding temporary visas
from
a number of countries, mostly Arab, who have entered the United States
since January 2001...
The operation, Cares added, was not intended to root out immigration
scofflaws who have overstayed their visas. But Muslim and civil rights
groups are not so sure.
"That remains to be seen, because [the program] is still being wrapped
up,"
said Haaris Ahmad, executive director of the Michigan branch of the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations.
"The [Immigration and Naturalization Service] can play fast and loose
when
they get someone on minor visa violations," Ahmad said. "Now you're
going
to take these 5,000 people and get a big chunk of them on visa
questions..."
-----
AS AUTHORITIES KEEP UP IMMIGRATION ARRESTS, DETAINEES ASK WHY THEY ARE
TARGETS
By TAMAR LEWIN, The New York Times, 2/3/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/03/national/03INS.html
Much news media attention has moved to the detainees taken to Cuba from
Afghanistan, but the arrests in the United States continue, with many
police officers and other local officials playing an aggressive new
role in
immigration enforcement.
In Florida, a Jordanian was picked up and detained when he went to
renew
his driver's license.
In Virginia, a Moroccan who had registered at a high school the week of
the
terrorist attacks was asked for immigration documents. When the
guidance
counselor found that his tourist visa had expired, she gave the
passport to
the police, who passed it to the Immigration and Naturalization
Service.
The youngster has been detained for four months...
Since Sept. 11, Middle Eastern or South Asian men who are in the
country
illegally have been subject to much new scrutiny. Some have been placed
in
detention after having been stopped by the police for speeding or not
wearing a seat belt. Others have been picked up at airports, after
checking
in for domestic flights and showing passports with expired visas as
identification.
The immigration agency said the detentions and deportations were an
outgrowth of the terrorism inquiry, and not a random sweep of Muslims.
The
agency emphasizes that the number of Muslims in immigration proceedings
remains tiny, compared with the number of Mexicans...
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM PROFILES: MOHAMMAD SULEMAN
By BILL MARVEL, The Dallas Morning News, 2/3/2002
http://www.dallasnews.com/texasliving/highprofile/stories/suleman_03liv.Zone1.Edition1.c206c.html
It was the largest gathering of Muslims under one roof ever in North
Texas,
more than 15,000 men, women and children in the Fair Park Centennial
Building to celebrate the end of the monthlong fast of Ramadan.
They had much on their minds besides the feast day: Memories of Sept.
11
and of the suspicions cast upon the Muslim community were still fresh.
For
those who opened their commemorative copies of The Image, the
publication
of the Islamic Association of North Texas, there was something else to
ponder. In an essay, "Life after September Eleven," Mohammad Suleman,
the
association's president, offered some sobering words for brother and
sister
Muslims.
"Some of us consider it a piety to shun non-Muslims unless it is an
absolute necessity," Mr. Suleman wrote. "It is taboo to admire or even
acknowledge the obvious civility of the American system and society we
live
in. Yet we have no problem in reaping the benefits of this very system
with
both hands. "This is a gross insincerity."
Mr. Suleman's essay also took to task the mostly immigrant Muslim
community
for failing to reach out to those Muslims already living in America. By
which he meant black American Muslims...
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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 - 2/5/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: RECURRING CHARITY
* DC-AREA CAIR "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - POST 9/11" WORKSHOP
* VA COMMUNITY FORUM ON DISCRIMINATION
* QUITE THE ODD COUPLE: AL-ARIAN AND SHARON (St. Petersburg Times)
- DC RALLY RESPONDS TO SHARON VISIT WITH PRESIDENT BUSH
* LETTERS: MOSCOW BOMBINGS, 1999 (New York Times)
- REFUGEES ARE FLEEING CHECHNYA'S CIVIL WAR IN RISING NUMBERS
(Christian Science Monitor)
- RE: NOT ALL MILITANT ISLAMIC GROUPS ARE OUT TO GET AMERICA,
JAN.
27 (St. Petersburg Times)
* SAUDIPHOBES TARGET NEIL BUSH (Antiwar.com)
- THE WAR AGAINST THE SAUDIS
- MUSLIMS FEEL SEPT. 11 CHILL AS MECCA PLAYS IT CAUTIOUS (New
York
Times)
* GROUPS OFFERS MUSLIM INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE GRANTS
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: RECURRING CHARITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "When a person dies, his
actions come to an end, with three exceptions: Recurring charity
(sadaqah
jariyah*), knowledge from which benefit continues to be reaped and the
prayers of his pious children for him."
Sahih Muslim
* Examples of sadaqah jariyah include the building of a school, a
hospital
or a charitable institution from which the community derives continuous
benefit.
-----
DC-AREA CAIR "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - POST 9/11" WORKSHOP
A panel of lawyers will discuss the issues facing Muslims in the wake
of
9-11 and will give advice about legal rights on issues such as: 1) How
to
interact with the FBI or INS, 2) What to do when profiled at the
airport,
3) How to prevent being profiled in the first place.
PRESENTERS:
Ashraf Nubani
Ismail Laher
Saladin Shakir
WHEN: SUNDAY February 10, 2002 after Zuhr (1:40 pm)
WHERE: Dar-us-Salaam Mosque, 5301 Edgewood Road, College Park, MD
20740 (Tel: 301-982-9849)
DIRECTIONS: Take exit 25 from 495, South on Route 1 towards U of
Maryland,
turn left on first traffic light, Edgewood Road. Dar-us-Salaam is at
the
end of the road
For more info please contact: Khalid Iqbal, 202-488-8787, Ext., 6060 or
301-213-2136
-----
VA COMMUNITY FORUM ON DISCRIMINATION
WHEN: Saturday, February 9, 2002, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
WHERE: ADAMS Center Sterling Branch, 46970 Community Plaza, Sterling,
Va.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM: Department of Justice, Department of
Transportation,
Department of Education, Department of Housing & Urban Development,
Department of Health & Human Services, EEOC, Council on American
Islamic
Relations (CAIR)
Program Includes:
* Explanation of your civil rights as American citizens and legal
immigrants
* The federal government's definitions of discrimination and hate
crimes
* Procedures for filing complaints with any government agency
* Definitions of racial and religious profiling
* Department of Justice Initiative to Combat Post-Terrorism
Discrimination
* Q&A session for community members
For program information, contact: (703) 220-7553
For directions visit www.adamscenter.org or call (703) 433-1325
SPONSOR: Project Resilience
-----
QUITE THE ODD COUPLE: AL-ARIAN AND SHARON
By MARY JO MELONE, St. Petersburg Times, 2/5/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/02/05/Columns/Quite_the_odd_couple_.shtml
The distance between Tampa and Jerusalem is nearly halfway around the
world. But politics has a way of making long distances shorter and
producing unexpected comparisons.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he regretted that
he
hadn't had PLO leader Yasser Arafat killed. Sharon had his shot at
Arafat
in 1982. Sharon was Israel's defense minister then and leading the
invasion
of Lebanon, meant to root out Arafat and the PLO from that country.
He told a newspaper last week that the Israeli government had decided
not
to kill Arafat at the time. He added, "I'm sorry that we didn't
liquidate
him."
This is what you call inflammatory speech. And it led me to wonder: Why
can
Sharon get away with it, and others can't? I'm referring to Sami
Al-Arian,
a man Sharon also wouldn't have much use for. As I write this,
Al-Arian, a
USF professor, continues to twist in the wind...
-----
DC RALLY RESPONDS TO SHARON VISIT WITH PRESIDENT BUSH
WHEN: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
WHERE: FREEDOM PLAZA (14th Street and Pennsylvania Ave.), Washington,
D.C.
CONTACT: American Muslims for Jerusalem, amj@amjerusalem.org
-----
LETTERS: MOSCOW BOMBINGS, 1999
The New York Times, 2/5/2002
Re "Russian Says Kremlin Faked 'Terror Attacks'" (news article, Feb.
1):
While the Russian authorities never found the perpetrators of the 1999
explosions of apartment houses in Moscow, they were quick to blame the
Chechens for them. Boris A. Berezovsky, the exiled Russian entrepreneur
interviewed in your article, deserves credit for pointing out that all
available evidence leads to the Russian Federal Security Service as the
organizers of the bombings.
SEE: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/01/international/europe/01RUSS.html
An international investigation of the Moscow blasts would be a good
start
in correcting an unintended side effect of the war on terror: that all
Muslims are branded as terrorists in some parts of the world.
ILYAS AKHMADOV
Boston, Feb. 4, 2002
The writer, an envoy of President Aslan Maskhadov of the Chechen
Republic
of Ichkeria, is visiting the United States.
SEE: REFUGEES ARE FLEEING CHECHNYA'S CIVIL WAR IN RISING NUMBERS
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0205/p07s02-woeu.html
Although the world's gaze has shifted to Afghanistan and other zones of
human catastrophe, the plight of Chechnya's uprooted people has not
eased.
With a population of 300,000, the tiny, impoverished republic of
Ingushetia
is host to some 180,000 Chechen refugees, and aid workers say the
numbers
fleeing Chechnya have increased in recent months.
Tens of thousands are enduring their third winter in overcrowded,
ill-provisioned tent camps in open fields, just a couple hours' drive
from
their ruined homes and villages. Uncounted thousands more are crammed
into
barns, warehouses, and deserted factory buildings, where unsanitary
conditions, malnutrition, and psychological stress are often critical
problems...
SEE ALSO - RE: NOT ALL MILITANT ISLAMIC GROUPS ARE OUT TO GET AMERICA,
JAN. 27
By Joseph A. Mahon, The St. Petersburg Times, 2/5/2002
I commend Susan Taylor Martin for an excellent thought-provoking
article
about the nature of militant Islamic groups. (http://www.sptimes.com,
Search using the term "Steven Emerson.")
Steven Emerson and other pro-Israel writers would have us believe that
there is an enormous Islamic fundamentalist movement that seeks to
impose
its will around the world. They see a battle looming between Western
civilization and the Islamic world. And, of course, they see Israel
fighting bravely beside the United States against these Islamic demons.
It would be a disaster for the United States to accept and act on this
view. The interests of the United States are not identical with
Israel's.
It is a mistake for the United States to shape its foreign policy to
accomplish Israel's objectives while giving second priority to its own
interests.
Your article helps to give perspective to this debate and shows why we
should be very skeptical about the "clash of civilizations" argument.
SEE: WHO IS STEVEN EMERSON?
http://www.cair-net.org/html/emerson.htm
-----
SAUDIPHOBES TARGET NEIL BUSH
By Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 2/4/2002
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
The climax of a Saudi-bashing orgy in the media comes with Michael
Isikoff
taking out after Neil Bush in the latest Newsweek. "What," Isikoff
demands
to know, "was Neil Bush doing in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, last week?" After
weeks, or is it months, of relentless Saudiphobia - the Saudi princess
in
Miami who supposedly beat her Indonesian maid was a nice touch -
Isikoff
has hit the real target: the Bush family, as I predicted.
NEIL BUSH IN THE CROSSHAIRS
And what is the great crime of the President's younger brother? In the
present atmosphere, of course, even being in Saudi Arabia is enough to
provoke suspicion, at least in certain circles. "Officially," writes
Isikoff, "the president's younger brother was a keynote speaker at an
international business forum," where he tried to address the public
relations problem faced by his hosts. Ah, but the real purpose of the
visit
was "recruiting Middle East investors for an educational-software firm
that, industry sources say, may benefit enormously from the new $26.5
billion education bill signed by President George W. Bush..."
In the context of the current vehemently anti-Arab, anti-Muslim
atmosphere,
the mere hint of any business connection to the Middle East (excepting
Israel, of course) is analogous to the days of the cold war when trade
in
Polish hams was considered very close to treason...
SEE ALSO: THE WAR AGAINST THE SAUDIS
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j012302.html
MUSLIMS FEEL SEPT. 11 CHILL AS MECCA PLAYS IT CAUTIOUS
By ELAINE SCIOLINO, The New York Times, 2/5/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/05/international/middleeast/05SAUD.html
-----
GROUPS OFFERS MUSLIM INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE GRANTS
http://www.nafsa.org/content/ProfessionalandEducationalResources/GrantsandScholarship/COOP/MuslimCOOPGrants.htm
The Cooperative Grants Program (COOP), implemented by NAFSA:
Association of
International Educators and funded by the U.S. Department of State, is
accepting proposals for Muslim Intercultural Exchange Grants. These
grants
are awards in the range of $2,001-$10,000. The deadline for the
competition
is March 8, 2002. Projects must accomplish one or more of the following
objectives:
* Create opportunities for students from predominantly Muslim countries
to
engage in substantive exchange with their U.S. peers and their host
communities;
* Increase resources and understanding on U.S. campuses about the
Muslim
world; and/or
* Address issues related to women in Muslim cultures.
Muslim Awareness Grant proposals must include all the components
required
for Incentive Grant proposals. Please see COOP application materials
for
more details.
A complete application packet includes application guidelines and
restrictions, as well as the application cover sheets for the grant
competitions currently open. Application materials have recently been
revised, so please read the materials carefully.
If you are unable to download a COOP application packet, you may
request a
hard copy from COOP staff at coop@nafsa.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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #320
MUSLIMS URGED TO CONTACT PRESIDENT ON PALESTINIAN RIGHTS
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/6/2002) - CAIR is calling on American Muslims and
other people of conscience to contact President Bush and ask that he
support the Palestinian people's right to freedom and justice during
discussions Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. (Sharon
is
currently facing legal action in Belgium for his involvement in the
1982
massacres of Palestinians in Lebanese refugee camps.)
In a statement, CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad said:
"Israel's Apartheid-like policies of collective punishment, political
assassination, home demolition, land confiscation, settlement building,
detention without trial, religious discrimination, and ethnic
segregation
impose unending suffering and humiliation on the Palestinian people.
"In the past, the administration's silence on these issues has been
viewed
by Israeli leaders as a 'green light' for continued oppression. Given
recent events and foreign policy statements, it now appears that our
government is actively encouraging those brutal policies. This
perception
can only serve to harm our nation's interests throughout the Muslim
world.
"Israel is a strategic liability to American political and economic
interests. Uncritical support for that nation's brutal policies makes a
mockery of our stated commitments to promote freedom and justice in the
Muslim world. We must put Israel's state terrorism in the same category
as
terrorist acts carried out by individuals or groups. All are worthy of
condemnation.
"As President Bush said in his State of the Union Address: 'America
will
lead by defending liberty and justice because they are right and true
and
unchanging for all people everywhere. No nation owns these aspirations,
and
no nation is exempt from them.' The war on terrorism must be based on
justice, otherwise our efforts will be wasted and our image as an
international standard-bearer for freedom will be forever tarnished."
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.)
Contact President Bush to urge that he support Palestinian rights,
condemn
ALL forms of terrorism and promote freedom for ALL people.
CONTACT:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
TEL: 202-456-1414, Press 1
FAX: 202-456-2461
E-MAIL: president@whitehouse.gov, vice.president@whitehouse.gov,
Secretary@state.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov
- PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE AT PRAYERS -
-----
SEE ALSO:
BUSH MUST PRESSURE SHARON TO END ISRAEL'S STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM
BY EDMUND R. HANAUER, The San Jose Mercury News, 2/6/2002
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/opinion/columns/018095.htm
Israel must also heed calls by the international community to withdraw
from
Palestinian towns and villages, and lift draconian blockades, which
prevent
Palestinians from reaching hospitals, schools and jobs and from getting
adequate food, water and medicines.
These acts of Israeli state terrorism violate international law; many
qualify as war crimes.
For the U.S. criticism of Arafat to be effective and credible
Washington
must (1) equally condemn Israeli violence, (2) condemn Israeli
oppression
of Palestinians, (3) help Palestinians achieve their rights through
non-violent means, and (4) use diplomatic and economic pressure on
Israel
to grant Palestinian rights.
ARMY DISSENT RATTLES ISRAEL
By Peter Hermann, The Baltimore Sun, 2/5/2002
http://www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/bal-te.israel05feb05.story
"We will no longer fight beyond the Green Line [Israel's pre-1967
border]
with the purpose of occupying, deporting, destroying, blockading,
killing,
starving and humiliating an entire people. The price of occupation is
the
loss of the Israel Defense Forces' semblance of humanity and the
corruption
of all of Israeli society."
-----
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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 - 2/7/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: CHARITY
* WASH. POST CALLS FOR OPEN IMMIGRATION HEARINGS
* GUANTANAMO PRISONERS BEING TRANSPORTED BY GURNEY, COMMANDERS ADMIT
(Miami
Herald)
- CAPTIVES RESIST U.S. QUESTIONING (Washington Post)
* SOME FILIPINOS SAY U.S. PRESENCE MAY FUEL REBEL SUPPORT (Washington
Post)
* WHERE ISRAEL'S 'GUNS OF NAVARONE' LIE SILENT (The Independent)
* MUSLIMS MAY GET PROTECTION AGAINST FRAUDULENT FOOD SELLERS (AP)
* CEMETERY VOTE INCONCLUSIVE (Atlanta Journal)
* MUSLIM TEEN INTRODUCES PROTESTANT TEEN TO ISLAMIC FAITH (PR Newswire)
* ARAB STUDENTS RETURN TO CAMPUSES (Seattle Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: CHARITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Charity does not
diminish
wealth.”
Riyadh-us-Saleheen, Volume 1, Hadith 556
-----
WASH. POST CALLS FOR OPEN IMMIGRATION HEARINGS
EDITORIAL: OPEN UP
The Washington Post, 2/7/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36253-2002Feb6.html
TEN DAYS after the Sept. 11 attacks, the administration instructed its
immigration judges to keep certain proceedings closed. Not only would
hearings be conducted in secret with "no visitors, no family, and no
press"
present, but the "record of the proceeding [was] not to be released to
anyone" either -- including "confirming or denying whether such a case
is
on the docket or scheduled for a hearing."
The Justice Department has since been conducting its Sept. 11-related
immigration cases under these indefensible rules, though the cases thus
far
have not involved classified evidence.
Last week two Detroit newspapers, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and the
American Civil Liberties Union challenged in court both the policy
generally and the closure of one immigration case in particular -- that
of
a man named Rabih Haddad.
Mr. Haddad, the co-founder of a Muslim charity suspected of terrorist
links, was detained on immigration charges. Whatever the merits of the
case
against him, he has a lot of supporters, and they -- along with the
press
-- want to attend his immigration trial. Yet, officially, there is
nothing
to attend. It doesn't matter that no sensitive or classified
information
has been discussed at the hearings to date, the plaintiffs claim.
Public
access has been nonexistent anyway…
Immigration cases carry enormous consequences for people's freedom.
They
should, like criminal trials, be open for public scrutiny and criticism
unless there is a compelling reason to the contrary. Holding trials in
secret is a tactic unworthy of a great legal system.
-----
GUANTANAMO PRISONERS BEING TRANSPORTED BY GURNEY, COMMANDERS ADMIT
By Carol Rosenberg, The Miami Herald, 2/7/2002
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2619170.htm
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba _ To assert control and speed up the
process, U.S. soldiers are using gurneys to shuttle to interrogation
able-bodied as well as wounded al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects,
commanders
confirmed Wednesday on the eve of more arrivals for their Caribbean
prison
camp.
Commanders made the admission as news photographers documented for a
second
time in less than a week a curious parade through high grass around
Camp
X-Ray: Military Police pushing huge-wheeled stretchers along a dirt
path to
deliver a manacled and shackled man in an orange jumpsuit to a
windowless,
wooden interrogation hut.
"It's a very efficient way to do it," said Marine Brig. Gen. Michael
Lehnert, a military engineer and commander of the overall prison
project.
Prone captives "are not in a position to bolt. They lay down. They are
not
chained to the stretcher in any way. It is strictly a security issue."
Earlier, they had said that the procedure was being used only on infirm
captives who arrived with leg and foot injuries caused by battlefield
bullet wounds or exploding shrapnel…
SEE ALSO:
CAPTIVES RESIST U.S. QUESTIONING
By John Mintz, The Washington Post, 2/7/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35571-2002Feb6.html
Many of the al Qaeda and Taliban captives imprisoned at the U.S. naval
base
here are locked in a war of wills with their American captors,
resisting
giving information as interrogators devise ways to get them talking,
such
as engaging them in discussion about the Koran, U.S. government
officials
said.
At the same time, U.S. questioners have begun to make progress in
unearthing intelligence information from some of the alleged terrorist
prisoners, especially a few of the younger ones, sources said.
Government
officials said the strategy is to make the detainees feel comfortable
with
their treatment, while applying subtle psychological pressure…
-----
SOME FILIPINOS SAY U.S. PRESENCE MAY FUEL REBEL SUPPORT
By Philip P. Pan, The Washington Post, 2/7/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35241-2002Feb6.html
"The arrival of U.S. troops plays into the anti-American sentiment of a
lot
of ideologues who otherwise would be against the Abu Sayyaf," said
Glenda
Gloria, a Philippine journalist and author of an acclaimed book on
Muslim
insurgencies in the Philippines. "These are Muslims who have been very
opposed to the Abu Sayyaf. But if the American soldiers get into
combat,
there's a risk the political landscape could change…"
-----
WHERE ISRAEL'S 'GUNS OF NAVARONE' LIE SILENT
By Robert Fisk at Sheikh Abad Hill, The Independent, 2/7/2002
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=118580
Lebanon is where Iranian Revolutionary Guards are supposed to have been
pouring in from Tehran. The country's National Symphony Orchestra has
been
playing Liszt, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saens. And down here on the border
with Israel, where 8,000 new missiles have supposedly arrived for the
Hizbollah, the women are drying tobacco leaves in the sun.
The "centre for world terror" comes from the imagination of Ariel
Sharon,
Israel's Prime Minister, who was flying to Washington last night for a
warm
welcome from President George Bush. The non-existent Revolutionary
Guards
and 8,000 missiles at the weekend, the Israelis upped the figure to
10,000
then mysteriously brought it back to 8,000 are the invention of Shimon
Peres, the Israeli Foreign Minister.
In reality, there hasn't been an Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon
since 1984 Mr Peres is just 18 years late with his facts. As for the
missiles, the Hizbollah would like to know where they are…
-----
MUSLIMS MAY GET PROTECTION AGAINST FRAUDULENT FOOD SELLERS
The Associated Press, 2/7/2002
DETROIT (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of Detroit-area Muslims who buy
meat
that's certified "halal" must take the merchant's word that the product
was
processed in accordance with Islamic law.
But Muslim consumers in Michigan may soon have something more tangible
than
trust on their side: the law.
Under a bill to appear before the state House of Representatives, food
sellers and producers may face misdemeanor fraud charges if the
Department
of Agriculture finds they have misrepresented food as halal, the
Detroit
Free Press reported in a Thursday story.
Legal analysts expect the bill to pass…
Under the law, Michigan residents can ask officials to inspect stores,
restaurants and other food providers to see if they are abiding by
halal
standards…
-----
CEMETERY VOTE INCONCLUSIVE
Planning Commission forwards Muslims' request
By BRIAN FEAGANS, The Atlanta Journal - Constitution, 2/7/2002
www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/thursday/gwinnett_c326101490c3b0cd1090.html
Bert Nasuti tried to set the record straight Tuesday night as the
Gwinnett
County Planning Commission heard impassioned arguments for and against
a
planned Islamic cemetery near Lawrenceville.
"We're not here to make decisions about religion," said Nasuti, the
panel's
chairman. "We're here to make land use decisions."
That proved to be much easier said than done.
After two failed motions to approve the cemetery with certain
conditions,
the Planning Commission voted to forward the request to the County
Commission with no recommendation. It was the first time that has
happened
in at least a decade, according to longtime observers.
Dennis Still, an attorney for the Georgia Islamic Institute of
Religious &
Social Sciences, set the tone early.
Still reminded the commission of his clients' First Amendment right to
religious freedom. And he urged the commissioners not to treat the
institute any differently from other religious groups when considering
a
rezoning request for the proposed 1,500-plot cemetery.
"This is a Muslim organization," Still said. "It is not some cult. They
value their dead no less than you or I or anyone else."
Residents of the Grayson Oaks subdivision, which abuts the institute's
5
acres at New Hope and Grayson New Hope roads, said Islamic burial
practices
should be central to the county's decision…
-----
MUSLIM TEEN INTRODUCES PROTESTANT TEEN TO ISLAMIC FAITH
PR Newswire, 2/6/2002
Noggin and sister network Nickelodeon help kids understand the world
around
them and dispel any myths they may have about Muslims and the Islamic
faith
in a new episode of Noggin's original, groundbreaking series, "A Walk
In
Your Shoes."The new episode of "A Walk In Your Shoes" will be simulcast
on
Noggin and Nickelodeon on Sunday, February 10, 2002 at 8:30 PM ET (7:30
PM
Central).
This 30-minute episode of "A Walk In Your Shoes" features Nancy, a
15-year-old Protestant teen from the suburbs of Boston and Mariam, a
13-year-old Muslim teen from northern New Jersey.Nancy spends two days
with
Mariam and "walks in her shoes" to get a better understanding of the
life
of a Muslim-American teen.
Nancy is nervous about terrorism in America and apprehensive about
Muslims
since her friends lost family members on September 11.As Nancy explores
Mariam's life, she gets the opportunity to attend Mariam's Muslim
school,
pray at her mosque, wear a hijab (the traditional Muslim head cover)
and
celebrate Ramadan, the holiest Islamic holiday with Mariam's
family.During
the episode, Mariam teaches Nancy why Muslims fast for Ramadan and that
Islam is a religion that preaches peace, love and kindness to others,
not
violence or anger.The two girls also go ice-skating, shop at the mall
and
surf the web together, all typical American activities that both
teenagers
enjoy…
Noggin currently reaches over 22 million households via cable, digital
cable and satellite…Noggin and the network's web site,
http://noggin.com,
celebrate kids' natural excitement for learning by asking kids
themselves
to help shape the network's agenda and steer its content.
-----
ARAB STUDENTS RETURN TO CAMPUSES
By Tan Vinh, The Seattle Times, 2/6/2002
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/
Search using the term “Arab students.”
After watching the horror of suicide pilots destroying the World Trade
Center on Sept. 11, many nervous Middle Eastern students at Washington
State University fled to their homelands, fearing a backlash from
Americans.
But in the past three weeks, most of those Middle Eastern students
quietly
have returned to the Pullman campus, meshing in with relative
anonymity.
And that, said Saeed Al-Dhaheri, is how he likes it…
-----
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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
ASHCROFT ASKED TO CLARIFY OFFENSIVE REMARKS ON ISLAM
Attorney General maintains silence despite requests from Muslim groups
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/11/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) today joined other Muslim and Arab-American groups in calling on
Attorney General John Ashcroft to clarify offensive remarks he
allegedly
made in December about the faith of Islam.
According to an interview with syndicated columnist Cal Thomas
published on
the internet site crosswalk.com, Ashcroft said: "Islam is a religion in
which God requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is
a
faith in which God sends his son to die for you." Despite several
requests
from Muslim and Arab-American groups, Ashcroft has not responded
publicly.
SEE: "Men of Faith in Washington, D.C., Need Our Prayers"
http://news.crosswalk.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID74088%7CCHID194343%7CCIID1108858,00.html
"If true, these remarks are inaccurate, offensive and are unbecoming of
a
law enforcement official who is currently initiating and administering
policies that have a disproportionate impact on Muslims. His remarks
are
also in direct contradiction to President Bush's repeated statements of
respect for Islam," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. He called
on
the president and other public officials to distance themselves from
Ashcroft's remarks.
Awad cited the hundreds of Muslim detainees held following the
September 11
terrorist attacks, the "voluntary" interviews of legal Muslim visa
holders,
the closure of immigration hearings, and profiling of Muslim and Arab-
American airline passengers as examples of policies impacting Muslims.
He
added that just last Friday, media reports indicated that law
enforcement
authorities will focus on apprehending illegal Muslim and Arab
immigrants
who have ignored deportation orders, despite the fact that the vast
majority of 314,000 so-called "absconders" are not Muslim or Arab.
"It is hard to see how policies such as these, which after all are
based on
racial and religious profiling, can be administered in an unbiased
manner
given Mr. Ashcroft's apparent hostility toward Islam," said Awad.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America and some 1.2
billion worldwide. CAIR has received more than 1700 reports of
anti-Muslim
backlash since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be firm, but POLITE. Letters are best,
followed by calls and then e-mails.)
Contact Attorney General Ashcroft to express your concerns about his
remarks.
Attorney General John Ashcroft
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
TEL: 202-353-1555 (Public Comment Line),
202-514-2001 (Attorney General's Office)
FAX: (202) 307-6777
URL: http://www.usdoj.gov/
E-MAIL: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov
COPY TO: president@whitehouse.gov, cair@cair-net.org
-----
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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
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please distribute CAIR-NET alerts to your family,
friends
and colleagues. Invite others to join CAIR-NET by sending their e-mail
addresses to cair@cair-net.org. To support CAIR's work, see the
donation
form at the end of this alert.
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 2/11/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: COURTESY AND CORDIALITY
* SAVE THIS DATE: CAIR LEADERSHIP TRAINING CONFERENCE MARCH 30-31
* CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: AMERICAN MUSLIMS IN THE AFTERMATH OF 9-11
- EX-NATO COMMANDER SAYS U.S. MUSLIMS "POWERFUL FORCE" OF
GOODWILL
(Atlanta Journal)
* DANIEL PIPES ISSUES "ACTION ALERT" AGAINST TEACHING ISLAM IN SCHOOLS
* VILLAGERS RELEASED BY AMERICAN TROOPS SAY THEY WERE BEATEN, KEPT IN
'CAGE' (Washington Post)
* HIS MASTER'S VOICE (Salon.com)
* BIAS AGAINST U.S. ARABS TAKING SUBTLER FORMS (Los Angeles Times)
* DEPORTATION PLAN CAUSES AN OUTCRY (Orange County Register)
* RELIGIOUS-RIGHTS RULING OKS BEARDS FOR INMATES (Sacramento Bee)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: COURTESY AND CORDIALITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "...you should show
courtesy
and be cordial with each other, so that nobody should consider himself
superior to another nor do him harm."
Riyadh-us-Saleheen. Hadith 602
-----
SAVE THIS DATE: CAIR LEADERSHIP TRAINING CONFERENCE MARCH 30-31
CAIR will hold its annual Leadership Training Conference (LTC) in
Washington, D.C., on the weekend of March 30, 2002. Conference details
and
registration information will be distributed soon, inshallah.
-----
CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: AMERICAN MUSLIMS IN THE AFTERMATH OF 9-11
Presented by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
SPEAKERS:
Nihad Awad, CAIR Executive Director
Mohamed Nimer, CAIR Research Director
Jason Erb, CAIR Governmental Relations Director
DATE/LOCATION:
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Gold Room-2168 Rayburn Bldg.
Washington, D.C.
Please RSVP with Ibrahim Abdullah at 202-488-8787, ext. 3221, or e-mail
Iabdullah@cair-net.org. MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE WELCOME.
SEE ALSO:
EX-NATO COMMANDER SAYS U.S. MUSLIMS "POWERFUL FORCE" OF GOODWILL
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 2/10/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/sunday/news_c366d177b0bf10620044.html
Former NATO supreme commander Wesley Clark said a new-style Marshall
Plan
for Central Asia is essential for the long-term security of America...
Clark, who was responsible for security in more than 80 countries, said
that when the military action is over, the next phase will be to enlist
millions of Muslims in the United States as a "powerful force" of
goodwill
ambassadors...
-----
DANIEL PIPES ISSUES "ACTION ALERT" AGAINST TEACHING ISLAM IN SCHOOLS
THINK LIKE A MUSLIM
By Daniel Pipes, The New York Post, 2/11/2002
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/41080.htm
Could it be that an important textbook is proselytizing American
12-year-olds to convert to Islam?
The book in question is "Across the Centuries" (Houghton Mifflin, 2nd
edition, 1999), a 558-page history that covers the millennium and a
half
between the fall of Rome and the French Revolution. In the
multicultural
spirit, about half of its eight sections are devoted to the West, and
the
other four deal with Islam, Africa, Asian empires, and pre-Columbian
America...the really serious problem concerns the covert propagation of
Islam, which takes four forms:
* Apologetics: Everything Islamic is praised; every problem is swept
under
the rug...
* Distortion: Jihad, which means "sacred war," turns into a struggle
mainly
"to do one's best to resist temptation and overcome evil." Islam gives
women "clear rights" not available in some other societies, such as the
right to an education? This ignores the self-evident fact that Muslim
women
enjoy fewer rights than perhaps any other in the world. ("Across the
Centuries" implicitly acknowledges this reality by blaming "oppressive
local traditions" for their circumstances.)...
* Piety: The textbook endorses key articles of Islamic faith. It
informs
students as a historical fact that Ramadan is holy "because in this
month
Muhammad received his first message from Allah." It asserts that "the
very
first word the angel Gabriel spoke to Muhammad was 'Recite.' " It
explains
that Arabic lettering "was used to write down God's words as they had
been
given to Muhammad." And it declares that the architecture of a mosque
in
Spain allows Muslims "to feel Allah's invisible presence."
Similarly, the founder of Islam is called "the prophet Muhammad,"
implying
acceptance of his mission. (School textbooks scrupulously avoid the
term
Jesus Christ in favor of Jesus of Nazareth.)...
"Across the Centuries" involves a larger issue as well - the
privileging of
Islam in the United States. Is Islam to be treated like every other
religion or does it enjoy a special status? The stakes go well beyond
7th-grade textbooks.
The next edition of "Across the Centuries" should give a hint of what's
in
store. Readers may wish to send their opinions to Houghton Mifflin's
editorial director for school social studies, Abigail Jungreis
(Abigail_Jungreis@hmco.com).
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE: WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
ACTION REQUESTED:
Send notes of support to Houghton Mifflin for their effort to educate
students about Islam by publishing "Across the Centuries."
Ms. Abigail Jungreis
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
TEL: (617) 351-5000
FAX: (617) 351-1124
E-MAIL: Abigail_Jungreis@hmco.com, collin_earnst@hmco.com,
letters@nypost.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
VILLAGERS RELEASED BY AMERICAN TROOPS SAY THEY WERE BEATEN, KEPT IN
'CAGE'
By Molly Moore, The Washington Post, 2/11/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55290-2002Feb10.html
URUZGAN, Afghanistan, Feb. 10 -- Afghan villagers who were
misidentified by
U.S. military forces as al Qaeda and Taliban fighters said they were
beaten
and kicked by their captors and imprisoned in what they described as a
wooden-barred "cage" at a U.S. base in Kandahar.
Several of the 27 former prisoners, who were released Wednesday, said
U.S.
soldiers treated them so harshly that two men lost consciousness during
the
beatings while others suffered fractured ribs, loosened teeth and
swollen
noses.
"They were beating us on the head and back and ribs," said Allah Noor,
40,
a farmer and policeman for the new government who said he suffered two
fractured ribs at the military base where the men were imprisoned.
"They
were punching us with fists, kicking me with their feet. They said,
'You
are terrorist! You are al Qaeda! You are Taliban!'"
-----
HIS MASTER'S VOICE
This just in: President Bush dishes out overblown al-Qaida threats
-- and the press laps them up.
By Eric Boehlert, Salon.com, 2/11/2002
http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2002/02/11/bush_media/index_np.html
For news consumers prone to anxiety, the end of January was probably
the
scariest stretch of time since the first weeks after the Sept. 11
terror
attacks. After a fairly quiet month on the home front, a parade of
senior
government officials, including President Bush himself, suddenly
appeared
on every news channel, detailing a slew of grave and startling
terrorist
scenarios.
Bush's State of the Union address contained chilling warnings about
"thousands of dangerous killers" who have spread throughout the world
"like
ticking time bombs set to go off without warning."
Later, White House communications director Karen Hughes told reporters
100,000 men had been trained in al-Qaida camps and were now scattered
in 60
countries...
The bad news came so fast and furious that it was hard to get a handle
on
what was strangest about it: that the Bush administration, which has so
far
maintained strict secrecy about its domestic anti-terror operations,
was
suddenly so talkative, or that the media reported the thinly documented
terror threats so breathlessly and uncritically.
This is the same administration, after all, that refused to identify
hundreds of mostly Middle Eastern immigrants jailed in the U.S. since
Sept.
11, that ordered many routine immigration hearings closed to the public
and
then mandated that records of the proceedings not be released to
anyone.
Since then, it has refused to release the identities of al-Qaida
fighters
held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and proposed that accused terrorists be
tried
in secret military tribunals. It has also refused to release
information
about questionable U.S. military raids in Afghanistan that reportedly
resulted in innocent civilian or Northern Alliance casualties.
Yet when it came to suggestive and potentially deadly terrorist
scenarios,
the White House opened the spigots for the press. The administration's
previous suggestion that Americans go about their normal lives seemed
to
have been replaced with the credo, "Be afraid. Be very afraid."
But the new al-Qaida scare was a win-win for the president and the news
media. Suddenly the story of America's war on terrorism, which for
weeks
had been sagging while the Enron scandal gained steam, had new juice.
It
came just in time for the Bush's hawkish State of the Union address,
just
in time for his proposed $48 billion increase in defense spending, and
just
when an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed nearly half of Americans
felt
the nation was back to normal, or nearly normal.
The doomsday revelations also let the media, especially television,
tease
viewers with tantalizing hints of new terror threats that would keep
frightened Americans tuned to the TV again. CNN reported "al-Qaida
planned
to crash a hijacked plane into a nuclear power plant in this country."
A
concerned Bill O'Reilly informed Fox News' viewers "bin Laden's
terrorists
were planning a nuclear attack on America," and that the fresh
information,
"escalates the terrorist situation into another realm."
Newsweek dubbed Bush's State of the Union address "scary as hell."
The address was scary, but not because of the news it contained about
terror threats. It was alarming because Bush used the threat of
"thousands"
of al-Qaida terrorists loose in America, and the subsequent alarming
warnings, to write himself a blank check to prosecute the war, even to
widen it to fight a new "axis of evil" that includes Iraq, Iran and
North
Korea. Even scarier was the way the media mostly let him get away with
it.
Of course careful news consumers, those who read deep into news and
magazine stories and search out lots of different perspectives, soon
realized the dire warnings coming from the White House were not all
that
they appeared to be.
The sweeping concern about dams and reservoirs, for instance, sprang
from a
single, unidentified individual with alleged ties to al-Qaida whose
computer was said to have contained relevant engineering information.
Those 100,000 al-Qaida-trained terrorists roaming the world? One week
after
the allegation was made by the White House, Newsweek reported that
intelligence officials thought the number was inflated by 90,000. The
magazine also reported many of the "diagrams of American nuclear-power
plants and public water facilities," cited by Bush during the State of
the
Union, had simply been downloaded off the Internet.
Did terrorists set in motion a plan to send a hijacked airliner
hurtling
into a nuclear power plant? Asked about it on CNN, Ralph Beedle of the
Nuclear Energy Institute seemed nonplussed: "We don't believe that this
threat is real. This is not a credible threat."
One FBI source told the Wall Street Journal that the warning was based
on
the same "outdated information we recovered several months ago." The
FBI
dismissed the plot at the time.
So the question becomes, Why would the White House coordinate releasing
a
laundry list of upsetting terrorist plots, most of which, upon closer
inspection, appear to be half-baked at best? And why did an obedient
press
corps dutifully play up the angle of fear?...
-----
BIAS AGAINST U.S. ARABS TAKING SUBTLER FORMS
Harassment: Teasing and 'helpful suggestions' are replacing more overt
acts
of discrimination. Islamic groups are keeping track of the complaints.
By ERIC LICHTBLAU, The Los Angeles Times, 2/10/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-021002harass.story
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has received 260 claims of
discrimination in the workplace from Muslims since Sept. 11, an
increase of
168% over the same period a year earlier. Other government agencies in
Washington and California also report sharp increases, and the Council
on
American-Islamic Relations, one of several advocacy groups that is
tracking
the Sept. 11 "backlash," says it has received more than 1,700 reports
of
public harassment, school confrontations, ethnic slurs, job bias, hate
mail, threats and other claims of discrimination. California led the
way
with 315 complaints...
But as aggressively as many agencies are working, some civil rights
experts
suspect that the actual instances of bias may be much higher than the
numbers suggest. Many Arab Americans, experts say, are reluctant to
bring
formal complaints because of cultural and language barriers--and the
fear
of getting swept up in the FBI's terrorism investigation.
"There's a perception in the community that if you report a hate crime,
you're treated as a perpetrator, a suspect, and you're opening yourself
up
to questioning," said Ghada Saliba-Malouf, chairwoman of San
Francisco's
Human Rights Commission...
-----
DEPORTATION PLAN CAUSES AN OUTCRY
Immigration: O.C. activists say racial profiling is at the heart of an
attempt to round up Mideast and Islamic immigrants.
By ALDRIN BROWN, The Orange County Register, 2/9/2002
http://www.ocregister.com/sitearchives/2002/2/9/local/sweep00208cci4.shtml
Orange County Arab and Islamic activists railed Friday against plans by
the
U.S. Department of Justice to dispatch "apprehension teams" of federal
agents to round up an estimated 6,000 Middle Eastern immigrants who
have
ignored court orders to leave the country.
The report, detailed Friday in The Washington Post, was based on a
secret
government memorandum that also instructed federal agents to look for
criminal charges on which to hold the immigrants instead of simply
deporting them, as is typical. In all, about 315,000 people are
believed to
be in the country illegally after having been deported.
The decision to focus on illegal immigrants from Middle Eastern or
Islamic
nations brought quick condemnation from local activists, who called the
plan discriminatory...
"While we do not support anyone breaking the laws of our country, the
authorities should not target individuals based on their race, religion
or
ethnicity," said Ra'id Faraj, spokesman with the Council on
American-Islamic Relations in Anaheim. "To do so would be
unconstitutional
and un-American."
-----
RELIGIOUS-RIGHTS RULING OKS BEARDS FOR INMATES
By Denny Walsh, Sacramento Bee, 2/9/2002
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/1605982p-1682125c.html
In the nation's first application of a new federal statute governing
inmates' religious rights, a Sacramento judge Friday barred enforcement
of
a California prison regulation against beards grown for religious
reasons.
In a class-action constitutional challenge by Muslim prisoners, U.S.
District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton issued a preliminary injunction
prohibiting the state Department of Corrections from imposing any form
of
discipline for half-inch beards related to the practice of a
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
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 2/12/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE
* MUSLIM LEADERS MEET WITH FBI DIRECTOR
* ASHCROFT DISTANCES SELF FROM ISLAM REMARKS ATTRIBUTED TO HIM (AP)
- SEC. POWELL COMMENTS ON ASCHROFT'S REMARKS
- ASHCROFT DISPUTES REPORT ON ISLAM VIEWS (Washington Post)
* CAIR JOINS COALITION OPPOSING NATIONAL ID
* ISLAM IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The just and fair will
be
seated on chairs of light before God. Such people are those who decide
with
justice and deal justly in matters relating to their families and other
affairs entrusted to them."
Riyadh-us-Saleheen, Hadith 650
-----
MUSLIM LEADERS MEET WITH FBI DIRECTOR
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/12/2002) - FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III met
today with representatives of several national Muslim and Arab-American
groups to discuss issues of concern to their communities.
Topics of discussion at the meeting included the progress of the post
September 11 investigation, the status and treatment of Muslims and
Arabs
detained following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington,
the
many incidents of backlash against Muslims and those who appeared to be
"Middle Eastern," and the civil liberties implications of using ethnic
and
religious profiling as a tool of law enforcement.
Meeting participants also discussed Attorney General John Ashcroft's
published remarks that "Islam is a religion in which God requires you
to
send your son to die for him."
"Today's meeting offered an excellent opportunity for dialogue on a
number
of important issues. We look forward to other positive interactions in
the
future," said Council on American Islamic-Relations (CAIR) Executive
Director Nihad Awad, who participated in today's meeting.
Awad presented Mueller with a summary of anti-Muslim incidents reported
to
his group since September 11. CAIR received more than 1700 such
reports,
including a number of possibly bias-related murders. CAIR Governmental
Affairs Director Jason Erb also attended today's meeting.
Groups represented at the meeting included CAIR, American Muslim
Council,
Muslim Public Affairs Council, Islamic Institute, Arab American
Institute,
the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, along with a Sikh
advocacy
organization.
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.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-489-5108
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
ASHCROFT DISTANCES SELF FROM ISLAM REMARKS ATTRIBUTED TO HIM
Associated Press, 2/11/2002
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on Monday distanced himself from
remarks attributed to him by a columnist, who quoted Ashcroft as saying
that "Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to
die
for him."
Justice Department spokeswoman Susan Dryden said Ashcroft made
"references
to extremist suicide terrorists who have hijacked the religion" in the
Nov.
9 interview. Reports that Ashcroft applies the same belief more broadly
to
all of Islam "do not accurately reflect the attorney general's view,"
she
said. Ashcroft was traveling Monday and couldn't be reached for
comment.
In a radio commentary called "Men of Faith in Washington, D.C.," Cal
Thomas
said Ashcroft defined Christianity as "a faith in which God sends his
son
to die for you..."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group,
urged
Ashcroft on Monday to clarify the remarks, which the group called
"offensive" and "unbecoming of a law enforcement official who is
currently
initiating and administering policies that have a disproportionate
impact
on Muslims."
Nihad Awad, the group's executive director, said President George W.
Bush
and others should distance themselves from the remarks attributed to
Ashcroft...
SEE ALSO:
SEC. POWELL COMMENTS ON ASCHROFT'S REMARKS
HEARING OF THE SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S FY 2003
BUDGET
REQUEST AND REVENUE PROPOSALS WITNESS: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN
POWELL
CHAIRED BY: SENATOR KENT CONRAD (D-ND) LOCATION: 608 DIRKSEN SENATE
OFFICE
BUILDING TIME: 10:01 A.M. EST DATE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2002
SEN. CONRAD: Mr. Secretary, I wanted to ask you, as I indicated before
we
began, about a comment that was attributed to the attorney general.
Cal
Thomas, the broadcaster and journalist, said the attorney general told
him,
quote, "Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son
to
die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die
for
you." Yesterday, the Justice Department denied the columnist's report,
and
they said that Ashcroft's statement referred only to the views of
terrorists and was not aimed at mainstream Islam or the majority of
Muslims. Certainly I don't know, and I'm sure you don't know what the
attorney general may or may not have said. We weren't there, so we
can't
really testify to that.
I would ask you, in terms of this -- the quote that's attributed to the
attorney general, "Islam is a religion in which God requires you to
send
your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends
his
son to die for you," that's certainly not the way the administration
would
characterize Islam. I think the administration has been very careful,
very
careful, to make clear that this is not a conflict with all of Islam,
that
this is a conflict with terrorists, people who attacked this country in
a
sneak attack that destroyed the lives of thousands of innocent people.
But
I wanted to give you an opportunity here to --
SEC. POWELL: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the way the Justice
Department responded is appropriate. I could just see John suggesting
that
this is what these false leaders say to youngsters to get them to
commit
these terrible acts of violence. And I'm quite sure that does not
reflect
the view of General Ashcroft. He has been in the forefront of reaching
out
to Islamic Americans and others around the world to say that this is a
campaign not against any religion or culture or ethnicity, it's against
evil people, it's against terrorists. And I also know that John knows
as
well as I do or you do that Islam is not such a religion. It's a
religion
of peace. It's a religion of reconciliation. It's a religion of love
--
not a religion of sending people to die for false causes. So, I think
it
must have been out of context, and I think the way the Justice
Department
handled it was the appropriate handling of the matter...
ASHCROFT DISPUTES REPORT ON ISLAM VIEWS
By Dan Eggen, The Washington Post, 2/12/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60304-2002Feb11.html
The Justice Department yesterday denied a syndicated columnist's report
that Attorney General John D. Ashcroft had characterized Islam as "a
religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him..."
The flap is the latest sign of tensions between Ashcroft and some Arab
American and Muslim groups. They have objected to aggressive arrest and
detention efforts after the Sept. 11 attacks that focus largely on
foreign
nationals from the Middle East...
-----
CAIR JOINS COALITION OPPOSING NATIONAL ID
February 11, 2002
President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush:
We, representing a broad and diverse coalition of national
organizations,
urge the Administration to oppose the attempts of state motor vehicle
officials to create a national identification system (national ID)
through
the bureaucratic back door of state drivers' licenses.
One reaction to the terrible events of September 11 was renewed
discussion
about instituting a national ID card as a counter-terrorism measure.
The
creation of a national ID card or system is a misplaced, superficial
"quick
fix" to the terrorist threat. A national ID system would not
effectively
deter terrorists and, instead, would pose serious threats to the rights
of
freedom and equality of everyone in the United States.
Although national ID proposals received fierce debate in the fall, the
Administration and Congress wisely rejected them. Direct passage of a
national ID card, however, is only one possible path to such a system.
A
national ID would more likely evolve bureaucratically through existing
forms of ID, such as state drivers' licenses.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) is
urging
the federal government to fund and authorize a proposal to standardize
state drivers' licenses. This plan would establish a national ID and an
unparalleled system of personal information sharing. We urge you to
reject
this proposal because:
A national ID would not prevent terrorism. An identity card is only as
good
as the information that establishes identity in the first place.
Terrorists and criminals will continue to be able to obtain -- by legal
and
illegal means -- the documents needed to get a government ID, such as
birth
certificates and social security numbers. A national ID would create a
false sense of security because it would enable individuals with an ID
--
who may in fact be terrorists -- to avoid heightened security measures.
A national ID would depend on a massive bureaucracy that would limit
our
basic freedoms. A national ID system would depend on both the issuance
of
an ID card and the integration of huge amounts of personal information
included in state and federal government databases. One employee
mistake,
an underlying database error rate, or common fraud could take away an
individual's ability to move freely from place to place or even make
them
unemployable until the government fixed their "file." Anyone who has
attempted to fix errors in their credit report can imagine the
difficulty
of causing an over-extended government agency such as the department of
motor vehicles to correct a mistake that precludes a person from
getting a
valid ID.
A national ID would be expensive and direct resources away from other
more
effective counterterrorism measures. The costs of a national ID system
have
been estimated at as much as $9 billion. Even more troubling, a
national ID
system mandated through state agencies would burden states who may have
more effective ways to fight terrorism and strengthen ID systems.
A national ID would both contribute to identity fraud and make it more
difficult to remedy. Americans have consistently rejected the idea of a
national ID and limited the uses of data collected by the government.
In
the 1970s, both the Nixon and Carter Administrations rejected the use
of
social security numbers as a uniform identifier because of privacy
concerns. A national ID would be "one stop shopping" for perpetrators
of
identity theft who usually use social security numbers and birth
certificates for false IDs (not drivers' licenses). Even with a
biometric
identifier, such as a fingerprint, on each and every ID, there is no
guarantee that individuals won't be identified - or misidentified - in
error. The accuracy of biometric technology varies depending on the
type
and implementation. And, it would be even more difficult to remedy
identity
fraud when a thief has a National ID card with your name on it, but his
biometric identifier.
A national ID could require all Americans to carry an internal passport
at
all times, compromising our privacy, limiting our freedom, and exposing
us
to unfair discrimination based on national origin or religion. Once
government databases are integrated through a uniform ID, access to and
uses of sensitive personal information would inevitably expand. Law
enforcement, tax collectors, and other government agencies would want
use
of the data. Employers, landlords, insurers, credit agencies, mortgage
brokers, direct mailers, private investigators, civil litigants, and a
long
list of other private parties would also begin using the ID and even
the
database, further eroding the privacy that Americans rightly expect in
their personal lives. It would take us even further toward a
surveillance
society that would significantly diminish the freedom and privacy of
law-abiding people in the United States. A national ID would foster new
forms of discrimination and harassment. The ID could be used to stop,
question, or challenge anyone perceived as looking or sounding
"foreign" or
individuals of a certain religious affiliation.
The Fiscal Year 2002 House Transportation Appropriations' report
encourages
the Department to study and define "the types of encoded data that
should
be placed on drivers' licenses for security purposes, and to work in
concert with the states toward early implementation of such measures."
These guidelines could be the first step toward federal involvement in
the
standardization of state drivers' licenses and the implementation of a
national ID. We urge you to make recommendations that would provide the
states with a series of security options rather than one uniform
standard
that could lead to a national ID.
We urge the Administration to reject national ID systems in any form.
The
Administration should not take any steps to implement such a system or
fund
any proposals that would result in a national ID, including the study
or
development of standardized state drivers' licenses.
There are more effective methods to prevent terrorism that would not
impact
the liberty interests of Americans.
We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss these
issues in more detail. Please contact Lori Waters at the Eagle Forum,
(202)
544-0353; Katie Corrigan at the American Civil Liberties Union, (202)
675-2322; Brad Jansen at Free Congress Foundation, (202) 546-3000; or
Chris
Hoofnagle at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, (202) 483-1140.
Sincerely,
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
American Civil Liberties Union
American Conservative Union
American Immigration Lawyers Association
American Legislative Exchange Council
American Policy Center
Americans for Tax Reform
Arab American Institute
Center for Democracy and Technology
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Citizens' Council on Health Care
Coalitions for America
Common Ground
Consumer Alert
Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Eagle Forum
Electronic Privacy Information Center
Free Congress Foundation
Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quaker)
God Bless America
Home School Legal Defense Association
Independent Institute
Japanese American Citizens League
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Libertarian Party
Liberty Counsel
Life Coalition International
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Multiracial Activist and Abolitionist Examiner
National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
National Conference of State Legislatures
National Consumers League
National Council of La Raza
National Immigration Law Center
National Vaccine Information Center
Organization of Chinese Americans
Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education
People Against Church Taxation
People for the American Way
Privacilla.org
Privacy International
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
cc:
United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
-----
ISLAM IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
In Honor of Black History Month, the Islamic Society of Baltimore's
Communications Outreach Group presents "Islam In The African-American
Experience."
WHEN: Saturday, February 16, 2 - 4 p.m.
WHERE: Masjid Al-Rahmah, 6631 Johnnycake Road, Catonsville
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT: (410) 747-7366, e-mail
info@isb.org or
visit www.isb.org
Directions to Masjid Al Rahmah (ISB) - From 695 take exit 17 west
towards
Security Boulevard (Rolling Road). Travel 0.5 miles and make a left
onto
Rolling Road. Travel about 0.25 miles on Rolling Road then make a left
at
the third traffic light onto Johnnycake Road. Travel 0.1 mile on
Johnnycake
Road, and then bear left at the fork. ISB is the first entrance to your
right, 6631 Johnnycake Road.
-----
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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 - 2/13/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: LOVING ONE ANOTHER
* CAIR LAUNCHES EID UL-ADHA VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
- HOW TO CONDUCT A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
* AMPCC DISMAYED OVER ASHCROFT'S COMMENTS ABOUT ISLAM
-----
HADITH/VERSE OF THE DAY: LOVING ONE ANOTHER
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "...you will not believe
as
long as you do not love one another." Sahih Muslim, Hadith 19
"On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness will (God) Most
Gracious bestow love. The Holy Quran, Chapter 19, Verse 96
"It may be that Allah will grant love (and friendship) between you and
those whom ye (now) hold as enemies." The Holy Quran, Chapter 60, Verse
7
-----
CAIR ACTION ALERT #321
CAIR LAUNCHES EID UL-ADHA VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
TARGET: 100,000 Registered Muslim Voters
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/13/2002) - CAIR is calling on communities
nationwide
to register Muslim voters on Eid ul-Adha. We have established a link on
our
web site (http://www.cair-net.org/asp/voting.asp) through which
registered
voters may add their names to a Muslim voter database, unregistered
potential voters may access registration materials and Eid ul-Adha
festival
organizers may obtain information about setting up a voter registration
drive. Our initial target is registering 100,000 voters.
To facilitate the registration effort, CAIR will also distribute an
updated
"American Muslim Voter Registration Guide," containing an explanation
of
why Muslims should participate in the political process, instructions
on
how to conduct a voter registration drive, a copy of the National Mail
Voter Registration Form (www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm), a candidate
survey,
and a voter registration log sheet.
(In two CAIR surveys of American Muslims, more than 95 percent of the
respondents favored political participation.)
"Recent events and new government policies have served to spur already
growing political participation by American Muslims. We have an
obligation,
because of the Islamic duty of 'enjoining good and prohibiting evil,'
to
make our voices heard on a number of important issues. Voting, at both
the
local and national level, is the best way to accomplish that goal,"
said
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
CAIR is asking khatibs nationwide to encourage voting in their khutbas
on
Eid ul-Adha. Eid festival organizers should also set up voter
registration
tables in bazaars.
Reasons why Muslims should vote:
* Supporting accommodation of Islamic religious requirements in the
workplace and in schools
* Creating a safe and drug-free environment for families
* Challenging discrimination and stereotyping
* Encouraging foreign and domestic policies that are based on justice
* Deciding how your tax dollars are used
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:
1. Obtain a copy of the American Muslim Voter Registration Guide by
filling
out the request form at http://www.cair-net.org/asp/voting.asp or
sending a
request to:
MAIL:
CAIR
Voter Registration Guide
453 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
FAX: 202-488-0833
E-MAIL: vote@cair-net.org
NOTE: Anyone who requests voter registration information will be given
a
FREE 1-YEAR CAIR MEMBERSHIP.
If your community volunteers to hold a registration drive, please
contact:
Ibrahim Abdullah, 202-488-8787, iabdullah@cair-net.org
2. Use the materials contained in the guide to organize a voter
registration drive on Eid ul-Adha: Make lists of newly-registered
voters.
(Mail a copy to CAIR.)
IMPORTANT - Send the candidate survey included in the guide to those
running public for office. Information provided by candidates (and sent
to
CAIR) will be used to publish a Muslim voter guide.
3. Invite local candidates to Eid activities. Offer to let them say a
few
words to the community.
4. Imams should use part of their Eid khutba to encourage community
members
to go register to vote.
5. Inform CAIR about all those who have registered or who are already
registered. We are building a national Muslim voter database.
- PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE AT PRAYERS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
-
-----
HOW TO CONDUCT A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
(Taken from the "American Muslim Voter Registration Guide.")
1. Gather 2 to 4 members of the community to coordinate the drive.
2. Choose the location of the event - a local mosque, community center
or
school is best.
3. Choose the date and time for the event - make sure that the timing
is
convenient, and fits into the normal schedule of the community. Eid
ul-Adha
festivals and prayers are the best opportunity in the near future.
4. Call or visit your state election office for materials to be used in
your voter drive. Call your county government administration for
registration information. You can also do a www.google.com search using
the
term "voter registration in [your state]."
SEE:
Federal Election Commission, (800) 424-9530
Frequently Asked Questions About Voter Registration and Voting
http://www.fec.gov/pages/faqs.htm
State Voter Registration Requirements
http://www.fec.gov/pages/Voteinst.htm
5. Consider making the drive an event. Invite local candidates from all
parties to participate in a forum at your mosque or facility to discuss
the
issues. At minimum, set up a voter registration booth after Jummah
prayer
or other community events.
6. Inform the community about the drive. Announce the event at Jummah
and
other community activities. Distribute a flyer to advertise the
registration drive.
7. Contact the media in advance and let them know about the drive.
Events
of this nature are an excellent opportunity to obtain positive press
coverage of the Muslim community. Contact CAIR for advice on holding a
media event.
8. Make sure you have enough registration materials. Keep track of how
many
voters you have registered.
9. Conduct the drive. Make sure you have read all the instructions
carefully, and help people in filling out the form.
10. Follow up. Completed voter registration forms should be sent or
dropped
off at your state election office. Make sure to contact them afterwards
to
confirm that the registration forms were accepted.
11. Be sure to write and thank speakers for attending. Thank the
community
for participating.
12. Inform CAIR of the number of voters your organization registered.
-----
AMPCC DISMAYED OVER ASHCROFT'S COMMENTS ABOUT ISLAM
The following letter was sent Tuesday to Attorney General John Ashcroft
by
a coordination committee of Muslim organizations, the American Muslim
Political Coordination Council (AMPCC).
Attorney General John Aschroft
U.S. Department or Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
Dear Attorney General John Aschroft:
The American Muslim Political Coordination Council (AMPCC) is writing
to
express its dismay over comments that were attributed to you by
syndicated
columnist Cal Thomas. You comment, "Islam is a religion in which God
requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith
in
which God sends his son to die for you", is offensive to our community
due
to its inaccuracy and divisiveness.
Furthermore, this public expression of hostility toward Islam causes
American Muslims, in addition to other faith and civil rights groups,
to
question to what extent such views will reflect in policies coming out
of
your office that directly affect our community.
We respectfully ask you to clarify your statement publicly and to take
a
leadership role within the Department of Justice to sensitize officials
regarding Islam and Muslims in an effort to allay concerns that an
anti-Muslim culture has taken root in the Department of Justice.
