cair-net Digest of: get.1901_2000
Topics (messages 1901 through 2000):
CAIR-NET: CAIR Calls for Probe of U.S. Role in Israeli Prison Attack
1901 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: WA Judge Establishes Policy on Hijab in Court / CA Muslim
Teen Arrested Over Fender Bender
1902 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Lawmaker Sent 'Beware of Islam' E-Mail to Constituents / Many
African-American Inmates Converting to Islam
1903 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Attacker Runs Down Canadian Muslim After Shouting Racial
Slurs
1904 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: New U.S. Iraq Atrocity Alleged / Work Starts on MD Islamic
High School
1905 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslim Leaders Meet with Rice, Hughes / Anti-Arab
Rampage at MI Gas Station
1906 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Calls for Release of Afghan Christian
1907 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Jailed FL Muslim Told 'We Don't Need Reason to Hold You' / NJ
Officials Won't Back Arab-American Candidate / Interest in Learning
Arabic Soars / Montreal Mosque Vandalized
1908 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims to Join DC Rally for Immigrant Rights / Evangelicals
Most Distrustful of Muslims
1909 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims Gain Foothold in Politics / MI Mosque Vandalized
/ Man Guilty of Scamming VT Muslims
1910 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Dems Dump Arab-American Candidate / Guilty of 'Flying While
Muslim' / Claims of Atrocities by U.S. Soldiers Mount
1911 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: TX Muslim Says Court Banned Hijab / CAIR, DOJ Offer
'Challenging Hate' Workshop
1912 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Arab-Americans Denounce Dumping NJ Candidate / Schumer
Compares Arabs to 'Skinheads' / Islam, Bioethics Converge
1913 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Corzine Told of Arab-American Candidate's 'Political
Lynching' / CAIR Rep Discusses 'Integration' at French Forum
1914 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Welcomes Release of Journalist Jill Carroll in Iraq
1915 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Carroll's Release Elates U.S. Muslims / Bookstores Won't
Carry 'Cartoon' Magazine / Apostasy and Religious Freedom
1916 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Islamic Women Liked as Leaders / U.S. Deserter Tells of
Atrocities
1917 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: MN Police Reach Out to Muslims / NC Muslim Cemetery Nearly
Full / Hispanic Muslim Says Islam is Diverse / Leaving Islam is Not a
Capital Crime
1918 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI Asked to Probe FL Mosque Vandalism / Pakistani-American
Doctors to Lobby Congress / 1,000 Turn Out for CAIR-MI Dinner
1919 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Student Attacked on Texas Campus / Action: Support
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
1920 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Boykin Promotion Would Send 'Negative Message' to Muslims /
Muslim Congressional Staffers Hold Inaugural Event
1921 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: NJ Centers Help Muslim Domestic Abuse Victims / TX Muslims to
Call for Tolerance After Baylor Attack
1922 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Offers Reward for Info on Baylor U Assault
1923 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Hispanic Missionaries Used to Target Muslim Countries
1924 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Female Muslim Judge Takes the Bench in MI / Schizophrenic Man
Jailed as 'Terrorist' in FL / CA Convert Finds Peace in Islam
1925 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: NJ Mosque Officials Allege 'Profiling' During Bridge Stop /
Jury Awards Profiled Passenger $27.5 Million
1926 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR-CA Calls on DOJ to Protect Rights of Muslim Teen / MI
Mosque Proposal Exposes Fears
1927 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Spanish Muslim Denied Entry to U.S., Jailed in Florida
1928 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: DHS to Review Case of Spanish Muslim Detained in FL / VA
Muslim Jiffy Lube Employee Allowed to Wear Hijab
1929 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Woman's Ordeal Prompts Federal Inquiry / CAIR Rep
Speaks at West Point
1930 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Welcomes Resolution of Al-Arian Case
1931 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Shia, Sunni Labels Irrelevant in U.S. / TV Skewing Americans'
View of Islam
1932 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CA Muslims to Rally in Support of Teen / Cubans Converting to
Islam / NPR Program Seeks Questions About Quran
1933 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Seeks Info on U.S. Muslim Detained in Bangladesh
1934 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Terror List Snags Americans with `Wrong' Name / Muslim
Students Battle Prejudice
1935 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FL Bills Would Block Aid to International Students / Muslim
Women Fight to Exercise Away From Men
1936 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: IL Police Ripped Off Muslim Girl's Hijab / 5 Truths About
Darfur / VA Muslims Host Passover Seder in Mosque
1937 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Michigan Prof Tells Muslim Students to Leave America
1938 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Condemns Attack on Egyptian Resort / IL News Conference
for Muslim Who Had Scarf Removed by Police
1939 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: MSU Prof Apologizes for 'Intemperate' E-Mail / Americans
Would Vote for Muslim President
1940 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: MI Workout Chain to Accommodate Muslim Privacy Concerns
1941 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI Asked to Probe Attack on Georgia Muslim Family
1942 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Offers Reward for Info About Attack on GA Muslims / Help
End the Crisis in Darfur
1943 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Calls for New Trial After Lodi Juror Disavows Verdict
1944 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Shots Fired Into Maryland Mosque / CAIR asks FBI to
Investigate Possible Bias Motive
1945 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Asks Why No Muslim Groups to Speak at Darfur Rally
1946 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI to Probe Possible Anti-Muslim Bias in MD, GA / Event Aims
to Boost Understanding of Faith
1947 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: AZ Muslims Accosted by 'United 93' Viewers / OH Muslims
Sponsor Darfur Prayer
1948 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: IL Muslim Confronts Needs of City / Government Creating
'Climate of Torture'
1949 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims to Protest Wachovia's Closure of Charity Account
1950 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: AZ Muslims Worried by Tirade after Film / NJ Muslim Cabbie
Returns $2K to Passenger
1951 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Welcomes Darfur Peace Accord Brokered by State Dept.
1952 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Attack on TX Mosque Probed as Hate Crime / VA Bank Riles
Muslim Activists / 'United 93' Stirs Up CA Muslims
1953 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Action Alert - Urge Wachovia to Explain Account Closures of
Muslims
1954 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Wachovia Agrees to Review its Closing of Muslim Charity
Accounts / Call Lawmakers to Oppose Anti-Palestinian Law
1955 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslims Concerned 'United 93' Creates Anti-Islam Sentiment /
Groups Call on DOE to Include Muslim Holidays in Calendar
1956 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Hitchens Calls Prophet 'Epileptic Plagiarist' / NJ Muslims,
MADD Want Tougher DWI Law
1957 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Calls for Special Counsel on NSA Phone Date Spy Program
1958 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Asks Muslims to Support Family of Slain VA Officer /
Islam-Oped: A Sensible Way to Describe Terrorists
1959 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Discipline Sought for MI Prof Who Wrote Islamophobic E-mail
1960 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Urge Elected Officials to Probe NSA Surveillance / FBI Asked
to Release Data on CA Muslims
1961 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Clothing Options for Muslim Women Come Into Vogue / IL
Muslims, Officials to Discuss Citizenship Delays
1962 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Vandals Shatter Front Door of Milpitas Mosque / Muslims
Provide Diversity Training on Islamic Culture
1963 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Supports Call to Close Gitmo / Muslims, FBI Seek to
Build Trust Strained by 9/11
1964 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: KY Muslim Student Harassed After Challenging School Prayer /
Texans Turning Muslim? / CA Latino, Muslim Youths Share Their Heritage
1965 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Delegation Meets with US Ambassador in UAE
1966 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: U.S. Muslims Say 'Siege' of Palestinians Must End
1967 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Canada Mosque Vandalized with Anti-Muslim Posters / FL Judge
Orders Release of Saudi Students Who Rode School Bus
1968 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Keith Ellison May Become Congress's First Muslim / Special
Meals for Muslim Military Personnel
1969 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Launches 'Muslims Care' Volunteerism Campaign
1970 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Is Islam Misunderstood in America? / Alleged AIPAC Informant
Promoted
1971 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Rights Being Stripped Away / Bigoted Cartoon / Feminism Can't
Solve All
1972 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Film Could Stir Anti-Muslim Violence / How US Marines
Massacred 24 Iraqi Civilians / Indonesian Earthquake Relief / Trial Opens
Window on Shadowing of U.S. Muslims
1973 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: AZ Alamo Guilty of Post-9/11 Backlash / 'Rock Against Islam'
in OR / DC Muslims 'Race for the Cure' / CAIR-FL to Announce Bias
Complaint
1974 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Calls on Rumsfeld to Resign Over Iraq Massacre
1975 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Fears Hamper U.S. Muslims' Travel / CAIR Offers Training on
Islam for Marines, DHS / FL Teacher Discriminates Against Muslim Girl
1976 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Muslim Congressional Aides Taking a Stand / CA Mosque to Host
Town Hall Mtg with CAIR, FBI / IA Mosque Vandalized / New Reports Say
US Troops Killed More Civilians
1977 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Canadian Muslims Relieved Terror Attacks Averted
1978 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Toronto Mosque Vandalized After Terror Arrests / Muslim
Graduates Walk Fine Line Between Religion, Culture / Minuteman Protest
Meeting of Muslims, Latinos
1979 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Latinas Adopt Islam / Army to Omit Ban on 'Humiliating
Treatment' / Muslims Group Encourages Volunteer Work / Buchanan: The
Persecution of the Palestinians
1980 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: FBI Says CA Muslims Aren't Monitored / Ask Friends, Family to
Join CAIR-NET
1981 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Canadian Muslims to Seek Summit on Extremism / First Marine
Base Mosque Dedicated / Halal Burrito / Ann Coulter Says 9/11 Widows
'Enjoying Their Husbands' Deaths'
1982 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Hopes Zarqawi's Death Leads to Decreased Violence / CA
Mosque Vandalized / Canadian Muslim School Vandalized
1983 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR Condemns 'Massacre' of Palestinian Family / NY Law Would
Allow Profiling of Muslims
1984 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Knife-Wielding Attacker Threatens Canadian Imam / CAIR Renews
Call to Close Gitmo Prison Camp / CAIR-CAN Meets with Canadian Prime
Minister
1985 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: First Challenge to NSA Wiretapping is Today / After 9/11,
Arab-Americans Fear Police Acts / NJ Muslim Scout Troop Not So Different
1986 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: 'Marines' Cheer Song About Killing Iraqi Civilians
1987 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Hate Message Left Near AZ Mosque / For U.S. Muslims, an
Aversion to Nursing Homes
1988 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Pentagon Calls Online Song 'Insensitive,' 'Inappropriate'
1989 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: 'Hadji Girl' Marine Apologizes to Muslims
1990 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CA Attacker 'Hated Muslims' / AZ Islamic Sites Targeted /
U.S. Muslims Held By Israelis / CA Jury Awards $61M to FedEx Workers
Called 'Terrorists'
1991 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Shut Down the Gitmo Gulag / TX Man Wrongfully Deported Waits
for Visa / Opposition to FL Mosque Adds to Legacy of Racism
1992 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: Misogyny Not Accepted in Islam / Muslims Look to
African-Americans for Guidance on Rights
1993 by: Ibrahim Hooper
CAIR-NET: Questions Over Use of Israeli Info Against TX Islamic Charity
/ U.S. Muslim Clerics Seek a Modern Middle Ground
1994 by: Ibrahim Hooper
CAIR-NET: Muslims, Arab-Americans Sue Over Re-Entry Procedures /
Pro-Israel Lobby Targets Professor Juan Cole
1995 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: US Wants to Close Guantanamo - Bush / Quit Distorting
Muslims' Record / Chopra: Try Listening to Muslim World
1996 by: CAIR
CAIR-NET: CAIR to Host Capitol Hill Panel on Closure of Gitmo Prison
Camp
1997 by: Ibrahim Hooper
CAIR-NET: A Veil Doesn't Mean 'Oppressed' / MD School Board May
Continue Muslims' Prayer Release
1998 by: Ibrahim Hooper
CAIR-NET: US Muslims React to Miami Terror Arrests
1999 by: ihooper.cair-net.org
CAIR-NET: Media Asked Not to Call Miami Terror Suspects 'Muslims'
2000 by: Ibrahim Hooper
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR CALLS FOR PROBE OF U.S. ROLE IN ISRAELI
PRISON ATTACK
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/16/2006) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights and advocacy group today called for an independent investigation
of allegations that America played a role in an Israeli attack on a
Palestinian prison that came 10 minutes after U.S. and British monitors
withdrew from the facility.
The 10-hour assault resulted in the deaths of three Palestinians and
sparked protests throughout the Occupied Territories. Both the United
States and Britain denied cooperating with Israel, despite the short time
period between the withdrawal of the monitors and what was apparently a
pre-planned attack.
SEE:
Britain and US Complicit in Jericho Raid, Says Abbas (Independent)
"The fact that the assault came just minutes after the withdrawal of
American monitors creates the impression that there was coordination
with the Israeli military," said
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (
CAIR).
He said that impression, if left unaddressed by an independent
investigation, can only serve to reinforce the perception in the region
that our nation's foreign policy serves Israeli, not American,
interests.
SEE:
Lebanese Forces Block U.S. Embassy Protest (AP)
Awad cited a new study published by the Harvard University John F. Kenney School of Government, titled
"The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy,"
that asks the question: "Why has the US been willing to set aside its
own security and that of many of its allies in order to advance the
interests of another state?"
The report also states:
"...the United States has become the de facto enabler of Israeli
expansion in the occupied territories, making it complicit in the
crimes perpetrated against the Palestinians. This situation undercuts
Washington's efforts to promote democracy abroad and makes it look
hypocritical when it presses other states to respect human rights."
An edited version of the report was published in
March 23rd issue of he London Review of Books.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices, chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission
is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect
civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that
promote justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the
American Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news
releases and other materials dealing with American Muslim positions on
issues of importance to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/17/06
*
Hadith:
What is Faith?
*
WA:
Head Judge Establishes
Policy on Hijab in Court
*
CA:
Muslim Teen Arrested
Over Fender Bender (ABC)
*
CA:
Mosques Open House
Educates About Islam (OC Reg)
-
MI:
Events to Educate Public About
Islam
-
CA:
Local Muslims Say Outreach
Needed
-
DC:
Christian Ministers Decry
Denigration of Prophet
-
Pope:
Christians, Jews,
Muslims Must Work Together
-
NC:
Muslims to Help Build Homes
for Hurricane Victims
*
AL:
Kids Can Pray, Play at New
Islamic Center (Birmingham News)
*
CAIR Wants Probe of
US-Israeli Collaboration (CNS News)
*
CA:
Informant's
Credibility Under Fire in Lodi Case (SF Chron)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: WHAT IS FAITH? -
TOP
A person once asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "What
is faith?" The Prophet replied: "When a good deed becomes a
source of pleasure for you and an evil deed becomes a source of disgust,
then you are a believer."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 8
To learn more about the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
WA: HEAD JUDGE ESTABLISHES
POLICY ON HIJAB IN COURT -
TOP
CAIR applauds new policy allowing religious accommodation
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/17/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) today applauded a new policy established by the City of Tacoma
Municipal Court allowing religious attire to be worn in
courtrooms.
The new policy issued by Presiding Judge Arthur "Jack" Emery,
was the result of an incident earlier this year in which a Muslim woman
was ejected from another judge's courtroom for refusing to remove her
religiously-mandated headscarf. CAIR intervened on behalf of the woman,
who later received an apology from the court.
SEE: WA Judge Apologizes for Ejecting Muslim Woman from Court
http://cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=1970&theType=NR
In a March 9 memorandum to municipal court judges and staff, Judge Emery
wrote: "This will confirm that no person shall be excluded from a
courtroom for wearing attire for religious or medical purposes. The
appropriateness of all other attire is within the Judge's
discretion."
Judge Emery also told CAIR that the court is also pursuing an educational
program regarding religiously-mandated attire.
"We thank Judge Emery for his efforts to provide religious
accommodation in Tacoma courtrooms," said CAIR Communications
Director Ibrahim Hooper. "It is important that everyone's religious
practices be respected, and it particularly important that they be
respected in a court of law."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-Seattle President Rami Al-Kabra, 206-349-5995, E-Mail:
info@cairseattle.org; Ibrahim
Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
CA: MUSLIM TEEN ARRESTED OVER
MINOR FENDER BENDER -
TOP
Dan Noyes, ABC, 3/17/06
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=4000500
Mar. 16 - KGO - A Northern California police department is being accused
of ethnic and religious discrimination in its handling of a minor hit and
run involving a Muslim family. The I-Team has been studying the records
and police audiotapes in the case.
The central question in this story is why. Why are the Davis Police and
Yolo County prosecutors spending so much time, effort and tax money going
after a teenage girl and her family for a minor fender bender?
Jamal Buzayan thought he was living the American dream. He emigrated from
Libya 30 years ago, became a research scientist at U.C. Davis, and earned
good money in local real estate. Then, one night last summer, the police
came to his door.
Jamal Buzayan, arrested teen's father: "The other officer came in
and went this way and he put his hand on the gun."
It all began six days before in a parking lot. According to a police
report, two witnesses spot the Buzayan's SUV moving near a sedan -- they
"do not see contact between the two vehicles," but notice some
damage to the car as the family's SUV pulls away. The witnesses leave a
note for the sedan's owner, Adrienne Wonhof. With the help of Davis
police, she reaches the Buzayans.
Adrienne Wonhof, hit and run victim:: "They said they hadn't hit
anybody's car, and that they didn't think that they did
it."
Jamal Buzayan: "Her bumper is much lower than my
bumper."
The damage to the two vehicles doesn't seem to match, and no one in the
family recalls any collision, but Jamal writes a check for $870
anyway.
Jamal Buzayan: "And the lady came and took it on the tenth and
cashed it and it was over with."
That's what he thought. Police recordings of interviews with the Buzayans
explain why the trouble had just begun. (MORE)
-----
CA: MOSQUES HOST OPEN HOUSE
THIS WEEKEND TO EDUCATE ABOUT ISLAM -
TOP
Ann Pepper, Orange County Register, 2/16/06
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1054076.php
Ever since the deadly rioting over the caricatures of the Prophet
Muhammad left non-Muslims puzzled by the extent of the outrage, local
Muslims have sought ways to increase understanding on this issue between
themselves and the larger community.
The result is this weekend's open house program: "Who is Prophet
Muhammad?" covering why more than 1.3 billion people describe
Muhammad as a teacher, role model and messenger of God and why Muslims
believe he is being defamed.
"We would like to cordially welcome our neighbors to learn more
about this remarkable man who changed the course of history through
establishing a moral code and initiating social and political
reform," said Issam Karkoutli of Mission Viejo.
The event will be held at three mosques, and could feature speakers,
videos, displays, mosque tours, refreshments and the opportunity to meet
local Muslims. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
EAST LANSING EVENTS SEEK TO EDUCATE
PUBLIC ABOUT ISLAMIC FAITH -
TOP
Kathleen Lavey, Lansing State Journal, 2/17/06
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/LIFE04/603170338/1084/life
For local Muslims, much of the news these days is simply bad.
The war in Iraq, entering its fourth year, seems to be degenerating into
civil war between two Muslim sects.
Controversy, sometimes accompanied by violence, has continued over Danish
political cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
And last week, a poll commissioned by the Washington Post found that 46
percent of Americans now have a negative view of Islam - more than in the
period right after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon.
The animosity is a two-way street, said Mohammed Ayoob, professor of
international relations and coordinator of the Muslim Studies program at
Michigan State University.
"The continuing support to Israel, the invasion of Iraq and the
general orientation of American policy is perceived by Muslims as
anti-Muslim," Ayoob said. "The solution here is that we come to
know each other better."
Three East Lansing events aim to increase understanding of Islam and the
Muslim world. . . (MORE)
---
CA: LOCAL MUSLIMS SAY OUTREACH NEEDED -
TOP
Jonathan Jones, Daily Review, 3/17/06
http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_3612098
FREMONT - The first time Glenn Koehler can remember learning about
Muslims and the Islamic faith came in September 1972, when a Palestinian
terrorist group called Black September murdered 11 Israeli hostages
during the Olympics in Munich, Germany.
"Then the second was Sept. 11," Koehler said. "So there's
really been no pleasant introductions."
Koehler is a 58-year-old Fremont engineer. He describes himself as a
Lutheran, politically conservative and a registered Republican who gets
much of his news from the Drudge Report, Michael Savage and the Alliance
Defense Fund, a legal advocacy group for Christian rights. He does not
have Muslim friends, and agrees with the statement that Muslims teach
their children to hate unbelievers, Muslims value life less than other
people, and that Islam teaches violence and hatred.
Koehler is not alone. Two polls released this week indicated that almost
half of Americans have a negative perception of Islam and that one in
four of those surveyed have extreme anti-Muslim views.
An independent survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
shows that 23 to 27 percent of all Americans believe Muslims value life
less than other people and that Islam teaches violence and hatred. The
survey also showed that only 6 percent of Americans have a positive first
impression of Islam and Muslims.
A similar poll released by the Washington Post and ABC News found that
one in four Americans "admitted to harboring prejudice toward
Muslims," and that 46 percent had a negative view of Islam, a 7
percent jump since the months after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11,
2001. (MORE)
---
CHRISTIAN MINISTERS UNITE TO DECRY
DENIGRATION OF PROPHET -
TOP
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62542
WASHINGTON, March 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- [Following is a op-ed by
Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, national co-president, American
Clergy Leadership Conference, archbishop and founder, Imani Temple
African-American Catholic Congregation, Washington, DC.]
The recent cartoon denigration of the messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace
be upon him) by a Danish newspaper has unleashed a furor in the Islamic
world of dramatic proportions. Why could journalism not have been more
circumspect in taking on such a behemoth?
Man's inhumanity toward man is most often expressed in acts committed out
of philosophical and religious ignorance. What is sacred to one believer
may have no special significance to an adherent of another faith. When
one crosses the line and disrespectfully treads upon the sanctum
sanctorum of another man's belief, rationality is jettisoned and
ruminating about what could have been avoided is an exercise in
futility.
The American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC), which is rapidly
becoming the nation's largest interreligious and interracial coalition of
Christian ministers, has taken the high road in an effort to bring about
greater civility, sensitivity and awareness among Muslims, Jews and
Christians. The organization has brought thousands of interreligious
clergy to visit Israel and Gaza in more than a dozen delegations over the
past 3 years to interface with the children of Abraham in constructive
dialogue, leading participants to a greater understanding and
appreciation of each other's faith. It should now be obvious that lasting
peace requires more than weapons, walls and diplomacy. It is tragic when
religion engenders such conflict, for the true practice of the teachings
of our great faith traditions would lead each of us to be peacemakers. .
.
We issue a call from Jerusalem to all religious leaders of good will-
Muslims, Christians and Jews- to come forward to demonstrate faith that
brings respect and dignity for all. The conclusion of yet another
interreligious pilgrimage reminds us once again of the urgent need for
dialogue and understanding on all sides. ACLC calls upon faith leaders to
sow such seeds of love and respect that will bring healing to the
land.
---
CHRISTIANS, JEWS, MUSLIMS MUST
WORK TOGETHER: POPE -
TOP
Reuters, 3/16/06
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-03-16T145536Z_01_L16779859_RTRUKOC_0_US-POPE-JEWS.xml
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Christians, Jews and Muslims must work together
to promote peace and teach respect for religions and their symbols, Pope
Benedict said on Thursday.
In reference to a wave of violence over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad,
but also to attacks in recent months on churches, mosques and synagogues
in several countries, the Pope said religious leaders had a
responsibility to "work for reconciliation through genuine
dialogue".
"Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe in the one God ... It
follows, therefore, that all three monotheistic religions are called to
cooperate with one another for the common good of humanity, serving the
case of justice and peace in the world," he told a visiting
delegation of the American Jewish Committee.
"This is especially important today when particular attention must
be given to teaching respect for God, for religions and their symbols,
and for holy sites and places of worship," he said.
The Pope has condemned the cartoons, whose publication first in a Danish
newspaper and later in other European papers sparked worldwide protests
by Muslims who believe it is blasphemous to depict the Prophet.
But he also said violent protests against the perceived offence were
wrong.
In the wake of the unrest, Roman Catholic and Jewish leaders agreed
earlier this month to widen their two-way dialogue to involve
Muslims.
---
INTERFAITH GROUP PLANS TO BUILD
HOMES FOR FAMILIES LEFT HOMELESS BY HURRICANE -
TOP
Yonat Shimron, News and Observer, 3/17/06
http://www.newsobserver.com/667/story/418924.html
Steve and Nancy Dilger have always given generously to causes they
believe in. But after Hurricane Katrina hit, they both thought money was
not enough.
They wanted to give of themselves.
For Nancy, a homemaker, that was easier. She joined one of the support
circles formed around families who relocated to Raleigh after the Aug. 29
hurricane destroyed their homes.
Now Steve, a custom home builder, may be finding his niche. On March 27,
he and 17 builders and workers, mostly from Raleigh, will drive to
Gulfport, Miss., to build three homes in one week.
A private man who prefers crunching numbers to choosing words, Dilger is
a Roman Catholic who shies from bold pronouncements about his
faith.
"I see that suffering and I want to help end it -- you know?"
he said.
Not being a stickler for dogma or denomination, Dilger has dubbed the
group the "Raleigh Interfaith Builders Task Force." As of this
week, 65 volunteers have signed up. They include three real estate
agents, two Christian ministers, a schoolteacher and a landscaper. The
group includes mostly Baptists and Catholics -- the largest denominations
in Wake County. But a handful of Muslims, a Buddhist and a Jew are also
among them. (MORE)
-----
AL: NEW ISLAMIC CENTER PROVIDES
PLACE FOR CHILDREN TO PRAY, PLAY -
TOP
GREG GARRISON, Birmingham News, 3/17/06
http://www.al.com/living/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1142590660109270.xml&coll=2
Laith Dahhan, Mohsin Janjua, Shahnoor Shan and Judge Ali aren't yet
teenagers, but they like to get together for a good game of
pool.
Now Muslim youth have a place to hang out, shoot pool, play air hockey
and learn about the Qu'ran, the Islamic holy book.
Dahhan, 8, a student at Shades Cahaba Elementary School; Janjua, 11, a
student at Riverchase Middle School; Shah, 12, a student at Simmons
Middle School; and Ali, 9, a student at Cahaba Heights, worked on their
billiards skills Sunday afternoon on a table in a new youth center
affiliated with the Muslim American Society.
This week, the Birmingham Islamic Center dedicated a portion of its
Hoover prayer hall, which has been open since 2003 at 3233 Oak Hill
Drive, for the youth program. It's the 30th such youth chapter nationally
of the Muslim American Society. A grand opening ceremony was held Sunday,
with children gathering to eat snow cones and drive small motorized toy
cars.
The youth center will be open tonight between 6 and 8:30 p.m., and on
Saturday afternoon and evening, between the times Muslims are required to
do their five daily prayers. Rules posted in the game room at the new
Muslim youth center instruct children to honor the name of Allah before
and after they play, and to stop playing when they hear a call to
prayer.
"We are hoping kids can have fun and get Islamic information through
this center," said Ahmad Hammoud, a spokesman for the Birmingham
Islamic Center. (MORE)
-----
ISLAMIC GROUP WANTS PROBE OF
ALLEGED US-ISRAELI COLLABORATION -
TOP
Susan Jones, CNSNews.com, 3/17/06
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200603\POL20060317b.html
(CNSNews.com) - A Washington-based Islamic advocacy group is calling for
an independent investigation into allegations that the United States
colluded with Israel in its attack on a Palestinian prison in the West
Bank on Tuesday.
Israeli troops stormed the prison in Jericho just minutes after U.S. and
British monitors left the facility -- because of deteriorating security,
they said.