Respectfully,
Dr. Maher Hathout
Chairman AMPCC, Senior Advisor, Muslim Public Affairs (MPAC) Council
Dr. Yahya Basha
Chairman of the Board, American Muslim Council (AMC)
Omar Ahmed
Chairman of the Board, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Dr. Agha Saeed
Executive Director, American Muslim Alliance (AMA)
-----
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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 - 2/14/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: EQUALITY AND BROTHERHOOD
* POSITION AVAILABLE: CAIR CHAPTER & INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR
* DANIEL PIPES EXPOSED ON FOX'S "ON THE RECORD"
- DAN SHOULD 'PIPE' DOWN THE RHETORIC (New York Post)
- GLOBE COLUMN SLAMS DANIEL PIPES FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
- WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
* CAIR REPRESENTATIVE APPEARS ON FOX'S HANNITY & COLMES
* FBI INITIATES 318 HATE CRIME INVESTIGATIONS AFTER SEPTEMBER 11 (AFP)
* EDITORIAL: ASHCROFT MUST BETTER EXPLAIN ISLAM COMMENTS (Kansas City
Star)
* ASHCROFT SAYS CAL THOMAS GOT IT WRONG (Washington Post)
* AREA PAKISTANIS SEE RECENT SURGE IN BIAS (Star-Telegram)
* MUSLIM FAITHFUL ARE FIGHTING MYTHS THAT GREW OUT OF 9/11 (Miami
Herald)
* AMERICA'S BLACK MUSLIMS CLOSE A RIFT (Christian Science Monitor)
* JAILED LEADER OF CHARITY SET TO TESTIFY (Chicago Tribune)
- ANN ARBOR SUSPECT TO FACE CHICAGO GRAND JURY (Detroit News)
* 22 RACIST WEB SITES LINKED TO TORONTO (Toronto Star)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: EQUALITY AND BROTHERHOOD
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in his last sermon: "Know
that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are all equal.
Nobody has superiority over others except by piety and good action."
This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in
the
Uranah Valley of mount Arafat. SEE:
http://www.discoverislam.com/11.html
-----
POSITION AVAILABLE: CAIR CHAPTER & INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR
CAIR has an immediate opening for an experienced and dynamic person to
fill
the position of CHAPTER & INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR. The person hired will
be
responsible for developing, coordinating and managing chapter marketing
and
development. He or she will also manage CAIR's Internship Program.
Candidates for this position should have a college degree (management
or
related field will be preferred) as well as substantive organizational
and
supervisory skills (3-5 years). Experience in community activism will
be an
asset.
Successful candidates will be self-starters who have good interpersonal
and
communications skills and demonstrate an ability to learn in a
self-directed manner.
This position requires a working knowledge of Microsoft Office,
including
data management. Experience in developing, organizing and managing
internship and training programs will be an asset.
Apply before February 28, 2002 via e-mail to: hr@cair-net.org or by fax
to
202-488-0833. When applying via e-mail please write the position title,
"Chapter and Internship Coordinator," in the subject of the email.
-----
DANIEL PIPES EXPOSED ON FOX'S "ON THE RECORD"
INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL PIPES AND SARAH ELTANTAWI
PROGRAM: Fox News, On the Record, 2/13/2002
http://www.foxnews.com/ontherecord/
HOST: Greta Van Susteren
VAN SUSTEREN: Tonight, a controversy in California over a 7th-grade
history
book that encourages students to think like a Muslim. Critics say the
book
has the potential to convert your 12-year-old into the next John
Walker.
One woman who yanked her son out of a class using the book says it's
downright biased. Would you want your child reading such a textbook?
Joining us from Philadelphia, Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East
Forum. And from Washington, Sarah Eltantawi, communications director of
the
Muslim Public Affairs Council...
SARAH ELTANTAWI, MUSLIM PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL: Well, you know, Greta,
I've
read the book and I've also read Daniel's op-ed on this book. And you
know,
the book is perfectly objective. There's nothing wrong with the book
whatsoever. It gives a balanced account of Islam. The book has nothing
to
do with role-playing or becoming a Muslim. In fact, it was the class
that
did some role-playing activities in order to understand what it's like
to
live as a Muslim.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right, let me ask you...
(CROSSTALK)
VAN SUSTEREN: Is the book a historical book, I mean, rather than sort
of a
practical guide, how to be a particular member of a religion?
ELTANTAWI: Yes, it's a world history book. It's a pre-modern world
history
book. It covers a period in history in which Islam was flourishing. But
you
know, the real issue here is that this is just another one of Daniel
Pipes'
attempts to paint Islam as an evil religion. He's done it before
September
11th and after September 11th.
PIPES: Wait a minute! Wait a minute. This has nothing to do with Islam
being good or evil. We're talking -- the -- the -- excuse me. This is
--
this is MPAC, the organization which this lady represents, on the
offensive. This is not about me. It's not about MPAC. We're talking
about a
book. We're talking about whether this book should be proselytizing for
Islam or not.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right, well, let me just bring in...
ELTANTAWI: OK, well...
VAN SUSTEREN: Let me just bring in for a second to give the publisher,
who
has issued a statement -- let me put it up on the screen for the
viewers
what the publisher says. "Assumptions and accusations are made in Mr.
Pipes' editorial about omissions or interpretations of the text. Most
of
the accusations are based on his own bias and his choice to cite
passages
out of context."
Daniel, let me give you that, as well as let me -- I did a little
research.
And at least in 1983, "The Washington Post" in a book review accused
you of
having a disturbing hostility...
PIPES: All right, Greta, let's...
VAN SUSTEREN: ... to contemporary Muslims. I don't know.
PIPES: Let's play fair here. Let's play fair here.
ELTANTAWI: "A disturbing hostility towards Islam."
PIPES: Wait a minute, Greta. You've got to read the next sentence.
You've
got to read the next sentence. I don't have the 1983 review in front of
me,
but it was a rave review in my book. This...
ELTANTAWI: Well, what -- what...
PIPES: What are you doing exactly here? Why am I the topic here? I
thought
I'm on here to discuss "Across the Centuries."
VAN SUSTEREN: I'm trying to figure out -- here's what I'm trying to
figure
out -- if this is just a history book that lays out the principles of
Islam
and perhaps other religions or whether this is a book that's basically
saying "You have to be or you should be" a particular religion.
ELTANTAWI: But Greta, that's what the book is. It's a history book
giving
the basic principles of Islam. One eight of the book covers Islam in a
world history book. It's perfectly innocuous. On the other hand, we
have a
messenger who immediately attacked me for belonging to an
organization...
PIPES: I have no problem with the study of religion. I have a great
deal of
problem with public schools teaching religion from a pious of point of
view. It should be from an outsider's point of view. And let me give
you an
example. The key figure in Christianity...
VAN SUSTEREN: You got 10 seconds.
PIPES: ... is not referred to...
VAN SUSTEREN: Because then I'm going to give Sarah the last word.
PIPES: ...is not referred to -- is not referred to as Jesus Christ.
He's
referred to as Jesus of Nazareth, an objective description, not saying
he's
the son of God. The key figure in Islam is called not Mohammed but the
Prophet Mohammed.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right, Sarah...
PIPES: And that's a key difference.
VAN SUSTEREN: ... let me give you a quick chance to respond because
we're
going to run out of time. You want to respond?
ELTANTAWI: Yes. I just want to add -- I'd just like to say that
ignorance
is not good for our country, and learning more about Islam can only
help
our country. And the direction that Mr. Pipes wants to go, which is to
malign anything Muslim anywhere, is detrimental to our country. It's
alienating an entire community that wants to help enhance the national
security of our nation...
TO READ DANIEL PIPES' ORIGINAL ARTICLE, GO TO:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02112002/postopinion/opedcolumnists/41080.htm
SEE ALSO:
DAN SHOULD 'PIPE' DOWN THE RHETORIC
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02132002/postopinion/letters/41291.htm
February 13, 2002 -- It's unfortunate that Daniel Pipes' reputation as
a
Muslim-basher has grown to the point that it utterly overshadows the
substance of his arguments ("Think Like a Muslim," Opinion, Feb. 11).
If
Pipes has spent more than 30 years of his life studying Islam, he
should
already know that every period of history since the birth of Islam has
had
those who have vociferously opposed it. Despite the efforts of Pipes
and
his ilk, Islam has thrived in the hearts of Muslims, and it will
continue
to do so. That is because Islam, as a faith, is a deep reaffirmation of
the
human need to be guided by a just and merciful God.
Sarah Sayeed
Manhattan
Pipes' column should not have been published. Pipes obviously thinks
it's
correct to present Islam to kids from solely a critical and
narrow-minded
perspective. This is the wrong approach to teaching children about a
religion that today is being examined and questioned by many. In order
to
better understand a religion, one must open his or her mind to
different
perspectives and be willing to put differences and biases aside.
Sarah Ali
St. Louis, Mo.
Pipes' greatest fear is that Americans will gain some kind of objective
knowledge of other cultures and religions (including Islam) that would
cause them to reevaluate their unconditional support of Israeli
policies.
No one has asked for a whitewashed version of Islam, only that the
facts be
presented fairly.
Aisha Sobh
Urbana, Ill.
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
GLOBE COLUMN SLAMS DANIEL PIPES FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=558&articletype=1
WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
CAIR REPRESENTATIVE APPEARS ON FOX'S HANNITY & COLMES
PROGRAM: HANNITY & COLMES
http://www.foxnews.com/hannityandcolmes/index.html
DATE: February 13, 2002
GUESTS: Michael Rushford, Ibrahim Hooper
HOSTS: Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes
First, a judge in Sacramento, California ruled that prison inmates will
be
allowed to keep their beards regardless of a state regulation that says
beards are not allowed. A group of Muslim prisoners challenged the
original
rule, saying they should be allowed to wear beards because it is part
of
their religious practice. Others say you can't give rights to some
prisoners and not to all.
Joining us from Washington: a spokesman with the Council on American-
Islamic Relations, Ibrahim Hooper; and from Sacramento, the president
of
the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, Michael Rushford...
COLMES: Yes, but we're talking -- we're talking about a simple beard.
Mr. Hooper, you have got, what, a half-inch beard? You've got the very
kind
of beard we're talking about. I think one might recognize you with or
without that, probably, right?
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Yes, I think the
judge summed it up pretty well when he said it was an exaggerated
response
to a legitimate concern.
Obviously, safety and security is an issue in a prison. But a half-
inch
beard isn't going to compromise that. And the argument is, well, maybe
you'll have people lighting fires or slaughtering animals. That's
obviously
not the question here. And the judge probably would rule differently on
an
issue like that...
HOOPER: You're not allowing different inmates to have different rights.
Everyone has the right to religious accommodation as long as it doesn't
compromise safety and security.
RUSHFORD: I'm sorry, but the religion of Islam has a lot of rules and
restrictions that are unusual when compared to other religions. And
inmates
choose that religion for that very purpose, so they can game the system
and
have some fun with it.
HANNITY: Where does it end?
HOOPER: I can see why they're having problems if that's the stereotype
you
hold.
HANNITY: Do inmates get to wear certain clothing because of their
religious
beliefs? Is that the next step? Do they get to have conjugal visits
because
sex is a part of their religious beliefs? Is that the next step?
HOOPER: I would like to go back to my colleague's stereotypes of some
oddities about the Islamic faith that aren't part of another faith. I
would
like to hear more about that.
HANNITY: Well, Mr. Hooper, I would rather ask you this question.
HOOPER: I know you would.
HANNITY: Here's the bottom line.
When you commit crimes -- when you commit crime, you give up certain
rights.
HOOPER: You lose your rights, yes.
HANNITY: You lose your rights. I don't want to hear people whine about
it.
We've gone down this road of accommodating prisoners too far. I think
prisoners have a right to a Bible. If they want to read the Koran, I
think
that's a fair accommodation. Maybe they'll learn something from it.
(CROSSTALK)
HOOPER: Would they have the right to wear a cross?
HANNITY: No. No.
HOOPER: OK. At least you're consistent.
HANNITY: Absolutely not.
RUSHFORD: You can make a weapon out of a cross, yes.
HANNITY: I think -- unless that's the policy. Whatever the policy that
they
set forth in a particular prison or jurisdiction, that's what it is.
And I don't care what people say. One of the problems we've had with
crime
in this country is, we don't punish prisoners. And we offer them
conjugal
visits, weight rooms so that they can get strong and beat up the
guards,
law libraries so they can sue taxpayers at their expense. And I think
it's
time to punish criminals. Don't commit the crime and you'll keep your
rights.
HOOPER: And, also, it's commendable to rehabilitate prisoners as well.
And
if you treat them in an inhumane fashion and deprive them of all
rights,
you're going to come out with a worse individual than went in...
COLMES: Well, so far, the courts seem to be on Mr. Hooper's side. We'll
see
how it plays out.
-----
FBI INITIATES 318 HATE CRIME INVESTIGATIONS AFTER SEPTEMBER 11
Agence France Presse, 2/14/2002
The US federal Bureau of Investigation has initiated 318 hate crime
probes
involving Arab, Muslim and Sikh American victims since the September 11
attacks, FBI director Robert Mueller said Wednesday.
The probes have resulted in nearly 80 people being charged with
federal,
state and local crimes, Mueller said in a statement. The FBI director
released these figures while meeting with members of the US Muslim
community at bureau headquarters Tuesday.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations says there have been 1,700
acts
of hostility toward the US Muslim community since the September 11
attacks...
-----
EDITORIAL: ASHCROFT MUST BETTER EXPLAIN ISLAM COMMENTS
The Kansas City Star, 2/14/2002
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/news/opinion/2664662.htm
If a report that Attorney General John Ashcroft made a tactless and
inaccurate comment about Islam is correct, he should immediately
apologize.
If Ashcroft believes this report to be inaccurate, he should clearly
say
so. At this point, however, he has not flatly denied making the remark.
Cal
Thomas, a conservative syndicated columnist, quoted Ashcroft as saying:
"Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die
for
him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for
you."
In a radio commentary late last year, Thomas reported the remark. Until
recently, however, many people were unaware of it.
So far Ashcroft has failed to give this matter the attention it
deserves.
He simply had a Justice Department spokeswoman issue a statement saying
that the words attributed to him by Thomas "do not accurately reflect
the
attorney general's views."
This careful wording implies denial but is actually silent on whether
the
quote was accurate. Thomas insists that it was. The columnist said he
even
repeated the quote in Ashcroft's presence to make sure that it was
right.
The quoted remark amounts to a broad and unfair attack on an entire
faith.
It is exactly what the Arab American Institute called it: a "horrible
distortion of Islam."
The executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
said
the quoted remarks were "inaccurate, offensive and are unbecoming of a
law
enforcement official who is currently initiating and administering
policies
that have a disproportionate impact on Muslims..."
The attorney general needs to quickly clarify the situation. If Thomas'
report is accurate, Ashcroft owes Muslims a sincere apology.
-----
ASHCROFT SAYS CAL THOMAS GOT IT WRONG
ALLEGED REMARKS ON ISLAM PROMPT AN ASHCROFT REPLY
Critics Urge a More Emphatic Repudiation of Comments
By Dan Eggen, The Washington Post, 2/14/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7548-2002Feb13.html
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft, under increasing fire from Muslim
and
Arab American groups over comments he allegedly made about Islam, said
yesterday that the reported remarks "do not accurately reflect what I
believe I said..."
-----
AREA PAKISTANIS SEE RECENT SURGE IN BIAS
By JOSH SHAFFER, DIANE SMITH, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2/13/2002
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/ (Article is not online.)
IMMIGRATION: The American dream is fading for many Pakistani
immigrants,
even longtime residents, as they feel the fallout from Sept. 11...
Some prefer the strife of Pakistan to the uncertainty they face as
Muslims
and foreigners. Many who choose to stay report added trouble finding
jobs
and discrimination.
"It's been a rough ride," said Mohamed Elmougy, president of the Fort
Worth-Dallas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"There
are people who even blamed the current economic situation on Muslims,
and
they take their wrath on them in many shapes and forms..."
-----
MUSLIM FAITHFUL ARE FIGHTING MYTHS THAT GREW OUT OF 9/11
BY ANDREA ROBINSON, The Miami Herald, 2/14/2002
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2665517.htm
Each Friday afternoon, dozens of mostly black men and women wearing
traditional Muslim garments stream into Masjid Al-Ansar in the shadow
of
Interstate 95 in Liberty City, for the weekly Jum'ah prayer at the
mosque.
Imam Fred Nuriddin opens his message with a declaration of praise for
Allah: "In the name of Allah, the merciful benefactor, the merciful
redeemer," he begins, "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah,
and I
bear witness that Mohammed is the messenger of God."
It's a ritual few outside Islam know anything about. One anomaly of
Islam
is that although millions of African Americans have embraced it since
the
early 1900s -- it's the country's fastest-growing religion -- its
tenets
are a mystery to most Americans.
Sept. 11 has helped to change that.
"We had a lot of opportunities before, but more since Sept. 11,"
Nuriddin
said. "It's given us an opportunity to clarify things about the
religion."
Misunderstandings about Islam are rooted in media coverage of news
events,
such as the Iranian revolution in the late 1970s and the politics of
the
Nation of Islam in this country, Madhi said.
"It's looking at Islam through the actions of individuals instead of
the
teachings of the Koran. We're trying to correct those views," Mahdi
said.
African Americans largely were introduced to a form of the teachings
through Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad during the 1930s.
Although
the Nation's present controversial leader, Minister Louis Farrakhan,
dominates news coverage, many African Americans -- including Malcolm X
--
began shifting toward traditional Islam in the 1960s. Orthodox Muslims
reject the racial separatism message espoused by the Nation...
Ilyas Ba-Yunus, a sociology professor at State University of New York
at
Cortland, said the U.S. Muslim population will reach 7.9 million by
this
summer, with African Americans making up 32 percent of that number. An
additional 6 percent come from the West Indies, Guyana and sub-Saharan
African countries.
Nationally, African Americans account for the majority of converts in
the
United States, particularly in the Northeast. Some families are now
fourth-generation Muslim, said Aminah McCloud, Islamic studies
professor at
De Paul University in Chicago...
-----
AMERICA'S BLACK MUSLIMS CLOSE A RIFT
By Daniel B. Wood, The Christian Science Monitor, 2/14/2002
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0214/p03s01-ussc.html
When Imam W. Deen Mohammed ascends a wooden podium at the Los Angeles
Convention Center here tomorrow, the gaze of 20,000 Nation of Islam
faithful will rest upon his countenance for Friday prayer.
The proceeding, an orthodox Islamic ritual known as Jummah, will mark
an
important milestone for the famously radical group headed by Louis
Farrakhan.
Known for his inflammatory black nationalist ideology, Mr. Farrakhan
has
been seeking a more moderate profile - and reconciliation with the
broad
majority of African-American Muslims.
It's been evident, in the past two years, in his toned-down rhetoric
since
a recovery from illness. Now, in a sign of softening perhaps heightened
by
Sept. 11, Mr. Farrakhan has invited longtime rival Imam Mohammed, who
leads
the largest group of African American Muslims, to conduct the special
prayer this week at the Nation of Islam's annual convention here.
For decades, Farrakhan's much smaller band of followers has largely
ignored
the Jummah, a pillar of practice for most Muslims. Mohammed's
appearance at
the dais represents a further step in a detente that could help end 26
years of division between the two groups - at a time when the American
Muslims face renewed public scrutiny...
In recent years, experts say, Farrakhan has lowered the tone of his
separatist and black nationalist rhetoric. He has embraced other races,
appointed women in high positions, and played down doctrinal
differences
that were points of division between his followers and those of W.D.
Mohammed..
"It is very clear to me that Minister Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam
are
very serious in embracing the love and peace message of Islam and
putting
harsh rhetoric behind," says W. D. Mohammed in a Monitor interview.
Recounting a meeting between himself, Farrakhan, and Christian minister
Robert Schuller in December, he says Farrakhan openly repented of
confusing
the picture of Muslims before the US public, and vowed to discontinue
his
message of black nationalism.
"The old rhetoric [of Farrakhan] is changing," says Dr. Maher Hathout
of
the Muslim Public Affairs Council. "We will see if his behavior changes
as
well."
-----
JAILED LEADER OF CHARITY SET TO TESTIFY
By Amy E. Nevala, The Chicago Tribune, 2/14/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0202140021feb14.story
Two months after being arrested, a leader of a Muslim charity based in
suburban Bridgeview that had its assets frozen as the federal
government
investigates suspected links to terrorism will testify Thursday before
a
grand jury in Chicago, his attorney said.
Rabih Haddad, 41, has been in custody since his arrest Dec. 14 in his
Ann
Arbor, Mich., home for an alleged visa violation. The same day, federal
agents closed Global Relief Foundation, the charity Haddad co-founded.
Attorney Ashraf Nubani emphasized that Haddad has not been charged with
criminal activity and that no one has publicly offered evidence linking
him
to terrorist activity.
"The government hasn't been saying anything, so we don't know what to
expect," said Nubani of Haddad's scheduled grand jury appearance in the
Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago. "We don't know what they want him
to
testify about..."
SEE ALSO:
ANN ARBOR SUSPECT TO FACE CHICAGO GRAND JURY
http://www.detnews.com/2002/metro/0202/13/a09-415100.htm
-----
22 RACIST WEB SITES LINKED TO TORONTO
By Jonathan Bjerg Moller, The Toronto Star, 2/14/2002
http://www.thestar.com/
Search using the term "hate."
More than 20 North American white supremacist Web sites have been
linked to
a post office box in downtown Toronto, police say.
The 22 white supremacist Web sites are all hosted by the server
www.affordable-space.com, which is registered to a Canada Post mailbox
on
Adelaide St.
"It's the Grand Central Station of hate propaganda," said Sergeant Don
McKinnon, of London's Hate Crime Unit. He's been investigating the Web
sites for about a year...
On Tuesday, representatives from Toronto's Jewish, Muslim and Sikh
communities filed a complaint with Toronto police after one of the Web
sites hosted on this server posted two pictures of men wearing turbans.
One
was identified as a Sikh, the other as a Muslim. Below was the caption:
"Please beat accordingly."
In September, the Canadian Jewish Congress complained to police after
another site hosted by the server encouraged the sterilization and
murder
of visible minorities and non-whites. On the front page of another site
hosted by the server is a picture of four black men hanging from a
tree...
-----
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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 - 2/15/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: SPREADING PEACE
* CAIR CO-SPONSORS CALIFORNIA CANDIDATE'S FORUM
- CAIR MUSLIM VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
* AIRLINE FACES BIAS COMPLAINT (Boston Globe)
* ISLAM GROWING FAST IN THE US (KPIX)
- MUSLIM WOMEN SAY THEY'RE EQUAL IN ISLAM
* JAILED MUSLIM SUES OVER CLOSED HEARINGS (Los Angeles Times)
* JUDGE TO HEAR ABUSE CASE OF SEPT. 11 DETAINEE (Washington Post)
* CANADA CUSTOMS SET TO INSTALL IRIS SCAN KIOSKS AT INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORTS
(Canadian Press)
- BEHAVIOR PROFILING NEEDED FOR AIRPORT SECURITY, SAYS LOGAN
CONSULTANT (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SPREADING PEACE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Spread peace abroad,
and
you will remain safe."
Imam Bukhari's Book of Morals and Manners, Hadith 982
-----
CAIR CO-SPONSORS CALIFORNIA CANDIDATE'S FORUM
The League of Women Voters & The Southern California Muslim Coalition
(SCMC) Cordially invite you to attend a candidate forum for
California's
39th United States Congressional District co-sponsored by:
Coalition 2000
Chinese American Citizens Alliance
Coalition of Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem
Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Council of Pakistan American Affairs (COPAA)
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
WHEN: Sunday, February 24, 2002, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Cerritos Senior Center at Pat Nixon Park, 12340 South Street,
Cerritos CA (2 miles East of the 605 Freeway)
List of Candidates
Hector De La Torre
Sally M. Havice
Tim Escobar
Ken Graham
Helen M. Rahder
Richard B. Owens
Cecy R. Groom
Linda T. Sanchez
Richard G. Newhouse
The 39th district includes the cities of Whittier, La Mirada, Cerritos,
Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, South Gate, and surrounding areas.
For more information, please contact CAIR at (714) 776-1847, or
cair_sCA@cair-california.org.
SEE ALSO: CAIR MUSLIM VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/voting.asp
-----
AIRLINE FACES BIAS COMPLAINT
By Chris Reidy, The Boston Globe, 2/15/2002
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/046/business/Airline_faces_bias_complaint+.shtml
32-year-old Arab-American who worked at Draper Laboratory plans to file
a
discrimination complaint today that alleges American Airlines barred
him
from boarding a Boston-to-Los Angeles flight three months ago and
publicly
humiliated him because of his "Arab name..."
"This is classic discrimination," Schwartz said. "This is racial
punishment, not racial profiling. His ethnicity was not the first step
in a
screening process. It was the only step."
-----
ISLAM GROWING FAST IN THE US
By Barbara Rodgers, KPIX Channel 5, 2/11/2002
http://beta.kpix.com/news/local/2002/02/11/Islam_Growing_Fast_in_U%2ES%2E.html
Every day, when the sun rises, the call to prayer is heard in mosques
all
across America.
Islam is the world's second-largest religion -- second only to
Christianity. And now, because of immigration and conversion, it's one
of
America's fastest-growing faiths. Muslims here come from all over the
world: Africa, Asia, the Middle East, but mostly from the USA...
"This is our Muslim moment in this country," said Omar Ahmad,
co-founder of
the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).
CAIR joined other Muslim-American groups in condemning the September
attacks as not only an affront to America, but an affront to Islam, as
well.
"We have to make our position loud and clear," Ahmad said. "We are
against
terrorism. This is absolute mass murder, what happened on September
11th. "
In the weeks following those horrible attacks, Muslims reported an
escalation in hate crimes against them...
Muslims in this country recognized that they are not in the traditional
portrait of America. They are different by their way of dress, and
their
dietary restrictions that prohibit consuming pork and alcohol. But
Faheem
Shuaibe, the Iman of a mosque in Oakland, says their differences do not
keep Muslims from being true Americans.
"It may not be Ronald Reagan's America, or George Bush's America. We're
talking about the America that is original," he said. "'We hold these
truths to be self-evident -- that all men are created equal and endowed
by
their creator with certain inalienable rights.' That's what we believe
in
Islam. We can find that almost literally in the Koran."
CAIR is concerned that those civil rights for Muslims are now being
threatened by new federal policies designed to strengthen homeland
security...
Ahmad and Helal Omeira, CAIR's Northern California Executive Director,
are
trying to organize the estimated 200,000 Muslims in the Bay Area
through a
voter-registration drive, so they can speak with a much louder voice.
"I think this incident is a wake-up call for Muslims," Ahmad said.
"They
live in America, and have to act like Americans. They have to
participate
in the affairs of the society at large, because they are citizens of
this
country."
Citizens, Omeira says, who are guided by their Muslim beliefs, but
still
respect the beliefs of others...
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM WOMEN SAY THEY'RE EQUAL IN ISLAM
By Barbar Rodgers, KPIX Channel 5, 2/12/2002
http://beta.kpix.com/news/local/2002/02/12/Muslim_Women_Say_They%27re_Equal_in_Islam.html
The September 11th attacks have prompted many Americans to take a new
look
at Islam -- one of the fastest-growing religions in the U.S.
Muslim women, who wear a veil or a headscarf, are becoming a much more
common sight, especially in the Bay Area.
If it were not for the hijab, or headscarf, people would probably make
no
assumptions about Ameena Jandali. But because of the way she dresses,
they do.
"Just last week I was dropping someone off at the airport," she said.
"I
was waiting in the back seat because my baby was crying. You know the
airports now -- you're not supposed to stay too long. So the security
guard
came and said, 'You really need to move,' and said, 'Can you drive?' I
said, 'Yeah, I'm 40 years old and I can drive...'"
Overall, Muslim women say theirs is a religion that respects women and
elevates them to a special place. In Islam, they say, they are equal to
men, but different from them.
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
Dan Rosenheim
News Director
KPIX Channel 5
855 Battery St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
Fax: (415) 765-8844
E-MAIL: rosenheim@kpix.cbs.com
COPY TO: CAIR_NCA@cair-california.org
-----
JAILED MUSLIM SUES OVER CLOSED HEARINGS
The Los Angeles Times, 2/15/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000011829feb15.story
A jailed Muslim cleric sued the federal government Thursday,
challenging
the way closed-door immigration hearings have been held since the Sept.
11
attacks on America.
The suit was filed on behalf of Rabih Haddad, a native of Lebanon who
was
arrested at his Ann Arbor, Mich., home Dec. 14. The arrest came on the
same
day that federal agents, invoking a recently enacted anti-terrorism
law,
raided the offices and froze the assets of the Global Relief
Foundation, a
prominent Illinois-based U.S.-Islamic relief group that Haddad
co-founded.
U.S. officials blame Islamic militant Osama bin Laden for masterminding
the
Sept. 11 attacks that killed about 3,000 people.
-----
JUDGE TO HEAR ABUSE CASE OF SEPT. 11 DETAINEE
By Steve Fainaru, The Washington Post, 2/15/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13362-2002Feb15.html
In the first case of its kind, a Jordanian student will try to convince
a
federal judge here Friday that authorities illegally detained him,
physically abused him and coerced him into committing perjury as part
of
the investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks.
The case of Osama Awadallah, 21, is the first serious legal challenge
by a
detainee claiming abuse by the government in its post-Sept. 11
investigation. His claim is being monitored closely by civil liberties
advocates who contend the government has violated the rights of
hundreds of
detainees since the attacks, in many cases holding immigrants
indefinitely
on minor charges, denying them attorneys and holding them in secret
locations...
-----
CANADA CUSTOMS SET TO INSTALL IRIS SCAN KIOSKS AT INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORTS
The Canadian Press, 2/15/2002
http://www.globeandmail.ca
Search using the term "iris."
TORONTO (CP) _ Canada Customs will being using iris scanners this
summer to
speed air travellers through the country's busiest airports, the Globe
and
Mail reported Friday.
The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency will announce in early April the
firm
that will get the contract to install kiosks equipped with
iris-recognition
devices in eight of Canada's business international airports, industry
sources said.
The kiosks would allow some Canadian travellers, when they get off a
plane,
to move through a customs checkpoint in 30 seconds or less by
confirming
their identities with quick scans of their irises...
SEE ALSO:
BEHAVIOR PROFILING NEEDED FOR AIRPORT SECURITY, SAYS LOGAN CONSULTANT
By LESLIE MILLER, The Associated Press, 2/12/2002
BOSTON (AP) - Logan Airport's security consultant said Tuesday he wants
to
thwart terrorists with behavior analysis techniques that some might
call
"profiling," warning that political correctness and aviation security
are
contradictions that can't coexist.
Rafi Ron, the former Israeli Airport Authority's security director,
would
replace the long lines, inconvenience and expense of passenger
screening
with something he calls "pattern behavior recognition."
Ron will submit a report on March 15 that will recommend sending teams
of
behavior experts who'll walk through the airport, singling out
suspicious
travelers for comprehensive security checks and interviews that can
take up
to an hour...
-----
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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 - 2/17/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO ANIMALS
* WRITER ASKS THAT PALESTINIANS BE “CAGED” (Tribune-Review)
* AL-AMIN TRIAL TESTIMONY STARTS THIS WEEK (Atlanta Journal)
- MOSQUE PRAYING FOR ITS IMAM
* ISLAM'S FEMALE CONVERTS (Newsday)
* WAR COVERAGE TAKES A NEGATIVE TURN (Washington Post)
- DOUBTS CLOUD US TALIBAN CASE (The Observer)
* IT SOUNDS LIKE HATE, BUT IS IT? (Los Angeles Times)
* 2 AFRICAN AMERICAN ISLAMIC LEADERS VOW TO JOIN FORCES (Los Angeles
Times)
* COLLEGES ARE SCRAMBLING FOR MUSLIM CHAPLAINS (New York Times)
* US PILGRIMS SAY SEPT. 11 DEEPENED FAITH (Reuters)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS TO ANIMALS
While in the company of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), a man
took an egg from a bird’s nest. This caused the mother bird to begin
circling about the Prophet’s head. The Prophet asked: “Who stole this
bird’s egg?” The man admitted that he took the egg. The Prophet then
said:
“Put it back…and have mercy.”
Imam Bukhari’s Book of Muslim Morals and Manners, Hadith 384
-----
WRITER ASKS THAT PALESTINIANS BE “CAGED”
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/s_17512.html
“The Palestinians have become a culture of murderers…It's time they
were
caged, for they have abandoned their humanity.”
ACTION REQUESTED: (Please be POLITE. This newspaper has an editorial
history that suggests it would take any hostile comments and use them
to
further defame Muslims.)
Send letters to the editor at: letters@tribweb.com, opinion@tribweb.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
AL-AMIN TRIAL TESTIMONY STARTS THIS WEEK
Both sides believe they have solid cases
By STEVE VISSER, The Atlanta Journal, 2/17/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/021702.html
This week, testimony will begin in Fulton County Superior Court as
Al-Amin
faces trial on 13 charges surrounding the killing of a lawman. It's a
death
penalty case in which his believers say he could not possibly be guilty
and
in which law enforcement says he clearly is. Both sides cite the
evidence
--- or lack of --- and both cite his character and past as proof
they're
right…
But the defense has plenty of evidence and issues in its corner.
English
positively described his assailant as having gray eyes and told police
he
had shot the gunman in the stomach. Al-Amin's eyes are brown and he was
uninjured when arrested. Also, defense lawyers are expected to argue
that
the location of shell casings found at the scene don't match English's
description of events.
As evidence the gunman was wounded, the defense will refer to police
reports of blood at the scene --- blood that Atlanta police Sgt. Scott
Bennett relied on when he swore out an affidavit to get a warrant to
search
Al-Amin's market for evidence of bloody clothing or "medical
intervention."
The police now say reports of blood at the scene were wrong.
In June 2000, another man confessed to the crime, claiming Al-Amin
tried to
stop him. But he recanted after speaking to FBI agents. The
inconsistencies
have led many of Al-Amin's supporters in Atlanta, around the country
and on
the Internet to believe the imam is being framed…
SEE ALSO: MOSQUE PRAYING FOR ITS IMAM
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/021702side.html
-----
ISLAM'S FEMALE CONVERTS
What draws some women to the religion - and its structured way of life
By Priya Malhotra, Newsday (New York, NY), 2/16/2002
http://www.newsday.com/features/ny-feat-fcov0216.story
Despite the persistent image of the oppressed Muslim woman, about 7,000
of
those converts each year are women, according to the report of a study
led
by Ihsan Bagby, a professor of international studies at Shaw University
in
Raleigh, N.C. The study was financed in part by the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, based in Washington. About 14,000 of the
total
number of converts in 2000, the report found, were African-American,
4,000
were white and 1,200 were of Hispanic descent. (Members of the Nation
of
Islam were not included in the study.)
What is the religion's draw for women? "The tightly structured way of
life,
the regular set of responsibilities, where you know what you believe,
and
you know what you do, attracts some women," said Jane I. Smith,
professor
of Islamic studies at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut and author of
"Islam
in America" (Columbia University Press).
With laws for almost every aspect of life, Islam represents a
faith-based
order that women may see as crucial to creating healthy families and
communities, and correcting the damage done by the popular secular
humanism
of the past 30 or so years, several experts said. In addition, women
from
broken homes may be especially attracted to the religion because of the
value it places on family, said Marcia Hermansen, a professor of
Islamic
studies at Loyola University in Chicago and an American who also
converted
to Islam.
Next Saturday, the women, along with Muslims around the world, will
celebrate the festival of Eid ul-Adha marking the end of hajj, the
annual
pilgrimage to Mecca. They "don't see the structures as repressive,"
Hermansen said. "They see them as comforting and supportive."
Choosing Islam can also be a type of "cultural critique" of Western
materialism, she said. "Islam represents the beautiful, traditional,
grounded and authentic…"
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: letters@newsday.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
WAR COVERAGE TAKES A NEGATIVE TURN
By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post, 2/17/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22397-2002Feb16.html
After five months in which the Bush administration drew consistently
upbeat
coverage for a successful military campaign, the media climate has
turned
sharply negative. Suddenly, the issues of civilian casualties, military
mistakes and the Pentagon's own credibility have been dragged into the
national spotlight.
Perhaps there was lingering resentment among journalists over their
limited
access during the war while Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was
hailed
on magazine covers like a rock star. Perhaps the tales of innocents
slain
in remote Afghan villages became too heart-rending to ignore. Perhaps
there
was a news void as the fighting largely subsided and the Osama bin
Laden
trail went cold.
Or perhaps it is easier for reporters to raise uncomfortable questions
about military blunders now that the Taliban regime has been toppled
and
the threat to American troops greatly eased.
Whatever the cause, war coverage now resembles a kind of time-lapse
photography, with journalists revisiting the scene of past bombing
raids
for the kind of up-close-and-personal reporting that was all but
impossible
while the ground war was raging…
SEE ALSO: DOUBTS CLOUD US TALIBAN CASE
http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,651666,00.html
The journalist who conducted the first interview with Walker, 20, after
he
had been captured in Afghanistan said yesterday he had grave worries
about
the way his work had been used by the government lawyers.
Robert Pelton, whose interview with John Walker on CNN last December is
one
of the main strands of the prosecution case, told The Observer of his
concerns.
He said there were a number of instances where the script accompanying
the
Walker film had been presented by prosecution lawyers as comments made
directly by the accused. This made Walker appear more knowledgeable
about
the al-Qaeda terrorist network and the war in Afghanistan than he
really was…
-----
IT SOUNDS LIKE HATE, BUT IS IT?
Most sacred texts contain passages shocking to modern sensibilities.
But
experts say they need to be read in context.
By TERESA WATANABE, The Los Angeles Times, 2/16/2002
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-000011947feb16.story
This month's flap over whether Korans containing anti-Jewish commentary
should be pulled from public schools underscores a question of growing
prominence in today's pluralistic times: How do you make sure ancient
scriptures mesh with modern-day sensibilities?
The prevailing answer among scholars: You can't. No scripture is
politically correct--nor, many scholars argue, should anyone expect it
to be.
New religious movements emerge precisely because the prevailing faiths
are
deemed flawed in some major way, says Reuven Firestone, a professor of
medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. So
if
their scriptures rail against others as arrogant sinners, unbelievers,
idol
worshippers and the like--well, that's their job, Firestone says.
"Scripture is a divinely authoritative way to prove the old systems are
no
longer proper and that there is a need for a new religious expression,"
he
says.
Religious scholars say there is a plenty of political incorrectness to
go
around in virtually all scriptures. The Hebrew Bible trashes the
prevailing
Canaanite religion--and even calls for the wholesale slaughter of those
regarded as idol worshippers. In the New Testament Gospel of Matthew,
Jesus
condemns the Pharisees, a group of particularly observant Jews, as
hypocrites and "sons of vipers" destined for the "judgment of hell..."
-----
2 AFRICAN AMERICAN ISLAMIC LEADERS VOW TO JOIN FORCES
By TERESA WATANABE, The Los Angeles Times, 2/16/2002
http://latimes.com/news/local/la-000011940feb16.story
Islam's two preeminent African American leaders, separated by two
decades
of rivalry before reconciling two years ago, reaffirmed unity Friday in
their first joint appearance in Los Angeles.
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and W.D. Muhammad of the Muslim
American Society offered stark contrasts--one a fiery orator of
political
polemics and black empowerment; the other a low-key leader who
resolutely
sticks to religion. Once united under Nation of Islam founder Elijah
Muhammad, they split 25 years ago over doctrine, with W.D. Muhammad
rejecting his father's blend of Islam and black nationalism and moving
into
orthodox Sunni Islam...
Indeed, in recent months Farrakhan has begun moving into the universal
message of orthodox Islam. He has been aided by Muhammad, whose
followers
have helped train Nation of Islam forces in orthodox practices.
But major theological differences remain. Just as evangelical
Christians
view Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses as deviations from their faith,
orthodox Muslims reject the Nation's core beliefs that Elijah Muhammad
was
a divine messenger and that his teacher, W. Fard Muhammad, was God
incarnate. Orthodox Muslims reject the idea of human divinity and
believe
the prophet Muhammad was God's final messenger.
The differences have inhibited some orthodox Muslim groups from
supporting
Farrakhan, financially and otherwise. But Farrakhan seemed to hint
Friday
that he would begin moving his flocks away from those ideas.
Whether his followers can embrace the changes remains to be seen.
"Master
Fard was God in the person," insisted Alfonso Muhammad, 37, a Nation of
Islam minister in Los Angeles.
In an interview, Muhammad asserted that Farrakhan did not actually
believe
the old Nation doctrines anymore--"He's no fool"--but was moving
carefully
so as not to lose his following. Now that Farrakhan is leaving behind
his
controversial religious and racial doctrines, Muhammad said, he is
headed
toward the status of Malcolm X as one of the black community's leading
consciences…
-----
COLLEGES ARE SCRAMBLING FOR MUSLIM CHAPLAINS
By ERIC GOLDSCHEIDER, The New York Times, 2/16/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/16/national/16RELI.html
For colleges and universities, finding Muslim chaplains is often
difficult.
Yahya Hendi, an imam, became the first full-time Muslim college
chaplain in
the United States when Georgetown University in Washington hired him
three
years ago.
By Mr. Hendi's count, 27 colleges have Muslim chaplains, most of whom
serve
part time or as volunteers and, like Ms. Sheikh, started with little
religious training. Because colleges and universities are scrambling to
meet the needs of growing numbers of Muslim students, "they are just
hiring
anyone," Mr. Hendi said.
A few months ago Mr. Hendi, 35, was part of a group that convened to
form
the National Muslim Chaplains in Higher Education Council, which is
seeking
to ensure that chaplains at colleges and universities are adequately
trained…
-----
US PILGRIMS SAY SEPT. 11 DEEPENED FAITH
By Nadim Ladki, Reuters, 2/17/2002
http://www.jordantimes.com/mon/news/news4.htm
MECCA (R) Like all Americans, New Yorker Mariam Faraj was horrified by
Sept. 11.
But the 46-year-old convert to Islam said the suicide attacks and a
backlash against Muslims that followed had failed to shake her faith.
Performing the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca for the second time in four
years,
Faraj, who was born in Italy and used to be called Renata Solimine,
recounted her shock as she watched events unfold near to her New York
home
on Sept. 11.
“It was unbelievable,” Faraj told Reuters in the Muslim holy city on
Sunday. “I don't think Muslim people are so cruel.”
Friends and neighbours shunned Faraj and her Egyptian-born husband and
two
children after the hijack attacks were blamed on Islamist militants.
But
she was determined to uphold her faith.
“I am not going to give up and nor are my children because we know this
is
the religion of peace,” said the New York housewife, her head covered
by a
pink scarf.
Her beliefs were echoed by other American pilgrims who made the journey
from the United States to Saudi Arabia…
-----
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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 - 2/19/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: GOD DOES NOT BURDEN A SOUL
* U.S. MUSLIMS CELEBRATE END OF HAJJ WITH COMMUNAL PRAYERS
* PENTAGON READIES EFFORTS TO SWAY SENTIMENT ABROAD (New York Times)
* AL-JAZEERA AIRS PROGRAM ON SECRET EVIDENCE
* JORDANIAN DETAINEE TESTIFIES ON ABUSE (Washington Post)
- THOUGH NOT LINKED TO TERRORISM, MANY DETAINEES CANNOT GO
HOME
(New York Times)
* MUSLIM WOMAN, STUDENTS ARE SHAKEN BY HOSTILITY AT PTA MEETING (St.
Louis
Post-Dispatch)
* THE TRIAL OF JAMIL ABDULLAH AL-AMIN: WHITE MEN REJECTED FOR JURY
(Atlanta
Journal)
- AL-AMIN FATE MAY HINGE ON ONE WITNESS
* FEB. 20 - NATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH MUSLIM, ARAB AND SOUTH
ASIAN
IMMIGRANTS
* COMMENTARY: ISLAM TEACHES LOVE, EQUALITY (Chicago Sun-Times)
* LETTERS: DISTURBING INTERVIEWS (Detroit Free Press)
* A LOOK AT THE MUSLIM WORLD (USA Today)
* CAIR PARTICIPATES IN NY TOWN HALL MEETING ON IMMIGRATION ISSUES
* TALK AT YALE ON ISLAMIC PRACTICES AND CULTURE
* IOWA CONFERENCE ON ISLAM
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: GOD DOES NOT BURDEN A SOUL
"God does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Each will enjoy
the
good it earns, as indeed each will suffer for the wrong."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 286
-----
ACTION REQUESTED: The following news release should be modified by
mosques,
Islamic centers and media committees for distribution to local news
outlets. Just take the following three steps:
1) Substitute local date, time, location, and contact information.
2) Send to local television news "assignment desk editors," newspaper
"religion editors" and "city editors" and radio station "news
directors."
3) Make sure to send a copy of the release to the "daybook editor" at
the
nearest bureau of the Associated Press.
Call each of these media outlets to get their fax and/or e-mail
addresses.
To locate Associated Press bureaus, go to:
http://www.ap.org/pages/aptoday/aptoday_contact.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
-- MEDIA ADVISORY --
U.S. MUSLIMS CELEBRATE END OF HAJJ WITH COMMUNAL PRAYERS
WHAT: On February 22,* Muslims in America will celebrate the end of the
yearly pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, with communal prayers at locations
around the country. (*Some communities will celebrate Eid on February
23.)
The prayers, and the holiday that follows are called Eid ul-Adha
(eed-al-ODD-ha), or "festival of the sacrifice."
Eid ul-Adha commemorates the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice
his
son Ishmael at God's command. The holiday is celebrated with the
prayers,
small gifts for children, distribution of meat to the needy, and social
gatherings. During this holiday, Muslims exchange the greeting "Eid
Mubarak" (eed-moo-BAR-ak) or "blessed Eid."
Each year, some two million Muslims go on Hajj. An estimated 10,000
American Muslims went on pilgrimage this year. There are an estimated
seven
million Muslims in America and 1.2 billion worldwide.
SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport/
WHEN: The prayers are held in the early morning.
WHERE: The Eid prayers are held either in local mosques or in public
facilities designed to accommodate large gatherings.
CONTACT: Call local Muslim organizations for details about Eid
celebrations. If there are no known contacts, call CAIR at 202-488-8787
or
202-489-5108 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 clich�d and inappropriate.
- END -
FOR BACKGROUND ON HAJJ, GO TO:
http://islamicity.com/mosque/Hajj/
-----
PENTAGON READIES EFFORTS TO SWAY SENTIMENT ABROAD
By JAMES DAO and ERIC SCHMITT, The New York Times, 2/19/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/19/international/19PENT.html
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 - The Pentagon is developing plans to provide news
items, possibly even false ones, to foreign media organizations as part
of
a new effort to influence public sentiment and policy makers in both
friendly and unfriendly countries, military officials said.
The plans, which have not received final approval from the Bush
administration, have stirred opposition among some Pentagon officials
who
say they might undermine the credibility of information that is openly
distributed by the Defense Department's public affairs officers...
Headed by Brig. Gen. Simon P. Worden of the Air Force, the new office
has
begun circulating classified proposals calling for aggressive campaigns
that use not only the foreign media and the Internet, but also covert
operations...
One of the office's proposals calls for planting news items with
foreign
media organizations through outside concerns that might not have
obvious
ties to the Pentagon, officials familiar with the proposal said.
General Worden envisions a broad mission ranging from "black" campaigns
that use disinformation and other covert activities to "white" public
affairs that rely on truthful news releases, Pentagon officials said.
"It goes from the blackest of black programs to the whitest of white,"
a
senior Pentagon official said.
Another proposal involves sending journalists, civic leaders and
foreign
leaders e-mail messages that promote American views or attack
unfriendly
governments, officials said.
Asked if such e-mail would be identified as coming from the American
military, a senior Pentagon official said that "the return address will
probably be a dot-com, not a dot- mil," a reference to the military's
Internet designation...
Mingling the more surreptitious activities with the work of traditional
public affairs would undermine the Pentagon's credibility with the
media,
the public and governments around the world, critics argue...
Moreover, critics say, disinformation planted in foreign media
organizations, like Reuters or Agence France-Presse, could end up being
published or broadcast by American news organizations...
-----
AL-JAZEERA AIRS PROGRAM ON SECRET EVIDENCE
Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based Arabic satellite news network, will air a
program about the use of secret evidence and its impact on the American
Muslim community.
The program will air:
Thursday, 21 Feb., 10:05 PM Qatar time, 14:05 PM EST
Friday, 22 Feb., 14:05 PM Qatar time, 06.05 AM EST
Friday, 22 Feb., 19:05 PM EST
SEE: http://www.aljazeera.net
-----
JORDANIAN DETAINEE TESTIFIES ON ABUSE
By Steve Fainaru, The Washington Post, 2/19/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30103-2002Feb18.html
A Jordanian student testified in federal court today that authorities
subjected him to physical abuse and harassment during a three-week,
four-prison odyssey following his arrest as a material witness in the
investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The student, Osama Awadallah, 21, said that, in one instance, a New
York
prison guard shoved him handcuffed into a chair, causing his hand to
bleed.
In another, he said, a guard grabbed him by the hair and forced him to
face
the American flag, telling him: "This is America." While being held at
an
Oklahoma City facility, Awadallah said, a guard pelted him in the head
with
his own shoes and threatened to kill him...
SEE ALSO:
THOUGH NOT LINKED TO TERRORISM, MANY DETAINEES CANNOT GO HOME
By CHRISTOPHER DREW with JUDITH MILLER, The New York Times, 2/18/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/18/national/18DETA.html
The Justice Department has blocked the departures of 87 foreign
detainees
who had been ordered deported or had agreed to go home, while
investigators
comb through information pouring in from overseas to ensure that they
have
no ties to terrorism, law enforcement officials say...
-----
MUSLIM WOMAN, STUDENTS ARE SHAKEN BY HOSTILITY AT PTA MEETING
By Carolyn Bower And Aisha Sultan, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
2/17/2002
http://home.post-dispatch.com/
Search using the term "Musaji."
The Pattonville event was planned to promote understanding. It ended
after
questions became "more like badgering," sponsor says.
Sheila Musaji and a group of parents in the Pattonville School District
planned an evening to promote understanding of the Islamic faith. And
they
expected to find a sympathetic audience in the Pattonville PTA.
But the evening took a hostile turn when some people who don't
routinely
attend PTA sessions showed up. One called Islam a violent religion and
suggested Musaji was lying about her faith.
"I have never had an experience quite like that before," Musaji said.
Pat
DeWitt, president of the Pattonville Council of PTAs, called it "one of
the
worst evenings of my life..."
Particularly disturbing to Musaji and other parents were hostile
questions
and palm-size booklets distributed at the end of the meeting. The
booklets
show comic-strip drawings of a Muslim threatening to kill a Christian.
In
the end, the Christian converts the Muslim to Christianity...
About 25 people attended, including about 10 parents, a few students,
and
about eight people with the Rev. Dwight Billingsley, pastor of First
Baptist Church of St. Louis in Maryland Heights. Billingsley made a
videotape of Musaji's talk, despite her concerns about how the tape
could
be used. Billingsley did not respond to several requests for an
interview...
Musaji got in touch with Imam Muhammad Nur Abdullah, the religious
director
of Daar ul-Islam mosque in West County, about her experience. She said
he
told her a group had begun distributing the same inflammatory booklets
in
the mosque parking lot recently...
-----
THE TRIAL OF JAMIL ABDULLAH AL-AMIN: WHITE MEN REJECTED FOR JURY
By STEVE VISSER, LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal, 2/19/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/021902.html
A jury of nine African-Americans, two whites and one Hispanic will
judge
the facts in the death-penalty murder trial of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin,
a
controversial Muslim cleric in Atlanta who was once the 1960s
black-power
militant H. Rap Brown.
In choosing jurors from a jury pool evenly split along racial lines,
prosecutors used nine of their 10 strikes against blacks while the
defense
used 18 of its 20 strikes to reject whites.
Robert McBurney, the lead prosecutor, challenged the defense's strikes
of
12 white males as racially biased.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Manis ruled the strikes
were
proper because the defense offered sound reasons. Manis noted the
mirror
images: Prosecutors used 70 percent of their strikes to reject women
from
the jury; the defense used 70 percent to shun men.
The nine African-Americans on the jury are six men and three women; the
other three jurors are women...
Both sides are to present opening statements today...
SEE ALSO:
AL-AMIN FATE MAY HINGE ON ONE WITNESS
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/monday/metro_c307aa643180228300f9.html
The defense is expected to make this case:
English positively described his assailant as having gray eyes and told
police he had shot the gunman in the stomach. Al-Amin's eyes are brown,
and
he was uninjured when arrested. As evidence the gunman was wounded, the
defense will refer to police reports of blood at the scene --- blood
that
Sgt. Scott Bennett, an Atlanta police homicide shift commander, relied
on
when he swore out an affidavit to get a warrant to search Al-Amin's
market
for evidence of bloody clothing or "medical intervention."
In a hearing last year, Bennett testified he had erred about blood when
he
swore it was found on the sidewalk where the shooter was standing. The
police now say there was no blood.
Blood was found in a house not far from the scene, and early police
reports
said a bloody trail led there. The police now say it was animal blood.
The
defense will contend that state investigators didn't do the proper DNA
tests to ensure the blood was not human.
The defense will argue the location of shell casings found at the scene
don't match English's description of events. English says Al-Amin fired
from the sidewalk, but the casings from the weapons were found in the
street. The defense will also argue the bullet holes in the squad car
don't
support English's version of the scenario.
In June 2000, another man confessed to the crime, although he recanted
almost immediately. Otis Milton Jackson, while under arrest in Las
Vegas,
told the FBI that he had gone to see Al-Amin and was visiting with him
and
another man when the deputies tried to arrest Al-Amin. Jackson said he
shot
the deputies with his assault rifle and 9 mm pistol and Al-Amin tried
to
stop him. Jackson said he believed the third man had been shot by the
officers. Within days, Jackson retracted his confession...
-----
FEB. 20 - NATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH MUSLIM,
ARAB AND SOUTH ASIAN IMMIGRANTS
http://www.laresistencia.org/eng/arabsmuslims.html
First they came for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I
wasn't a
Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I
wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't
speak up
because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and
I
didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, but
by
that time, no one was left to speak up. -- Pastor Martin Niemoeller
-----
COMMENTARY: ISLAM TEACHES LOVE, EQUALITY
By Arsalan T. Iftikhar, The Chicago Sun-Times, 2/16/2002
Re-printed at http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0218-06.htm
(Iftikhar is Midwest Communications Director for Council on
American-Islamic Relations.)
From every crevice of the planet, millions of old Pakistani men,
Indonesian toddlers, young American women, Syrian newlyweds, Sudanese
mothers and Bosnian fathers will perform a two-week emigration that
will
culminate itself at the holiest of shrines in the epicenter of the
Muslim
world. For those with the blessing of this migration, it is the zenith
of
their lifetime and for the over one billion who cannot attend, they
pray
earnestly that one day, they too will be called to perform the sacred
pilgrimage of Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia...
-----
LETTERS: DISTURBING INTERVIEWS
By Riad Z. Abdelkarim, MD, The Detroit Free Press, 2/18/2002
http://www.freep.com/voices/letters/elets18_20020218.htm (Scroll down.)
Western Region Communications Director Council on American-Islamic
Relations Anaheim, Calif.
In his interview with the Free Press, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Collins
insists
that the nationwide interviews of Arab and Muslim men -- including 300
in
the Detroit area -- are not an example of racial profiling ("It's not
racial profiling: Interviews helpful to everyone involved, U.S.
attorney
says" Feb. 8). But in explaining his rationale, Collins made a somewhat
contradictory statement.
Indeed, he stated that "racial profiling is clearly wrong. ... But
racial
profiling occurs when someone is suspected of unlawful behavior based
on
race and not based on behavior. ... That's not what's happening here."
Is that true? These individuals were interviewed based solely on race
and
ethnicity, and not on any perceived suspicious behavior or wrongdoing.
There was no other justification for these interviews.
In George Orwell's classic novel, "Animal Farm," such statements as
"two
plus two equals five" were repeated until they became "truth." Perhaps
if
our Justice Department officials repeat the claim over and over that
the
ongoing witch-hunt against innocent Arabs and Muslims is not
representative
of "racial profiling," we'll eventually believe them.
-----
A LOOK AT THE MUSLIM WORLD
USA Today, 2/19/2002
http://www.usatoday.com/life/columns/media-mix.htm
(Scroll down.)
If you believe that most Muslims think as one, along the lines of Osama
bin
Laden, think again.
Producer Al Perlmutter should know: He spent two years filming Islamic
culture in six countries. His observations are to be unveiled in a
four-part ABC Nightline series starting Wednesday (11:35 p.m. ET/PT)
and on
a two-hour PBS Frontline May 9.
The truth, Perlmutter says, is that there are many branches of Islam
and
there are varying degrees of extremism -- just as there are in
Christianity
and Judaism. "Muslims who are sympathetic to what bin Laden is doing
are a
tiny portion and not representative of Muslims worldwide."
But that doesn't mean Muslims love America, especially the U.S.
government's Middle East policies.
Many Muslims say, "'I like America very much, but this government I
don't
like.' They love Americans for their openness, for their technology,
for
what they bring to modernism. But they do not like American morality,
the
sexual openness, and they're worried that their own families will be
adversely affected."
Wednesday's Nightline profiles Ayatollah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani, an
Iranian
law professor whose wife is a college professor and whose daughter
plans to
be a graphic artist. To write off Tehrani, 40, for his conservative
views
would be to oversimplify him, Perlmutter says. Tehrani "is proud that
his
wife and daughter are out in the real world."
-----
CAIR PARTICIPATES IN NY TOWN HALL MEETING ON IMMIGRATION ISSUES
TOPICS:
* The aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack and its impact on
immigrants
* The 245 I
* The Legal Immigration Act and the Family Act
* Immigration Fraud
Some of the invited speakers are:
* Attorney Brian Figeroux, Immigration Law Expert
* Dr. Marco A. Mason, Associate Executive Director, CWHA
* Olive A. Smith, Attorney-At-Law
* Shyconia Burden-Noten, Immigration Naturalization Serv.
* Norman Siegel, Anti-Civil Liberties Measure
* Linda Wancel, District Attorney's Office
* Omar T. Mohammedi, Attorney-At-Law, CAIR-NY
* Winston Tucker, Attorney-At-Law
WHEN: Saturday, February 23, 2002, 3 PM
WHERE: Lenox Road Baptist Church, 1359 Nostrand Avenue (Corner Lenox
Road)
For more information contact Catherine Heather Gordon at (718) 287-8762
SPONSORS: Councilmember Yvette D. Clarke, 40th District, Brooklyn
& Caribbean Women's Health Association, Inc.
-----
TALK AT YALE ON ISLAMIC PRACTICES AND CULTURE
M2 Presswire, 2/19/2002
New Haven, Conn. -- As part of its Wake the Dream program, Yale
University
Library Human Resources will sponsor the program, "Islamic Civilization
and
Muslim Identity," on Tuesday, February 19, 2002, from 12-2 p.m. in the
Sterling Memorial Lecture Hall, 130 Wall Street.
The talk will be delivered by Imam Zaid Shakir, religious leader of
Masjid
al-Islam, a New Haven Mosque. It will be preceded by the short video,
"Religions of the World: Islam." The video provides an overview of the
world's fastest growing religion, including its history and teachings
of
the Prophet Muhammad, its practice, the art, architecture and science
of
Islam.
For additional information, call 432-1810 or visit the website:
http://www.library.yale.edu/training/newdream00/Islam.htm
-----
IOWA CONFERENCE ON ISLAM
WHEN: March 29 - 31 2002
WHERE: Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa
THEME: Islam: Salvation Through Faith & Practice
"Those who believe and work righteous deeds, from them shall We blot
out
all evil that may be in them, and We shall reward them according to the
best of their deeds." (29:7)
Speakers include Siraj Wahhaj, Dr. Jamal Badawi, Nancy Ali, Dr. Jeffrey
Lang, Aras Konjhodzic, and a Slideshow Presentation by Renowned
Photographer Peter
Sanders (www.petersanders.com)
Organized by the Iowa Muslim Students Association, a joint effort of
students from ten universities in Iowa
For more information or to register online, please visit:
http://www.iowamuslims.org, email: questions@iowamuslims.org or call:
(319) 400-0466
-----
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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 - 2/20/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: PILGRIMAGE
* CAIR WISHES YOU AND YOUR FAMILY "EID MUBARAK"
* SEND PHOTOS OF EID FESTIVALS AND VOTER DRIVES TO CAIR
* DC-AREA MUSLIMS HOLD VOTER DRIVE AT HAJJ FESTIVAL
* JUDGE WON'T UNLOCK AL-NAJJAR'S CELL DOOR (St. Petersburg Times)
* EX-BLACK PANTHER'S TRIAL OPENS (Chicago Tribune)
* AFGHANS LIVE AND DIE WITH U.S. MISTAKES (Washington Post)
- ASHCROFT INVOKES RELIGION IN U.S. WAR ON TERRORISM
* DANIEL PIPES' WEB SITE MAINTAINED BY ISRAELI SETTLER
* DEAL BREAKERS (American Prospect)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: PILGRIMAGE
"Proclaim the pilgrimage among mankind: they will come to you on foot
and
on every lean (beast of burden); Let them come from every deep ravine,
to
bear witness to the advantages they have, and to mention God's name on
appointed days..."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 22, Verses 27-28
-----
CAIR WISHES YOU AND YOUR FAMILY "EID MUBARAK"
http://www.cair-net.org/html/eidgreeting.html
-----
SEND PHOTOS OF EID FESTIVALS AND VOTER DRIVES TO CAIR
CAIR is asking that Eid festival and voter registration drive
organizers
send digital images of those activities to: eid@cair-net.org
These images will be displayed on CAIR's web site.
-----
-- MEDIA ADVISORY --
DC-AREA MUSLIMS HOLD VOTER DRIVE AT HAJJ FESTIVAL
Effort is part of national Muslim voter registration campaign
WHAT: On Friday, February 22, Washington-area Muslims will be offered
voter
registration materials at a festival celebrating Eid ul-Adha*
(eed-al-ODD-ha), the holiday at the end of the annual Hajj, or
pilgrimage
to Mecca. (More than 20,000 people turned out for last year's prayers
and
festival. Some 10,000 American Muslims took part in this year's
pilgrimage.)
The voter drive is part of a nationwide campaign by the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other Islamic advocacy groups to
register 100,000 Muslim voters before the November elections. Similar
registration efforts will take place at Eid ul-Adha festivals in
California, Ohio, Missouri, and other areas of the country.
SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/asp/voting.asp
At Friday's event, CAIR will distribute its "American Muslim Voter
Registration Guide" containing an explanation of why Muslims should
participate in the political process, instructions on how to conduct a
voter registration drive, a copy of the National Mail Voter
Registration
Form (www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm), a candidate survey, and a voter
registration log sheet. (In two CAIR surveys of American Muslims, more
than
95 percent of the respondents favored political participation.)
*Eid ul-Adha, or the "feast of sacrifice," commemorates the Prophet
Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God's command.
The
holiday is celebrated with the prayers, small gifts for children,
distribution of meat to the needy and social gatherings. During this
holiday, Muslims exchange the greeting "Eid Mubarak" or "blessed Eid."
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America. SEE: CAIR's
"The
Mosque in America: A National Portrait" at
http://www.cair-net.org/mosquereport.
WHEN: Friday, February 22, 10-11 a.m.
WHERE: DC Armory, 2001 E. Capitol St., Washington, D.C. (Take Metro's
Blue/Orange Line to the Stadium-Armory Station. Please check in at
Media
Entrance and Media Desk.)
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
JUDGE WON'T UNLOCK AL-NAJJAR'S CELL DOOR
Associated Press, 2/20/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/02/20/State/Judge_won_t_unlock_Al.shtml
MIAMI - Former University of South Florida instructor Mazen Al-Najjar
lost
a chance to be freed from federal prison Tuesday when a judge refused
to
intervene on his behalf.
U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard concluded the government has legitimate
reasons for keeping Al-Najjar, a Palestinian-born longtime Tampa
resident
with suspected terrorist ties, behind bars for at least six months
while
trying to deport him.
Lenard refused to let him go now, review evidence to justify his
release or
order his removal from solitary confinement. But she noted the clock is
ticking for the government under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued
last
year. "We're obviously extremely disappointed and concerned because at
the
end of the day our claim was you can't lock somebody up without any
evidence showing that they need to be locked up," said Georgetown
University law professor David Cole, one of Al-Najjar's lawyers...
CONTACT: David Cole (202) 662-9078
DR. AL-NAJJAR'S MAILING ADDRESS:
Mazen Al-Najjar (# 35673-019)
SHU: C-8
Federal Correctional Complex Penitentiary
P.O. Box 1033
Coleman, FL 33521
-----
EX-BLACK PANTHER'S TRIAL OPENS
Defense implies Al-Amin framed by authorities
By Dahleen Glanton, The Chicago Tribune, 2/20/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0202200186feb20.story
On the first day of his murder trial, Muslim spiritual leader Jamil
Abdullah Al-Amin sat solemn-faced Tuesday as a sheriff's deputy stood
on
the witness stand and pointed to him as the man who killed his partner
in a
shootout two years ago.
Dressed in a long white robe and sandals, his hair straightened and
dyed
reddish brown, Al-Amin was a stark contrast with the man he used to
be--the
firebrand H. Rap Brown, a leader of the Black Panther Party whose
signature
Afro, sunglasses and black beret made him an icon in the 1960s.
Al-Amin,
58, insists he is now a different person, a cleric who is all about
peace
rather than violence.
Delayed five months after terrorist attacks, it is the country's first
criminal trial involving a high-profile Muslim since Sept. 11, and some
observers see it as a litmus test of the nation's religious and racial
tolerance.
"The community is very concerned about whether Muslims can get a fair
trial
that is not prejudiced by the horrific events of Sept. 11," said
Ibrahim
Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in
Washington. "It is very important that this case be decided on due
process
and facts rather than prejudicial statements, guilt by association or
anti-Muslim stereotypes..."
-----
AFGHANS LIVE AND DIE WITH U.S. MISTAKES
Villagers Tell of Over 100 Casualties
By Susan B. Glasser, The Washington Post, 2/20/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36012-2002Feb19.html
The intense air war that smashed the Taliban and still seeks to disable
or
kill its top leaders has left a string of mistakes across southern
Afghanistan. In a succession of villages, precision-guidance munitions
from
U.S. aircraft sometimes hit precisely the wrong targets as pilots and
their
allies on the ground tried to distinguish between fleeing or hiding
targets
and vulnerable, exposed civilians.
Even as villages become accessible to outsiders, taking an inventory of
civilian casualties is a difficult and inexact science. Visits to five
villages near Kandahar over the last week yielded testimony about more
than
100 civilian victims of U.S. airstrikes. The accounts from dozens of
villagers were corroborated by local commanders, Afghan officials and
firsthand inspection of the bomb damage.
The accounts indicate that while being very cautious about hunting
Taliban
or al Qaeda members on the ground, U.S. forces struck potential targets
from the air with less discriminating firepower. As a result, U.S.
bombs
hit fleeing Taliban convoys, destroyed hidden weapons depots and chased
targets who hid in civilian areas. But airstrikes also killed children
in
their homes, pulverized trucks regardless of their cargo and pounded a
Muslim shrine into rubble...
SEE ALSO: ASHCROFT INVOKES RELIGION IN U.S. WAR ON TERRORISM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35555-2002Feb19.html
-----
DANIEL PIPES' WEB SITE MAINTAINED BY ISRAELI SETTLER
Daniel Pipes' web site, www.danielpipes.org, is maintained by an
Israeli
settler, http://grayson.org.il/, who is also webmaster for a settler
news
service, http://www.yeshanews.org/.
Pipes' webmaster describes his reasons for creating YeshaNews:
"YeshaNews was created to fill that void. My name is Grayson Levy, and
YeshaNews is my personal project - one of the ways I try to make the
world
a better place. I am committed to reporting, in real time, all that's
newsworthy from Yesha. Whether it's bad tidings, such as the incessant
stonings, drive-by shootings, or road-side bombs, or good news, such as
a
community activity, a new housing project in a Jewish community, or a
new
bypass road opening, YeshaNews will have it first, and in some cases,
exclusively."
Editorials published by YeshaNews go so far as to deny the existence of
the
Palestinian people:
http://www.yeshanews.org/opinionarchive.php?ID=16
"The time has come to formally recognize that there is no palestinian
people, they have never existed, they are a figment of our imagination,
the
fruit of years of Arafat deceit. The so-called palestinians are Arabs,
who
have nothing more in common than their language and religion. They have
never had a homeland, and certainly not in Eretz Yisrael. Search in
history
books from the 1940s, 50s, 60s, even 70s and find references to the
palestinian people. They will not be found, because they do not exist."
FOR BACKGROUND, SEE:
GLOBE COLUMN SLAMS DANIEL PIPES FOR SMEARING U.S. MUSLIMS
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=558&articletype=1
WHO IS DANIEL PIPES?
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
-----
DEAL BREAKERS
Most American Jews favor a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
Tell that to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
By Michael Massing, The American Prospect, 3/11/2002
http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/5/massing-m.html
Jews remain one of the most liberal groups in American society. And
although concern about Israel's security has pushed some of them to the
right, the majority have supported the peace process, including the
efforts
of President Clinton late in his term to bring about an agreement with
the
Palestinians. During and since those years, however, the two Jewish
organizations with the most influence on foreign policy have had
leaders
who are far more conservative and hard-line than are most American
Jews...
"Most American Jews vote in favor of Oslo," says J.J. Goldberg, the
editor
of the Forward, citing polls conducted by his paper. He adds, however,
that
Jews who identify themselves as doves feel much less strongly about
Israel
than those who identify themselves as hawks. "Jewish liberals give to
the
Sierra Fund," Goldberg says. "Jewish conservatives are Jewish all the
time.
That's the whole ball game. It's not what six million American Jews
feel is
best -- it's what 50 Jewish organizations feel is best." More
precisely,
it's what two Jewish organizations feel is best...
With Israelis and Palestinians killing one another in an ever
escalating
cycle of revenge and retaliation, only strong intervention by the
United
States seems capable of stopping it. But as long as groups like AIPAC
and
the Presidents Conference continue to be controlled by a small,
unrepresentative core, such a role for Washington seems out of the
question.
-----
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
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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 - 2/21/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: EID SACRIFICE
* PRESIDENT BUSH'S STATEMENT ON EID UL-ADHA
* STATEMENT FROM DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN TERRY MCAULIFFE
ON
THE MUSLIM OBSERVANCE OF EID AL-ADHA
* CANADIAN MUSLIMS CALL FOR INVESTIGATION OF "COERCIVE" QUESTIONING
- NATIONS VOICE CONCERN OVER PROFILING (AP)
* AL-AMIN TRIAL: OFFICER SAYS HE FOLLOWED TRAIL OF BLOOD (Atlanta
Journal)
- DEFENSE HAMMERS AT DEPUTY'S TESTIMONY
* EUROPE MUST STOP PARROTING THE AMERICAN SCRIPT IN THE MIDDLE EAST
(The
Independent)
* RALLY FOR USF CHIEF TURNS INTO DEBATE (St. Petersburg Times)
* D.C. INMATES WIN CASE OVER LONG HAIR (Washington Post)
* BUSHED! (Salon.com)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: EID SACRIFICE
"It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches God: it is your
piety
that reaches Him."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 22, Verses 37
Eid ul-Adha, or the "feast of sacrifice," commemorates the Prophet
Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God's command.
The
holiday is celebrated with prayers, small gifts for children and the
distribution of meat to relatives and to the needy.
-----
PRESIDENT BUSH'S STATEMENT ON EID UL-ADHA
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020221-4.html
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
February 21, 2002
Eid al-Adha, 2002
I am pleased to send warm greetings to Muslims across the United States
as
you celebrate the Eid al-Adha holiday.
As you join in spirit with those gathered in Mecca to observe the
traditions of one of your most sacred feasts, may you share joyful and
reverent fellowship with family and friends.
During this special time, our Nation is reminded of the remarkable
contributions of American Muslims to our history, culture, and way of
life.
Our spiritual foundation and common heritage will continue to guide us
as
we strive to strengthen our country and advance peace and goodness in
our
world.
Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a joyous observance.
GEORGE W. BUSH
-----
STATEMENT FROM DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN TERRY MCAULIFFE
ON
THE MUSLIM OBSERVANCE OF EID AL-ADHA
On the Muslim observance of Eid al-Adha, Democratic National Committee
(DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe released the following statement today:
"On behalf of the Democratic Party, it is an honor to send Muslim
Americans
and Muslims around the world best wishes in recognition of Eid al-Adha.
Our
nation is deeply enriched by the contributions of six million Muslim
Americans, who embrace the true values of Islam-respect, compassion,
and
belief in the dignity of all human life. The Democratic Party will
continue
to denounce the actions of any individual or group that would attempt
to
soil the reputation and convictions of the Muslim faith.
"For the last ten days, millions of Muslims have gathered in Mecca to
complete the pilgrimage of Hajj and commemorate the trials of Abraham
and
his family. Abraham is a figure revered by Jews, Christians, and
Muslims
alike, and at this time, we are all united in prayer that tolerance and
peace will prevail for all the people of the world.
"Eid Mubarak and God Bless."
-----
CANADIAN MUSLIMS CALL FOR INVESTIGATION OF "COERCIVE" QUESTIONING
(OTTAWA, CANADA) - The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-CAN) and the Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties
Association
(CMCLA) have called for an investigation into the recent police
questioning
of a Muslim Ottawa resident.
The resident, an immigrant who speaks little English, has alleged that
two
police officers entered her apartment forcibly without a warrant,
searched
her apartment, denied her requests to call her husband to help with the
translation, and asked whether her husband 'wore a beard.'
In a letter filing a formal complaint to the police department,
CAIR-CAN
Executive Director Riad Saloojee wrote:
"As Canadian Muslims we have a duty to stand for justice and help our
police ensure public safety. We also, however, have rights as Canadian
citizens to be accorded the full benefit of the law and not to be
stigmatized or scapegoated because of ethnicity or faith."
"The allegations raised by the complainant are very serious. If true,
the
tactics used were shocking, coercive and unnecessary. Such actions
undermine the trust that exists between the Ottawa police and the
Muslim
community and scars those who have chosen to make Canada their adopted
home
because of its proud tradition of fundamental freedoms and liberties."
As national security has gained critical importance after September
11th,
Canadian Muslims have seemingly been targeted by law enforcement
officers
as reflected in the number of complaints filed with CAIR-CAN. While
many
visits have been conducted in good spirit, some reports indicate that
security forces have used questionable tactics. For example,
individuals
were visited at their places of employment, and, in one case, a
Canadian
Muslim was informed that he should come in for questioning to 'clear
his
name' but not bring his lawyer.
There are approximately 600,000 Muslims in Canada.
-END-
CONTACT: CAIR-CAN, Riad Saloojee at 613-798-0003, canada@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
NATIONS VOICE CONCERN OVER PROFILING
By PHIL COUVRETTE, The Associated Press, 2/21/2002
MONTREAL (AP) - A bloc of nations including Saudi Arabia, China and
India
on Wednesday urged a halt to racial profiling as part of enhanced
airport
security measures.
"Such unacceptable practices...only succeed in causing insult and
injury,"
said a statement by 17 countries presented to a conference of the
International Civil Aviation Organization.
The U.N. body endorsed an action plan that includes mandatory audits of
aviation security in member countries and other measures to combat
terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Debate over the racial profiling issue delayed the closing news
conference
almost two hours. The final declaration included a paragraph in which
members declared a commitment to implement security measures "in a
manner
which is objective and non-discriminatory on the basis of gender, race,
religion or nationality..."
-----
AL-AMIN TRIAL: OFFICER SAYS HE FOLLOWED TRAIL OF BLOOD
By STEVE VISSER, The Atlanta Journal, 2/21/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022102.html
Testimony in the trial of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin today followed a
mysterious trail of blood...
DEFENSE HAMMERS AT DEPUTY'S TESTIMONY
By LATEEF MUNGIN, STEVE VISSER, The Atlanta Journal, 2/21/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022102.html (Scroll
down.)
A Fulton County sheriff's deputy turned combative Wednesday when a
defense
attorney challenged his identification of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin as the
gunman who ambushed him and fatally wounded his partner.
Defense attorney Jack Martin argued that inconsistencies found in the
four
accounts of the shooting that sheriff's Deputy Aldranon English has
given
investigators raise doubts about English's identification of Al-Amin...
English was testifying at the murder trial of Al-Amin, a Muslim cleric
who
once was known as 1960s radical H. Rap Brown. He allegedly shot English
and
fatally wounded Deputy Ricky Kinchen during an ambush March 16, 2000,
outside Al-Amin's store in Atlanta's West End neighborhood...
In one version, English said he approached a man after he and Kinchen
arrived to serve an arrest warrant.
In another, the officer said he stood back shielding himself by the
open
door of the police car, Martin said.
In some accounts, English said the suspect was wearing a trench coat;
at
other times he said he was wearing a Muslim garment that looked like a
trench coat. English's description of the color of the suspect's hat
also
differed among various accounts.
English also initially told investigators he shot the suspect at close
range and wounded him.
But Al-Amin bore no wounds when he was arrested and bullet casings at
the
scene suggested that English shot from a further distance than he had
said,
Martin said...
-----
EUROPE MUST STOP PARROTING THE AMERICAN SCRIPT IN THE MIDDLE EAST
By Robert Fisk, The Independent (London), 2/21/2002
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=134520
WHILE PRESIDENT George Bush rabbits on about the "axis of evil" and his
"crusade" against "terror", a real tragedy is about to interfere with
his
mythic struggle against America's enemies. It's about a place called
Palestine. And a place called Israel.
So idle, so lazy, so pro-Israeli has Washington's policy become towards
the
Middle East that the President still seems unaware that the real war in
the
region involves its own ally - a colonial Israel - and a nationalist
struggle run by Israel's own surrogate Palestinian leader, Yasser
Arafat...
The ability of the Americans to re-write history and to blow-dry the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict into cliches is a scandal. The occupied
Palestinian territories have now become the "disputed" territories;
Jewish
colonies on Arab land have become "settlements" and now, according to
the
BBC and CNN, "neighbourhoods". Israeli death squads are now "elite
forces"
who carry out "targeted killings"...
-----
RALLY FOR USF CHIEF TURNS INTO DEBATE
About 25 Judy Genshaft supporters and 50 detractors square off over the
fate of professor Sami Al-Arian.
By BABITA PERSAUD, The St. Petersburg Times, 2/21/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/02/21/TampaBay/Rally_for_USF_chief_t.shtml
TAMPA - Organizers of a rally Wednesday in support of University of
South
Florida president Judy Genshaft had no idea how many people would show
up.
So they made up 300 yellow "I support Genshaft" buttons, put together
20
"Keep Our Campus Safe" fluorescent posters and planned to lock arm in
arm.
Then the counterrally arrived.
Supporters of Sami Al-Arian, a tenured computer engineering professor
who
was suspended by Genshaft and soon may be fired, began chanting, "What
do
we want? Reinstate Al-Arian! What do we want? Reinstate Al-Arian
now!..."
-----
D.C. INMATES WIN CASE OVER LONG HAIR
Firefighters' Lawsuit Asserting Religious Freedom Still Pending
By Neely Tucker, The Washington Post, 2/21/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42581-2002Feb20.html
Religious freedom and long hair were at the center of two federal court
cases this week, one of which resulted in a group of D.C. prison
inmates
winning the right to be transferred to federal prisons that do not
prohibit
the full beards or hairstyles that constitute part of their religious
beliefs.
In a second case, still pending, D.C. firefighters who are Muslim or
Rastafarian were in U.S. District Court yesterday to argue that the
federal
Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects their right to wear beards
and
dreadlocks...
Five inmates filed a class-action suit last year, saying they should
not be
sent to Virginia prisons if this infringes on their beliefs.
Judge Henry H. Kennedy agreed, ordering Tuesday that federal prison
intake
officials "consider each inmate's religious beliefs and practices"
before
deciding where the inmate should be incarcerated. Kennedy also ordered
the
government to review the cases of all federal inmates now being held in
Virginia and to transfer inmates who have a conflict between their
religion
and the prison's grooming policy.
-----
BUSHED!
The president has done nothing right since winning the war in
Afghanistan
-- and it's time for the timorous media to start saying it.
By Joan Walsh, Salon.com, 2/21/2002
http://www.salon.com/politics/bushed/2002/02/21/postwarbush/index_np.html
Of course...you can support Bush's handling of the war to date and
still
criticize the job he's doing as president. Because it's becoming
increasingly clear that almost everything admirable about Bush's early
war
effort -- the hard work lining up international support; the careful
outreach to Muslim nations and communities to make clear the war wasn't
against Islam; the four weeks of restraint after Sept. 11 before
bombing
began on Oct. 7 -- represented an all-too brief departure from his
administration's normal modus operandi. Now that the smoke has nearly
cleared in Afghanistan, the bad old Bush has become plain for all to
see --
from his administration's nose-thumbing unilateralism to its obsessive
secrecy about its inner workings to its simplistic religious world
view.
There were two whopping examples on Tuesday alone: the stunning news
that
the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Influence is preparing a
disinformation
campaign about the war, including planting false stories in the foreign
media, and a remarkable story about Attorney General John Ashcroft
assuring
a Christian broadcasters' group that God is on our side in the war
against
terror. Both news items illustrate what's most worrisome about the
latest
phase of a war that seems increasingly ill-defined and unlimited: an
arrogance and self-righteousness that makes everything permissible --
including trashing the country's most precious democratic traditions --
as
long as it's presented as an anti-terror measure...
-----
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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 - 2/23/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: MUTUAL CONSULTATION
* PEARL'S SLAYING DENOUNCED BY MUSLIMS (Washington Times)
* MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD, AND GET A FREE CAIR MEMBERSHIP
* MUSLIM GROUP STARTS AN EFFORT TO INCREASE VOTER REGISTRATION (New
York Times)
* EDITORIAL: MR. ROBERTSON'S INCITEMENT (Washington Post)
* MUSLIMS, JEWS JOIN TO HONOR ABRAHAM (Los Angeles Times)
* POLICE SAY DEPUTY ID'D AL-AMIN ON HIS OWN, WAS NOT COACHED (Atlanta
Journal)
- IMAM JAMIL SENDS EID GREETINGS
* AMID NEW PROBE, AL-ARIAN SPEAKS (St. Petersburg Times)
* MUSLIM RAP GROUP'S LYRICS PRAISE VALUES OVER VIOLENCE (Washington
Post)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: MUTUAL CONSULTATION
And [remember that] whatever you are given [now] is but for the
[passing]
enjoyment of life in this world - whereas that which is with God is far
better and more enduring. [It shall be given] to those who believe and
put
trust in their Lord…and whose rule [in all matters of common concern]
is by
mutual consultation.
The Holy Quran, Chapter 42, Verses 36-38
-----
PEARL'S SLAYING DENOUNCED BY MUSLIMS
By Larry Witham, The Washington Times, 2/23/2002
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020223-99614974.htm
U.S. Muslim leaders yesterday condemned the killing of American
reporter
Daniel Pearl by his kidnappers in Pakistan, saying Islam gives immunity
to
journalists and needs independent information.
"Journalism is a universal profession, and this kind of action stops
the
free flow of information in any part of the world. Whoever is
responsible,
it didn't do their cause any good," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for
the
Council on American Islamic Relation (CAIR).
The council, which condemned the abduction when it took place Jan. 23
in
Karachi, Pakistan, had issued a call for Mr. Pearl's release…
Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North
America,
said traditionally Islam has given "perfect immunity" to journalists
and
diplomats, especially in times of regional conflicts.
"We were praying all through this that we wouldn't hear this news," he
said. "It was shocking…"
-----
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD, AND GET A FREE CAIR MEMBERSHIP
IMPORTANT NOTE: All those who request the “American Muslim Voter
Registration Guide” online will be given a FREE ONE-YEAR CAIR
MEMBERSHIP.
Go to: http://www.cair-net.org/asp/voting.asp
For assistance in organizing a local voter registration drive, contact
Ibrahim Abdullah at 202-488-8787, or email iabdullah@cair-net.org.
-----
MUSLIM GROUP STARTS AN EFFORT TO INCREASE VOTER REGISTRATION
The New York Times, 2/23/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/23/national/23VOTE.html
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 The Council on American-Islamic Relations began a
nationwide voter drive today, seeking to register more than 100,000
Muslim
voters before the November elections.
The effort started on the festival of Id al-Adha, which comes at the
end of
the annual hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Here in Washington, the
council
offered registration forms and voter guides to the thousands of Muslims
gathered for prayers and a bazaar at the District of Columbia Armory.
Registration drives also took place at festivals in California,
Michigan,
Missouri and Ohio, council officials said.
Nihad Awad, the executive director of the council, which is an advocacy
group here, said he wanted to encourage voting so that the size of the
country's Muslim population which his group puts at roughly seven
million,
but others much lower would begin to translate into political power.
"Voting used to be an option," Mr. Awad said. "Now it is a must. Since
Sept. 11, Muslim people feel disenfranchised. They feel they do not get
the
same political attention as other minorities…"
In the council booth at the festival here, volunteers provided
directories
that listed telephone numbers for members of Congress, other federal
agencies, political parties and news organizations. They also
distributed
pocket-sized guides with instructions on how to write a letter to a
newspaper editor, what to do if the Federal Bureau of Investigation
requests an interview, how to react to "anti-Muslim hate crimes" and
what
to do if faced with discrimination at work or on an airplane.
An introduction to the voter guide says: "Muslims in America share a
set of
common values and interests that they should support and make known to
others. By backing candidates that share our interests and concerns,
you
can help improve the moral, social and economic environment of this
great
land…"
-----
EDITORIAL: MR. ROBERTSON'S INCITEMENT
The Washington Post, 2/23/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55416-2002Feb23.html
"I have taken issue with our esteemed president in regard to his stand
in
saying Islam is a peaceful religion. It's just not. And the Koran makes
it
very clear, if you see an infidel, you are to kill him. That's what it
says. Now that doesn't sound very peaceful to me."
SO SAYS PAT Robertson -- religious leader, broadcaster, former
presidential
candidate and founder of the Christian Coalition -- in what has to rank
among the least appropriate public statements by any prominent citizen
since Sept. 11.
Mr. Robertson, speaking on his Christian Broadcasting Network's "700
Club"
program, described a veritable infestation of America with violent,
subversive Muslims: "Our immigration policies are now so skewed towards
the
Middle East and away from Europe that we have introduced these people
into
our midst and undoubtedly there are terrorist cells all over them…They
want
to coexist until they can control, dominate, and then if need be
destroy."
Is Mr. Robertson trying to start a pogrom? If so, he's headed in the
right
direction. These sorts of words aren't innocent talk -- particularly
not
when broadcast into millions of homes by a religious leader to whom
many
look for moral guidance…
There are Muslims who justify violence with reference to their
religion.
There are Jews and Christians who do the same. Mr. Robertson might
consider, before opening his mouth again, that the vast majority of
Muslims
have never used a national television platform to incite hatred against
their countrymen.
-----
MUSLIMS, JEWS JOIN TO HONOR ABRAHAM
History: Seeking to learn of Islam, temple group visits mosque on a day
dedicated to their common patriarch.
By TERESA WATANABE, The Los Angeles Times, 2/23/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000013884feb23.story
On one of Islam's most important holidays, a day dedicated to the
remembrance of Abraham, Los Angeles Muslims and Jews met Friday and
reminded themselves of their common patriarch.
With 45 members in tow, Rabbi Harold Schulweis of Valley Beth Shalom
journeyed from Encino and crossed mountains, literal and otherwise, to
meet
with the Muslims of King Fahd Mosque in Culver City. For many from
Schulweis' Conservative congregation, it was their first visit to a
mosque
prayer service--yet, they said, it somehow seemed familiar. Judy Geller
noticed the absence of statues and pictures; Judaism and Islam shy away
from what the Bible calls graven images. Others noted the physical
separation of men and women, also common to Orthodox Judaism.
Schulweis,
half-jokingly, noticed the collection boxes.
And there was Abraham, the common patriarch--who was the subject of
Imam
Tajuddin Shuaib's Friday sermon and is praised in calligraphy adorning
the
mosque's domed hall. Shuaib spoke about Abraham's willingness to
sacrifice
a son until God lifted the command. That event was celebrated Friday by
Muslims worldwide during the start of the three-day festival Eid
ul-Adha,
marking the end of the hajj--the pilgrimage to Mecca…
-----
POLICE SAY DEPUTY ID'D AL-AMIN ON HIS OWN, WAS NOT COACHED
Defense says English had taken painkiller
By LATEEF MUNGIN. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/23/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022302.html
Atlanta police testified Friday that a wounded Fulton County deputy was
not
coached to identify Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin as the man who shot him…
The defense contends English was in no condition to make the
identification
because he had just undergone surgery and had taken 4 milligrams of
morphine. Defense lawyers also have argued that English was coached by
Atlanta police to make the identification.
In earlier testimony, English said that before he viewed the
photographs,
the two policemen asked him whether he knew Al-Amin…
IMAM JAMIL SENDS EID GREETINGS
Imam Jamil al-Amin extends Eid greetings to the Muslims of North
America.
As his Eid message, he requests Muslims to read Surat an-Nasr: "When
the
help of Allah and victory comes, and you see the people enter Allah's
religion in crowds, then celebrate the praises of your Lord and ask for
His
forgiveness, for He is ever turning (in forgiveness)."
Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (0013284)
c/o Fulton County Jail
901 Rice Street
Atlanta, Ga. 30318
To support Imam Jamil’s legal defense, send donations to:
The Justice Fund
P. O. Box 93963
Atlanta, GA 30377
Donations are tax deductible. This is the only account which is under
Imam
Jamil's family's supervision.
-----
AMID NEW PROBE, AL-ARIAN SPEAKS
By GRAHAM BRINK, The St. Petersburg Times, 2/23/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/02/23/TampaBay/Amid_new_probe__Al_Ar.shtml
TAMPA -- Sami Al-Arian is caught in an ever-expanding limbo. He is a
professor, but is not allowed to teach. He is a legal resident of
America,
but is not a citizen -- of this or any other country.
And now federal prosecutors have announced that they are delving into
his
life, but for what he does not know.
On the morning after he learned he was the subject of a federal
investigation, Sami Al-Arian weaved through some 1,000 people at
Al-Qassam
Mosque, hugging and chatting with worshipers. He gave a sermon Friday
that
lasted for 30 minutes, touching on struggle and unity, standard themes
for
the annual Festival of the Sacrifice.
After the ceremony, he spoke to a reporter. "This is all about
politics,"
he said. "And it's a sad day in America when politics is used to
manipulate
justice."
In a highly unusual move, U.S. Attorney Mac Cauley released a
two-sentence
statement Thursday that acknowledged his office was conducting an
ongoing
investigation "into the conduct and activities" of Al Arian, a
Palestinian
supporter accused of having ties to terrorists.
While Cauley's office said little else about the investigation, the
announcement has sparked considerable debate about what it means for
Al-Arian and for University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft,
who
is considering whether to fire the tenured professor of computer
engineering.
Al-Arian's lawyer, Robert F. McKee, said Friday that federal
authorities
have not contacted him or his client for interviews or any other
information. He said that while Cauley made the announcement under the
"cloak of public safety," it will make it easier for Genshaft to fire
Al-Arian, who is currently on paid leave.
Americans live by the motto "innocent until proven guilty," McKee said,
but
the federal government seems willing to bypass that step in Al-Arian's
case.
"It appears that there is a cozy relationship between USF and law
enforcement, and law enforcement is trying to ride to the rescue," he
said...
-----
MUSLIM RAP GROUP'S LYRICS PRAISE VALUES OVER VIOLENCE
By David Cho, The Washington Post, 2/22/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48868-2002Feb21.html
The song is called "Hellfire," and it begins with synthesized thumps --
a
haunting, street-spawned sound that could open any number of raps about
racial discontent or violence. But listen to the lyrics, and an
unexpected
message emerges:
Slip to the bathroom, find an empty classroom, Don't wanna miss a
prayer
here at school or even at home,
Man, it was a struggle, trying to be a Muslim and staying out of
trouble,
The stress seemed double.
It's a typical theme for local group Native Deen, which puts a twist on
the
notion of "Muslim rap." The group's beat may sound heavy or angry, but
the
three young band members are all about choosing virtue over vice. Their
songs encourage fasting during Ramadan, avoiding sex and violence, and
being a good Muslim in school to avoid going to hell -- traditional
Islamic
messages but with a hip-hop beat.
These days, their voices are tingling the ears of Muslims in the
Washington
area and beyond. Today, the group will perform at 2 p.m. at the
regionwide
Eid al-Adha, one of the two most important Islamic holidays of the
year.
Organizers of the celebration, which is expected to attract close to
15,000
people at the D.C. Armory, said that it is the first time a Muslim rap
band
will be featured in this area on such a large stage…
The emergence of Native Deen -- deen is Arabic for religion -- is not
unlike the rise, in the early 1990s, of Christian rock, which preached
the
importance of following Christ to millions of youths while giving them
something hip they could pop into their stereos.
Muslim rap is similarly youth-oriented but on a smaller scale. Joshua
Salaam, 28, the leader of Native Deen, puts it this way: "It's the kind
of
music that a young Muslim can listen to and feel proud to be Muslim…and
still feel like a normal person."
There are restrictions, however, unique to modern Islamic music: Women
generally cannot sing in public, and dancing is not allowed. Many
Muslims
find the use of wind and string instruments offensive, citing passages
in
Islamic texts, so Native Deen uses only drums and sings a cappella
during
performances. The band also dresses conservatively, wearing plain
Islamic
shirts, long pants and kufis (or skullcaps) when they rap…
CONTACT: brojoshua@yahoo.com
URL: http://www.nativedeen.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 - 2/25/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* ROBERTSON'S CLAIMS CALLED "INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE AGAINST MUSLIMS"
* MUSLIMS ENCOURAGE VOTE (Patriot-News)
- SERVICE MARKED BY VOTE DRIVE (Sun-Sentinel)
- MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD, AND GET A FREE CAIR MEMBERSHIP
* RUMSFELD EXPRESSES DOUBTS ON NEW PROPAGANDA OFFICE (Washington Times)
* A FLINCH ON CHECHNYA (Washington Post)
* IN THE GEORGIA SUBURBS, A FIGHT OVER RELIGION AND THE LAND (AP)
* AL AMIN TRIAL: WEST END SHOOTOUT CLUES NOT 'PRISTINE' (Atlanta
Journal)
* ISRAELI TROOPS SHOOT PREGNANT WOMAN (AP)
- ISRAELI SOLDIERS POSE FOR PICTURES WITH PALESTINIAN'S BODY
(MSNBC)
-----
ROBERTSON'S CLAIMS CALLED "INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE AGAINST MUSLIMS"
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/25/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR) today said right-wing televangelist Pat Robertson's recent
smears of
Islam are an "incitement to violence against American Muslims." The
national Islamic advocacy group also said that if Robertson were true
to
his own beliefs, he would apologize and then meet with Muslim leaders
who
could provide him with accurate information about Islam.
SEE:
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/newyork/ny-nyhen242600311feb24.story
A Washington Post editorial (2/23/02) challenging Robertson's
distortions
said:
"Mr. Robertson, speaking on his Christian Broadcasting Network's '700
Club'
[www.cbn.com] program, described a veritable infestation of America
with
violent, subversive Muslims: 'Our immigration policies are now so
skewed
towards the Middle East and away from Europe that we have introduced
these
people into our midst and undoubtedly there are terrorist cells all
over
them...They want to coexist until they can control, dominate, and then
if
need be destroy'...Is Mr. Robertson trying to start a pogrom? If so,
he's
headed in the right direction."
SEE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55416-2002Feb23.html
"In his attacks on Islam, Robertson falsely claims Muslims must not
take
people of other faiths as friends and that they are obligated to kill
non-Muslims wherever they are found. These false claims distort
translations, take verses out of context, ignore verses before and
after
those he quotes, and generally seek to confirm Robertson's obvious
prejudices and stereotypes," said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim
Hooper.
He said Robertson distorts the permission given to fight oppressors as
a
call to genocide. "The Quran permits defensive struggles but calls for
peace when aggression ends. God teaches us, 'Let there be no compulsion
in
religion," said Hooper. (Chapter 2, Verse 256)
Hooper cited several other verses of the Quran, Islam's revealed text,
which call for peace once oppression ends:
1. "God does not forbid you to be kind and equitable to those who had
neither fought against your faith nor driven you out of your homes. In
fact
God loves the equitable." (Chapter 60, Verse 8)
2. "Fight in the cause of God with those who fight against you, but do
not
exceed the limits...If they desist, let there be no hostility except
against the oppressors." (Chapter 2, Verses 190-193)
On the issue of a Muslim's friendship with people of other faiths,
Hooper
cited other verses supporting cordial relations with anyone who does
not
attack their faith:
1. "O ye who believe! Take not for friends and protectors those who
take
your religion for a mockery or sport..." (Chapter 5, Verse 57)
2. "God only forbids you to make friendship with those who fought you
on
account of your faith and drove you out of your homes and backed up
others
in your expulsion." (Chapter 60, Verse 9)
3. "And dispute ye not with the People of the Book [Christians and
Jews]
except with means better (than mere disputation) unless it be with
those of
them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, 'We believe in the
Revelation
which has come down to us and in that which came down to you.'"
(Chapter
29, Verse 46)
As a call to religious tolerance, Hooper quoted the Quran's Chapter 2,
Verse 62, which states:
"Those who believe (in the Quran) and those who follow the Jewish
(scriptures) and the Christians and the Sabians and 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."
- END -
-----
MUSLIMS ENCOURAGE VOTE
By Mary Warner, The Patriot-News (PA), 2/24/2002
http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/10145466769079101.xml
Joining a nationwide move by Muslims to increase their political
involvement, local Muslims combined a voter registration drive with a
festival marking the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
The drive was repeated around the country by local chapters of the
Council
on American-Islamic Relations. Parvez Ahmed, the Penn State Harrisburg
finance professor who leads the midstate chapter, said about 200 people
took voter registration forms at the Islamic Center Masjid As-Sabareen
in
Harrisburg, where they gathered for festival prayers...
In a statement before the prayers at As-Sabareen, Ahmed expressed
concern
about racial profiling and the detention of some Muslims since the
Sept. 11
terrorist attacks. He urged more Muslims to join the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
SEE ALSO:
SERVICE MARKED BY VOTE DRIVE
By Tanya Weinberg, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/search/sfl-smuslim23feb23.story
Praying alongside nearly 1,000 others, he felt brotherhood, sisterhood,
unity, strength. Then he took a step toward joining many thousands
more.
For the first time in his life, Zaid Rahman, 31, decided to register to
vote. After honoring the sacrifice of Abraham at C.B. Smith Park in
Pembroke Pines on Friday morning, the California-born computer
programmer
added his name to the list a national Muslim group hopes will grow to
100,000 by November elections.
At one of several large South Florida gatherings to celebrate the Eid
ul-Adha holiday, the Council on American Islamic Relations' local
representative collected several dozen names of would-be new voters. It
is
just the beginning of a drive that the group and others hope will step
up
Muslim political participation in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks...
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD, AND GET A FREE CAIR MEMBERSHIP
IMPORTANT NOTE: All those who request the "American Muslim Voter
Registration Guide" online will be given a FREE ONE-YEAR CAIR
MEMBERSHIP.
Go to: http://www.cair-net.org/asp/voting.asp
For assistance in organizing a local voter registration drive, contact
Ibrahim Abdullah at 202-488-8787, or email iabdullah@cair-net.org.
-----
RUMSFELD EXPRESSES DOUBTS ON NEW PROPAGANDA OFFICE
By Rowan Scarborough, The Washington Times, 2/25/2002
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020225-40603600.htm
The Pentagon's new Office of Strategic Influence is proposing several
measures to blunt radical Islamic messages, including countering
Iranian
propaganda broadcast in Afghanistan and enticing Muslim children away
from
teachings of hate and holy wars...OSI wants to team with the State
Department and CIA in countering disinformation from radical clerics
and
from rogue nations such as Iraq and Iran during President Bush's
open-ended
war on terrorism...
Administration officials gave two examples of projects OSI wanted to
execute.
Iran, they say, is setting up radio transmission centers from which to
broadcast anti-Karzai propaganda in Afghanistan. Iranian agents are
also in
western Iraq buying the loyalties of various warlords who run large
chunks
of the country and command small armies. OSI would mount an information
campaign of its own to counter Iranian messages, said U.S. officials,
who
declined to give specifics on how it would be done...
On another front, the Office of Strategic Influence wants to help draw
students away from the Muslim world's network of "madrassas" - the
schools
where hard-line Muslim clerics teach children to hate the West and join
a
holy war, or jihad. Scores of madrassas are spread across eastern
Pakistan.
The United States views the region as a haven for sympathizers of bin
Laden...
"They are really nothing more than terror training camps," said the
administration source. "All they teach is the Koran and jihad and
hate."
OSI, working with the State Department, would attempt to finance and
equip
centrist clerics to attract students away from the madrassas. One idea
is
to provide the students with Internet access so they could be exposed
to
more tolerant religious views...
-----
A FLINCH ON CHECHNYA
By Fred Hiatt, The Washington Post, 2/25/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62090-2002Feb24.html
President Bush speaks truth to evil: He would have us take that as a
defining principle of his foreign policy...So you might expect his
administration also to want to speak truth to Russia, which is waging a
war
of increasing cruelty and criminality against a beleaguered ethnic
minority
in the breakaway province of Chechnya. But the signals on that one are
mixed.
Last month, so as not to offend Russian President Vladimir Putin, the
administration ordered U.S. diplomats to slip out of their State
Department
offices and into a deserted George Washington University classroom
before
they could meet with a representative of the Chechens' elected
government.
Now the administration is trying to block Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty
from inaugurating broadcasts to Chechnya and the surrounding North
Caucasus
region, broadcasts that would include a daily 15-minute news digest in
the
Chechen language. The broadcasts, which Congress requested last year,
are
supposed to begin Thursday...in the past two months Russian forces have
accelerated their "sweeps" through Chechen villages and the looting,
arbitrary detentions, torture, executions and disappearances associated
with those sweeps...
-----
IN THE GEORGIA SUBURBS, A FIGHT OVER RELIGION AND THE LAND
By ERIN McCLAM, The Associated Press, 2/25/2002
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia - A zoning disagreement between Muslims who
wanted
to build a cemetery and neighbors worried about their property values
in an
Atlanta suburb has become a serious dispute following the Sept. 11
attacks.
Gwinnett County planners had put the dispute on the calendar for a
regular
zoning meeting on Sept. 18, 2001.
Then terrorism changed the world - and exposed raw religious
differences
between Muslims and their neighbors. Now the dispute is a bitter fight,
and
the county government is torn over which side to take. "It was already
an
issue of passion, an issue of opposition, and all that was present even
before Sept. 11. It's going to be a tough decision," said Bert Nasuti,
the
chief county planner.
After a postponement because of the high emotions following the Sept.
11
attacks - and then the planning commission's move not to make a
decision -
the full county commission is to hear the debate Tuesday night.
Proposing the cemetery is the Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious
and
Social Sciences, which wants to put a 1,500-plot burial ground on a
5-acre
(2-hectare) parcel of land in the Grayson Oaks subdivision of this
Atlanta
suburb.
But property owners say they are disturbed by the observant Muslims'
burial
ritual, which calls for wrapping the body in a shroud, without a casket
or
vault, and interring it within 24 hours of death.
Some residents say they worry that pathogens from the decomposing
bodies
would seep into the soil and poison groundwater, despite preliminary
state
environmental testing that has shown the cemetery would probably be
safe.
The Muslims once even suggested burying the bodies in coffins, but the
offer has not satisfied the homeowners' concern.
"I don't want my child to grow up in three years and have some disease
from
the water," homeowner Heather Stonecypher told the planning commission
Feb.
5. "We don't want to be somebody's guinea pigs."
Jane Smith, a professor of Islamic studies at Hartford Seminary and the
author of "Islam in America," said she could not recall a similar
environmental dispute over a Muslim cemetery in the United States.
But she said opposition to Muslim cemeteries is common, both in America
and
in Europe, by people unfamiliar with the religion who see it as an
intrusion.
"The issues that are being raised here are not surprising at all," she
said. "There are four or five issues of major concern to Muslims, and
one
of them clearly is space to be able to appropriately dispose of their
dead."
Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North
America,
said the dispute over environmental concerns is unique.
"The Muslim population has increased so much during the last 25 years.
We
have these Muslim graveyards in almost every city. But this has not
come
up," he said.
Islamic institute attorney Dennis Still said the Grayson Oaks neighbors
were attacking the Muslims as they might some bizarre cult.
REFERENCES:
Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious and Social Sciences:
http://islam-usa.com/girss.html
Gwinnett County, Georgia:
http://www.co.gwinnett.ga.us
-----
AL AMIN TRIAL: WEST END SHOOTOUT CLUES NOT 'PRISTINE'
By STEVE VISSER, The Atlanta Journal, 2/25/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/monday/metro_c397edf976cc501e10a2.html
Atlanta Detective Brett Zimbrick arrived at the West End shooting to
find
what no homicide investigator wants to see at a murder scene: bedlam.
Two Fulton County sheriff deputies had been shot that night, which
meant
emotional police and deputies from all over --- ranking brass and
patrol
officers alike --- quickly converged at the intersection of Oak Street
and
West End Place on March 16, 2000.
They came to help, but they were trampling the evidence, the telltale
signs
that help detectives reconstruct what happened.
Zimbrick could see spent brass shell casings on West End Place where
cars
continued to move and realized no officer had yet secured the area with
yellow crime scene tape. He quickly took charge. Zimbrick began
testifying
Friday in Superior Court in the death penalty trial of Jamil Abdullah
Al-Amin, a Muslim cleric in the West End who once was known as H. Rap
Brown. Al-Amin is accused of murdering Fulton County Deputy Ricky
Kinchen
and wounding his partner, Deputy Aldranon English, outside Al-Amin's
small
grocery.
Usually, defense lawyers question police work and disparage how
evidence is
handled, but as testimony in the trial began last week, prosecutors
called
Zimbrick to explain why bullet shells he found at the scene might not
line
up with English's description of the crime.
"The evidence was pristine?" asked lead prosecutor Robert McBurney.
"Absolutely not," said Zimbrick, who is to continue testifying today...
-----
ISRAELI TROOPS SHOOT PREGNANT WOMAN
By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH, The Associated Press, 2/25/2002
NABLUS, West Bank (AP) - Israeli troops at a checkpoint shot and
wounded a
pregnant Palestinian woman in labor and killed her husband Monday as
the
couple tried to reach a hospital - a day after another pregnant woman
was
shot in an almost identical case at the same West Bank roadblock,
Palestinians said.
In both instances, the Israeli military said soldiers opened fire after
the
cars ignored orders to stop and tried to drive around the roadblock in
the
tense city of Nablus.
Maysoun Hayek and her husband, Mohammed Hayek, both 22, were aware of
Sunday's shooting in which a pregnant woman was hit in the chest at the
checkpoint in Nablus. That woman, Shadia Shehade, suffered moderate
wounds
and gave birth to a healthy girl several hours afterward.
But when Hayek went into labor early Monday, the couple had little
choice
other than to leave their West Bank village of Zeita and head toward
the
Rafidia hospital in Nablus, 12 miles away.
They brought her father-in-law, Abdullah Hayek, 64, reasoning that the
soldiers would not feel threatened by an elderly man and a pregnant
woman.
At one checkpoint along the way, soldiers searched their car. They
patted
Hayek's stomach, checking to make sure her pregnancy was genuine, Hayek
said. Then they were allowed to continue.
As they approached the checkpoint where Sunday's shooting occurred,
Hayek
said she heard a gunshot.
"I saw my husband bleeding from his neck," she said in an interview
from
her hospital bed. Her husband lost control of the car and passed out,
she
said. The car continued a little farther before stopping, as soldiers
fired
at the wheels and windows, she added...
SEE ALSO:
ISRAELI SOLDIERS POSE FOR PICTURES WITH PALESTINIAN'S BODY
http://www.msnbc.com/c/0/63/285/ssMain.asp?fmt=&0ss=N1b263285&sld=3&v=28
-----
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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 - 2/26/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: REDEEMING SLAVES
* SUDAN SLAVE REDEMPTION EXPOSED AS "HOAX" AND "SCAM"
- RIPPING OFF SLAVE 'REDEEMERS' (Washington Post)
- THE GREAT SLAVE SCAM (The Irish Times)
* CHAPLAIN SAYS ISLAMIC TEXTS PROMOTE VIOLENCE (News-Press)
* PAT ROBERTSON'S BROAD BRUSH COULD DO SERIOUS DAMAGE (St. Louis
Post-Dispatch)
* CAIR DISCUSSES ROBERTSON'S ISLAMOPHOBIC REMARKS ON CNN'S "CROSSFIRE"
* ISLAM FOR KIDS: REQUIRED COURSE (San Francisco Examiner)
* THE DISAPPEARED (The Independent)
* SPIKE IN HATE CRIMES FOLLOWED SEPT. 11 (Toronto Star)
* MUSLIMS HAVE FERVENTLY CONDEMNED SEPT. 11 ATTACKS (Columbus Dispatch)
* JOURNALIST SEEKS PHOTOS OF ISLAM IN AMERICA
* SETTLERS USE PIGSKIN TO FOIL THE MARTYRS (Daily Telegraph)
* CAIR-NY ORGANIZES CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION MEETING
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: REDEEMING SLAVES
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and said: "Guide
me
to a deed that makes me close to Heaven and far from Hell." The Prophet
replied: "Free a person and redeem a slave."
Fiqh us-Sunnah, Volume 3, Number 67
-----
SUDAN SLAVE REDEMPTION EXPOSED AS "HOAX" AND "SCAM"
RIPPING OFF SLAVE 'REDEEMERS'
By Karl Vick, The Washington Post, 2/26/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1869-2002Feb25.html
NAIROBI -- The highly publicized practice of buying the freedom of
Sudanese
slaves, fueled by millions of dollars donated by Westerners, is rife
with
corruption, according to aid workers, human rights monitors and leaders
of
a rebel movement whose members routinely regard slave redemption as a
lucrative business...
Insiders say that SPLA commanders and officials have pocketed money
paid to
buy captives' freedom and in some instances stage-manage the
transactions,
passing off free southerners as slaves...in some cases, according to
witnesses and rebel officials, the slaves weren't slaves at all, but
people
gathered locally and instructed to pretend they were returning from
bondage. An aid worker told of recognizing several children in such a
group
in the village of Turalei in late 1998. Two of them were still wearing
plastic wrist bands that entitled them to meals from the local feeding
center, the worker said.
Impostors also have appeared in the role of the Arab middleman. A
prominent
former rebel commander has publicly complained that a light-skinned
relative who is a captain in the rebel army "has been forced several
times
to pretend as an Arab" for cameras.
"Many times it's a trick," said the Rev. Mario Riva, an Italian
Catholic
priest who spent decades in one area frequented by slave raiders and,
in
recent years, well-intentioned "redeemers." Riva, who is fluent in the
local tribal language, said he once watched as an interpreter supplied
by
the rebel administration apparently duped a visiting American who had
come
to buy the freedom of slaves.
"The white man wanted to know if the boy was really a slave," said
Riva,
recalling the scene near the village of Mariel Bei in the late 1990s.
"The
translator said something else: 'Did you suffer long ago?'"...
Critics of the redemption process point out that no one knows how many
people have been taken in raids. The more than 60,000 slaves that CSI
[Christian Solidarity International] says it has paid for is four times
the
number of slaves compiled by name by one group of tribal chiefs -- and
eight times the number of active cases estimated by the British branch
of
the group Save the Children. "Active" cases are defined by Save the
Children as abductees taken recently enough that they would still be
counted as children...
In July 2000, former SPLA commander Aleu Ayieny Aleu circulated an open
letter complaining that rebel captain Akec Tong Aleu, who was also a
relative, had been coerced by rebel officials into posing as an Arab
middleman. "It was a hoax," said Aleu, now head of OSIL, a land mine
clearing agency here. "This thing has been going on for no less than
six
years..."
SEE ALSO:
THE GREAT SLAVE SCAM
By Declan Walsh, The Irish Times, 2/23/2002
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/features/2002/0223/1014332609531.html
From Weekend: In Sudan, the slave trade continues - and Western
charities
have collected millions of dollars to free women and children enslaved
in
the north. But the high-profile redemption of thousands of slaves is
often
a corrupt racket. In a major investigation, Declan Walsh talks to
witnesses
of the sale of fake slaves by fake slave-traders...
According to aid workers, missionaries, and even the rebel movement
that
facilitates it, slave redemption in Sudan is often an elaborate scam.
Some
genuine slaves have been redeemed - nobody can say how many - but in
other
cases, the process is nothing more than a careful deceit, stage-managed
by
corrupt officials...
-----
CHAPLAIN SAYS ISLAMIC TEXTS PROMOTE VIOLENCE
By DAVID E. PLAZAS, The News-Press, 2/26/2002
http://www.news-press.com/news/today/020226islam.html
The Rev. Vann Ellison spoke before Naples Press Club members. He first
delivered his speech at a workshop about terrorism held by the
sheriff's
office.
Ellison said Islamic texts, such as the Quran, promote a violent
expansion
of Islam around the world.
He said historical texts show the prophet Mohammed as a murderer, liar
and
polygamist whose behavior Islamic fundamentalists emulate...
Members said the speech alarmed them, and some felt that among
less-informed people it could provoke violence against Muslims...
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE.)
SEND LETTERS TO: dplazas@news-press.com, gpalmer@news-press.com,
rramos@news-press.com, szoldan@news-press.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
(NOTE: If you would like your letter to be published, include your name
and
daytime contact information.)
-----
PAT ROBERTSON'S BROAD BRUSH COULD DO SERIOUS DAMAGE
By Greg Freeman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2/25/2002
http://www.post-dispatch.com
Search using the term "Pat Robertson."
During a broadcast of the "700 Club" last week, he used a broad brush
to
criticize all of the world's Muslims.
Following a sharply biased report on Muslim immigrants in America, in
which
they were portrayed as apologists for terrorism, the show's co-host,
Lee
Webb, asked Robertson, "If they have such contempt for our foreign
policy,
why'd they even want to live here?"
Robertson's bat was ready for this softball question. He took a swing.
"Well, as missionaries, probably to spread the doctrine of Islam," he
said.
Forget the fact that countless Muslims live and work in this country,
doing
everything from working at confectioneries to serving as doctors, from
being businesspeople to working as janitors. Forget the fact that many
Muslims living here are as much American citizens as is Robertson.
Forget
the fact that many Muslims here were born in this country.
He chose to blast President George W. Bush's position on Islam as well.
"I have taken issue with our esteemed president in regard to his stand
in
saying Islam is a peaceful religion," he said. "It's just not. And the
Quran makes it very clear, if you see an infidel, you are to kill him."
Robertson ignored the fact that the Quran places far more emphasis on
compassion, mercy and justice. He chose not to mention that one can
find
passages about violence in God's name in Christian and Jewish texts as
well. But few would say that means that those religions incite
violence...
If an Islamic leader in the Middle East had made such comments about
Christians over a nationally televised television show, he would
clearly be
labeled by the U.S. as dangerous, and he would be putting the lives of
Christians in his country in jeopardy. If someone in this country had
made
such remarks over national television about Jews, he would surely be
considered to be a hate-filled anti-Semite. For Robertson to make such
remarks is irresponsible at best and idiotic at worst...
It's time for Pat Robertson to shut up. The sooner the better.
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: letters@post-dispatch.com,
gfreeman@post-dispatch.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR DISCUSSES ROBERTSON'S ISLAMOPHOBIC REMARKS ON CNN'S "CROSSFIRE"
CNN CROSSFIRE - February 25, 2002, 7:30 PM Eastern Time
HEADLINE: Is Islam Religion of Violence? Should Government Increase
Regulations on Funeral Business?
GUESTS: Jerry Falwell, Ibrahim Hooper, Fred Smith, Lisa Carlson
HOSTS: Bill Press, Robert Novak
HIGHLIGHT: Is Islam a religion of violence, or did Pat Robertson go too
far? Plus, as more bodies are found at a Georgia crematory, is it time
for
more government regulation of the funeral business?...
PRESS: It's a whole new week of CROSSFIRE. Thanks for joining us. Ever
since September 11, President Bush has insisted that America is not
waging
war on Islam. But some Americans apparently are.
On his "700 CLUB" broadcast last week, the Reverend Pat Robertson said,
in
fact, he disagreed with Bush. "I have taken issue with our esteemed
president in regard to his stand in saying Islam is a peaceful
religion.
It's just not. And the Korean makes it very clear, if you see an
infidel,
you are to kill him."
Robertson's remark echo earlier remarks by the Reverend Franklin
Graham,
calling Islam a very evil and wicked religion. So what's the truth? Is
Islam a peaceful or a violent religion? Are Christians like Robertson
and
Graham preaching love or hate -- Bob Novak...
JERRY FALWELL, CHANCELLOR, LIBERTY UNIV.: Well, I don't kid around,
Bob.
You know that. I'm a strong supporter of President Bush, and he is
doing
exactly the right thing in singling out his enemy and not putting
America
at war with over a billion persons.
I also agree with Pat Robertson. I'm not a student of the Koran, I must
be
honest. I also agree with Pat Robertson that there's evidence worldwide
that some bad things are coming out of the world of Islam right now.
And I
would just give two examples.
One, in the 30 or more Islamic nations in which the -- Islam is in the
majority and control of the government, there is zero religious liberty
there. Zero. And you let a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi, an
evangelical
minister go there, prosthelitize, preach the gospel, share Jesus,
unlike
America, Europe, Asian, he will pay terribly.
Secondly, I have not seen in the headlines of America's major
newspapers a
single, not one single significant American Muslim organization condemn
what happened to Daniel Pearl at the hand of some of these Islamic
crazies...
PRESS: Ibrahim Hooper, this is one of those rare nights where Bob Novak
and
I agree that Pat Robertson's remarks were obnoxious, but I do have to
ask
you this question. If you look at the history of Christianity, and I'm
a
Christian, there's a lot of ugly stuff that went on in the name of
Jesus. I
mean, you talk about the Crusades, you talk about the inquisition, you
talk
about the holy wars, killing for Jesus. People went into battle, citing
passages of the Bible.
But Christianity has put that violence behind them. Why is it that
Islam
has not? That even today, there are still people who take the most
primitive passages out of the Koran and use them as their motivation?
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON ARAB-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Well, it's true,
obviously, that Muslims need reform. Islam doesn't need reform, but
Muslims
do. And I wanted to correct a couple things that Reverend Falwell said.
First of all, religious freedom in the Muslim world, it varies widely
from
place to place. To lump every Muslim government...
FALWELL: Not where they control the government.
HOOPER: 10 percent of Christian population in Egypt, 15 percent of
Palestinians are Christian. In Iraq, major Christian populations. Where
did
the Jewish community in Europe go to flee persecution? It went to the
Muslim world. As far as Mr. Pearl, our organization condemned his
kidnapping, called for his release. And we condemn this killing....
PRESS: Let me ask you this about the Koran though. I mean, I was -- in
our
research today, there was a quote from a Web site called "The Voice of
the
Martyrs" Web site. It's a Christian Web site that points out that in
the
Koran, the words "fight" and the words "kill" appear many, many more
times
than love or peace.
HOOPER: Anybody can -- and during World War II, they said the Japanese
had
no word for love...any religion is subject to this kind of distortion
and
misinterpretation. I mean, look at here, in Matthew, it says "Do not
think
I have come to bring peace on earth. I have come to bring -- not come
to
bring peace, but a sword." Does that mean Christianity is a violent
faith?
Reverend Falwell would go, well, yes he said it but. Well, Muslims have
a
lot of yes buts, too, that aren't going to be addressed by this kind
of...
FALWELL: Well, sir, I would like to take you with me, if I could, to
Iraq.
And I would like for to you to stand by my side and allege to be my
friend,
while I pass out gospel tracks in Baghdad and preach the gospel on a
street
corner.
HOOPER: The vice president of Iraq is a Christian...
FALWELL: You know and I know that what I just said is true. There is no
opportunity in Islamic countries, where they control the government,
for
religious freedom or for an evangelical to preach the gospel or a Jew
to
share Judaism.
HOOPER: Saddam Hussein is a Muslim leader? Come on, give me a break.
This
is the kind of misinformation that I'm talking about...
NOVAK: Yes, this -- because I meant Daniel -- yes, I meant Daniel
Pearl, of
course. But the question is, that's what really bothers me, Dr.
Falwell,
when you smear that broad brush. You say there's no Muslim organization
condemned it. The Muslims did not condemn it.
FALWELL: I said no significant American Muslim organization.
HOOPER: That is not true. Absolutely not true.
FALWELL: Now this gentleman says he didn't condemn it. Who are the rest
of
them?
HOOPER: And others. Muslim Public Affairs Counsel, American Muslim
Counsel,
Islamic Society of North America, Islamic Circle of North America,
Ministry
of Imam W.D. Muhammad. Can I go on or?...
-----
ISLAM FOR KIDS: REQUIRED COURSE
By David Kiefer, The San Francisco Examiner, 2/25/2002
http://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=n.muslim.0225w
In California, school subjects can be divided into the four Rs:
Reading,
'Riting, 'Rithmetic -- and Religion.