Both the U.S. and Britain have denied coordinating the departure of the
prison monitors with Israel, but the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) said questions about that must be put to rest.
"The fact that the assault came just minutes after the withdrawal of
American monitors creates the impression that there was coordination with
the Israeli military," said Nihad Awad, CAIR's executive
director.
Awad said an independent investigation is necessary to confirm the facts
of the case -- otherwise, the incident will only "reinforce the
perception in the region that our nation's foreign policy serves Israeli,
not American, interests." (MORE)
-----
INFORMANT COMES UNDER FIRE --
SAYS 3 TERRORISTS WERE IN LODI -
TOP
Defense says claims call credibility of key witness into question
Demian Bulwa, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/17/06
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/17/MNG0RHPSO81.DTL&hw=INFORMANT+COMES+UNDER+FIRE+SAYS+TERRORISTS+WERE+IN+LODI&sn=001&sc=1000
The credibility of an FBI informant at the center of a federal terror
investigation in Lodi came under attack Thursday with the disclosure that
he told FBI agents that he had seen three men on the FBI's list of most
wanted terrorists in the San Joaquin County city.
According to FBI reports, the informant, Naseem Khan, recalled seeing
Osama bin Laden's chief deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Lodi in 1999. He
said he also spotted Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed al-Nasser, a suspect in
the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers military housing complex in Saudi
Arabia, and Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali, a suspect in the 1998 bombings of
U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.
Khan, 32, is the key witness against Hamid Hayat, a 23-year-old Lodi man
accused of supporting terrorism by attending a training camp in Pakistan
in 2003. Hayat is on trial in U.S. District Court in Sacramento along
with his 48-year-old father, who is charged with lying about his son's
alleged camp attendance.
In December 2001, Khan was sent as a paid FBI informant to Lodi, where
the Pakistan native and former fast-food worker had lived in the late
1990s before moving to Oregon. He befriended Hayat in the summer of 2002
before secretly recording their conversations. Hayat was arrested last
June after returning from a two-year trip to Pakistan.
The FBI reports were made public in a filing late Thursday by defense
lawyers, who are asking for access to portions of the reports that are
redacted. The reports were given to the defense Thursday morning, three
days after Khan testified that he had seen al-Zawahiri in Lodi. Under the
law, that testimony compelled prosecutors to turn over any related
reports.
The FBI reports show that in late 2001, before beginning his assignment
in Lodi, Khan told FBI agents about seeing the three suspected terrorists
two years earlier. He also accused the owner of a Lodi store that sells
Indian spices and the owner of a market in Stockton of laundering money
for terrorist organizations, among other claims. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/18/06
*
Hadith:
No Racism Allowed in Islam
*
CAIR-St. Louis:
Muhammad Lecture at
Dar-Ul-Islam
-
CAIR-CA:
250+ Attend Terrorism
Panel
*
CAIR-Seattle:
Head Coverings Can
Go to Court (News Trib)
-
CA:
Muslim, Son Say They were Booted
from Flight
*
CO:
Lawmaker Sent 'Beware of Islam' E-Mail to
Constituents (AP)
-
Offensive E-Mail Exposes Trend
(Daily Reporter-Herald)
*
WI:
Many
African-American Inmates Converting to Islam
*
A Growing, Confusing Market for
Halal Food (RNS)
*
U.S. Catholic Bishops to U.S. Gov't:
Engage with Islam
*
Study:
U.S. Mideast Policy
Motivated by Pro-Israel Lobby
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: NO RACISM ALLOWED IN ISLAM -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in his
last
sermon: "All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no
superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority
over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black
has any superiority over a white - except by piety and good action."
Abu Dharr said the Prophet told him: "You are not better than people
(of other races) unless you excel them in piety."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1361
-----
CAIR-ST. LOUIS: MUHAMMAD LECTURE AT
DAR-UL-ISLAM -
TOP
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/18/06
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/D827504375E6A97586257135000701BC?OpenDocument
BALLWIN - Nargis Virani, professor of Arabic language and literature at
Washington University, will give a lecture titled "The Life of the
Prophet: 'The Best Model' for the Believer in Times of Success and
Challenges" on Friday at 7 p.m. The St. Louis Chapter of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations is sponsoring the lecture, which will be
held at Dar-Ul-Islam mosque, 517 Weidman Road in Ballwin. For more
information call the chapter at (636) 207-8882.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CA: 250+ ATTEND TERRORISM PANEL -
TOP
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 3/18/2006) - More than 250 turned out on Friday for a
panel discussion on the sociological impact of terrorism, titled:
"How Terrorism Affects Our Lives."
The panel was made up of Sacramento Bee Senior Writer Steve Magagnini,
Edina Lekovic, the director of communications for the Muslim Public
Affairs Council (MPAC), and former Guantanamo Bay Chaplain Yusuf
Yee.
Panel members shared their perspectives on different aspects of how
terrorism is covered in the media and its impact on different
communities, and perceptions of Muslims and Islam, particularly in
relation to international acts of terrorism and U.S. policies. The
evening concluded with a question and answer session.
The event was hosted by the Sacramento Valley office the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV), The Council of Sacramento Valley
Islamic Organizations (COSVIO), the Sacramento Region chapter of the
Muslim American Society (MAS-SR), the California State University,
Sacramento, and Muslim Students' Association (MSA).
-----
WA: HEAD COVERINGS CAN GO TO COURT -
TOP
The News Tribune, 3/18/06
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5597251p-5031271c.html
Tacoma Municipal Court judges have clarified rules on appropriate attire
in their courtrooms two months after one of them kicked a Muslim woman
out of court because she declined to remove her traditional head
scarf.
A ruling by Presiding Judge Jack Emery means hijabs, yarmlukes and other
religious head coverings are OK even though hats generally are not
allowed in municipal courts.
"This will confirm that no person shall be excluded from a courtroom
for wearing attire for religious or medical purposes," Emery wrote
in a memorandum to municipal court judges and staff members. "The
appropriateness of all other attire is within the judges'
discretion."
In January, Municipal Court Judge David Ladenburg drew criticism for
ordering Puyallup resident Mujaahadid Sayfullah out of his courtroom
because she wouldn't take off her hijab.
Many judges prohibit the wearing of hats or other head coverings in their
courtrooms, a regulation that springs from a traditional show of respect
for the authority of the court.
Sayfullah complained, saying Ladenburg had violated her religious
freedoms. The national Council on American-Islamic Relations took up her
cause and sent a letter to the court asking it to reconsider its
policy.
Ladenburg later apologized, and the municipal court judges agreed to
review their rules.
In an interview Friday, Emery said his memorandum does not change any
rules - "we never had a policy that would discriminate" - but
simply clarifies that religious freedoms trump other decorum
rules.
"The higher courts have been pretty adamant about religious
attire," he said.
Ladenburg was unavailable for comment Friday.
Rami Al-Kabra, president of the Seattle chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, called Emery's announcement a victory for
religious freedom.
"This doesn't just pertain to Muslims. This covers all
religions," Al-Kabra said. "This is a very good reaction to the
whole situation." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
HAYWARD MUSLIM, SON SAY THEY WERE BOOTED
FROM FLIGHT -
TOP
Matt O'Brien, Daily Review, 3/17/06
http://www.insidebayarea.com/localnews/ci_3614141
HAYWARD - A Muslim father and son from Hayward filed a complaint with the
U.S. Department of Transportation this week, accusing airline attendants
of booting them off a flight because of their appearance.
Fazal Khan, 59, and his son, Mohammed Khan, 28, boarded a United Airlines
flight from Los Angeles to Oakland on Jan. 31 wearing traditional South
Asian tunics, white skullcaps and loose trousers. Both men also have long
beards.
Before takeoff, attendants asked the Khans to vacate their seats and
escorted them back to the terminal, said their lawyer, Shirin Sinnar of
the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco.
"They were essentially told, `You can't take this flight because the
flight attendant is uncomfortable,"' Sinnar said.
The plane was operated by SkyWest Airlines, a regional feeder airline
that serves as a carrier for some flights booked with the United Express
service of United Airlines.
United Airlines spokesman Jeff Green said his company was "fully
investigating" the allegations this week. Utah-based SkyWest is
responsible for staff on the aircraft, he said.
SkyWest spokeswoman Sabrena Suite said Friday that the regional airline
also is looking into the complaint, adding "there is no room or
excuse for discrimination" at SkyWest.
Sinnar said the Khans do not know of anything, other than their attire,
that could have agitated the female flight attendant, who apparently
expressed concern to the terminal crew about their presence.
"When they got on the plane, she helped them with their bags. That
was their only interaction," Sinnar said. (MORE)
-----
PASTOR: LAWMAKER SENT EARLIER E-MAIL ABOUT MUSLIMS -
TOP
Associated Press, 3/17/06
http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_076213107.html
(AP) LOVELAND, Colo. A legislator who apologized for an e-mail suggesting
black hurricane victims were lazy sent an earlier e-mail that said devout
Muslims could not be patriotic Americans, a minister said
Friday.
Pastor Jeff Wright of Heart of the Rockies Christian Church in Fort
Collins said he received the e-mail about Muslims from Rep. Jim Welker in
May 2004. He said he was so offended that he called Welker and then met
with him at the lawmaker's request.
"For a member of the state Legislature to send that really surprised
me," he said.
The e-mail about Muslims was first reported in the Loveland-Reporter
Herald on Friday. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
E-MAIL EXPOSES TREND -
TOP
Kate Martin, Daily Reporter-Herald, 3/17/06
http://www.lovelandfyi.com/Top-Story.asp?ID=4402
To a Fort Collins pastor, Rep. Jim Welker's e-mail conflict sounds
familiar.
Nearly two years ago, the representative from House District 51 sent an
e-mail to constituents titled "Beware of Islam in
America."
Fort Collins pastor Jeff Wright of the Heart of the Rockies Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) said he thought someone else sent the
message, not an elected representative.
"The content of the e-mail is so vitriolic and misinformed that I
questioned whether Rep. Welker had actually sent it," Wright wrote
May 18, 2004, in an e-mail.
Wright met with Welker in person to see if he did send it, and he said
Welker acknowledged sending it, Wright said. . .
Excerpts from Welker's e-mails
o Subject: Beware Of Islam In America
Date: May 13, 2004
Text excerpt: "Oxymoron: Can a devout Muslim be an American patriot
and loyal citizen? ... Politically, no. Because he must submit to the
mullah, who teaches annihilation of Israel and destruction of America,
the great Satan."
-----
WI: ISLAM AND THE BLACK
INMATE -
TOP
Many convert while behind bars
SHEILA B. LALWANI, Milwaukee Journal, 3/18/06
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=408883
Cloaked in a spring green jumpsuit, Paul Butler walks into a cloistered
room at the Racine Youthful Offenders Correctional Facility, bows his
forehead to the ground and prays.
The room is slightly cluttered and a little dingy. He doesn't
notice.
"Allahu Akbar!" Butler says in Arabic, which in English
translates to "Allah is the greatest." "Allahu
Akbar."
Unbeknown to his family and friends in Milwaukee, Butler, 20, is no
longer a Baptist but a convert to Islam.
Butler, convicted in 2005 on charges of possession of a firearm by a
felon, says he converted to Islam several months ago, finding a sense of
unity and brotherhood that was absent from his life.
When Muslims from the Racine Islamic Center come to the prison for
prayers, Butler rarely ignores the opportunity for fellowship.
"It's amazing how much Muslims respect each other," he says.
"You need that support from one another."
The situation at the Racine prison points to a larger trend happening
across the country: Islam is the fastest growing religion among young,
incarcerated African-Americans.
Through Islam, they say they found brotherhood, a sense of belonging and
racial acceptance.
Some figures suggest that one out of three African-Americans in federal
prison are Muslim and most converted during their imprisonment.
The trend has become so prominent that the Islamic Society of North
America, a national association that supports and promotes Muslims in the
United States, plans to hold a conference in Illinois in April on the
growth of Islam in prisons. (MORE)
-----
A GROWING, CONFUSING MARKET FOR HALAL
FOOD -
TOP
Mariam Jukaku, Religion News Service, 3/18/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/17/AR2006031701632.html
Tapping into a growing Muslim American population, the market for food
products lawful to eat under Islamic regulations has boomed, with some
industry leaders predicting billions of dollars in U.S. sales.
But different interpretations of what Muslims consider halal, or
religiously sanctioned, has led to confusion, misunderstanding and even
fraud, prompting some states to step in with regulations. (MORE)
-----
U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS TO U.S. GOV'T:
ENGAGE WITH ISLAM, PROTECT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM -
TOP
Catholic News Service, 3/17/06
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=19090
WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - The bishops of the United States have
called on the U.S. Congress develop policies that build understanding and
engagement with Islamic leaders and promote religious freedom for
Christians in countries with Muslim majorities, and offered specific
recommendations to move toward those goals.
"Constructive and respectful dialogue with Islam is imperative in
today's world," said Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, chairman of
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International
Policy. "Rather than deploring a clash of cultures, we need to
foster cultures of dialogue and respect as keys to justice and
peace." (MORE)
-----
STUDY: U.S. MIDEAST POLICY
MOTIVATED BY PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY -
TOP
Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz, 3/17/06
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/695227.html
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Middle East policy is not in America's national
interest and is motivated primarily by the country's pro-Israel lobby,
according to a
study published yesterday by researchers from Harvard University and
the University of Chicago.
Observers in Washington said yesterday that the study was liable to stir
up a tempest and spur renewed debate about the function of the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee lobby. The Fatah office in Washington
distributed the article to an extensive mailing list.
"No lobby has managed to divert U.S. foreign policy as far from what
the American national interest would otherwise suggest, while
simultaneously convincing Americans that U.S. and Israeli interests are
essentially identical," write the authors of the study.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/19/06
*
CAIR-AZ Job Opening:
Civil Rights
Director
*
CAIR-LA:
Four Locals Close to the War (OC
Register)
*
CAIR-CAN:
Attacker Runs Down
Muslim After Shouting Racial Slurs
*
FL:
Was Indictment of
Muslim Misleading? (St. Pete Times)
*
CA:
Muslim Cabbies Change Course
of Woman's Life
-----
CAIR-AZ JOB OPENING: CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTOR -
TOP
CAIR-AZ is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic person for the
position of Civil Rights Director. For more information about the
position, e-mail:
chairman@cairaz.org Copy to:
info@cairaz.org
-----
CAIR-LA: FOUR LOCALS CLOSE TO THE WAR -
TOP
MICHAEL CORONADO, Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/homepage/article_1059182.php
Three years after the beginning of the Iraq war, many in Orange County
still have personal bonds to the conflict.
A grieving father asks if the death of his son, Lance Cpl. Derek L.
Gardner, 20, was worth it. Marine wife Sara Cragholm is proud of what her
husband, Lt. Michael Cragholm, and his Marines are accomplishing in Iraq.
In Mission Viejo, Ed Tackett is designing equipment to protect and repair
the nation's soldiers. And Hussam Ayloush is fostering better
American-Islamic relations in Orange County. . .
Trying to provide insight into Muslim world
The work that
Hussam Ayloush does is markedly more difficult these
days.
Fostering better American-Islamic relations in Orange County in the
shadow of the conflict in Iraq, the Dubai ports controversy and the Abu
Ghraib prisoner-abuse scandal has grown more complicated.
Ayloush is the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations of Southern California.
His days are spent at conferences, schools and meetings - anywhere he
can share views on Islam, the war and Arab culture.
American credibility in the Middle East is not good, he said. Likewise
unfortunate is the way some Americans view Muslims. Three years after the
war, he said, he is not optimistic but he still works to bolster
understanding.
"Muslims are very proud to be Americans," he said. "If I
didn't believe I was making a dent, I wouldn't be here."
PHOTO OF HUSSAM AYLOUSH:
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/homepage/slideshow_1059182.php?pos=4
-----
ATTACKER RUNS DOWN CANADIAN MUSLIM
AFTER SHOUTING RACIAL SLURS -
TOP
CAIR-CAN calls for hate crime charge in University of
Toronto attack
(OTTAWA, CANADA, 3/19/06) The Canadian Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today called on law enforcement
authorities to treat an attack on Muslim students at the University of
Toronto (UT) as a hate crime and to bring the strongest possible criminal
charges. CAIR-CAN is also calling on the university to take concrete
steps to address racial hate and Islamophobia on campus.
Several witnesses told CAIR-CAN that a man attempted to run down four
Muslim students with his car on the university campus on Sunday after
yelling racial slurs at them. One of the students was reportedly hit by
the car and taken to a nearby hospital by paramedics. The alleged
attacker sped away.
"The University of Toronto has been known for its tolerance and
accommodation of religious needs. Now the university must take a strong
stand to show that all forms of hate and racism, including Islamophobia,
will not be tolerated on its campus," said Riad Saloojee, CAIR-CAN's
executive director. He added that the university must take action to
ensure the safety of its Muslim students.
In a prior complaint, a female Muslim student at the university told
CAIR-CAN she was pushed and called a terrorist on March 7. Earlier
complaints received by CAIR-CAN concerned at least two different flyers
promoting Islamophobia that were distributed at both York University and
the University of Toronto.
The victim of the March 7 incident told CAIR-CAN that she believed a
"Know Radical Islam" weeklong event organized by a student
group at the university in February may have also contributed to the
recent rise of Islamophobia on campus.
For more information about allegations of Islamophobia on campus, see:
http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=2383_0_2_0_C
Last week, CAIR-CAN sent a letter to David Naylor, president of the
University of Toronto, asking that the university take a strong stand
against hate. CAIR-CAN reiterated that request this weekend.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-CAN, Halima Mautbur at 613-795-2012; CAIR-DC,
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
Council on American-Islamic Relations - CANADA
Tel: 1-866-524-0004
Fax: 613-254-9810
URL:
www.caircan.ca
-----
FL: WAS INDICTMENT
MISLEADING? -
TOP
When the government charged Sameeh Hammoudeh with terrorism-related
activities, it used transcripts from wiretaps that may have been unfairly
edited.
MEG LAUGHLIN, St. Petersburg Times, 3/18/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/18/Hillsborough/Was_indictment_mislea.shtml
On that chilly day three years ago when Hammoudeh was arrested, two FBI
agents handcuffed him and drove him to FBI headquarters for questioning.
Hammoudeh said the agents told him he was not their target, but that they
wanted him to aid their investigation. They asked him to provide
information about how he helped Sami Al-Arian, a former professor at the
University of South Florida, get money to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad
after 1994.
The U.S. government has designated the PIJ a terrorist organization. The
group has claimed responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of people in
Israel and the occupied territories.
In 1995, it became illegal for people in the United States to provide
funds, goods or services to the organization. Because Hammoudeh worked
with Al-Arian, prosecutors focused on money Hammoudeh was sending to the
occupied territories, in an attempt to link Al-Arian to the PIJ after
1994. Hammoudeh's indictment accused him of "transferring monies and
funds . . . for the purpose of promoting PIJ activities."
Summaries of the wiretapped conversations that the government used to
justify this accusation seem to undercut the charges. (MORE)
-----
CA: MUSLIM CABBIES CHANGE COURSE OF
WOMAN'S LIFE -
TOP
Berkeley legal assistant converts to Islam, plans journey to
Afghanistan
By Kristin Bender, Chico enterprise Record, 3/19/06
http://www.chicoer.com/news/bayarea/ci_3618593
BERKELEY - As a legal assistant in a law firm representing East Bay taxi
drivers, Jane Stillwater built friendships with many Afghans who drive
cabs locally.
She found them warm and hardworking, kind and unassuming.
Stillwater, a free-spirited woman who has lived in Berkeley for 40 years,
felt at home among her new friends.
Slowly, she also started learning about their faith and, after years of
research and study, she converted to Islam a year ago.
"I figured it would be the one thing that I could do that would
really (upset) President George Bush," she said with a slight
laugh.
In all seriousness, she said she accepted the faith because it meshed
with her core belief that life is about trying to be a good person.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/20/06
*
Verse:
'Let There be No Compulsion in
Religion'
*
Iraq: New U.S. Atrocity
Alleged (ABC News)
-
Bloody Video Prompts Massacre
Probe
*
Iraq:
'Black Room' a
Grim Portrait of U.S. Abuse (NYT)
*
CAIR-MD/VA:
Work Starts on Islamic High
School
*
CA:
250 Turn Out for
'Who is the Prophet Muhammad?' Event
-
MI:
Muslim
Scholars Discuss Danish Cartoons with Public
-
CA:
Muslims,
Christians, Jews at 'Celebration of Abraham'
*
FL:
Passover Seder Brings
Together Jews, Christians, Muslims
*
CA:
Muslims Say Bush
Betrayed Them on Iraq War
*
AZ:
Publishing House Seeks
Muslim Writers
*
India:
Remains of Massacred Muslims
Found in Garbage Dump (NYT)
-
Backgrounder:
CAIR Applauds Denial of Visa
to Modi
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: 'LET THERE BE NO COMPULSION IN
RELIGION' -
TOP
"If it had been the will of your Lord that all the people of the
world should be believers, all the people of the earth would have
believed! Would you then compel mankind against their will to
believe?" The Holy Quran, 10:99
"(O Prophet) proclaim: 'This is the Truth from your Lord. Now let
him who will, believe in it, and him who will, deny it.'" The Holy
Quran, 18:29
"If they turn away from thee (O Muhammad) they should know that We
have not sent you to be their keeper. Your only duty is to convey My
message." The Holy Quran, 42:48
"Let there be no compulsion in religion." The Holy Quran,
2:256
-----
DID MARINES COMMIT CRIME IN IRAQ
CIVILIAN DEATHS? -
TOP
JONATHAN KARL, ABC News, 3/20/06
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/IraqCoverage/story?id=1743981&page=1
WASHINGTON, March 19, 2006 - A bloody videotape shot by a local Iraqi
journalism student has prompted the Pentagon to launch a criminal
investigation into an incident that left at least 15 Iraqi civilians dead
in the city of Haditha.
The details of what happened four months ago in Haditha are just now
coming to light with the release of the videotape by an Iraqi
organization called Hammurabi Human Rights.
The tape shows the bloodied and bullet-marked homes that had been
allegedly stormed by the Marines, and includes comments by local
residents.
"This is my father," a boy says on the tape. "He didn't do
anything wrong. Why did they kill him?"
The video shows the bodies of some of the dead, including one of three
children killed.
"These are children," one man on the tape says. "Are you
telling me these are terrorists?". . .
"We launched an investigation of our own with the help of a human
rights group," said Aparisim Ghosh, a writer for Time. "We
spoke to some eyewitnesses. And it turns out all the people killed were
killed by the Marines in small arms fire and, in a few instances, by an
explosive that was tossed into the home by the Marines themselves."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
BLOODY VIDEO PROMPTS MASSACRE PROBE -
TOP
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=1745817
-----
IN SECRET UNIT'S 'BLACK ROOM,'
A GRIM PORTRAIT OF U.S. ABUSE -
TOP
ERIC SCHMITT and CAROLYN MARSHALL
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/international/middleeast/19abuse.html
As the Iraqi insurgency intensified in early 2004, an elite Special
Operations forces unit converted one of Saddam Hussein's former military
bases near Baghdad into a top-secret detention center. There, American
soldiers made one of the former Iraqi government's torture chambers into
their own interrogation cell. They named it the Black Room.
In the windowless, jet-black garage-size room, some soldiers beat
prisoners with rifle butts, yelled and spit in their faces and, in a
nearby area, used detainees for target practice in a game of jailer
paintball. Their intention was to extract information to help hunt down
Iraq's most-wanted terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, according to Defense
Department personnel who served with the unit or were briefed on its
operations.
The Black Room was part of a temporary detention site at Camp Nama, the
secret headquarters of a shadowy military unit known as Task Force 6-26.
Located at Baghdad International Airport, the camp was the first stop for
many insurgents on their way to the Abu Ghraib prison a few miles
away.
Placards posted by soldiers at the detention area advised, "NO
BLOOD, NO FOUL." The slogan, as one Defense Department official
explained, reflected an adage adopted by Task Force 6-26: "If you
don't make them bleed, they can't prosecute for it." According to
Pentagon specialists who worked with the unit, prisoners at Camp Nama
often disappeared into a detention black hole, barred from access to
lawyers or relatives, and confined for weeks without charges. "The
reality is, there were no rules there," another Pentagon official
said.
The story of detainee abuse in Iraq is a familiar one. But the following
account of Task Force 6-26, based on documents and interviews with more
than a dozen people, offers the first detailed description of how the
military's most highly trained counterterrorism unit committed serious
abuses.
It adds to the picture of harsh interrogation practices at American
military prisons in Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as well as at
secret Central Intelligence Agency detention centers around the
world.
The new account reveals the extent to which the unit members mistreated
prisoners months before and after the photographs of abuse from Abu
Ghraib were made public in April 2004, and it helps belie the original
Pentagon assertions that abuse was confined to a small number of rogue
reservists at Abu Ghraib. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-MD/VA: WORK STARTS ON ISLAMIC HIGH SCHOOL -
TOP
Nation's Reaction to 9/11 Spurred Annapolis Group's Idea for Expanded
Mission
Daniel de Vise, Washington Post, 3/20/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/19/AR2006031901085.html
Construction has begun on a 20-acre campus near Annapolis that will house
an Islamic high school, a television station, athletic facilities and
eventually a college, according to project directors.
Mohammad Arafa, executive director of the Islamic Society of Annapolis,
said the Mekkah Learning Center will be the first Islamic high school in
the region. Work will progress on the $8 million project only as fast as
donations permit; religious law forbids the society to take out a loan
with interest.
The school will complement two established Islamic schools in the region,
Al-Huda School in College Park and Al-Rahmah School in Baltimore, each
serving a few hundred students up to the middle-school grades. Arafa said
he has the support of 22 Muslim leaders across Maryland.
He envisions the campus as a means "to help our children to be
Americans and Muslims without having to compromise their identity"
and as a place where Muslims and non-Muslims can gather to bridge their
differences. . .
Arafa cannot predict when classes will begin on the site, southwest of
where Crain Highway meets Interstate 97. The next wave of fundraising
will pay for grading work and a septic system. School organizers hope
they can offer classes in fall.
The first building will house a prayer hall, assembly rooms and space for
two ninth-grade classes, one for boys and one for girls. Arafa hopes to
add one grade each year, eventually serving 250 to 300 students. Plans
call for 171,000 square feet of building space.
If all goes as planned, he said, the school will be a place "where
you can give me the child at 3 years old and he can finish with a
PhD."
Shama Farooq, civil rights director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations for Maryland and Virginia, said Arafa is probably correct in
predicting that the school will draw students from the broader
Baltimore-Washington region.
"Obviously, people are sending their children to Islamic middle
schools, and they're trying to find Islamic high schools as well,"
she said. "I know of people who drive their children 30, 40 miles to
private schools."
-----
CA: UNDERSTANDING THE UPROAR -
TOP
Orange County Register, 3/20/06
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/homepage/article_1060563.php
The Islamic Institute of Orange County in Anaheim and the Orange County
Islamic Foundation in Mission Viejo hosted "Who is the Prophet
Muhammad?" on Sunday to increase understanding of the rioting over
caricatures of the prophet.
In Anaheim, above, about 250 people attended to hear speakers, ask
questions and share food with the Islamic community.
The Islamic Society of Orange County, 9752 13th St., Garden Grove, will
host a similar event Saturday with talks by Islamic scholar Muzammil
Siddiqi at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Registration: (714)
531-1515.
SEE ALSO:
MI: SCHOLARS DISCUSS
DANISH CARTOONS WITH PUBLIC -
TOP
LAURA MISJAK, The State News, 3/20/06
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=35276
Debate has yet to cease about the 12 Danish cartoons that depicted the
Muslim prophet Muhammad in a derogatory manner.
Students, residents and media took their shoes off in the entrance of the
Islamic Center of Greater Lansing on Saturday afternoon and took a seat
to hear the perspectives of six scholars.
The cartoons, which were published last month, have ignited protests and
caused about 50 deaths throughout the world.
Farhan Abdul Azeez, president of the Muslim Students' Association, said
the tension of the cartoons will end only after people are educated about
other faiths, adding that events like having the speakers at the center
will help make the public more aware of that.
"We need to turn this negative into a positive by educating
people," Azeez said. "Once you educate people, things will
change." (MORE)
---
CA: RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
CELEBRATED -
TOP
SCOTT JASON, Mercury-Register, 3/20/06
http://www.orovillemr.com/news/chico/ci_3619860
Muslims, Jews and Christians ate dinner together Sunday night as a way to
learn about each others' similarities and bring the groups
together.
About 160 people gathered at First Christian Church as part of the second
annual Celebration of Abraham.
Christianity, Islam and Judaism all have roots to Abraham.
The celebration event started last year and was attended by more than 200
people, said Julie Hilton Danan, a committee member. (MORE)
-----
FL: INTERFAITH PASSOVER SEDER IN
WEST PALM BRINGS TOGETHER JEWS, CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS -
TOP
Leon Fooksman, Sun-Sentinel, 3/20/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pseder20mar20,0,2163008.story
WEST PALM BEACH · They came to banish stereotypes, find common religious
threads and seek friendship in unlikely spiritual places. Wearing
skullcaps, hats and dapper suits, Jewish, Christian and Muslim believers
entered the temple, sat next to each other, and plunged into a biblical
story intended to bridge their differences.
That was the scene Sunday afternoon at the first joint interfaith
Passover Seder at Temple Israel, which drew more than 120 people to learn
the rituals of the Jewish observance marking the Israelites' passage out
of ancient Egypt. The gathering was in many ways, organizers said, a
reminder of something often obscured by religious sectarianism: The story
of the Exodus doesn't contain just a Jewish focus but universal themes on
liberation from slavery and political oppression that other faiths can
appreciate.
-----
CA: EAST BAY MUSLIMS SAY BUSH
BETRAYED THEM ON IRAQ WAR -
TOP
Jonathan Jones, Mercury-Register, 3/20/06
http://www.orovillemr.com/news/bayarea/ci_3620959
FREMONT - For Agha Saeed, national chairman of the Newark-based American
Muslim Alliance, the decision to endorse a candidate in the 2000
presidential election was not one of his shining moments.
The alliance, along with several other Muslim organizations, endorsed
George W. Bush. Saeed believes those endorsements helped seal the
election for Bush in Florida, where more than 6,000 Muslims voted for
him.
"We made that decision based on his public promises," Saeed
said. "Now there is a great sense of betrayal."
That sense of betrayal, which began with the enactment of the Patriot Act
and INS registration, intensified with the Bush administration's decision
to invade Iraq, Saeed said.
"It's not just disapproval," Saeed said. "This is a
problem that's going to affect the next generation. Who's going to clean
up this mess?"
Now, on the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq - after the
scandals involving the American-run prison at Abu Ghraib and the
country's descent into civil war - Muslim Americans' criticism of the
Bush administration's handling of the war has increased.
Many Muslim Americans believe the U.S. occupation is the primary problem
in Iraq and said they believe the Bush administration needs to implement
an exit strategy. (MORE)
-----
AZ: PUBLISHING HOUSE SEEKS MUSLIM
WRITERS -
TOP
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/3/prweb360583.htm
TEMPE, ARIZONA (PRWEB) March 20, 2006 -- Attention English-language
Muslim novelists, short story writers, playwrights, and poets: A
publishing house has been created just for you.
"Islamic writers in English had few options," explains Linda
"Widad" Delgado, founder of Muslim Writers Publishing.
"There are places for scholarly work, but I want to help Islamic
literary writers find outlets for their work."
A retired police sergeant and author of several novels, Delgado became a
Muslim several years ago. Read the story of her journey to Islam at
http://www.muslimwriterspublishing.com/reversion/
Taking note of the enormous barriers in the traditional American book
publishing world, and the stigmas attached to the subsidy alternatives,
Delgado set up her company as a traditional Muslim publishing business.
Delgado uses a team of some of the publishing industry's most respected
experts to produce the book and jumpstart its marketing. Delgado has
established overseas distribution, printing and sales through a network
of contacts throughout the Muslim world, and has researched the
publishing industry in depth. "This system allows unknown authors to
compete as equals," Delgado said. "We will choose books that
are worthy of finding audiences, and able to reach a market; the authors
don't have to be established celebrities and superstars." . .
.
MWP does not publish erotica, full-color interiors, or manuscripts
promoting hate or violence.
Journalists: Delgado is available for interviews. Call 480-894-6014;
http://www.MuslimWritersPublishing.com
-----
GRISLY DISCOVERY REOPENS OLD WOUNDS IN
VILLAGE IN INDIA -
TOP
HARI KUMAR, New York Times, 3/20/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/20/international/asia/20gujarat.html
PANDARWADA, India - One afternoon in March 2002, amid one of the worst
outbreaks of sectarian violence in recent Indian history, 26 Muslim men
and women were hacked to death by a mob of Hindu hard-liners as others
hid in the wheat fields behind their homes in this dusty village. The
victims' relatives saw the horror unfold.
The police removed the bodies, and the people of Pandarwada, in the
western state of Gujarat, never again saw their dead. Nor, in the absence
of burials, could they properly mourn.
Though DNA tests were ordered on several skulls and bones found in
December in an isolated garbage dump near here, there seems little doubt
that the bones are the remains of the villagers massacred four years
ago.
Even the police, who say the people who dug up the remains conducted
illegal exhumations intended to disturb the peace, acknowledge that the
bones are probably the remains of the Pandarwada dead.
The discovery of the remains has reignited tensions over how officials in
Gujarat, a state led by Hindu nationalists, handled a wave of riots in
response to reports that a Muslim mob set fire to a train in February
2002, killing 59 Hindu pilgrims. The violence convulsed the state for
days and persisted for months; at least 1,000 people, most of them
Muslims, were killed.
The chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, was criticized for not
doing enough to stop the carnage. He has since been accused of not doing
enough to bring people who committed crimes to justice. (MORE)
BACKGROUNDER: CAIR APPLAUDS DENIAL OF VISA TO
NARENDRA MODI -
TOP
http://cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=1500&theType=NR
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/21/06
*
Verse/Hadith:
Be Courteous to One
Another
*
DC:
Muslim Leaders Meet with
Rice, Hughes, NSC Officials
*
MI:
Anti-Arab Rampage at Gas
Station (Detroit Free Press)
*
CAIR-CAN:
Hit-Run Attack on
Canadian Muslim (Star)
-
Profile of CAIR-CAN Spokeswoman
(Montreal Gazette)
*
CAIR-CA Asks County to Drop Charges Against Muslim Teen
*
CAIR-AZ:
Muslims Meet Congressman to Discuss Ousted Doctor
-
CAIR-Philly 'Know Your Rights' Seminar
*
CAIR-Chicago Mobilizes Muslim Voters for Primary Election
*
NY:
CAIR-OH Rep to Discuss 'Justice in Difficult Times'
-
CAIR-MI Rep to Speak About Islam at Local Church
*
Pro-Israel Lobby in U.S. Under Attack (UPI)
*
Iraq:
Civilian Massacre by U.S. Troops in Haditha? (Time)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: BE COURTEOUS TO ONE ANOTHER -
TOP
"When you are offered a (courteous) greeting, answer with a greeting
still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. God takes
careful account of all things."
The Holy Quran, 4:86
Sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran at:
www.explorethequran.org
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, Number 602
Sponsor or obtain FREE information about the Prophet Muhammad at:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
DC: MUSLIM LEADERS MEET WITH RICE, HUGHES, NSC OFFICIALS -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/21/06) - Members of the United States Institute of Peace
U.S.-Muslim World Advisory Committee
met yesterday in Washington, D.C., with Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes and
top officials of the National Security Council, including Senior
Director Michael Doran.
The meetings focused on issues such as the American Muslim community's
role in outreach efforts to the Islamic world, how to address growing
levels of Islamophobia in the West, Muslim condemnations of terrorism
and religious extremism, and proposals for joint initiatives.
Muslim participants included representatives from the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Center for the Study of
Islam and Democracy (CSID), and the Islamic Center of America in
Michigan.
"We thank the United States Institute of Peace for bringing together
American Muslim leaders and senior government officials," said CAIR
Executive Director Nihad Awad, who took part in yesterday's meetings.
"It is our hope that such dialogues will continue in the future with
other elected and administration officials."
-----
MI: REDFORD TWP. RAMPAGE IS CALLED ETHNIC INTIMIDATION -
TOP
ZLATI MEYER, Detroit Free Press, 3/21/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060321/NEWS02/603210421/1004/NEWS
A 26-year-old man has been accused of smashing up a Redford Township
gas station staffed by Arab Americans and threatening to kill employees.
The incident is suspected of being one of several acts of ethnic intimidation in metro Detroit in recent months.
A preliminary exam for Stephen Lauderback of Redford Township is scheduled for today before 17th District Judge Karen Khalil.
He is charged with arson, malicious destruction of property, assault
with a dangerous weapon and ethnic intimidation. Lauderback is in the
Wayne County Jail.
According to Police Sgt. David Kutek, Lauderback walked into the BP gas
station and convenience store at 5 Mile and Beech Daly shortly before
1:30 p.m. March 8.
Police said Lauderback took a steel pipe and a steel rod out of his
backpack and started hitting merchandise, displays and an employee, a
21-year-old Dearborn Heights man.
He also allegedly accused the Arab Americans in the store of being in Al Qaeda, according to the police report.
Kutek said employees reported Lauderback saying: "For every soldier who dies, 10 of you should burn in World War III." (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CAN: CAMPUS HIT-RUN RAISES RACIAL TENSIONS -
TOP
ISABEL TEOTONIO, Toronto Star, 3/21/06
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1142894779666&call_pageid=968350130169&col=969483202845
A hit-and-run at the University of Toronto last weekend has done little
to quell fears of rising Islamophobia or smooth tensions with some in
the Muslim community.
While anti-Muslim sentiment does not appear to be a factor in the
Sunday attack - as it apparently was in other recent incidents - race
did play a role.
Several groups are now asking both the police and university to take action.
Witnesses say that on Sunday about 3 p.m., four men were walking north
on Huron St. and were returning to a Muslim theology seminar hosted by
the al-Maghrib Institute, which was being held in one of the
university's buildings.
The four Somali men, three of whom are Ryerson University students and
one of whom attends U of T, spotted a white man urinating against a
building. The white man, who appeared intoxicated, began yelling racial
slurs at the group, witnesses said.
One of the young black men approached the white man, and a shouting
match ensued, followed by the black man kicking the white man's car.
The four men then continued on their way and the man got into his
silver Acura Integra, gave chase and swerved onto the sidewalk,
recalled one of the four who asked not to be identified. The driver
then turned his car onto Russell St. and waited for the men to cross,
he said.
"We tried to cross the street and then he came really fast toward us,"
recalled the Ryerson student, adding the driver was still screaming
racial slurs at them through the window. "Then my friend got hit and
fell on the floor." . . .
However, the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations called
on Toronto police to treat the incident as a hate crime and lay
criminal charges.
The council asked the university to address racial hate and Islamophobia.
"There's no doubt that the act was racially motivated," said
Riad Saloojee of the council.
"We've yet to see any concrete action being taken by the university and we'd like to see recognition of this problem." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CAN: A CONDUIT FOR UNDERSTANDING -
TOP
ALANA COATES, Montreal Gazette, 3/18/06
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/saturdayextra/story.html?id=f0323723-10be-44f4-afb6-f11dafef0388
Sarah Elgazzar is striving to bridge the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims in Montreal.
Raised in a small town in rural Ontario, this Muslim woman, 24, began
her campaign for social justice while studying neuropsychology at
McGill University.
Last year, she was involved the long battle for a prayer room for
Muslim McGill students, acting as a liaison between the students and
the administration.
The fight is not over; Muslim students are still praying in a hallway.
Today, Elgazzar gives workshops to companies, organizations and
health-care workers in a bid to educate and sensitize non-Muslims to
the religion of Islam and its followers.
The most common misconceptions she encounters are usually about the
status of women in Islam and about reasons for wearing the hijab. Many
people are surprised to discover how similar Islam is to Christianity
and Judaism, she said.
It was during one of these workshops that Elgazzar landed a job as a
psychologist and educator helping troubled teens at Batshaw Youth and
Family Centres.
In addition, she's a coordinator and spokesperson for the Canadian
Council for American-Islamic Relations and a volunteer at the Amal
Centre for Women, an organization working to end violence against women
in the Muslim community. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-SV ASKS COUNTY TO DROP CHARGES AGAINST MUSLIM TEEN -
TOP
Honor student arrested following minor fender bender car accident
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 3/21/06) - The Sacramento Valley office of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) today called on Yolo County
officials to drop all charges against Halema Buzayan, a 16 year-old
Muslim honor student was arrested following a minor car accident last
year.
FOR BACKGROUND ON THE CASE, SEE:
Muslim Teen Arrested Over Minor Fender Bender
"Halema is an outstanding community member respected for her volunteer
and charity work. It is unfortunate that that the county spent so much
time, money and effort to prosecute Halema for an incident that was
already dealt with in a civil matter," said CAIR-SV Executive Director
Basim Elkarra.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices
and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
Contact: CAIR-SV Executive Director, Basim Elkarra, 916-441-6269; Email:
sacval@cair.com
-----
CAIR-AZ: MUSLIMS MEET WITH CONGRESSMAN TO DISCUSS OUSTED DOCTOR -
TOP
(PHOENIX, AZ, 3/20/06) - On Monday, March 20, representatives of the
Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ),
along with members of the local Muslim community, met with Rep. Ed
Pastor regarding the ouster of Dr. Nadeem Hassan from the United States.
According to an article in the January 28 issue of the Arizona
Republic: "Hassan had lived in the United States for more than 15
years, and practiced medicine at Maricopa Medical Center under a
temporary-work permit. He applied for permanent residence in 2002 and,
last year, sued the government for its delayed handling of the
green-card request. He and his wife, Amber, also sought visas so they
could travel in December to Mecca for the Muslim pilgrimage known as
hajj.
"The Hassans were granted visas. Last week, while they were still
overseas, Citizenship and Immigration Services, or CIS, denied the
green card and revoked their travel authorization, leaving them
stranded. When the Hassans returned Jan. 18 to New York, they were held
by Customs and Border Protection agents who threatened to jail them
unless they voluntarily left the country. They flew to Pakistan. Hassan
has no criminal record and is not charged with terrorism."
Rep. Pastor said in Monday's meeting that he was aware of the concerns
of the Muslim community regarding the civil liberties of each
individual. He stated: "People fought many battles to uphold and
protect these liberties and freedoms and we must take care of them."
Rep. Pastor also mentioned that he voted against the Patriot Act twice,
and strongly believes that violating the constitutional rights of
individuals will not win the war on terror.
"We were honored that Congressman Pastor took the time to meet with us.
Hopefully this meeting will assist in producing a positive outcome in
Dr. Hassan's case," said CAIR-AZ Director Nure Elatari.
CONTACT: Nure Elatari (602) 312-2223, E-Mail:
director@cairaz.org; Bushra Khan (602) 262-2247, Email:
officemanager@cairaz.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-PHILLY 'KNOW YOUR RIGHTS' SEMINAR -
TOP
(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 3/21/06) - Join us for an educational seminar by
attorney Yahya John Vandenberg who will outline your rights as an
American.
WHAT: Know Your Rights Seminar
WHEN: Friday, March 24, 2006, 6:30 PM (after Maghreb prayers)
WHERE: Al-Hamd School: 28 Salem Church Road, Newark
SPONSORS: Council on American-Islamic Relations-Philadelphia (CAIR-Philly) and Al-Hamd School
CONTACT: Adeeba Al-Zaman, CAIR-Philly, 215.592.0509; Shazya Mirza, Al-Hamd: 302.690.0374
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO MOBILIZES MUSLIM VOTERS FOR PRIMARY ELECTION -
TOP
CHICAGO (03/21/2006) - The Chicago office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) has been mobilizing Muslim
voters to actively participate in today's primary election in Illinois.
CAIR-Chicago made nearly 800 phone calls, reaching out to registered
voters in the third congressional district, as a part of a large "Get
Out the Vote" campaign.
Volunteers have been making phone calls over the weekend and weekday
nights, reminding constituents that their votes in this upcoming
election are vital.
Today, CAIR-Chicago volunteers are knocking on doors in the third
congressional district, reminding voters to cast their ballots.
"We want all eligible members of the Muslim community to cast their
ballots, regardless of which candidates they vote for," said
CAIR-Chicago Governmental Relations Coordinator Sadiya Ahmed.
Ahmed noted that the third congressional district is one of the most
hotly contested races in the Illinois primary elections and of concern
to the Muslim community. The district houses one of the largest mosques
in the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as one of the nation's
largest Muslim communities.
CONTACTS: Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago, (312) 212-1520, (847) 971-3963, E-Mail:
communications@cairchicago.org
-----
NY: CAIR-OH REP TO DISCUSS 'STANDING FOR JUSTICE DURING DIFFICULT TIMES' -
TOP
The Manhattanville Muslim Students Association Invites you to the MSA's Annual Basma T. Wahhaj Lecture
WHEN: Tues Mar 21, 6 pm - Reid Hall, Manhattanville, NY
SPEAKER: Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, President of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OH)
TOPIC: "Standing for Justice During Difficult Times"
For Further Info: 914-323-5134
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI REP TO SPEAK ABOUT ISLAM AT LOCAL CHURCH -
TOP
WHEN: Thursday, April 6, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hope United Methodist Church, 26275 Northwestern Hwy, Near
Lahser Rd., Southfield, MI 48076 (Kendrick and Lynette Adkins Building,
W. Jean Lewis Room E205/206)
SPEAKERS: Dawud Walid, Executive Director for the Michigan Chapter of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI); Imam Abdullah
El-Amin, Executive Director of the Council of Islamic Organizations of
Michigan; Rev. Dr. Carlyle F. Stewart III, Senior Pastor; Rev. Angelo
B. Henderson, Clergy Advisor; Barbara Talley, Peace Center Director;
Dayse Andrews, Facilitator
For information call: 248.356.1020 Ext 137, E-mail:
peacecenter@sbcglobal.net; Dawud Walid, 248.569.2203
-----
PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY IN U.S. UNDER ATTACK -
TOP
United Press International, 3/20/06
http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20060320-124726-1902r
WASHINGTON, March 20 (UPI) -- Two of America's top scholars have
published a searing attack on the role and power of Washington's
pro-Israel lobby in a British journal, warning that its "decisive" role
in fomenting the Iraq war is now being repeated with the threat of
action against Iran. And they say that the Lobby is so strong that they
doubt their article would be accepted in any U.S.-based publication.
Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago, author of "The
Tragedy of Great Power Politics" and Professor Stephen Walt of
Harvard's Kenney School, and author of "Taming American Power: The
Global Response to U.S. Primacy," are leading figures American in
academic life.
They claim that the Israel lobby has distorted American policy and
operates against American interests, that it has organized the
funneling of more than $140 billion dollars to Israel and "has a
stranglehold" on the U.S. Congress, and its ability to raise large
campaign funds gives its vast influence over Republican and Democratic
administrations, while its role in Washington think tanks on the Middle
East dominates the policy debate.
And they say that the Lobby works ruthlessly to suppress questioning of
its role, to blacken its critics and to crush serious debate about the
wisdom of supporting Israel in U.S. public life.
"Silencing skeptics by organizing blacklists and boycotts -- or by
suggesting that critics are anti-Semites -- violates the principle of
open debate on which democracy depends," Walt and Mearsheimer write.
(MORE)
-----
IRAQ: COLLATERAL DAMAGE OR CIVILIAN MASSACRE IN HADITHA? -
TOP
Last November, U.S. Marines killed 15 Iraqi civilians in their homes.
Was it self-defense, an accident or cold-blooded revenge? A Time
exclusive
TIM MCGIRK, Time, 3/19/06
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1174649-1,00.html
The incident seemed like so many others from this war, the kind of
tragedy that has become numbingly routine amid the daily reports of
violence in Iraq. On the morning of Nov. 19, 2005, a roadside bomb
struck a humvee carrying Marines from Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st
Marines, on a road near Haditha, a restive town in western Iraq. The
bomb killed Lance Corporal Miguel (T.J.) Terrazas, 20, from El Paso,
Texas. The next day a Marine communique from Camp Blue Diamond in
Ramadi reported that Terrazas and 15 Iraqi civilians were killed by the
blast and that "gunmen attacked the convoy with small-arms fire,"
prompting the Marines to return fire, killing eight insurgents and
wounding one other. The Marines from Kilo Company held a memorial
service for Terrazas at their camp in Haditha. They wrote messages like
"T.J., you were a great friend. I'm going to miss seeing you around" on
smooth stones and piled them in a funeral mound. And the war moved on.
But the details of what happened that morning in Haditha are more
disturbing, disputed and horrific than the military initially reported.
According to eyewitnesses and local officials interviewed over the past
10 weeks, the civilians who died in Haditha on Nov. 19 were killed not
by a roadside bomb but by the Marines themselves, who went on a rampage
in the village after the attack, killing 15 unarmed Iraqis in their
homes, including seven women and three children. Human-rights activists
say that if the accusations are true, the incident ranks as the worst
case of deliberate killing of Iraqi civilians by U.S. service members
since the war began. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR CALLS FOR RELEASE OF AFGHAN CHRISTIAN
Islamic civil rights group says conversion a personal, not state
matter
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/22/2006) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights and advocacy group today called on the government of Afghanistan
to release Abdul Rahman, a man facing the death penalty for converting
from Islam to Christianity.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations
(
CAIR) says the man's conversion is a
personal matter not subject to the intervention of the state.
SEE:
Afghan
Christian Could Face Death
In its statement, CAIR said:
"Islamic scholars say the original rulings on apostasy were similar
to those for treasonous acts in legal systems worldwide and do not apply
to an individual's choice of religion. Islam advocates both freedom of
religion and freedom of conscience, a position supported by verses in the
Quran, Islam's revealed text, such as:
1) 'If it had been the will of your Lord that all the people of the world
should be believers, all the people of the earth would have believed!
Would you then compel mankind against their will to believe?'
(10:99)
2) '(O Prophet) proclaim: 'This is the Truth from your Lord. Now let him
who will, believe in it, and him who will, deny it.'' (18:29)
3) 'If they turn away from thee (O Muhammad) they should know that We
have not sent you to be their keeper. Your only duty is to convey My
message.' (42:48)
4) 'Let there be no compulsion in religion.' (2:256)
"Religious decisions should be matters of personal choice, not a
cause for state intervention. Faith imposed by force is not true belief,
but coercion. Islam has no need to compel belief in its divine truth. As
the Quran states: 'Truth stands out clear from error. Therefore, whoever
rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy
hand-hold that never breaks.' (2:256)
"We urge the government of Afghanistan to order the immediate
release of Mr. Abdul Rahman."
Before issuing its statement, CAIR consulted with members of the
Fiqh
Council of North America, an association of Islamic legal scholars
that interprets Muslim religious law.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices,
chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; Rabiah
Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS -
3/22/06
*
Hadith:
Service and Humility
*
CAIR-CAN:
McGill U Asked to Respect
Ruling on Muslim Prayer
-
Canada:
Montreal Mosque
Vandalized for 4th Time (CBC)
*
CAIR-OH:
Take a Tour of
Cincinnati Mosque
-
CAIR-CA:
'Islam and the
West' Town Hall Forum
-
CAIR-CA Wants
Charges Against Muslim Teen Dropped
*
NJ:
Governor, Senator Won't
Back Arab-American Candidate (AP)
*
Interest in Learning Arabic
Soars (Los Angeles Times)
*
FL:
Jailed
Muslim Told 'We Don't Need Reason to Hold You'
-
DC:
Muslim Legal Conference
-
CA:
Informant's Tactics Are
Questioned
*
MN:
Student Upset by Quran
Presentation (WCCO)
*
Study:
US Sets Aside
Own Security for Israel's (CS Monitor)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SERVICE AND HUMILITY -
TOP
When asked what the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did while in his
house, his wife Ayesha relied: "He used to keep busy serving and
helping members of the household."
Anas bin Malik related that: "(Even the humblest) maid servant of
Madina would take the Prophet's hand and take him to any place (for the
redress of her grievances)."
Riyadh-us-Salaheen, Hadiths 605 and 606
-----
CAIR-CAN: MCGILL UNIVERSITY MUST RESPECT
COMMISSION'S RULING ON PRAYER -
TOP
ACCOMMODATION - TOP
Quebec Human Rights Commission finds denial of prayer accommodation
discriminatory
(OTTAWA, CANADA 22/03/06) The Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-CAN) is calling on McGill University to respect today's
decision by the Quebec Human Rights Commission (SEE:
http://www.cdpdj.qc.ca/en/home.asp)
which ordered another Quebec university to respect the basic human rights
of Muslim students by accommodating their prayer requirements. McGill
University has refused to provide adequate prayer
accommodations.
CAIR-CAN filed a human rights complaint against McGill on behalf of
Muslim students in December 2005 for failing to provide religious
accommodation, such as a multifaith or separate prayer space.
"We welcome today's decision by the Commission, which reaffirms that
educational institutions must respect Quebec's Charter of human rights
and freedoms, and guarantee religious accommodation for Muslim
students," says Riad Saloojee, CAIR-CAN's executive director.
"We call on McGill University to implement today's decision and move
immediately to accommodate the needs of its students."
Sarah Elgazzar, CAIR-CAN's spokesperson, says Muslim students at McGill
are likely to be reassured by today's decision. "McGill University
has a responsibility to allow its students to practice their religion
with dignity," says Elgazzar, a former McGill student who was forced
to pray in dirty hallways after the university evicted the students from
their prayer room.
For more information about the complaint against McGill, which is still
pending, please see:
http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=A2159_0_2_0_M
Today's decision by the Commission was rendered in relation to the
situation at the École de technologie supérieure. The Commission stated
that the university's claims to being a secular institution a defence
also used by McGill University does not absolve the school from its
duty to accommodate the religious practices of its students.
École de technologie supérieure had confiscated its Muslim students'
prayer mats and claimed, like McGill University, that students could use
empty areas, such as hallways, empty classrooms or stairwells to perform
their prayers. The Commission found this did not meet the duty to
accommodate students' rights to practice their religion "in
conditions that respect their right to the safeguard of their
dignity."
For more information, please contact Sarah Elgazzar at 514-776-6566 or
Halima Mautbur at 613-795-2012.
SEE ALSO:
CANADA: MONTREAL MOSQUE VANDALIZED
-
TOP
CBC News, 3/22/06
http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/story/qc-mosque-060322.html
For the fourth time in recent weeks, vandals have targeted a
Montreal-area mosque, this time smashing several windows with rocks at a
St. Michel mosque early Tuesday morning.
Imam Said Jazari says his is the fourth mosque in the Montreal region to
be hit since the global controversy over the publishing of cartoons
depicting the prophet Muhammad.
From Feb. 9, 2006: Police increase security at Laval mosques
Jazari organized a demonstration against those cartoons last
month.