A textbook used in public schools, including in San Francisco's
schools, is
creating a divide over its method of presenting Islam to children. Is
it
education or indoctrination, many wonder.
The question centers on a middle school curriculum, one mandated by the
California Department of Education, that asks seventh-graders to build
mosques, to pretend they are going on a pilgrimage to Mecca and to
memorize
Islam's Five Pillars of Faith.
While a spokesman for the San Francisco Unified School District says he
had
not heard of any problems, Americans United for Separation of Church
and
State, a national nonprofit multicultural watchdog organization, claims
all
middle schools have gone too far.
The teachings prompted one Christian legal organization to prepare a
lawsuit and angered activist Bob Simonds, a former Orange Coast College
professor, enough to call for a national Christian boycott of public
schools.
But Muslims say everyone is just overreacting.
"The intention is to learn," said Helal Omeira, executive director of
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations. "It's not about conversion...
The topic evokes a passionate debate in conservative and mainstream
circles. A Feb. 11 New York Post editorial, titled "Thinking like a
Muslim"
by Mideast scholar Daniel Pipes, criticized "Across the Centuries" and
triggered a cascade of negative calls and e-mails from Christians
toward
Houghton Mifflin, countered by empathy from the Muslim community.
"He's definitely pushing an agenda of hatred," Omeira said of Pipes.
"Ask
any Muslim."
SEND COMMENTS TO: letters@sfexaminer.com, dkiefer@sfexaminer.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org, cair_nCA@cair-california.org
-----
THE DISAPPEARED
By Andrew Gumbel, The Independent, 2/26/2002
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=139913
Since 11 September last year, up to 2,000 people in the United States
have
been detained without trial, or charge, or even legal rights. The fate
of
most is unknown. Andrew Gumbel investigates a scandal that shames the
land
of the free.
They came for Rabih Haddad in the afternoon, as his family was getting
ready to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Three men from the Immigration
and
Naturalization Service took him away from the apartment in Ann Arbor,
Michigan, that he shared with his wife and four children. His wife
frantically shoved a few dates into his pockets so that he would have
something to break his fast as he headed off to jail.
That was 14 December, more than two months ago. Since that time,
Haddad, a
widely respected religious leader and founding member of one of the
United
States' largest Muslim charities, the Global Relief Foundation, has
been
held in solitary confinement, first in Ann Arbor and then at a federal
facility in Chicago. He is in his cell, alone, for 23 hours a day.
Every
time he leaves, either to exercise in a special high-security cage or
to
take one of his thrice-weekly showers, he is handcuffed...
This is far from the first case of an Arab or south-Asian national
being
rounded up and subjected to indefinite detention in the wake of the 11
September attacks on New York and Washington. The Justice Department
acknowledged the arrest of 1,200 people before it stopped releasing
numbers
in November; human rights groups believe the total number could be as
high
as 2,000. But Haddad's case is perhaps the most troubling of all
because of
the sheer severity of his treatment and the shockingly abrupt
suspension of
his rights to due legal process...
The fear among immigration lawyers is that Haddad's treatment is only a
taste of things to come. Armed with the Patriot Act and a barrage of
other
ad hoc rulings passed in the wake of 11 September, George Bush's
ultra-conservative attorney general, John Ashcroft, has shown he
intends to
push the limits as far as he can. Because of the blanket of secrecy
Ashcroft has imposed, it is impossible to know exactly how many people
have
been detained or deported, or even why. Of the total 2,000 detainees
estimated by the American Civil Liberties Union and others, the best
guess
is that the vast majority have been held on visa irregularities, not
terror-related criminal offences...
-----
SPIKE IN HATE CRIMES FOLLOWED SEPT. 11
By Jennifer Quinn, The Toronto Star, 2/26/2002
http://www.thestar.com
Search using the term "hate crimes."
Hate crimes in Toronto more than doubled after the terrorist attacks in
the
United States, a new police report reveals.
In 2001, reported hate crimes - criminal acts motivated by bias or
prejudice based on someone's race, ethnicity, language, colour,
religion,
age, sex or sexual orientation - jumped 66 per cent, from 204 in 2000
to
338 last year.
Of those, 121 incidents were linked directly to Sept. 11, according to
the
report prepared by the force's hate crimes unit, which will be
presented to
the police services board Thursday. Those 121 incidents, mainly
threats,
acts of mischief and assaults, represent about 90 per cent of the
increase
in hate crimes from 2000. Many incidents "resulted from the misguided
efforts to imitate, repeat and retaliate against the terrorist
activities,"
the report states. "This culminated in a marked increase of recorded
hate
crimes, initially committed against anyone who was perceived to be of
the
Muslim (Islamic) religion...
The biggest jump in reported hate crimes was against Muslims, the
report
says. In 2000, there was just one such incident reported; in 2001,
there
were 57. Of those, 45 were directly attributable to the terrorist
attacks
in the United States.
"Invariably, these hate crimes were based on the suspect's perception,
and
the victims tended to include anyone who appeared Middle Eastern or
East
Indian," the report says.
-----
MUSLIMS HAVE FERVENTLY CONDEMNED SEPT. 11 ATTACKS
By Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, The Columbus Dispatch,
http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/news/editorials02/feb02/1107909.html
(Mobin-Uddin is vice president of the Ohio chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations-Ohio.)
I address Nick Gatz's comments in his Feb. 12 letter in which he wrote,
"It
would certainly make me feel better if more American Muslim clerics and
spokesmen...would also publicly condemn the horrific atrocity of Sept.
11."
Speaking for America's Muslims, in a statement released nationwide just
two
hours after the attacks, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the
American Muslim Alliance, the American Muslim Council and the Muslim
Public
Affairs Council condemned the terrorist attacks and "offered
condolences to
the families of those who were killed or injured.
"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..."
Muslims have restated these views countless times in news releases and
interviews. The amount of exposure our views actually receive in the
popular media, however, is not in our hands.
In a nationwide call on Sept. 11, the Council on American- Islamic
Relations urged Muslim medical professionals to go to the scenes of the
attacks to offer aid and comfort. It asked Muslim relief agencies to
offer
support in the recovery efforts and individual Muslims to donate blood
and
money. Many local and national Islamic charities have donated money to
help
victims regardless of religious affiliation.
Even so, Muslims keep being asked if we condemn the attacks. And we
repeat
that we unequivocally condemn them. Islam does not sanction terrorism.
Why
is the entire Muslim community expected to answer for every madman or
fringe group that does something bad in the name of Islam?...
On behalf of Columbus' Muslim community, I express our gratitude and
deep
appreciation to all who reached out to us. For all your support, from
the
bottom of our hearts, thank you, Columbus.
CONTACT: ohio@cair-net.org
-----
JOURNALIST SEEKS PHOTOS OF ISLAM IN AMERICA
I am a San Francisco-based journalist, currently involved with the
production of a one-hour documentary about Muslims in America for
MSNBC.
I am writing because we are trying to track down historical photographs
of
early Muslim immigrants in the U.S. For example, we would like to find
photographs of the construction of the oldest mosque built in the U.S.,
the
Mother Mosque in Iowa, as well as Muslim workers at the Ford
manufacturing
plant. I have made other inquiries about these subjects, but was
wondering
if you might be able to offer some ideas of where else I could track
down
historical photographs/shots of families and personalities/events,
funerals
or weddings from Muslim American communities over the last century.
Your help is much appreciated.
Sincerely,
R. Scott Macintosh
1624 Sacramento St. #6
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 786-6904
rsmacintosh@hotmail.com
-----
SETTLERS USE PIGSKIN TO FOIL THE MARTYRS
By ALAN PHILPS, London Daily Telegraph, 2/26/2002
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2002%2F02%2F26%2Fwmid126.xml
Jewish settlers have apparently come up with a new way to deter
Palestinian
suicide bombers - wrapping their corpses in pigskin to deprive them of
the
fruits of paradise.
The settlers believe that contact with a pig, an unclean animal for
Muslims
and Jews, will rob the bomber of the reward of martyrdom, traditionally
said to be 72 virgins. Settlers at Gush Katif, in the Gaza Strip, were
the
first to claim to have defiled the body of a dead Palestinian with
"pigskin
and lard."
Residents of Efrat, a Jewish settlement near Bethlehem, said they did
the
same to a Palestinian building worker who tried to blow up their
supermarket on Friday, but was shot dead before all the explosives
detonated.
Shlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, defended the practice: "If burial
in
pigskin will deter suicide bombers, then it is incumbent on us to do
this.
We should do anything to save life."
No Evidence
There has been no photographic evidence of daubing with lard and no one
has
come forward as the supplier of the pork, leading some to suspect that
the
settlers are trying to scare off future suicide bombers.
Palestinian Muslims reacted with scorn to the idea, saying the soul
went to
paradise and was unaffected by any taint to the body.
-----
CAIR-NY ORGANIZES CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION MEETING
CAIR-NY is organizing a civil rights coalition meeting to be held on
February 28, 2002. The meeting will discuss problems and issues facing
the
Muslim and Arab Communities in the aftermath of September 11th. Among
the
issues to discuss:
* Racial profiling
* Detainees
* Selective application of immigration rules
* Employment discrimination
The meeting will focus on formulating a common strategy to resolve
these
issues.
Organizations participating in the meeting:
* NY Civil Liberties Union
* American Civil Liberties Union
* Center for Constitutional Rights
* NY Immigration Coalition
* Refugee & Immigration Fund
* Norman Siegel, Civil Rights Attorney
* Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
* DRUM
* Coalition for Human Rights of Immigrant
* Brooklyn Parents for Peace
* Arab-American Support Center
* Islamic Circle of North American
* Islamic Society of North America
* Bayridge Islamic Center
* Indonesian Islamic Center
* Muslim American Society
* Masjid Al-Faruque (Islamic Center of Atlantic Ave.)
* Women in Islam
CONTACT: CAIR-NY, 475 Riverside Dr. Suite 246, New York, NY 10115
TEL: 212-870-2002 FAX: 212-870-2020
E-MAIL: cair-ny@cair-ny.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 - 2/27/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: PRAYERS THAT ARE ANSWERED
* MICHIGAN COLUMNIST SAYS "ISLAM SUCKS"
* DEAR PAT, JIHADS AREN'T JUST FOR MUSLIMS (Chicago Tribune)
* NEWS-PRESS REPORTER RESPONDS TO MUSLIM CONCERNS
* UPDATES FROM THE AL-AMIN TRIAL (Atlanta Journal)
- Witness describes Al-Amin arrest
- Sheriff tells his version of FBI agent's assault on Al-Amin
- FBI agent testifies he kicked, spat on Al-Amin
* MUSLIM BURIAL GROUND OK'D (Atlanta Journal)
* U.S. MAY HELP TRAIN MILITARY IN REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA (New York Times)
- CHECHEN REBELS HOPEFUL ON US ACTION IN GEORGIA (Reuters)
* CAIR DISCUSSES MUSLIM VOTER DRIVE ON FOX'S "ON THE RECORD"
* ISLAM EXHIBIT REMOVED FROM TIVERTON TOWN HALL (AP)
* LAWMAKERS CALL FOR BETTER PROFILING (AP)
* VOTE FOR EID STAMP ONLINE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PRAYERS THAT ARE ANSWERED
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There is no doubt that
three kinds of prayers will be answered: prayers of the oppressed,
prayers
of travelers and the prayers of parents for their children."
Imam Bukhari's Book of Muslim Morals and manners, Hadith 32
-----
MICHIGAN COLUMNIST SAYS "ISLAM SUCKS"
ISLAM SUCKS
By Joe Fisher, The South End (Wayne State University), 2/26/2002
http://www.southend.wayne.edu/days/feb2002/2262002/oped/islam/islam.html
I'm not very fond of religion. The practice is merely normative
statements
without credible positive statements to support them and is largely
determined by socialization. This is why many people just adopt the
religion in which they were raised.
This is also why you don't find many white people attending a mosque or
why
people raised in Orthodox Judaism don't embrace Christ. These cultural
differences are nothing more than subtleties in the cesspool of
religion.
Some religions suck more than others, though, and one of them is Islam.
It's not Muslims that I dislike - I just dislike their faith...
Islam also presents a danger to the welfare of many due to its
influence in
Middle Eastern and North African governments. Islam subjugates hundreds
of
millions of women, sexual minorities and other religions where it's the
law
of the land. The over-emphasis on treating people's faiths equally is
the
reason most vocal people are on the anti-war side of the debate.
Fortunately, we have a secular public school system in America that can
deprogram the children of Muslim immigrants and help them adopt more
productive values...
Did you know that in Islam, reading the holy books of other religions
is a
serious sin?...
SEND POLITE COMMENTS TO: editor@southend.wayne.edu, joe@wayne.edu,
jason@southend.wayne.edu, rian@southend.wayne.edu
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
DEAR PAT, JIHADS AREN'T JUST FOR MUSLIMS
By Clarence Page, The Chicago Tribune, 2/27/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0202270042feb27.story
An open memo to Pat Robertson.
Dear Brother Pat: Since your followers like to portray you as being
constantly under attack from the "liberal" media, I take pains to
present
this critique in the form of brotherly advice--from one Christian to
another.
Pat, the Muslims who feel offended by your recent put-down of their
faith
as "not a peaceful religion" have got good reasons to gripe.
I know what you were trying to say, that some Muslims have taken some
passages or words in the Koran to mean they should wage a relentless
jihad,
a holy war against the West and that Americans need not be naive about
that.
But, of course, stating the obvious would not have gotten you much
attention, would it?
So, instead, you removed the "some" from your sentiments and made it
sound
like you think all Muslims, deep down inside, are obliged to kill
infidels,
us non-believers, in order to be good Muslims...
I don't need to tell you the bloody, sorry history of Christian jihads,
Pat. They happened in the Crusades and in the Spanish Inquisition and
countless other pogroms that today's Christians might rather forget...
Pat, you are absolutely right to say that Americans need to know their
enemy. But as Bush has proclaimed repeatedly, the enemy is not Islam.
It is
terrorism. If we pick fights with our friends, the terrorists will win.
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: ctc-TribLetter@Tribune.com,
cptime@aol.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
(Include your name, address and phone number. The more concise the
letter,
the better the chances for publication.)
-----
NEWS-PRESS REPORTER RESPONDS TO MUSLIM CONCERNS
Dear Ladies and Gentleman:
My name is David Plazas, and I'm a reporter from The News-Press based
in
Fort Myers, Florida. I wrote the article entitled "Chaplain says
Islamic
texts promote violence," which ran on Tuesday. First, please forgive me
for
sending a group response. The volume of e-mails I have received and my
schedule will not permit me to write individually to each of you. I
want to
thank you for your letters, which were eloquent and enlightening.
SEE: http://www.news-press.com/news/today/020226islam.html
I am not an expert in Islam, but I know enough to become curious and
suspicious when a Christian minister, employed by a law enforcement
agency
whose sheriff runs the regional domestic terrorism taskforce, decides
to
give a speech called the "Truth about Islam." His speech was not
counterbalanced, though the Naples Press Club president later told me
he
had invited a professor with a background in Islamic studies who did
not
show up.
I have an obligation to present what's going on and what's being said
in my
community. Many times -- especially after Sept. 11 -- those messages
are
one-sided, but they reflect a sad reality. Some of you have told me
correctly that we, as the media, have a responsibility to speak the
truth.
The truth is that many ministers, religious leaders and members of the
public in this area believe the same things as Ellison. That is where I
ask
you for your help. I am working on a larger story on Islamic texts and
law,
and especially about the perceptions of Islam. As I noted in my
article,
the debate is controversial because some political leaders, like Bush,
have
declared that Islam is a religion of peace whereas others do not share
this
view.
On Wednesday I will be covering a speech in my area by Professor
Michael
Bar Zohar -- a former associate of Shimon Peres, Yitzak Rabin and David
Ben-Gurion -- who will be talking about Islamic fundamentalism in the
Middle East, and I hope there will be a more balanced discussion than
at
the press club.
I've received links and information from many of you, and I thank you.
I
would like to have the opportunity to interview you about the
perceptions
and the reality of Islam. While I regret that Tuesday's article may
have
caused some discomfort and alarm, I am glad that it has provoked
thoughtful
responses that I would like to convey to the general public.
Allow me to present you my credentials. I have worked for The
News-Press
for nearly two years. I started off as a police reporter, but I now
cover
politics, education and health. I graduated from the Medill School of
Journalism at Northwestern University with a master's degree in
journalism.
I value free speech and the uninhibited presentation of ideas, and I'm
always looking to learn more about world affairs and the human
condition.
You can reach me at dplazas@news-press.com or 941-992-1345.
Thank you again,
David E. Plazas
Staff Writer
The News-Press
-----
UPDATES FROM THE AL-AMIN TRIAL (Atlanta Journal)
- Witness describes Al-Amin arrest
- Sheriff tells his version of FBI agent's assault on Al-Amin
- FBI agent testifies he kicked, spat on Al-Amin
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022702.html
FBI AGENT ADMITS HE KICKED PRONE AL-AMIN
By STEVE VISSER, LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal, 2/27/2002
An FBI agent Tuesday admitted he kicked and spat at Jamil Abdullah
Al-Amin,
who was handcuffed and lying on the ground, after the Muslim cleric's
arrest on murder charges.
Special Agent Ronald Campbell testified in Fulton County Superior Court
that he attacked Al-Amin because he believed the West End imam had shot
at
federal agents an hour or two before his arrest in White Hall, Ala., on
March 20, 2000...
The defense claims Al-Amin has been the target of police since the
1960s,
when he was known as black radical H. Rap Brown...
-----
MUSLIM BURIAL GROUND OK'D
By BRIAN FEAGANS, The Atlanta Journal, 2/27/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/wednesday/metro_c3c7280d1721d0df0012.html
Gwinnett County commissioners gave the nod Tuesday to metro Atlanta's
second Islamic burial ground and attached more than 20 zoning
conditions
designed to make sure it doesn't look like the first.
The Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious & Social Sciences can put a
1,276-plot cemetery off New Hope Road under the special use permit
unanimously approved by the commissioners...
Commissioner John Dunn, whose district includes the planned cemetery,
said
it was time for metro Atlanta's second Muslim burial ground.
"These are all American citizens, and they should have all the rights
and
privileges afforded American citizens," he said.
On the Net:
Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious and Social Sciences:
http://islam-usa.com/girss.html
Gwinnett County, Ga.: http://www.co.gwinnett.ga.us
-----
U.S. MAY HELP TRAIN MILITARY IN REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA
The New York Times/AP, 2/27/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-US-Military-Georgia.html
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon is considering sending 100 to 200 U.S.
soldiers to the former Soviet republic of Georgia to help train its
military for anti-terrorism operations, defense officials said Tuesday.
Russian and American officials say fighters aligned with Osama bin
Laden's
al-Qaida network are holed up in a mountain gorge in Georgia near the
border with Russia's breakaway Chechnya region...
Russia has been fighting largely Muslim rebels in Chechnya for years in
a
conflict Washington had criticized as including human rights violations
such as the killing of civilians. Since Sept. 11, Russia has portrayed
Chechnya as another battleground in the international war against
terrorism, and U.S. criticism of Russian actions there has all but
disappeared...
SEE ALSO:
CHECHEN REBELS HOPEFUL ON US ACTION IN GEORGIA
By Peter Graff, Reuters, 2/27/2002
MOSCOW, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The pro-independence leadership of Russia's
rebel Chechnya region hopes that U.S. plans to send military advisers
to
Georgia will draw international attention to their plight, a top rebel
official said on Wednesday.
Akhmed Zakayev, chief envoy of Chechnya's elected President Aslan
Maskhadov, said in an interview that the separatist leadership had
offered
to help Washington fight "terrorists."
He spoke to Reuters a day after U.S. officials said they intended to
send
military advisers and unspecified equipment to Georgia to help it
restore
order in a remote gorge that abuts Chechnya.
"(Chechen) refugees in the Pankisi Gorge received the news with great
satisfaction, that the Americans and the British and the international
community will once and for all put an end to Russia's claim that there
are
some sort of (Chechen guerrilla) military bases located in the Pankisi
gorge," Zakayev said.
"Within Chechnya itself the news that the international community will
now
deal with this question of terrorism was heard with great hope," he
said by
telephone from an undisclosed location.
"As the Russian side has always framed the issue in terms of
'international
terrorism', it is clear that involvement of the international community
is
needed..."
-----
CAIR DISCUSSES MUSLIM VOTER DRIVE ON FOX'S "ON THE RECORD"
FOX ON THE RECORD WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN
Interview With Ibrahim Hooper and Clifford May, 2/26/2002
http://www.foxnews.com/ontherecord/
VAN SUSTEREN: Today the Council of American-Islamic Relations launched
a
major "Get out the vote" campaign. Their goal is to get some 100,000
Muslims registered by November. Muslim Americans want to regain the
political muscle they feel they've lost in the wake of the 9/11
attacks.
Critics say they should use their manpower to help authorities track
down
terrorists in their own communities.
Joining me, Ibrahim Hooper, spokesperson for the Council on American
Islamic Relations, and Cliff May, former RNC communications director,
now
president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy.
Welcome to both of you. Ibrahim, first to you. Lots of criticism that
Muslim Americans are not protesting enough what sort of the thinking in
the
Middle East is about Americans.
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: It's amazing.
Whenever I do these interviews, people always say, "Well, we haven't
heard
condemnations of terrorists, and we haven't heard condemnations of this
and
protests." We do it almost every day.
VAN SUSTEREN: Are we not listening?
HOOPER: I don't know what's happening because we issue condemnations.
We
did in September. We did in October. We did -- we issue condemnations
of
the killing of Mr. Pearl. We asked for his release, all of these
things.
And then we hear, "Oh, you haven't done enough." It may that be people
aren't listening.
VAN SUSTEREN: What about these sleeper cells? There's a lot of thought
-- I
mean, what the Pentagon says and what the FBI and our attorney general
says
is that there are these sleepers cells around the United States. I
mean,
you would think that Muslim Americans would be more apt to know someone
in
a sleeper cell just because they might worship together. I mean, what
about
that? Are they helping?
HOOPER: Well, I think the voter registration and the issue of sleeper
cells
are two different things. I don't think you can mesh them together. Of
course, if any Muslim in America knows anything that can be helpful to
the
investigation, of course they should go and not wait for the FBI to
come to
them but go to the FBI. That's not the question. The question is, for
us,
political empowerment. And we want the Muslim community to have a voice
in
issues of importance to the society, just like any other religious or
ethnic minority.
VAN SUSTEREN: Cliff, nothing wrong with that. I mean, a Muslim American
should be able to vote like any non-Muslim American.
CLIFFORD MAY, FORMER RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: They absolutely
should
be, and registering Americans to vote is a good thing. All Americans
should
vote. It's something we enjoy in a democracy. A lot of people abroad
don't
have it. Listen, what is concerning here -- there was a Gallup poll
that's
out today, taken in nine Islamic countries, showed that most people in
those countries still don't believe Usama bin Laden was responsible for
the
atrocities...
VAN SUSTEREN: But that's in those countries. What about Muslim
Americans?
MAY: I know. I would hope...
VAN SUSTEREN: I mean, there's a difference between Muslim Americans...
HOOPER: That's why American Muslims should be empowered, so we can go
to...Muslim countries and say, "Hey, look. We're in America. We're
quite
happy...We have religious freedom..."
VAN SUSTEREN: Ibrahim, he raises an important point. I mean -- I mean,
you
would be much more effective going over to that part of the world and
talking about how Islam has been -- has been poisoned by this misuse
of...
HOOPER: And we've been begging to be used in that way, to be bridges of
understanding to the Muslim world, because, as I said, we like it here.
We
like the religious freedom we have. I'm freer to practice my faith in
this
country than in many so-called Muslim countries...
VAN SUSTEREN: Cliff, sounds like a good idea. I mean...
MAY: And I think you do need to repeat it over and over again. You also
need to look at your schools. We've had articles just in recent days in
"The Washington Post" and other places about Islamic schools that teach
hatred of Jews, hatred...
HOOPER: I mean, you have to differentiate also. Anti-Semitism is one
thing.
Being opposed to the policy of the state of Israel is another. Being
pro-Israel should not be...a litmus test for loyalty to America...
HOOPER: And we condemn hate speech, whether it comes from the Muslim
community or from any other community.
HOOPER: But we should not again -- they were complaining in this
article
that there was a map of Palestine. Well, I'm sorry!...Go into Ariel
Sharon's office and see if there's a map of Palestine...
HOOPER: We often see that being pro-Israel or challenging Israel's
policies
becomes a litmus test. Either you're pro-Israel or you're almost
regarded
as a traitor. And that shouldn't be there...
-----
ISLAM EXHIBIT REMOVED FROM TIVERTON TOWN HALL
The Associated Press, 2/27/2002
TIVERTON, R.I. - An exhibit at Town Hall intended to educate residents
about Islam was removed after some questioned whether the poster
display
violated the separation between church and state.
The exhibit was part of a "Insights into Islam" program that includes
lectures and book discussions. Town officials said the program was
inspired
by residents' efforts to better understand Islam after the terrorist
attacks on Sept. 11.
Questions such as, "What do Muslims think of Jesus" and "Is Islam
tolerant
of other beliefs?" were posed at the top of the 25 posters on display,
and
answers were provided underneath, The Herald News of Fall River, Mass.,
reported.
SEE: http://www.discoverislam.com
The posters were put up Monday, but some town workers immediately
questioned whether it was appropriate to have placards about religion
in a
public building. One resident questioned the treatment of women by
Islamic
nations.
Town administrator James Towers said he considered the exhibit a
cultural
event, but because some considered it religious, he decided to remove
it
Tuesday to be safe.
-----
LAWMAKERS CALL FOR BETTER PROFILING
By JONATHAN D. SALANT, The Associated Press, 2/27/2002
WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers of both parties said Wednesday the new
Transportation Security Administration should develop a system to
identify
those passengers needing additional scrutiny before boarding planes.
At a hearing of the House Transportation aviation subcommittee, members
cited examples of elderly women and children being singled out while
other
passengers sail through security checkpoints...
"I'm concerned political correctness might be stifling the development
of a
sound profiling system," said the subcommittee chairman, Rep. John
Mica,
R-Fla.
Testifying before the panel, Rafi Ron, former head of security for
Israel's
Ben-Gurion Airport, said it would be too time-consuming to search every
piece of luggage and every traveler to make sure there are no weapons
or
explosives.
"Without the ability to take an intelligent decision on where to invest
our
effort, we end up wasting our attention on the 'low-risk' passengers
and
not being able to invest enough in the 'high-risk' passengers," said
Ron.
He is working to improve security at Boston's Logan Airport, from where
two
of the four planes hijacked on Sept. 11 took off.
Others expressed concern that passenger profiling would turn into
racial
profiling, in which travelers are singled out solely because of their
race
or religion. The Council for American-Islamic Relations cited more than
80
instances in which Muslim passengers were singled out for extensive
screening, taken off flights or prevented from boarding since Sept. 11.
Katie Corrigan, American Civil Liberties Union legislative counsel,
argued
against profiling.
"Profiling is not an effective security measure, is potentially
invasive of
privacy and is likely to be discriminatory," Corrigan said...
On the Net: Committee: http://www.house.gov/transportation
-----
VOTE FOR EID STAMP ONLINE
In an ongoing survey by Linn's, the top stamp magazine in America, the
Eid
Stamp is being ranked as the least necessary stamp. The survey will
close
on March 4, 2002.
The survey takes about 2 minutes to fill out. Please click on to Linn's
survey website at:
http://www.linns.com/scripts/texis.exe/stamps/stamppoll01/
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO VOTE FOR THE EID STAMP:
On the first screen, you are voting for "commemoratives." Look at the
pictures of the stamps on the page, vote OR just choose "none" for each
category. When you are done, then click on "submit ballot 1 of 4." You
will
be taken to a second screen.
The SECOND screen is where you will vote for the Eid stamp as "Best
Design,
Definitive Stamp" AND where you will vote for the Eid Stamp as "Most
Important, Definitive Stamp". After you are done, click on "submit
ballot 2
of 4." You will be taken to a third screen.
On the third screen, note that the Eid Stamp Postcard which is
AVAILABLE at
all US post offices has been conveniently LEFT OUT. You may vote "none"
to
all the questions and click on "submit ballot 3 of 4." You will then be
taken to a fourth screen.
The FOURTH screen is extremely important. This is where you will vote
for
"MY FAVORITE 2001 STAMP". Please vote of course for the Eid Stamp.
-----
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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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #322
LEARN NEW SKILLS AT CAIR'S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/27/2002) - Online registration is now available
for
CAIR's intensive Training Conference on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday,
March 31.
SEE: https://www.cair-net.org/asp/conference.asp
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Examples of conference workshops:
MEDIA RELATIONS BASICS
Learning Objectives: Workshop participants will learn: 1) The "Top 10"
rules of media relations. 2) How to write and submit an editorial or
letter
to the editor. 3) How to write a news release. 4) How to hold a media
event.
HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE SPOKESPERSON - (NEW)
Learning Objectives: Participants will gain an understanding of: 1)
The
basic skills needed to be interviewed by the media. 2) The process used
to
book guests for radio and television talk shows. 3) What you need to
know
about "talking points" and "deflecting statements."
LOBBYING 101: POSITIVE INTERACTION WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS - (NEW)
Learning Objectives: Participants will: 1) Learn basic skills to help
them
advocate community issues with local and national elected officials and
government agencies. 2) Gain an understanding of the importance of
grassroots support. 3) Learn how to build credibility and influence the
public debate on legislation.
MOBILIZING GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM - (NEW)
Learning Objectives: Participants will learn how to lead a grassroots
campaign from conception to completion.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Learning Objectives: In a fast-paced, fun seminar, participants will
learn: 1) The difference between speaking and communication. 2) How
speakers really communicate with their audiences. 3) The four keys to
visual communication. 4) Three vocal communication techniques. 5) Four
facts about verbal communication. 6) 8 Unbreakable Rules of Speaking.
Other workshops and lectures will focus on:
* HOW TO DEAL WITH DISCRIMINATION
* COALITION BUILDING
* FRAMING THE NATIONAL MUSLIM AGENDA
The conference will include a Saturday night banquet with national
Muslim
leaders to announce a major Islamic initiative for the coming year.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (Seating is limited. Last year's conference
was
sold-out.)
You may register in one of two ways:
1) Go to https://www.cair-net.org/asp/conference.asp to register
online.
2) Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org.
The early-bird deadline to register is March 17. Those who register by
that
date will save $30 on registration fees.
- PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE AT PRAYERS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
-
-----
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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 - 3/1/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: JIHAD IS CARING FOR PARENTS
* SAVE $30 BY REGISTERING NOW FOR CAIR’S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
* MUSLIM SLAVE'S STORY INSPIRES COMMENTARY ON TOLERANCE (NPR)
* 7-YEAR-OLD PALESTINIAN GUNNED DOWN BY ISRAELI SOLDIERS (Reuters)
- HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF CONDEMNS ISRAELI ATTACK ON CAMPS
* DEATH TOLL IN INDIA STRIFE AT 295 (AP)
* AL-AMIN TRIAL: AGENT DESCRIBES FINDING GUNS (Atlanta Journal)
* EDITORIAL: PUTTING US TO THE TEST (New York Times)
* TOWN REINSTATES ISLAMIC ART EXHIBIT (AP)
* REP. MCKINNEY ADDRESSES ISSUE OF DETAINEES
* ACLU STATEMENT ON AIRLINE PASSENGER PROFILING
* PROFILING: AM I NEXT? (Kansas City Star)
* ISRAELI IS “EYES AND EARS” ON ANTI-TERRORISM IN NEW JERSEY
(Trentonian)
* OUTSPOKEN RABBI FEELS THE HEAT (San Francisco Chronicle)
* CAIR QUOTED ABOUT GALLUP POLL ON ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
* THE MUSLIM JESUS (Christian Science Monitor)
* RUSSIA USING BRUTALITY TO SUPPRESS CHECHENS (New York Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: JIHAD IS CARING FOR PARENTS
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and requested to
join a military expedition. The Prophet asked him: “Are your parents
alive?” The man replied: “Yes.” The Prophet then said: “Then do your
jihad
by (serving and caring for) them.”
Imam Bukhari’s Book of Muslim Morals and Manners, Hadith 20
-----
SAVE $30 BY REGISTERING NOW FOR CAIR’S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
Online registration is now available for CAIR's intensive Training
Conference on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Washington,
D.C.
Save $30 if you register by March 17.
GO TO:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=682&articletype=2
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org.
-----
MUSLIM SLAVE'S STORY INSPIRES COMMENTARY ON TOLERANCE
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/feb/sayyid/020227.sayyid.html
Feb. 27, 2002 -- Life of Omar Ibn Said is the earliest preserved Muslim
manuscript written in the United States. Long considered one of the
treasures of antebellum literature, the manuscript had been missing
since
the 1920s.
In 1995 it was rediscovered in an old trunk in Virginia, and sold at
auction to collector Derrick Beard. Beard loaned the work to The
Interfaith
Center of New York, where it is the centerpiece of an exhibit on Said's
life.
Gustav Niebuhr, a visiting fellow at the Center for the Study of
Religion
at Princeton University, was the national religion correspondent at The
New
York Times and a frequent lecturer and writer on religious issues. He
says
in a commentary for All Things Considered that Said's life story
"points to
something many Americans don't seen to recognize: that our country --
in
its individuals, if not institutions -- has always been more
religiously
diverse than it appeared, a trend that certainly continues today…
Said was born about 1773 in Futa Turo, a region between the Senegal and
Gambia rivers in West Africa. He spent 25 years studying with prominent
Muslim scholars. Then, in 1807, he was captured during a military
conflict,
enslaved and brought to North Carolina, where he remained a slave until
his
death in 1864.
His autobiography, written in Arabic in 1831, is just one of several
manuscripts Said is known to have authored. Although a slave, he keeps
his
Muslim faith -- and maintains an openness towards other "God fearing"
people…
Other Resources
• The story of Omar Ibn Sayyid (also spelled Said) is a featured
exhibit at
the Interfaith Center of New York in Manhattan. Excerpts of Omar Ibn
Said's
autobiography read by actor and activist Ossie Davis will be available
on
the center's Web site beginning Friday, March 1.
-----
7-YEAR-OLD PALESTINIAN GUNNED DOWN BY ISRAELI SOLDIERS
By Ahmed Jadallah, Reuters (Photo), 3/1/2002
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020301/170/175hw.html
Palestinian youth kisses seven-year-old Palestinian boy Mahmoud
al-Talalqa,
who was killed by an Israeli soldier as he played near his residence in
the
Bedouin village in the northern Gaza Strip, March 1, 2002. A neighbor
watching 20 meters away on his balcony told Reuters that an Israeli
tank
crewman had beckoned a group of children to approach his vehicle, and
Mahmoud was then gunned down by four bullets of the tank's machine gun
when
the party came near. The boy's body remained on the scene until the
tank
left the area.
SEE ALSO:
HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF CONDEMNS ISRAELI ATTACK ON CAMPS
By Rachel Noeman, Reuters, 3/1/2002
CAIRO, March 1 (Reuters) - United Nations human rights chief Mary
Robinson
on Friday condemned Israel's incursion into two Palestinian refugee
camps
as actions that completely flouted international human rights and
humanitarian law.
"I would like to express my dismay at the incursion of the Israeli
Defence
Forces (IDF) in the two refugee camps in Nablus and Jenin, resulting in
the
death of about 17 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier, and the injury
of
many more Palestinian refugees, in total disregard of international
human
rights and humanitarian law," Robinson said in a statement…
-----
DEATH TOLL IN INDIA STRIFE AT 295
By HARISH DESAI, The Associated Press, 3/1/2002
AHMADABAD, India (AP) - Armed Hindus swept into a tiny village Friday,
forced Muslims into their homes and then set fire to the houses,
killing at
least 30. Three days of Hindu-Muslim violence have left nearly 300
people
dead.
The attackers in Pandarvada, a hamlet of 50 families in western India's
Gujarat state, came from a neighboring district, officials said. An
official in Gujarat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The
Associated Press that the victims were Muslim and the attackers Hindu…
Elsewhere in Gujarat, Hindus waving swords and sticks burned buildings
and
attacked Muslims in more than 30 towns in the second day of rioting
after a
deadly attack by Muslims on a train carrying Hindu nationalists.
Before dawn, several hundred Hindus set fire to homes in a Muslim
shantytown in Ahmadabad, the state's commercial center, trapping
residents
asleep inside. Sixty-five people in the homes were killed, including
eight
children, Deputy Police Commissioner P.B. Gondya said.
The military deployed 900 soldiers in Ahmadabad, a city of 3.5 million,
and
police were ordered to shoot rioters and arsonists on sight. Police
said
1,200 people had been arrested since Thursday.
However, journalists saw many soldiers sitting in trucks watching as
Hindu
crowds shouted death threats across streets to cowering Muslims, while
a
few policemen stood between them.
One Muslim woman clung to a news photographer's leg, begging him not to
leave the scene for fear that she would be killed…
-----
AL-AMIN TRIAL: AGENT DESCRIBES FINDING GUNS
By Lateef Mungin and Bill Montgomery, The Atlanta Journal, 3/1/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/friday/metro_c3f75266252a8129004c.html
An FBI agent Thursday identified a semiautomatic assault rifle, a 9 mm
pistol, magazines of ammunition and a duffel bag with personal papers,
including driver's licenses in the name of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, as
those
found in Alabama woods a day after Al-Amin's arrest nearly two years
ago…
Defense attorney Michael Warren questioned why FBI agents did not test
the
guns for Al-Amin's fingerprints or test Al-Amin's clothing or hands for
residue of gun powder.
Greene said he did not know whether the FBI conducted those tests.
"That was not our responsibility," he said. "It was our job to
apprehend
the fugitive. It was the Atlanta Police Department's responsibility to
test
for fingerprints."
-----
EDITORIAL: PUTTING US TO THE TEST
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF, The New York Times, 3/1/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/01/opinion/01KRIS.html
TAMPA, Fla. - Sami Al-Arian leans back on a carved-wood Egyptian couch
and
squirms as he tries to explain why in 1991 he declared "Death to
Israel."
That comment and several others have come back to haunt him in the
aftermath of Sept. 11. Officials at the University of South Florida,
where
Mr. Al-Arian is a tenured professor of computer science, have started
proceedings to fire him -- essentially for being a fiery Palestinian
activist who embarrasses them. The result is a case that is less about
Professor Al-Arian than it is about ourselves: what kind of
universities we
desire, how much dissent we dare tolerate and how we treat minorities
in
times of national stress.
The point is not whether one agrees with Professor Al-Arian, a rumpled
academic with a salt-and-pepper beard who is harshly critical of Israel
(and also of repressive Arab countries) -- but who also denounces
terrorism, promotes inter-faith services with Jews and Christians, and
led
students at his Islamic school to a memorial service after 9/11 where
they
all sang "God Bless America."
No, the larger point is that a university, even a country, becomes
sterile
when people are too intimidated to say things out of the mainstream.
Indeed, that is precisely why major Arab countries are in dreadful
shape…
Mr. Al-Arian has often been controversial during his 27 years in the
United
States. But three exhaustive studies of his conduct have found no
evidence
of wrongdoing. Most recently, an immigration judge, Kevin McHugh,
issued a
56-page report in October 2000 concluding that "there is no evidence
before
the court that demonstrates that" two Muslim organizations run by Mr.
Al-Arian were fronts for Palestinian terrorists.
The judge added: "To the contrary, there is evidence in the record to
support the conclusion that one was a reputable and scholarly research
center and the other was highly regarded…"
"I despise anyone who would say, 'Death to Israel,' " Professor
Grebstein
said.”But if he wants to stand on a ladder and say that, he should be
able
to. And there should be no penalty from his employer."
He added: "Any university that wants to be first-rate -- you measure
its
quality by measuring how much dissent it is willing to tolerate."
-----
TOWN REINSTATES ISLAMIC ART EXHIBIT
Associated Press, 3/1/2002
TIVERTON, R.I. (AP) - An Islamic art exhibit at Town Hall was
reinstated
Friday after town officials decided it didn't violate laws regarding
separation of church and state.
Town Administrator James Towers ordered the posters removed Monday on
the
first day of the exhibit's planned two-week display after some
residents
and town employees complained it violated constitutional law.
SEE: http://www.projo.com/report/html/eastbay/07134391.htm
But Town Solicitor James Donnelly said Thursday the poster display was
educational, and didn't violate any laws.
The posters "explain the various tenets and facts of something that is
of
great interest to a lot of people," Donnelly told The Providence
Journal in
its Friday editions.
The 25 posters are part of a series of lectures and book discussions
called
"Insights into Islam," organized in the wake of the events of Sept. 11.
They explain basic tenets of Islam and include information on Muslims…
-----
REP. MCKINNEY ADDRESSES ISSUE OF DETAINEES
HON. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY OF GEORGIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2001
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LATOURETTE). Under a previous order of the
House, the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. MCKINNEY) is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. MCKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to address a matter of grave
concern for those of us who value freedom and democracy in this
country.
On December 14, Rabih Haddad, a prominent community leader and
religious
cleric in Anne Arbor, Michigan, was preparing to celebrate a major
religious holiday with his wife and four children when a knock came at
his
door. There stood three INS agents who had come to take him away. Mr.
Haddad is now being held in 23-hour solitary confinement several
hundred
miles away from his family, whom he is allowed to see only 4 hours a
month.
Mr. Haddad has been in jail for 76 days and has never been charged with
a
crime.
On November 24, Mazen Al-Najjar, a former university professor and
religious leader living in Tampa, Florida, was rearrested by Justice
Department officials. Professor Al-Najjar had already been held for 3
years
in Federal prison on secret evidence until December 2000, when a judge
ruled that allegations against him were baseless and ordered the
government
to release him. He is now being held in 23-hour lockdown in a maximum
security prison. Professor Al-Najjar has been in jail for 96 days and
still
has never been charged with a crime.
In early October, Anser Mehmood, a New Jersey truck driver originally
from
Pakistan, was arrested by Federal law enforcement officials. His family
was
not allowed to visit him for 3 months, nor were they told of his
whereabouts. Deprived of their only source of income, his wife and four
children have been forced to sell all of their belongings and now plan
to
return to Pakistan. Anser has been in jail for more than 140 days and
has
never been charged with a crime.
On September 18, Mohammed Refai, a legal resident of the United States,
was
informed that the 1-year extension of his conditional green card was
being
revoked. Then he was put in jail. The government denied him access to
his
lawyer for 2 days, and he remains in solitary confinement. Mohammad has
been in jail for 162 days and has never been charged with a crime.
These are just a handful of the stories of people who have been swept
up in
Attorney General John Ashcroft's dragnet and who have been denied the
most
fundamental rights of due process and rule of law. But there are
literally
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of such cases all over the country.
We do not know their names, and we do not know what they are being
charged
with. We do not know if they have access to legal assistance or even to
their families. There are reports that many have been mistreated and
denied
access to their legal counsel and even visits by their families. We
know
that one such detainee has already died while in U.S. custody. But we
do
not know exactly how many others are being held because the Bush
administration will not tell us. They will not tell us who they are,
where
they are, or why they are being held.
The ACLU and other domestic civil rights groups estimate there are as
many
as 2,000 individuals, most of them men from the Middle East and South
Asia,
who are now swept up in this administration dragnet. The number will
likely
increase in the coming months as John Ashcroft goes after thousands
more
so-called “absconders.”
We do know that one detainee, 55-year-old Mohammad Butt from Pakistan,
died
in custody at the Hudson County Jail in New Jersey. But the Justice
Department offers little justice for those now caught in its snare.
The great irony is that all along the administration has said that we
are
hated because we are free; not because of what we are, but because we
are free.
There is so much talk about how America is viewed abroad. Well, let us
look
at a recent headline: “The disappeared: Since 11 September, last year,
up
to 2,000 people in the United States have been detained without trial
or
charge or even legal rights. The fate of most is unknown. Andrew Gumbel
investigates a scandal that shames the land of the free.”
A scandal that shames the land of the free, and most Americans do not
even
know it. But that is not from a newspaper in Pyongyang; it is not from
a
newspaper in Tehran. It is from a newspaper from London, one of the
largest
newspapers, in fact, in London, from the Independent.
If we want the world to understand who we are and what we stand for, we
should bear in mind that everything we say and do is broadcast all over
the
world, even if it is not broadcast right here in America. When what is
being broadcast are mass arrests of young men and closing down of
charities, then we can only expect insightful rhetoric from abroad. It
is
time we start living up to our own standards of freedom, equality, and
justice.
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
The Honorable Cynthia McKinney
U.S. House of Representatives
124 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
TEL: 202-225-1605
FAX: 202-226-0691
E-MAIL: cymck@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
URL: http://www.house.gov/mckinney/
-----
ACLU STATEMENT ON AIRLINE PASSENGER PROFILING BEFORE AVIATION
SUBCOMMITTEE
OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE - FEBRUARY 27, 2002
http://www.aclu.org/congress/l022702b.html
Like all Americans, the ACLU supports efforts to ensure our security
from
terrorist threat. We do not believe, however, that profiling is an
advance
in aviation security. Historically, profiling has been employed as a
cost
saving measure when security resources were scarce. As a result,
passengers
may have had a false sense of security because profiling is not an
effective security measure, is potentially invasive of privacy, and is
likely to be discriminatory. The ACLU remains convinced that we need
not
sacrifice our civil liberties to protect safety. We believe our country
can
be both safe and free…
Need for Congressional Action. We urge passage of H.R. 2074 the “End
Racial
Profiling Act” a bi-partisan bill that will, among other things, define
racial profiling and make it illegal.
GO TO: http://thomas.loc.gov (Search using the term “profiling.”)
Additional legislation besides H.R. 2074 may be necessary to address
the
particular types of profiling that is taking place at airports. For
example, many people have been subjected to racially discriminatory
treatment since September 11th. The organization Council of American
Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been collecting complaints on its website
and
has received nearly 200 complaints of race based airline profiling…
-----
PROFILING: AM I NEXT?
By ARSALAN TARIQ IFTIKHAR, The Kansas City Star, 3/1/2002
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/news/opinion/2765367.htm
Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar is the Midwest communications director of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations. He was raised in Chicago and
currently attends law school in St. Louis. He wrote this for The Star.
According to The Washington Post, authorities have begun searching for
thousands of Middle-Eastern men in the United States who have
disappeared
after being ordered to leave the country, according to officials
familiar
with the operation.
The Justice Department has identified about 6,000 young men from the
Middle
East who have ignored deportation orders and has decided to make the
arrest
and removal of them the highest priority among efforts to locate
hundreds
of thousands of foreign nationals who have defied such rulings.
As a student of law, I applaud the Immigration and Naturalization
Service's
quest to bring those who violate our laws to justice. However, this
form of
selective prosecution will be inherently degenerative to the social
fabric
of our society…
Understanding the dire need to bring the perpetrators of the Sept. 11
attacks to justice, this country cannot ignore the fact that a dragnet
may
open the floodgates to future, less constitutional proceedings...
I am a Muslim. I am an American citizen. Chicago has been my only home.
I
was chosen as one of the speakers for my high school graduating class.
I
attended the last game ever at the original Boston Garden and was an
Illinois state scholar. I attended a top 15 university and attend a top
30
law school. I have interned for two United States senators, one of whom
is
now the attorney general.
Like the vast majority of Muslim-Americans, I continue to positively
contribute to this society and will not tolerate being profiled just
because of my unflinching faith of Allah…
-----
ISRAELI IS “EYES AND EARS” ON ANTI-TERRORISM IN NEW JERSEY
BREACH OF SECURITY
By TOM BALDWIN, The Trentonian, 2/27/2002
http://www.trentonian.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=3392445&BRD=1697&PAG=461&dept_id=44551&rfi=8
Burlington County lawmakers, Sen. Martha Bark and Assemblyman Fran
Bodine,
extended the debate over McGreevey's hiring of Golan Cipel, 33, an
Israeli
national, to be his "eyes and ears" on anti-terrorism.
Bodine and Bark said they were "appalled" and "embarrassed" that the
44-year-old governor would appoint the consultant at a time when he is
laying off some 1,000 state employees.
McGreevey calls the hiring money "well spent."
This is especially vivid since McGreevey just weeks ago anointed Mercer
County's Kathryn Flicker, who is a career prosecutor with a stellar
record
in law enforcement, to head the as-yet-undefined state office of
counter-terrorism.
McGreevey has refused to make Cipel undergo the usual background checks
by
State Police, saying New Jersey residents should simply trust the
governor.
But Bark is not.
"The governor has created an entirely new position for a former
campaign
aide and traveling companion," the senator said.
She said McGreevey, who says he met Cipel three years ago on a visit to
Israel, is "putting someone in charge of homeland security who is
clearly
not qualified."
"Adding insult to injury, the governor is refusing to ask Mr. Cipel to
undergo a background check," said the senator, whose district includes
Moorestown, Evesham, the Medford area, Pemberton and Wrightstown…
"At first glance, Mr. Cipel's background and credentials hardly seem to
make him the best possible candidate to help lead New Jersey's
anti-terrorism effort," the lawmakers wrote to Quigley.
-----
OUTSPOKEN RABBI FEELS THE HEAT
Jewish backlash over stance on Palestinians
By Chip Johnson, The San Francisco Chronicle, 2/25/2002
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/02/25/MN151601.DTL
Berkeley -- For more than 30 years, Berkeley Rabbi Michael Lerner has
been
a thorn in the side of conservative Jews, but the backlash has never
been
so furious.
Whether he is calling for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli settlers
and
soldiers from the West Bank and Gaza Strip or promoting his own
humanitarian- based political formulas, some hard-line Jews describe
him as
one of the most self-loathing Jews on the planet.
Now, his critics have launched a campaign to kill off Tikkun, the
magazine
Lerner co-founded 15 years ago as an organ for liberal intellectuals,
Jewish and otherwise. Lerner calls Tikkun the nation's only multi-issue
Jewish magazine.
The contributing writers of the San Francisco magazine include some of
the
nation's most progressive thinkers, including feminist Susan Faludi,
Noam
Chomsky and Harvard Professor Cornel West.
But 17 months of renewed fighting in the Middle East against the
backdrop
of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America has given conservative
Jews a
lever to try to pry people away from supporting the magazine, Lerner
said…
In recent months, Lerner has received threatening e-mails, many from
pro-
Israeli Web sites that describe him as a traitor...
-----
CAIR QUOTED ABOUT GALLUP POLL ON ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
TOPIC: Vast majority in Muslim world do not believe that Arabs were
involved in September 11th - 2/27/2002
ABC News: World News Tonight
PETER JENNINGS, anchor: Still, partly in the Middle East, there is a
Gallup
Poll today which is making news because it is surprising to some and
revealing to many. It finds that in several countries in the Muslim
world,
the vast majority do not believe that Arabs were involved in the
attacks on
the US in September. ABC's Terry Moran is at the White House tonight.
Terry, this is a big setback for the Bush administration and a
challenge.
TERRY MORAN reporting: It sure is, Peter. Over the past five months the
Bush administration has launched several high-profile efforts to win
hearts
and minds in the Muslim world. The stark findings in the poll released
today show just how far the US still has to go in that endeavor in
Afghanistan is not morally justified.
Mr. IBRAHIM HOOPER (Council on American-Islamic Relations): We
shouldn't
just deal with spin control. We have to have real changes to real
foreign
policies. We have to have American values of justice and freedom
applied
across the board.
-----
THE MUSLIM JESUS
By Thomas D'Evelyn, The Christian Science Monitor, 2/28/2002
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0228/p16s02-bogn.html
This short book contains a millennium's worth of sayings and stories of
Jesus drawn from Islamic literature. The title may seem paradoxical; we
are
not accustomed to thinking of Jesus in Muslim contexts. Enter Tarif
Khalidi, Sir Thomas Adams professor of Arabic and director of the
Centre of
Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at King's College, Cambridge.
Khalidi
proves to be an expert guide to this wealth of material. As a result,
"The
Muslim Jesus" is a book of spiritual connoisseurship with a timely and
seductive appeal…
-----
RUSSIA USING BRUTALITY TO SUPPRESS CHECHENS, RIGHTS GROUP SAYS
By BARBARA CROSSETTE, The New York Times, 2/28/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/28/international/europe/28CHEC.html
About the same time the United States began its war on terrorism last
fall
in Afghanistan, Russia resumed a harsh campaign of torture, abductions
and
political killings in Chechnya, Human Rights Watch said today.
SEE: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/russchech/
The Russian operations, involving sweeps through villages and the
detention
of hundreds, follow a pattern established last summer, which Human
Rights
Watch has documented in a new report, "Swept Under: Torture, Forced
Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings During Sweep Operations in
Chechnya." A separatist rebellion has been simmering in Chechnya, a
Muslim
region in the Caucasus, for more than a decade. The report, published
today, focuses on the pattern of these campaigns as demonstrated by
military operations in June and July, with extensive evidence gathered
from
Alkhan-Kala, Sernovodsk and Assinovskaya.
-----
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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 - 3/4/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: WITH EVERY HARDSHIP COMES EASE
* CAIR: INDIAN GOVERNMENT MUST DO MORE TO HALT VIOLENCE
* 16 PALESTINIANS KILLED BY ISRAELI FIRE (AP)
- U.S. TO RELEASE HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
* BACKLASH CHANGES FORM, NOT FUNCTION (Washington Post)
* THE CALL OF THE PROPHET: 'BLACK PILGRIMAGE TO ISLAM' (Washington
Post)
* EDITORIAL: FAITH IN HATE (Boston Globe)
* THEIR OWN NAMES ARE WHAT THEY FEAR (STAR-LEDGER)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: WITH EVERY HARDSHIP COMES EASE
“And behold, with every hardship comes ease. Verily, with every
hardship
comes ease! So when thou art freed [from distress], remain steadfast,
and
unto thy Sustainer turn with love.”
The Holy Quran, Chapter 94, Verses 5-8
-----
CAIR: INDIAN GOVERNMENT MUST DO MORE TO HALT VIOLENCE
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/4/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today called on the
Indian government to do more to halt communal violence in that
country’s
state of Gujarat.
More than 540 people have been killed in violence since last Wednesday
when
58 Hindus died in a train fire allegedly set by Muslims. Those killed
in
the train fire were returning from Ayodhya, the site of a 16th century
mosque razed by Hindus in 1992. Hindu militants are planning to begin
construction of a temple on that site in mid-March.
Most of those killed since the train incident have been Muslims.
Survivors
say that Indian security forces have not done enough to protect Muslim
communities.
In its statement, CAIR said:
“We urge the Indian government to take swift, sustained action to end
mob
violence in Gujarat and to prevent the spread of violence to
neighboring areas.
“We demand that Indian law enforcement authorities ensure the safety of
all
citizens, regardless of religious affiliation. Perpetrators of violence
must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“And finally, we call for a just and comprehensive resolution to the
Ayodhya mosque dispute.Concerted action must be taken immediately to
deal
with this inflammatory issue. The construction of a Hindu temple at the
mosque site could serve as a spark to ignite a renewed cycle of
violence.”
CAIR also asked American officials to pressure India to set up an
independent commission of inquiry to investigate the incidents of the
past
week and to determine how such violence may be prevented in the future.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
-----
16 PALESTINIANS KILLED BY ISRAELI FIRE
By GREG MYRE, The Associated Press, 3/4/2002
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Israel stepped up reprisals Monday for
Palestinian shootings and bombings, killing 16 Palestinians including
the
wife and three children of an Islamic militant leader and a doctor
whose
ambulance was hit during rescue efforts…
Dr. Khalil Suleiman, the head of local emergency services, was
overseeing
rescue efforts from an ambulance when the vehicle came under Israeli
fire
that killed him and seriously wounded three of his colleagues, Red
Crescent
officials said. The Red Crescent said the ambulance was hit by an
Israeli
tank shell...
SEE ALSO:
U.S. TO RELEASE HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
By BARRY SCHWEID, The Associated Press, 3/4/2002
WASHINGTON (AP) - The State Department's annual human rights report
contains strong criticism of China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, saying all
three nations violated rights of their citizens during 2001...
The report was submitted to key members of Congress Sunday evening in
preparation for its public release Monday…
Human rights groups reported to the U.S. government an excessive use of
force by Israeli authorities. But the report casts most Israeli abuses
in
terms of the country's need to resist terrorist attacks by
Palestinians…
-----
BACKLASH CHANGES FORM, NOT FUNCTION
Sept. 11 Aftereffects Include Quiet Sting Of Bigotry, Some Say
By Mary Beth Sheridan, The Washington Post3/4/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33151-2002Mar3.html
The spate of violent hate crimes against Muslims, Arabs and Sikhs
reported
in the weeks after Sept. 11 has largely ended, but officials and
advocates
are now concerned about a surge in other, less-publicized kinds of
discrimination.
These complaints, generally involving bias against Muslims and Arab
Americans in offices, schools and public places, are harder to
quantify.
Many people are afraid to register complaints, and the acts are often
more
subtle than a graffiti attack or a brick through the window, advocacy
groups say. But tallies compiled by U.S. government offices and
nonprofit
groups suggest that the backlash against Arabs, Muslims and Sikhs
following
Sept. 11 is not over:
• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has received so many
allegations of illegal bias against Middle Eastern, Muslim and South
Asian
workers that it has created a category, Code Z, to track them. It has
received more than 300 complaints since Sept. 11 -- and that doesn't
include similar cases filed in state or local government offices. "This
is
totally unprecedented," said EEOC Chairwoman Cari M. Dominguez.
• Complaints of discrimination received by Arab American, Muslim and
Sikh
groups have soared. Since Sept. 11, the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, based in Washington, has received more than 1,700 reports
since
of workplace bias, airport profiling, discrimination in schools,
physical
assault and other incidents, compared with 322 in all of 2000.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation has received 98 complaints from
airline passengers alleging discrimination, including 26 who said they
were
kicked off flights. That's up from 10 reports in the same period a year
earlier...
Advocates say some Muslims and Arab Americans fear not just retaliation
from employers, but from the authorities. The federal government's
detentions and interviews of thousands of Arab and Muslim visitors has
sent
a chill through the community, say the advocates.
"With some Muslims, there's a sense that, 'If I report [discrimination]
to
the government and get in their system, I'll be constantly harassed,'"
said
Joshua Salaam, the civil rights coordinator for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations…
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, in a state-by-state
breakdown of
complaints, says the District came in third, with 113 complaints,
followed
by Virginia, with 99. Maryland was ninth, with 54.
Salaam said such figures didn't necessarily indicate high intolerance
in
the metropolitan area. Rather, he said, they could reflect the size of
the
local Arab and Muslim population, and the fact that his organization is
based in the capital and well known in this region.
-----
THE CALL OF THE PROPHET: 'BLACK PILGRIMAGE TO ISLAM'
Reviewed by Sonsyrea Tate, The Washington Post, 3/3/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20783-2002Feb28.html
BLACK PILGRIMAGE TO ISLAM
By Robert Dannin
Oxford Univ. 368 pp. $29.95
"We know we are beautiful. And ugly too. The tom-tom cries and the
tom-tom
laughs." This line from Langston Hughes's 1926 manifesto "The Negro and
the
Racial Mountain" is as true of African-American Muslims in 2002 as it
was
of black Americans in general then. African-American Muslims are pious
and
corrupt, enlightened and misguided, earnest and insincere, boldly
independent and sheepishly dependent. All of them can be found in the
pages
of Robert Dannin's new book, Black Pilgrimage to Islam…
This somewhat scholarly socio-historic study asks more questions than
it
answers, and is intended to generate a dialogue on the merits of the
Islamic religion -- reportedly the fastest-growing in the country, with
a
great deal of the growth occurring among African-American converts.
Dannin
describes the book as his effort to promote cross-cultural
understanding
and to give an image and voice to the thousands of African Americans
who
see themselves as returning to an old tradition from which they were
violently wrenched.
He succeeds admirably. Among the book's greatest strengths are the
Muslims'
testimonies of conversion, presented in their own words. There is [CAIR
Board Member] Ishan Bagby, who campaigned for social justice as a
college
student living in Cleveland in 1969, embraced Islam, helped build the
first
indigenous mosque in Atlanta, and ended up earning a doctorate in
Islamic
studies and becoming national director of education for the Islamic
Society
of North America in 1989...
-----
EDITORIAL: FAITH IN HATE
The Boston Globe, 3/3/2002
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/062/editorials/Faith_in_Hate+.shtml
ONCE AGAIN, the Rev. Pat Robertson is preaching hate. He has made a
career
of pitting his far-right “us” against whichever “them” happens to be
convenient, and his latest target has been the Muslim faith…
All holy texts speak in symbolism from an ancient time and deserve
careful
study and interpretation, not a quick read by a person with an agenda
who
is looking for a sound bite…A religion does not create murderers. The
twisted human psyche does that when it forgets that the bedrock of all
faith is love.