"We get threats on the phone," Jazari says. "They tell us
they're going to attack the mosque, they're going to attack us." . .
.
"Today it's rocks coming through the windows," he says.
"But tomorrow it could be bullets."
The mosque is now installing security cameras inside the building and in
the back alley.
-----
CAIR-OH: TAKE A TOUR -
TOP
KATIE KELLEY, CIN WEEKLY, 3/22/06
http://www.cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060322/LIFE08/603220331/1065
The Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati has been in West Chester
Township for more than 10 years, but to many local residents it remains a
mystery.
It doesn't have to, however. You can gather a group of your friends or
members of your place of worship and receive an interesting, thorough and
informative tour from an employee or volunteer with the center.
Volunteer Karen J. Dabdoub, who directs the Council on American-Islamic
Relations Ohio Chapter - Cincinnati Office as her day job, guided the
group tour I attended. She touched on everything from the history of the
building and artwork to common misconceptions about Islam.
Ready for a tour? Don't go in clueless: With help from Dabdoub and tour
coordinator Shakila Ahmad, we compiled these tips and highlights so
you'll be well prepared. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR PARTICIPATES IN 'ISLAM AND
THE WEST' TOWN HALL FORUM -
TOP
(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 3/23/06) - The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), along with members of
the local Muslim community, will take part in a town hall forum titled
"Islam and the West" to air March 23rd on CBS 5.
Ken Bastida and Dana King anchor this hour-long CBS 5 News Special with
panelists Jane Wales, CEO and President of the World Affairs Council;
Beshara Doumani, Professor of the World Affairs Council; Richard Sklar,
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; Khalil Bendib, an American
Muslim Cartoonist based in Berkeley; and Abbas Milani, Research Fellow at
the Hoover Institution. The panelists were asked various questions
regarding the war in Iraq, the Sunni/Shia issues, the Danish cartoon
controversy, and predictions for the coming year.
Safaa Ibrahim, Executive Director for CAIR-SFBA, was asked to speak about
the Muslim community in America and the status of women in Islam. CAIR
also conducted a poll of Bay Area Muslims asking their views on issues
ranging from the Iraq war, Islam and culture and experiences living in
America.
See also the video blog
Behind the
Scenes: The Making of "Islam and the West."
CAIR has 32 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
For more information, please contact: Sameena Usman, Outreach Coordinator
at 408-986-9874 or
sameena@cair.com
---
CAIR-SV: COUNCIL
WANTS CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST MUSLIM TEEN -
TOP
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=4013294
Mar. 21 - KGO - Strong reaction over an ABC7 News I-Team report about a
Muslim teen prosecuted for a minor car accident. A civil liberties group
says the Davis Police Department is guilty of discrimination and they
want the case dropped. But not only is the Yolo County D.A. going forward
with the case, it's trying to silence the I-Team.
It all started with a minor fender bender. Two witnesses say they saw the
SUV owned by Jamal Buzayan hit another car in a parking lot.
Sixteen-year-old Halema Buzayan and her mother Najat were
inside.
Buzayan says his wife was driving that day, but no one recalls a
collision. He decides to put the matter to rest and writes a check to
cover the damage anyway.
Jamal Buzayan, father of arrested teen: "And the lady came and took
it on the tenth and cashed it and it was over with."
But that was just the beginning. The Davis Police Department decided to
investigate. They interview the Buzayans and conclude that their daughter
Halema was driving the family SUV. Police show up at night to arrest the
teenager, booking her in her pajamas while her parents look on.
Jamal Buzayan: "I was really scared of them because both had hand on
gun."
Halema Buzayan, arrested teen: "He takes my fingerprints and every
time he pushes down, he pushed down really hard and he tells me, 'tell
the truth, tell the truth, that's all you have to do,' and he just seems
so angry with me."
The Yolo County District Attorney decided to prosecute. But their
aggressive tactics are raising questions.
Dean Johnson, ABC7 legal analyst: "It's really about whether the
officer violated Halema's civil rights in the larger sense of undertaking
this investigation, prosecution and arrest because of her ethnic or
religious background."
Both the police chief and district attorney refused to be
interviewed.
Now a civil liberties group is saying they went too far. The Council on
American Islamic Relations is demanding Yolo County drop the
charges.
Basim Elkarra, Council on American Islamic Relations: "The community
is wondering why this is happening. Is this selective enforcement?
Because, there are many other cases, many hit and run cases, that are
never prosecuted so why go after this honor student?"
(MORE)
-----
TERROR FEARS DRAG CORZINE,
MENENDEZ INTO ARAB CANDIDATE'S RACE -
TOP
WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press, 3/22/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--arabcandidate-ter0322mar22,0,7811522.story
NEWARK, N.J. -- Two weeks ago, fear of an Arab company taking over
operations at U.S. ports led to the collapse of the deal. Now an
Arab-American businessman's candidacy for county office is drawing
concern from Democrats who fear he is sympathetic to suicide
bombers.
In northern New Jersey's Arab-American community _ one of the nation's
largest _ anger is rising over what some consider a renewed wave of
anti-Arab bias.
Two years ago, Sami Merhi, a Lebanese-born businessman from Totowa,
narrowly lost a bid to run as the Democratic Party's candidate for
Passaic County freeholder because of remarks he made in 2002 that some
interpreted as sympathetic to Palestinian suicide bombers.
This year, he won the party's blessing to run for the seat, but now finds
himself dogged by the same comments, and facing opposition from Gov. Jon
S. Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez because of them.
"I feel like every other person in this community feels _ every one
of us is becoming another Dubai," Merhi said, referring to the Arab
country whose bid to take over U.S. port operations was derailed amid a
storm of controversy. "It's not fair and it's not American. America
is 'us.' You can't remove anyone from the 'we."' . . .
Aref Assaf, president of the Paterson-based American Arab Forum and a
friend of Merhi's, said yanking the endorsement would be akin to hanging
out a sign reading, "Arabs need not apply."
-----
INTEREST IN LEARNING ARABIC
SOARS -
TOP
Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times, 3/22/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arabic22mar22,0,4072351.story
Coming of age during the 9/11 attacks and war in Iraq, some of the
students in UCLA's advanced Arabic class want to launch diplomatic or
military careers. Others seek to delve into the Koran and Islamic
culture. And some simply love a mind-stretching, tongue-twisting
challenge.
No matter the reasons, they help fuel a trend that has made Arabic the
fastest-growing spoken language of study at U.S. colleges and
universities.
Just as the teaching of Russian took off after the launching of the
Sputnik satellite in 1957, more colleges than ever are starting or
expanding courses in Arabic. Schools such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC and
Pasadena City College report waiting lists for classes, with most of the
demand coming from students whose families have no ties to the Islamic
world. (MORE)
-----
FL: WE DON'T NEED
REASON TO HOLD YOU, HAMMOUDEH TOLD -
TOP
MEG LAUGHLIN, St. Petersburg Times, 3/22/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/22/Tampabay/We_don_t_need_reason_.shtml
Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyers argue they can hold someone
six months without justifying it.
TAMPA - Government attorneys finally told Sameeh Hammoudeh, Tuesday, the
main reason they're keeping him imprisoned: because they can.
This explanation was their response to a lawsuit filed by Hammoudeh's
lawyer, Stephen Bernstein, against U.S. Attorney General Alberto
Gonzalez, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and
others.
The suit claims that Hammoudeh's continued incarceration in an
Immigration and Customs Enforcement wing of the Manatee County Jail is
unconstitutional because he has been acquitted in the Sami Al-Arian case
and received no jail time in a separate tax fraud case, in which he
agreed to be deported.
But government attorneys argued in their written response Tuesday that
the overriding reason Hammoudeh remains in jail is because ICE can
legally keep him for six months, according to a U.S. Supreme Court
decision. . .
Tuesday, on the eve of his habeas corpus hearing, Hammoudeh, who has been
incarcerated for more than three years, issued this statement in a phone
call to the St. Petersburg Times: "The Department of Justice and
Homeland Security are working without a code of ethics and with total
disregard for the truth, public opinion and human rights.
"I do not see a difference between their conduct and that of any
third world oppressive regime. I hope the judge will stop this inhumane
treatment."
Government attorneys declined to comment.
SEE ALSO:
DC: MUSLIM LEGAL CONFERENCE -
TOP
You are cordially invited to attend "Advancing Justice &
Empowering the
Community," a conference jointly held by the National Association
of
Muslim Lawyers (NAML) and the National Muslim Law Students Association
(NMLSA).
The conference will take place March 31-April 2, 2006 at the George
Washington University Law School.
Online registration and information about the conference is available at:
www.namlnet.org
---
CA: INFORMANT'S TACTICS ARE
QUESTIONED -
TOP
Rone Tempest, Los Angeles times, 3/22/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-lodi22mar22,1,6963225.story
SACRAMENTO - Posing as a computer expert with a "secret agenda"
to support Muslim causes, the FBI's undercover informant offered to send
money from a Lodi, Calif., man to a Pakistani political party, according
to transcripts of a recorded conversation introduced Tuesday in a federal
terrorism trial.
Defense attorneys described the statements as part of a pattern of
provocative and extremist comments that informant Naseem Khan made to win
the confidence of the two defendants.
Khan was testifying Tuesday for the first time since his sensational
statement last week that he had frequently seen Al Qaeda's No. 2 leader
at the Lodi mosque in 1999.
"When it came to expressing extreme radical Islamic views, it was
the government's informant who set the stage. His words were far more
extreme than anything my client said," said attorney Johnny L.
Griffin, who represents Lodi ice cream truck driver Umer Hayat, 48, the
man Khan approached about sending money to Pakistan. (MORE)
-----
MN: ROSEVILLE STUDENT UPSET BY QURAN
PRESENTATION -
TOP
Bridgette Bornstein, WCCO, 3/22/06
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_081114537.html
(WCCO) Roseville, Minn. Officials at Roseville Area High School
apologized to a Muslim student who was upset by a librarian's classroom
presentation involving The Quran.
The 14-year-old student said the librarian was making a presentation
about censorship to her freshman English class and brought out several
books, including the Muslim book of prayer.
As part of the presentation, the librarian used a box decorated with
colored construction paper that was meant to look like flames, the
student said.
The student said the librarian tossed The Quran into the box, as if to
symbolize burning it.
"His actions were definitely what I thought was wrong, and it hurt
me," said the student, who did not want to be identified.
The student viewed that as a disrespectful way to handle the book, and
was also offended by how the librarian described it.
"He took the book and he threw it, and while he was talking about
the book, his main perspective of the book was that it was a
pro-terrorist book," she said.
The school district said the role-playing exercise was intended to show
what censorship is like, but officials agreed that was not an appropriate
way to do it. (MORE)
-----
STUDY ALLEGES US SETS ASIDE
OWN SECURITY INTEREST FOR ISRAEL'S -
TOP
Tom Regan, Christian Science Monitor, 3/21/06
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0321/dailyUpdate.html
A research paper by two leading American political scientists alleges
that the US relationship with Israel is not good for US security, and
that the Israeli lobby in the US, particularly the American-Israel Public
Affairs Committee, has helped exaggerate to the US media and public the
importance of making the protection of Israel a key part of US foreign
policy.
John J. Mearsheimer, a professor of political science and a co-director
of the Program on International Security Policy at the University of
Chicago, and Stephen M. Walt, academic dean of the Kennedy School,
published their paper, "The Israeli Lobby and U.S. Foreign
Policy," on the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
website. A shorter version was also published by the London Review of
Books. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/23/06
*
Verse:
The Quran is a Reminder
*
CAIR-DC:
Muslims to
Join Rally for Immigrant Rights
*
Analysis:
Evangelicals Most
Distrustful of Muslims (IPS)
-
CA:
Babies, Bigotry and 9/11
(Washington Post)
*
Lodi Trial Juror:
Government Case is Weak
-
CA:
Judge Urges Release of Muslim Fundraiser (AP)
*
WI:
Filmmakers Focus on Muslim College Experience
-
MA:
Muslims Respond to Port, Cartoon Uproar
*
IA:
Muslim Camp Lease Signed (Gazette)
*
MD Conference:
Justice in Christianity and Islam
*
Canada:
Out with Haraam, in with Halal (Winnipeg Sun)
-
CAIR-CAN:
School Told Muslim Prayer 'a Right'
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: THE QURAN IS A REMINDER -
TOP
"We have not sent down the Quran to thee to be (an occasion) for thy
distress, but only as a reminder to those who stand in awe (of God)."
The Holy Quran, 20:2-3
To sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
CAIR-DC: MUSLIMS TO JOIN RALLY FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/23/2006) - On Monday, March 27, a coalition of
groups urging immigration reforms that will treat immigrants humanely
and provide undocumented workers with a path to citizenship will hold
an interfaith prayer service and rally in Washington, D.C. Similar
events are scheduled to take place that day in communities across the
nation. SEE:
http://www.cirnow.org/content/en/events_main.htm
WHAT: Rally calling for a path to citizenship for the undocumented,
family reunification, worker rights, the Dream Act and other basic
civil liberties.
WHERE: West Lawn of the United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
WHEN: March 27, 2006, 11 a.m. (One hundred interfaith religious leaders
will gather in front of the Dirksen Senate Office Building between
12:30 and 1 p.m.)
The event is organized to coincide with Monday's Senate Judiciary
Committee review of Chairman Specter's recommended immigration reform
measures.
CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor, 202-488-8787 or 571-278-4658, E-Mail:
csaylor@cair-net.org
-----
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS MOST DISTRUSTFUL OF MUSLIMS -
TOP
Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service, 3/22/06
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32604
WASHINGTON, Mar 22 (IPS) - Evangelical Protestants tend to view Islam
much more unfavourably than do mainline U.S. Protestants and Catholics,
according to a new analysis of recent public opinion surveys published
here Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
The analysis, much of which is based on findings of a major poll
carried out last summer by the Pew Research Centre for the People &
the Press, found that a strong plurality of 50 percent of white
evangelical Protestants believe that Islam "is more likely than others
to encourage violence among its believers", while only about a third of
mainline Protestants and Catholics accepted that view.
It also found that attitudes towards Muslim-Americans and Islam tended
to be affected by four key factors -- education, age, knowledge of
Islam and personal acquaintance with Muslims.
Non-Muslim citizens were significantly more likely to think favourably
of both Muslims and Islam if they had a personal acquaintanceship with
Muslim-Americans, had achieved a higher level of education, acquired
some independent knowledge about Islam, and if they were younger. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
BABIES, BIGOTRY AND 9/11 -
TOP
Richard Morin, Washington Post, 3/23/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032202205.html
The ugly wave of anti-Arab feelings immediately after Sept. 11, 2001,
may have been responsible for a sharp increase in the incidence of
premature and low-birth-weight babies born to women of Arab descent in
the United States in the months that followed the terrorist attacks.
The evidence is circumstantial but compelling, epidemiologist Diane S.
Lauderdale of the University of Chicago says in the latest issue of
Demography. (MORE)
SEE:
Birth Outcomes for Arabic-Named Women in California Before and After September 11
-----
HAYAT TRIAL JUROR: GOVERNMENT CASE IS WEAK -
TOP
Mark Hedlund, News 10, 3/22/06
http://www.news10.net/storyfull2.aspx?storyid=16609
A juror dismissed from the Lodi terrorism case said she believes
defendant Hamid Hayat is innocent of the key charges against him.
"The government at this point hasn't proven it to me," said Andrea
Clabaugh. "I see nothing to show he did what they say he did." She was
referring to the charge of Hayat providing material support to
terrorists by allegedly training at an al-Qaida camp in Pakistan.
Clabaugh, 39, was excused from the jury after a motion by the defense
to dismiss her. At first federal Judge Garland Burrell denied the
motion but changed his mind Wednesday. At the mid-morning recess in the
case, Clabaugh was told she was free to go. One of the alternate jurors
was immediately put in Clabaugh's place. . .
During the trial, FBI agents have admitted that besides Hamid Hayat's
own confession, they have no evidence to prove he actually attended or
trained at a terrorism camp. The other key evidence comes from a paid
FBI informant and a series of conversations he secretly recorded
between Hayat and himself. That informant is Naseem Khan, 32, who
befriended the Hayat family after he went to Lodi specifically to
infiltrate Lodi's Muslim community. In those conversations, the men
frequently talked about their support for the Taliban and Hayat's plans
to go through training.
"I got a picture of a young kid trying to impress an older young man
(Khan)," said Clabaugh. "It doesn't mean those are things he'd actually
follow through on. It could be just a young guy trying to impress
another guy." Hamid Hayat is 23. As for the informant himself, Clabaugh
said her impression of his credibility is neutral.
"I think he (Khan) wanted to give the FBI information," she said.
"Whether he legitimately obtained that information, I don't know."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
JUDGE URGES RELEASE OF CHIEF FUNDRAISER FOR ISLAMIC CHARITY -
TOP
Associated Press, 3/23/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-holy23mar23,1,1645629.story
A federal magistrate has recommended that a leading fundraiser for an
Islamic charity allegedly linked to terrorists should be released from
detention after nearly two years.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Johnson filed his recommendation Tuesday for the release of Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan, 45.
It was not immediately clear late Wednesday whether Hamdan had been released.
The recommendation must be approved by another judge.
Hamdan, who also founded a mosque in Anaheim, was arrested on
immigration charges in July 2004 as federal authorities unsealed an
indictment against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.
(MORE)
-----
WI: FILMMAKERS FOCUS ON MUSLIM COLLEGE EXPERIENCE -
TOP
Kellie Bramlet, Marquette Tribune, 3/23/06
http://www.marquettetribune.org/291910318186872.bsp
Milwaukee should get ready for its close-up - shooting for "Generation
Jazba," an independent film about Muslim college students in Milwaukee,
is tentatively scheduled to begin in May of 2007.
Writer and director Brooke Maroldi and producer Allyson Bahr said they
plan to show the movie at prominent independent film festivals
including Tribeca, Sundance and Toronto, among others. In order to help
reach this goal they are a holding a fundraiser tonight, where
promotional material for the movie will also be shot, according to a
press release.
Based on a story by Qudsia Sethi, the film follows the lives of a group
of Muslim college students living in Milwaukee as they struggle to find
their place in a world between their Muslim roots and American society.
Their goal is "to portray a minority in a way that's realistic and fair
and give people a lot to think about," Maroldi said. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MA: MUSLIMS RESPOND TO PORT, CARTOON UPROAR -
TOP
By Joyce Kelly, Shrewsbury Chronicle, 3/23/06
http://www.townonline.com/shrewsbury/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=454995&format=text
The deal may be over, but the reverberations of the Bush
administration's thwarted attempt to allow an Arab company to manage
operations at six of the nation's ports left shockwaves in Congress.
And the maelstrom has sent powerful tremors through the Muslim-American community as well.
Local Muslim leaders believe that the continuing uproar over the Dubai
World Ports deal is simply "another opportunity to bash the Arabs and
Muslims."
"To us, drops keep falling, things keep on adding up, one thing after
another," said Malik Khan, president of the Islamic Center of Boston in
Wayland.
Constant media coverage of the most inflammatory news, such as the
melee resulting from the Danish press' publication of cartoons
depicting the prophet Mohammed with an atomic bomb in place of a
turban, has only created more animosity toward Muslims here and abroad,
said Mohamed Lazzouni, chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Al-Hamra Academy in Shrewsbury.
-----
IA: MUSLIM CAMP LEASE SIGNED -
TOP
Frank Gluck, The Gazette, 3/22/06
http://www.crgazette.com/2006/03/22/Home/muslimcampleasesigned.htm
NORTH LIBERTY, IA - An organization planning a Muslim youth camp on the
shores of Coralville Lake has signed a lease of up to 25 years with the
federal government, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced this
afternoon.
Muslim Youth Camps of America (MYCA) now has full rights to be on the
land and, once it works out details with county and state regulators,
can begin building at any time.
The organization has up to five years to begin building before the
Corps of Engineers would reconsider the lease. If, after five years,
MYCA shows it is progressing in a "satisfactory" fashion, a 20-year
lease would be offered.
Plans for the $934,000 facility call for lodging up to 60 campers ages
10 to 17 -- 40 in cabins and 20 in tents -- plus staffers during
summer, and up to 40 per night in the off-season.
The proposal has been a controversial one. Many neighbors have
complained that the development would overwhelm the rural Johnson
County roads leading to the facility and that the proposed buildings
would mar the scenic nature of the spot.
A minority of other camp opponents have tried to block construction by evoking the specter of terrorism. (MORE)
-----
MD CONFERENCE: JUSTICE IN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM -
TOP
WHAT: P. Francis Murphy Conference on Justice and Peace
WHEN: Saturday, March 25, 2006, 9:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
WHERE: Bon Secours Spiritual Center, 1525 Marriottsville Road, Marriottsville, MD
SPEAKERS:
* Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, retired Bishop of Detroit,
* Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim Chaplain at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and Imam of the Islamic Society of Frederick
Reflecting on the concept and practice of justice in Christianity and
Islam: What is our common ground? Are there differences? How are we all
called to work together for justice and peace in our world?
-----
OUT WITH HARAAM, IN WITH HALAL -
TOP
DAVID SCHMEICHEL, Winnipeg Sun, 3/23/06
http://winnipegsun.com/News/Manitoba/2006/03/23/1501197-sun.html
Members of Manitoba's Muslim community know well the pressures of a
diet grounded in religion, since even the most indifferent still avoid
the No. 1 taboo: pork, and its many byproducts.
"Of course, you can find exceptions to every rule, but even the most
marginally practising Muslim will usually abstain from pork," says
Shahina Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Social Services Association
of Canada.
The many dietary guidelines Muslims are expected to follow are broken
down into two groups: foods that are lawful (halal), and foods that are
forbidden (haraam).
Pork tops the haraam list, but Muslims are also forbidden from
consuming intoxicants (including alcohol and non-medicinal drugs),
foods containing blood, and meat from carnivorous animals, animals that
die of natural causes, animals with claws, and animals that slither on
their stomachs.
"Islamic dietary restrictions are based on the premise that health and
life come first," Siddiqui says. "It's explained in the Qur'an (Islam's
sacred book) ... anything that is harmful to the human body or a threat
to human life is forbidden."
The restrictions also apply to substances that aren't specifically
mentioned in the text, but have subsequently been found to be harmful
(think cigarettes, meat tainted by disease, and genetically-modified
foods that cause illness), she notes.
As in the Jewish faith, there are laws outlining the means by which
food must be prepared, and although there are similarities, these are
not quite as stringent as those prescribed by the Talmud. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CAN: PRAYER 'A RIGHT' FOR MUSLIMS, QUEBEC SCHOOL TOLD -
TOP
Andy Riga, CanWest News Service, 3/23/06
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=9925b92d-a95b-424e-a480-b5aafd73273f
MONTREAL - Muslim leaders were cautiously optimistic yesterday after
the Quebec human rights commission told a Montreal engineering school
it must allow Muslim students to pray in dignity, though it is not
obliged to provide them with their own special prayer space.
In 2003, 113 Muslim students filed a human rights complaint against the
Ecole de technologie superieure after it blocked Muslim students, who
must pray five times daily, from doing so in hallways and stairwells.
A group of Muslim students filed a similar, pending human rights
complaint against McGill University in December after that university
took away its prayer space.
In the ETS case, "the students have a right to pray and the school has
the responsibility, the duty, to accommodate them," commission
president Marc-Andre Dowd told reporters. Students should not be forced
to decide between school and their religion, he added. . .
The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the
McGill complaint, praised the ETS decision and called on McGill to
immediately offer a quiet, clean prayer space, perhaps a multi-faith
one. Council spokesperson Sarah Elgazzar, a former McGill student, said
McGill's Muslim students must now pray in "dirty, dusty hallways."
McGill spokesperson Jennifer Robinson said the school is reviewing the ETS decision. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/24/06
*
Hadith:
Love Each Other
*
CAIR-MI:
Mosque Vandalized,
Worshippers Harassed
*
CAIR:
Man Guilty of
Scamming Vermont Muslims (Free Press)
-
FBI:
Guilty Plea in Scam
Case
*
CAIR-FL:
David Cole to Speak at
Annual Banquet April 1
-
CAIR-CAN:
Don't be Fearful
of Dubai (Globe & Mail)
*
U.S. Muslims
Gaining Foothold in
Politics (USA Today)
-
PA:
Forum Will Explore Islam in
America
-
NC:
Muslims Reach Out (News &
Observer)
*
CA:
Makers of Halal
Foods Gather at Trade Show (LA Times)
*
Resources:
Islam and Apostasy
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: LOVE EACH OTHER -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "(Offer greetings to
each other) and rancor will disappear. Give gifts to each other and love
each other, and hatred will disappear."
Al-Muwatta, Volume 47, Hadith 16
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him), go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR-MI: BANGLADESHI MOSQUE IN
MICHIGAN VANDALIZED -
TOP
Bangla Patrika in Voices That Must Be Heard, News Report, Abu Taher
Translated from Bangla by Moinuddin Naser, Mar 23, 2006
http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=c07c3bbde4f65a60d06fe10e30eeda1d
NEW YORK - Several unidentified teenagers reportedly vandalized a mosque
in Hamtramck, Michigan last week. Many consider this as another racial
bias act against Muslims.
According to a report, local Bangladeshis in Hamtramck alleged that
several teenagers threw bricks and shoes at the mosque.
Abdul Mutallib, an Islamic devotee who goes to the mosque often, said
that a group of 15- and 16-year-old teenagers threw their shoes at the
mosque, and mocked fellow devotees who visited the mosque.
Don Clini, an FBI official, told Bangla Patrika that several officials
have been entrusted with the responsibility of continuing the
investigation and discussing the incident with Bangladeshi devotees and
local police. . .
Bangladeshi Muslims said that aside from the mocking, some people in the
locality also started harassing the devotees of the mosque. A few days
before the vandalism incident, a Bangladeshi imam was attacked.
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights expressed its concern, saying
that anyone responsible for racial attacks will face the law.
Director of Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Dawud Walid
condemned the incident and demanded a thorough investigation to
punish those responsible for the crime.
-----
CAIR: MAN GUILTY OF SCAMMING
VT. MUSLIMS -
TOP
Erica Jacobson, Burlington Free Press, 3/24/06
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060324/NEWS01/603240318/1009&theme=
A man who defrauded at least 45 victims throughout the United States,
including two in Vermont, by exploiting the Islamic tenet of aiding
stranded travelers has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in U.S.
District Court in Mobile, Ala., according to the FBI. . .
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.,-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said he received complaints about Agbareia
starting 15 years ago. In the years since, Hooper said the group has
taken dozens of complaints from Muslims around the country and estimated
the amount Agbareia collected to be in the hundreds of
thousands.
Hooper said he thought people believed Agbareia's stories because they
played off the strong Islamic tradition of helping travelers in
need.
"It was believable," Hooper said. "It was something that
was doable for people. We had cab drivers taking out personal loans to
send money to him.
"He was just taking advantage of that tradition of
generosity."
Hooper said the council "tried mightily" over the years to have
Agbareia arrested, but his scam was so widespread that no one agency
could bring all the reports together.
Agbareia was first indicted in U.S. District Court in Burlington on March
10, 2005, but that case remains sealed. Agbareia was then indicted by a
federal grand jury in Alabama in May, arrested in Canada as that country
tried to deport him to Israel and extradited to the United States on Jan.
20.
He pleaded guilty on March 3 in federal court in Mobile, and will be
sentenced there July 10. Zouhair Youssei Hissy, Agbareia's accomplice,
remains in custody in Canada awaiting extradition to the United States on
identical charges.
Hooper said Agbareia's capture was a relief but has left questions
unanswered, especially about the man's religious beliefs.
"Who knows what he is?" Hooper said of whether Agbareia is a
Muslim. "If he is, he's not a good one."
SEE ALSO:
FBI NEWS RELEASE: GUILTY PLEA IN ISLAMIC
SCAM CASE -
TOP
(March 22, 2006) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Albany, New
York Division and the Mobile, Alabama Division announce the March 3, 2006
guilty plea of Mohammed Mustafa Agbareia. Agbareia pled guilty to one
count of wire fraud in violation of U.S.C. Title 18 §1343. Agbareia was
indicted by the District of Vermont on March 10, 2005, and by a Federal
Grand Jury in Mobile, Alabama on May 26, 2005. Zouhair Youssei Hissy was
also indicted in Mobile on that same date.
Agbareia was arrested in Canada pending his unrelated deportation to
Israel. Agbareia waved extradition and was sent to the United States on
January 20, 2006. Agbareia entered a guilty plea on March 3, 2006 in
Mobile, Alabama case. Hissy is awaiting extradition to the United States
from Canada. . .
There were at least 45 victims throughout the United States and this scam
involved over 10,000 solicitations for money.
"We would like to thank the FBI for working with CAIR and the
Muslim community to bring this con artist to justice after so many years
of abusing the Islamic tradition of helping those in need," said
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR).
Awad offered special thanks to the FBI Albany Division, Burlington,
Vermont Resident Agency and to its Mobile Division, both of which were
instrumental in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, had been receiving
reports of the con artist's activities for a number of years and had
issued numerous alerts to Muslims worldwide about this method of
operation.
-----
CAIR-FL: DAVID COLE TO SPEAK AT ANNUAL
DINNER APRIL 1 -
TOP
The Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Cordially
invites you to attend its Annual Fundraising Banquet.
WHEN: SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2006 (Registration 6 p.m., Dinner & Program
7 p.m.)
WHERE: Signature Grand, 6900 State Road 84, Davie, FL
GUEST SPEAKERS:
* David Cole - Professor at Georgetown University Law Center and
volunteer attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights
* Azhar Usman - One of the world's few American Muslim standup
comedians
* Rodwan Saleh - President of the Islamic Society of Greater
Houston
* Dr. Parvez Ahmed - Chairman, CAIR National
Tickets: $50 per person, ($65 at the door, if available), $450 for table
of 10
Childcare available for $10 per child. Call in advance to
reserve
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call: 954-272-0490, E-Mail:
info@cairfl.org, URL:
http://www.cair-florida.org/
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CAN: DON'T BE FEARFUL OF
DUBAI -
TOP
Sheema Khan, Globe and Mail, 22/03/06
http://www.caircan.ca/op_ed.php
(
Dr. Khan is the Honorary Chair of CAIR-CAN)
This is a confident society, buoyed by hard work, discipline and dreams.
Nonetheless, the collapse of the Dubai Ports deal has left a bitter
aftertaste. There is no doubt, in the minds of many here, that the issue
was driven by racism.
"Other foreign-owned companies run U.S. ports -- but they were not
Arab. That is the message. And we got it," said a recent Gulf News
editorial. Even General John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the
Middle East, criticized opposition to the Dubai Ports deal, calling it
"Arab and Muslim bashing." U.S. lawmakers have pandered to
domestic fears while shoring up security credentials in preparation for
the November mid-term elections. "Retaliation precipitated by
Congress will not only harm U.S. employers but employees as well,"
warned the U.S. Chamber of Congress, adding that the imbroglio does
nothing for confidence in the U.S. economy. . .
Now those same U.S. lawmakers are scrambling at damage control. More than
a week ago, four GOP congressmen visited Dubai, reiterating that the UAE
remained one of America's strongest allies in the fight against
terrorism. Furthermore, Dubai services more U.S. military ships than any
country in the world. "This country is not part of the problem,
rather it is part of the solution," asserted Congressman Phil
Gingrey. Long term, it seems the U.S. has more to lose. In a prescient
editorial prior to the Dubai Ports fiasco, the Khaleej Times noted that
the growing economies of China and India, for example, are only too
willing to welcome investments from the Gulf region. A shift in economic
focus in Gulf investments from the West to the East "could have
important political and economic implications in the years to
come."
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIMS
GAINING A FOOTHOLD IN POLITICS -
TOP
By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-03-23-american-muslims-cover_x.htm
TEANECK, N.J. - The mayor of nearby Prospect Park is a 30-year-old high
school business teacher with a young son. He was a volunteer firefighter
at 18 and has been active in his community ever since. But when he sought
the mayor's office last fall, voters received anonymous fliers calling
him a "betrayer" tied to the 9/11 terrorists.
Why? Because he is a Syrian-born Muslim named Mohamed
Khairullah.
"I was worried for my family," Khairullah says. "Any crazy
person could have just driven by and done something. But we just had
faith and went on doing what we had to do." The result: he got the
job, open because the previous mayor had moved away, and now is running
to keep it.
The 9/11 attacks have had a curious double-edged impact on the political
emergence of American Muslims. They are up against more stereotyping and
backlash, which they perceived recently in the furor over a Dubai
company's thwarted plan to take over port operations in several U.S.
cities.
At the same time, the 9/11 attacks jolted Muslims into realizing that
they needed to make themselves known to their neighbors and heard by
their government. They are voting, running for office and getting more
involved in civic and political life at every level, from PTAs and school
boards to town councils and state legislatures. At least two - Texas
Republicans Amir Omar and Ahmad Hassan - are running for U.S.
Congress.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which promotes
Muslim political activity, has opened 23 of its 31 U.S. chapters since
9/11. In the 2004 election, two studies found, one in five Muslim voters
were first-time voters.
"There was a silver lining. We became more public," says Aref
Assaf, president of the New Jersey-based American Arab Forum.
This large-scale entry of Muslims into public life is not only testing
the courage of Muslim candidates and the tolerance of voters. It's also
prompting politicians to take notice of a community that has growing
clout and is open to appeals from both parties. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
PA: FORUM WILL EXPLORE ISLAM IN
AMERICA -
TOP
Public Opinion, 3/24/06
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060324/NEWS01/603240314/1002
CHAMBERSBURG - Wilson College in Chambersburg will host the 2006 Orr
Forum on Religion on Monday.
This year's forum will focus on "Islam in America: Challenges and
Opportunities."
A free, all-day event, the forum questions the common assumption that
Islam is foreign to American culture and explores the Islamic community's
vital and growing impact on American society.
Workshops and discussions will move beyond common images of Islam in
search of the faithful practices and ordinary lives of more than 5
million Muslim Americans. (MORE)
---
NC: MUSLIMS REACH OUT -
TOP
Yonat Shimron, News & Observer, 3/24/06
http://www.newsobserver.com/667/story/421450.html
Like many newcomers, Muslims who settled in the Triangle hoped for a life
of peace and prosperity.
Few expected to become public relations specialists. But that's the role
many have taken on in a quest to defend their faith.
It started with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and continued
with the ongoing war in Iraq.
More recently, their diplomatic skills were put to the test when Mohammed
Taheri-azar ran down some students in the heart of the UNC-Chapel Hill
campus and said the Quran justified his actions.
In each instance, individual Muslims served as ambassadors of their
faith, explaining how it had been misused by others. The Islamic
Association of Raleigh has gained expertise in the public arena, working
to improve understanding in the community. The association quickly called
a press conference after the incident at UNC. Leaders condemned
Taheri-azar's religious interpretation and said their faith prohibits
violence against innocent people.
"When we first came we felt so comfortable here, we said 'Ahhh! This
is what we were looking for,'" said Fiaz Fareed of Raleigh, a native
of India. "We never thought we'd have to do our own research into
the Quran."
On Saturday, the Islamic Center held an open house in response to the
uproar over cartoon images of the Prophet Muhammad that were published in
a Danish newspaper. For some, the open house provided yet another
opportunity to engage non-Muslims. To prepare, leaders of the Islamic
Center devoted three months to lectures and sermons on the Prophet
Muhammad, long before most people had become aware of the cartoon
controversy. The idea was to provide Muslims a refresher course on the
man whose revelations ushered in the faith. (MORE)
-----
CA: IN PRAISE OF FAITH-BASED
FOOD -
TOP
Makers of provisions adhering to Islamic and Jewish laws gather in
Anaheim. Their products' special qualities attract varied tastes.
Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times, 3/24/06
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ethnic24mar24,1,325342.story
Muslims and Jews might not agree about much that goes on in the Middle
East, but when it comes to food, they're warming up.
Food processing companies of both faiths came together Thursday at the
World Ethnic Market show in the Anaheim Convention Center to pitch such
delicacies as halal chicken samosas and kosher Italian sausage to
retailers from Albertsons to Wild Oats. The trade show, which continues
today, is the nation's first to pair food produced according to the laws
of Islam and Judaism, organizers said. (MORE)
-----
RESOURCES: ISLAM AND APOSTASY -
TOP
Freedom of Expression in Islam
Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Islamic Text Society, 1997
http://www.globalwebpost.com/farooqm/study_res/islam/freedom/kamali_freedom.doc
[Dr Mohammad Hashim Kamali is Professor of Law at the International
Islamic University Malaysia where he has been teaching Islamic law and
jurisprudence since 1985. Among his other works published by the Islamic
Texts Society is Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence.]
Mahmassani has observed that the death penalty was meant to apply, not to
simple acts of apostasy from Islam, but when apostasy was linked to an
act of political betrayal of the community. The Prophet never killed
anyone solely for apostasy. This being the case, the death penalty was
not meant to apply to a simple change of faith but to punish acts such as
treason, joining forces with the enemy and sedition.
The late Ayatollah Mutahhari highlighted the incompatibility of coercion
with the spirit of Islam, and the basic redundancy of punitive measures
in the propagation of its message. He wrote that it is impossible to
force anyone to acquire the kind of faith that is required by Islam, just
as 'it is not possible to spank a child into solving an arithmetical
problem. His mind and thought must be left free in order that he may
solve it. The Islamic faith is something of this kind.'
Selim el-Awa discusses the issue of apostasy at length, declaring that
'there is an urgent need to reinterpret the principles contained in the
Qur'an and Sunnah'. He cites the fact that the Qur'an is completely
silent on the death penalty for apostasy, and that the evidence in the
Sunnah is open to interpretation.
El-Awa elaborates that the death penalty in the Sunnah is not designed
for apostasy per se but for high treason, or hirabah, that is, when
apostasy is accompanied by hostility and rebellion against the community
and its legitimate leadership. . .
The Prophet did not treat apostasy as a proscribed offense (hadd), but,
on the contrary, pardoned many individuals who had embraced Islam, then
renounced it, and then embraced it again. . .
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/26/06
*
Verse:
Try to Excel One Another in Good
Works
*
CAIR:
Guilty of 'Flying While
Muslim' (NY Daily News)
*
CAIR-CA:
Davis
Prosecution Sparks Bias Claim (Sac Bee)
-
CA:
Gag Order Imposed in Davis Discrimination
Case
*
CAIR-LA:
USAID Meets with Muslim
Relief Groups
*
NJ:
Dems Dump
Arab-American Candidate (AP)
-
NJ:
Muslim Scouts Do Their Duty
(Home News Trib)
*
CAIR:
Graham Not Holding Back on
Islam (Star-Telegram)
*
Scholars' Attack on Pro-Israel Lobby
Met With Silence
(Forward)
-
Professor Says
American Publisher Turned Him Down
-
U.S. Opposes
Israeli Depositions in
AIPAC Case (JTA)
*
Iraq:
Claims of Atrocities
by U.S. Soldiers Mount (The Times)
-
Did Marines Murder 23 Iraqi
Civilians? (Independent)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: TRY TO EXCEL ONE ANOTHER IN GOOD
WORKS -
TOP
"If God had so willed, He could have made all of you a single
nation. But He willed otherwise in order to test you in what He has given
you. Therefore try to excel one another in doing good works. Ultimately
you all shall return to God; then He will show you the truth of those
matters in which you dispute."
The Holy Quran, 5:48
To sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
CAIR: AN INNOCENT MAN'S LIFE LEFT
IN RUINS -
TOP
RUSS BUETTNER, DAILY NEWS, 3/26/06
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/403186p-341350c.html
Adam Blake thinks he was guilty of only one thing: trying to fly while
Muslim.
Blake has lived a legal nightmare in the post-9/11 era. Born and raised
in the Bronx, Blake was held without bail for three months and has been
unable to work for nearly a year because federal officials have kept his
identification. A pretrial report even alleged he belonged to a terrorist
organization, court records show.
Arsalan Iftikhar, the national legal director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations . . . added that Blake's experiences sound
like too many other examples of Muslims being unnecessarily detained
since 9/11. "The American Muslim community feels as though they have
been under siege by an overzealous Justice Department," said
Iftikhar. "Unfortunately, the vast majority of these cases turn out
to be nothing more than minor civil violations." (MORE)
-----
CAIR-SV: DAVIS
PROSECUTION SPARKS BIAS CLAIM -
TOP
Pamela Martineau, Sacramento Bee, 3/24/06
http://sacbee.com/content/news/story/14234344p-15055948c.html
Some Davis community members say the case is an example of overzealous
prosecution of people of color by Davis police and Yolo County
prosecutors.
Others say it is a case of misdemeanor hit-and-run that has been handled
like other cases of its kind.
Today, a Yolo County Superior Court juvenile judge is scheduled to hear
the case involving the prosecution of a 16-year-old Muslim girl in Davis
for a fender bender in a supermarket parking lot last summer.
The main issues are who was driving the large sport-utility vehicle that
reportedly bumped another car and why the incident, which had been
resolved financially between the parties, was prosecuted.
The Sacramento Valley Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
has called on Yolo County officials to drop the case, as have other
community leaders, including Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald, chairwoman of
the Davis Human Relations Commission. (MORE)
SEE ALSO;
GAG ORDER IMPOSED IN DAVIS DISCRIMINATION CASE -
TOP
REBECCA ADLER, Daily Democrat Staff Writer
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_3639516
A parking lot fender bender last summer has led to the arrest of a
16-year-old girl and a possible discrimination lawsuit against the Davis
police department. . .
Police said she was justifiably arrested based on substantial evidence,
including witness statements, a photo lineup and inconsistent statements
from the family.
But Buzayan told The Sacramento Bee his family is being discriminated
against because of their Muslim beliefs. The Sacramento Valley Office of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations has taken up the case, asking
officials to drop the charges against the teenager.
The civil liberties group said most hit-and-run cases of this nature are
never prosecuted, especially in cases where the parties have reached a
financial agreement. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-LA: USAID MEETS WITH MUSLIM RELIEF
GROUPS -
TOP
(ANAHEIM, CA - 03/26/06) - On March 24, the Southern California chapter
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) hosted a
roundtable discussion between Southern California Muslim relief
organizations and Walid Maalouf from the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) at the CAIR office in Anaheim. The
purpose of the meeting was to continue the dialogue between the American
Muslim community and government agencies such as USAID.
To learn more about USAID, visit:
http://www.usaid.gov
CONTACT: CAIR-LA, Sabiha Khan, 714-776-1847 or 714-390-0334, E-Mail:
socal@cair.com
-----
NJ: DEMS DUMP ARAB-AMERICAN
CANDIDATE OVER TERROR COMMENTS -
TOP
WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press, 3/25/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--arabcandidate-ter0325mar25,0,1187791.story
TRENTON, N.J. -- Passaic County Democrats removed an Arab-American
freeholder candidate from their ticket Saturday amid a furor over
comments he made four years ago that some interpreted as sympathetic to
suicide bombers.
"I'm in shock, feeling betrayed," said Sami Merhi, a
Lebanese-born businessman from Totowa. "They should be ashamed of
themselves."
At issue are comments Merhi made at a September 2002 fundraiser for U.S.
Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-Paterson. In his remarks, Merhi condemned the Sept.
11 terrorists as "cold-blooded murderers" and "crazy
fanatics." When asked if he would apply the same label to
Palestinian suicide bombers who target Israelis, Merhi said, "I
can't see the comparison."
In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this week, Merhi said
the point he was trying to make was that while all murder is wrong, the
World Trade Center attack was mass murder on an unprecedented scale. It
also was an attack in which his godson was killed.
After narrowly losing out on the party's nod in 2004 because of the
comments, Merhi was endorsed by the party last week.
But after top Democrats, including Gov. Jon S. Corzine and U.S. Sen.
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) weighed in, saying they opposed his candidacy,
Passaic County party leaders scheduled a meeting to reconsider their
endorsement.
Merhi said he appealed to party leaders during Saturday's meeting to
support him and accept his explanation that his comments had been wrongly
interpreted. He said he opposes terrorism in all its forms, and that
killing innocent people is always wrong.
But he said party chairman John Currie told him, "We love you. We
all like you. But this is about politics."
Currie did not immediately return messages left at his office and home
Saturday.
Aref Assaf, a Palestinian activist and friend of Merhi, said he appealed
to Currie as the chairman was walking into the meeting to support
Merhi.
"He said, `This isn't about justice; it's about politics. Sami made
a political mistake and he has to pay for it,"' Assaf recalled.
"I knew he was done right then."
The party then withdrew its endorsement of Merhi and chose Joanne
Graziano, a Hawthorne school board member, to run in his place.
"They have insulted an entire community," said Merhi, who runs
a medical marketing firm with his business partner, an Israeli Jew.
"I have done nothing to deserve this insult." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
NJ: MUSLIM SCOUTS DO THEIR DUTY -
TOP
DEBORAH LYNN BLUMBERG, Home News Tribune, 3/26/06
http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060326/NEWS/603260466/1001
SOUTH BRUNSWICK - The boys of Troop 114 hike, canoe and help fix trails
at Scout camp in northwestern New Jersey. They earn patches, sing songs
and hoist tents in the woods.
"The coolest thing is the camping and all the activities we
do," said Scout Atif Salahudeen, 12, of Lawrenceville. "We're
independent for a while."
But unlike most other Boy Scouts, Atif and his fellow 35 troop members
take time out during camp to pray five times a day. In the mess hall they
dine on halal food, and during weekly troop meetings at the Noor-Ul-Iman
School off Route 1 they recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the Boy Scout
Oath after a prayer to Allah. (MORE)
-----
CAIR: GRAHAM'S SON NOT HOLDING BACK ON
ISLAM -
TOP
Jim Jones, Star-Telegram, 3/25/06
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/living/religion/14176450.htm
When I heard the Rev. Franklin Graham speak in New Orleans two weeks ago,
he focused on proclaiming the saving power of Jesus Christ with only a
hint of criticism of Islam.
"Muhammad didn't die for your sins," he told thousands at the
New Orleans Arena. "Buddha didn't die for your sins; Krishna didn't
die for your sins. It's Jesus."
But while in New Orleans, Graham again blasted the Muslim faith under the
glare of television lights as he told ABC's Nightline that he hasn't
changed his mind about Islam, which he called "a very evil and
wicked religion" in 2001.
"I know about Islam," Graham said March 15 on Nightline.
"If people think Islam is such a wonderful religion, just go to
Saudi Arabia and make it your home. Just live there. If you think Islam
is such a wonderful religion, I mean, go and live under the Taliban
somewhere. I mean, you're free to do that."
Graham, 53, is making a name for himself in the shadow of his famous
father, the Rev. Billy Graham, but he's doing it in a different way. He's
brasher, blunter and much less politically correct. Unlike his father,
who never uttered a discouraging word against Islam or any other faith,
Franklin Graham has joined Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson, the Rev.
Jerry Falwell and others as being among the most outspoken against
Islam.
After Sept. 11, 2001, he told NBC News: "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 wicked and evil
religion."
Graham also has said he disagrees with President Bush's statements that
Islam is a peaceful religion.
In several interviews, Graham has said the Quran, the holy book of Islam,
teaches violence. Also, he says Muslim leaders have failed to speak out
enough in criticism of Islamic terrorism.
Ibraham Hooper, spokesman for America's largest Islam advocacy group,
the Council on American Islamic Relations, said Graham is helping divide
the faith community.
"If he's going to step into the role played by his father, I
think he's going to have a very difficult time," Hooper said this
week. "Billy Graham had a long record in public life, and I have not
heard one word from him in a critical way about Islam or any other faith.
Instead, he positively asserted his own beliefs."
Hooper said Franklin Graham is paying no attention to the many efforts by
his organization and other Islamic groups that have denounced suicide
bombings and other Islamic terrorist acts. (MORE)
-----
SCHOLARS' ATTACK ON
PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY MET WITH SILENCE -
TOP
Ori Nir, Forward, 3/24/06
http://forward.com/articles/7548
WASHINGTON - In the face of one of the harshest reports on the pro-Israel
lobby to emerge from academia, Jewish organizations are holding fire in
order to avoid generating publicity for their critics.
Officials at Jewish organizations are furious over "The Israel Lobby
and U.S. Foreign Policy," a new paper by John Mearsheimer, a top
international relations theorists based at the University of Chicago, and
Stephen Walt, the academic dean of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy
School of Government. In their report - versions of which appear on the
Kennedy School Web site and in the March 26 issue of the London Review of
Books - the scholars depict "the Israel lobby" as a "loose
coalition" of politicians, media outlets, research institutions,
Jewish groups and Evangelical Christians that steers America's Middle
East policy in directions beneficial to Israel, even if it requires
harming American interests.
Despite their anger, Jewish organizations are avoiding a frontal debate
with the two scholars, while at the same time seeking indirect ways to
rebut and discredit the scholars' arguments. Officials with pro-Israel
organizations say that given the limited public attention generated by
the new study - as of Tuesday most major print outlets had ignored it -
they prefer not to draw attention to the paper by taking issue with it
head on. As of Wednesday morning, none of the largest Jewish
organizations had issued a press release on the report. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
PROFESSOR SAYS AMERICAN
PUBLISHER TURNED HIM DOWN -
TOP
By Ori Nir, Forward, 3/24/06
http://forward.com/articles/7550
John Mearsheimer says that the pro-Israel lobby is so powerful that he
and co-author Stephen Walt would never have been able to place their
report in a American-based scientific publication.
"I do not believe that we could have gotten it published in the
United States," Mearsheimer told the Forward. He said that the paper
was originally commissioned in the fall of 2002 by one of America's
leading magazines, "but the publishers told us that it was virtually
impossible to get the piece published in the United
States."
Most scholars, policymakers and journalists know that "the whole
subject of the Israel lobby and American foreign policy is a third-rail
issue," he said. "Publishers understand that if they publish a
piece like ours it would cause them all sorts of problems."
(MORE)
---
U.S. OPPOSES
DEPOSITIONS IN AIPAC CASE -
TOP
http://www.jta.org/page_view_breaking_story.asp?intid=1938
The U.S. government opposes allowing testimony from Israeli officials
at the classified information trial of two former AIPAC staffers. Lawyers
for Steven Rosen, the pro-Israel lobby's former foreign policy director,
and Keith Weissman, its former Iran analyst, asked the court in a motion
to be considered Friday to allow three Israeli diplomats to be deposed in
the case. The defense wants the Israeli depositions because they will
assert that Rosen and Weissman never acted as Israeli agents.
The government opposes the depositions as "irrelevant" because
it's not alleging that Rosen and Weissman acted as Israeli agents, but
simply that they conspired to receive and transmit classified
information.
-----
IRAQ: CLAIMS OF ATROCITIES BY
SOLDIERS MOUNT -
TOP
Hala Jaber and Tony Allen-Mills, Sunday Times, 3/26/06
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2103695,00.html
THE villagers of Abu Sifa near the Iraqi town of Balad had become used to
the sound of explosions at night as American forces searched the area for
suspected insurgents. But one night two weeks ago Issa Harat Khalaf heard
a different sound that chilled him to the bone.
Khalaf, a 33-year-old security officer guarding oil pipelines, saw a US
helicopter land near his home. American soldiers stormed out of the
Chinook and advanced on a house owned by Khalaf's brother Fayez, firing
as they went.
Khalaf ran from his own house and hid in a nearby grove of trees. He saw
the soldiers enter his brother's home and then heard the sound of women
and children screaming.
"Then there was a lot of machinegun fire," he said last week.
After that there was the most frightening sound of all - silence,
followed by explosions as the soldiers left the house.
Once the troops were gone, Khalaf and his fellow villagers began a
frantic search through the ruins of his brother's home. Abu Sifa was
about to join a lengthening list of Iraqi communities claiming to have
suffered from American atrocities.
According to Iraqi police, 11 bodies were pulled from the wreckage of the
house, among them four women and five children aged between six months
and five years. An official police report obtained by a US reporter for
Knight Ridder newspapers said: "The American forces gathered the
family members in one room and executed 11 people."
The Abu Sifa deaths on March 15 were first reported last weekend on the
day that Time magazine published the results of a 10-week investigation
into an incident last November when US marines killed 15 civilians in
their homes in the western Iraqi town of Haditha.
The two incidents are being investigated by US authorities, but
persistent eyewitness accounts of rampaging attacks by American troops
are fuelling human rights activists' concerns that Pentagon commanders
are failing to curb military excesses in Iraq. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
DID AMERICAN MARINES MURDER 23 IRAQI
CIVILIANS? -
TOP
Raymond Whitaker, Independent, 3/26/06
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article353678.ece
US military investigators are examining allegations that Marines shot
unarmed Iraqis, then claimed they were "enemy fighters", The
Independent on Sunday has learned. In the same incident, eyewitnesses
say, one man bled to death over a period of hours as soldiers ignored his
pleas for help. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/27/06
*
Verse:
Bear Abuse with
Patience
*
CAIR-MI:
Bassiouni to
Speak at Annual Dinner
-
CAIR-San Diego:
Screening of 'Muhammad' Documentary
*
ID:
CAIR, DOJ
Offer 'Challenging Hate' Workshop
-
Minuteman:
'I View Islam as the Scourge of the Earth'
*
TX:
Muslim Woman Says
Court Banned Hijab (Daily News)
*
Justice Scalia
Slams
Detainee Rights (Reuters)
*
NC:
Military's 'Good
Muslim' to Speak at Duke (Herald-Sun)
-
NC:
Rally
Planned to Support UNC Muslims (ABC)
*
CA: Relentless
Attack on Muslims (Monterey Herald)
-
CO: MEMRI's Systematic
Distortions (Rocky Mtn News)
-----
VERSE OF THE
DAY: BEAR ABUSE WITH PATIENCE -
TOP
"Bear patiently with what they say (against you) and leave their
company in a polite manner."
The Holy Quran, 73:10
To sponsor or obtain a FREE QURAN, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him), go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR-MI:
BASSIOUNI TO SPEAK AT ANNUAL DINNER -
TOP
WHAT: The Michigan Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR-MI) invites you to attend its Annual Fundraising Banquet on April
1.
Guest speakers will include:
* M. Cherif Bassiouni, Research Professor of Law at DePaul
University
* Nihad Awad, CAIR Executive Director
* David Stacy, featured guest in FOX's documentary "30
Days"
WHEN: Saturday, April 1, 2006 (Registration 6:30 p.m., Program 7:30
p.m.)
WHERE: The Islamic Center of America, 19500 Ford Rd, Dearborn, MI
TICKETS: $35 per person (Child care available for $7 per child.)
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 248-569-2203, e-mail:
director@cairmichigan.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-SAN DIEGO: PUBLIC SCREENING OF PBS 'MUHAMMAD' DOCUMENTARY-
TOP
Programs will focus on life and legacy of Islam's Prophet
Muhammad
(SAN DIEGO, CA, 3/27/06)- On Monday, March 27, the San Diego chapter of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Diego), in
conjunction with the Muslim Student Association of San Diego State
University, will sponsor a free public screening of a portion of the PBS
documentary "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet."
WHEN: Monday, March 27, 2006, 6 P.M.