-----
THEIR OWN NAMES ARE WHAT THEY FEAR
Some Muslims make a change to avoid a link to terrorists
BY BRIAN DONOHUE, The (NJ) Star-Ledger, 3/3/2002
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1015150221324370.xml
The taunts of classmates can make school a grueling experience. For a
New
Brunswick boy named Osama, the harassment has become unbearable.
Osama Azzouzi's distraught parents have pulled the 3-year-old from
preschool until a judge approves their Jan. 24 application to legally
change his first name to Samir. It is the only way, his mother said, to
end
the humiliation that began Sept. 11 when the other children began
mocking
him for the name he shares with terrorist Osama bin Laden…
It is hardly uncommon for newly naturalized citizens or others with
names
that are difficult for English speakers to pronounce to change their
names
to make everyday life easier. What is different here, Muslim community
leaders say, is names are being changed out of fear that they will be
associated with terrorism…
-----
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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 - 3/5/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: SPEAK THE TRUTH
* SALON.COM SLAMS "TERRORISM EXPERT" STEVEN EMERSON
- WHO IS STEVEN EMERSON?
* US BUSTED LARGE ISRAELI SPY RING (Christian Science Monitor)
- US BREAKS UP MAJOR ISRAELI SPY RING: REPORT (AFP)
* GREAT DIVIDE SPLITS U.S., ISLAMIC CULTURES, POLL FINDS (USA Today)
* HINDUS TURN AGAINST SYMBOLS (Washington Post)
* 'ARAB CARD' PLAYED IN SENATE RACE (AP)
* RESOURCES: COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES (State
Department)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SPEAK THE TRUTH
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "If you guarantee me six
things on your part I shall guarantee you Paradise: Speak the truth
when
you talk, keep a promise when you make it, when you are trusted with
something fulfill your trust, avoid sexual immorality, lower your gaze
(in
modesty), and restrain your hands from injustice."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1260
The Prophet also said: "Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and
righteousness leads to Paradise."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 116
-----
SALON.COM SLAMS "TERRORISM EXPERT" STEVEN EMERSON
TERRORISTS UNDER THE BED
"Terrorism expert" Steven Emerson paints a terrifying picture of lethal
Muslim fundamentalists among us in "American Jihad." But he doesn't
know
the difference between Osama bin Laden and Yasser Arafat.
By Eric Boehlert, Salon.com, 3/5/2002
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2002/03/05/emerson/index.html
Steven Emerson, the self-styled terrorism expert, has enjoyed quite a
rebound since Sept. 11. Best known for his 1994 Frontline film "Jihad
in
America," which painted an ominous picture of Muslim terrorists and
terrorist sympathizers lurking in the United States, Emerson has always
been highly controversial. His defenders see him as a voice crying in
the
wilderness; critics accuse him of being a propagandistic crank. After
he
went on TV to suggest, immediately after the 1995 Oklahoma City
bombings,
that Muslim terrorists were responsible, many mainstream news
organizations
shunned him. But since the Sept. 11 attacks, Emerson is suddenly being
embraced as that slightly eccentric uncle we all should have paid more
attention to...
Now Emerson is trying to cement his Cassandra image -- and capitalize
on it
-- with "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us," a quickie,
large-print book that, minus the appendices, totals just 175 pages.
This
sensationalistic, poorly reasoned book will do nothing to enhance
Emerson's
stature among serious scholars.
The "expert" who emerges from "American Jihad" is a heavy-handed
scaremonger who fails to grasp -- or deliberately blurs -- the most
rudimentary distinctions between different radical groups...Whether
this
egregious conceptual flaw, which renders most of his book all but
worthless, is the result of a political agenda to demonize passionate
supporters of the Palestinian cause as terrorists or terrorist
sympathizers, or is simply the result of hysteria and/or ignorance, is
unclear...
Nor does Emerson's at times loose way with the facts inspire
confidence.
For example, he recounts the story of Ghazi Ibrahim abu Mezer, a
Palestinian who in 1997 was arrested and charged with planning to bomb
New
York's subway system. That's a scary enough story, but Emerson wants to
make it scarier, by tying Mezer to the radical Palestinian movement.
Emerson writes that Mezer had applied for political asylum in the U.S.
"on
the grounds that he was in danger of arrest by Israeli law enforcement
thanks to his membership in the Hamas organization."
In fact, Mezer's application asserted that he had been falsely accused
by
Israeli authorities of belonging to Hamas. American law enforcement
officials denied that abu Mezer was a member of Hamas, or that Hamas
was
involved in the bombing attempt in any way. James Kallstrom, head of
the
New York FBI office, at the time said "it is totally wrong to say that
these individuals are connected to and directed by Hamas." Hamas also
disavowed any involvement. Emerson fails to report any of this...
Emerson won't admit it, but radicals within the pro-life movement, for
instance, have killed more innocent American civilians in the U.S. than
has
Hamas or Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad. Indeed, Emerson's book doesn't
contain
a single example of Hamas, Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad carrying out
terrorist activities in this country.
That's because there are none, according to Vince Cannistraro, a former
director of counterterrorism for the CIA. "Neither Hamas or Islamic
Jihad,
which have an infrastructure in the U.S., political organizations in
the
U.S., has ever targeted Americans here," Cannistraro told Salon. "It
would
be counterproductive to their cause. And their focus is Israel and
occupied
territories."
Robin Wright, author of "Sacred Rage: The Wrath of Militant Islam,"
agrees,
noting the Palestinian groups "don't target the American embassy or
consulate in Jerusalem. That's not what their goal is. Their focus is
on
Israel."
In fact, Cannistraro dismisses Emerson's entire thesis. "It's total
bullshit," he says. "He's trying to say people who move to this country
and
set up charities and think tanks and are associated with Hamas and
Islamic
Jihad and Hezbollah, that there's some kind of connection between them
and
Sept. 11, that there's a liaison or support network. He doesn't know
what
he's talking about..."
Early in "American Jihad" Emerson tries to come across as a moderate,
stating that Islamic extremists represent "but a tiny fraction of the
total
number of American Muslims." Yet in the very next paragraph he quotes
approvingly from a source who insists Muslim extremists have taken over
"more than 80 percent of the mosques that have been established in the
U.S." And he fails to mention his 1995 claim in the Jewish Monthly that
Islam "sanctions genocide, planned genocide, as part of its religious
doctrine," or his warning in the Jerusalem Post that "the U.S. has
become
occupied fundamentalist territory..."
As the Oklahoma City bombing illustrated, for someone who has dedicated
his
adult life to tracking terrorist activities, Emerson has a pretty shaky
track record when it comes to analyzing attacks. Following the 1993
World
Trade Center bombing he told CNN viewers Yugoslavs were the likely
suspects. And the next year, when TWA Flight 800 plunged into the
Atlantic
Ocean just off Long Island, Emerson was sure a bomb had brought it
down.
Neither theory turned out to be accurate...
The truth is, Emerson uses the word "terrorist" the way Sen. Joseph
McCarthy used to use the word "communist." Trying to discredit as
terrorist
sympathizers the Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the
country's largest Muslim-American groups, and one that has been
welcomed
into the White House in recent years...to suggest, as Emerson does in
"American Jihad," that militant Muslims groups around the world,
including
those battling Israel, are targeting Americans at home, simply creates
confusion and anxiety, especially among casual readers and TV viewers
who
have only a passing knowledge of the topic.
Then again, perhaps confusion and anxiety were Emerson's goals from the
start.
SEE ALSO: WHO IS STEVEN EMERSON?
http://www.cair-net.org/html/emerson.htm
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO: boehlert@salon.com, dtalbot@salon.com,
kamiya@salon.com, lauram@salon.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
US BUSTED LARGE ISRAELI SPY RING, SAYS FRENCH INTELLIGENCE WEBSITE
The Christian Science Monitor, 3/4/2002
http://www.csmonitor.com/newsinbrief/brieflies.html#WORLD14:00:21
A French intelligence website, IntelligenceOnline.com, is reporting
that
the US government's Justice Department broke up a "huge Israeli spy
ring"
that operated in several US states as recently as last year. The site
says
that up to 120 Israeli operatives have been caught and expelled.
Intelligence Online says it has obtained a copy of a classified report
prepared by the task force created to deal with the issue. The report
says
the Israelis were between the ages of 22-30 and had served at one time
in
Israeli army intelligence. The network set up by the Israelis was
comprised
of 20 teams, each composed of four to eight members.
Intelligence Online was one of the first to report on the existence of
the
controversial US Office of Strategic Information. The office was shut
down
by US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld last week after allegations
that
it intended to plant false stories in foreign media.
SEE ALSO:
US BREAKS UP MAJOR ISRAELI SPY RING: REPORT
Agence France Presse, 3/4/2002
US authorities have broken a network of Israeli spies living in the
United
States who were burrowing into the justice and defence departments, a
French website specializing in intelligence matters reported Monday.
The site, Intelligence Online, said it had exclusive access to a US
justice
department report that showed "a huge Israeli spy ring operating in the
United States was rolled up by the Justice Department's
counter-espionage
service" last year...
Intelligence Online editor-in-chief Guillaume Dasquie told AFP the
network
had been trying "to penetrate justice department and defence department
systems" through drug-fighting agencies such as the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), which has access to files from other US
departments...
His website said the network's objectives included some of the most
sensitive sites in the United States, such as the Tinker Air Force Base
located close to Oklahoma City. It said the US Air Force had requested
the
help of the Justice Department last May in the investigation against
the
Israelis.
Dasquie said US investigators were concerned by indications that some
of
the alleged Israeli spies had been based in the same US cities as
people
suspected of having helped in the logistics of the devastating
September 11
attacks on New York and Washington.
For instance, it had been established, he said, that a dozen Israelis,
including the alleged surveillance leader, had been based in the
Florida
town of Hollywood between January and June last year.
US authorities have arrested another dozen people "suspected of being
tasked with the logistics of preparing the September 11 attacks" in the
same area, he noted.
Dasquie stressed, however, that the "troubling" coincidence was still
only
one theory being looked into and that there was not enough information
to
determine whether Israel's Mossad secret service had been aware of the
preparations for the September attacks...
-----
GREAT DIVIDE SPLITS U.S., ISLAMIC CULTURES, POLL FINDS
Americans, Muslim world see eye to eye on few issues
By Richard Benedetto, USA Today, 3/5/2002
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washdc/2002/03/05/poll.htm
Americans and residents of predominantly Islamic countries differ
dramatically on everything from who carried out the terrorist attacks
Sept.
11 to whether the United States is a friendly nation, a USA
TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows.
The poll, taken Friday-Sunday of 863 Americans, lays bare the
misunderstanding and lack of trust that exist between the sharply
contrasting cultures...
Although most Americans view their own country as trustworthy,
friendly,
caring about poorer nations and respectful of Islamic values, huge
majorities in Muslim countries take the opposite view.
And though most Americans see U.S. policy on Israeli-Palestinian
relations
as fair, majorities in Muslim nations say it's tipped too heavily
toward
Israel...
Among the findings:
* Nine in 10 Americans say groups of Arabs carried out the attacks in
New
York and Washington. Solid majorities in most Islamic nations polled
don't
believe that.
* Nearly four in five Americans say U.S. military action in Afghanistan
is
justified, compared with fewer than one in five in most Muslim
countries
surveyed.
* Only one in four Americans have a favorable opinion of Muslim
countries.
That's roughly the same percentage of the Islamic countries' residents
who
look favorably on the United States.
* Two in three Americans say Muslim countries would be better off if
they
adopted U.S. and Western values. Fewer than one in three residents of
most
Muslim countries in the survey agree.
-----
HINDUS TURN AGAINST SYMBOLS
After Killing Rampage, Indian Mosque Destroyed
By Rajiv Chandrasekaran, The Washington Post, 3/5/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38276-2002Mar4.html
Built of brick and covered with lime-colored paint, the Manchaji mosque
attracted hundreds of Muslims for daily prayers for more than 80 years.
Today, it drew hundreds of Hindu militants, many wielding
sledgehammers,
metal rods and shovels. They knocked down the minarets and smashed
through
the walls. They hoisted saffron-colored, Hindu nationalist flags atop
the
rubble. And on a concrete slab in the center of the compound, they
erected
an orange, foot-tall idol of the monkey god Hanuman, surrounded by
coconuts
and flower petals. "Victory to Lord Hanuman," the Hindus shouted.
"Victory
to Hindus."
Late last week, in the country's worst religious riots in a decade,
Hindus
slaughtered hundreds of Muslims and drove thousands more from their
homes
in this teeming city in western India. Today, as deserted Muslim
neighborhoods smoldered, Hindus went on a different sort of rampage,
doing
their best to obliterate any Muslim symbols they could find.
Gravestones were toppled and replaced with Hanuman statues. Anti-Muslim
graffiti were painted on Muslim homes and businesses. And mosques were
torn
down to make way for new Hindu temples...
-----
'ARAB CARD' PLAYED IN SENATE RACE
By J.M. HIRSCH, The Associated Press, 2/4/2002
CONCORD, N.H. - The Arab card has been thrown down on the table in the
race
for Senate in New Hampshire.
Rep. John E. Sununu has been the subject of accusations - some of them
made
anonymously, some of them made openly by his GOP rival's campaign -
that
the Arab-American congressman is anti-Israel and soft on terrorism.
The allegations could be just the start of a dirty, expensive and
high-stakes campaign for the historically Republican Senate seat, now
held
by Bob Smith.
Smith, 62, and Sununu, 37, will face off in the Sept. 10 primary. The
winner is expected to battle Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen in an
election
that could help decide control of the nearly tied Senate. Smith has
never
been quoted referring to Sununu's ethnicity, but questions about
terrorism
and the congressman's Lebanese and Palestinian heritage surfaced last
fall
in a flurry of news reports.
Among them was a New Republic story that identified Sununu as the only
ethnic Palestinian in Congress and quoted an unidentified Smith adviser
as
saying of Sununu: "People are just beginning to focus on how pro-Arab
he is
and how naive his positions are on the terrorism issue."
Smith spokeswoman Lisa Harrison said the senator's staff was never
contacted about the story and would never make an issue of a
candidate's
ethnic background.
But Franklin Foer, associate editor of the magazine and author of the
story, said he talked to the senator's staff and campaign repeatedly.
In
fact, Foer said, two people - a Smith staffer and a supporter - sent
the
magazine a fact sheet titled "John E. Sununu: A Pattern of Support for
Radical Anti-Israel Causes Funded by Radical Islamic
Fundamentalists..."
-----
RESOURCES: COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/
-----
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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 - 3/6/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: PATIENCE
* REGISTER TODAY FOR CAIR'S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
* CAIR SUPPORTS "RESTORATION OF FAIRNESS IN IMMIGRATION ACT OF 2002"
* PROVOCATION HELPED SET INDIA TRAIN FIRE (Washington Post)
- CHRISTIANS SAY THEY WERE ALSO TARGETS IN GUJARAT RIOTS (AP)
* CANADIAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD DENOUNCE ISRAEL'S HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
* UPDATES FROM THE AL-AMIN TRIAL (Atlanta Journal)
- Expert witness: morphine impaired deputy's judgment
- Judge says jurors can't hear two of three 911 tapes
- 911 calls may yield new details
* SUPPORT REMAINS FOR 9/11 DETAINEE (Chicago Tribune)
* CONYERS CALLS THE CONDITIONS OF IMAM HADDAD'S CONFINEMENT "APPALLING"
* THE ANTHRAX MYSTERY (Globe and Mail)
* DECISION ON SHARON WAR CRIMES DELAYED (AP)
* PLAN FOR ISLAMIC CEMETERY MAKES WAVES IN GEORGIA (Chicago Tribune)
* QUESTIONING OUR IMAGES OF ISLAM (UBC Journalism Review)
- TIPS FOR JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS WHEN COVERING STORIES ABOUT
ISLAM
* CAIR WRITING WORKSHOP IN SAN DIEGO 3/16
* CAIR-NY LEGAL ADVISOR TO APPEAR ON ABC'S "NIGHTLINE"
* CAIR-CAN TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL ANTI-HATE CONFERENCE
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PATIENCE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There is no gift better
and
more vast (that you may be given) than patience."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 8:477
-----
REGISTER TODAY FOR CAIR'S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
Online registration is available for CAIR's intensive Training
Conference
on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Washington, D.C. Save
$30
if you register by March 17.
GO TO:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=682&articletype=2
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org.
-----
CAIR SUPPORTS "RESTORATION OF FAIRNESS IN IMMIGRATION ACT OF 2002"
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will join with other
civil
rights organizations and elected officials to show support for the
"Restoration of Fairness in Immigration Act of 2002" at a noon press
conference in 2226 Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. The
bill
seeks to address abuses of immigrants civil rights allowed under 1996
anti-immigration acts.
Under the 1996 anti-immigration laws, people are routinely detained
without
bond, automatically deported without being given a chance to appeal,
and
restricted in their access to counsel. The 1996 laws can be applied
retroactively, subjecting long standing legal immigrants to mandatory
detention and deportation for relatively insignificant crimes. The new
bill
will restore openness and judicial review to immigration hearings, to
ensure immigrants are being given their right to open and fair
immigration
hearings.
CONTACT: Jason Erb, Director, Governmental Relations, 202-488-8787,
jerb@cair-net.org
-----
PROVOCATION HELPED SET INDIA TRAIN FIRE
Official Faults Hindu Actions, Muslim Reactions for Incident That Led
to
Carnage
By Rajiv Chandrasekaran, The Washington Post, 3/6/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44252-2002Mar5.html
GODHRA, India - For two days, as the Sabarmati Express snaked across
northern India, some Hindu activists in cars S-5 and S-6 carried on
like
hooligans. They exposed themselves to other passengers. They pulled
headscarves off Muslim women. They evicted a family of four in the
middle
of the night for refusing to join in chants glorifying the Hindu god
Ram.
They failed to pay for the tea and snacks they consumed at each stop.
When the train pulled into this hardscrabble town in western India on
the
morning of Feb. 27, the reputation of its rowdiest passengers preceded
it.
When they refused to pay for their food, Muslim boys among the vendors
at
Godhra station stormed the train. When the confrontation was over, 58
Hindu
passengers -- mostly women and children -- were dead, incinerated by a
fire
that consumed cars S-5 and S-6. In retaliation, mobs of enraged Hindus
descended on Muslim communities across Gujarat state, igniting riots
that
killed more than 500 people, India's worst religious violence in a
decade.
Indian officials have characterized the riots as Hindu rage for an
attack
on innocent activists. However, interviews with passengers on the
train,
witnesses to the incident and police and railway officials suggest that
the
train fire was not a premeditated ambush by young Muslims, but rather a
spontaneous argument, provoked by the Hindu activists, that went out of
control...
SEE ALSO:
CHRISTIANS SAY THEY WERE ALSO TARGETS IN GUJARAT RIOTS
The Associated Press, 3/6/2002
NEW DELHI (AP)--A leading Indian Christian group Wednesday called for a
ban
on Hindu extremist groups, saying they had targeted missionaries also
during last week's Hindu-Muslim violence in Gujarat state that left
more
than 600 people dead, mostly Muslims.
The All India Christian Council said in a statement that the Hindu
groups
have "engaged in a constant hate campaign against the minorities" and
are
training hundreds of thousands of people in armed warfare...
Council secretary-general John Dayal said members of the VHP and other
groups burned down a Catholic mission run by the Divine Word Society in
Sanjeli village in Gujarat over the weekend...
-----
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD DENOUNCE ISRAEL'S HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 3/6/2002) - The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today called on Prime Minister
Jean
Chr�tien and Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham to hold Israel
accountable for its continued human rights abuses against Palestinian
Christians and Muslims during the Canadian visit of the President of
the
State of Israel, Moshe Katsav.
In its statement, CAIR-CAN wrote:
"No amount of diplomatic smoke-and-mirrors can hide Israel's brutal and
apartheid-like suppression of the Palestinian people.
"The most recent U.S. State Department's annual human rights report
calls
Israel's human rights record 'poor' and confirms Israel's extensive
human
rights violations: its deliberate denial of medical assistance to sick
and
injured Palestinians; its encirclement and closure of towns which
strangle
Palestinians economically; its repeated use of live ammunition against
demonstrators; its collective punishments and incursions into towns and
villages; and its targeted assassinations and executions without trial.
"Recently, almost 250 soldiers in Israel's reserve army have signed a
petition refusing to serve in the West Bank and Gaza and participate,
in
what they call, 'missions of occupation and oppression to dominate,
expel,
starve and humiliate an entire people.'
"Foreign Minister Bill Graham's condemnation of Israel's killing of
civilians, its incursions into refugee camps and its settlement policy
are
in keeping with Canada's proud tradition of speaking out against human
rights abuses and using its good offices to foster peace and
stability. Real peace in the Middle East will only be secured with the
resolution of such longstanding issues such as Israel's illegal
occupation,
its consistent and flagrant violations of U.N. resolutions, and the
right
of return to refugees.
"Our trade relationship with Israel must not mute us from raising these
critical issues."
CONTACT: Riad Saloojee, 613-798-0003
-----
UPDATES FROM THE AL-AMIN TRIAL
- Expert witness: morphine impaired deputy's judgment
- Judge says jurors can't hear two of three 911 tapes
- 911 calls may yield new details
By STEVE VISSER, The Atlanta Journal, 3/6/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/030602.html
Expert witness: morphine impaired deputy's judgment
A medical expert testified that Fulton County Sheriff's deputy Aldranon
English was impaired by the drug morphine when he picked Jamil Abdullah
Al-Amin out of a photo lineup a day after he was shot four times...
Judge says jurors can't hear two of three 911 tapes
The jury will not be able to hear a 911 tape that raised the
possibility of
another suspect in the fatal shooting of a Fulton County Sheriff's
Deputy
and wounding of another, Judge Stephanie Manis decided today in the
trial
of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin...
911 calls may yield new details
A judge recessed the Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin murder trial Tuesday
afternoon
when a police 911 operator raised the possibility of another suspect in
the
gunfight that killed a Fulton County sheriff's deputy and left a second
deputy wounded.
The new evidence could be critical for the defense, which started
calling
witnesses after the prosecution rested Tuesday...
-----
SUPPORT REMAINS FOR 9/11 DETAINEE
Lawmaker calls man's confinement `unconstitutional'
By Amy E. Nevala and Steve Mills, The Chicago Tribune, 3/6/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0203060083mar06.story
Among the mostly anonymous post-Sept. 11 detainees, Rabih Haddad has
gained
a high profile, with regular protests by supporters and, on Tuesday, a
visit from U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.).
Yet Haddad's case, and the inquiry into the Islamic charity he
co-founded
and helps operate, remains a mystery--even to Conyers--shrouded in
secrecy
by the government as it continues its investigation into terrorism.
Haddad, 41, is being held at the Metropolitan Correction Center in the
Loop, in what he describes in a letter to Conyers as solitary
confinement
in a 6-by-9-foot cell, with no view because the single narrow window of
his
cell is "whited out."
Beyond a visa violation, it is not clear why Haddad is being held or
even
whether agents had reason to take him into custody. But of the roughly
700
people detained as part of the government's anti-terrorism
campaign--and of
the fewer than 400 still in custody--Haddad's case stands out for the
attention it has received.
Because the government has said so little about the case, what is known
comes largely from Haddad's attorneys and from family members...
-----
CONYERS CALLS THE CONDITIONS OF IMAM HADDAD'S CONFINEMENT "APPALLING"
(3/5/2002) - Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Ranking Member of the
House Judiciary Committee issued the following statement following his
visit with Imam Rabih Haddad who is being held at the Metropolitan
Corrections Center in downtown Chicago:
"I have just met with Imam Rabih Haddad, a prominent religious leader
who
has been imprisoned in solitary confinement for the past two months.
The
treatment of Imam Haddad has highlighted everything that is abusive and
unconstitutional about our government's scapegoating of immigrants in
the
wake of the September 11th attacks.
Imam Haddad is accused of having ties to Global Relief, a charitable
organization whose millions of dollars in assets have been frozen based
on
secret evidence that it is linked to terrorism. This is a case of guilt
by
association where we haven't seen a shred of evidence that the accused
party is guilty.
After being subjected to a closed immigration proceeding in Detroit-
one
that even I was not allowed to attend -- he was moved to Chicago where
has
been forced to live alone in a 6' X 9' cell. Here we have one of the
most
prominent members of the American Islamic community -- a man who helped
bring about interfaith healing in the wake of the September terrorist
attacks -- being detained without bond because the Attorney General
believes he is a flight risk and a threat to the community because of
the
registered hunting rifle from K-Mart found in his home.
I am deeply disturbed that the Bush Administration is championing
secret
proceedings, the use of secret evidence and cruel conditions of
confinement
against a man with no criminal record who has publicly condemned the
terrorist act against our country.
The conditions of Imam Haddad's confinement are appalling. Since
announcing
my plans to make an oversight visit, the INS has eased slightly on the
telephone and visitation restrictions. Still, he lives in a poorly lit
empty 6' x 9' cell and is only permitted to meet with his wife twice a
week
and call home 4 times a month. I will continue to do everything I can
to
push for improved conditions and express my contempt to the Justice
Department for the manner in which they have treated Imam Haddad and
his
family.
I am also introducing legislation that would require INS proceedings to
be
open so that the public can hear the cases against those accused of
violating the law. Closed proceedings are an anathema to our system of
due
process and are more akin to the treatment seen in a dictatorship than
a
constitutional democracy. The sixth amendment is clear - "the accused
shall enjoy the right to a public trial."
The attacks of September 11th should not destroy our Constitution.
Rather,
they should strengthen our commitment to it. Imam Haddad is entitled to
the
full disclosure of any evidence against him. He should be released
pending
future proceedings unless the government can rely on something better
than
the lawful ownership of a gun by a man known to his friends as a
compassionate, law-abiding individual who has made important
contributions
to the Michigan community."
SEND NOTES OF APPRECIATION TO:
Representative John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan 14th District
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
TEL: 202-225-5126
FAX: 202-225-0072
E-MAIL: Rashad.Hussain@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
THE ANTHRAX MYSTERY
On the trail of the anthrax killer Letter to FBI falsely accusing
scientist
a possible clue pointing to U.S. Army lab
By PAUL KORING, The Globe and Mail, 3/6/2002
http://www.globeandmail.com/
Search using the term "Assaad."
WASHINGTON -- Somebody hated Ayaad Assaad, hated the Egyptian-born
scientist enough to try to finger him as a biowarfare terrorist.
"Dr. Assaad is a potential bioterrorist," warned an anonymous letter
sent
to the Federal Bureau of Investigation last fall. "I have worked with
Dr.
Assaad, and I heard him say that he has a vendetta against the U.S.
government and that if anything happens to him, he told his sons to
carry on."
Until 1997, the scientist, a U.S. citizen with top-security clearance,
had
worked at Fort Detrick, Md. There, the U.S. Army conducted top-secret
biological warfare research, including "weaponizing" anthrax of exactly
the
sort that killed five Americans and terrified the country after the
Sept.
11 terrorist attacks.
The FBI received thousands of tips after anthrax-laced letters were
sent to
two prominent senators and several media outlets. What makes the letter
about Dr. Assaad unusual is that it was sent on or about Sept. 25 --
before
the first anthrax case was even diagnosed.
On Oct. 3, Dr. Assaad, now a senior scientist with the U.S.
Environmental
Protection Agency, sat in a windowless cell in downtown Washington
being
interrogated by FBI officials. Dr. Assaad, who says he and other Arab
scientists were subjected to racial slurs and harassment while working
at
Fort Detrick, says he broke into tears when confronted with the
letter...
------
DECISION ON SHARON WAR CRIMES DELAYED
By CONSTANT BRAND, The Associated Press, 3/6/2002
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - A Belgian court on Wednesday delayed a ruling
on a
war crimes investigation against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The court said it was taking more time to assess a decision of the
International Court of Justice that argues heads of government enjoy
immunity.
A new hearing was set for May 15 on whether a probe into Sharon by
Belgian
prosecutors could resume after their investigation was suspended last
September.
The lawyers for the 23 survivors of a 1982 massacre in two Palestinian
refugee camps asked the court to hold off on any decision until they
introduce new arguments in light of the International Court of Justice
ruling...
Sharon was defense minister when hundreds of Palestinian civilians in
two
refugee camps south of Beirut were slaughtered by a Lebanese Christian
militia allied to Israel. An Israeli inquiry into the massacre found
Sharon
indirectly responsible, prompting his resignation.
A Belgian magistrate opened an inquiry into Sharon in July. If the
appeals
court decides to accept the case, a full investigation, which could
take
years, will be launched.
-----
PLAN FOR ISLAMIC CEMETERY MAKES WAVES IN GEORGIA
By Dahleen Glanton, The Chicago Tribune, 3/6/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0203060179mar06.story
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - To Hafiz Ghaffar Khan, an Islamic spiritual
leader,
the plan to build a cemetery in this Atlanta suburb seemed simple.
He would go to the county planning board for a permit, and, within
months,
construction on a 1,500-plot burial ground to accommodate the area's
growing Muslim population would be under way. There had been little
opposition three years ago, when Khan's group built a mosque in the
midst
of $350,000 homes in a predominantly white, middle-class neighborhood.
And
there was no big fuss last year, when the Muslims began work on a
22,000-square-foot educational facility on the property.
But that was before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed how some
Americans view the world and the way they sometimes relate to their
Muslim
neighbors.
The battle over an Islamic cemetery in this thriving Atlanta suburb,
one of
the fastest-growing areas in the South, is a microcosm of the issues
facing
communities across the country involving growth, culture clashes and
the
Constitution...
-----
QUESTIONING OUR IMAGES OF ISLAM
By Aiden S. Enns
http://www.journalism.ubc.ca/thunderbird/2001-02/february/religion.html
Canadian journalists are becoming more sensitive in their portrayal of
members of the Muslim community since Sept. 11. However, while the
images
of Islam have improved compared to the Gulf War a decade ago, negative
stereotypes still prevail, say newspaper editors and media watchdogs.
Shahina Siddiqui, senior director of the Canadian division of the
Council
on American Islamic Relations, has noticed a positive trend in the
media's
portrayal of Islam since the attacks on the World Trade Center. For
example, the local media in Winnipeg went out of their way to publish
Muslim voices, which helped the community distance itself from Osama
bin
Laden and the Taliban. She said through her group's ongoing work with
the
media they began addressing issues of representation. "We were able to
curtail the backlash - and without the media's support, that would not
have
happened," she said...
SEE ALSO:
TIPS FOR JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS WHEN COVERING STORIES ABOUT ISLAM
UBC Journalism Review, March 2002
http://www.journalism.ubc.ca/thunderbird/2001-02/february/religionpop.html
-----
CAIR WRITING WORKSHOP IN SAN DIEGO 3/16
Muslim American Society and The Council on American Islamic Relations
(CAIR) CAIR - San Diego Present:
Effective Writing Skills - How to get your Article Published
Speakers:
Br. Imad Albahri, MAS Educational Specialist
Dr. Omaran Abdeen, Director of CAIR in San Diego
Special Guest, The Editor of the San Diego Union Tribune
Presentation from the Zoghby Institute for Islamic and Arab Affairs
WHEN: Saturday March 16th, 2002
WHERE: University of California at San Diego (UCSD)
Center Hall Room 101
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Registration begins at 6:00 PM
Registration fee is $5.00 for Student and $10.00 for others
(includes handouts and refreshments)
CONTACT: (714) 776-1847, CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
-----
CAIR-NY LEGAL ADVISOR TO APPEAR ON ABC'S "NIGHTLINE"
Arshad Majid, Esq., legal advisor to CAIR's New York chapter (CAIR-NY)
has
been invited to be a guest on ABC'S "Nightline" with Ted Koppel this
Friday, March 8.
The Special one-hour Town Hall Meeting will discuss the balancing of
national security and civil liberties in the post-September 11 era.
Majid was invited to speak based on his experience as a prosecutor for
New
York State and his interaction with Federal and State officials both
preceding and following September 11, 2001.
CONTACT: 212-870-2002, cair-ny@cair-ny.com
-----
CAIR-CAN TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL ANTI-HATE CONFERENCE
CAIR-CAN Executive Director Riad Saloojee and CAIR-CAN Board member
Faisal
Kutty will be participating in a national roundtable on hate crimes.
The conference, entitled "Hate Crimes: Challenges for Montreal and
Beyond
-- Implementing the Durban Program of Action Against Hate Crimes," is
expected to gather between 70 and 80 experts and stakeholders with
experience in dealing with hate and bias crime motivated by racism.
CAIR-CAN will participate in the 'Victim's Defense, Protection and
Support'
as well as the 'Legal Remedies' workshops.
WHEN: Thursday, March 21st, and Friday, March 22nd 2002.
WHERE: Hotel Wyndham, 1255 Jeanne-Mance, Montreal
To register, please call the Centre For Research-Action on Race
Relations
(CRARR) at 514-939-3342; Email: crarr@sympatico.ca
CONTACT: canada@cair-net.org
-----
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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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #323
CALL FOR AN END TO THE KILLING IN PALESTINE
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/6/2002) - As Israeli attacks on Palestinian Muslim
and
Christian civilians increase daily, CAIR is calling on community
members
nationwide to contact President Bush, elected representatives and the
Department of State and demand that America intervene to stop the
violence.
Officials should not hear only from one side in the conflict. That has
to
change. Your call, fax or e-mail is important!
Our government cannot continue to ignore injustices perpetrated against
Muslims worldwide. When you contact officials, make sure to also
mention
those who are suffering in India, Kashmir, Chechnya, Iraq, and other
areas
of the world. Tell them you are concerned about justice and about our
nation's image and interests around the Muslim world.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:
FIRST - Pray that God grant strength and patience to all those who are
suffering oppression and occupation.
THEN CONTACT:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
TEL: 202-456-1414, Press 1
FAX: 202-456-2461
E-MAIL: president@whitehouse.gov
Secretary of State Colin Powell
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
E-MAIL: secretary@state.gov
TEL: 202-647-4000 FAX: 202-261-8577
To obtain contact information for your representative, go to
http://www.house.gov/writerep/, or call 202-224-3121.
Have your Zip Code ready. For senators, go to:
http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cf
COPY ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO: cair@cair-net.org
ALSO - Monitor the media and let them hear your views through calls,
letters to the editor or editorials.
TALKING POINTS:
1) Attacks on civilians by either side in the conflict only serve to
harden
public opinion and make a just and peaceful solution more difficult.
Even
Israeli army reservists are now objecting to the orders they are being
given. A recent declaration by a group of those soldiers stated: "We
shall
not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate,
expel,
starve and humiliate an entire people." (Associated Press, 2/18/2002)
2) Palestinians will not stop resisting the Israeli occupation until
they
feel there is a just political solution in sight. American officials
must
stop parroting the Israeli line and step in as honest brokers.
3) Israel's incessant attacks on civilian areas causes severe trauma in
the
entire civilian population. These attacks are not meant to achieve a
military victory but instead are designed to sow terror and to sap the
Palestinians' will to resist occupation. Yesterday's Jerusalem Post
quoted
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as saying he will continue his
attacks
until the Palestinians "beg for mercy."
4) Israeli attacks are a form of collective punishment, not strikes on
perpetrators of crimes. Israel does not just attack forces that are
attacking them, but take revenge against the whole population with home
demolitions, destruction of agricultural land, curfews, and attacks on
civilian infrastructure like media outlets, electrical plants, schools,
and
police stations.
5) Israel is using US-supplied weapons of war, with tacit approval,
against
civilian targets in violation of U.S. and international law. American
weapons are supplied on the premise that they will be used only in
self-defense, not in revenge attacks or to enforce an illegal military
occupation.
6) This conflict pits one of the world's strongest armies against
unarmed
civilian population. Sporadic shootings or bombings by individuals or
groups cannot be compared to the acts of state terrorism carried out by
soldiers following a clear chain of command and using heavy weapons.
- PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE AT PRAYERS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
-
-----
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
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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 - 3/7/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE/HADITH OF THE DAY: GOOD NEWS
* REGISTER TODAY FOR CAIR'S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
* OMNIBUS "FIX '96" IMMIGRATION BILL INTRODUCED IN HOUSE
* ISRAELI 'ART STUDENTS' SUSPECTED OF SPYING IN S. FLORIDA
(Sun-Sentinel)
- WEB SITE POSTS DEA REPORT ON ISRAELI DEPORTEES (Palm Beach
Post)
* LAWSUIT FILED ON BEHALF OF DETAINEES (AP)
* TWIN CITIES SOMALIS FEAR BEING DEPORTED (Pioneer Press)
* NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH ENLISTED IN TERROR WAR (Washington Post)
* UPDATES IN THE AL-AMIN TRIAL (Atlanta Journal)
- Witness says he heard pistol shots before rifle fire
- Witness mentions another suspect: 'Mustapha'
* MALCOLM X FAMILY FIGHTS AUCTION OF PAPERS (NY Times)
* STEVEN EMERSON CALLS NPR "PRO-ISLAMIC MILITANT" (Fox)
-----
VERSE/HADITH OF THE DAY: GOOD NEWS
"Those who eschew evil and fall not into its worship and turn to God
(in
repentance) for them is Good News.
The Holy Quran, Chapter 39, Verse 17
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whosoever will meet God
without associating anything in worship with Him will go to Paradise."
A
man then asked the Prophet: "Should I not inform the people of this
good
news?" The Prophet replied: "No, I am afraid, lest they should depend
upon
it (alone and therefore stop doing good deeds)."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1:131
-----
REGISTER TODAY FOR CAIR'S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
Online registration is available for CAIR's intensive Training
Conference
on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Washington, D.C. Save
$30
if you register by March 17.
GO TO:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=682&articletype=2
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org
-----
OMNIBUS "FIX '96" IMMIGRATION BILL INTRODUCED IN HOUSE
Congressman John Conyers, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary
Committee
today joined other members of the House in a press conference to
reintroduce an omnibus immigration bill that would repeal the most
punitive
aspects of the 1996 immigration law, while restoring an overall sense
of
fairness and equity to our system of immigration. Among other important
provisions, this legislation would:
* Restore the right to a due process hearing before an immigration
judge;
* Codifies INS history of deportation hearings being open to the
public;
* Permit immigrants to adjust their immigration status pursuant to
section
245(i);
* Repeal portions of '96 law which retroactively allowed deportation of
legal permanent residents for minor offenses; and
* Restores Attorney General discretion to permit humanitarian
exceptions to
deportation orders for minor offenses.
This will be the most important immigration bill introduced this
Congress.
The legislation is supported by Members of the Congressional Hispanic,
Black and Asian Pacific Caucuses and over 50 immigration and advocacy
groups, including the National Council of La Raza, Salvadoran American
National Network, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Council on
American-Islamic Relations, Immigration and Refugee Services of
America,
National Immigration Forum, American Civil Liberties Union, NOW Legal
Defense and Education Fund, National Coalition for Haitian Rights, and
the
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Institute.
CONTACT: Jason Erb, Director, CAIR Governmental Relations,
202-488-8787,
jerb@cair-net.org
-----
ISRAELI 'ART STUDENTS' SUSPECTED OF SPYING IN S. FLORIDA
By Jeff Shields, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 3/7/2002
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/search/sfl-cspies07mar07.story
The United States deported dozens of Israelis on immigration violations
last year, including at least five from an art school in South Florida,
after reports they were posing as students to gain access to government
buildings, federal officials said Wednesday.
Israelis in South Florida, Dallas and San Diego were sent home by the
Immigration and Naturalization Service last year on visa violations, an
INS
spokesman in Washington said. But authorities were first drawn to them
based on a suspicion that they were spying, according to one federal
law
enforcement agency.
Thomas Hinojosa of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said the
DEA
compiled an internal report after several branch offices throughout the
country reported "suspicious activities'' by individuals presenting
themselves as Israeli art students. The Israelis were allegedly trying
to
gain access to DEA facilities, Hinojosa said.
The DEA report said the youths' actions "may well be an organized
intelligence-gathering activity," the Associated Press reported
Wednesday.
The DEA forwarded the report to the "appropriate federal law
enforcement
authorities," Hinojosa said.
The INS deported the individuals a short time later, both before and
after
Sept. 11, when security was tightened.
INS spokesman Russ Bergeron said about 20 Israelis from San Diego, an
undetermined number from Dallas, and five or six from South Florida
were
deported.
"The general modus operandi was that these individuals were in major
metropolitan areas selling art at street locations. In some instances
they
were near federal buildings. In some instances they were not,''
Bergeron
said...
SEE ALSO:
WEB SITE POSTS DEA REPORT ON ISRAELI DEPORTEES
By Julia Malone, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau, 3/6/2002
WASHINGTON -- The United States has deported in the past two years
dozens
of young Israelis who posed as art students and visited sensitive
federal
facilities, federal officials said Tuesday...
In December 2000, for example, two Israelis knocked on the door at the
residence of a DEA special agent in the Atlanta area and offered to
sell
artwork. The agent grew suspicious later after seeing the exact same
items
for sale in a kiosk at the Mall of Georgia.
Moreover, the report said the visitors had recently served in the
Israeli
military, the majority in intelligence, electronic signal intercept or
explosive ordnance units...
-----
LAWSUIT FILED ON BEHALF OF DETAINEES
By WAYNE PARRY, The Associated Press, 3/7/2002
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Lawyers for people arrested for questioning in the
terrorism investigation are using a variety of legal tactics to try to
chip
away at the unprecedented secrecy surrounding the detentions.
Although hundreds of detainees have been released since the attacks,
the
Justice Department says 326 people remain in custody as part of the
sweeping terrorism investigation launched after Sept. 11, most of them
in
New Jersey jails.
In the latest lawsuit filed on their behalf, civil rights groups and
three
New Jersey publications are seeking a ban on secret court hearings for
detainees. The suit against the federal government was filed Wednesday.
"America and Americans have a long history of distrust and disdain for
secret proceedings," said Ed Barocas, legal director of the Newark
chapter
of the American Civil Liberties Union. "What transpires in court is
public
property."
The suit was filed by the ACLU chapter and the New York-based Center
For
Constitutional Rights on behalf of the New Jersey Law Journal and North
Jersey Media Group, publisher of The Record of Hackensack and the
Herald
News of West Paterson. Reporters at the papers who tried to cover
hearings
involving detainees were barred from courtrooms, along with the rest of
the
public...
-----
TWIN CITIES SOMALIS FEAR BEING DEPORTED
BY TODD NELSON, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 3/7/2002
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/2807048.htm
The deportation of 30 Somalis from the United States and Canada,
including
10 from Minnesota, has some Somalis in the Twin Cities fearful that
they
could be forced to return to their war-torn homeland.
Accounts of surprise deportation roundups targeting innocent Somalis
have
swirled for days, but officials of the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization
Services said Wednesday that law-abiding refugees have nothing to fear.
The
deported, officials said, all had criminal convictions; none were
citizens
and all had long faced removal orders.
Still, the INS action has raised anxieties here, perhaps because the
prospect of a forced return to Somalia is such a grim one for refugees
who
fled the civil war that broke out in 1991 and the clan fighting that
has
raged since, leaving the country to anarchy.
Fueling the fears are foreign press reports that linked - falsely,
according to the INS - the deportations to the release of the film
"Black
Hawk Down," which depicts the 1993 clash between U.S. forces and
Mogadishu
warlords that killed 18 Americans and hundreds of Somalis...
-----
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH ENLISTED IN TERROR WAR
Citizens Urged to Step Up In $2 Million Expansion
By Dan Eggen, The Washington Post, 3/7/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51975-2002Mar6.html
In a striking example of how much has changed since Sept. 11, National
Neighborhood Watch, the folksy community program that has helped nab
burglars and muggers for 30 years, will be expanded to help detect and
deter suspected international terrorists.
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft unveiled plans yesterday to add
nearly $
2 million in federal funds to the Neighborhood Watch program with the
aim
of doubling the number of local groups to 15,000 nationwide...
But the expansion plan raised concerns among some Arab American and
civil
liberties groups, which have previously criticized the Justice
Department
and FBI for a dragnet conducted largely in secret that has resulted in
the
jailing of hundreds of Muslim immigrants.
Members of those groups said yesterday that heightened tensions since
Sept.
11 have already led to a surge in hate crimes, widespread harassment at
airports and hundreds of erroneous reports that have brought FBI agents
and
police to the doors of innocent Muslim residents...
-----
UPDATES IN THE AL-AMIN TRIAL
- Witness says he heard pistol shots before rifle fire
- Witness mentions another suspect: 'Mustapha'
By STEVE VISSER and LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal, 3/7/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/030702.html
Witness says he heard pistol shots before rifle fire
A West End resident testified he heard pistol fire ring out in his
neighborhood before he heard the louder sounds of an assault rifle
during
the shootout that killed a Fulton County Sheriff's deputy nearly two
years ago.
Frank Thomas, a truck driver, testified today in the murder trial of
Muslim
cleric Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, who once was known as H. Rap Brown.
Thomas'
version of events contradicted earlier police accounts.
Deputy Aldranon English, who was wounded in the shootout, said Al-Amin
fired at him and his partner, Deputy Ricky Kinchen, with an assault
rifle
before they returned fire with handguns.
Witness mentions another suspect: 'Mustapha'
An ex-convict defended a cleric in court Wednesday by offering up
another
possible suspect in the killing of a Fulton County sheriff's deputy:
the
mysterious "Mustapha."
George Wilson, a heavy equipment operator, testified in the murder
trial of
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin in Fulton County Superior Court that a man he
called
"Mustapha" was packing a gun at the mosque in West End during the fifth
--
and final -- prayer of the day, about an hour before the shooting on
the
street outside. Deputy Ricky Kinchen died from wounds received in the
shootout and Deputy Aldranon English was wounded...
-----
MALCOLM X FAMILY FIGHTS AUCTION OF PAPERS
By EMILY EAKIN, The New York Times, 3/7/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/07/arts/07MALC.html
A cache of personal writings attributed to Malcolm X has turned up for
auction in San Francisco and on eBay, infuriating members of his family
who
are trying to stop the sale and alarming scholars who worry that the
material could disappear into private hands.
-----
STEVEN EMERSON CALLS NPR "PRO-ISLAMIC MILITANT"
Fox News: The O'Reilly Factor
Interview With Rep. Maurice Hinchey and Steven Emerson
3/6/2002
O'REILLY: In THE FACTOR "Follow-Up" segment tonight, it is the National
Public Radio outfit running a left-wing operation and using some tax
money
to do it. As I've mentioned before, even though I've had two number one
best-selling books, my publisher, Broadway Books, has had a very hard
time
getting NPR to interview me.
And now comes word that author Steven Emerson, whose new book,
"American
Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us," is certainly topical, is being
blackballed by NPR. In 1998, an NPR producer named Ellen Silva wrote a
memo
to someone complaining about Emerson's point of view. The memo said,
quote,
"You have my promise Emerson will not be used again. It is NPR policy."
With us now in the studio is Steven Emerson, and from Washington,
Congressman Maurice Hinchey, a member of the Appropriations Committee,
which oversees the government money NPR gets.
Mr. Emerson, you really believe they're blackballing you?
STEVEN EMERSON, AUTHOR, "AMERICAN JIHAD": Absolutely. I mean, I wish it
weren't the case, but it's true. I mean, there are only two places I
can't
appear on in the world, Radio Baghdad and NPR.
O'REILLY: Why are they blackballing you?
EMERSON: They're blackballing me -- well, you'd have to get into their
heads. But according to the memo that was released in 1998, it was
because
of complaints by Arab groups. Number two, there's an ideological
predisposition to be sympathetic only to a certain point of view on the
Middle East, and they have suppressed reports -- look, the blacklisting
of
me is emblematic of a much larger problem, which is that they run a
racket
over there.
Anyone who disagrees with their point of view, they don't put on the
air.
They don't write stories about them, they don't broadcast them. And
anything that is inconsistent with their view that militant Islam is
actually a benign movement doesn't get on the air. That's the peri
--that's
the truth, I haven't been on...
HINCHEY: Mr. O'Reilly, it's not a left-wing outfit. I think that NPR is
unbiased, I think their reporting is fair and even-handed. That's my
opinion...
EMERSON: I think we live in an Orwellian world. They are involved in a
protection racket, they suppre -- You know, H.L. Mencken once said,
"Freedom of the press belongs to those who own it." Nothing epitomizes
that
axiom as what NPR has done with the news, terribly left-wing,
left-of-center, anti-Israeli, pro-Islamic militant...
FOR BACKGROUND ON STEVEN EMERSON, GO TO:
WHO IS STEVEN EMERSON
http://www.cair-net.org/html/emerson.htm
TERRORIST UNDER THE BED
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2002/03/05/emerson/index.html
STEVEN EMERSON'S CRUSADE:
"Why is a journalist pushing questionable stories from behind the
scenes?"
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 - 3/8/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: OPPRESSION IS A DARKNESS
* REGISTER TODAY FOR CAIR'S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
* WHITE HOUSE: ISRAEL ATTACKS MUST END (AP)
- CAIR SAYS POLICY SHIFT IS "STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION"
* RESSOURCES: INDIAN RELIEF GROUPS
* WITNESS SAYS IMAM JAMIL WAS NOT GUNMAN (Atlanta Journal)
* U.S. IS QUICKLY REPATRIATING PAKISTANIS HELD AFTER SEPT. 11
(Washington Post)
* AN IRANIAN GROUP AND ITS SURPRISING AMERICAN FRIENDS (National
Review)
* MUM, I'VE DECIDED I WANT TO FOLLOW ALLAH (The Herald)
* MUSLIMS RETURN FROM MECCA WITH JOY, YET CONCERN (New York Times)
- MALCOLM X LETTERS SHOW IMPACT OF HAJJ
* ARIEL SHARON'S MOST POWERFUL WEAPON: GEORGE W. BUSH (Salon.com)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: OPPRESSION IS A DARKNESS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Oppression will be a
darkness on the Day of Resurrection."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 3:627
-----
REGISTER TODAY FOR CAIR'S MARCH 30 TRAINING CONFERENCE
Online registration is available for CAIR's intensive Training
Conference
on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Washington, D.C. Save
$30
if you register by March 17.
GO TO:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=682&articletype=2
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org
-----
WHITE HOUSE: ISRAEL ATTACKS MUST END
By BARRY SCHWEID, The Associated Press, 3/8/2002
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration assailed Israel on Friday for
attacks that have left scores of Palestinians dead.
Demanding an immediate halt, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher
said "above all, civilians should not be targeted.''
Boucher cited reports of an Israeli vigilante group carrying out an
attack
on the West Bank and reported attacks on ambulances.
"We strongly oppose the Israeli policy of targeted killing that has led
to
the death of many innocent civilians,'' the spokesman said.
His remarks at the State Department's daily media briefing extended a
the
tougher line the Bush administration has taken recently on Israel's
tactics
in retaliating to Palestinian terror attack.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Colin Powell publicly rebuked Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon, saying "if you declare war against the
Palestinians
and think you can solve the problem by seeing how many Palestinians can
be
killed - I don't know if that leads you anywhere..."
CAIR SAYS POLICY SHIFT IS "STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION"
CAIR representatives, along with leaders of Arab-American groups, are
meeting today with Assistant Secretary of State William Burns to
discuss
the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
"The administration's call for an end to Israeli attacks on civilians
is a
step in the right direction, but actions are needed to back up these
words," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, who is a participant
in
today's State Department meeting. "America policy in that region should
be
based on justice, not on blind support for a single party in the
conflict,"
said Awad.
-----
RESOURCES: INDIAN RELIEF GROUPS
INDIAN MUSLIM RELIEF COMMITTEE (IMRC) of ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH
AMERICA
800 San Antonio Road, Suite #1 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4616
Phone: (650) 856-0440, Fax: (650) 856-0444
http://www.imrc.ws/html/gujarat_riots.html
INDIAN VIOLENCE VICTIMS FUND
http://www.icna.org
-----
WITNESS SAYS IMAM JAMIL WAS NOT GUNMAN
UPDATES FROM THE TRIAL
- Closing arguments focus on lingering questions
- Al-Amin defense rests; jury next
By STEVE VISSER and BILL MONTGOMERY, The Atlanta Journal, 3/8/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/030802.html
Closing arguments focus on lingering questions
After three weeks of testimony, lingering questions remain about the
shooting of a Fulton County sheriff's deputy two years ago, prosecutors
and
defense lawyers said today during closing arguments of the trial of
murder
charges against Muslim cleric Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin.
Assistant District Attorney Robert McBurney argued that the questions
can
only be answered by Al-Amin, who did not take the witness stand in his
defense. The defense said the questions will never be answered because
the
prosecution did not do its job to prove who's the killer...
The lingering questions around the shooting create the reasonable doubt
needed for acquittal, defense attorney Tony Axam responded.
Axam questioned the eyewitness testimony of English, who picked Al-Amin
out
of a photo lineup a day after the shooting, but described Al-Amin's eye
color incorrectly.
Axam argued that English tailored his description of the shooter to
match a
flawed description of Al-Amin on a warrant and the deputy was too
drugged
with morphine to make a proper identification.
Axam said English believed that then Mayor Bill Campbell, Sheriff
Jackie
Barrett and a Fulton County commissioner were in his hospital room when
he
made the identification. This later turned out not to be true...
Al-Amin defense rests; jury next
A Fulton Superior Court jury may begin deliberating today the fate of a
Muslim cleric accused of killing a sheriff's deputy and critically
wounding
a second deputy nearly two years ago.
Attorneys for Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin abruptly rested their case
Thursday.
One of the final defense witnesses was a West End resident who
testified
the man firing a handgun at the murder scene was not Al-Amin...
West End resident Imhotep Shaka said he was roused from his bed during
the
March 16, 2000, shootout. Shaka said he looked through a window and saw
a
man in the distance at the intersection of Oak Street and West End
Place,
firing a handgun three times toward West End Park.
Shaka, a British citizen, testified he was "absolutely positive" from
the
gunman's size that he was not Al-Amin, whom he spoke with regularly in
the
neighborhood. He could not make out the person's race and could tell
only
that he was dressed in brownish clothing.
"It was not same stature," he said. "Jamil is tall and slender..."
-----
U.S. IS QUICKLY REPATRIATING PAKISTANIS HELD AFTER SEPT. 11
By Steve Fainaru and Amy Goldstein, The Washington Post, 3/8/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58000-2002Mar7.html
The Justice Department is removing hundreds of Pakistani detainees from
the
United States at a "hectic" pace and U.S. officials have told the
Pakistani
government that most of those arrested immediately after the Sept. 11
attacks will be returned home by the end of next month, a Pakistani
official said today.
The official, Imran Ali, the Pakistani consular officer who oversees
the
detainee issue, said about 130 captives have been deported, released on
bond or have agreed to return to Pakistan voluntarily in recent weeks.
He
said all but about a dozen of the remaining "140 or 150" Pakistani
detainees are to be freed now that U.S. authorities have concluded that
"absolutely none had links to 9-11."
The steady departure of the Pakistanis appears to be the largest known
release of detainees since the government launched its terror
investigation
after the attacks on New York and Washington. But it is impossible to
be
certain, because the government has detained and moved the captives in
total secrecy. Officials of at least one other embassy, that of Turkey,
said today that Turkey's cadre of detainees had dropped significantly
in
the past month, and immigration lawyers said they had also heard that
detainees were being released at a faster pace.
The law enforcement dragnet has come under repeated criticism from
civil
libertarians, immigration advocates and Muslim groups because of the
length
of some of the detentions, the secrecy surrounding the more than 1,200
people who have been jailed in the past six months and the fact that
the
vast majority have been held on charges unrelated to terrorism...
-----
'A VERY, VERY BAD BUNCH'
An Iranian group and its surprising American friends
By SAM DEALEY, National Review, 3/25/2002
http://www.nationalreview.com/25mar02/dealey032502.shtml
In a Senate speech after the September 11 attacks, New Jersey Democrat
Robert Torricelli suggested ways in which Congress might help the
federal
government fight terrorism. The first change he proposed was to abolish
the
five-year statute of limitations on prosecution of terrorists. "The
nation
has no statute of limitations for treason or for murder," he said.
"Terrorism is every [bit] as insidious, and the statute of limitations
should be lifted."
But even as he spoke, Torricelli continued his active support for the
National Council of Resistance of Iran -- an organization the State
Department classifies as a front group for the People's Mujahedin of
Iran,
a terrorist group supported by Saddam Hussein. From its inception over
35
years ago, the Mujahedin has consistently engaged in attacks on
American
interests overseas. It has killed U.S. servicemen and civilians, and
bombed
U.S. business offices; it participated in the 1979 seizure of the
American
embassy in Tehran. Despite its inclusion on the State Department's
select
list of global terrorist organizations for the last six years, a
spokeswoman for Torricelli claims the senator still fully supports the
group.
Nor is Torricelli alone. Other members of Congress have also been
strong
advocates of the People's Mujahedin. Indeed, at least two congressmen
--
James Traficant, an Ohio Democrat, and William "Lacy" Clay, a Missouri
Democrat -- wrote to Secretary of State Colin Powell on the group's
behalf
after September 11. How has a terrorist group managed to win the
support of
mainstream U.S. politicians? Simple: Its political representatives in
the
U.S. have worked hard to repackage the group as a legitimate dissident
organization fighting for democracy in Iran -- whitewashing its record
and
duping our leaders...
Congressman Gary Ackerman, also a New York Democrat, acknowledges that
the
Mujahedin's ties with Iraq are "disturbing," but he brushes them off as
an
acceptable tradeoff: "I think it would help if people understand that
when
you're trying to get rid of a terrorist regime, you use who you can."
According to Iran Brief, an independent watchdog publication, Ackerman
received more than $32,000 from People's Mujahedin sympathizers in his
1998
race.
But the Mujahedin's strongest congressional ally is Torricelli, a
senior
member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Iran Brief says he
has
received more than $140,000 in Mujahedin-related contributions. Over
the
past decade, Torricelli has written a slew of letters to administration
officials and participated in several of the U.S. front group's events.
In
his most recent letter, dated August 27, 2001, he urged the State
Department not to redesignate the People's Mujahedin as a terrorist
group.
On October 5, the group was again listed among State's 28 targeted
organizations. "Our position remains the same," a Torricelli
spokeswoman
says, "and that is that the [group] is a political organization
advocating
democracy in Iran."
The spokeswoman claims that "more than 200" members of Congress support
the
Mujahedin; but this is seriously misleading. While a lengthy "Dear
Colleague" letter decrying the Iranian regime -- distributed in October
2000 by Ackerman and Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen -- did
garner
228 signatures, mention of this group was buried at the bottom of the
back
of the page. Had it been more prominent in the letter, support could
well
have been considerably lower.
Indiana Republican Dan Burton signed the letter, but his spokesman now
says
that the Mujahedin "are not exactly the kind of people we want to
associate
with. Most members will sign on to the generic anti-Iran stuff, but
they
stay away from these guys." Burton supported the Mujahedin until 1995,
when
evidence presented by the State Department convinced him to withdraw
his
backing.
-----
MUM, I'VE DECIDED I WANT TO FOLLOW ALLAH
Western women are turning to Islam in rapidly increasing numbers. Kay
Jardine discovers why they are so keen to become Muslims
By Kay Jardine, The Herald (Glasgow), 3/8/2002
http://www.theherald.co.uk/perspective/archive/8-3-19102-21-6-52.html
McCrindle became a Muslim three years ago and is now known by her
married
Arabic name, Tasnim Salih. She is one of a rapidly increasing number of
British women turning to Islam, thought to be the fastest growing
religion
in the world. Although there are no official figures on the subject,
there
is no doubt that the number of converts is on the rise and the majority
are
women, according to Nicole Bourque, a senior lecturer in social
anthropology at Glasgow University and an expert in conversion to Islam
in
Britain...
The appeal of Islam to liberated western women is difficult for many to
understand, largely because of the widespread perception in the west
that
it treats women badly. A forthcoming documentary, Mum I'm a Muslim,
addresses this very issue by talking to converts in Sheffield about
their
experiences. At a preview in Glasgow, I asked a group of converts from
Glasgow and Edinburgh what motivated them to change every aspect of
their
lives, including their names, to become Muslim...
Women who turn to Islam are aware of the widespread western perception
that
they are oppressed and discriminated against, but insist that the
depiction
is a false image. For many it is a spiritual journey, which, far from
repressing them, improves their social status and gives them new
rights.
"You seem to be really looked after," says Tasnim. "As a Muslim woman,
Muslim men really respect you; they do everything for you. You're
highly
thought of and protected." Bahiya says: "I feel that because you cover
yourself up you're not seen as a sex symbol, and because people can't
judge
you on your appearance, they have to judge you as a human being. That's
quite liberating..."
-----
MUSLIMS RETURN FROM MECCA WITH JOY, YET CONCERN
By CHRIS HEDGES, The New York Times, 3/8/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/national/08MUSL.html
DEARBORN, MICH., Despite gray skies and freezing winds, the mood is
festive
in this heavily Arab-American community.
People have been returning from the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that
all
Muslims are expected to make at least once in their lives. The pilgrims
have come home to white banners offering congratulations in Arabic,
strings
of lights flashing outside their homes and restaurants booked for
homecoming parties. They have also come home with a sense of
uncertainty.
While many of those who made the pilgrimage this year left Islam's
holiest
sites feeling renewed in their faith, many also left disturbed by the
growing gap between the Muslim world and the American world...
Many of those who went to Mecca said that the war in Afghanistan would
only
push Muslim Americans closer to Islam.
"Every time I turn on the television I expect one of these
commentators,
who know nothing about us and our religion, to stick his hand out of
the
set and shoot me," Dr. Fattah said. "It hurts."
SEE ALSO: MALCOLM X LETTERS SHOW IMPACT OF HAJJ
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/arts/08MALC.html
-----
ARIEL SHARON'S MOST POWERFUL WEAPON: GEORGE W. BUSH
By Aluf Benn, Salon.com, 3/8/2002
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2002/03/08/weapon/index_np.html
HIGHLIGHT: How did a Texas oilman end up being a fervent supporter of
the
hard-line Israeli prime minister?
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has a very powerful weapon in his
war
against the Palestinians: George W. Bush. In recent months, the White
House
has surprised many observers by giving Sharon almost unlimited approval
to
use whatever military force he deems necessary against the Palestinian
intifada. Bush has defended Israeli military actions as rightful acts
of
self-defense against terrorism -- even accepting practices previous
administrations had condemned, such as targeted assassinations.
Instead, he
has put the blame for the current situation entirely on the
Palestinians...
Sharon knows where the real power lies in Washington, and sees the
State
Department as a bunch of peaceniks and Arabists. He feels more at home
with
the hawks of the Pentagon and with Vice President Dick Cheney, who told
Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer last month that for all
he
cares, Yasser Arafat could be hanged...
The Bush policies, however, are more than a simple reflection of his
religion and Holy Land pilgrimage. Jewish support is vital to Bush's
reelection hopes. American Jews are traditionally Democratic voters and
contributors, but they are strong in the key state of Florida, where
George
W. almost lost the whole election, and where his brother Jeb is facing
an
electoral contest this November. A minor swing in Jewish support could
mean
a great deal to the Bush brothers...
The internal power game in Washington has played into Sharon's hands.
The
hawks, whose stronghold is the Pentagon, hold a black-and-white view of
the
world: They see Israel in the right and Arafat in the wrong. Their
ascendancy is reflected in Bush's axis-of-evil rhetoric. The top
echelons
of the Defense Department include some ardent supporters of Israel,
like
Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Undersecretary for Policy Doug
Feith,
formerly a right-wing pro-Israel activist in Washington...
-----
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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 - 3/9/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* THE VERDICT: AL-AMIN GUILTY ON 13 COUNTS
- EX-BLACK PANTHER CONVICTED OF MURDER (CNN)
* MUSLIM GROUP SUES FEDS TO RECLAIM ASSETS FROZEN IN TERROR WAR (ABC
News)
- TEXAS-BASED CHARITY SUES U.S. OVER FROZEN ASSETS (Los
Angeles Times)
* HUNDREDS OF SEPT. 11 DETAINEES STILL IN N.J. JAILS (AP)
* HATE LITERATURE DISTRIBUTED AT MICHIGAN ISLAMIC CENTER
-----
There is no might nor power except with Allah.
-----
THE VERDICT: AL-AMIN GUILTY ON 13 COUNTS
By STEVE VISSER and LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal, 3/9/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/0309verdict.html
A jury on Saturday convicted former 1960s radical H. Rap Brown of
killing
one sheriff's deputy and wounding another in a shootout in March 2000.
Jurors deliberated 10 hours over two days before finding the Muslim
cleric
now called Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin guilty of shooting to death Deputy
Ricky
Kinchen and wounding Deputy Aldranon English on a southwest Atlanta
street.
As the verdict was read, his young son Kairi buried his face in his
hands
as one of Al-Amin's wives put her arm around him and caressed his
forehead.
The trial now moves to a penalty phase, in which jurors will decide
whether
to recommend execution or life in prison for the 58-year-old Al-Amin.
He was found guilty of 13 counts, including murder, aggravated assault
on a
police officer, obstruction and possession of a firearm by a convicted
felon.
The verdict came at the end of the third week of the trial, which was
postponed once after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because the judge
feared anti-Muslim sentiment would taint the jury pool.
SEE ALSO:
EX-BLACK PANTHER CONVICTED OF MURDER
CNN, 3/9/2002
http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/03/09/al.amin.verdict/index.html
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- An Atlanta jury found former Black Panther
leader
Jamil Abdullah Abdullah Al-Amin guilty of murder Saturday in the March
2000
killing of a Fulton County sheriff's deputy.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Al-Amin, formerly
known
as H. Rap Brown. A Fulton County Superior Court jury returned the
verdict
about 5:30 p.m. after deliberating throughout the day.
Al-Amin's lawyers argued their client was innocent and that another
man,
known only as "Mustafa," did the shooting.
They told jurors that Al-Amin's fingerprints were not found on the
murder
weapon; he was not wounded in the shooting, as one of the deputies said
the
shooter was; and that the government has been out to get him for
several
decades.
Prosecutors noted in their closing arguments that Al-Amin's attorneys'
failed to provide an alibi for their client. They also reminded jurors
that
ballistics had matched the bullets in the victim to the guns recovered
from
an area of Alabama where Al-Amin was arrested…
-----
MUSLIM GROUP SUES FEDS TO RECLAIM ASSETS FROZEN IN TERROR WAR
By Len Tepper and Michael McAuliff, ABC News, 3/8/2002
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/holylandsuit020308.html
March 8 A well-known Muslim charity accused of funding terrorism filed
suit today against the federal government seeking the release of
millions
of dollars in assets.
The Bush administration accused the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and
Development in December of supporting terrorist activities carried out
by
the Palestinian Hamas group, and seized property and assets of the
group,
which raised some $13 million in the United States last year.
The group said in the suit filed in federal district court in
Washington,
D.C., today that the Bush administration acted on false information in
declaring the Holy Land Foundation a terrorist organization, and
violated
its constitutional rights by closing its offices and seizing its money.
It also said its offices were searched without a warrant, and its
assets
were taken without proper notice or a prompt hearing afterwards acts
that
it says violate freedom of religion by preventing its Muslim donors
from
carrying out the charitable requirements of their faith.
TEXAS-BASED CHARITY SUES U.S. OVER FROZEN ASSETS
By JOSH MEYER, The Los Angeles Times, 3/9/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000017533mar09.story
WASHINGTON -- A U.S.-based Muslim charity whose assets were frozen by
the
government filed a federal lawsuit Friday demanding that millions of
dollars in donations be released.
The Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development sued the Justice
Department, Treasury Department and State Department in U.S. District
Court
here seeking immediate relief from the asset freeze.
The group, based in Richardson, Texas, said the government violated its
constitutional rights Dec. 4 by putting a hold on millions of dollars
in
donations and seizing computers, files and furniture from its offices
in
Texas, California, New Jersey and Illinois.
The government took action against the charity because of its alleged
support of the Islamic militant movement Hamas. The group alleged in
its
legal brief that some of the information authorities used to freeze the
assets was gathered by Israeli police officers who used "physical and
psychological torture and other forms of extreme physical and
psychological
coercion" of suspected Hamas members in the Middle East.
The asset freeze, the group said in its lawsuit, could ruin the
charitable
organization, and it occurred "without notice, without a hearing,
without a
warrant, without probable cause, without statutory authority and
without
any rational basis..."
-----
HUNDREDS OF SEPT. 11 DETAINEES STILL IN N.J. JAILS
By Wayne Parry, The Associated Press, 3/9/2002
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAMTAASLYC.html
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Khalid Musa was like a lot of other Middle Eastern
men
who came to the United States last summer: young, eager to see
relatives,
and hoping to make a few dollars while they were here.
And he is like a lot of other Middle Eastern men who have been sitting
in
jail cells in the United States since last fall. They have been caught
up
in a wave of mass detentions, leaving hundreds still behind bars on
immigration charges, with little or no evidence linking them to a
serious
crime, let alone the Sept. 11 attacks.
The 23-year-old Saudi native, who has Australian citizenship but lives
in
Jordan, was arrested Oct. 4 as the government's roundup of recent
immigrants was kicking into high gear.
At its peak it took in more than 1,100 foreigners, mostly of Arab or
South
Asian descent.
Hundreds have since been released or deported, but the Justice
Department
says about 326 remain in custody, most of them in New Jersey jails…
The government has taken advantage of the secrecy and indefinite
suspensions permitted under the much looser immigration law, instead of
the
more rigorous provisions of criminal law. It often refuses to release
their
names, countries of origin, what they were charged with, or at times
even
how many were being held…
-----
HATE LITERATURE DISTRIBUTED AT MICHIGAN ISLAMIC CENTER
(News Release of the Muslim Community Association, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
(Ann Arbor, MI, 3/9/2002) - On Friday night, 3/8/2002, around 8:20
p.m.,
fliers containing hate material where placed on the windshields of 3
cars
at the Islamic Center of Ann Arbor.
The fliers included such statements as "Rabih Haddad, no bond, no
mercy,”
"Al-Rushaid, go home and take the ACLU with you". These statements were
in
reference to the jailed Ann Arbor Muslim pastor, Rabih Haddad, and his
wife, Salma Al-Rushaid. Haddad was detained by the INS on visa
violations
since December 14, 2001. The Muslim community and many other groups,
including the ACLU, have called for his release on bond.
The most threatening statement said "Your Hajj in Mecca is
over...Muslims
go home...death to the Muslim infidels".
Two members of the Islamic center who saw the person who placed the
fliers
described him as a middle-aged white male, carrying a dark bag, in
which he
apparently hid copies of the fliers. The Ann Arbor police department
was
notified immediately.
Incidentally, earlier in the evening, obscenities where shouted at a
Muslim
woman and her daughters who were participating in a march for peace in
the
Middle East organized by "Women in Black".
"The best response we can have for such expressions of hate is to come
closer together and show the true spirit of Ann Arbor", said Nazih
Hassan,
president of the Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor.
A press conference will be convened later this week where community
leaders
will respond to these incidents. A statement with the exact time and
location of the press conference is forthcoming.
For more info, call Nazih Hassan 734-657-3035 or email vp@mca-aa.org.
Muslim Community Association
2301 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48015
www.mca-aa.org
info@mca-aa.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 REACT TO IMAM JAMIL AL-AMIN VERDICT
Support group says facts did not warrant a guilty verdict
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/9/2002) - On Monday, March 11, the National
Support
Committee for Imam Jamil Al-Amin* will hold a news conference in
Atlanta,
Ga., to offer the American Muslim community's reaction to today's
verdict
by an Atlanta jury that found Al-Amin guilty of killing one Fulton
County
sheriff's deputy and wounding another. The news conference will take
place
at 10 a.m. (EST) in front of Atlanta's Fulton County Courthouse,
located at
the corner of Martin Luther King and Pryor streets.
In a statement issued today, the support committee said:
"We do not believe the facts presented in court warranted a guilty
verdict
against Imam Jamil. His defense team offered credible evidence
indicating
that he was not the person who shot the deputies. We believe Imam Jamil
will be exonerated on appeal.
"Because the death penalty has been disproportionately applied to
minority
defendants in America, we oppose its use in this, or any other trial.
"The American Muslim community and its leadership will continue to
support
the cause of justice in this case and will work to ensure that Imam
Jamil
is able to exercise all the rights he is entitled to under the law."
* The National Support Committee for Imam Jamil: (in alphabetical
order)
Al-Ummah (Imam Jamil Al-Amin), American Muslim Alliance, American
Muslim
Foundation, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Circle of
North
America, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Alliance in North
America, Muslim American Society, Muslim Public Affairs Council,
Students
Alliance for Imam Jamil, Women in Islam Justice Committee
- END -
CONTACT: Mahdi Bray, 202-421-3623
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-489-5108
Ihsan Bagby, 919-349-8602
-----
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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 - 3/11/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: GENEROSITY
* REP. CONYERS TO SPEAK AT CAIR TRAINING CONFERENCE
* CANADIAN UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATES MUSLIM PRAYER ROOM REQUEST
- MUSLIMS GET MORE SPACE FOR PRAYER AT CONCORDIA (Montreal
Gazette)
* FOR MUSLIM-AMERICANS, A LINGERING SENSE OF FEAR AND DREAD (AP)
* BACKLASH ANXIETY (San Jose Mercury News)
* STUDY FINDS DEADLY SPIKE IN RACIAL VIOLENCE AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS
(Los
Angeles Times)
* YOUNG MUSLIM-AMERICANS BLEND SOMETIMES-CONFLICTED CULTURES (Dallas
Morning News)
* UPDATES FROM IMAM JAMIL SENTENCING HEARING (Atlanta Journal)
- Attorneys debate Al-Amin's fate
- Judge bars testimony from New York cops
- Al-Amin jury views surprised some
- BACKERS: AL-AMIN VICTIM OF VENDETTA (Chicago Tribune)
* MUSLIMS DENOUNCE PEARL KILLING (Winnipeg Free Press)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GENEROSITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, an ignorant man
who
is generous is dearer to God than a worshipper who is miserly."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 580
-----
REP. CONYERS TO SPEAK AT CAIR TRAINING CONFERENCE
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) is scheduled to speak at CAIR's
intensive
Training Conference on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in
Washington, D.C. (Save $30 if you register by March 17.) Rep. Conyers
will
discuss the status of American civil liberties post 9/11. SEE:
http://www.house.gov/conyers/
Online registration is available. Go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=682&articletype=2
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org
-----
CANADIAN UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATES MUSLIM PRAYER ROOM REQUEST
Decision a model for other universities, says CAIR-CAN
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 3/11/2002) The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) is asking community members to
thank
Concordia University in Montreal for accommodating the request of its
Muslim students for a permanent prayer space.
Students at Concordia University had attempted to acquire a larger
prayer
space since October 2001 when their old prayer space proved inadequate
to
meet the needs of the Muslim campus population. The old room, a
basement in
one of Concordia's annexes, held a maximum of 25 people, while the new
room
accommodates about 200.
Bilal Hamideh, President of the Muslim Students' Association at
Concordia
said, "The university administration was very accommodating to our
request.
Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), we are very pleased with the new
arrangement."
"CAIR-CAN's educational series 'Know Your Rights' was excellent and
their
advice about our rights regarding a prayer space was very helpful and
informative," he added.
Both federal and provincial human rights legislation guarantee freedom
from
religious discrimination and oblige service-providers to accommodate
religious needs to the point of undue hardship.
"Muslim students need to frame their requests with knowledge of their
legal
rights. We hope the case of Concordia will serve as a model for other
universities where Muslims lack proper prayer facilities," stated
CAIR-CAN
Executive Director Riad Saloojee.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Please send a note of thanks to the Concordia University administration
for
accommodating the needs of its Muslim students:
E-MAIL: Frederick.Lowy@concordia.ca, Michael.DiGrappa@concordia.ca,
dlb@alcor.concordia.ca
COPY TO: Canada@cair-net.org
SEE: MUSLIMS GET MORE SPACE FOR PRAYER AT CONCORDIA
http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=E8025A2F-35A2-4EF6-ABE6-531961A4E7A8
-----
FOR MUSLIM-AMERICANS, A LINGERING SENSE OF FEAR AND DREAD
By SETH HETTENA, The Associated Press, 3/10/2002
SAN DIEGO (AP) - After Sept. 11, a wave of fear swept through this
beach
town, better known for its sun, surf and laid-back attitude.
The FBI revealed that two of the hijackers on the plane that crashed
into
the Pentagon had lived in the area. Several Middle Eastern men who knew
them were rounded up. Criminal hearings were held in secret behind
locked
courtroom doors.
Monday marks six months after the attacks, and for most here, the panic
and
alarm of those days has subsided. But for Muslims, whose leaders
unanimously condemned the attacks, the wounds of Sept. 11 remain fresh.
Many Arab-Americans are struggling with what they perceive to be their
new
status as a persecuted minority. There is a widespread belief that
their
phones are being tapped, that the media has made them into an object of
hate and that the FBI may come knocking at any time, with devastating
consequences.
The enduring lesson, many say, is the fragility of one's rights...
But Muslims say San Diegans in general have treated them well, aside
from
some coldness in the days immediately following the Sept. 11 attacks.
In
fact, along with the ubiquitous reports of tapped phones are stories of
unexpected acts of kindness.
Omaran Abdeen recalled walking last month through a local mall with his
wife, who wears a Muslim headscarf, when a fellow shopper approached
them.
"She came up to my wife and said 'I really admire your courage to come
out
with your scarf on and I want you to know we support you,"' said
Abdeen,
the San Diego representative of the Council of American-Islamic
Relations.
-----
BACKLASH ANXIETY
Fewer incidents reported, but fears continue among area Arabs, Muslims
By Cecilia Kang, The San Jose Mercury News, 3/11/2002
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/2834775.htm
Hate crimes against Arab Americans, Muslims and people simply mistaken
as
Middle Eastern have largely subsided. But six months after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks, many Bay Area residents still carry a lingering
anxiety
that violence and discrimination could resurface at any moment.
About eight in 10 Bay Area residents remain at least somewhat concerned
that Americans of Middle Eastern or Muslim backgrounds could face
prejudice
and discrimination, down from nine in 10 in the immediate days
following
Sept. 11, according to a Mercury News poll of 500 adults in nine Bay
Area
counties.
In California, reports of anti-Arab hate crimes have dropped from an
average of nearly 10 a day in September to less than one a day in
January,
according to a report by the state attorney general.
Despite the decline, groups such as the Santa Clara County Network for
a
Hate-Free Community say they are getting more calls about job
discrimination and racial profiling. And calls to a Bay Area hate
crimes
hotline show some in the Arab community remain on edge...
But for the Muslim parents of two young girls, their daily lives have
been
riddled with fears that they could again become targets of harassment.
The couple have taken extra precautions. Angelica and Saif, who was
born in
Iraq, close their store two hours early in order to go home before
dark.
They no longer answer their phone; they bought an answering machine to
screen phone calls. And Saif Ataya carries a new cell phone so that
he's
never more than a phone call away from his family...
-----
STUDY FINDS DEADLY SPIKE IN RACIAL VIOLENCE AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS
By RICHARD MAROSI, The Los Angeles Times, 3/11/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000018026mar11.story
Racist attacks against Asian Americans spiked significantly nationwide
after Sept. 11, claiming two lives and causing injuries to dozens more,
according to a report released today by the National Asian Pacific
American
Legal Consortium.
The study, "Backlash: When America Turned on Its Own," tracked 243
incidents in the three-month period after the terrorist attacks. By
contrast, bias-based attacks against Asian Americans for typical
12-month
periods number around 400, according to the report. Victims included a
Sikh
American from Mesa, Ariz., who was shot and killed by a gunman who
yelled
"I stand for America all the way," and a Pakistani American grocer who
was
killed in Texas.
Nonviolent crimes against Asian Americans ranged from vandalism to
verbal
harassment. Businesses have been pelted with Molotov cocktails and
homes
burned to the ground, according to the report. Among those targeted
have
been women and children.
Singled out as targets, according to the report, have been South Asian
Americans, including Indian and Pakistani Americans, but especially
Sikh
Americans, a religious group often mistakenly perceived to be Arab
because
many of their men wear turbans and long beards.
"Unfortunately, some Americans have fallen into the grave misconception
that all Arab Americans and Muslim Americans are terrorists, and
therefore,
anyone who even looks Arab or Muslim has become a potential target for
violent retribution," the report reads...
-----
YOUNG MUSLIM-AMERICANS BLEND SOMETIMES-CONFLICTED CULTURES
By BEATRIZ TERRAZAS, The Dallas Morning News, 3/10/2002
http://www.dallasnews.com/texasliving/stories/031002dnlivyoungmuslims.4e8ef.html
The meeting is already in full swing when Tamir Ayad, 28, enters a
classroom at the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson. He's clad in
jeans
and a UT sweatshirt.
Tonight, he and about 30 others are planning an open house at the
mosque.
Mr. Ayad, a Richardson resident, is in charge of sending information to
the
local media.
"I would like to put a press release together we could review at our
next
meeting," Mr. Ayad tells the group. "It's just a matter of sending the
facts out..."
After Sept. 11, being Muslim was suddenly "a real big deal," he says.
"I started thinking about the role I could play as a [Muslim] person
brought up in the United States, and having an understanding of the
Middle
East. I started thinking of what I could do to help bridge
this...misunderstanding I saw forming between the non-Muslim mainstream
and
the Muslim."
He dropped one of his classes in order to get involved in the
community.
"I became active in the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR),"
he
says. "I started going to their meetings." Through CAIR, he has been
invited to speak about Islam at Christian churches.
He began participating in mosque activities. Most nights he's there
praying, shooting hoops or planning community outreach...
"What happened on Sept. 11 kind of affected which way I want to go," he
says. "When I started my MBA, I really wanted to move up the management
ladder. Now, really, I'm focused at working at a nonprofit
organization,
maybe a political organization...An MBA would really help me.
"Now I see how my work and my career can help me achieve my
mission...My
mission is to please God. And when it's all over, I want to stand
before
him and have him say, 'Well done, my servant.'"
-----
UPDATES FROM IMAM JAMIL SENTENCING HEARING
- Attorneys debate Al-Amin's fate
- Judge bars testimony from New York cops
- Al-Amin jury views surprised some
By BILL TORPY and LATEFF MUNGIN
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writers
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/0311jury.html
Attorneys argue Al-Amin's fate
A prosecutor today urged jurors to ignore defense pleas for mercy and
sentence Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin to death for killing a sheriff's deputy
two
years ago.
Assistant District Attorney Ron Dixon told the jury that evidence they
have
already heard in Al-Amin's three-week trial justifies a recommendation
of a
death sentence...
Judge bars testimony from New York cops
Prosecutors will not be allowed to call three New York police officers
to
testify in the death penalty phase of the Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin trial,
the
judge decided today.
The officers were involved in Al-Amin's prior convictions following a
shootout with police...
Al-Amin jury views surprised some
Today the jury in the murder trial of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin will start
the
process to see whether they do something rare in Fulton County: go
against
conventional wisdom about race and jury attitudes by issuing a death
sentence.
On Saturday, the jury surprised many observers by issuing a relatively
quick guilty verdict -- on all 13 counts.
Fulton County juries have sentenced eight men to death since 1976, said
death penalty expert Mike Mears.
Both sides in this trial used racial profiling to pick the jury. And
many
observers thought defense attorneys one-upped prosecutors by removing
all
12 eligible white males -- who are seen as having the strictest
law-and-order views.
But there was no mistrial, no jury nullification, no lone black holdout
juror, as many -- black and white -- predicted. The jury of nine
blacks,
two whites and one Hispanic deliberated 10 hours to convict Al-Amin,
the
former black militant turned Muslim cleric, in the 2000 shooting death
of
Fulton County sheriff's Deputy Ricky Kinchen...
SEE ALSO:
BACKERS: AL-AMIN VICTIM OF VENDETTA
Ex-Black Panther no killer, they say
By Dahleen Glanton, The Chicago Tribune, 3/11/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0203110155mar11.story
It is difficult to find anyone in the neighborhood where Jamil Abdullah
Al-Amin has lived and preached for 25 years who believes the Muslim
cleric
killed a police officer and wounded another in a shootout. Though a
jury
found him guilty over the weekend, his supporters are convinced the
verdict
is another blow in an alleged 40-year government vendetta against the
former Black Panther Party leader once known as H. Rap Brown.
The conviction prompted an outcry from some Muslim groups that the
verdict
was unjust. Many of them had viewed the case as the first test of
whether
Muslims can receive a fair trial in the U.S. in the wake of Sept. 11.
"Many
of us are very disappointed, but this is a part of the judicial
process,"
said Mahdi Bray, national political director of the Muslim Public
Affairs
Committee. "We do not believe the facts presented in court warranted a
guilty verdict and hopefully he will be vindicated on appeal. We are
always
concerned about fairness in a trial involving political figures like
[Al-Amin] who have had a long history of dealing with the FBI..."
Though Al-Amin left the Panthers in favor of Islam in the 1970s, his
supporters say he remains a target because the government is threatened
by
the rising power of Islam and because Al-Amin, now imam for 36 American
mosques, is an outspoken voice in the community.
"There are 44,000 government documents on him dating back to the '60s.
Why
is that?" said Ayyub Sulaiman, a Muslim leader who traveled from
Philadelphia to monitor the trial. "A whole lot of folks believe there
is a
conspiracy to get him."
King's widow, Coretta Scott King, issued a statement expressing her
"concern about fairness and justice in the trial." She added, "All of
the
inconsistencies that have emerged in this case must be thoroughly
explored
and fully investigated, and a clear and unequivocal motive must be
established for the verdict to have credibility needed for closure..."
-----
MUSLIMS DENOUNCE PEARL KILLING
By SHAHINA SIDDIQUI, The Winnipeg Free Press, 3/11/2002
Siddiqui is a member of the Board of Directors, Council on American
Islamic
Relations - Canada
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Bob Freedman in his column Muslim leaders must repudiate bigotry (March
4)
rightfully demands that Muslims condemn the killing of Wall Street
Journal
reporter Daniel Pearl. Unfortunately the condemnations and press
releases
of the Muslim leadership in the U.S. and Canada have not reached Mr.
Freedman, for which I am sorry. To kill any innocent person because of
their faith -- as is claimed that Mr. Pearl was killed because he was a
Jew
-- is gross violation of Islamic law and morality. I cannot speak for
foreign governments but am encouraged by the resolve of the Pakistani
government to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of this crime to
the
full extent of the law.
It is, however, of great concern for Canadian Muslim organizations that
their statement and press releases do not see the print and media
coverage
that they deserve. Media must realize that they have a role to play in
facilitating communications between Canadian citizens so such
misunderstanding can be avoided.
To my fellow Canadians, Mr. Freedman and his community, I offer my
condolences and my prayers and thank him for his support to my
community
during the mosque vandalism and Sept. 11 backlash. The Jewish community
must know that our opposition to Israeli policies towards the
Palestinian
people is just that, and not against the Jewish faith or its adherents,
just as we do not take the criticism of Muslim governments as an attack
on
Islam. Prophet Moses (peace be with him) is a prophet of Islam; we
honour
his teachings and emulate them in our daily lives.
When emotions are raw and propaganda wheels are at full spin, it is
hard
for us to stay focused and objective, but we must, for evil will only
triumph if people of conscience remain silent. For the benefit of the
readers, I reproduce in part here the Feb. 22 press statement from
CAIR-CAN, one of the many Islamic organizations that condemned the
killing
of Mr. Pearl: "The Canadian office of the Council on American Islamic
Relations today condemned the killing of Daniel Pearl...Islam
categorically
prohibits the taking of innocent civilian life...we call on the
Pakistani
government to apprehend all the perpetrators and to prosecute them to
the
full extent of the law."
-----
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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 - 3/12/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* VERSE OF THE DAY: SPENDING OF WHAT YOU LOVE
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S TRAINING CONFERENCE
* CAIR DISCUSSES ASHCROFT'S REMARKS ON ISLAM WITH ASSISTANT ATTORNEY
GENERAL
* REMARKS BY GEORGE W. BUSH AT USA FREEDOM CORPS EVENT
* MIDDLE EAST UPDATE:
- Third former militiaman with links to Sabra and Chatila
is murdered (The Independent)
- Controversy over 'execution' pictures (BBC)
- Outrage over death of handcuffed suspect (The Scotsman)
- The killing of Mohammed Salah by Israeli police
on 8 March 2002 (Electronic Intifadah)
- Israel kills 30 Palestinians in major offensive (Reuters)
- Israeli army fires on journalists (AP)
- Israel raid on Gaza camp kills father and son (Reuters)
- Israel criticized for I.D. numbers (AP)
- Poll 46 pct of Israeli Jews want Palestinians out (Reuters)
* CANADIAN MUSLIM OFFERS SUPPORT FOR CAIR (CBC)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: SPENDING OF WHAT YOU LOVE
"By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely) of
that which you love."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 3, Verse 92
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S TRAINING CONFERENCE
Register online for CAIR's intensive Training Conference on Saturday,
March
30, and Sunday, March 31, in Washington, D.C. (Save $30 if you register
by
March 17.) Go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=682&articletype=2
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR DISCUSSES ASHCROFT'S REMARKS ON ISLAM WITH ASSISTANT ATTORNEY
GENERAL
CAIR representatives met today with Assistant Attorney General Ralph F.
Boyd, Jr., and Director of Community Relations Services Sherri Freeman
to
discuss a recent statement attributed to Attorney General John Ashcroft
that offended many Muslims. Columnist Cal Thomas claimed Ashcroft said:
"Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die
for
him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for
you."
Concerning the statement attributed to Ashcroft, Ralph Boyd said: "The
Attorney General did not say this, and it does not reflect his
views. Based on what I've seen and heard of the Attorney General, in
public and private, in guarded and unguarded moments he has a deep
respect
for all people of faith."
Also present were representatives from the Muslim Public Affairs
Council,
the Interfaith Alliance, Arab American Institute, and the Islamic
Institute.
CONTACT: Jason Erb, Director, Governmental Relations, 202-488-8787,
jerb@cair-net.org
-----
REMARKS BY GEORGE W. BUSH AT USA FREEDOM CORPS EVENT SUBJECT: VOLUNTEER
SERVICE LOCATION: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA TIME: 10:14 A.M. EST DATE:
TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2002
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yeah. Our goal is to double the Peace Corps over five
years. Our goal is as well to make sure we have the Peace Corps go to
nations, particularly Muslim nations, that don't understand America.
They
don't understand our heart, they don't understand our compassion, they
don't understand that we share the same values. I mean, listen, mom and
dad
love children in the Muslim world just like we do in America, and
they've
got to understand that; that there are some common beliefs that we
share
that will make -- and the Peace Corps is a good way to spread that
message...
-----
MIDDLE EAST UPDATE:
Third former militiaman with links to Sabra and Chatila is murdered
By Robert Fisk, The Independent, 3/11/2002
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=273152
The secrets of the Sabra and Chatila Palestinian camp massacres in 1982
have gone to the grave with yet another former Phalangist militiaman,
the
third Lebanese to die mysteriously in little more than two months.
Michael Nassar, who was a former associate of Elie Hobeika the
Phalangist
leader murdered in a car bombing in Beirut in January was shot dead in
Brazil by a man firing a pistol equipped with a silencer. His young
wife,
Marie, was shot down beside him.
A Belgian court has postponed a decision over whether to indict Ariel
Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, for his role in the massacres he
was
held "personally responsible" by an Israeli commission of inquiry while
lawyers for the survivors produce more evidence. But the vital evidence
that may lie in the memories of those involved with the killers, who
were
allied to Israel at the time, is disappearing almost by the week as the
death list grows...
---
Controversy over 'execution' pictures
The BBC, 3/12/2002
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1867000/1867726.stm
Eleven photographs taken by an amateur photographer from his window in
east
Jerusalem have caused outrage in the Arabic media, which allege they
show
the summary execution of a Palestinian militant.
Israeli police said the man was a would-be suicide bomber who they were
forced to kill to prevent him from detonating a "large explosive
device"
strapped to his waist.
The AFP news agency - which published the graphic, but inconclusive
images
below - said it had received the testimonies of more than 10
eyewitnesses,
who said the man was shot half-an-hour after his arrest when he was
completely subdued.
---
Outrage over death of handcuffed suspect
Ben Lynfield in Jerusalem, The Scotsman, 3/12/2002
http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=275882002
PICTURES of Israeli police killing a bound captive on a Jerusalem
street
are evoking outrage among Palestinians, but the police yesterday
defended
the shooting, saying it was necessary to prevent him from detonating an
explosive device...
The pictures of the killing on Friday of Mahmoud Salah, a member of the
al-Aqsa militia belonging to Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, were
published
on the front pages of Palestinian newspapers. Al-Aqsa said it had
dispatched him on a suicide bombing mission.
The pictures, taken by the resident of a nearby flat, show police
arresting
Mr Salah, who came from Nablus, and then pushing him on to the ground.
Another picture shows him being pinned down and having a gun pointed at
him
by forces after having been stripped to his underwear. Yet another
shows
him lying head down in his own blood, his hands bound behind his back.
"This was clearly an execution after his being arrested," said Ziad
Hamouri, director of the Jerusalem Social and Economic Research
Centre...
Many of the neighbours were reluctant to speak out of fear of police
reprisals. One resident, Yihya Wairi, told news agencies that Mr Salah
had
been shot "after the police had established complete control over him".
One question fuelling Palestinian doubts about the police version is
why at
least five policemen, as shown in one picture, would be in such close
proximity to Mr Salah if there were a danger of his setting off an
explosion.
SEE ALSO: The killing of Mohammed Salah by Israeli police on 8 March
2002
http://electronicintifada.net/features/articles/020312beithanina.shtml
---
Israel kills 30 Palestinians in major offensive
By Mohammed Assadi, Reuters, 3/12/2002
RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 12 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed 30
Palestinians on Tuesday in their biggest offensive in the West Bank and
Gaza since Israel captured the territories in the 1967 Middle East war.
Israeli forces stormed refugee camps and Palestinian President Yasser
Arafat's power centre on the eve of a U.S. truce mission...
The Israeli army's chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Shaul Mofaz, told
a
parliamentary committee the military had thrown 20,000 troops into
action
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Even so, the scale of the offensive was not enough to satisfy two
ultranationalist ministers who resigned from Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon's
coalition government on Tuesday.
---
Israeli army fires on journalists
By DIMITRI MESSINI, The Associated Press, 3/12/2002
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Israeli forces fired for 10 to 15 minutes
from
tank-mounted machine guns on a hotel where journalists were
photographing
armor targeting the al-Amari refugee camp early Tuesday.
No one was injured in the shooting, which sprayed the glass-enclosed
stairwell and nearby rooms where about 40 journalists were working. An
ABC
television camera left running on a tripod when the journalists took
cover
was hit by seven bullets - one directly in the lens.
The army said the tanks were returning fire from a gunman located
somewhere
on the upper floors of the hotel and that they were unaware journalists
were working from the building. "It was dark," a spokesperson said. An
investigation was continuing, the army said.
The reporters said there were no gunmen in the four-story New City Inn,
where about 40 television and photo journalists covering the army
assault
on al-Amari were working from the upper floors.
"If there is a gunman, I would not stay in the building for one
minute,"
said ABC television news producer Nasser Atta, who has 13 years
experience
covering conflicts in the Middle East...
---
Israel raid on Gaza camp kills father and son
By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, 3/12/2002
JABALYA CAMP, Gaza Strip, March 12 (Reuters) - The blood had dried on
the
stairs of the house where Israeli troops shot dead a man and his son
during
a night raid into Jabalya refugee camp.
"Here lay the body of my father, he could not say a word after being
hit
with a bullet to the head," said Raed Izz el-Din, who lost his father,
60,
and his brother Walid, 38.
Izz el-Din said his father had tried to get them down from the roof
where
they had gone to see if troops were approaching, unaware of Israeli
snipers
atop a nearby building.
"My father was shot as he tried to follow us down the stairs. When
Walid
jumped up to see what had happened they shot him in the chest," he
added.
"He died in my arms. He bled for one hour. I could not help him," said
the
tearful man.
---
Israel criticized for I.D. numbers
By STEVE WEIZMAN, The Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli lawmaker who survived the Nazi Holocaust
expressed outrage Tuesday over Israeli troops writing identification
numbers on the foreheads and forearms of Palestinian detainees awaiting
interrogation during an army sweep of a West Bank refugee camp.
Yugoslav-born Tommy Lapid said he told army chief of staff Lt. Gen.
Shaul
Mofaz and Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer that the practice must
cease immediately.
"As a refugee from the Holocaust I find such an act insufferable,"
Lapid
said, adding that Mofaz and Ben-Eliezer also were displeased with the
practice and that both had pledged action.
During World War II, concentration camp inmates, most of them Jews, had
numbers tattooed on their forearms.
---
Poll 46 pct of Israeli Jews want Palestinians out
JERUSALEM, March 12 (Reuters) - Almost half of Israeli Jews consider
that
"transferring" Palestinians out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip would
be an
acceptable option today, a poll published on Tuesday says.
Forty-six percent of respondents backed the idea of "transfer" -- a
term
used instead of "expulsion" because it includes the idea propounded by
ultra-nationalist Israelis that many Palestinians would quit the
occupied
territories voluntarily.
-----
CANADIAN MUSLIM OFFERS SUPPORT FOR CAIR
http://cbc.ca/news/indepth/targetterrorism/people/diary_nawaz/
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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
- PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO PERSONAL E-MAIL LISTS -
CAIR ACTION ALERT #324
EDITOR SUGGESTS "NUKING MECCA"
Community members urged to contact magazine for apology
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/12/2002) - CAIR is calling on Muslims to contact
the
National Review and demand an apology for published statements by
editor
Rich Lowry who suggested that "nuking Mecca" would "send a signal" to
Muslims. (National Review online, www.nationalreview.com, calls itself
"America's premier conservative website.")
In an online forum called "The Corner," editor Rich Lowry wrote on
March 7:
"Lots of sentiment for nuking Mecca. Moderates opt for something more
along
these lines: "Baghdad and Tehran would be the likeliest sites for a
first
strike. If we have clean enough bombs to assure a pinpoint damage area,
Gaza City and Ramallah would also be on list. Damascus, Cairo, Algiers,
Tripoli and Riyadh should be put on alert that any signs of support for
the
attacks in their cities will bring immediate annihilation..."
"This is a tough one, and I don't know quite what to think. Mecca seems
extreme, of course, but then again few people would die and it would
send a
signal. Religions have suffered such catastrophic setbacks
before...And, as
a general matter, the time for seriousness-including figuring out what
we
would do in retaliation, so maybe it can have some slight deterrent
effect--is now rather than after thousands and thousands more American
casualties."
National Review writer Rod Dreher also took part in the discussion of
an
attack on Mecca. He wrote: "...I'd say Baghdad, Tehran and Riyadh
should
make the list, tout ensemble, and maybe even Damascus. As for Mecca,
well,
it would feel good, but we'd have every Muslim on the planet enraged
unto
ages of ages...
SEE:
http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/2002_03_03_corner-archive.shtml
Use the "find on this page" function of your browser using the term
"Mecca.
SEE ALSO:
"National Review's editor suggests nuking Mecca. We're not kidding"
By Jeremy Lott, The American Prospect, 3/11/2002
http://www.prospect.org/webfeatures/2002/03/lott-j-03-11.html
"These statements are a call to violence against Muslims and Islam.
Inflammatory rhetoric suggesting mass murder and the destruction of
religious sites is wildly irresponsible and beyond the bounds of
reasoned
debate. The National Review should apologize immediately and discipline
Lowry and Dreher for their offensive remarks. Hate speech can never be
justified or excused," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad added that these statements are part of a disturbing trend in
which
some commentators attack the faith of Islam under the cover of
political
debate. (Lowry now says his remarks were merely "sarcastic.") In a
September column published on National Review, Ann Coulter wrote:
"...We
should invade their [Muslim] countries, kill their leaders and convert
them
to Christianity."
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be firm, but POLITE. Hostile or
threatening comments can and WILL be used to further defame the Muslim
community and Islam.)
Contact the National Review to demand an apology for Lowry's and
Dreher's
offensive remarks.
CONTACT:
Mr. Jonah Goldberg
Online Editor
National Review
215 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10016
TEL: 212-679-7330
FAX: 212-849-2835
E-MAIL: jonahemail@aol.com, richardlowry@hotmail.com,
rdreher@nationalreview.com, nronline@nationalreview.com,
jnordlinger@nationalreview.com, letters@nationalreview.com,
Lott@deviantreadings.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
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 - 3/13/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE VALUE OF HARD WORK
* U.S. SENATOR SAYS PALESTINIANS “DID NOT EXIST”
* DURING GAZA RAID, SOME CIVILIANS SLAIN WITHOUT APPARENT PROVOCATION
(Washington Post)
- JOURNALIST KILLED BY ISRAELI TROOPS (AP)
- PALESTINIANS SAY ISRAEL BLOCKS HELP TO WOUNDED (Reuters)
- U.N. COUNCIL BACKS A PALESTINIAN STATE (Washington Post)
* WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE ON “NUKING MECCA” CONTROVERSY
* ANTI-MUSLIM TREND DISTURBING (Columbus Dispatch)
* HUNDREDS OF ARABS STILL DETAINED IN U.S. JAILS (Reuters)
* NO HINDU CEREMONY AT DISPUTED SITE (AP)
* SUPPORTERS ASK JURY TO SHOW MERCY ON AL-AMIN (Atlanta Journal)
* AUCTIONEER CANCELS MALCOLM X SALE (San Jose Mercury News)
* MUSLIM SCHOLAR DISCUSSES JIHAD (MPAC)
* APOLOGISTS 'SPIN' ISRAEL'S SPY OPERATION IN THE US (Antiwar.com)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE VALUE OF HARD WORK
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “No one has eaten better
food than that obtained through the hard labor of his hands.”
Riyadh-us-Saleheen, Hadith 543
-----
U.S. SENATOR SAYS PALESTINIANS “DID NOT EXIST”
Oklahoma Republican claims Mideast conflict is “contest over whether or
not
the word of God is true”
PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Senate Floor Statement by
U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla), March 4, 2002
http://www.senate.gov/~inhofe/fl030402.html
I will discuss seven reasons, which I mentioned once before, why Israel
is
entitled to the land they have and that it should not be a part of the
peace process.
The first reason is that Israel has the right to the land because of
all of
the archeological evidence. That is reason, No. 1. All the
archeological
evidence supports it.
Every time there is a dig in Israel, it does nothing but support the
fact
that Israelis have had a presence there for 3,000 years. They have been
there for a long time. The coins, the cities, the pottery, the
culture--there are other people, groups that are there, but there is no
mistaking the fact that Israelis have been present in that land for
3,000
years.
It predates any claims that other peoples in the regions may have. The
ancient Philistines are extinct. Many other ancient peoples are
extinct.
They do not have the unbroken line to this date that the Israelis have.
Even the Egyptians of today are not racial Egyptians of 2,000, 3,000
years
ago. They are primarily an Arab people. The land is called Egypt, but
they
are not the same racial and ethnic stock as the old Egyptians of the
ancient world. The first Israelis are in fact descended from the
original
Israelites. The first proof, then, is the archeology.
The second proof of Israel's right to the land is the historic right.
History supports it totally and completely. We know there has been an
Israel up until the time of the Roman Empire. The Romans conquered the
land. Israel had no homeland, although Jews were allowed to live there.
They were driven from the land in two dispersions: One was in 70 A.D.
and
the other was in 135 A.D. But there was always a Jewish presence in the
land.
The Turks, who took over about 700 years ago and ruled the land up
until
about World War I, had control. Then the land was conquered by the
British.
The Turks entered World War I on the side of Germany. The British knew
they
had to do something to punish Turkey, and also to break up that empire
that
was going to be a part of the whole effort of Germany in World War I.
So
the British sent troops against the Turks in the Holy Land.
One of the generals who was leading the British armies was a man named
Allenby. Allenby was a Bible-believing Christian. He carried a Bible
with
him everywhere he went and he knew the significance of Jerusalem.
The night before the attack against Jerusalem to drive out the Turks,
Allenby prayed that God would allow him to capture the city without
doing
damage to the holy places.
That day, Allenby sent World War I biplanes over the city of Jerusalem
to
do a reconnaissance mission. You have to understand that the Turks had
at
that time never seen an airplane. So there they were, flying around.
They
looked in the sky and saw these fascinating inventions and did not know
what they were, and they were terrified by them. Then they were told
they
were going to be opposed by a man named Allenby the next day, which
means,
in their language, ``man sent from God'' or “prophet from God.” They
dared
not fight against a prophet from God, so the next morning, when Allenby
went to take Jerusalem, he went in and captured it without firing a
single
shot…
The homeland that Britain said it would set aside consisted of all of
what
is now Israel and all of what was then the nation of Jordan--the whole
thing. That was what Britain promised to give the Jews in 1917.
In the beginning, there was some Arab support for this action. There
was
not a huge Arab population in the land at that time, and there is a
reason
for that. The land was not able to sustain a large population of
people. It
just did not have the development it needed to handle those people, and
the
land was not really wanted by anybody. Nobody really wanted this land.
It
was considered to be worthless land…
Where was this great Palestinian nation? It did not exist. It was not
there. Palestinians were not there. Palestine was a region named by the
Romans, but at that time it was under the control of Turkey, and there
was
no large mass of people there because the land would not support them…
That is a historic fact. The nation became populated by both Jews and
Arabs
because the land came to prosper when Jews came back and began to
reclaim it.
Historically, they began to reclaim it. If there had never been any
archaeological evidence to support the rights of the Israelis to the
territory, it is also important to recognize that other nations in the
area
have no longstanding claim to the country either.
One of the reasons I believe the spiritual door was opened for an
attack
against the United States of America is that the policy of our
Government
has been to ask the Israelis, and demand it with pressure, not to
retaliate
in a significant way against the terrorist strikes that have been
launched
against them…
Since its independence in 1948, Israel has fought four wars: The war in
1948 and 1949--that was the war for independence--the war in 1956, the
Sinai campaign; the Six-Day War in 1967; and in 1973, the Yom Kippur
War,
the holiest day of the year, and that was with Egypt and Syria.
You have to understand that in all four cases, Israel was attacked.
They
were not the aggressor. Some people may argue that this was not true
because they went in first in 1956, but they knew at that time that
Egypt
was building a huge military to become the aggressor. Israel, in fact,
was
not the aggressor and has not been the aggressor in any of the four
wars…
No. 7, I believe very strongly that we ought to support Israel; that it
has
a right to the land. This is the most important reason: Because God
said
so. As I said a minute ago, look it up in the book of Genesis. It is
right
up there on the desk…
This is not a political battle at all. It is a contest over whether or
not
the word of God is true…
ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE.)
Contact Sen. Inhofe to politely educate him about the reality of Middle
Eastern history.
Sen. James M. Inhofe
United States Senate
453 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-3603
TEL: 202-224-4721
FAX: 202-228-0380
E-MAIL: Gary_hoistma@inhofe.senate.gov (Sen. Inhofe’s press secretary)
The senator may also be reached at:
http://www.senate.gov/~inhofe/webform.html
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
DURING GAZA RAID, SOME CIVILIANS SLAIN WITHOUT APPARENT PROVOCATION
By Lee Hockstader, The Washington Post, 3/13/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17004-2002Mar12.html
GAZA CITY, March 12 -- As Israeli forces rumbled close to his house,
54-year-old Abdul Rahman Izzadin headed up the stairs and called down
to
his wife, children and grandchildren to stay indoors. Those were the
last
words they heard him say.
At the top of the stairs, as he reached to close the metal door leading
to
the rooftop, he was shot three times -- in the ear, neck and cheek --
and
killed instantly, apparently by an Israeli sniper on the roof of an
adjacent house that neighbors said the army had commandeered. Moments
later, when Izzadin's 36-year-old son Walid rushed to his father's aid,
he,
too, was shot to death. It is not known why they were fired upon.
The Izzadins, killed as Israel invaded the Gaza Strip's Jabalya refugee
camp late Monday, were buried today. Weeping family members accused
Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of terrorism, and called him a "beast…"
The Israeli invasion of Jabalya lasted just three hours, from 10:30
p.m.
Monday to 1:30 this morning, but it exacted a heavy toll. Eighteen
Palestinians, some of whom tried to fight back, were killed in the
raid.
Several dozen were wounded, including gunmen as well as paunchy
middle-aged
tailors and construction workers who were shot in their homes for no
apparent reason. There were no Israeli casualties.
SEE ALSO:
JOURNALIST KILLED BY ISRAELI TROOPS
By COLLEEN BARRY, The Associated Press, 3/13/2002
JERUSALEM (AP) - An Italian photographer was killed by machine gun fire
from an Israeli tank in Ramallah early Wednesday, Palestinian hospital
officials and witnesses said. A French photographer was injured by
shrapnel
and an Egyptian journalist was shot at, also in the West Bank town…
PALESTINIANS SAY ISRAEL BLOCKS HELP TO WOUNDED
By Paul Holmes, Reuters, 3/13/2002
RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 13 (Reuters) - Palestinian health officials
accused the Israeli army on Wednesday of stopping doctors and ambulance
workers from reaching the wounded in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Dr Munther al-Sharif, the deputy Palestinian health minister, said two
Israeli tanks had blocked access from both directions to the two main
hospitals in Ramallah for 13 hours on Wednesday during the army's
occupation of the West Bank city…
U.N. COUNCIL BACKS A PALESTINIAN STATE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17358-2002Mar12.html
-----
WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE ON “NUKING MECCA” CONTROVERSY
Strange Love
By Lloyd Grove, The Washington Post, 3/13/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16448-2002Mar12.html
Ann Coulter's notorious post-Sept. 11 column for National Review Online
--
in which she suggested that the proper U.S. response to Muslim
terrorists
was to "invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to
Christianity" -- is still making waves six months later. But now the
controversy features a jaw-dropping twist involving Coulter's love
life.
After her Sept. 13 column, the tall, blond right-wing pundit was sacked
by
NRO when she refused to delete a reference to "swarthy males" in a
subsequent column and went on television to accuse National Review of
censorship and denounce its editor, Rich Lowry, as a "girly-boy."
But the other day on the NRO Web site, Lowry wrote about various
e-mails he
had recently received about the war on terrorism: "Lots of sentiment
for
nuking Mecca…Mecca seems extreme, of course, but then again few people
would die and it would send a signal. Religions have suffered
catastrophic
setbacks before. As for the Saudis, my only thought is that if we're
going
to hold them responsible for terrorism, we had better start doing it
now,
not after an even more catastrophic attack." Yesterday Lowry told us
that
he doesn't really countenance nuking Mecca; indeed, he's against it. He
said he was merely employing a literary device, "understated sarcasm."
But the sarcasm might have been too understated not only for Coulter --
who
told us derisively that Lowry "finally comes out on the right side of
things, but he's wildly overreacting, just like a woman" -- but also
for
Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"We are demanding an apology from National Review and disciplinary
action
against Lowry," Hooper told us. With his trademark understated sarcasm,
Lowry replied: "I'm going to officially slap myself on the wrist…"
TO COMMENT ON THIS ISSUE, GO TO: http://www.cair-net.org
-----
ANTI-MUSLIM TREND DISTURBING
By Riad Z. Abdelkarim, The Columbus Dispatch, 3/13/2002
http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/news/editorials02/mar02/1138612.html
Riad Z. Abdelkarim is the Western region communications director for
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, an American Muslim civil- rights
and
advocacy group.
A lot of prominent people are expressing anti- Muslim sentiments
nowadays.
Noted television evangelist Pat Robertson recently proclaimed during a
broadcast of The 700 Club that Islam "is not a peaceful religion that
wants
to coexist. They want to coexist until they can control, dominate and
then,
if need be, destroy.” He continued: "I have taken issue with our
esteemed
president in regard to his stand in saying Islam is a peaceful
religion.
It's just not. And the Quran makes it very clear, if you see an
infidel,
you are to kill him.”
A few weeks ago, it was revealed that Attorney General John Ashcroft
told
syndicated columnist Cal Thomas during an interview last November:
"Islam
is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for
him.
Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you.”
After initially refusing to clarify or deny these comments, Ashcroft's
office issued a statement confirming that our nation's top law enforcer
made the remarks but contending that they were taken out of context.
At a time when our government has strived to reassure Muslims worldwide
that the war on terrorism is not a war against their faith, it is
unfortunate that some have chosen to engage in name-calling against
adherents of one of the world's great religions and America's
fastest-growing faith…
The anti-Islamic vitriol also has been spreading among conservative
think
tanks. Paul Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation, asked
for
the recently released "Eid Greetings” postage stamp (which marks the
two
major holidays, or "Eids,” on the Muslim calendar) to be recalled and
"overprinted with the image of the Twin Towers” because "America's most
notable experience with Islam was the attacks on Sept. 11.” And William
S.
Lind, also with the same group, remarked that Muslims "should be
encouraged
to leave. They are a fifth column in this country…”
THIS ARTICLE WAS ALSO PUBLISHED IN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL:
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/opinion/0302/0313muslim.html
-----
HUNDREDS OF ARABS STILL DETAINED IN U.S. JAILS
By Alan Elsner, Reuters, 3/13/2002
MIAMI, March 13 (Reuters) - Six months after the attack on the World
Trade
Center, hundreds of Arabs remain detained in U.S. prisons and the net
has
widened to include asylum seekers, some women and children who fled
persecution in the Middle East, human rights advocates say.
The Justice Department has refused to issue a list of those detained or
give a full accounting of the number. In its most recent statement on
Feb.
15, it said there were 327 individuals detained on immigration
violations
or being investigated for "possible terrorist connections."
But that did not include those being held under sealed indictments or
as
material witnesses, a number which the Justice Department will not
divulge
but has indicated is relatively small, or the asylum seekers…
Attorney General John Ashcroft has refused to release the names of
immigration detainees, saying the disclosure would be "too sensitive
for
public scrutiny…"
When it comes to asylum seekers fleeing persecution, there have been a
number of rulings that constitutional protections do not apply to
illegal
aliens. They can be detained indefinitely while their cases are
investigated and have no automatic right to an attorney.
"Asylum seekers are getting caught up in the immigration sweep
conducted in
response to September 11," said Wendy Young of the Women's Commission
for
Refugee Women and Children…
-----
NO HINDU CEREMONY AT DISPUTED SITE
By BETH DUFF-BROWN, The Associated Press, 3/13/2002
NEW DELHI, India (AP) - India's Supreme Court on Wednesday barred
Hindus
from holding a planned prayer ceremony near the site of a razed
16th-century mosque, setting up a possible showdown between security
forces
and thousands of Hindu fundamentalists.
The World Hindu Council, which has spearheaded the campaign to
construct a
temple at the Babri mosque site, called the ruling a blow to India's
dominant religion. The council did not indicate whether the ceremony
would
go ahead or not on Friday, but a Hindu leader close to the council said
he
was determined to hold it…
Religious violence has killed 700 people in the past two weeks, sparked
when a Muslim mob set fire to a train of Hindus returning to the
western
town of Godhra from a pilgrimage to the disputed sacred site on Feb.
27.
Vengeful Hindus torched Muslim homes and businesses and attacked
Muslims in
Gujarat state.
Das, a Hindu priest whose Ram Temple Trust is close to the World Hindu
Council, warned of a repeat of such violence if his followers at
Ayodhya
were attacked…
-----
SUPPORTERS ASK JURY TO SHOW MERCY ON AL-AMIN
LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal, 3/13/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/031302.html
A former Atlanta mayor, a former Black Panther and the father of an
Atlanta
Hawks basketball player appeared in court Tuesday to ask jurors to show
mercy on convicted murderer Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin.
"Sometimes you have to temper justice with mercy," civil rights
activist
and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young said when asked why he agreed to
take
the witness stand on his 70th birthday to testify for the Muslim cleric
once known as black militant H. Rap Brown.
The jury that convicted Al-Amin of murdering Fulton County sheriff's
Deputy
Ricky Kinchen and wounding his partner, Deputy Aldranon English, must
decide whether Al-Amin should be put to death or imprisoned for all or
much
of his life…
-----
AUCTIONEER CANCELS MALCOLM X SALE
By Renee Koury, The San Jose Mercury News, 3/13/2002
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/2847336.htm
SAN FRANCISCO _ A treasure of personal writings by slain black radical
Malcolm were suddenly pulled off the auction block in San Francisco on
Tuesday after questions arose about who really owns them.
Internet auctioneer eBay and Butterfields auction house canceled the
planned March 20 sale of hundreds of long-lost writings, photographs
and
other material after family members said they would sue to get the
collection back.
Meanwhile, scholars are anxiously awaiting a chance to see the works,
hoping they will provide unprecedented insights into the personal life
of
the one-time Nation of Islam leader…
-----
MUSLIM SCHOLAR DISCUSSES JIHAD
Jihad vs. Terrorism
University of California, Irvine
7:00 PM, 3/13/2002
Join Dr. Maher Hathout in a timely critique of the existing approaches
to
understanding the Islamic concept of Jihad. The need to learn from the
traditional Islamic teaching which promotes "struggle" as being best
served
by promoting the internal spiritual struggle, the promotion of social
justice and the maintenance of human rights instead of promoting the
notion
of holy war and religious violence.
CONTACT: Muslim Public Affairs Council, (213) 383-3443, salam@mpac.org
-----
THE 'URBAN MYTH' GAMBIT
Apologists 'spin' Israel's spy operation in the US
By Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 3/13/2002
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html
There is growing evidence that, prior to 9/11, a rather impressive
Israeli
spy network in the US went into overdrive and launched a concerted
effort
to penetrate US law enforcement and military facilities: a recent
flurry of
news stories on the subject provoked an angry reaction from Israel's
apologists, who are loudly and insistently denying it. The denialists
range
from the Justice Department, whose spokesperson derided the
widely-reported
story as "an urban myth," to Daniel Pipes, the chief ideologue of
anti-Arabism in the US, whose op ed for the New York Post this morning
[March 11] is, er, rather odd….
DO YOU HAVE TO ASK?
To begin with, the title asks a question the obvious answer to which
contradicts the article's thesis: "An Israeli spy network in the United
States?" After Jonathan Pollard's arrest and imprisonment, is this a
question that even needs to be asked? Only the terminally na�ve believe
that our wonderful allies don't spy on us and, in the case of the
Israelis, you can bet they're doing a good job of it…
Here are a few of the facts that Pipes cannot be bothered to mention:
* that the US government's National Counterintelligence Center put out
an
alert in March 2001 warning of persistent attempts by individuals
identifying themselves as "art students" from Israel to penetrate US
government facilities,
* that as many as 200 were arrested in the months prior to and after
9/11,
* that the majority of these were members of the Israeli army's
intelligence and counter-terrorism unit,
* that some failed polygraph tests when asked if they were engaged in
surveillance activities against the US,
* and that fully one-third lived within shouting distance of Hollywood,
Florida, the 9/11 hijackers' base…
Behind the bland denials, federal law enforcement officials are in a
panic.
Rodriguez quotes one high-ranking official who exclaims "it is a very
alarming set of documents. This shows how serious DEA and Justice
consider
this activity." A Justice Department official tells Rodriguez: "We
think
there is something quite sinister here but are unable at this time to
put
our finger on it."
Another fed tells him: "The higher-ups don't want to deal with this and
neither does the FBI because it involves Israel…"
The same day the Pipes piece came out saw the Wall Street Journal's
resident online "blogger," James Taranto, weigh in with his own spin on
"the weird story of those Israeli 'art students.'" As it turns out,
there's
nothing to see here, so we should all just move along…
Our President has solemnly proclaimed "You're either with us, or
against
us" but on which side, then, do we place the Israelis, who, right up
until
9/11, were busily penetrating our defenses, spying on our military
bases,
and keeping a close watch on our terrorist adversaries without filling
us
in on the essential details?
-----
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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
-----
net@
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 3/14/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: REMAINING STRAIGHT
* REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S TRAINING CONFERENCE
- LOBBYING: EFFECTIVE INTERACTION WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS
* AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SAYS DETAINEES DEPRIVED OF HUMAN RIGHTS
- AMNESTY URGES RIGHTS BODY TO ACT ON MIDDLE EAST (Reuters)
* AL-AMIN SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR KILLING DEPUTY (Atlanta
Journal)
- STRONG EMOTIONS FELT, BOTH FOR AND AGAINST
- DEFENSE PLANS TO APPEAL CASE
* DERSHOWITZ URGES DESTRUCTION OF PALESTINIAN VILLAGES (Jerusalem Post)
- DERSHOWITZ: MAKE TORTURE AN OPTION (CBS)
* "NUKING MECCA" COMMENTS DRAW HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS
- GETTING RICHER: A RESPONSE TO RICH LOWRY (American Prospect)
* FREE FORUM ON ISLAM PRESENTED AT CHAPMAN (Los Angeles Times)
* INTERNATIONAL UPDATE:
- Tank Fire Hits Bethlehem Church (AP)
- Fearful Indian Muslims flee homes amid Ayodhya row (Reuters)
- Violence feared as Hindu radicals vow to defy court
(Reuters)
* ISRAELI SOLDIER: MY MORAL OBJECTION TO OCCUPATION (Houston Chronicle)
* HYDE, LANTOS SEEK TO COUNTER "MISINFORMATION" IN MUSLIM WORLD
* INSIDE AL JAZEERA (Columbia Journalism Review)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: REMAINING STRAIGHT
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The example of a
believer
is like a fresh tender plant; from whichever direction the wind blows,
it
bends the plant. But when the wind dies down, (the plant) straightens
up
again."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4, Number 1
-----
REGISTER ONLINE FOR CAIR'S TRAINING CONFERENCE
Register online for CAIR's intensive Training Conference on Saturday,
March
30, and Sunday, March 31, in Washington, D.C. (Save $30 if you register
by
March 17.) Go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=682&articletype=2
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org
SAMPLE TRAINING CONFERENCE WORKSHOP
LOBBYING: EFFECTIVE INTERACTION WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS
Presenters include:
Ms. Tannaz Haddadi, Congressional Staffer
Mr. Tim Edgar, American Civil Liberties Union
Mr. Jim Dick, Capitol Advantage
-----
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SAYS DETAINEES DEPRIVED OF HUMAN RIGHTS
NEW YORK, March 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Six months after the September 11
attacks, a significant number of the approximately 1,200 non-U.S.
nationals
originally detained in the aftermath of the tragedy continue to be
deprived
of their human rights in violation of international law and the
Immigration
and Naturalization Service's own standards, Amnesty International said
in a
report released today. The human rights organization's latest report
is
based on information about more than 200 cases compiled through
interviews
with attorneys, detainees and their relatives and a review of documents
and
other reports.