WHERE: Casa Real, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San
Diego
CONTACT: CAIR-San Diego Director of Public Relations Edgar Hopida,
619.913.0719, E-Mail: ehopida@gmail.com; SDSU Muslim Student Association
President Kourosh Safavi, Email: tr8oy@yahoo.com
SEE:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
ID: CAIR,
DOJ OFFER 'CHALLENGING HATE' WORKSHOP
-
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/27/06) - On Saturday, March 25, CAIR Government
Affairs Director
Corey Saylor
and Department of Justice Community Relations Service Northwest Region
Director Rosa Melendez presented a workshop, titled "Challenging
Hate and Stereotypes in a Time of Crisis," at the University of
Idaho. Saylor discussed rising levels of Islamophobia, basic Muslim
beliefs and advocacy strategies for promoting mutual
understanding.
The workshop was part of the university's 2nd annual "Finding the
Center" human rights conference. The mayor and chief of police of
Pullman, Wash., the police chief of Moscow, Idaho, and the head of the
Latah County Human Rights Taskforce were among the conference
participants.
"We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Department of
Justice in challenging stereotyping and other forms of bias," said
Saylor.
SEE ALSO:
INCITEMENT WATCH: MINUTEMAN SAYS ISLAM IS 'SCOURGE OF THE EARTH' -
TOP
LOCAL GROUP JOINS ILLEGAL-IMMIGRANT WATCH
Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/27/06
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/14194093.htm
Its border-control campaign was born a year after the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks with the Tombstone (Ariz.) Militia, which evolved into the
national Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. The mission of the controversial
organization - and of loosely allied groups such as Ryan's - is to keep
out illegal immigrants it believes could be terrorists, drug traffickers
or disease carriers and who depress U.S. wages, founder Chris Simcox
says. . .
Last April, at the group's monthlong Minuteman Project, 1,200 volunteers
converged along 23 miles of the Arizona border and reported 200 attempted
crossings to the U.S. Border Patrol, Simcox said. Their role is
reconnaissance, he said. The Minutemen do not become physically involved.
. .
Monitors from the Southern Poverty Law Center have reported the presence
of self-declared white supremacists at Minuteman border events. Simcox
acknowledges that he sent a half-dozen groups home last year. .
.
"It really burns me," said Frank Shiery, 47, whose wife had to
wait nine months to emigrate from China on a fiancee visa.
But that's not the main reason the martial-arts instructor, from Willow
Grove, will patrol the Canadian border from a Mohawk reservation in New
York next month. He fears Islamic terrorists.
"I view Islam as the scourge of the earth," Shiery said.
"It is pure unadulterated evil."
-----
TX: MUSLIM
WOMAN CLAIMS OPPRESSION IN COURT -
TOP
Scott E. Williams, Daily News, 3/27/06
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=143a1ae3f7b34de3
GALVESTON - A woman in court March 15 for a child support hearing said
she wound up battling religious oppression from the presiding judge and a
court bailiff.
Karwana Boyd said she was wearing a hajib, a headscarf worn as a sign of
humility by Muslim women.
Its not a fashion statement, she said.
Boyd was at the Sam Popovich annex, waiting for child support Judge
Doretha Henderson, when bailiff Clint Wayne Brown asked her to remove her
head covering.
Brown told The Daily News the woman was not wearing a hajib, but a tight
headscarf.
Brown asked her to remove the covering, and when she refused, he waited
for the judge to arrive.
Judge Henderson, a traveling judge who presides over child support courts
in six counties, said Boyd was one of two women in court that day
claiming Muslim religious reasons for their headwear.
"I know what a hajib is," Henderson said, "and this was
not a hajib. She said she was Muslim, but was not wearing a traditional
Muslim headscarf."
Henderson and Brown both also denied Boyd's claim that the woman was
threatened with jail over her refusal to remove the headwear.
Boyd said, "He said if I didn't take it off, I was risking going to
jail for violating the courtroom's rules.
Boyd ultimately addressed the judge directly, and Henderson said she
instructed Boyd to wait in the hall until her case was ready.
"That was the extent of our conversation," Henderson
said.
Boyd said she was filing a complaint with the civil rights division of
the state attorney general's office.
"I see this as nothing short of discrimination," she said.
(MORE)
-----
U.S.
HIGH COURT JUDGE SAID TO SLAM DETAINEE RIGHTS -
TOP
Alister Bull, Reuters, 3/26/06
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26392292.htm
WASHINGTON - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dismissed the idea
that Guantanamo detainees have constitutional rights and called European
concerns over the issue hypocritical, Newsweek magazine reported on
Sunday.
The comments, which Newsweek said were recorded at a private appearance
by Scalia in Switzerland on March 8, emerge before a Supreme Court
hearing this week on a legal challenge by a Guantanamo prisoner against
U.S. military tribunals.
"War is war, and it has never been the case that when you captured a
combatant you have to give them a jury trial in your civil courts,"
Scalia said in the talk at the University of Freiburg, according to
Newsweek. "Give me a break."
Court officials were not immediately available for comment.
Ethics experts said the impression that Scalia had already made up his
mind before the hearing should mean that he will voluntarily drop out of
the proceedings. However, Newsweek said he did not refer specifically to
this week's case.
"He should remove himself when there is a reasonable doubt of his
impartiality," said Father Robert Drinan, a professor of law at
Georgetown University and long-standing human rights campaigner, who
teaches judicial ethics.
"It should logically be a reason for his recusal but I don't think
he'll do it ... he's so stubborn" said Drinan.
Scalia caused an outcry in 2004 for refusing to recuse himself from an
energy policy case involving Vice President Dick Cheney, following the
disclosure that they had been on a duck-hunting trip together the year
before.
Scalia, asked at Freiburg whether detainees at the U.S. naval base at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have protections under international conventions,
gave the suggestion short shrift. (MORE)
-----
NC:
MILITARY'S 'GOOD MUSLIM' TO SPEAK AT DUKE -
TOP
Paul Bonner, The Herald-Sun, 2/26/06
http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-717240.html
DURHAM -- He was acting for his God and country, former Capt. James Yee
said, when he fulfilled the mission he was given by the Army, to be a
chaplain to Muslim soldiers and detainees at Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba.
His country then jailed him for 76 days on espionage suspicions that
eventually evaporated, although he was jailed under maximum security,
including solitary confinement. The government's suspicions were born of
his commanders' inability to reconcile two attributes he combines easily,
he says: He is a devout convert to Islam and at the same time a proud and
patriotic American.
On Thursday, Duke University's Human Rights Initiative and other campus
organizations and programs will sponsor a conversation with Yee. He also
will sign copies of his book, "For God and Country: Faith and
Patriotism Under Fire," which will be sold at the auditorium by The
Regulator Bookshop. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
RALLY
PLANNED TO SUPPORT UNC MUSLIMS EYEWITNESS NEWS -
TOP
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=local&id=4028118
CHAPEL HILL - Students and faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill are planning a
candlelight vigil Monday night to show support for Muslim
students.
-----
CA: RELENTLESS ATTACK ON
MUSLIMS -
TOP
Moustafa Bayoumi, Monterey County Herald, 3/27/06
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/14196147.htm
Muslim-bashing has become socially acceptable in the United
States.
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 46 percent of Americans
hold negative perceptions of Islam, 7 percentage points higher than after
the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The poll also discovered that a
third of the respondents have recently heard prejudiced comments against
Muslims. Even more depressing is that one in four openly acknowledges
harboring prejudice toward Muslims.
Is this surprising? Unfortunately, it's not. The vilification of Islam
and Muslims has been relentless among segments of the media and political
classes for the last five years.
The dangerously popular right-wing columnist Ann Coulter, for example,
routinely drums up racist diatribes against Muslims. She questioned the
"personal hygiene and grooming" of Muslims in a recent column.
What other group can be so openly and maliciously maligned in American
mainstream discourse today?
During the whole Dubai ports deal debacle, even Democratic leaders
engaged in unfounded scare mongering to score political points.
And it continues. Colorado Rep. Jim Welker, a Republican, was recently
discovered to have sent an e-mail to his constituents titled: ''Beware of
Islam in America." The text of his e-mail read, in part, "Can a
devout Muslim be an American patriot and loyal citizen? Politically, no.
Because he must submit to the mullah, who teaches annihilation of Israel
and destruction of America, the great Satan."
This is rubbish, of course, but such bigoted ideas continue to thrive,
leaving many American Muslims politically fatigued. (MORE)
[Moustafa Bayoumi is a professor in the English Department at Brooklyn
College, City University of New York, and co-editor of "The Edward
Said Reader."]
SEE ALSO:
MEMRI'S SYSTEMATIC
DISTORTIONS -
TOP
Rima Barakat, Rocky Mountain News, 3/27/06
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/speak_out/article/0,2777,DRMN_23970_4572560,00.html
[Rima Barakat is a Denver-area Muslim activist.]
MEMRI claims to be an independent nonpartisan research institution. One
of the co-founders of the organization, Yigal Carmon, is a retired
Israeli military intelligence Colonel. Checking the MEMRI website, I
found it served up blatant, unbalanced propaganda and was littered with
inflammatory articles aimed to incite hate and bigotry toward any person
whom MEMRI considers anti-Israeli or anti-Zionist.
Academics as well as professional journalists have repeatedly censured
the organization's quality and integrity. Brian Whitaker of the Guardian
questioned the honesty of some "translations" posted by MEMRI.
Whitaker, specifically, referred to an interview with the Grand Mufti of
Jerusalem Sheikh Ekrima Sabri by Al-Ahram Al-Arabi in Oct. 2000 - the
same interview quoted by the ADL, the AJC and Carroll.
Al-Ahram: Q: How do you deal with the Jews who are besieging al-Aqsa and
are scattered around it?
A: I enter the mosque of Al-Aqsa with my head up. . .I have never greeted
them when I came near one. I never will.
MEMRI's version: Q: How do you feel about the Jews?
A: I have never greeted a Jew when I came near one. I never will. They
cannot even dream that I will. The Jews do not dare to bother
me.
It is worthy to note that Carmon has admitted this
"translation" mistake. Still, it remains uncorrected on his
website. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/28/06
*
Verse: God
Shows the Right Path
*
CAIR-PA:
Forum Addresses Negative Perceptions of Islam
-
CAIR-DC:
No Earthly
Penalty for Converts
-
CAIR-FL
Rep Recipient of Americans United Award
-
CAIR
Rep to Speak at DC Islamic Education Conference
-
CAIR-CAN
Fourth
Annual Toronto Fundraising Dinner
*
NJ: Arab-Americans
Denounce Dumping Candidate
-
NY: Sen.
Schumer Compares Arabs to 'Skinheads'
*
TN:
Locally Based Web Site Among Top Muslim Sites
*
PA:
Islam,
Bioethics Converge at Penn State Forum
*
Judge May Dismiss
AIPAC Classified Info Case (JTA)
-----
VERSE OF THE
DAY: GOD SHOWS THE RIGHT PATH -
TOP
"It is up to God to show you the right path, when there exist some
crooked ways. If God wanted, He could have guided you all."
The Holy Quran, 16:9
HADITH OF THE DAY: YOU HAVE GUIDED ME ON THE RIGHT PATH
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) woke up, he would say:
"O God, I seek Your forgiveness of my sins, and ask for Your mercy.
O God, increase me in knowledge, and let not my heart deviate after You
have guided me on the right path."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4, Number 121
-----
CAIR-PA: WILSON FORUM ADDRESSES NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF ISLAM -
TOP
Public Opinion Online, 3/28/06
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060328/NEWS01/603280303/1002
Samia Malik has not experienced any difficulty practicing her Islamic
religion since she migrated in 1975 to the United States from Madras,
India, but she has received her share of prejudicial remarks.
Sometimes, she gets death threats by e-mail and suspicious stares from
others whenever she goes to public places, including the grocery store.
Often, she says, Americans' perceptions of Muslims are tainted by
negative portrayals in the media, especially in the aftermath of Sept.
11.
Malik said she did not know a lot about Islam when she arrived in the
United States, but she realized the necessity of educating
herself.
"When I came here, I knew I had to study Islam and study my
religion. I had to teach my children about it. There's a lot of pressure
put on us," Malik said. "A lot of people of Islamic religion
have changed their name so they aren't identified as
Muslim."
Malik, director of education for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations' Central Pennsylvania chapter, was among panelists on hand
Monday at Wilson College's 43rd annual Orr Forum on Religion.
This year's forum, "Islam in America: Challenges and
opportunities," sought to move beyond the conventional perception of
Islam as a foreign phenomenon by examining the challenges and
opportunities facing the community in the United States. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
NO EARTHLY
PENALTY FOR CONVERTS, LOCAL IMAM SAYS -
TOP
David Yonke, Toledo Blade, 3/28/06
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060328/NEWS10/603280395/-1/RSS
A person cannot be forced into being a Muslim, and neither should someone
be punished for peacefully abandoning the faith, according to Imam Farooq
Abo-Elzahab.
"The penalty is up to God in the hereafter, but there is no penalty
on this Earth for apostasy," Imam Farooq said yesterday. He called
the Afghan government's charges against Abdul Rahman "a kind of
nonsense, a misinterpretation of Islam."
The imam pointed to Chapter 2, verse 255, in the Qur'an, or Islamic holy
book: "Let there be no compulsion in religion."
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations
in Washington, said "it is the position of the scholars we've
consulted that an individual's choice of faiths is not a matter for state
intervention. If the state were to intervene, it would have to be like
any other legal system in the world: It would have to be tied to some act
of treason or hostile behavior."
CAIR issued a statement Friday calling for the Afghan government to
release Mr. Rahman. (MORE)
---
CAIR-FL: AMERICANS UNITED GIVES ANNUAL ORCHIDS AND ONIONS AWARDS -
TOP
The South Pinellas Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of
Church and State awarded its Orchids and Onions at its annual meeting
Saturday, March 25. Americans United is a national organization that
works to promote religious tolerance and the separation of church and
state.
Orchids are given in recognition of work promoting the protection of the
separation of church and religious tolerance. Two Orchids were awarded
this year. Rebecca Steele, West Coast Director of the Florida ACLU was
recognized for her efforts on behalf of protecting our civil liberties
and for heading up the State ACLU's religious freedom campaign.
Ahmed Bedier, Director of the Central Florida Office of the Council on
American - Islamic Relations was recognized for his courageous work
promoting accuracy in the understanding of the Muslim community. Bedier
has successfully worked to diffuse tense situations, often by personally
talking with those disparaging the Muslim Community.
Onions are awarded to those who threaten religious freedom and civil
liberties. Onions were awarded to
Joe
Kaufman chairman of Americans Against Hate. Through innuendo, guilt
by association and excessive rhetoric Kaufman uses his web site to wage a
campaign of hatred and intolerance against Muslims. The second Onion was
awarded to Hillsborough County Commissioner Rhonda Storms for being a
consistent voice against natural human rights and our constitutional
rights of free speech and expression.
Contact: Rev. Harold Brockus, President South Pinellas Chapter, Americans
United, (727) 867-6317
---
DC: CAIR REP TO SPEAK AT 'ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN AMERICA' CONFERENCE -
TOP
WHAT: On April 6, CAIR Reseach Director Dr. Mohamed Nimer will speak at
Georgetown University's "Islamic Education in America"
conference. This conference will bring together scholars, policy experts
and educators to critically examine the landscape of education within the
American Muslim community, its future direction and the way it is
represented.
WHEN: Thursday, April 6, 8:30 a.m. - 7:00pm
WHERE: McShain Lounge, Georgetown University.
RSVP at
http://www12.georgetown.edu/sfs/rsvp/cmcu
---
CAIR-CAN'S FOURTH ANNUAL TORONTO FUNDRAISING DINNER -
TOP
"Defending Civil Liberties: Keeping Canada Strong and
Free"
WHAT: On Saturday, May 6, CAIR-CAN'S will host its fourth annual Toronto
fundraising dinner with the theme, "Defending Civil Liberties:
Keeping Canada Strong and Free." Speakers include Dr. Abdul Hakim
Jackson, professor at the University of Michigan, Riad Saloojee, Outgoing
Executive Director of CAIR-CAN, Karl Nickner, Incoming Executive Director
of CAIR-CAN, Abdul-Basit Khan, CAIR-CAN Chair, and comedian Preacher
Moss.
WHEN: Registration at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd.
See our flyer:
http://www.caircan.ca/downloads/2006dinner.pdf
Tickets: $60 in advance, $80 after April 30, $500 for table of 10. To get
your tickets please call 416-732-2965 or email toronto@caircan.ca.
Limited childcare available with advance registration.
-----
ANGRY ARABS DENOUNCE
DUMPING MERHI -
TOP
Cristian Salazar, Herald News, 3/27/06
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5MDU2NDUmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz
Arab-Americans from both political parties expressed outrage and sadness
a day after Passaic County Democrats pulled their support from
Lebanese-born freeholder candidate Sami Merhi.
Merhi was booted from the party ticket on Saturday when Democratic Party
leaders feared that comments he made in 2002 about Palestinian suicide
bombers would hinder their election chances in November.
"It's a sad day for Muslims, it's a sad day for Arabs, and a sad day
for immigrants in general, and for any community that wants to
participate in the great political process in the U.S.," said Sohail
Mohammed, a Clifton-based general counsel for the American Muslim Union,
speaking by phone Sunday.
Mohammed argued that voters, not party leaders, should have had the
opportunity to decide whether Merhi deserved the freeholder
seat.
The controversy reminded Sherine El-Abd, of Clifton, of why she left the
Democratic Party in 1984, when she was working for Walter Mondale's
failed presidential bid.
"He returned money to Arab-Americans because they were Arab,"
said El-Abd, the chairwoman of the state Arab American Republican Caucus,
in a phone interview.
El-Abd said her bad experience with Mondale made her a Republican for
life, so she wasn't surprised by what the Democrats did to
Merhi.
"I just know that this is how the Democrats work," she said.
"They are full of rhetoric, but when it comes to genuine concern for
minorities, they are missing in action." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
NY: SEN.
SCHUMER COMPARES ARABS TO 'SKINHEADS' -
TOP
SENATORIAL METAPHORS
The Weekly Standard, 3/27/06
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/011/986xfpik.asp?pg=2
Don't look now, but we think Charles Schumer just compared Arab
businessmen to skinheads.
According to a piece in the
New York Observer last week, Schumer's beating the drums to kill the
Dubai ports deal "came under fire from many quarters, with some
critics suggesting that opposition to the deal was driven by xenophobia
or anti-Arab racism. Mr. Schumer heatedly disputes that view. 'Let's say
skinheads had bought a company to take over our port,' he said. 'I think
the outcry would have been the same.'"
So why exactly do businessmen who happen to be Arabs deserve to be
compared with skinheads, Mr. Schumer?
-----
TN: LOCALLY BASED WEB SITE AMONG TOP MUSLIM SITES IN ENGLISH -
TOP
Clint Cooper, Chattanooga Times Free Press, 3/28/06
http://www.timesfreepress.com/
One of the world's top two online Islamic directories in English
originates in Chattanooga.
The site,
www.2muslims.com,
recently was ranked second among such directories by Alexa.com, a
California-based company best known for providing information on Web
traffic to sites in its index, according to webmaster Abdou
Kittah.
"I never dreamed of it being like this," the Syria native said.
"Now, other (sites) that I have used as resources are coming to us,
asking if they can link to us, asking if they can be our
partner."
With more than 150,000 HTML pages, the site offers visitors not only
educational materials about the Islam faith but a plethora of other
categories such as a shopping center, classified-ad section, gallery of
photos and images, collection of tools and games for children, and
various Internet and webmaster tools. (MORE)
-----
PA:
ISLAM, BIOETHICS CONVERGE AT PENN STATE FORUM -
TOP
Chris Rosenblum, Centre Daily, 3/28/06
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/14201602.htm
UNIVERSITY PARK -- Women in northern Tanzania weigh their faith and
family planning and choose sterilization.
Islamic scholars debate notions of abortion and fetal rights.
Muslim physicians wrestle with the use of frozen embryos for medical
research.
For 90 minutes on Monday morning, discussion of these topics filled a
meeting hall in the Nittany Lion Inn, as about 50 theologians,
historians, social scientists and physicians gathered for "Islam and
Bioethics: Concerns, Challenges and Responses."
The two-day academic conference aims to explore Muslim attitudes toward
issues such as contraception and end-of-life care. Sponsored by Penn
State, it continues today and is open to the public. . .
Dr. Farhat Moazam, a Pakistani physician and visiting scholar at Penn
State, said she hopes the conference dispels the idea of monolithic
Islamic beliefs on complex issues such as health care and medical
ethics.
"I think the importance of this is people in North America probably
don't realize how much discussion and debate are going on in Muslim
countries," Moazam said. (MORE)
-----
AT LIVELY HEARING IN AIPAC CASE, JUDGE HINTS HE COULD DISMISS CASE -
TOP
Ron Kampeas, JTA, 3/27/06
http://jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=16457&intcategoryid=5
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 27 (JTA) - A federal judge has hinted that he
might dismiss the classified-information case against two former
officials of the pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee.
Hearing a defense motion for dismissal last Friday, District Judge T.S.
Ellis III expressed reservations about the breadth of a never-used 1917
statute at the core of the case.
"What I'm really expressing discomfort about is that it's always
nice to have a clear precedent to follow," he said. "I think we
are in new, uncharted territory, so I'm going to consider this matter
very carefully."
Ellis gave the sides until this Friday to submit additional arguments,
but the smiles around the defense table suggested they had fared better
than expected at the hearing.
Steve Rosen, AIPAC's former foreign policy director, and Keith Weissman,
its former Iran analyst, were indicted last August on charges that they
relayed classified information to fellow AIPAC staffers, journalists and
diplomats at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/29/06
*
Hadith:
The Golden
Rule
*
CAIR
Rep
Discusses 'Integration' at French Forum
-
CAIR-Cleveland
to Hold
Civil Rights Banquet
-
CAIR-MI
to Hold
Fundraiser
-
CAIR-LA:
Get Past Hate
Rhetoric
*
CAIR-NJ Meets Governor to Discuss
Dropped Candidate
-
NJ:
Corzine Told of 'Political Lynching' (AP)
-
NJ:
Some
Ill-Timed Remarks End (NY Times)
-
NJ:
Action
Against Merhi A Political Lynching (Record)
*
CO:
Lawmaker Who Sent Anti-Muslim E-Mails Doesn't Get It
*
MN: Muslim Woman Lawyer Stands
for Islam (Star Tribune)
-
CA: Hazy Case Against
Lodi Man (SF Gate)
-
NY:
Coast Guard Discriminates on Head Covers (Newsday)
*
Storm Intensifies
Over Israel Lobby Paper (Financial Times)
*
Americans' Call for Removal of Iraqi PM (Independent)
-
US Admits Attack
Target Contained a Mosque (Telegraph)
*
Italy:
Teaching Islam
Makes Berlusconi 'Shudder'
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE
GOLDEN RULE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever wishes to
(enter Paradise)...should treat people as he wishes to be treated by
them."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 852
The Prophet also said:
"If you are pleased with what God has (given you), you will be the
richest of men. If you are kind to your neighbor, you will be a believer.
If you like others to have what you want for yourself, you will be a
Muslim."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1334
"Do you know who will go first on the Day of Resurrection to the
shade of God?...Those who when given what is right accept it, when asked
for something give freely and who judge in favor of others as they do for
themselves."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1042
"None of you will have faith until he wishes for his brother what he
wishes for himself."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Hadith 12
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him), go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR REP
DISCUSSES 'INTEGRATION' AT FRENCH FORUM -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/29/06) - CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad speaks
today at a forum in France on "Integration and the Sense of
Belonging." Awad's presentation at the conference, organized by
France's Foundation for Political Innovation, will focus on the
experience of the American Muslim community.
SEE:
http://www.fondapol.org/agenda-futur.jsp
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CLEVELAND TO HOLD ANNUAL CIVIL RIGHTS BANQUET -
TOP
(CLEVELAND, OH, 3/29/06) - On April 30, the Cleveland office of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) will hold its
Fourth Annual Banquet and Fundraiser, with the theme "Upholding the
Truth and Defending the Constitution."
Janis Karpinski, former US Army commanding general of Abu Ghraib and
outspoken critic of current Iraq policy, is a keynote speaker at the
event. James Yee, former military Chaplain at Guantanamo Bay will discuss
his highly-acclaimed book "For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism
Under Fire." Marc Rotenberg, president and executive director of the
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), will explain his
organization's pioneering work to protect the privacy rights of ordinary
Americans.
WHAT: CAIR-Cleveland 4th Annual Banquet & Fundraiser
WHEN: Sunday, April 30, 2005 from 4:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (Reception 4 - 5
p.m.)
WHERE: Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd., Independence,
Ohio
CAIR-OHIO President, Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin will give a briefing on CAIR's
accomplishments and the challenges facing Muslims in America.
CONTACT: Julia A. Shearson, 216-830-2247 or 216-440-2247, E-Mail:
cleveland@cair-ohio.com; Dr.
Asma Mobin-Uddin, E-mail:
asma@cair-ohio.com
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI:
MUSLIM GROUP TO HOLD FUND-RAISER SATURDAY -
TOP
Detroit Free Press, 3/29/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060329/NEWS02/603290380/1004
A Muslim civil rights group will hold its annual fund-raising banquet
Saturday in Dearborn.
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations will
hold a dinner at the Islamic Center of America, 19500 Ford Road.
The keynote speaker will be Cherif Bassiouni, distinguished research
professor of law and president of the International Human Rights Law
Institute. He will speak about advocating for freedom, justice and
religious liberty.
For more information, contact CAIR Michigan at 248-569-2203 or visit
www.cairmichigan.org.
---
CAIR-LA: GET PAST HATE
RHETORIC -
TOP
Sabiha Khan, Ventura County Star, 3/27/06
http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/opinion/article/0,1375,VCS_125_4577561,00.html
Re: Terry Paulson's March 27 essay, "A Muslim Luther
needed":
Would it be right for anyone to judge Christianity based on the murderous
acts of Slobodon Milosevic who killed thousands of Muslims in Christ's
name? Would anyone judge Judaism based on the daily murderous acts of
settlers taking away land from Christian and Muslim Palestinians? Would
anyone judge the West and Christianity based on imperialism, slavery,
colonialism or the Crusades? The answer to these questions are, of
course, no.
Isn't it arrogant and condescending to label 1.5 billion people on this
Earth backward? Intelligent and rational Americans would be hard-pressed
to believe Islam is the only religion that has wacko followers.
The world's Muslims and Islam's leading scholars have and continue to
condemn terrorism committed in Islam's name. Why do certain people
continue to malign an entire religion based on the acts of extremists? Is
it acceptable today to demonize and dehumanize Muslims based on a
combination of ignorance, lies and distortions. It is just too easy to
strip people's humanity away, rather than educate oneself about the
truth.
The truth is that the world's 1.5 billion Muslims live in peace and
follow the teachings of the Quran and Prophet to live a righteous life.
Hate and murder is a human phenomenon committed by people of all
backgrounds. We need to get past hateful rhetoric that divides people
along religious lines and really listen to moderate and reasoned voices
that espouse harmony, not a culture clash, for the sake of the future of
our children and our world.
[The writer is the communications director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations of Southern California.]
-----
CAIR-NJ MEETS WITH GOVERNOR TO DISCUSS
DROPPED CANDIDATE -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/29/06) - A representative of CAIR's office in New
Jersey (CAIR-NJ) participated in a meeting yesterday with Governor Jon S.