While the detentions have been surrounded by extreme secrecy, the
organization's research confirms that basic rights have been violated,
including: the right to humane treatment; to be informed of reasons for
detention; to have prompt access to a lawyer; to be able to challenge
the
lawfulness of the detention, and to be presumed innocent until proven
otherwise. These rights are important safeguards against arbitrary
detention. Amnesty International has received reports of cruel
treatment,
including: prolonged solitary confinement; heavy shackling of detainees
during visits or when they are taken to court; and lack of adequate
exercise...
Amnesty International also has received disturbing reports of people
being
held well beyond the dates posted for voluntary departure, deportation
to
their home countries, or after bail had been set and was ready to be
met. Some 300 men -- mainly from Muslim or Middle Eastern countries --
are
believed to remain in INS detention, and an unknown number have been
deported or released on bail.
The many egregious examples highlighted in the report include:
-- Rabih Haddad, a Lebanese national, charged with overstaying his
tourist
visa, who has been held in solitary confinement since Dec. 14 in
Chicago's
Metropolitan Correctional Center. According to his letters from prison,
his
cell windows are whited out so he has no view; he is handcuffed while
being
escorted to showers 10 steps from his cell; and he is allowed only one
15-minute call to his family every 30 days.
TO READ THE FULL REPORT, GO TO: http://www.amnestyusa.org/
SEE ALSO:
AMNESTY URGES RIGHTS BODY TO ACT ON MIDDLE EAST
By Stephanie Nebehay, Reuters, 3/14/2002
GENEVA, March 14 (Reuters) - Amnesty International accused Israeli
forces
on Thursday of committing "violations on an unprecedented scale" and
urged
the U.N.'s human rights body to deploy international observers in the
West
Bank and Gaza Strip...
Amnesty accused Israel of killings, unlawful shelling and bombing of
residential areas, targeted executions, torture of detainees and
large-scale demolition of Palestinian homes.
"We have seen an escalation of human rights violations on an
unprecedented
scale committed by Israel the last few months," said Melinda Ching,
Amnesty's representative in Geneva.
"We are calling on the Commission this year for the urgent deployment
of
international human rights observers," she added. "Time has come for
the
international community to ensure the deterioration in the region goes
no
further...
-----
AL-AMIN SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR KILLING DEPUTY
By STEVE VISSER and LATEEF MUNGIN, The Atlanta Journal, 3/14/2002
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/031402.html
After 4 1/2 hours of deliberation, a Fulton County jury Wednesday
spared
Al-Amin, deciding he deserved a sentence of life without parole. Manis
also
sentenced Al-Amin to another 30 years in prison for other crimes
related to
the March 16, 2000, gunfight that left one officer dead and another
wounded.
Asked whether he felt disappointment that a convicted cop killer
escaped
the death penalty, Howard frowned and shrugged. "He deserved it,"
Howard
said. "But we went from a case where people said we wouldn't get a
conviction to life without parole."
Prosecutors Robert McBurney, Kellie Stevens, Anna Green and Ron Dixon
took
a case cluttered with reports of blood trails and a mysterious wounded
gunman and convinced the jury they were red herrings.
They presented witnesses and forensic evidence that didn't match the
account of their star eyewitness, and they prevailed in their
contention
that Al-Amin was a lone gunman who killed Fulton County Sheriff's
Deputy
Ricky Kinchen...
SEE ALSO:
STRONG EMOTIONS FELT, BOTH FOR AND AGAINST
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/0314reax.html
DEFENSE PLANS TO APPEAL CASE
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/0314appeal.html
-----
DERSHOWITZ URGES DESTRUCTION OF PALESTINIAN VILLAGES
New response to Palestinian terrorism
By Alan M. Dershowitz, The Jerusalem Post, 3/11/2002
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2002/03/11/Opinion/Opinion.44919.html
(Dershowitz is a professor of law at Harvard. His latest book is
Shouting
Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age. He has previously
Here is my proposal. Israel should announce an immediate unilateral
cessation in retaliation against terrorist attacks. This moratorium
would
be in effect for a short period, say four or five days, to give the
Palestinian leadership an opportunity to respond to the new policy. It
would also make it clear to the world that Israel is taking an
important
step in ending what has become a cycle of violence.
Following the end of the moratorium, Israel would institute the
following
new policy if Palestinian terrorism were to resume. It will announce
precisely what it will do in response to the next act of terrorism. For
example, it could announce the first act of terrorism following the
moratorium will result in the destruction of a small village which has
been
used as a base for terrorist operations. The residents would be given
24
hours to leave, and then troops will come in and bulldoze all of the
buildings.
The response will be automatic. The order will have been given in
advance
of the terrorist attacks and there will be no discretion. The point is
to
make the automatic destruction of the village the fault of the
Palestinian
terrorists who had advance warnings of the specific consequences of
their
action. The soldiers would simply be acting as the means for carrying
out a
previously announced policy of retaliation against a designated target.
Further acts of terrorism would trigger further destruction of
specifically
named locations. The "waiting list" targets would be made public and
circulated throughout the Palestinian-controlled areas...
Over time, the Palestinian residents of these villages will place the
blame
where it should be placed: directly on the Palestinian terrorists who
engaged in terrorism against Israel with full knowledge the consequence
would be the destruction of their homes. Those villagers whose homes
were
coming up on the list would have an incentive to pressure the
terrorists to
desist...
SEND POLITE COMMENTS TO: alder@law.harvard.edu
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
DERSHOWITZ: MAKE TORTURE AN OPTION
CBS News "60 Minutes," 1/20/2002
Alan Dershowitz, the civil libertarian defender of O.J Simpson,
believes
the law should sanction torture so it may be applied in certain cases,
such
as terrorist acts.
In a report to be broadcast Sunday on 60 Minutes, Dershowitz tells
Correspondent Mike Wallace that torture is inevitable. "We can't just
close
our eyes and pretend we live in a pure world," he says...
Torture is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution, says Human Rights Watch
Executive Director Kenneth Roth, who also says it's not reliable. He
points
out that an Islamic terrorist, convicted in America for terrorist plots
he
admitted to after torture by authorities in the Philippines, had also
admitted to being the Oklahoma City bomber.
"People will say anything under torture," says Roth, adding that
resorting
to torture degrades humanity and the idea of democracy. "We, in many
important respects, become like the terrorists," he tells Wallace.
"They
will have won. Our democracy will have lost."
This is a na�ve viewpoint, says Dershowitz. "If anybody has any doubt
that
our CIA, over time, has taught people to torture, has encouraged
torture,
has probably itself tortured in extreme cases, I have a bridge to sell
you
in Brooklyn."
-----
"NUKING MECCA" COMMENTS DRAW HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS
Hundreds of concerned Muslims have contacted the National Review to
express
their concerns about the recent comments by editor Rich Lowry
suggesting
that the holy city of Mecca be attacked using nuclear weapons.
SEE: EDITOR SUGGESTS "NUKING MECCA"
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=687&articletype=2
"We would like to thank all those who contacted the National Review to
show
their outrage at these Islamophobic remarks and also encourage those
who
have not contacted the publication to do so," said CAIR Executive
Director
Nihad Awad.
GETTING RICHER: A RESPONSE TO RICH LOWRY
By Jeremy Lott, The American Prospect, 3/13/2002
http://www.prospect.org/webfeatures/2002/03/lott-j-03-13.html
SHOULD I FIRE MYSELF?" is the head to Rich Lowry's response to my
recent
article on The American Prospect Online ["That's Rich: National
Review's
editor suggests nuking Mecca. We're not kidding," 3.11.02]. It's
followed
by "WHY I WON'T," an apologia for his earlier comments on nuclear war.
Lowry calls my piece "sloppy" and a "cheap shot" and laments with a
flick
of the wrist that I have "occasionally written for NRO." I'm also
judged to
be lacking one "sarcasm detector."
Somebody is mighty testy.
My point is that Lowry seriously entertained the idea of nuking Mecca
in
the event of a nuclear strike on the U.S. I think that is one of the
craziest, most dangerous ideas I have heard in a long time. His
response
does nothing to rebut that reading. He quotes his caveat that "This is
a
tough one, and I don't know quite what to think" but neglects to pass
along
the content of the paragraph that that sentence begins:
Mecca seems extreme, of course, but then again few people would die and
it
would send a signal. Religions have suffered such catastrophic setbacks
before. As for the Saudis, my only thought is that if we're going to
hold
them responsible for terrorism, we had better start doing it now, not
after
an even more catastrophic attack. And, as a general matter, the time
for
seriousness -- including figuring out what we would do in retaliation,
so
maybe it can have some slight deterrent effect -- is now rather than
after
thousands and thousands more American casualties.
Where was the sarcasm I was supposed to detect in that paragraph? A few
friends have suggested it's there but if so, I detect not one whiff...
-----
FREE FORUM ON ISLAM PRESENTED AT CHAPMAN
Los Angeles Times, 3/14/2002
"Islam and Violence" is the topic for a free public conference at
Chapman
University tonight.
In the wake of Sept. 11, "a lot of people have been taking it upon
themselves to comment on this topic," said Sabiha Khan, a spokeswoman
for
the Southern California chapter of The Council on American-Islamic
Relations. The group is co-sponsoring the event with the university and
the
California Council for the Humanities.
"Certainly, there has been a lot of incorrect information," she said,
"and
we felt that the best way to correct these misconceptions is for people
who
are knowledgeable on the subject to speak for themselves."
Included on the panel will be Sadullah Khan, executive director and
imam of
the Islamic Center of Irvine; James Gelvin, a history professor at
UCLA;
and Lina Kreidie, a political science professor at UC Irvine.
The conference begins at 7 p.m. in the university's Beckman Hall, Room
404.
CONTACT: CAIR-SCA, (714) 776-1847, CAIR_SCA@cair-california.org
-----
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE:
Tank fire hits Bethlehem church
By IBRAHIM HAZBOUN, The Associated Press, 3/14/2002
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) - In a pre-dawn battle Thursday, an Israeli
tank
shell slammed into a church in the city of Jesus' birth, and shrapnel
peppered a statue of the Virgin Mary and sliced off the hands and nose,
a
nun said.
The church compound also houses a hospital and an orphanage. Patients
at
the hospital were rushed to a safer room during the fighting.
Israeli forces began moving into central Bethlehem from all directions
around 1 a.m. and took control of a southern residential section.
Residents
said soldiers were searching houses and taking up positions in
buildings.
Tanks were parked 300 yards from the Church of the Nativity, which
Christians revere as the birthplace of Christ.
-----
Fearful Indian Muslims flee homes amid Ayodhya row
By Anirban Nag, Reuters, 3/14/2002
BOMBAY, India (Reuters) - India's minority Muslims, already reeling
from a
wave of Muslim-targeted killings, were fleeing their homes Thursday,
terrified that conflict over a disputed holy site could trigger more
bloodshed...
The Supreme Court has forbidden Hindu fundamentalists from conducting a
prayer ritual Friday on land claimed by both Muslims and Hindus in the
holy
town of Ayodhya, long a religious flashpoint. But there are worries
that
threats by Hindu firebrands to try to go ahead anyway will spark
clashes...
More than 700 people, mainly Muslims, have been burnt or hacked to
death in
western Gujarat state over the past few weeks by Hindu gangs in revenge
for
the torching of a train carrying Hindu pilgrims from Ayodhya in which
58
people were burned alive.
-----
Violence feared as Hindu radicals vow to defy court
By Myra MacDonald and Terry Friel, Reuters, 3/14/2002
NEW DELHI/AYODHYA, March 14 (Reuters) - India poured paramilitary
troops
into the holy town of Ayodhya on Thursday as Hindu hardliners vowed to
defy
a court order and hold prayers for a temple they want to build on the
rubble of a razed mosque.
In the midst of India's biggest religious crisis in a decade, many
still
feared an eruption of violence despite a ruling by the Supreme Court
barring Hindu fundamentalists from holding their prayer ceremony as
planned
on Friday.
Those fears grew when the leader of the group which wants to build the
temple on Thursday vowed to defy the court and hold a prayer ceremony.
"We will do puja (prayers)...even if the government shoots me," said
the
92-year-old firebrand Ramchandra Das Paramhans, who has led the
movement to
build a temple at the site of the razed mosque.
Pravin Togadia, general secretary of the hardline Vishwa Hindu
Parishad,
said Paramhans would lead a procession towards the site, which they
believe
is the birthplace of the Hindu god-king Ram, at 2.15 p.m. (0845 GMT) on
Friday.
-----
ISRAELI SOLDIER: MY MORAL OBJECTION TO OCCUPATION
By ISHAI MENUCHIN, The Houston Chronicle, 3/12/2002
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/editorial/outlook/1292730
(Menuchin, who lives in Jerusalem, is a major in the reserve forces of
the
Israel Defense Forces and the chairperson of Yesh Gvul, the Israeli
soldier's movement for selective refusal.)
As our government prepares to increase military action in the West Bank
and
Gaza, there needs to be a true debate about the nature of the Israeli
presence in these territories. Israeli and international human rights
groups have raised their voices about the persistent violation of
Palestinian human rights. I believe it is my duty as a citizen of a
democratic nation to protest this conduct, which cannot be justified in
any
way.
I and others who serve in the defense forces cannot by our actions
alone
change government policies or make peace negotiations more likely. But
we
can show our fellow citizens that occupation of the territories is not
just
a political or strategic matter.
It is also a moral matter. We can show them an alternative -- they can
say
no to occupation. When we begin to see Israel's situation in that
light,
perhaps we will be able to let go of our fear enough to find a way
forward.
-----
HYDE, LANTOS SEEK TO COUNTER "MISINFORMATION" IN MUSLIM WORLD
WASHINGTON, March 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Government must do
more to
counter misinformation overseas about American policies and culture or
risk
undermining its influence in the world, the two leaders of the House
International Relations Committee warned today.
On Thursday, U.S. Reps. Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.) and Tom Lantos
(D-Calif.)
will introduce the Freedom Promotion Act of 2002 to begin rebuilding a
mass
communications infrastructure to explain American policies and culture
to
the world...
Tom Lantos, ranking member of the Committee, stated: "Strong public
diplomacy is critical to winning the war against terrorism. If we are
to
prevent future terrorist attacks, we must launch a concerted campaign
to
win over people across the globe who are subjected to anti-American
misinformation and hate.
Unfortunately, we have been out-gunned, out-manned and out-maneuvered
in
the information war for too long. This bill strengthens our hand as we
wage
this fight by streamlining our public diplomacy apparatus without
sacrificing the independence and credibility of VOA, Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, and other vital international broadcasting
networks.
Dramatic increases in funding for public diplomacy are also required,
and I
will continue to push for these in the months ahead..."
Initiatives Aimed at the Muslim World:
-- Youth Ambassadors -- Authorizes a summer youth exchange program for
young individuals from countries with a predominantly Muslim
population.
(Short-term exchanges of 3-4 weeks in length).
-- Journalism program -- Authorizes an initiative to work with foreign
journalists to enhance international standards of quality and
objectivity. This program will be established and operated in
cooperation
with private sector sponsors, including universities and exchange
programs.
-- English language training. Creates a pilot program to send
Americans to
middle schools in the Muslim world to provide English language
instruction.
-- Sister Cities Initiative: Authorizes funds for an expanded "sister
cities" program to increase the number of U.S.-sister city partnerships
in
countries with a predominantly Muslim population. (Currently there are
42
such partnerships). These partnerships are aimed at community level
development and volunteer action and include non-federal support.
http://www.usnewswire.com
Contact: Sam Stratman for Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.), chairman of the
House International Relations Committee, 202-226-7875 or Matt Gobush
for
Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House International
Relations Committee, 202-226-6832
-----
INSIDE AL JAZEERA
BY RICK ZEDNIK, The Columbia Journalism Review, March/April 2002
http://www.cjr.org/year/02/2/zednik.asp
Al Jazeera, which translates as "the Peninsula," was established by
emiri
decree in February 1996. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who seized
power in 1995 from his father, created Al Jazeera as part of an effort
to
modernize and democratize Qatar. He allocated $137 million to Al
Jazeera
with the goal that the station would be self-sustaining within five
years
of its November 1, 1996, debut.
It has grown rapidly, expanding from its original six hours a day to
twelve
and then, on January 1, 1999, to twenty-four hours. It employs 500
people,
including seventy journalists. Among its twenty-seven bureaus are
offices
in Washington, New York, London, Paris, Brussels, Moscow, Djakarta, and
Islamabad...
-----
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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
-- MEDIA ADVISORY --
U.S. MUSLIMS REACT TO VIOLENCE IN INDIA AND PALESTINE
WHAT: On Friday, March 15, leaders of major national American Muslim
organizations will hold a news conference in Washington, D.C., to offer
their community's reaction to the ongoing violence in India and the
Middle
East.
More than 700 people, mainly Muslims, have been killed recently in
India's
western Gujarat state. That nation's Supreme Court this week ruled
against
plans by Hindu fundamentalists to conduct a prayer ritual Friday on
land
claimed by both Muslims and Hindus in the town of Ayodhya, the site of
a
16th century mosque razed by Hindus in 1992. It is feared that
performance
of that ritual could spark renewed communal violence.
In the Middle East, dozens of people have been killed in a seemingly
unending cycle of violence that pits Palestinian civilians against
Israeli
troops armed with American-taxpayer-funded weapons.
The Bush administration said today that Israel must withdraw all its
troops
and tanks from Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank and Gaza.
WHEN: Friday, March 15, 10 a.m.
WHERE: National Press Club
13th Floor, Zenger Room
529 14th Street N.W.
Washington, D.C.
- 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
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 3/15/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: PRAISE GOD EVEN IN ADVERSITY
* LAST CHANCE FOR TRAINING CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT
- SAMPLE WORKSHOP: PUBLIC SPEAKING
* U.S. USING NEW LAW ON SECRET EVIDENCE (Chicago Tribune)
* EGYPTAIR CO-PILOT CAUSED '99 JET CRASH, NTSB TO SAY (Los Angeles
Times)
- EGYPT REJECTS BLAMING CO-PILOT FOR EGYPTAIR CRASH (Reuters)
* NEW SECURITY DEVICE REVEALS NAKED BODY (AP)
* H. RAP BROWN/JAMIL AL-AMIN: A PROFOUNDLY AMERICAN STORY (The Nation)
* ASIANS FIND COMMON GROUND IN BAY AREA (San Francisco Chronicle)
* THE SPIES WHO CAME IN FROM THE ART SALE (Creative Loafing)
- ALLIES AND ESPIONAGE (Jane's Intelligence Digest)
- SPY RUMORS FLY ON GUSTS OF TRUTH (Forward)
* WORLDNETDAILY.COM, DAVID HOROWITZ LAUNCH VICIOUS SLANDER AGAINST ADC
COMMUNICATIONS DIR. (ADC)
* JOB OPPORTUNITY: MUSLIM IMAM RELIGIOUS SERVICES
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PRAISE GOD EVEN IN ADVERSITY
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The first to be
summoned to
Paradise on the Day of Resurrection will be those who praise God in
prosperity and adversity."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 730
-----
LAST CHANCE FOR TRAINING CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT
Save $30 if you register by March 17 for CAIR's intensive Training
Conference on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Vienna, Va.
Go to: http://www.cair-net.org/asp/leadershipconference.asp
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
Registration materials may also be requested by emailing:
register@cair-net.org
SAMPLE WORKSHOP: PUBLIC SPEAKING
What you will learn -
1) The difference between speaking and communication
2) How speakers really communicate with their audiences
3) The most important thing to remember when writing or delivering
speeches
4) Keys to visual, vocal and verbal communication
5) 8 unbreakable rules of speaking
-----
U.S. USING NEW LAW ON SECRET EVIDENCE
Patriot Act invoked to fight lawsuit by Muslim group
Geoff Dougherty and Laurie Cohen, The Chicago Tribune, 3/15/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0203150268mar15.story?coll=chi%2Dnews%2Dhed
Employing a controversial strategy, the U.S. Justice Department says it
plans to use secret evidence to justify the financial sanctions it
imposed
on a Chicago-area Muslim charity as part of its effort to choke off
terrorist funding after Sept. 11.
Bridgeview-based Global Relief Foundation has filed a lawsuit saying
the
government violated the Constitution in freezing the charity's assets
in
December, citing suspected links to Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda
network.
The case in federal court in Chicago appears to be the first time the
government has tried to use secret evidence--which would be shared with
the
judge but not with the charity or its attorneys-- under a provision of
the
anti-terrorism Patriot Act signed in October by President Bush, legal
experts said.
Immigration cases are a more common venue for the use of secret
evidence,
which has drawn fire because it changes one of the most basic rules of
the
American legal system: that people get a chance to confront the
evidence
being used against them by the government.
Roger Simmons, an attorney for Global Relief, said the use of secret
evidence to fight the charity's lawsuit was "a very dangerous legal
precedent." On Thursday, Simmons asked the court to reject the
government's
plan...
-----
EGYPTAIR CO-PILOT CAUSED '99 JET CRASH, NTSB TO SAY
By ERIC MALNIC, WILLIAM C. REMPEL, RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR,
The Los Angeles Times, 3/15/2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-031502ntsb.story
The final federal report on the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 is
expected to
say that the jumbo jet was brought down by the methodical, determined
acts
of a veteran co-pilot, sources close to investigators have told The
Times.
The report by the National Transportation Safety Board, anticipated
within
a few days, will close the probe into an air disaster on Oct. 31, 1999,
off
the New England coast that killed 217 people and has strained relations
between the United States and Egypt, a key Arab ally.
Central to the NTSB findings is incriminating evidence in the plane's
two
"black box" recording devices against co-pilot Gamil El Batouty, whose
personal and professional life appears to have been crumbling in the
months
before the crash.
But what the report omits may be more controversial, including
implications
of suicide and even murder.
"What it won't do is talk about motivation," said one source familiar
with
the findings. "It won't use words like 'deliberate' or 'intentional.'
And I
can guarantee it won't use 'suicide.'" The NTSB report also will stop
short
of considering allegations by a former EgyptAir captain that one of
Batouty's motivations may have been revenge and murder...
SEE ALSO:
EGYPT REJECTS BLAMING CO-PILOT FOR EGYPTAIR CRASH
Reuters, 3/15/2002
CAIRO, March 15 (Reuters) - A top Egyptian investigator said on Friday
his
country would reject any suggestion a co-pilot was responsible for the
crash of an EgyptAir jet into the Atlantic more than two years ago,
saying
such a conclusion would show the crash investigation had failed...
"We reject any suggestion placing responsibility on Batouty. These
suggestions would show the failure of the committee to arrive at the
cause
of the accident," Egyptian chief investigator Mohsen Missiry said.
But Missiry added that Egypt would be content with a final report that
included both the Egyptian and U.S. perspectives on the crash. The
report
is expected to be released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety
Board
in the next few days...
EgyptAir and Egyptian investigators have steadfastly rejected the idea
that
a crew member would have brought the plane down. They have pressed U.S.
investigators on possible mechanical problems, particularly with the
767's
flight-control system...
-----
NEW SECURITY DEVICE REVEALS NAKED BODY
NEW SECURITY DEVICES AT FLA. AIRPORT
By MIKE BRANOM, Associated Press Writer, 3/15/2002
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - The airport security systems of the future can see
through clothes for weapons, sniff a person for explosives and
determine
what's in a bottle without opening it.
That future has landed at Orlando International Airport, as six
prototype
security systems will begin operation over the next few days. OIA, one
of
the world's busiest airports, was chosen in December as the testing
ground
for next-generation security checkpoint devices.
However, the heightened security may come at a price.
The scanner that can see through clothes leaves nothing to the
imagination...
One system, the Rapiscan Secure 1000, uses low-energy X-rays to search
a
person through clothing. When Rapiscan project manager Bryan Allman
scanned
himself, detected was a plastic knife hidden in his shirt pocket.
However, the outline of his body - every inch of it - also was clearly
visible. Perhaps proving the machine's revealing nature, airport
officials
refused to put a woman in the scanner.
Security officials said the scanner would only be used when a passenger
shows an "anomaly." Also, the security worker examining the scan would
be
the same sex as the person being searched.
The potential for complaints about the invasiveness of the search
didn't
seem to bother Allman.
"Everybody has to learn that the world has changed since Sept. 11, and
the
world needs a much more thorough type of screening," Allman said.
But the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) says the scan
is
too intrusive.
"This, of course, is a virtual strip-search," ACLU associate director
Barry
Steinhardt said. "There's no question this has tremendous potential for
embarrassment."
Steinhardt pointed out there have been incidents across the nation
where
male security workers harassed female passengers during hands-on
searches.
"We fear this is going to be indiscriminately used," Steinhardt said.
"We
know that even less-invasive searches are being abused at airports..."
-----
H. RAP BROWN/JAMIL AL-AMIN: A PROFOUNDLY AMERICAN STORY
By EKWUEME MICHAEL, The Nation, 3/18/2002
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020318&s=thelwell
Al-Amin's embrace of Islam, however, proved neither facile nor
expedient,
as his emergence as a bookish Muslim cleric and his years of work in
faith-based social improvement have demonstrated. The fiery and
impetuous
young rebel who speaks out of the pages of Die Nigger Die! has long
since
evolved into an austere religious scholar, disciplined by faith and
projecting the aura of a spiritually disposed ascetic.
After thirty years, Al-Amin has become, in many important ways, a
vastly
different person from the author of this book. A respected imam, he now
sees--and for some time has seen--the world, his own role therein and
the
eventual liberation of his people in quite different terms: those of
faith,
self-discipline and spiritual development. This vision is reflected in
both
his demeanor and his language. Consequently he has, at this time,
serious
reservations about the appropriateness of reissuing a book of youthful
struggle. It is not that he repudiates any aspect of the book--not the
tone, the defiant struggle out of which it came or even the youthful
persona of that text...
-----
ASIANS FIND COMMON GROUND IN BAY AREA
Jonathan Curiel, The San Francisco Chronicle, 3/15/2002
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/03/15/MN185102.DTL
Akhila Raman hasn't told her parents she has new friends from Pakistan.
Raman, a 32-year-old Berkeley software consultant, thinks the news
would
shock her Hindu mother and father, who live in a part of India where
anti-Muslim sentiment is not uncommon.
"My parents are conservative," says Raman, who is from Tirunelveli, a
city
in southern India where her mother and father still live. "Maybe I
should
tell them that Pakistanis are not monsters." The Bay Area is home to
large
numbers of men, women and children with roots in India (estimates range
from 250,000 to 400,000) and Pakistan (from 40,000 to 75,000).
On the Indian subcontinent, where the countries' shared border is mined
and
guarded by rifle-toting troops, enmity and mutual suspicion are the
rule.
In Berkeley, Silicon Valley and elsewhere in the Bay Area, you're more
likely to find dialogue than distrust among those of Pakistani and
Indian
descent -- even if it means they rarely talk about the sensitive
subject of
Kashmir, the snow-peaked state that is currently the biggest source of
tension in South Asia.
Raman met Pakistanis for the first time in January after she joined
Friends
of South Asia, a Bay Area group that holds monthly vigils to protest
the
arms buildup in India and Pakistan.
You might call them peaceniks -- the Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis
and
others who meet in Bay Area parks and on street corners, waving
placards
that tell passers-by, "When Governments Go To War, Citizens Die!" and
"No
one Wins a Nuclear War..."
-----
THE SPIES WHO CAME IN FROM THE ART SALE
Some reporters have said what U.S. and
Israeli officials don't want to hear
BY JOHN SUGG, Creative Loafing, 3/13/2002
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/fishwrapper.html
A major international espionage saga has many of its roots right here
in
Atlanta. Incredibly, you haven't read about it in the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution even though that paper's Washington bureau last
week
reported the seething scandal...
Reporters know that to criticize Israel -- to point out, for example,
that
wanton killing of innocents is equally devilish whether committed by
Ariel
Sharon's soldiers flying U.S.-made helicopters, or by a Hamas suicide
bomber who pushes the button -- is to risk being called an anti-Semite.
Even with that background, however, it's a little hard to understand
the
media's avoidance of the spy story I'm going to tell you.
In 1999, word began spreading among intelligence agencies about bands
of
Israeli "students" doing veeeerrrrry strange things, such as popping up
around federal buildings and military establishments marketing artwork.
According to intelligence sources, low-level alerts began being flashed
around to offices of the FBI, DEA, federal prosecutors and others. By
March
2001, counterintelligence officials had issued a bulletin to be on the
watch for Israelis masquerading as "art students."
At the same time, American intelligence services were increasingly
worried
by the dominance of many highly sensitive areas of telecommunications
by
Israeli companies. Comverse Infosys (now called Verint) provides U.S.
lawmen with computer equipment for wiretapping. Speculation is that
"catch
gates" in the system allowed listeners to be listened to. Other
software
called Amdocs provided extensive records of virtually all calls placed
by
the 25 largest U.S. telephone companies.
Often the Israeli "students" sold their artwork on street locations
near
federal buildings. In one incident in Atlanta, they showed up outside
an
unlisted FBI office and began taking photos, according to sources.
Agents
collared them and sent them on their way.
Also in our town, a DEA agent recalled seeing the "students" selling
art
around his offices. Later, when he spied the same artwork (Chinese
made, as
it turned out) at the Mall of Georgia, he became suspicious. The DEA is
the
lead U.S. agency in monitoring money laundering -- which would explain
a
spy's interest.
Similarly, a former federal prosecutor was visited at his home by the
Israeli "art salesmen" -- and, according to sources, concluded that,
wow,
this was exactly what the alerts had been about.
Then came Sept. 11. While America was mesmerized by the "War on
Terrorism,"
the media went out to a four-martini lunch when it came to skeptical
reporting.
With a few commendable exceptions. One of those is Carl Cameron, a
gutsy
reporter for Fox News. On Dec. 12, Cameron broke the blockbuster spy
story.
He said at the time: "Since Sept. 11, more than 60 Israelis have been
arrested or detained, either under the new PATRIOT anti-terrorism law,
or
for immigration violations. A handful of active Israeli military were
among
those detained, according to investigators, who say some of the
detainees
also failed polygraph questions when asked about alleged surveillance
activities against and in the United States..."
In the rest of the world -- Europe, Arab countries and Israel,
especially
-- the story made headlines. Even the official Chinese news agency
perked
up. Not in our well-defended (against disturbing news) homeland,
however.
SEE ALSO:
ALLIES AND ESPIONAGE
Jane's Intelligence Digest, 3/15/2002
http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid/jid020313_1_n.shtml
It is rather strange that the US media, with one notable exception,
seems
to be ignoring what may well prove to be the most explosive story since
the
11 September attacks - the alleged break-up of a major Israeli
espionage
operation in the United States which aimed to infiltrate both the
justice
and defence departments and which may also have been tracking Al-Qaeda
terrorists before the aircraft hijackings took place.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been quick to dismiss a 4
March report by Intelligence Online, a French web site that specialises
in
security matters (and expanded on by French daily Le Monde the
following
day) that US authorities had arrested or deported some 120 Israelis
since
February 2001 and that the investigation was still continuing. The FBI
insists that no Israeli has been charged with espionage, but has agreed
that an undisclosed number of Israeli students have been expelled for
"immigration violations". Justice Department spokeswoman Susan Dryden
dismissed the espionage allegations as "an urban myth that's been
circulating for months..."
If the reports from Paris are correct, it would be the largest known
Israeli espionage operation mounted in the USA, the Jewish state's
closest
ally and one on which it depends for its survival.
Israel's intelligence organisations have been spying on the USA and
running
clandestine operations on US soil since the Jewish state was
established.
This has included smuggling an estimated 200 pounds of weapons-grade
uranium for its secret nuclear arms programme in the 1960s to widescale
industrial espionage, much of it conducted by the highly secret
Scientific
Liaison Bureau, known by its Hebrew acronym Lakam, which was run by the
Israeli Defence Ministry and its equally little-known successor Malmab
(the
Security Authority for the Ministry of Defence). Indeed, the General
Accounting Office, the investigative arm of the US Congress, reported
in
April 1996 that Israel "conducts the most aggressive espionage
operation
against the United States of any US ally".
While the sort of operation described by Intelligence Online and Le
Monde
(if indeed the allegation is true) is unlikely to have caused anywhere
near
the damage to US security inflicted by navy analyst Jonathan Pollard,
an
American who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 for providing
Israeli intelligence with a mountain of top secret material in 1984-85,
it
would still be political dynamite which could result in a political
backlash against Israel which is finding itself increasingly isolated
within the international community...
US officials admitted to reporters that the entire investigation had
become
"too hot to handle", but declined to give further details. However,
some
FBI officials did confirm at the time that the Israelis were running a
major eavesdropping operation that had penetrated into the highest
echelons
of the US administration.
SPY RUMORS FLY ON GUSTS OF TRUTH
Americans Probing Reports of Israeli Espionage
By MARC PERELMAN, 3/15/2002
http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.03.15/news2.html
Despite angry denials by Israel and its American supporters, reports
that
Israel was conducting spying activities in the United States may have a
grain of truth, the Forward has learned...
In particular, a group of five Israelis arrested in New Jersey shortly
after the September 11 attacks and held for more than two months was
subjected to an unusual number of polygraph tests and interrogated by a
series of government agencies including the FBI's counterintelligence
division, which by some reports remains convinced that Israel was
conducting an intelligence operation. The five Israelis worked for a
moving
company with few discernable assets that closed up shop immediately
afterward and whose owner fled to Israel...
The resulting tensions between Washington and Jerusalem, sources told
the
Forward, arose not because of the operations' targets but because
Israel
reportedly violated a secret gentlemen's agreement between the two
countries under which espionage on each other's soil is to be
coordinated
in advance...
According to one former high-ranking American intelligence official,
who
asked not to be named, the FBI came to the conclusion at the end of its
investigation that the five Israelis arrested in New Jersey last
September
were conducting a Mossad surveillance mission and that their employer,
Urban Moving Systems of Weehawken, N.J., served as a front...
-----
ADC Press Release:
WORLDNETDAILY.COM, DAVID HOROWITZ LAUNCH VICIOUS SLANDER AGAINST ADC
COMMUNICATIONS DIR.
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 15 - In a column dated March 15, 2002, featured
on
the websites WorldNetDaily.com and FrontPageMagazine.com, right-wing
commentator David Horowitz accuses Hussein Ibish, Communications
Director
of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) of secretly
celebrating the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Presented in the
form of
an unsigned "letter from a Saudi citizen," the column presents
unattributed
claims that a Saudi individual was with Dr. Ibish on Sept. 11 and that
he
was "cheering and singing." Horowitz prefaces the unsigned letter with
a
note which says that "I have no way of knowing whether it is authentic,
but
its particulars seem accurate to me." ADC has demanded a retraction and
apology from both websites and is currently consulting with attorneys.
SEE: http://www.frontpagemag.com/horowitzsnotepad/2002/hn03-15-02.htm
Hussein Ibish responded, "This is an outrageous and a damned lie. I did
no
such thing, and I was with no Saudi individual on that day, which was
probably the worst and most mournful day of my life. Not only was my
country attacked and thousands of my fellow citizens killed by maniacs
whose philosophy I detest, all of our efforts on behalf of
Arab-American
civil rights were dealt a severe blow from which we have yet to fully
recover." Ibish continued: "I am flabbergasted that even wildly
irresponsible websites such as WorldNetDaily.com and writers such as
David
Horowitz would stoop to this level, which actually constitutes not only
a
vicious and absurd slander, but also an incitement to violence against
me." "I have never met Mr. Horowitz, and he doesn't know a thing about
me," Ibish said. "That he can call the 'particulars' in this pathetic
hoax
'accurate' is a matter of pure malevolence and a reckless disregard for
the
truth. No one should for a minute be taken in by this transparent
attempt
to smear my reputation and damage my efforts to represent the views of
the
Arab-American community and ADC in the media." Ibish concluded "ADC
and I
are consulting attorneys with the utmost seriousness, and intend to
pursue
this matter to the full extent of our legal options."
ADC's responses to the Sept. 11 attacks can be read on www.adc.org.
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Tel: (202) 244-2990
E-mail: adc@adc.org
Web: http://www.adc.org
-----
JOB OPPORTUNITY: MUSLIM IMAM RELIGIOUS SERVICES
http://www1.eps.gov/spg/DOJ/BPR/61603/RFQ-61603-0013-2/Attachments.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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. MUSLIMS CONDEMN CHURCH ATTACK IN PAKISTAN
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/17/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a prominent Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today
condemned a grenade attack on a Pakistani church that left five people
dead, including two Americans.
In a statement, CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad said:
"We condemn this attack in the strongest terms possible and call for
the
apprehension of the perpetrators. It is not only an act of terrorism
against innocent civilians, but is also an assault on the sanctity of a
house of worship. No political or religious cause could justify such
horrifying violence."
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 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/
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 - 3/18/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: HOSPITALITY
* VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR TRAINING CONFERENCE
* COLUMNIST SAYS MORE PALESTINIAN DEATHS WILL BRING PEACE
(Worldnetdaily.com)
- WORLDNETDAILY.COM PULLS COLUMN FROM SITE, APOLOGIZES (ADC)
- DAVID HOROWITZ ISSUES PUBLIC APOLOGY, RETRACTION (ADC)
* CONYERS: BUSH LIED ON SECRET EVIDENCE
* BUREAU OF PRISONS SEEKS MUSLIM CHAPLAINS
* CAIR MEDIA SEMINAR A SUCCESS IN SAN DIEGO
* THE AMERICAN PRISONER (New York Times)
* PHOTO SHOWS NEW AIRPORT SECURITY DEVICE WILL REVEAL NAKED FORM
(Reuters)
- ACLU CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF CONTROVERSIAL SEE-THROUGH SCANNER
IN
ORLANDO
* FBI CHIEF WARNS AGAINST TURNING WAR ON TERRORISM INTO RELIGIOUS ISSUE
(AFP)
* AMERICAN POLICY AND ISLAM (Washington Times)
* JAIL FOR ATTACKING MUSLIMS (Montreal Gazette)
* PEERS WEIGH AL-ARIAN MATTER (St. Petersburg Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: HOSPITALITY
A person asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Tell me, if I
come to a man who gives me no entertainment or hospitality and he
afterwards comes to me, shall I give him entertainment or treat him as
he
treated me?" The Prophet replied: "No, give him entertainment."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1131
-----
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CAIR TRAINING CONFERENCE
There will be a meeting on Saturday, March 23 for anyone interested in
volunteering for CAIR's intensive Training Conference on Saturday,
March
30, and Sunday, March 31, in Vienna, Va. The meeting will take place
from
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at CAIR's office in Washington, D.C. (453 New Jersey
Ave.
S.E.) To volunteer at the conference, you must attend the meeting.
For more information, contact:
nserag@cair-net.org or call 202-488-8787, ext. 6052
To register for CAIR's intensive Training Conference on Saturday, March
30,
and Sunday, March 31, in Vienna, Va., go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/leadershipconference.asp
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
-----
COLUMNIST SAYS MORE PALESTINIAN DEATHS WILL BRING PEACE
1,000 eyes for an eye
By Vox Day, WorldNetDaily.com, 3/18/2002
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=26870
"The Israeli government must announce to the world a unilateral
ceasefire,
balanced by the deadly promise that for every Israeli soldier killed,
25
Palestinian police will die. For every civilian, 100 non-combatant
Palestinian adults will be slain, and for every child, 1000...
"Whereas the historic 10-to-1 fatality ratio maintained a cold peace,
the
current 3-to-1 ratio foments a hot war. A 1,000-to-1 ratio will bring a
permanent peace, one way or another..."
ACTION REQUESTED:
Send POLITE comments to Worldnetdaily.com asking for an apology for
publishing this call to genocide. (Worldnetdaily's editorial history
indicates that hostile comments WILL be used to defame Islam and
Muslims.)
E-MAIL: vox@worldnetdaily.com, jfarah@worldnetdaily.com,
letters@worldnetdaily.com, tambrose@worldnetdaily.com
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
ADC News Releases
WORLDNETDAILY.COM PULLS COLUMN FROM SITE, APOLOGIZES
Washington, D.C., March 15 - WorldNetDaily.com has apologized,
retracted
and removed its link to a column dated March 15, 2002, by David
Horowitz
slandering Hussein Ibish, Communications Director of the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). Joseph Farrah, editor and CEO of
WorldNetDaily.com wrote to ADC that the website offered "an immediate
retraction." "We do apologize for any bad judgment made in linking to
material that may be incorrect or wrongly injurious," Farrah added.
DAVID HOROWITZ ISSUES PUBLIC APOLOGY, RETRACTION
Washington, D.C., March 18 - Columnist David Horowitz has publicly
apologized to Hussein Ibish, Communications Director of the
American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), for publishing false claims by
that he
had secretly celebrated the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
In his latest column Horowitz' website FrontPageMagazine.com, entitled
"An
Apology to Hussein Ibish," Horowitz writes that "Hussein Ibish is
rightly
upset that the letter from the alleged 'Saudi Citizen' contains what
are in
his words 'false accusations' which 'constitute not only a vicious and
absurd slander, but also an incitement to violence against me.'"
Horowitz' apology can be read online at:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/horowitzsnotepad/2002/hn03-18-02.htm
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Tel: (202) 244-2990, E-mail: adc@adc.org
-----
PRESS RELEASE
Congressman John Conyers, Jr.
Fourteenth District, Michigan
Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
Dean, Congressional Black Caucus
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2002
CONYERS: BUSH LIED ON SECRET EVIDENCE
In response to the Justice Department's decision to use secret evidence
against the Global Relief Foundation, Congressman John Conyers, Jr.,
Ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee stated:
"The Bush Administration's decision to use secret evidence against the
Global Relief Foundation is a slap in the face of civil liberties
proponents and the thousands who supported him because of his campaign
pledge to end this unconstitutional practice.
In his October 11, 2000 presidential debate with Vice President Gore,
then
Governor Bush condemned the use of secret evidence. In December 2001, a
Justice Department spokesman repeated the Administration pledge and
stated:
'It was a campaign promise by the President...We've abided by that
promise.'"
Clearly, the President has reneged on his pledge by seizing millions of
dollars from U.S.-based Muslim charities without disclosing evidence to
support their allegations. Perhaps even more alarming is what appears
to be
the use of secret evidence against Rabih Haddad, a prominent religious
leader who has been detained indefinitely simply because of his alleged
ties to Global Relief.
I call on the President to abide by his campaign promise and to cease
the
practice of gutting the very freedoms we are attempting to protect."
SEND COMMENTS TO:
Representative John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan 14th District
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
TEL: 202-225-5126
FAX: 202-225-0072
E-MAIL: Rashad.Hussain@mail.house.gov
COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
-----
BUREAU OF PRISONS SEEKS MUSLIM CHAPLAINS
The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has asked CAIR to publicize openings for
full-time chaplains. Successful candidates will be endorsed and possess
a
minimum of 90 semesters of graduate credit in theology and ministry.
Some
academic scholarships are available for otherwise qualified applicants
through the Islamic School of Social Sciences in Leesburg, Va.
(http://www.siss.edu) BOP chaplains minister to inmates of all faiths
by
accommodating legitimate religious requests.
Details can be found under the employment section of www.bop.gov, or at
www.usajobs.opm.gov. Inquiries may be addressed to Chaplain Bruce
Fenner
at: bfenner@bop.gov
-----
CAIR MEDIA SEMINAR A SUCCESS IN SAN DIEGO
More than 50 people attended a media relations workshop co-sponsored by
the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim American
Society (MAS) held in San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, March 16. The
workshop included an overview of how letters and opinion pieces reach
publication by Mr. Bernie Jones, opinion page editor of the San Diego
Union-Tribune.
At the conclusion of the workshop, 10 people committed to being part of
a
newly formed San Diego Media Action Team. The team will communicate
primarily by e-mail with an initial goal of each member writing at
least
one letter to the editor each month.
The feedback from the attendees was positive and encouraging.
For more information contact: abdeen@yahoo.com
-----
THE AMERICAN PRISONER
A Cousin, Also a Convert to Islam, Calls Lindh a
'True Hero' and Says He Is Innocent
By EVELYN NIEVES, The New York Times, 3/18/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/18/national/18COUS.html
He calls John Walker Lindh a "true hero" and "one of the greatest
success
stories in the modern propagation of Islam in the West." He said
Muslims in
this country should cheer Mr. Lindh in their hearts and remember him in
their prayers as "someone who abandoned privilege and comfort to seek
knowledge and strive in the cause of Allah."
Musa Abdun Nur said he was convinced that Mr. Lindh, who is facing
federal
charges that include conspiracy to kill Americans, was no terrorist and
no
traitor. Mr. Abdun Nur said he believed in Mr. Lindh's innocence
because he
knew him better than most people: he is Mr. Lindh's cousin.
"The real John Walker is a thoughtful, gentle, kind, committed Muslim
whose
strength of faith has impressed everyone who knows him," said Mr. Abdun
Nur, 26, a graduate student in Austin, Tex.
While Mr. Lindh's immediate family has not spoken at length about him
since
he was discovered last fall among the Taliban prisoners of the Northern
Alliance who staged an uprising at the Qala-I-Jangi fort in Kunduz in
northern Afghanistan, Mr. Abdun Nur gave a long interview to help, he
said,
set the record straight on his cousin and to speak up for him as a
brother
of Islam.
Mr. Lindh, 21, and Mr. Abdun Nur were reared Roman Catholic in families
in
which the priesthood was a popular calling and Muslims were people from
other lands. Mr. Lindh grew up in California; Mr. Abdun Nur, in
Wisconsin.
"We both started getting interested in Islam from the pseudo-Muslim
references in hip-hop music," Mr. Abdun Nur said. They converted to
Islam
about the same time in 1997, but independently.
When Mr. Lindh was studying the Koran in southern Pakistan, Mr. Abdun
Nur
said, they exchanged e-mail messages that made it clear to him that his
cousin was interested in the Taliban's commitment to Islam.
"He basically said that in his personal experience they came across as
sincere and committed Muslims," Mr. Abdun Nur said. "He was never
looking
at them through Western criticism. He saw that they were trying to
build an
Islamic state, which is something Muslims everywhere want."
"However," he added, "he never suggested to me that he was planning to
fight. He was in Pakistan to learn the Koran."
Mr. Abdun Nur said that national Muslim organizations had not expressed
support for Mr. Lindh because of their desire to assimilate into the
larger
society. He said that Muslims he knew had expressed admiration for his
cousin's commitment to Islam. The Northern Alliance, he added, should
be
examined more thoroughly.
"This good versus evil, black and white paradigm the media and the Bush
administration have posited is a false one," he said.
-----
PHOTO SHOWS NEW AIRPORT SECURITY DEVICE WILL REVEAL NAKED FORM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020314/170/1987a.html
Bryan Allman of Rapidscan Security Products points to a scan revealing
a
hidden handgun during a demonstration of new screening devices at the
Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida, March 14, 2002. The
device shown is the Secure 1000, a low-energy full body x-ray scan.
Airport
spokesperson Carolyn Fennell said the devices should be in use for
passengers on a voluntary basis in several days.
REUTERS/Joe Skipper
SEE ALSO:
ACLU CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF CONTROVERSIAL SEE-THROUGH SCANNER IN ORLANDO
http://www.aclu.org/news/2002/n031502b.html
-----
FBI CHIEF WARNS AGAINST TURNING WAR ON TERRORISM INTO RELIGIOUS ISSUE
Agence France Presse, 3/18/2002
US FBI director Robert Mueller, in response to the deadly grenade
attack on
a church in the Pakistani capital, warned Monday against turning the
war on
terrorism into a religious issue...
Mueller stressed that Washington's war on terrorism was not a war on
religion.
"The war against terrorism is not a war on Islam, it is not directed at
the
Muslim community...
Mueller said that in the United States, for example, the government was
serious in wanting to end harassment against Muslims following
September 11.
More than 325 investigations had been initiated against those who
harrassed
Muslim Americans, the FBI chief said
"We have indicted 11 in federal courts and state local authorities have
indicted another 85..."
-----
AMERICAN POLICY AND ISLAM
Anthony T. Sullivan and Louis J.Cantori, The Washington Times,
3/18/2002
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20020318-6050681.htm
Anthony T. Sullivan is an associate at the Center for the Study of the
Middle East and North Africa at the University of Michigan. Louis J.
Cantori is a professor of political science at the University of
Maryland.
The contradictions of the American policy posture on Islam since
September
11 can be viewed from three distinct perspectives.
First, there is the extraordinary leadership of President Bush in
highlighting the fact that Islam has fully shared the horror felt by
its
two sister Abrahamic faiths at what occurred in September...
Second, there is the policy disposition which relates to ethnic
profiling
as part of the effort to destroy whatever al Qaeda and related
terrorist
cells remain in the United States. This orientation is troubling. That
persons of Middle Eastern appearance, name or language should
constitute
primary targets of this crackdown is perhaps inevitable. What is not at
all
inevitable, however, is the fact that hundreds of such persons are now
held
in detention without charges and without the right to legal counsel...
Third, there is the policy posture that suggests Washington's agreement
with the notion that Islam is inherently a "fanatic" religion. This
belief
was most recently given voice by former British Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher, echoing earlier comments by American officials.
The demonization of Islam is troubling in two respects. First, it may
be
understood to justify establishment of an American world empire. Any
such
American imperium would assuredly not prove to be in the long-term
interests of the United States. This policy orientation, of course,
reflects views which are expressed regularly by American
neoconservatives.
The apparent association of Islam with fanaticism is related to an
additional troubling phenomenon. This association suggests that both
government officials and journalists have not understood how
categorical
and widespread the condemnation by prominent Muslim religious leaders
of
what occurred on September 11 has been...
Can they and the multitudes for whom they speak be correctly
categorized as
"religious fanatics" simply because they resist any American imperium
and
the specific policies that flow therefrom?...
-----
JAIL FOR ATTACKING MUSLIMS
The Montreal Gazette, 3/16/2002
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - A 75-year-old man who attacked a Muslim family
just
weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was sentenced yesterday to
two
months in jail. Charles Franklin Watson was convicted in January of
dangerous driving and assault.
"Petty bias and prejudice and outright hate will not be condoned in any
fashion," said crown prosecutor Gerald Quinn.
SEE ALSO:
SUMMERSIDE MAN GETS TWO MONTHS IN JAIL
http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=AF89A3ED-F59E-452A-B931-F492AAC14408
-----
PEERS WEIGH AL-ARIAN MATTER
An academic watchdog group interviews USF president Judy Genshaft and
the
embattled professor.
By KATHRYN WEXLER, St. Petersburg Times, 3/16/2002
http://www.sptimes.com
Search using the term "Al-Arian."
TAMPA -- After spending two hours Friday talking to members of a
national
academic watchdog organization about Sami Al-Arian, University of South
Florida president Judy Genshaft declared the discussion "wonderful."
But she declined to reveal any details about the conversation or her
plans
for the controversial professor, whose case has become a cause celebre
in
academia.
"I don't have a side," Genshaft replied when asked whether she still
intended to fire Al-Arian, a tenured professor of computer science who
was
linked several years ago to suspected terrorists. She said she is still
gathering information.
Friday's meeting was requested by the American Association of
University
Professors, an organization devoted to academic freedom. The AAUP sent
a
committee here to interview university administrators and to talk to
faculty members.
Depending on what they hear, the AAUP could decide to censure USF, a
drastic step that would make it harder for the university to hire and
retain quality faculty. Top faculty are often loath to join a school on
the
AAUP's censure list.
Committee members said even less about their meeting than Genshaft. In
an
effort to avoid reporters, they were led out a back door. A decision on
a
possible censure isn't expected for at least several months...
-----
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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 - 3/19/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: AVOIDING ANGER
* "EARLY BIRD" CONFERENCE REGISTRATION EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 25
- CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
* GULF MEDIA DELEGATION VISITS CAIR
* DERSHOWITZ EDITORIAL DRAWS FIRE (Harvard Crimson)
* ISRAEL BUILT 34 NEW SETTLEMENTS IN W.BANK (Reuters)
- Jewish Voices Against Israel's Occupation of Palestinian
Territories
* AMJ ANNOUNCES AMERICAN MUSLIM SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE DELEGATION
* THE NEW FACE OF ISLAM (This is London)
* UAE REJECTS AL-NAJJAR'S REQUEST FOR RESIDENCY (St. Petersburg Times)
* PLEASING THE PIOUS PALATE AT DARTMOUTH (Wall Street Journal)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: AVOIDING ANGER
A man said to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Advise me!"
The
Prophet replied: "Do not become angry." The man repeated (his request)
several times, and the Prophet said in each case, "Do not become
angry."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Number 137
-----
"EARLY BIRD" CONFERENCE REGISTRATION EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 25
The deadline for early registration savings for CAIR's intensive
Training
Conference on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Vienna, Va.,
has
been extended until March 25. Anyone who registers by that date will
save
$30 on the $129 registration fee. That fee includes all the conference
workshops, a noon luncheon and an evening banquet. (NOTE: Seating is
limited.)
To register, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/leadershipconference.asp
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
There will be a meeting on Saturday, March 23 for anyone interested in
volunteering for the conference. The meeting will take place from 11
a.m.
to 5 p.m. at CAIR's office in Washington, D.C. (453 New Jersey Ave.
S.E.)
To volunteer at the conference, you must attend the meeting. Volunteers
will have access to some conference activities.
For more information, contact:
nserag@cair-net.org or call 202-488-8787, ext. 6052
-----
GULF MEDIA DELEGATION VISITS CAIR
A delegation of journalist from the Gulf region visited CAIR's
Washington,
D.C., headquarters yesterday as part of a program arranged by the State
Department's Foreign Press Center.
Nations represented in the delegation included Bahrain, Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. Program participants are
researching articles about American attitudes toward Islam, public
awareness of the American Muslim community and advocacy activities of
groups like CAIR.
-----
DERSHOWITZ EDITORIAL DRAWS FIRE
By DAVID VILLARREAL, The Harvard Crimson, 3/18/2002
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=180648
An article that Frankfurter Professor of Law Alan M. Dershowitz wrote
for a
newspaper half-way around the world has sparked debate in the halls of
Harvard Law School outside his very own classroom.
Holding signs and passing out flyers, about 30 members of a group
called
Harvard Law School Justice for Palestine protested outside Dershowitz's
"Tactics and Ethics" class last Thursday afternoon.
They were objecting to a recent article Dershowitz wrote, entitled "A
New
Way of Responding to Palestinian Terrorism," which ran in last Monday's
edition of the Jerusalem Post and described his proposal to end the
current
Israeli-Palestinian violence.
In his article, Dershowitz called for the organized destruction of a
single
Palestinian village in retaliation for every terrorist attack against
Israel.
"It will be a morally acceptable trade-off even if the property of some
innocent civilians must be sacrificed in the process," Dershowitz
wrote...
TO READ DERSHOWITZ'S ORIGINAL COMMENTARY, GO TO:
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2002/03/11/Opinion/Opinion.44919.html
-----
ISRAEL BUILT 34 NEW SETTLEMENTS IN W.BANK
By Wafa Amr, Reuters, 3/19/2002
JERUSALEM, March 19 (Reuters) - Israel has created 34 new Jewish
settlements in 12 months under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,
jeopardizing
Israeli security and obstructing U.S. peace efforts, the Israeli Peace
Now
Movement said on Tuesday.
Israeli lawmaker Didi Remez told Reuters an aerial survey conducted by
Peace Now in recent weeks revealed that 34 new settlements had been set
up
on occupied West Bank land, in violation of stated public policy, since
Sharon's election in February 2001...
Israel denies creating new settlements, saying it is merely expanding
existing ones, but Remez said this was "far from the truth, in fact
there's
a very clear change on the ground..."
A Peace Now statement said the survey did not count military or
quasi-military sites, or temporary memorial sites established in the
same
period.
SEE ALSO:
Jewish Voices Against Israel's Occupation of Palestinian Territories
http://www.jvao.org/AdText.htm
The occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem is
killing
Palestinians and Israelis alike and destroying Israel from within.
There
can be no peace or security for either until Israel completely
evacuates
its settlements in Palestinian territories, ends its military
occupation,
and returns to its pre-1967 borders.
As Jews, we call upon Israel:
* to agree to the immediate establishment of an international
peacekeeping
force in the occupied territories to protect civilians from violence by
the
Israeli military and settlers;
* to cease building or expanding settlements as a first step toward
their
complete evacuation...
-----
AMJ ANNOUNCES AMERICAN MUSLIM SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE DELEGATION
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!!!
PRAY IN AL-AQSA
REBUILD PALESTINIAN HOMES
REPLANT OLIVE AND FRUIT TREES
SEE OCCUPATION WITH YOUR OWN EYES AND TELL THE STORY
WHEN: June 14th - 24th, 2002
COST: $1,000 (includes airfare, food, lodging and in-country
transportation)
American Muslims for Jerusalem is pleased to announce the first
American
Muslim solidarity delegation to Occupied Palestine. This summer, 50
American Muslim university students and young professionals will spend
10
days in Occupied Palestine.
The trip will include home stays with Palestinian families, days in
refugee
camps in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Occupied Jerusalem, as well as
time
in 1948 Palestine. We will also put you to work! The delegation will
show
solidarity with Palestinians by helping to rebuild Palestinian homes
that
have been demolished, to replant olive and fruit trees that have been
uprooted and by distributing aid to needy Palestinian families.
Thorough orientation and training will be provided prior to departure.
Training will also be provided for delegates to return and tell their
stories to the media, on campuses, in community centers and to members
of
Congress. See with your own eyes and tell Americans what life under
Israeli
military occupation is like for 3 million Palestinians. Do your part to
help free Palestine!
Delegation leaders have extensive experience working and traveling in
Palestine. All travel and program activities will be coordinated
closely
with Palestinian activists and organizations to maximize security at
all times.
Email solidarity@amjerusalem.org to request an application form today!
Call
(202) 548-4200.
-----
THE NEW FACE OF ISLAM
By Nick Compton, This is London, 3/15/2002
http://www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/lifestyle/londonlife/top_review.html?in_review_id=523131&review_text_id=488082
At first she tried to resist. She did not want this to happen. She was
not
that sort of person. After all, there were no gaps in her life, no
spiritual ache, she did not need support or direction. But she kept
reading
and it kept making sense.
'I had absolutely no expectation or desire to end up where I am,' she
says.
'It was almost with trepidation that I kept turning the pages and the
trepidation just increased. I kept thinking: "OK, where's the flaw?
Where's
the bit that doesn't make sense?" But it never came. And then it was
like:
"Oh no, I can see where this is leading. This is disastrous. I don't
want
to be a Muslim!"
Caroline Bate is 30 years old, blonde, blue-eyed and pretty, with a
soft
Home Counties accent. She has a degree from Cambridge (she studied
Russian
and German before switching to management studies) and works for an
investment bank in the City. She is Middle England's dream daughter or
daughter-in-law. And though she has yet to make her formal declaration
of
faith in Allah and the prophet Mohammed - a two-line pledge called the
Shahada - she considers herself Muslim. She ticked the box on a form
recently. It felt good, she says.
Caroline is not alone. Though data is hard to come by, several London
mosques have been reporting an increase in the number of converts to
Islam,
especially since 11 September. Like Caroline, many of these converts
are
from solid middle-class backgrounds, have successful careers, enjoy
active
social lives and are fundamentally happy with their lot...
-----
UAE REJECTS AL-NAJJAR'S REQUEST FOR RESIDENCY
By MARY JACOBY, St. Petersburg Times, 3/19/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/03/19/Worldandnation/UAE_rejects_Al_Najjar.shtml
WASHINGTON - The United Arab Emirates has rejected Mazen Al-Najjar's
request for residency, setting the stage for a renewed legal battle
over
the use of classified intelligence information in immigration cases.
A stateless Palestinian linked to terrorism by the United States but
never
charged with a crime, Al-Najjar has been jailed since a federal appeals
court in Atlanta affirmed a final deportation order against him Nov.