Corzine to discuss the Arab-American candidate in that state who was
dropped from a ticket over remarks he made in 2002. Representatives of
several Arab-American groups also participated in the meeting. (See
articles below.)
CONTACT: Government Affairs Director Corey P. Saylor, Tel: (202)
488-8787, x3221, (571) 278-4658, E-Mail:
csaylor@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
NJ: ARAB-AMERICANS TELL CORZINE OF CANDIDATE'S 'POLITICAL LYNCHING' -
TOP
WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press, 3/29/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--arabcandidate-ter0329mar29,0,3022807.story
NEWARK, N.J. -- Arab-American leaders told Gov. Jon S. Corzine that
dumping a Lebanese-born candidate for a county office because of comments
he made about terrorism amounted to "political lynching," and
asked the governor for help fighting what they feel is a renewed climate
of Arab-bashing.
At a private meeting Tuesday night with the governor in the Statehouse,
eight Arab-American community leaders protested the treatment of Sami
Merhi of Totowa. Merhi was chosen by Passaic County Democrats to run for
freeholder, then dumped from the ticket a week later over comments he
made in 2002 that some interpreted as sympathetic to suicide
bombers.
Merhi reiterated that he has always condemned terrorism in all forms.
When he said he could not see the comparison between the Sept. 11
hijackers and Palestinian suicide bombers, he meant that while all murder
is wrong, the 9/11 attacks were mass murder on an unprecedented
scale.
Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez publicly opposed Merhi's
nomination, citing the comments.
"This is not about a freeholder seat," Merhi said Wednesday.
"This is about my integrity."
Participants at the meeting did not ask Corzine to try to reinstate Merhi
to the ticket. Rather, they asked him to visit Arab-American communities
on a regular basis, appoint qualified Arab-Americans to state commissions
and agencies, and work to reduce negative stereotyping of Arab-Americans
and Muslims.
But the governor did not make specific promises, they said.
(MORE)
---
YEARS
OF POLITICAL SERVICE VS. SOME ILL-TIMED REMARKS -
TOP
Peter Applebome, New York Times, 3/29/06
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/03/29/nyregion/29towns.html
PATERSON, N.J. - SITTING at the back of a Lebanese restaurant in South
Paterson in his crisp gray suit, cellphone incessantly beeping, Sami
Merhi cites the Constitution, reflects on family, tells an immigrant's
success story, muses ruefully about lessons learned.
"My grandfather told me this is the only place on earth where you
will never feel a stranger," said the most famous almost-freeholder
in Passaic County history. "And I believe it."
He says it in the present tense, though it's impossible to imagine the
thought without a jagged edge. A week ago Mr. Merhi won a prize that
loomed incredibly large to someone who immigrated from Lebanon 29 years
ago: the endorsement by Democratic Party leaders as the party's nominee
for Passaic County freeholder.
Within days, he was being denounced as a terrorist sympathizer.
("Defender of suicide bombers gets Dem nod in Passaic," ran the
headline over an item in the widely read PoliticsNJ Web site last week.)
A week later, after his candidacy became part of the parry and thrust in
the United States Senate race and after his party's statewide leaders,
Senator Robert Menendez and Gov. Jon S. Corzine, said they could not
support it, the endorsement was rescinded.
You can read two stories into the life of Sami Merhi. The first is told
over 29 years in which he has prospered as a widely respected businessman
and community leader. He is president of a local hospital, an energetic
Democratic fund-raiser, a member of the Passaic County Counterterrorism
Task Force. In this one, Mr. Merhi, 57, seems about as radical as a piece
of pita bread.
The second is told in a portion of a single day reported in The New York
Times four years ago, when he made remarks that were, at the very least,
politically insensitive and tin-eared about terrorism -- a topic on which
no Arab-American can ever afford to hit a wrong note. Not surprisingly,
the one day has obliterated the 29 years.
Even his strongest supporter, United States Representative Bill Pascrell
Jr., says Mr. Merhi made insensitive remarks and then failed to minimize
the damage by undergoing the American political ritual of abject apology.
But if Mr. Merhi falls short as a politician, he has succeeded as an
educator -- the public lynching he has undergone over the past week or so
has been a vivid lesson in how little margin for error an Arab politician
has.
"This has gotten so far out of control I really can't believe
it," said Harvey Sussman, who is Jewish and has been a friend and
sometime business associate of Mr. Merhi. "This is a peaceful,
learned man. I've known him for 20 years, and I've never heard a single
prejudiced remark. I wish he were in the U.N., because he's the kind of
person who could get respect from both sides."
MR. MERHI's problems date to remarks he made in April 2002 before and
during a fund-raiser he organized for Mr. Pascrell. In them, while he
condemned violence "whether it's committed by a person, a group or a
state," he spoke of the frustrations and feelings of despair that
drive suicide bombers and of the need for both sides to listen to each
other in the Middle East. Mr. Pascrell criticized the remarks the next
day.
And in the most problematic remark, after calling the 9/11 attackers
"coldblooded murderers," he was asked if that applied to
suicide bombers. "I can't see the comparison," he said. He said
this week that because he lost a godson on 9/11 and his country was
attacked, he was affected personally by one event, so that he couldn't
compare it to the other. He said he wasn't minimizing the evil of suicide
bombers and opposed all forms of terrorism.
Friends tend to accept that explanation. Others accuse him of changing
his story when it's convenient. (He was also accused of comparing Ariel
Sharon to Adolf Hitler -- something others, not he, said at a rally the
same day.) (MORE)
---
ACTION AGAINST
MERHI IS A POLITICAL LYNCHING -
TOP
Aref Assaf, The Record, 3/28/06
http://bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNCZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NjkwNTc3Ng==
WE ARE SAD but not surprised that Sami Merhi has been removed from the
Democratic Party's slate of freeholder candidates for Passaic County.
Under pressure, Passaic County Democrats voted to replace Merhi with
another candidate.
Political lynching of Arab-Americans is now an accepted practice. Every
Arab-American is now Sami Merhi. The sense of being unwanted, unfit and
outcast cannot simply be promoted as a reasonable price for political
expediency or electoral considerations. The prevailing sense of letdown
in the Arab-American community will require a period of mourning and also
reflection.
As John Currie, the Passaic County party chairman, was entering the
headquarters to chair the meeting to decide Merhi's future, I asked him
to please vote for and support him, for he is both deserving of the post
and a loyal citizen. The chairman's response was, "It is not about
justice and fairness; it is about politics."
I interrupted him, "But, Chairman, politics is supposed to render
justice possible."
Instead of responding to my assertion, he said, fully cognizant of the
presence of the media and other supporters, "Sami Merhi has
committed a political mistake and he has to pay for it."
I knew then that Merhi's political aspirations had already been decided,
by Sen. Robert Menendez. I knew then that regardless of Merhi's strong
appeal for fairness and understanding, the judgment had already been
passed down.
As a besieged community, we must resign ourselves to the reality that
Arab-Americans are now facing a three-headed monster called profiling.
One followed the tragic and horrible attacks of 9/11, when a community of
9 million Arab and Muslim citizens became the subject of intense and
unconstitutional racial profiling. The second phase manifested itself in
the economic profiling of Arabs as happened in the Dubai port deal, when
Sen. Frank Lautenberg compared transferring port management to Dubai to
transferring it to the "devil."
Now, when Arab-American citizens wish to serve their community and their
country, we take their money and then expediently offer them as sacrifice
for the "good" of the party.
This is political lynching of the worst kind. (MORE)
-----
DEMS: LAWMAKER WHO SENT QUESTIONABLE E-MAILS DOESN'T GET IT -
TOP
Denver Channel, 3/28/06
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/8321747/detail.html
DENVER -- A GOP lawmaker who distributed e-mails questioning the
character of some blacks and Muslims should not expect to silence his
critics by saying he did not agree with the messages, two Democratic
legislators said Tuesday.
Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, apologized two weeks ago for forwarding an
e-mail to other lawmakers and constituents suggesting some black victims
of Hurricane Katrina were lazy.
After the apology, another e-mail forwarded by Welker surfaced; it
questioned whether devout Muslims could be patriotic Americans. Welker
has said he did not remember sending it.
Welker told The Associated Press his mistake was not disclosing he did
not write the e-mails.
"It's part of free speech in America. When I read things in the
newspaper, there are things I agree with and things I disagree with. It's
an opportunity to pass on information. It's up to the reader to agree or
disagree," he said.
Reps. Angie Paccione and Mike Merrifield said Welker had missed the
point.
"He just doesn't get it," said Paccione, a Fort Collins
Democrat. "It wasn't a mistake for him not to disclose, it's a
mistake for a legislator to send it in the first place. It's not illegal,
it's inappropriate. . ."
The e-mail about Muslims said in part, "Can a devout Muslim be an
American patriot and loyal citizen? ... Politically, no. Because he must
submit to the mullah, who teaches annihilation of Israel and destruction
of America, the great Satan." (MORE)
-----
MN: STANDING FOR ISLAM -
TOP
Pamela Miller, Star Tribune, 3/28/06
http://www.startribune.com/10031/story/336754.html
When Sumbal Mahmud grows weary of people assuming she's non-American and
calling her views on the Iraq war un-American, she's tempted to bring out
her plaques.
The plaques, which laud her "all-American" mock-trial victories
at Hamline University in St. Paul -- as well as other awards she won
there, at Osseo High School and at the University of Minnesota Law School
-- have come to stand for far more than the honors they
chronicle.
"When someone wants to question how American I am, I can say, 'I
played along with the best of them. I have these plaques to prove
it,'" she said. "All-American. That's me."
Mahmud, 28, is the public face of the Islamic Center of
Minnesota.
In the past few years, especially since the Iraq war began, she has faced
challenges she could not have imagined back in the 1990s at Osseo High.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CA: HAZY CASE AGAINST LODI
MAN -
TOP
Demian Bulwa, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/29/06
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/29/LODI.TMP
Sacramento -- Returning to Lodi last summer after a two-year trip to
Pakistan, Hamid Hayat was grilled by FBI agents who suspected he might be
a terrorist. But the young man didn't seem to understand he was in
trouble.
He was questioned three times in the course of a week. When agents told
him he had failed a lie-detector test, he confessed to attending a
terrorist training camp in Pakistan.
But as Hayat sat in a lobby in the bureau's Sacramento office, eating
pizza and waiting to confess further, he invited the lead agent on his
case to a party -- a reception to be held when his Pakistani bride
arrived. He also complimented the agent on his shoes.
Such unusual details have infused the trials of Hayat and his father,
which reached a critical point Tuesday when prosecutors wrapped up their
six-week case before a pair of juries in U.S. District Court. The younger
Hayat, 23, is charged with supporting terror by attending a paramilitary
camp in late 2003 and with initially lying about it; Umer Hayat, 48, is
charged with lying about his son's training.
Prosecutors rested after revealing a far murkier case than the government
had laid out in documents supporting the charges.
The government showed that Hamid Hayat held some radical and
anti-American views. Their last witness was a Defense Department analyst
who said Tuesday that Hayat's description of the camp during his disputed
confession -- he said it was in a mountaintop clearing outside the
Pakistani city of Balakot -- was consistent with satellite images, which
showed a "possible" camp in the area.
One of the prosecution's main witnesses, however, was an aggressive
informant who raised eyebrows when he reported having seen Osama bin
Laden's chief deputy at a Lodi mosque as late as 1999 -- a sighting that
national security experts doubt was genuine.
Prosecutors also were forced to rely on the defendants' videotaped
confessions, which they called "the meat of the case" but which
featured conflicting and sometimes bizarre details. (MORE)
---
NY: NYCLU CLAIMS COAST GUARD DISCRIMINATES ON RELIGIOUS HEAD COVERS -
TOP
Newsday, 3/28/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--religiousdiscrimi0328mar28,0,5281039.story
NEW YORK - The U.S. Coast Guard is accused in a lawsuit of discriminating
by requiring anyone seeking a merchant marine license to submit
photographs showing no religious head coverings.
The lawsuit, brought Tuesday by the New York Civil Liberties Union in
U.S. District Court in Manhattan, says the Coast Guard began enforcing
the regulation after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The civil rights group brought the claim on behalf of Khalid Hakim, a
devout Muslim who has served in the merchant marine while working for
private shipping companies since 1973.
Before September 2001, he regularly received licenses after submitting
photographs in which he wore his religious hat, called a kufi, the
lawsuit said. After Sept. 11, though, the Coast Guard said he would have
to remove the headdress to get a license, it added.
The lack of a license left him unable to work as a merchant marine, the
NYCLU said. (MORE)
-----
STORM INTENSIFIES
OVER ISRAEL LOBBY PAPER -
TOP
Guy Dinmore, Financial Times, 3/27/06
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/b6d10d64-bddf-11da-a998-0000779e2340.html
The furore ignited by two eminent professors from Harvard and Chicago who
have challenged the value of the US-Israeli relationship deepened on
Monday as the head of the Brookings Institute forcefully rejected their
claims that his prestigious Washington think-tank was part of the
"pro-Israel chorus".
Professors Stephen Walt of Harvard and the University of Chicago's John
Mearsheimer have kicked up a storm in academic and political circles with
publication of an 83-page paper called "The Israel Lobby" in
which they argue that the "unwavering support" of the US for
Israel cannot be justified on strategic or moral grounds and is a result
of a powerful and pernicious "lobby".
Part of that lobbying influence, they claim, extends deep into the US
political system, namely the Washington think-tanks -- not only the
neoconservative and right-wing institutions, but also liberal
Brookings.
"What was once a non-partisan policy institute is now part of the
pro-Israel chorus," the professors wrote, taking aim at Brooking's
Saban Centre for Middle East Studies and in particular its main donor,
Haim Saban, an Israeli-American businessman, and its director, Martin
Indyk, a former US ambassador to Israel. (MORE)
-----
AMERICANS' CALL FOR REMOVAL OF IRAQI PM THREATENS RIFT WITH SHIAS -
TOP
Patrick Cockburn in Arbil, Independent, 3/29/06
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article354245.ece
President George W Bush has made it clear that he does not want Ibrahim
al-Jaafari to remain prime minister of Iraq in a move likely to increase
hostility between the US and the Shia community.
Mr Bush has written to the Shi'ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the head
of the Shi'ite Alliance asking him to nominate somebody else for the
post. "The Americans are very firm about this," said a senior
official. "They don't want Jaafari at any price."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
US ADMITS ATTACK
TARGET CONTAINED A MOSQUE -
TOP
Francis Harris, Telegraph, 3/29/06
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/29/wirq29.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/29/ixnewstop.html
Iraqi and American special forces who attacked an insurgent headquarters
in Baghdad were not aware that their target contained a mosque until
after the battle, America's most senior soldier said yesterday.
General Peter Pace, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, was responding
to 48 hours of unremitting criticism over the controversial raid, which
Iraqi radicals claim resulted in the deaths of 21 unarmed worshippers and
an imam. (MORE)
-----
ITALY:
TEACHING ISLAM MAKES BERLUSCONI SHUDDER -
TOP
Daily Telegraph, 3/29/06
http://www.nysun.com/article/30020
ROME - Silvio Berlusconi has said he doesn't want Italy to become a
multi-ethnic country, drawing applause from his coalition partners and
strong criticism from the opposition.
"We don't want Italy to become a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural
country" he said. "Those foreigners who are here must adopt
themselves to our laws and our way of life."
He said proposals by Italian communists to teach Islam alongside
Christianity in schools "is stuff that makes me shudder."
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR WELCOMES RELEASE OF JOURNALIST JILL
CARROLL IN IRAQ
Islamic advocacy group sent delegation to Iraq to seek
Carroll's freedom
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/30/2006) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (
CAIR) today welcomed the
release of American journalist Jill Carroll who was abducted January 7th
in Iraq while on assignment for the Christian Science Monitor
newspaper.
SEE:
Carroll Says Captors Treated Her Well
In January, CAIR sent a delegation to Iraq to make a public appeal for
Carroll's release. CAIR's office in her home state of Michigan issued a
similar appeal.
SEE:
Muslim
Americans Seek Reporter's Release
SEE ALSO:
Michigan Group Appeals for Release of Kidnapped Journalist
"We welcome Jill Carroll's release and hope this positive
development leads to a situation in which all other hostages currently
being held in Iraq are released immediately and unconditionally,"
said CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor. Saylor was part of
the delegation CAIR sent to Iraq seeking Carroll's freedom.
Along with the delegation to Iraq, CAIR also coordinated a joint appeal
by national Muslim leaders calling for Carroll's safe return to her
family.
SEE:
U.S. Muslim Leaders Call for Release of Journalist in Iraq
In December, CAIR held a news conference at its national headquarters in
Washington, D.C., to call for the release of four members of the
Christian Peacemakers Teams also taken hostage in Iraq. Three of those
hostages were rescued recently. A fourth hostage, an American, was killed
by his kidnappers.
SEE:
CAIR Calls for Release of Iraq Hostages
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor,
202-488-8787 or 571-278-4658, E-Mail:
csaylor@cair-net.org; CAIR-MI
Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-569-2203 or 248-842-1418; CAIR
Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org;
CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 3/30/06
*
Verse:
God's Evident and Hidden Favors
-
Hadith:
The One Most Favored by God
*
CAIR-OH Helps Bring Bridges TV to
Columbus
*
CAIR-MI:
Carroll's Release
Elates Muslims (Free Press)
-
CAIR:
Reaction to Reporter
Carroll's Release (CNN)
*
CAIR:
Faith by Force Not True
Belief (Tucson Citizen)
-
CAIR-FL:
Making Peace
Elusive (Orlando Sentinel)
-
Islam-Oped:
Fighting Islamophobia a Top
Priority
*
Borders, Waldenbooks Won't Carry
'Cartoon' Magazine (AP)
*
VA:
Islam's Liberation of Women
(W&M News)
*
IN:
Mr. Syeed Goes to
Washington (Indy Star)
*
NJ:
Merhi Flap Affects Corzine (Herald
News)
-
Merhi:
Democratic
Party Gave Me a Raw Deal (Record)
*
Halal Foods Benefit from Surge in Muslim
Consumer Power
*
Resources:
Apostasy and Religious
Freedom
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: GOD'S EVIDENT AND HIDDEN FAVORS -
TOP
"Do you not see that God has subjected to your (use) all that is in
the heavens and in the earth, and has lavished on you His evident and
hidden favors? Yet there are some people who still argue about God
without knowledge, without guidance or an enlightening
Book."
The Holy Quran, 31:20
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE ONE MOST FAVORED BY GOD -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) quoted God as saying:
"Truly of those devoted to Me, the one I most favor is a believer
who is of meager means and much given to prayer, who has been particular
in the worship of his Lord and has obeyed Him inwardly, who was obscure
among people and not pointed out, and whose sustenance was just
sufficient to provide for him yet he bore this patiently."
Hadith Qudsi, Number 26
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him), go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
To sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
CAIR-OHIO HELPS BRING BRIDGES TV TO
COLUMBUS -
TOP
(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 3/30/2006) - CAIR-Ohio's Columbus Director Adnan Mirza
met recently with officials from Bridges TV and local cable television
executives to discuss bringing the station to the Columbus Muslim
community as a free basic channel. Bridges TV
(
http://www.bridgestv.com) is the
first-ever American Muslim television network in English.
Central Ohio Time-Warner Cable customers are being urged to call
614-481-5050 to request that Bridges TV be carried on their free, basic
cable package.
CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Director Adnan Mirza, 614-451-3232, E-Mail:
director@cair-ohio.com
-----
CAIR-MI: CARROLL'S RELEASE
ELATES LOCAL MUSLIM LEADERS -
TOP
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 3/30/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060330/NEWS11/60330010
Michigan Muslims who pushed hard for the release of kidnapped journalist
Jill Carroll - were thrilled to learn Thursday that she is free and safe.
. .
On Jan. 19, Muslims gathered at a mosque in Canton to denounce her
kidnapping and call for her immediate release. The gathering was
organized by
Dawud Walid, head of the Michigan branch of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group based in Washington,
D.C.
"The taking of hostages," is clearly un-Islamic, Walid said
Thursday morning. Moreover, Carroll was an innocent journalist and a
non-combatant, he said.
Two officials with the council's national office traveled to Iraq on Jan.
21 to try and win her release. It was all part of a major effort by
Muslims to free her.
"We were ecstatic when we heard the news this morning," Walid
said Thursday. "We are truly grateful to God that our prayers have
been answered."
Walid hopes that when Carroll returns to the United States, Muslims
"may have the opportunity to greet her and share in the celebration
of her homecoming."
SEE ALSO:
CAIR: REACTION TO REPORTER
CARROLL'S RELEASE -
TOP
CNN, 3/30/06
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/03/30/carroll.reaction/
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said that the group welcomes Carroll's release as "a
positive development and we hope it leads to the release of all hostages
currently held in Iraq. . .We hope that we had at least some small part
in winning her release and convincing the kidnappers their actions were
counterproductive to the interests of the people of Iraq."
-----
CAIR: FAITH BY FORCE NOT TRUE BELIEF -
TOP
Parvez Ahmed, Tucson Citizen, 3/29/06
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/
[Parvez Ahmed is the board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations Washington, D.C.]
The Council on American-Islamic Relations calls on the government of
Afghanistan to release Abdul Rahman, a man facing the death penalty for
converting from Islam to Christianity.
Rahman's conversion is a personal matter that should not be subject to
state intervention.
Islamic scholars say original rulings on apostasy were similar to those
for treasonous acts in legal systems worldwide and do not apply to an
individual's choice of religion.
Islam advocates freedom of religion and of conscience, a position
supported by the Quran:
* "If it had been the will of your Lord that all the people of the
world should be believers, all the people of the earth would have
believed! Would you then compel mankind against their will to
believe?" (10:99)
* "This is the Truth from your Lord. Now let him who will, believe
in it, and him who will, deny it." (18:29)
* "If they turn away from thee (O Muhammad) they should know that We
have not sent you to be their keeper. Your only duty is to convey My
message." (42:48)
* "Let there be no compulsion in religion." (2:256)
Faith imposed by force is not true belief, but coercion. Islam has no
need to compel belief in its divine truth.
As the Quran states: "Truth stands out clear from error. Therefore,
whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy
hand-hold that never breaks." (2:256)
We urge the government of Afghanistan to order the immediate release of
Abdul Rahman.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-FL: MAKING PEACE ELUSIVE
-
TOP
Christopher W. Cusano, Orlando Sentinel, 3/30/06
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/orl-le30_406mar30,0,2704403.story
[Christopher Cusano is the Orlando Director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations].
In response to David Knechel's Sunday letter to the editor,
"Religion of peace?":
Throughout time, claimed adherents to a religion have been engaged in
actions of violence that not only dwarf the condemning of authors but the
atrocities of 9-11.
Across the belt buckle of the infamous Nazi SS was written "Gott mit
uns" -- "God is with us." Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf:
"I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our
Creator."
Hitler's actions cost the world 60 million people, of whom 37 million
were civilians.
In 1811, John Quincy Adams wrote, "The whole continent of North
America appears to be destined by Divine Providence to be peopled by one
nation, speaking one language, professing one general system of religious
and political principles . . . for the common happiness of them all, for
their peace and prosperity, I believe it is indispensable that they
should be associated in one federal Union."
What followed were 11 million Native Americans killed to fulfill our
"manifest destiny."
There are Muslims around the world calling back their brethren to the
peaceful way of life, which was revealed as a mercy to mankind,
sacrificing their time, money and energy. By continuing to demonize the
religion that has raised humankind from the shackles of immorality,
brought peace to violence-torn areas and prescribed women's political
rights 1,400 years ago based on the actions of those who have fallen from
its doctrine, we only make the path toward peace more elusive.
Muslims unconditionally denounce terrorism and invite people of
conscience to seek and embrace the truth.
---
ISLAM-OPED: MUSLIMS AND NON-MUSLIMS CAN WORK
HARDER TO SEE THE OTHER SIDE -
TOP
Fighting Islamophobia should be a top priority
Fredericksburg, 3/30/06
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/032006/03302006/175209
[PARVEZ AHMED is board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.]
WASHINGTON--The recent hysteria surrounding the approval of a Dubai firm
to manage parts of several American ports demonstrates how fear of Islam,
or "Islamophobia," can overpower rational discourse and harm
our nation's true interests.
What would normally have been a routine business deal with a stable ally
turned into a political fiasco that sent a "no Arabs or Muslims need
apply" message to our partners in the Middle East and
beyond.
Indications of how politicians were able to exploit the Dubai ports deal
appear in two new polls on attitudes toward Islam. These troubling poll
results should serve as a wake-up call for all Americans who value our
nation's tradition of religious tolerance and who seek to improve our
sagging image in the Muslim world.
The polls, one by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the other
by The Washington Post and ABC News, indicate that almost half of
Americans have a negative perception of Islam and that one in four of
those surveyed consistently believe stereotypes such as: "Muslims
value life less than other people" and "The Muslim religion
teaches violence and hatred."
The Post-ABC poll found that one-fourth of Americans "admitted to
harboring prejudice toward Muslims," which experts said is
"fueled in part by political statements and media reports that focus
almost solely on the actions of Muslim extremists."
CAIR's survey also showed that the majority of Americans have little or
no knowledge about Islam.
A majority of the respondents in CAIR's survey said they would change
their views about Islam and Muslims if they perceived that Muslims
condemned terrorism more strongly, showed more concern for issues
important to ordinary Americans, worked to improve the status of women,
and worked to improve the image of America in the Muslim world.
The results of both polls suggest that education is the key to decreasing
anti-Muslim prejudice and that Muslims must do a better job of letting
fellow Americans know what is being done to address their concerns.
(MORE)
-----
BORDERS, WALDENBOOKS WON'T CARRY
MAGAZINE -
TOP
Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press, 3/29/06
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3757662.html
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Borders and Waldenbooks stores will not stock the
April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine because it contains cartoons of
the Prophet Muhammad that provoked deadly protests among Muslims in
several countries.
"For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a
top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge
that priority," Borders Group Inc. spokeswoman Beth Bingham said
Wednesday.
The magazine, published by the Council for Secular Humanism in suburban
Amherst, includes four of the drawings that originally appeared in a
Danish newspaper in September, including one depicting Muhammad wearing a
bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse.
Islamic tradition bars depiction of Muhammad to prevent idol worship,
which is strictly prohibited.
"What is at stake is the precious right of freedom of
expression," said Paul Kurtz, editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry.
"Cartoons often provide an important form of political satire ... To
refuse to distribute a publication because of fear of vigilante violence
is to undermine freedom of press _ so vital for our
democracy."
Bingham said the decision was made before the magazine arrived at the
company's stores. Borders Group, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., operates more
than 475 Borders and 650 Waldenbooks stores in the United States, though
not all regularly carry the magazine.
"We absolutely respect our customers' right to choose what they wish
to read and buy and we support the First Amendment," Bingham said.
"And we absolutely support the rights of Free Inquiry to publish the
cartoons. We've just chosen not to carry this particular issue in our
stores." (MORE)
-----
SONN LECTURES ON ISLAM'S LIBERATION OF WOMEN
-
TOP
Emily Fraser, W&M News, 3/29/06
http://www.wm.edu/news/?id=5720
The Muslim Student Association kicked off Islam Awareness Week in March
with a lecture by Tamara Sonn, the College's Kenan Professor of
Humanities, Religious Studies. Titled "Women in Islam: Tradition and
Change," the lecture tackled many misconceptions about the treatment
of women in the Islamic faith.
Sonn introduced her topic with a complaint. "Everyone is always
coming up to me and saying, 'I don't really know much about Islam, but I
sure don't like how they treat their women,'" she said. "People
always want to hear about 'women in Islam,' so I usually turn it around
and say, OK, but first, you tell me about 'women in
Christianity.'"