24...
The UAE's rejection of Al-Najjar's residency request appears to bolster
his
long-standing claim that he cannot be deported because no country will
accept him.
At the same time, there is no indication the U.S. government plans to
back
away from its equally long-standing claim that Al-Najjar is a threat to
national security.
These two views have clashed before, and now it appears they will clash
again, most likely after May 14, when the legal authority the
government is
currently invoking to hold al-Najjar expires.
In 1997, the former University of South Florida teacher sparked a
national
debate over civil liberties when he challenged an immigration judge's
decision to keep him jailed on the basis of classified evidence
allegedly
linking him to the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Al-Najjar eventually spent 31/2 years in jail on the basis of the
classified information. Then-Attorney General Janet Reno released him
in
December 2000 after a federal judge ruled his constitutional rights
were
violated by the government's refusal to share the secret evidence with
him.
Al-Najjar's current detention is not based on any intelligence
information;
rather, it is because his appeals in his long-running deportation case
have
run out.
At the moment, the government has "unfettered discretion" to keep
Al-Najjar
jailed for the purpose of bringing about his deportation, U.S. District
Judge Joan Lenard ruled last month. But she noted a 2001 Supreme Court
decision, Zadvydas vs. Davis, sets a six-month time limit on detention
in
such cases.
On May 14, it will be six months since the appeals court in Atlanta
affirmed Al-Najjar's final deportation order. If Al-Najjar still hasn't
been deported by then, the government will either have to free him or
produce evidence that he is a security threat who must be jailed
indefinitely...
Al-Najjar is being held in solitary confinement at the Coleman Federal
Correctional Complex near Bushnell, about 75 miles north of Tampa
Bay...
Al-Najjar's case, meanwhile, is being watched closely by government
lawyers
and civil liberties advocates because of the precedent it may set for
other
terrorism-related immigration cases...
-----
PLEASING THE PIOUS PALATE AT DARTMOUTH
By Marialisa Calta, The Wall Street Journal, 3/19/2002
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Hanover, N.H. -- DARTMOUTH COLLEGE SENIORS Yousuf Haque, president of
Al-Nur, the Muslim student association, and Jason Spitalnick, past
president of Hillel, the Jewish student association, can often be found
hunkered down together in one of the school's cafeterias, engaged in
earnest debate over the Mideast conflict, the precepts of Islam and
Judaism
and whether the grilled eggplant entree was superior to the chicken in
raspberry sauce.
It is the cafeteria itself -- called the Pavilion, and one of 12 at
Dartmouth -- that has helped draw Mr. Haque, a math and religion major
from
the United Arab Emirates, and Mr. Spitalnick, a government major from
Roslyn, N.Y., together. The two students were among a small group of
Muslims, Jews and Hindus who helped plan what Dartmouth officials claim
is
the only college cafeteria in the country that observes the dietary
laws
outlined by the Old Testament (kashrut), the Quran, (halal) and the
Vedas
and Upanishads (sakahara)...
C. Robert Lester, the Pavilion manager, is a Methodist who attended
culinary school after serving as a submarine cook in the Navy. He has a
take-no-prisoners approach to his kitchens that will not allow for even
the
slightest deviation from the proscribed dietary laws. These laws are
complex, but a thumbnail outline would include the facts that kosher
law
forbids the eating of pork or shellfish, or the mixing of meat and
dairy;
that halal rules ban alcohol along with pork; and that sakahara
strictures
forbid the consumption of meat, fish, eggs or mushrooms.
In addition, halal and kosher meats must be slaughtered in different
ways
written into each religious tradition. And while Muslims can eat kosher
meat, Jews who keep kosher cannot consume halal meats, because they
have
not been produced under rabbinical supervision...
-----
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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
NEW "VOLUNTARY" INTERVIEWS CREATE PERCEPTION OF PROFILING
(WASHINGTON-DC, 3/20/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, is expressing
concern
that plans announced today by Attorney General John Ashcroft to conduct
"voluntary" interviews of an additional 3,000 foreign nationals could
perpetuate the impression of racial and religious profiling against
American Muslims and Arab-Americans.
Ashcroft said the new interviews will be similar to almost 5,000
conducted
since November. Fewer than 20 of the initial interviewees were
arrested,
all on charges unrelated to terrorism. The new interviews will be
conducted
with men from specific unnamed countries.
"American Muslims, like all Americans, condemn terrorism in all its
forms
and seek to ensure the safety of our nation against acts of violence.
We
believe however that rounding up the 'usual suspects' based on nothing
more
than race, religion or national origin is not an effective law
enforcement
technique and creates the perception of profiling," said CAIR Board
Chairman Omar Ahmad. Ahmad added that anyone who has information that
could
be of use to the investigation should come forward now and not wait
until
being contacted for an interview.
Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary
Committee, also criticized the plan for new interviews. A statement
released by Conyers in response to the attorney general's announcement
read
in part:
"The suggestion that Arab and Muslim Americans appreciate begin singled
out
and interrogated is a prime example of the Attorney General's wartime
propaganda machine in full swing. While they are more than willing to
contribute to the war against terrorism, the national leadership of
Arab
and Muslim organizations have expressed to me their outrage over this
illegal form of racial profiling.
Spreading lies and misleading the American public will only further
alienate hard working Americans and divide the country. While the Bush
Administration speaks of uniting the nation, its continued racial
profiling, interrogation and detention of thousands of Arab and Muslims
is
having the opposite effect. It is time for the President to realize
that
the only thing these practices will secure is the downfall of
democratic
freedoms in America."
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in American and some 1.2
billion worldwide.
- 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
PUBLICATION OBTAINS DEA REPORT ON ISRAELI SPY RING
UPDATE: THE SPIES WHO CAME IN FROM THE ART SALE
Creative Loafing has obtained a report detailing
alleged Israeli spy activity in the United States.
BY JOHN SUGG, Creative Loafing, 3/20/2002
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/fishwrapper.html
Editor's note: Portions of the report mentioned in this article can be
found at:
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2002-03-20/news_dea.pdf
A major international espionage saga is unfolding across the United
States,
with some of its roots right here in the Atlanta area. It's been pretty
hush-hush so far, largely because the implications could be a major
embarrassment for the government.
The spy story is even more touchy because it isn't Saddam, Fidel, Osama
or
even what passes nowadays for the KGB spying on America -- but our
"friend"
in the war against "evil," Israel.
The basis of the spy allegations is a 60-page document -- a compilation
of
field reports by Drug Enforcement Administration agents and other U.S.
law
enforcement officials.
Creative Loafing last week obtained a copy of the report from
intelligence
sources with long-term contacts among both Israeli and American
agencies.
The government has attempted to deflect attention from earlier leaks
about
the spy scandal. However, while declining to confirm or deny the
authenticity of the document, a spokesman for the DEA, William Glaspy,
did
acknowledge that the agency had received many reports of the nature
described in the 60 pages.
A source familiar with the creation of the document has told CL that
the
60-page memo was a draft intended as the base for a 250-page report.
The
larger report has not been produced because of the volatile nature of
suggesting that Israel spies on America's deepest secrets...
Senior Editor John Sugg can be reached at: 404-614-1241 or
john.sugg@creativeloafing.com
-----
"EARLY BIRD" CONFERENCE REGISTRATION EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 25
The deadline for early registration savings for CAIR's intensive
Training
Conference on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Vienna, Va.,
has
been extended until March 25. Anyone who registers by that date will
save
$30 on the $129 registration fee. That fee includes all the conference
workshops, a noon luncheon and an evening banquet. (NOTE: Seating is
limited.)
To register, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/leadershipconference.asp
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
There will be a meeting on Saturday, March 23 for anyone interested in
volunteering for the conference. The meeting will take place from 11
a.m.
to 5 p.m. at CAIR's office in Washington, D.C. (453 New Jersey Ave.
S.E.)
To volunteer at the conference, you must attend the meeting. Volunteers
will have access to some conference activities.
For more information, contact:
nserag@cair-net.org or call 202-488-8787, ext. 6052
-----
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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
-----
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 3/20/2002
-- MEDIA ADVISORY --
MUSLIMS OUTRAGED BY GOVERNMENT RAIDS
WHAT: On Thursday, March 21, leaders of major national American Muslim
organizations will hold a news conference in Washington, D.C., to
express
their outrage over law enforcement raids today on a number of Muslim
offices and homes in Virginia and Georgia that the groups say amounted
to a
"violation" of their community. Targets of the raids included some of
the
most respected leaders and organizations in the American Muslim
community,
including the International Institute of Islamic Thought, the Graduate
School of Islamic Social Sciences, the Muslim World League and the Fiqh
Council of North America.
Media reports indicate that law enforcement agencies served 14 search
warrants in northern Virginia and one in Georgia. No one was arrested.
The
raids involved 150 law enforcement officers from a group created by the
Treasury Department after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Agencies
involved
in the raids included Customs, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco
and Firearms, FBI, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and U.S.
Postal Service.
Groups sponsoring the noon news conference say harassment of respected
Islamic institutions and families sends a hostile and chilling message
to
the American Muslim community and contradicts President Bush's repeated
assertions that the war against terrorism is not a conflict with Islam.
They also say the targets of these raids deserve the presumption of
innocence and have the right to learn what allegations, if any, the
government used as the basis for their search warrants.
WHEN: Thursday, March 21, Noon
WHERE: Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, 1st Floor,
453
New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C.
- END -
CONTACT: National Muslim Leadership Summit, Shaker El-Sayed,
703-628-4993
-----
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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
MUSLIMS CALL RAIDS "FISHING EXPEDITION"
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/21/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today said raids
Wednesday on a number of Islamic institutions and homes in Virginia and
Georgia were a "fishing expedition" that will only serve to intimidate
law-abiding Muslim citizens.
In a statement issued at a packed Capitol Hill news conference, CAIR
Governmental Affairs Director Jason Erb said: (Representatives of some
25
local, national and international media outlets attended the news
conference.)
"The Muslim community is deeply concerned about what appears to be a
fishing expedition by federal authorities using McCarthy-like tactics
in a
search for evidence of wrongdoing that does not exist.
"Unfortunately, investigators are well aware that in the current
climate of
fear and prejudice, few people will ask the tough questions about why
these
respected individuals and groups were targeted. Vague and
unsubstantiated
references to 'links' or 'ties' to infamous names and organizations
should
not be a substitute for credible evidence.
"As in past incidents targeting American Muslim institutions, no one is
being given their day in court to confront accusers or refute
allegations.
Where then does one go to retrieve a reputation damaged by an
irresponsible
and out-of-control investigation?
"All Americans have a justifiable desire to feel secure in this time of
international crisis. But security need not be gained by destroying the
civil liberties and standards of due process that we all hold dear."
Groups represented at or endorsing today's news conference included
CAIR,
American Muslim Council, Islamic Circle of North America, Islamic
Institute, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Alliance in North
America, and Muslim American Society.
There are an estimated seven million Muslims in American and some 1.2
billion worldwide.
- 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
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS - 3/21/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG
* CORRECTION
* "EARLY BIRD" CONFERENCE REGISTRATION EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 25
- CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
* CANADIAN PROFESSOR APOLOGIZES FOR CLASSROOM COMMENTS (CAIR-CAN)
- CAIR-CAN PARTICIPATES IN NATIONAL ANTI-HATE FORUM
* LETTERS: ATROCITIES IN PAKISTAN WIDELY ARE CONDEMNED (Post-Dispatch)
* ASHCROFT ORDERS PROSECUTORS TO QUESTION 3,000 MORE MIDDLE EASTERN MEN
(Dallas Morning News)
* CAIR PARTICIPATES IN HATE CRIMES INFORMATION LINE
* CAIR DISCUSSES EGYPTAIR REPORT WITH FOX'S GRETA VAN SUSTEREN
* GOING UNDERCOVER TO EXPOSE THE HORROR OF HATRED (Kansas City Star)
* DERSHOWITZ SPARKS HARVARD PROTEST (AP)
* AMERICANS FEEL MORE FAVORABLY TOWARD AMERICAN MUSLIMS
* FAA CHIEF NOT AT EASE WITH NEW SCANNERS (Post-Gazette)
* MUSLIM CHARITY RIPS MEETING HELD BY JUDGE, U.S. LAWYERS (Chicago
Tribune)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Righteousness is good
morality, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul and which
you
dislike people finding out about."
An-Nawawi's "Forty Hadith," Hadith 27
-----
CORRECTION: In a news release distributed earlier today headlined
"MUSLIMS
CALL RAIDS 'FISHING EXPEDITION,'" the Muslim Public Affairs Council
(MPAC)
was inadvertently left off the list of groups attending the news
conference.
-----
"EARLY BIRD" CONFERENCE REGISTRATION EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 25
The deadline for early registration savings for CAIR's intensive
Training
Conference on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Vienna, Va.,
has
been extended until March 25. Anyone who registers by that date will
save
$30 on the $129 registration fee. That fee includes all the conference
workshops, a noon luncheon and an evening banquet. (NOTE: Seating is
limited.)
To register, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/leadershipconference.asp
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED
There will be a meeting on Saturday, March 23 for anyone interested in
volunteering for the conference. The meeting will take place from 11
a.m.
to 5 p.m. at CAIR's office in Washington, D.C. (453 New Jersey Ave.
S.E.)
To volunteer at the conference, you must attend the meeting. Volunteers
will have access to some conference activities.
For more information, contact:
nserag@cair-net.org or call 202-488-8787, ext. 6052
-----
CANADIAN PROFESSOR APOLOGIZES FOR CLASSROOM COMMENTS
(OTTAWA, CANADA - The Canadian office of the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations is requesting that Muslims thank the administration of the
Faculty of Management at the University of Ottawa for reacting swiftly
to
recent discriminatory comments made by a professor.
During a lecture at the university, the professor called out the Arabic
name of a student who was absent. When the student did not respond, the
professor stated, "Maybe, he's in Afghanistan." He then added, "I'm
just
joking."
In a letter to the School of Management, CAIR-CAN Executive Director
Riad
Saloojee wrote:
"[...the professor's] comments were inappropriate and offensive. His
racist
humour was contrary to the minimum level of professional conduct
expected
of a university professor. That this happened in the charged climate of
post-September 11th makes it all the more unacceptable."
In his letter to CAIR-CAN, the Associate Dean J�r�me Doutriaux
indicated
that the professor was sincerely sorry for making the comments. To
rectify
his error, the professor will offer a personal apology to the student
he
offended as well as an apology to the entire class during its next
session.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Please send a note of thanks to the University of Ottawa School of
Management for acting promptly on this matter:
Dean, Miche�l Kelly
Associate Dean, J�r�me Doutriaux
E-MAIL: kelly@admin.uottawa.ca, doutriaux@admin.uottawa.ca
COPY TO: canada@cair-net.org
CAIR-CAN PARTICIPATES IN NATIONAL ANTI-HATE FORUM
CAIR-CAN will be participating in a national round-table entitled 'Hate
Crimes: Implementing the Durban Program of Action Against Hate Crimes
in
Montreal and the Rest of Canada.' The conference will bring together
noted
academics, lawyers, government officials and stakeholder organizations
to
discuss hate crimes in Canada and to offer comprehensive
recommendations in
the areas of legislation, legal and judicial remedies, law-enforcement
intervention, victims' support and public education.
Executive Director Riad Saloojee will be a panelist for the working
group
on 'Victims' Defense, Protection and Support' and Board member Faisal
Kutty
will participate in the working group on 'Legal Remedies and Judicial
Response.'
WHEN: Thursday, March 21st and Friday, March 22nd, 2002
WHERE: Hotel Wyndham, 1255 Jeanne Mance, Montreal, Quebec
Contact the Centre For Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) at
crarr@sympatico.ca or 514-939-3342 for registration information.
-----
LETTERS: ATROCITIES IN PAKISTAN WIDELY ARE CONDEMNED
By Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, The Columbus Dispatch, 3/21/2002
http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/news/editorials02/mar02/1154463.html
Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin is vice president of the Council on
American-Islamic
Relations - Ohio chapter.
I am sickened by the recent attack in Islamabad on the worshippers in
the
church and by the barbaric murder of Wall Street Journal reporter
Daniel
Pearl. The people who have committed these atrocities are truly
deranged. I
just returned from a trip to Pakistan. There were many letters in the
Pakistani newspapers expressing grief and condemnation of Pearl's
murder
and expressing hope that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
The
BBC broadcast an excerpt of an interview with Pearl's widow in which
she
said she felt very close to the people of Pakistan because of all the
support she has received from them.
I hope that people here in the United States realize that it is only a
small group that is seeking to undermine President Pervez Musharraf and
is
perpetrating these crimes, and that the population of Pakistan
generally is
horrified by the attacks on innocent people and completely condemns
them.
-----
ASHCROFT ORDERS PROSECUTORS TO QUESTION 3,000 MORE MIDDLE EASTERN MEN
By Michelle Mittelstadt, The Dallas Morning News, 3/21/2002
http://www.dallasnews.com/nation/stories/032102dnnatashcroft.872c9.html
WASHINGTON _ Proclaiming that the campaign to interview 5,000 Middle
Eastern men has helped fight terrorism, Attorney General John Ashcroft
directed prosecutors Wednesday to question of 3,000 more.
The foreigners being asked to submit to voluntary interviews within the
next 60 days were identified largely because they come to America from
countries where the al-Qaida terrorist network has been known to
operate...
"American Muslims, like all Americans, condemn terrorism in all its
forms
and seek to ensure the safety of our nation against acts of violence,"
said
Omar Ahmad, chairman of the board of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations. "We believe, however, that rounding up the 'usual suspects'
based on nothing more than race, religion or national origin is not an
effective law enforcement technique and creates the perception of
profiling..."
Addressing the criticism that the interviews engendered ill feelings in
the
Muslim community, Ashcroft said the campaign actually "fostered new
trust
between law enforcement and these communities." The report described an
"enhanced feeling of kinship."
That characterization was flatly rejected by Mohamed Elmougy, president
of
the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
"If this is the definition of kinship, then I really am fearful what
would
happen if the attorney general really didn't like our community," he
said,
calling the campaign a "government-sponsored hate action against the
American Muslim community."
Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary
Committee, also bristled at Ashcroft's comments.
"The suggestion that Arab and Muslim Americans appreciate begin singled
out
and interrogated is a prime example of the attorney general's wartime
propaganda machine in full swing," said Conyers, whose district is home
to
a sizeable Arab-American population.
"While they are more than willing to contribute to the war against
terrorism, the national leadership of Arab and Muslim organizations
have
expressed to me their outrage over this illegal form of racial
profiling,"
he said...
-----
CAIR PARTICIPATES IN HATE CRIMES INFORMATION LINE
City News Service, 3/20/2002
LOS ANGELES - Hate crime victims can get help in seven languages by
phoning
a toll free line operated by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human
Relations.
Funding for it was approved by the county Board of Supervisors after
the
Sept. 11 attacks. It is designed to counteract hate crimes targeting
Arab-
Americans, members of the Muslim and South Asian communities and anyone
who
looks Middle-Eastern, according to the county CHR.
Ava Gutierrez of the CHR said the phone line has received between 50
and
100 calls a week since it was set up in January...
Operators on the line will refer callers to several different
organizations, Gutierrez said, including the:
-- Muslim Public Affairs Council, at (213) 383-3443;
-- Council on American-Islamic Relations, at (202) 488-8787;
-- Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles, at (888)
624-4752;
-- South Asian Network, at (800) 281-8111; and
-- Asian Pacific American Legal Center, at (213) 977-7500.
Taken together, Gutierrez said, the two operators on the line speak
English, Arabic, East and West Armenian, Hindi, Urdu and Bengali.
The CHR toll free number for hate crimes is (888) No-2-Hate. The line
is
open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
-----
CAIR DISCUSSES EGYPTAIR REPORT WITH FOX'S GRETA VAN SUSTEREN
March 19, 2002
http://www.foxnews.com/ontherecord/
GUESTS: Jim Brokaw, Ibrahim Hooper, Vernon Grose
HOST: Greta Van Susteren
VAN SUSTEREN: Two hundred and seventeen people, including 100
Americans,
were killed in 1999, when Egyptair flight 990 nose-dived into the
Atlantic
Ocean. The U.S. government is expected to release a final report soon
that
calls the crash an intentional act, but our government reportedly will
omit
the conclusion evidence that the co-pilot deliberately crashed the
plane to
exact revenge from Egyptair. Why?
Joining us from Chicago, Jim Brokaw, who lost his father and stepmother
in
the crash. With me in Washington, former National Transportation Safety
Board member Vernon Grose, and Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations. Welcome to all of you...
VAN SUSTEREN: Ibrahim, do you have any problem with the report? I know
that
some people -- at least, some Egyptians are disturbed because they
claim
it's mechanical, that it wasn't an intentional act. Your view?
IBRAHIM HOOPER, COUNCIL ON AMERICA-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Well, I think
what we
said from the beginning is that there are contradictions between what
the
NTSB is saying the co-pilot did and what he said. The phrase he uttered
in
the beginning, "tawakaltu ala Allah (ph)," meaning "I put my trust in
God,"
is something you say when you're trying to prevent an accident.
I was riding in a car with someone the other day. We almost had an
accident, and the person said " tawakaltu ala Allah." And the "LA
Times"
just did an extensive story on this, referred to the two thumps that
were
heard prior to the plane going down, and they explained this as saying
this
is because he was praying and he was thumping. Well, Muslims don't
thump
when they pray. So I don't know where they're getting this kind of
thing.
-----
GOING UNDERCOVER TO EXPOSE THE HORROR OF HATRED
By LEWIS W. DIUGUID, The Kansas City Star, 3/20/2002
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/news/opinion/2900228.htm
EMPORIA, Kan. - Kaila Williams has felt the hatred and bigotry that
Muslims
have experienced since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
That sentiment didn't receive much attention in the coverage
commemorating
the six months that have passed since the national tragedy. But the
hatred
unleashed toward Muslims and Arab-Americans has been a national horror,
too.
Kaila, 17, is the opinions editor for The Echo, the newspaper at
Emporia
High School in this city of 26,760 persons about 115 miles southwest of
Kansas City. After some Muslim students reported being harassed, Kaila
decided to investigate.
She darkened her skin with Revlon makeup and put on an olive-colored
jilbab. The robelike garment covered her so that only her eyes and part
of
her nose were visible.
Then the 5-foot 6-inch teen walked through the Wal-Mart Supercenter
about a
half-mile from her school. She described people's reactions in a Nov.
16,
front-page, first-person story in The Echo.
The Emporia Gazette did a Nov. 21 front page article on Kaila's
experience.
It ran in other newspapers and generated letters to Kaila from as far
away
as England.
Many people were touched and said she bravely got folks to see how
badly
they were treating their neighbors. One Muslim girl said the story made
her
cry. She didn't think others could understand...
In the store a couple of persons were friendly. But "most either stared
or
backed away in fear," including people Kaila knew from Flint Hills
Christian Church, where she worships.
She wrote in her article that one woman said, "We don't need none of
that
here!" A man "glared at me as I passed. Fear knotted in my chest as I
looked into his hard, cold eyes, for the first time seeing raw,
undisguised
hatred; it was directed at me."
Another woman said, "Damned foreigners!"...
Kaila learned that hatred and prejudice remain problems in America.
"These
are still things that we need to realize that we need to work on," she
said.
-----
DERSHOWITZ SPARKS HARVARD PROTEST
The Associated Press, 3/21/2002
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Harvard University students have twice
confronted
law professor Alan Dershowitz outside class, criticizing his proposal
that
Israel put Palestinian villages on notice that they will be destroyed
in
the event of an Arab terrorist attack.
About two dozen students gathered last Thursday and again on Tuesday to
challenge Dershowitz over a column published in the Jerusalem Post last
week.
They carried signs, some of which had pictures of demolished homes, and
passed out copies of Dershowitz's column, with a list of
counterarguments
on the back...
In the newspaper column, Dershowitz, who is Jewish, proposed that
Israel
circulate a list of specific locations that would be demolished if
Palestinians carried out attacks.
"It will announce with precision exactly what it will do in response to
the
next act of terrorism - for example, the destruction of a small village
which has been used as a base for terrorist operations," he wrote...
-----
AMERICANS FEEL MORE FAVORABLY TOWARD AMERICAN MUSLIMS
Americans Struggle With Religion's Role at Home, Abroad;
51 Percent Say Sept. 11 Proves There Is Too Little Religion In World
WASHINGTON, March 20 - Americans feel significantly more favorable
toward
Muslim-Americans than they did a year ago (54 percent hold a favorable
view
today, compared to 45 percent last spring). Favorability ratings for
Muslim-Americans have dropped off only slightly since the surge in
favorability documented in November 2001 (59 percent).
At the same time, when Americans were asked their opinions of Muslims
without identifying them by nationality, Muslims' favorability rating
dropped to 47 percent, and when asked about Islam, favorable responses
outweigh unfavorable ones by a thin 38-33 percent margin...
To view the poll report online, visit:
http://pewforum.org/publications/reports/poll2002.pdf
CONTACT: Heather Morton of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life,
202-955-5078
-----
FAA CHIEF NOT AT EASE WITH NEW SCANNERS
By Ann McFeatters, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/20/2002
http://www.post-gazette.com/nation/20020320garveynat3p3.asp
WASHINGTON -- Jane Garvey, the head of the Federal Aviation
Administration,
told reporters yesterday she is uncomfortable with new X-ray technology
being tested at selected airports that sees through a person's
clothing,
and she doubts it will be approved except possibly to screen baggage.
The new devices, ordered for testing by the FAA and now being
considered by
the new Transportation Security Administration, "raises tremendous
privacy
issues," she said.
Low-emission X-ray technology has been tested at a government
technology
center in New Jersey and is being tried out on volunteers in several
airports, including Orlando, Fla. The technology "undresses" the
passenger
being screened so security personnel can see if a suspicious object is
concealed under clothing. An image of the person's body is displayed on
a
computer screen, clearly revealing private parts...
-----
MUSLIM CHARITY RIPS MEETING HELD BY JUDGE, U.S. LAWYERS
By Matt O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 3/20/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com
Search using the term "Global Relief."
Lawyers for a Chicago-area Muslim charity whose assets have been frozen
by
the U.S. government objected Tuesday to a private meeting last week
between
Justice Department officials and the Chicago judge deciding a lawsuit
filed
by the charity.
The closed-door meeting in U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen's
chambers
was held as Global Relief Foundation of Bridgeview fought to block the
Justice Department from using secret evidence to justify the financial
sanctions, the charity's lawyers complained. At an emergency hearing
Tuesday in his courtroom, Andersen said he met privately with Justice
Department officials last Thursday, but he said "there was nothing
substantive discussed."
Under court rules, lawyers for either side are generally prohibited
from
talking or meeting privately with a judge.
With Andersen yet to decide if he will hear the secret evidence, Thomas
Anthony Durkin, a local lawyer for Global Relief, told the judge, "The
concern we have is that there should not be any [private]
communications..."
-----
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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 - 3/22/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* HADITH OF THE DAY: DO NOT CAUSE OR SUFFER INJUSTICE
* "EARLY BIRD" REGISTRATION FOR CAIR'S TRAINING CONFERENCE ENDS SOON
* MUSLIM GROUPS CRITICIZE US RAIDS (AP)
- Officials say raids were fair (Washington Times)
- Federal raids on charities anger U.S. Muslim leaders
(Knight-Ridder)
- U.S. Raids Continue, Prompting Protests (New York Times)
- Pollster's relationships might have led to warrant (St.
Petersburg Times)
- US Muslim community outraged by raids (AFP)
* ACTIVISTS URGE INVESTIGATION INTO ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES (AP)
* AMJ ADVOCACY TRAINING AND LOBBY DAY ON CAPITOL HILL
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: DO NOT CAUSE OR SUFFER INJUSTICE
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) left a house, he would
say:
"In the name of God, I put my trust in God. O God, I seek refuge in
Thee
lest I stray or be led astray or cause injustice or suffer injustice or
do
wrong or have wrong done to me!"
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 2, Number 67b
-----
"EARLY BIRD" REGISTRATION FOR CAIR'S TRAINING CONFERENCE ENDS SOON
The deadline for early registration savings for CAIR's intensive
Training
Conference on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, in Vienna, Va.,
is
March 25. Anyone who registers by that date will save $30 on the $129
registration fee. That fee includes all the conference workshops, a
noon
luncheon and an evening banquet. (NOTE: Seating is limited.)
To register, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/leadershipconference.asp
At the conference, headlined "Muslims in America: Moving Forward with
Faith," top trainers in their fields will offer workshops and lectures
on
media relations, civil rights advocacy, coalition building, and
political
empowerment. Workshop presenters include Muslim congressional staffers,
professional leadership trainers, representatives of national
grassroots
civil liberties advocacy organizations, media representatives, and CAIR
staffers.
-----
MUSLIM GROUPS CRITICIZE US RAIDS
By JENNIFER HOYT, The Associated Press, 3/21/2002
http://freep.com/news/nw/probe22_20020322.htm
WASHINGTON (AP) - Islamic groups said Thursday that searches of homes
and
businesses in Virginia and Georgia were improper government raids
seeking
nonexistent evidence.
Wednesday's searches by 150 law enforcement officers from several
federal
agencies were part of an effort coordinated by the Treasury Department
to
cut terrorists off from their funding. The Customs Service said 14
search
warrants were executed in northern Virginia and one was used in
Georgia,
but that no arrests were made.
"The Muslim community is deeply concerned about what appears to be a
fishing expedition by federal authorities using McCarthy-like tactics
in a
search for evidence of wrongdoing that does not exist," said Jason Erb,
of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
One woman whose Herndon, Va., home was raided described men breaking
through her door, pointing a gun at her 19-year-old daughter as she
tried
to call 911 and handcuffing them for three hours.
"My daughter and I are citizens of good standing," Aysha Unus said. "We
feel the system has humiliated us."
Laura Jaghlit, a high school English teacher from Fairfax Station, Va.,
described the raid on her home as "the most un-American thing I have
ever
seen."
Officials rifled through photos of her children, threw the contents of
her
drawers on the bed and took her family's computer, credit cards,
passports
and bank account information, Jaghlit said...
"It seems like the government is declaring open season on Muslim
American
groups," said Abdulwahab Alkebsi, executive director of the Islamic
Institute.
Shaker El Sayed, coordinator of the National Muslim Leadership Summit,
said
the raids were designed "to give the impression that there is an
efficient
war on terrorism."
SEE ALSO:
Officials say raids were fair
By Vaishali Honawar, The Washington Times, 3/22/2002
http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20020322-23330888.htm
The sites raided include the International Institute of Islamic Thought
(IIIT) in Herndon and the Graduate School of Islamic and Social
Sciences
and the Fiqh Council of North America in Leesburg, Va.
Louay Safi, director of research at IIIT, said the agents confined
workers
to a room without showing them a search warrant and tried to conduct
interviews without any attorneys present...
Muslim community members packed a conference room in the office of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations on Capitol Hill yesterday to
register
their protest at what they said was a "McCarthylike witch hunt."
Aysha Nudrat Unus, 62, of Herndon, said she heard loud banging on the
door
of her residence at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Her husband works for the
IIIT.
"I was afraid to go out," she said, adding that all she could see was a
man
in a black jacket and the barrel of a gun against the glass door. Her
19-year-old daughter started to call the police when the agents broke
open
the door, she said. One pointed a gun at her daughter and asked her to
put
the phone down, Mrs. Unus said.
She said the agents did not present them with the warrant or even show
an
ID badge. Her daughter and she were handcuffed and held on their family
room sofa for six hours, she said...
Another resident, Laura Jaghlit of Fairfax, said she was born and
raised in
Minnesota and lost a brother in the Vietnam War...
---
Federal raids on charities anger U.S. Muslim leaders
By Kevin Murphy, Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, 3/22/2002
"All of our community is against the terrorists and terrorism," said
Johari
Abdul-Malik, a Muslim chaplain at Howard University in Washington,
whose
premises were not raided. "All of the communities will cooperate, but
please don't treat Americans in any other way than you would wish to be
treated..."
Jason Erb, director of government affairs for the Washington-based
Council
on American-Islamic Relations, disagreed. Erb, whose group advocates
for
Islamic causes in Washington, suggested that investigators were using
the
climate of fear of terrorism to justify unwarranted searches.
"Vague and unsubstantiated references to 'links' or 'ties' to infamous
names and organizations should not be a substitute for credible
evidence,"
Erb said. "As in past incidents targeting American Muslim institutions,
no
one is being given their day in court to confront accusers or refute
allegations."
---
U.S. Raids Continue, Prompting Protests
By JUDITH MILLER, The New York Times, 3/22/2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/21/national/21FREE.html
On Wednesday night, federal customs agents also seized documents,
files,
three desk-top computers, numerous diskettes, and copies of a recent
academic manuscript from the home of Taha Al-Awani and Mona Abul-Fadl,
both
associated with the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences in
Leesburg, Va.
Mrs. Abul-Fadl, who teaches political science and women's studies, said
federal agents stormed into their home in Herndon, Va., at 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday. Mrs. Abul-Fadl, who said she was alone, said she was
awakened as
they broke in the front door, with guns drawn. "They claimed to have
knocked," she said.
Mrs. Abul-Fadl, who said she felt as if she had been raped, was clearly
shaken as she described the incident almost 24 hours later.
"Normally, if one is in that situation, one would call the police,"
said
Mrs. Abul-Fadl, 56. "But now, there is something ironic, even pathetic
about it.
"What police would you call now?"
---
Pollster's relationships might have led to warrant
By SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN, St. Petersburg Times, 3/22/2002
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/03/22/Worldandnation/Pollster_s_relationsh.shtml
Khalil Shikaki is one of the Mideast's most respected pollsters, a
propeace
Palestinian who works with an Israeli university, writes for a U.S.
magazine and has twice been the guest speaker of a Jewish organization.
So what is Shikaki's name doing on a federal search warrant that calls
him
a terrorist?
"If (the warrant) was produced by the same kind of federal bureaucracy
that
gave visas to terrorists six months after they died, this is the flip
side," said Gideon Rose, managing editor of Foreign Affairs magazine.
"He's not a terrorist. He's one of the most objective, intelligent and
perceptive observers of Palestinian politics around. We're proud to
publish
him and would hope this is yet another case of federal agencies not
being
able to keep their records straight." The U.S. Customs Service won't
say
why Shikaki's name appears on warrants federal agents executed
Wednesday in
Virginia as part of an investigation into the funding of terrorist
groups.
But the reason apparently lies with Shikaki's long-ago ties to an
Islamic
think tank at the University of South Florida...
---
US Muslim community outraged by raids on Muslim offices and homes
By Sharon Behn, Agence France-Presse, 3/21/2002
WASHINGTON, March 21 (AFP) - US Muslim groups Thursday expressed their
outrage over law enforcement raids on a number of Muslim offices and
homes
including those of respected leaders and some of their families.
"This is a great tragedy, not only for the Muslim community but for the
American community at large," protested Imam Johari Abdul Malik of the
raids that took place Wednesday in the greater Washington, DC area...
No-one was arrested in the sweep, which, according to Jason Erb of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, was not related to the Justice
Department's national call for voluntary interviews with 3,000 people
who
hail primarily from Middle Eastern countries.
"According to the FBI there is no link," Erb said. "But this is part of
an
overall pattern."
"This is part of a policy of disruption and they are after innocent
people
and destroying people's lives. We are trying to cooperate but we are
tired
of being targeted."
-----
ACTIVISTS URGE INVESTIGATION INTO ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES
By CLARE NULLIS, Associated Press, 3/22/2002
GENEVA (AP) - Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other
groups
joined together Friday in an appeal to governments not to trample human
rights with new measures meant to clamp down on terrorism.
"The events of Sept. 11 were a crime against humanity that shocked and
changed the world," said Irene Khan, secretary-general of Amnesty
International. "However, many governments have seized the moment to
step up
repression."
"Many governments have introduced draconian legislation in the name of
security: measures such as indefinite detention without trial and
special
courts based on secret evidence, creating a shadow criminal justice
system," said Khan.
In a joint declaration to the annual meeting of the 53-nation U.N.
Human
Rights Commission, non-government organizations called for an
investigation
into the human rights implications of counter-terrorism measures.
They also said human rights considerations should be given more clout
in
the U.N. Security Council's anti-terrorism committee.
The declaration was signed by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, the
International Commission of Jurists, the International Federation of
Human
Rights Leagues and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies...
-----
AMJ ADVOCACY TRAINING AND LOBBY DAY ON CAPITOL HILL
WHEN: Sunday, April 21st and Monday, April 22nd
WHERE: Washington, DC
If you are planning to come to Washington, DC for the April 20th Stop
the
War Rally and the April 22nd protest of Ariel Sharon and Israeli
occupation:
American Muslims for Jerusalem is organizing a free, full-day workshop
and
skills training session for community activists from across the
country.
Come to Washington to learn the secrets of effectively lobbying from
trained professionals. Topics will include: current legislation
affecting
Palestine, the legislative process, effective lobbying techniques and
strategies, building constituent pressure, holding meetings with
Members,
developing relationships with key individuals on the Hill - and much
more.
The one-day workshop will be followed by a full day of meetings for all
participants with Members of Congress and congressional staff. This is
your opportunity to learn new skills and put them to the test.
REGISTER NOW!
AMJ is finalizing the details of the program now and will send updated
information concerning time and place soon. There will be limited space
available. Don't miss this opportunity! Send an email to
lobbyday@amjerusalem.org today to register for the program. Please
write
"lobby day" in the subject line of your email.
-----
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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 - 3/23/2002
-----
HEADLINES:
* RAIDS TO BE TOPIC OF MARCH 25 TOWN HALL MEETING
* ISLAMIC-AMERICAN GROUPS DECRYING GOVERNMENT RAIDS (NPR)
* GALLUP, USA TODAY, CNN POLLS COME UNDER FIRE (Washington Post)
- THE POLL THAT DIDN'T ADD UP
* ARABS, MUSLIMS STILL LIVE IN FEAR OF ATTACKS (Canadian Press)
* CAIR COMMENTARY: INDIA'S MINORITIES (Chicago Tribune)
* MINNESOTA'S SOMALIS FIND THEIR VOICE, AND IT'S AN ANGRY ONE (AP)
-----
RAIDS TO BE TOPIC OF MARCH 25 TOWN HALL MEETING
(HERNDON, VA) - On Monday, March 25, the All Dulles Area Muslim Society
(ADAMS) will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the recent government
raids on Muslim organizations and homes. The meeting will address last
week’s events and the threat they poses to American Muslim civil
liberties.
Member of the community will share their concerns, comments and
questions. Friends and supporters from various civil liberties and
advocacy organizations will also attend to show support for the Muslim
community in the aftermath of the raids.
All community members are encouraged to attend.
WHEN: Monday, March 25, 2002, 7 PM
WHERE: Sterling Library, 120 Enterprise Street, Sterling, VA 20164
CONTACT: Jemel Buck, 703-395-0000, xzubin@yahoo.com
All Dulles Area Muslims Society, 46970 Community Plaza - Suite 201 -
Sterling, Virginia 20165 - 703-433-1325
-----
ISLAMIC-AMERICAN GROUPS DECRYING GOVERNMENT RAIDS
National Public Radio
SHOW: Morning Edition (11:00 AM ET) - NPR
DATE: March 22, 2002 Friday
ANCHORS: BOB EDWARDS
REPORTERS: LIBBY LEWIS
BOB EDWARDS, host: Islamic-American advocates are outraged about
government
raids this week on more than a dozen Islamic organizations, homes and
businesses in Virginia and Georgia. The raids were carried out by more
than
150 law enforcement officers working as part of a counterterrorism task
force. The operation is the latest government effort aimed at stopping
funds to terrorists. NPR's Libby Lewis reports.
LIBBY LEWIS reporting: Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman with the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, says the raids grew less out of evidence
and
more out of anti-Islamic fervor.
Mr. IBRAHIM HOOPER (Council on American-Islamic Relations): The Muslim
community views these raids as a fishing expedition that will only
serve to
intimidate law-abiding Muslim citizens. I think what we're seeing here
is a
use of McCarthy-like tactics by federal authorities who are searching
for
evidence of wrongdoing that doesn't exist.
LEWIS: It wasn't Islamic radicals the government went after, Hooper
said.
It was moderate groups and American citizens like Aysha Nedra Unus
(ph).
She spoke at a press conference yesterday about the shock of seeing
government agents at her front door with guns. Mrs. Unus is the wife of
an
official with one of the groups targeted in the probe, The
International
Institute of Islamic Thought.
Ms. AYSHA NEDRA UNUS: They broke the door and rushed into the house,
told
my daughter to drop the phone. And at that point, the gun was pointing
towards her.
LEWIS: She said the agents handcuffed both her and her 19-year-old
daughter
and searched their house.
-----
GALLUP, USA TODAY, CNN POLLS COME UNDER FIRE
Watchdog Group Issues Rebuke on Poll on Islamic Countries
By Richard Morin and Claudia Deane, The Washington Post, 3/22/2002
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2730-2002Mar22.html
The hugely influential Gallup Poll of Islamic Countries released last
month
continues to make news--not all of it good for the Gallup Organization,
USA
Today and CNN.
The National Council on Public Polls, a leading professional watchdog
organization, recently posted on its Web site a stinging rebuke of CNN
and
USA Today for the way their reporters reported the overall results of
the
nine-nation survey project.
But now it appears that Gallup itself provided reporters with the
sensational characterizations that were the primary target of NCPP
criticism.
It's also apparent that the hype was unnecessary, tainting an otherwise
remarkable and important polling project, survey experts said.
SEE ALSO:
THE POLL THAT DIDN'T ADD UP
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5708-2002Mar22.html
One big problem: Those numbers were the product of Enron-like
arithmetic --
sensational but meaningless amalgamations of results from nine separate
surveys.
Another problem: Fewer than half of the world's Muslims live in the
nine
countries included in the Gallup study.
Still another: You didn't have to be a citizen of the country in which
you
were interviewed -- or even a Muslim -- to be included in the Gallup
sample...
-----
ARABS, MUSLIMS STILL LIVE IN FEAR OF ATTACKS
By Peter Ray, CANADIAN PRESS, 3/23/2002
http://www.thestar.com
More than six months after the tragedy of Sept. 11, Arab and Muslim
groups
in Canada say their communities still live in fear.
An interim report card prepared by the Council on American-Islamic
relations indicated there have been 120 anti-Muslim hate incidents
across
Canada since the terrorist attacks.
They included 10 death threats, 13 cases of physical violence and 12
attacks on mosques and Islamic centres. Riad Saloojee, the council's
executive director, said at a news conference yesterday most of the
incidents have been in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
The number "spiked after Sept. 11" but dropped off substantially in
recent
months, said Saloojee.
However, he said the Muslim community remains scared.
"I think the Muslim community is very, very anxious about the fact that
they may be targets of racial profiling, or that they may be
scapegoated,"
said Saloojee.
Many people are afraid to come forward to complain because they are
immigrants who are worried about what will happen to them, said
Saloojee.
Muslims and Arabs have also had problems at Canadian airports.
The Toronto Police Service had 338 reports of hate crimes in 2001, a 66
per
cent increase from the previous year…
-----
CAIR COMMENTARY: INDIA'S MINORITIES
By Parvez Ahmed, The Chicago Tribune, 3/23/2002
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-0203230120mar23.story
Parvez Ahmad is Chairman of the board, Central Pennsylvania Chapter of
Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Harrisburg, Pa. - The recent senseless violence in India evoked
memories of
past violence in the land of my birth.
Indian minorities like Muslims, Sikhs and lower-caste Hindus have
always
been the victims of hatred fanned by Hindu fanatics, zealots and
mindless
individuals who neither cherish their own heritage nor anybody else's…
The world community needs to remain vigilant against all forces of
terrorism.
The U.S. government should ban Hindu terrorist groups. The U.S.
government
must also scrutinize the ruling party of India for its direct links in
inciting the current mob violence (hundreds of Muslims killed) and
their
political links to terrorist organizations.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has rightly
pointed
out that the current government of India must be put on notice that its
rhetoric, that all non-Hindus are foreigners, is responsible for the
current culture of violence.
India's religious minorities have always been an integral part of
India's
success…
For India to deservedly claim its permanent seat on the United Nations
Security Council, it must learn to protect the lives, property and
honor of
its minority citizens…
-----
MINNESOTA'S SOMALIS FIND THEIR VOICE, AND IT'S AN ANGRY ONE
By GREGG AAMOT, The Associated Press, 3/23/2002
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The more Omar Jamal talked about it, the more things
began to boil to the surface.
Under the glare of Twin Cities TV cameras on a recent afternoon, Jamal
pulled no punches, blurting out what had been on his mind since police
shot
and killed a mentally ill Somali man on a south Minneapolis street.
This
Midwestern city, he declared, was becoming "a slaughterhouse for the
immigrants."
Jamal had second thoughts about that comment a few days later - but not
about shouting Somali concerns from the rooftops.
"I really think that Minnesotans should know how the Somali community
feels
about the circumstances they are in," he said on a snowy afternoon at
the
Somali Justice Advocacy Center, a tiny operation run out of borrowed
office
space in St. Paul. "I think, after what has happened the last couple of
months, it is very understandable the frustration and anger the
community
expresses."
Police said the man who was killed, Abu Jeilani, who was 28, threatened
them with a machete and a crowbar and ignored repeated demands to drop
his
weapons. A stun gun failed to subdue him, possibly blocked by layers of
clothing.
The shooting was the latest in a series of events that have deflated
the
Somali community, which, state demographers believe, is one of the
largest
in the country with about 20,000 people. Other top destinations for
Somalis
include Seattle, San Diego and Columbus, Ohio.
In February, 10 Minnesota Somalis who broke the law or were in the
country
illegally were deported. In November, the federal government closed
several
money-transfer offices that Minnesota Somalis use to send money to
relatives, saying the cash was being funneled to terrorists. And in
October, a 66-year-old Somali man died after he was allegedly punched
and
fell to the sidewalk at a Minneapolis bus stop.
About 200 Somalis held a vigil in support of the money-transfer
offices.
After the deportations, several Minnesota Somalis worried that the
deportees' lives could be in danger in lawless Somalia. After the
shooting,
Jamal and others marched to the scene of the street corner where
Jeilani
died and demanded the removal of Police Chief Robert Olson.
The Somali community's progression from a quiet, below-the-radar
existence
to outspoken criticism of their new home is similar to the path taken
by
other immigrants in Minnesota - first by Scandinavian and German
settlers
and more recently by Asian immigrants…
On the Net: Somali Net: http://www.somalinet.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, 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
CAIR ACTION ALERT #325
ACT NOW TO PREVENT MORE RAIDS
American Muslims are increasingly besieged by government actions
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/25/2002) - CAIR is calling on Muslims and other
people
of conscience nationwide to defend their community against increasing
governmental assaults on civil liberties and religious rights.
Community
members concerned about these assaults are asked to contact the White
House
and their federal representatives with a reminder that the Bill of
Rights
applies to all Americans, including Muslims.
The fourth article of the Bill of Rights states: "The right of the
people
to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no
Warrants
shall issue, but upon probable cause..."
Article six states: "...The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon
probable cause..."
CAIR has decided to undertake this initiative because it is central to
our
mission to defend the civil rights of all Americans, including
Muslims. Every American should understand that their own civil rights
are
violated when the rights of Muslims are trampled.
RAIDS ON ISLAMIC INSTITUTIONS AND HOMES
Last week, Muslims nationwide expressed outrage over law enforcement
raids
on a number of Muslim offices and homes in Virginia and Georgia.
Targets of
the raids included some of the most respected leaders and organizations
in
the American Muslim community, including the International Institute of
Islamic Thought, the Graduate School of Islamic Social Sciences, the
Muslim
World League and the Fiqh Council of North America.
Those whose homes were targeted say frightened mothers and daughters
were
handcuffed for hours, Muslim citizens were treated as foreigners and
were
denied rights guaranteed to other citizens. Again, no criminal charges
were
filed and no evidence was produced to back up the government's actions.
In a packed news conference reacting to the raids, CAIR Governmental
Affairs Director Jason Erb said: "Unfortunately, investigators are well
aware that in the current climate of fear and prejudice, few people
will
ask the tough questions about why these respected individuals and
groups
were targeted...As in past incidents targeting American Muslim
institutions, no one is being given their day in court to confront
accusers
or refute allegations...security need not be gained by destroying the
civil
liberties and standards of due process that we all hold dear."
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:
CONTACT President Bush and elected officials in your state to let them
know
that Muslims should have the same rights as other Americans. Ask that
he
make a public statement in support of American Muslim civil rights.
Also
ask that he meet with American Muslim leaders. (Call CAIR to receive
your
free "Know Your Rights Pocket Guide.")
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
TEL: 202-456-1414, Press 1
FAX: 202-456-2461
E-MAIL: president@whitehouse.gov, AskDOJ@usdoj.gov,
vice.president@whitehouse.gov, Judiciary@mail.house.gov,
cair@cair-net.org
To obtain contact information for your representative, go to
http://www.house.gov/writerep/, or call 202-224-3121. Have your Zip
Code
ready.
For senators, go to:
http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm
TALKING POINTS:
* The government is treating the entire community as if it harbored or
coddled the terrorists. Not one of the September 11 terrorists was a
recognized or respected member of the American Muslim community. They
were
outsiders.
* The Bill of Rights applies to all Americans, including Muslims.
* The use of secret evidence makes it impossible for those accused to
defend themselves against undefined "suspicions."
* Many of those attacked in the most recent round of raids have
excellent
relationships with departments of the American government. Throughout
this
crisis, American Muslims have done everything they can to assist in the
investigation and develop relationships between the government and the
American Muslim community.
* This is America and we have inalienable rights guaranteed by the Bill
of
Rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from
unwarranted search and seizure, freedom to face our accusers and demand
justice.
* How long will we have to endure this harassment before the government
stops viewing our entire community through a veil of suspicion?
* These actions contradict the often-repeated assertions by government
officials that the war on terrorism is not an attack on Islam.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Since September 11, 2001, our government has taken a number of actions
against individual Muslims and Islamic organizations that created an
atmosphere of intimidation and apprehension.
Within hours of the tragic events of September 11, every major American
Muslim organization issued condemnations of the terrorist attacks. The
Muslim community did what it could, through blood drives and other
relief
activities, to help alleviate the suffering of victims and their
families.
Many Muslims were also killed and injured in the attacks.
Unfortunately, these actions were not enough to prevent an anti-Muslim
backlash that involved threats, assaults, harassment, discrimination,
attacks on mosques, and even a number of murders. CAIR alone recorded
more
than 1800 such anti-Muslim incidents.
In the first few days after the September 11 attacks, government
officials,
including President Bush, made a point to reach out to the Muslim
community. The president visited a Washington, D.C., mosque in the
company
of national Muslim leaders, including CAIR's executive director.
But since that initial period of support, a number of government
policies
have singled out Muslims and created the impression that they have
fewer
rights than other Americans.
MUSLIM DETAINEES
An estimated 1,200 Muslims were detained nationwide after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks. They have been held mostly on immigration charges,
but
are treated as if they are terrorists.
In a report earlier this month, Amnesty International (AI) stated: "Six
months after the September 11 attacks, a significant number of the
approximately 1,200 non-U.S. nationals originally detained in the
aftermath
of the tragedy continue to be deprived of their human rights in
violation
of international law and the Immigration and Naturalization Service's
own
standards...While the detentions have been surrounded by extreme
secrecy,
the organization's research confirms that basic rights have been
violated,
including: the right to humane treatment; to be informed of reasons for
detention; to have prompt access to a lawyer; to be able to challenge
the
lawfulness of the detention, and to be presumed innocent until proven
otherwise...Amnesty International has received reports of cruel
treatment,
including: prolonged solitary confinement; heavy shackling of detainees
during visits or when they are taken to court; and lack of adequate
exercise...
TO READ THE FULL REPORT, GO TO: http://www.amnestyusa.org/
SECRET EVIDENCE
The U.S. Justice Department says it plans to use secret evidence to
justify
the financial sanctions it imposed on a Chicago-area Muslim charity.
Bridgeview-based Global Relief Foundation has filed a lawsuit saying
the
government violated the Constitution in freezing the charity's assets
in
December.
This the first time the government has tried to use secret
evidence--which
would not be shared with the charity or its attorneys--under a
provision of
the Patriot Act signed in October by President Bush.
The head of Global Relief, Rabih Haddad, has been held in solitary
confinement without knowing why he is detained. Congressman John
Conyers,
Jr. (D-Mich.) stated: "The treatment of Imam Haddad has highlighted
everything that is abusive and unconstitutional about our government's
scapegoating of immigrants in the wake of the September 11th
attacks...This
is a case of guilt by association where we haven't seen a shred of
evidence
that the accused party is guilty...I am deeply disturbed that the Bush
Administration is championing secret proceedings, the use of secret
evidence and cruel conditions of confinement against a man with no
criminal
record who has publicly condemned the terrorist act against our
country...Imam Haddad is entitled to the full disclosure of any
evidence
against him."
In a Florida immigration case, Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar, a stateless
Palestinian, has been held in solitary confinement, on the basis of
secret
evidence since November 24 of last year. He is only allowed one hour of
exercise each day and is strip-searched twice a day.
Al-Najjar had previously been detained for 3 1/2 years as the United
States
worked to deport him. A U.S. appeals court forced his release, saying
that
prosecutors could not try him with secret evidence. But that did not
stop
the government from jailing him again.
As a March 24 St. Petersburg Times editorial stated: "Secret evidence
turns
our civil legal process into a farce. If we allow its use, especially
at a
time when every Muslim enterprise is viewed with suspicion, we are
setting
the stage for one injustice after the next."
CLOSURE OF MUSLIM CHARITIES
Along with the closure of Global Relief, the government shut down two
other
prominent and well-respected American Muslim relief organizations.
In December, President Bush froze 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.
In a joint statement issued at that time, the leaders of every major
national American Muslim organization said: "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."
Benevolence International Foundation (BIF), another Muslim charity hit
with
financial sanctions by the Treasury Department, has charged federal
officials with violating its Constitutional rights and jeopardizing its
survival. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, BIF
said
the government improperly and unfairly froze its assets without a
hearing
and without any evidence of wrongdoing.
No criminal charges have been filed in any of these closures. The
frozen
funds belonged to the Muslim community, not to any particular
organization.
UNCHALLENGED ANTI-MUSLIM STATEMENTS
According to an interview with syndicated columnist Cal Thomas
published on
the internet site crosswalk.com, Attorney General John Ashcroft said:
"Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die
for
him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for
you."
President Bush failed to speak out in condemnation of these bigoted
remarks. (Ashcroft says he was misquoted. The reporter stands by his
article.)
Since September 11, conservative commentators have launched a barrage
of
attacks on the faith of Islam. Referring to Muslims, televangelist Pat
Robertson said, "They want to coexist until they can control, dominate,
and
then if need be destroy."
Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, stood by remarks in
which
he claimed: "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...I don't believe this
[Islam] is this wonderful, peaceful religion."
William S. Lind, with the Free Congress Foundation, said: "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."
The Middle East Forum's Daniel Pipes 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."
Syndicated columnist Ann Coulter said America "should invade their
[Muslim]
countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."
Coulter
also called for the "mass deportation of Muslims.
This Islamophobic rhetoric has gone largely unchallenged by top
government
leaders.
An editor of a prominent conservative publication even suggested
"sarcastically" that "nuking Mecca" would "send a signal" to Muslims.
"VOLUNTARY" INTERVIEWS
Attorney General John Ashcroft has announced that the government will
conduct "voluntary" interviews of an additional 3,000 legal Muslim
foreign
nationals similar to almost 5,000 conducted since November. In reaction
to
that announcement, CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad said: "We
believe...that
rounding up the 'usual suspects' based on nothing more than race,
religion
or national origin is not an effective law enforcement technique and
creates the perception of profiling."
Again, Rep. Conyers criticized the move, saying: "While the Bush
Administration speaks of uniting the nation, its continued racial
profiling, interrogation and detention of thousands of Arab and Muslims
is
having the opposite effect. It is time for the President to realize
that
the only thing these practices will secure is the downfall of
democratic
freedoms in America."
Fewer than 20 of the initial interviewees were arrested, all on charges
unrelated to terrorism. The new interviews will be conducted with men
from
specific unnamed countries.
An editorial in today's Christian Science Monitor states: "...concerns
among Arab-Americans and Muslims that their communities are being
targeted
shouldn't be ignored. Building trust and honoring rights has to go
hand-in-hand with the data-gathering. Civil liberties abuses of the
past,
as during the 'red scare of the 1950s or the internment of
Japanese-Americans during World War II, should not be forgotten."
TARGETING MUSLIM "ABSCONDERS" - Law enforcement authorities announced
they
will focus on apprehending illegal Muslim and Arab immigrants who have
ignored deportation orders, despite the fact that the vast majority of
314,000 so-called "absconders" are not Muslim or Arab.
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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
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
E-MAIL - cair@cair-net.org
FLORIDA MOSQUE ATTACK RESULT OF ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/26/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations
(CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today said an attack
Monday on a Florida mosque is likely the result of the current barrage
of
anti-Muslim rhetoric by right-wing commentators who paint Islam as a
violent faith bent on world domination.
At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, a pick-up truck was driven into the front of
the
Islamic Center of Tallahassee. The man driving the truck, 51-year-old
Charles D. Franklin of Tallahassee, was arrested and charged with
burglary
and criminal mischief. Authorities are treating the incident as a hate
crime because of statements Franklin allegedly made after the attack.
A police news release issued today said Franklin was motivated by
"hatred
of Muslims" and told officers he could have blown up the mosque if he
had
put propane tanks on the front of his truck. He also said he tried to
join
the military in order to "kill Muslims." Associated Press also reported
that a Bible wrapped in blue cloth was on the front seat of Franklin's
truck.
Mosque officials told CAIR the damage to the mosque exceeds $3,000. The
center had previously been vandalized on the night of September 11,
2001.
CAIR is calling on local authorities to offer increased police
protection
for the mosque. The group has also established a fund to repair damage
to
the mosque.
SEE: http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/26/tallahassee.mosque/index.html
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/2934975.htm
"On a daily basis, our office receives reports of deeply offensive and
defamatory attacks on Islam by right-wing commentators who go far
beyond
legitimate political or religious commentary to attack the faith of
Islam.
This constant drum-beat of vicious attacks will inevitably lead a small
segment of the population to turn hate-filled words into violent
deeds,"
said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
"We urge opinion leaders and media professionals to publicly reject
this
type of hate speech. We also call on elected officials to avoid
actions,
such as recent 'fishing expedition' raids on Muslim homes and
businesses in
Virginia and Georgia, that create a sense of fear in the Muslim
community,"
added Awad.
SEE: N.Va. Muslims Gather to Decry Raids
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17818-2002Mar26.html
Awad said the Middle East Forum's Daniel Pipes and author Steven
Emerson
are two of the worst purveyors of anti-Muslim hate. Pipes recently
decried
the teaching of Islamic history and beliefs in public schools. Muslims
say
Emerson, author of the new book "American Jihad," has a long history of
defamatory attacks on their community and that his book is a prime
example
of deceptive anti-Muslim McCarthyism.
SEE: "Terrorists Under the Bed" -
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2002/03/05/emerson/index.html
"Who is Steven Emerson" - http://www.cair-net.org/html/emerson.htm
"Who is Daniel Pipes" -
http://www.cair-net.org/misc/people/daniel_pipes.html
http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?articleid=558&articletype=1
As some of the other numerous examples of recent Islamophobic rhetoric,
Awad cited televangelist Pat Robertson's almost daily defamation of
Islam,
Franklin Graham's claim that Islam is a "very evil and wicked
religion,"
Free Congress Foundation's William S. Lind's allegation that "there is
no
such thing as peaceful Islam," syndicated columnist Ann Coulter's call
to
invade Muslim countries and convert the populations to Christianity,
and
the "sarcastic" suggestion by an editor of the National Review that
"nuking
Mecca" would send a "signal" to Muslims. These statements have gone
largely
unchallenged by mainstream conservatives.
Just one day before the mosque attack, a columnist with the Charlotte
Sun
in Charlotte Harbor, Fla., wrote: "The American freedom of thought and
speech -- which tolerates all religions -- infuriates devout
Muslims...About the only thing we can do is defend ourselves until
Islam
modernizes or self-destructs..."
SEE:
http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/032402/cl2.htm?date=032402&story=cl2.htm
Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, CAIR recorded more than 1800
anti-Muslim incidents nationwide, including a number of murders.
- END -
DONATIONS TO REPAIR THE MOSQUE MAY BE SENT TO:
Islamic Center of Tallahassee
1020 W. Pensacola St.
Tallahassee, Florida 32303
TEL: 850-681-9022
URL: http://www.fsu.edu/~fsu-isc/ict/activities.html
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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
-----
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