Sonn explained that "there are very few things you can say about all
Muslim women. How can you characterize one half of one fifth of the
world's population?" she asked.
But then, diving into the true subject of her talk, she explained that
"the Qur'an has a great deal to say about women-and it has a great
deal to say that is positive about women." Sonn spent the remainder
of her lecture explaining the truly progressive nature of the Qur'an in
the context of the highly patriarchal society within which it developed.
(MORE)
-----
MR. SYEED GOES TO WASHINGTON -
TOP
Robert King, IndyStar, 3/29/06
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060329/NEWS01/60329025/1006/NEWS01
The leader of a Plainfield-based Muslim organization with a national
profile is moving to Washington to head an effort to improve interfaith
cooperation and educate government officials about Muslim
issues.
Sayyid Syeed will give up his post as secretary general of the Islamic
Society of North America based in Plainfield to open the organization's
first Washington office.
The move comes as Syeed and ISNA, which hosts the nation's largest Muslim
convention each year in Chicago, have been trying to help American
Muslims weather the storms following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks.
Frequently, that task has kept Syeed flying between Indianapolis and
Washington to meet with government officials and interfaith
organizations. The Washington office should make the organization's
mission easier, said Louay Safi, who directs ISNA's leadership
development programs.
ISNA's headquarters will remain at its current location just off I-70 in
Plainfield. A search to find a successor to Syeed should produce a new
secretary general within a few months, Safi said. The post will be held
on an interim basis by Ahmed El Hattab, who currently heads ISNA's
development foundation.
-----
MERHI FLAP AFFECTS CORZINE -
TOP
Cristian Salazar, Herald News, 3/30/06
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2OTA3MzQyJnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==
Gov. Jon S. Corzine took a step toward patching up relations with
offended Arab-Americans when he met with Sami Merhi and community leaders
in Trenton Tuesday, after the Passaic County Democrats booted Merhi from
their freeholder ticket last weekend.
But the controversy over whether the Lebanese-born Merhi, of Totowa, was
fit to run for office because of a 2002 remark about Palestinian suicide
bombers that some interpreted as support for terrorism has rapidly
spilled into Arab-American communities nationwide and across the
Internet. The fallout from the Democrats' action, however, may be felt in
November's elections, said Arab-Americans and political commentators from
across the country.
"The Democratic Party has embraced the idea that painting Arabs as
terrorists is a good campaign slogan for them. This is unacceptable at
any level," said Nidal Ibrahim , executive director of the Arab
American Institute in Washington, D.C., before entering the Tuesday
meeting with Corzine, who had removed his support from Merhi's
candidacy.
Ibrahim pointed out that a common theme of Arab-baiting ran through the
Merhi controversy and the recent Dubai ports dispute. In that case, both
Democrats and Republicans vociferously attacked putting Arabs in charge
of American ports. The Arab-American community was further offended,
according to Ibrahim, by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., comparing Arabs
with skinheads while discussing the Dubai ports deal.
"Bigotry disguised in the form of politics cannot be tolerated, and
it's something that needs to be recognized and addressed by the party
leadership," Ibrahim said of Democrats. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
DEMOCRATIC PARTY GAVE
ME A RAW DEAL -
TOP
Sami Merhi, Bergen Record, 3/30/06
http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzOTcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5MDY5NTcmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNA==
BORN AND RAISED in Brooklyn, Jude Safi was an ambitious and assertive
young man. An avid sports fan, he rooted for his beloved Yankees and
Knicks. He graduated from Staten Island College with a degree in business
finance. Jude's diligence and determination were rewarded when he secured
a position with Cantor Fitzgerald as an equity trader.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Jude was among the approximately 3,000 people to
perish at the World Trade Center. Jude was one month shy of his 25th
birthday. A life full of promise and potential was tragically taken away.
He was my godson. His family and I miss him dearly.
The heinous acts perpetrated by a bunch of thugs, or more appropriately,
a band of cowards, on that ill-fated day were abhorrent and unforgivable.
I vehemently condemn terrorism because it goes against everything I
believe in.
Of the many lessons I imparted to my godson and my three children, one
was that violence is never the answer. As a student of history, I fully
understand that it has never accomplished anything positive. Therefore, I
subscribe to the nonviolent philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma
Gandhi, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
I came to this country via Lebanon. The impetus behind my migration was
the boundless opportunities that this magnificent country has to offer.
Back in my native country, I fell in love with what John Locke and later
Thomas Jefferson would espouse: life, liberty, and what I refer to as the
pursuit of justice. Upon arriving on America's shores, I was eager to
raise a family and fulfill the American Dream.
I am motivated by a quote from the Bible that says, "to whom much is
given, much is required." After providing for my family, I felt a
burning desire to devote my life to humanitarian efforts. Consequently, I
decided to dedicate half of my time to charitable organizations.
My commitment to seek joy in what I can give and not in what I can get
inspired me to get involved in politics. As an immigrant who pulled
himself up from his bootstraps, I believed it could be a noble
profession.
For more than 20 years I volunteered my time and money to various
Democratic campaigns. In 2004, I decided to toss my hat in the ring and
seek a seat on the Passaic County Board of Freeholders. (MORE)
-----
HALAL FOODS TO BENEFIT FROM SURGE IN MUSLIM
CONSUMER POWER -
TOP
Dominique Patton, AP-Food and Technology, 3/30/06
http://www.ap-foodtechnology.com/news/ng.asp?n=66740-malaysian-kasehdia-tesco-halal
The rise in Muslim purchasing power and growth in consumer-led movements
will give Asian food makers with halal certification access to new
markets, believes a halal industry expert.
Nordin Abdullah, executive director of Malaysian Kasehdia, the media
company behind the upcoming World Halal Forum, says that producers of
halal foods should look to European markets for new growth
opportunities.
"There may be only 30 million Muslims in Europe but they have huge
purchasing power in comparison with those in the Middle East or North
Africa," he told AP-Foodtechnology.com.
"In France, for example, the second and third generation Muslims are
no longer happy eating what their parents bought in the local stores.
They want pizzas and hotdogs that are certified halal."
"A hotdog from Malaysia is highly unlikely to reach the European
market. But a halal hotdog is in demand from a growing niche
market," Abdullah points out.
And although a growing number of western food makers offer
halal-certified products, particularly the larger ones like Nestle, many
fail to understand the requirements. (MORE)
-----
RESOURCES: APOSTASY AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM -
TOP
http://lsinsight.org/articles/Current/Apostasy.htm
Although medieval Christian Europe practiced coercion to force
reverse conversions to Christianity, modern societies recognize the
freedom of religion of all citizens. Muslim scholars have the obligation
to reconsider modern reality and reject any attempt to revive historical
claims rooted in classical jurisprudence that are clearly at odd with
Qur'anic principles and Islamic spirit, and with modern society and
international conventions and practices. It would be a tragedy, for both
social peace in Muslim societies and world peace in an increasingly
diverse global society, if religious communities embrace practices that
limit freedom of religion, and adopt measures that rely on coercion to
maintain the integrity of religious communities.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS
- 3/31/06
*
Hadith:
Self-Help
Encouraged
*
CAIR Rep
Discusses Journalist's Release on 'Nightline' (ABC)
-
CAIR-MI:
Muslims
Worked For Carroll's Release (Free Press)
-
Newspaper Says Muslim Leaders Helped Win Release (CSM)
*
CAIR:
International Scam Targeting Mosques Broken (AP)
*
CAIR:
Many Muslims
Condemn Persecution (Wash Post)
-
CAIR: Local Muslims
Support Release (Wichita Eagle)
*
MI:
Terrorism
Prosecutor Charged With Lying (Free Press)
*
DC:
Muslim
Shares Views on Life in United States (Wash File)
-
VA:
ADAMS
Mosque Builds Bridges (Connections)
*
CA:
Pakistani Cricketers to Appear at Quake Relief Dinner
*
Blair Lectured
by Pupils at Islamic School (Independent)
*
Poll: Islamic
Women Liked as Leaders (UPI)
*
U.S. Deserter Tells Of
Atrocities
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY:
SELF-HELP ENCOURAGED -
TOP
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and begged for
something from him. The Prophet asked the man: "Have you nothing in
your house?" The man replied: "Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of
which we wear and a part of which we spread (on the ground), and a wooden
bowl from which we drink water." The Prophet asked the man to bring
him these items. He then auctioned them off to the highest bidder and
gave the money to the man who was begging, saying: "Buy food...and
give it to your family, and buy an axe and bring it to me."
When the man brought the ax, the Prophet fixed a handle on it with his
own hands and said: "Go, gather firewood and sell it, and do not let
me see you for a fortnight." The man went away and gathered firewood
and sold it. When he had earned enough money, he bought food and
clothing. The Prophet then said to him: "This is better for you than
having begging (be held against you) on the Day of
Judgment."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 664
-----
CAIR DIRECTOR DISCUSSES JOURNALIST'S RELEASE ON 'NIGHTLINE' -
TOP
HOW JILL CARROLL WAS FREED
ABC News "Nightline," 3/31/06
http://ahmedbedier.com/video/060330-abc-nightline-awad-on-jill.wmv
NIHAD AWAD (COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS)
Our message was very clear that we're coming to Iraq on behalf of 8
million American Muslims, and Jill Carroll and her family and her
friends. She's a good friend to the Iraqi people. Her history, her
writing shows that. And she should not be taken as hostage. In fact, we
said hostage taking is wrong and doesn't benefit the Iraqi people. We
said that in Arabic, we said that on the mainstream and most credible
news networks in the area.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI: MICHIGAN MUSLIMS WORKED FOR CARROLL'S RELEASE -
TOP
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 3/30/06
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/14226525.htm
DETROIT - From holding news conferences to making a hazardous trip to
Baghdad, Iraq, Muslims in Michigan and across the United States launched
an extraordinary campaign to help secure the release of kidnapped
journalist Jill Carroll.
During the three months that she was held hostage, Muslims - with their
words and their actions - organized for her freedom and condemned the
kidnapping as un-Islamic. Some even worked their political and religious
contacts inside Iraq. American Muslims have called for the freeing of
hostages before. But this time, they went all out.
"We decided, `enough is enough,'" Dawud Walid, executive
director of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group, said Thursday.
"We had to go the extra mile." (MORE)
---
NEWSPAPER EDITOR SAYS MUSLIM LEADERS HELPED TO WIN REPORTER'S RELEASE
-
TOP
WRIC, 3/31/06
http://www.wric.com/Global/story.asp?S=4702679&nav=0Rcx3aIN
BOSTON - Her boss at the Christian Science Monitor says Jill Carroll's
release came with the help of a "chorus" of condemnation from
leaders in the Muslim world.
Richard Bergenheim, editor of the Monitor, says it's a chorus that
"has been louder and louder" than any that's been heard
"for some time."
Carroll, who'd been held by kidnappers for three months, was released
Iraqi roadside today.
Speaking to reporters in Boston, Bergenheim said there were
"absolutely no" negotiations for her release.
He says the newspaper will continue to try to give voice to the estimated
30 Iraqis a day who are kidnapped. He says the Monitor "will not let
these people be forgotten" -- and that the Iraqi people "have a
right to live in safety."
-----
FBI: INTERNATIONAL SCAM TARGETING ISLAMIC MOSQUES BROKEN -
TOP
Garry Mitchell, Associated Press, 3/31/06
http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/03/31/fbi_international_scam_targeting_islamic_mosques_broken/
MOBILE, Ala. --An international wire fraud scheme targeting Islamic
institutions with a phony stranded-traveler plea, netting only small sums
but hitting multiple victims over many years, has been disrupted by the
arrest of its mastermind, the FBI says.
Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts Islamic
advocates say Mohammed Mustafa Agbareia, who was arrested in Canada and
pleaded guilty March 1 in Alabama to one count of conspiracy to commit
wire fraud, may have scammed more than $1 million from mosques and
Islamic groups over nearly two decades.
He will be sentenced July 10 by U.S. District Judge Charles Butler in
Mobile, where he is in the custody of federal marshals.
Agbareia is accused of claiming to be with a Saudi development bank
investing in local Islamic society projects. Eventually he would contact
Islamic leaders asking for money, saying he was stranded at an airport in
Canada or another distant location and needed money wired.
Agbareia manipulated the Islamic tenet of lending aid to a stranded
traveler, the FBI says.
He would always ask for $1,000 to $1,500 -- amounts small enough to
"pass under the radar" of local authorities, said Ibrahim
Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
in Washington, D.C. (MORE)
-----
MANY MUSLIMS CONDEMN
PERSECUTION -
TOP
Rami Fakhouri, Washington Post, 3/31/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/30/AR2006033001756.html
The apparent failure of both Muslim leaders and common Afghans to condemn
the cries for Abdul Rahman's execution was a sad reminder of the
shortcomings of intolerant societies, and Richard Cohen's disgust was
justified ["Unfathomable Zealotry," op-ed, March 28].
But Mr. Cohen's claim that no cries of outrage have been heard anywhere
in the Muslim world is misleading. Strong, unequivocal condemnations of
Mr. Rahman's prosecution have been issued by several major Muslim
organizations in the West, including the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils and two Canadian
Islamic groups.
Although members of these groups do not reside in Afghanistan, they are
an equally important part of the Muslim world, as are the hundreds of
millions of Muslims living in areas outside the Middle East. Overlooking
the statements of several large and influential Islamic groups does a
disservice to millions of tolerant Muslims.
SEE ALSO:
LOCAL MUSLIMS SUPPORT RELEASE
-
TOP
Wichita Eagle, 3/31/06
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/editorial/14225895.htm
On behalf of the Islamic Society of Wichita, I would like to respond to
the letter "Afghanistan case raises questions" (March 26 Reader
Views). The Council on American-Islamic Relations already released a
statement in regard to Abdul Rahman, the Afghan man who was threatened
with death for converting to Christianity. The Islamic Society of Wichita
concurs with and supports the statement by CAIR, which said:
"Islamic scholars say the original rulings on apostasy were similar
to those for treasonous acts in legal systems worldwide and do not apply
to an individual's choice of religion. Islam advocates both freedom of
religion and freedom of conscience, a position supported by verses in the
Quran, Islam's revealed text, such as:
'If it had been the will of your Lord that all the people of the world
should be believers, all the people of the earth would have believed!
Would you then compel mankind against their will to believe?'
(10:99)
'(O Prophet) proclaim: "This is the Truth from your Lord. Now let
him who will, believe in it, and him who will, deny it."
'(18:29)
'If they turn away from thee (O Muhammad) they should know that We have
not sent you to be their keeper. Your only duty is to convey My message.'
(42:48)
'Let there be no compulsion in religion.' (2:256)
"Religious decisions should be matters of personal choice, not a
cause for state intervention. Faith imposed by force is not true belief,
but coercion. Islam has no need to compel belief in its divine truth. As
the Quran states: 'Truth stands out clear from error. Therefore, whoever
rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy
hand-hold that never breaks.' (2:256)"
The CAIR statement went on to urge the government of Afghanistan to order
Rahman's immediate release. He was released Monday.
Tammy Sabrah is with the Islamic Society of Wichita
-----
MI:
TERRORISM PROSECUTOR IS CHARGED WITH LYING -
TOP
Detroit Free Press, 3/30/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060330/NEWS05/603300462/1007
Richard Convertino, whose 14-year career as a star federal prosecutor
earned him commendations for winning high-profile cases, now faces
federal prosecution himself, accused Wednesday of lying to a jury to win
terrorism convictions in the first trial to result from the federal 9/11
probe.
-----
AMERICAN MUSLIM SHARES VIEWS ON LIFE IN UNITED STATES -
TOP
Mark Betka, Washington File, 3/30/06
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=March&x=20060330180753AMakteB0.2795221&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
Washington -American Muslims seek the same opportunities and face the
same challenges all Americans do as they pursue their hopes and
aspirations of achieving the "American Dream," says Tina
Kareema Dauod.
Dauod, a graduate student and State Department "citizen
ambassador," discussed her experiences as a Muslim American and her
work to build bridges between Americans and Muslims worldwide in a March
30 webchat marking the close of Women's History Month.
Dauod is a student of Arabic linguistics at Georgetown University in
Washington. She also works for the U.S. Department of State on public
diplomacy initiatives involving the Middle East and outreach programs to
Muslims around the globe. Dauod is a first-generation American of German
and Arab descent who is also a practicing Muslim.
"The road to dialogue is two ways: we need to understand one
another, and others need to understand [the United States] in this
ever-increasing globalized world," said Dauod, echoing earlier
statements by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public
Affairs Karen Hughes. "There may be differences, but in fact I
believe that the world can and is coming closer together," Dauod
said.
The webchat attracted a diverse and geographically dispersed audience.
Questions were submitted from online participants in the Middle East,
Europe, South, Central, and East Asia and Africa. Dauod particularly
focused on the concerns and questions from young participants, such as
those representing their schools in Tajikistan and Bangladesh.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
LOCAL MOSQUE OPENS
DOORS, BUILDS BRIDGES -
TOP
Kim Centazzo, Connection Newspapers, 3/29/06
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=63613&paper=67&cat=104
Girl Scouts Maryan Cattaneo and Hidayah Jaka welcomed members and guests
to an Open Houses of Faith event at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society
(ADAMS) Center in Sterling, Tuesday, March 21. The two girls stood behind
a table filled with boxes of cookies and a sign-in sheet.
"This is a way for people to learn more about religion," Jaka
said.
Open Houses of Faith, coordinated by Girl Scout volunteers, is an
educational program, which began in February to educate the Washington,
D.C.,-metropolitan area communities about different faiths and religions
practiced here.
ADAMS CENTER executive director Imam Mohamed Magid welcomed guests to the
interfaith program.
Religious and nonreligious members of the community packed into the
auditorium to listen to speakers. Women drew flowers on children's hands
with henna, a temporary ink. ADAMS Center children danced and sang
traditional songs.
Magid emphasized the importance of education and understanding of
different cultures and religions.
"By knowing one another, we can reverse the stereotypes," Magid
said. (MORE)
-----
FORMER PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM CAPTAINS TO VISIT BAY AREA FOR
EARTHQUAKE BENEFIT DINNER -
TOP
PR Newswire, 3/31/06
BURBANK, Calif., -- In conjunction with the Bay Area Muslim community,
Islamic Relief, an international relief and development organization will
be holding a fund-raising benefit dinner this Saturday, April 1, to help
the victims of the devastating earthquake in Pakistan.
The earthquake that struck the South Asian subcontinent last October has
affected over 3 million people. Islamic Relief continues to operate
long-term sustainable development projects to ensure that the millions
who have been left homeless are not forgotten. Islamic Relief has
collected aid worth over $30 million (cash and in-kind) thus far, and its
projects have benefited over 340,000 people.
Islamic Relief has established shelters, mobile health clinics, and water
and sanitation facilities throughout the earthquake-affected areas.
Approximately 1.7 million people have also benefited from Islamic
Relief's Road Re-Opening and Access Project, which has cleared landslides
to open roads for aid to be delivered to the affected areas.
Guest speakers at the benefit dinner include Moin Khan and Rashid Latif,
former captains of the Pakistan National Cricket Team. Khan and Latif are
on a six-city tour with Islamic Relief to bring awareness to the needs of
earthquake victims and raise desperately needed funds.
An Islamic Relief representative who visited the earthquake affected
areas will also be attending the benefit dinner. Media professionals are
encouraged to attend the event, and interviews can be arranged with the
speakers.
WHAT: Benefit Dinner for Pakistan Earthquake Victims
WHEN: Saturday, April 1 at 6:30 pm
WHERE: Chandni Restaurant, 5748 Mowry School Rd. Newark, CA
94560
CONTACT: Munir Iqtish of Islamic Relief, cell, +1-408-505-2941,
munir@irw.org
-----
BLAIR LECTURED
BY PUPILS AT ISLAMIC SCHOOL -
TOP
Andrew Grice, Independent, 3/31/06
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article354792.ece
Tony Blair was warned the presence of British troops in Iraq was fuelling
terrorism when he met moderate Muslim leaders on his visit to
Indonesia.
The Prime Minister's plans to build bridges as he visited the most
populous Muslim nation suffered when he was confronted about
Iraq.
After talks in Jakarta, Din Syamsuddin, head of the 30 million-strong
Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-biggest Muslim group, said the Islamic
representatives told Mr Blair: "The British Government must pull its
troops out of Iraq because Iraq's occupation will only stimulate
radicalism, extremism and terrorism."
Azyumardi Azra, an Islamic scholar, said he told the Prime Minister
"his foreign policies were not making the world any
safer".
When Mr Blair visited an Islamic boarding-school, Rezar Rizky, 13, was
cheered when he asked him: "Will you ask your best friend George
Bush to stop the war in Iraq?" The Prime Minister replied: "I
think we will not agree about Iraq and the decision to remove the
government there."
He added: "Whatever we thought about the original decision to remove
Saddam [Hussein], today we should work with the UN and with other
countries to make sure Iraqi people get the same rights as we have in the
UK and you have here."
Anissa At Muzir, 17, said she agreed with some of what Mr Blair said but
disagreed with his views on Iraq. "His answer is not so
satisfactory," she said. "Justice should be applied in a true
sense."
Another student asked Mr Blair how he would feel if he were an Iraqi
civilian who had had relatives killed in the conflict.
Mr Blair replied: "You feel very strongly that what happened in Iraq
and Afghanistan was wrong. I understand that. But in those countries now
people can vote and their government should decide what's right and what
is wrong." (MORE)
-----
POLL: ISLAMIC WOMEN
LIKED AS LEADERS -
TOP
United Press International 3/30/06
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060330-024731-6523r
PRINCETON, N.J., March 30 (UPI) -- The majority of respondents in all but
one of eight mostly Islamic countries surveyed in a Gallup Poll agree
women should have leadership roles.
The majority range was wide, from 54 percent in Egypt to 92 percent in
Lebanon. Only Saudi Arabia, with 40-percent approval, fell below the
50-percent mark.
Other countries included Turkey at 86 percent; Iran 78; Morocco 74;
Pakistan 58; and Jordon 55. Overall, about nine out of 10 of those asked
in Lebanon and Turkey agreed that women should be allowed in leadership
positions.
Gallup World Poll surveys were conducted in eight countries between
August and October last year asked respondents to agree or disagree on
the supposition that "Women should be allowed to hold leadership
positions in the Cabinet and national council."
-----
U.S. DESERTER TELLS OF
ATROCITIES -
TOP
Andrew Davidson, CNEWS, 3/31/06
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/03/30/1512671-cp.html
TORONTO - A "trigger-happy" U.S. army squad leader shot the
foot off an unarmed Iraqi man and soldiers kicked a severed head around
like a soccer ball, a U.S. war deserter told an Immigration and Refugee
Board hearing Thursday.
Joshua Key, the first U.S. deserter with combat experience in Iraq to
apply for refugee status in Canada, told the board he witnessed numerous
atrocities committed by U.S. forces while serving eight months as a
combat engineer.
Key, 27, said he was never trained on the Geneva Convention and was told
in Iraq by superior officers that the international law guiding
humanitarian standards was just a "guideline."
"It's shoot first, ask questions later," Key said of his
squad's guiding principles. "Everything's justified."
Key is one of five members of the U.S. armed forces asking for asylum in
Canada.
But the Oklahoma native is unique in that he is the only applicant that
has combat experience in Iraq, said Key's lawyer, Jeffry House. The other
are seeking asylum in Canada to avoid being sent there, he said.
"He has boots-on-the-ground experience about what the actual conduct
of the war in Iraq is," House said outside the hearing.
With visible bags under his eyes, Key told the hearing he suffers from
post-traumatic stress disorder and frequently has nightmares over what he
witnessed in Iraq.
He recalled participating in almost nightly raids on homes of suspected
insurgents in Ramadi and Fallujah as a member of the 43rd Combat Engineer
Company.
He said that while the raids seldom turned up anything of interest, he
often saw soldiers ransack the homes and steal jewelry or money, while
superior officers looked the other way.
He also said several Iraqis were shot dead, and that they were cases of
soldiers "shooting out of fear and inventing reasons
afterward." (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/2/06
*
Hadith:
Don't Dispense with God's
Blessings
*
500 Turn Out for CAIR-FL Dinner
-
CAIR-DC:
U.S. Muslims
Can Spread Word of Democracy
-
CAIR-DC:
U.S. Muslims
Worked on Carroll's Behalf (NYT)
-
CAIR-Chicago Conducts Training for ICE
Officers
-
CAIR-CA:
Muslims
of Lodi Stereotyped
-
CAIR-OH:
Religious
Leaders Endorse 'Guest Worker'
-
CAIR-OH Supports Muslim TV
Network
-
CAIR-DC:
Critic Should Practice
What He Preaches
*
Bassiouni:
Leaving Islam is Not a
Capital Crime (Chicago Trib)
*
NC:
Regions Only
Muslim Cemetery is Nearly Full (Observer)
-
MN:
Police to Reach
Out to Muslims, Somalis (Pioneer Press)
-
MI:
Hispanic Muslim
from Texas Says Islam is Diverse
*
Incitement:
Islam Brings Misery,
Backwardness - Mark Steyn
*
Russia:
Most 'Islamic Terrorism' Cases
Fabricated (Wash Post)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: DON'T DISPENSE WITH GOD'S
BLESSINGS -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Once while Job was
taking a bath. . .a great number of golden locusts started falling on him
and he began collecting them in his clothing. His Lord called him: 'O
Job! Did I not make you rich enough to dispense with what you see now?'
Job said: 'Yes, O Lord! But I cannot dispense with Your
Blessings.'"
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Hadith 585
-----
500 TURN OUT FOR CAIR-FL DINNER -
TOP
(DAVIE, FL, 4/2/2006) - A sold-out audience of more than 500 people
turned out for CAIR-FL's annual fundraising dinner on Saturday in Davie.
Special guests included Professor David Cole of Georgetown University Law
Center, Muslim comedian Azhar Usman, as well as interfaith and community
leaders. The event raised more than $200,000 to help carry out CAIR's
mission of promoting justice and mutual understanding.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR: BALANCING SECURITY
NEEDS -
TOP
Florida Times-Union, 4/2/06
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/040206/opi_21506638.shtml
It's healthy to debate the balance between the desire for safety and need
for freedom. Both needs are legitimate and neither should
predominate.
That debate was illustrated Thursday evening in the auditorium of the
Times-Union at a forum sponsored by the Florida Center for Public and
International Policy at the University of North Florida. . .
All Muslims are not our enemies; neither are all Arabs. Americans of
Arabic descent must not be profiled for no reason.
In fact, Muslim-Americans can help spread the word of American democracy
overseas, but only if they can speak with some legitimacy, not if they
are being harassed at home.
Parvez Ahmed of the Council on American-Islamic Relations recently
conducted seminars for law enforcement agents. He also traveled to the
Middle East to speak about building bridges of understanding with
America.
Yet when he returned home, he was singled out at an airport and
questioned.
Americans must develop more knowledge of world cultures and be able to
distinguish our friends from the few dangerous enemies.
And we must continue to debate, struggling to find that balance between
security and freedom.
---
CAIR: FREED REPORTER IN
RECOVERY IN U.S. ZONE IN BAGHDAD -
TOP
EDWARD WONG, New York times, 4/1/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/01/world/01carroll.html
Jill Carroll, the American reporter who was released Thursday after three
months in captivity, spent Friday recovering in the heavily fortified
Green Zone where the American Embassy is housed, despite a warning from
her captors to avoid the area and not to cooperate with American
officials. . .
American Muslim groups had worked hard on her behalf.
Nihad Awad,
executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said
his group and many others were spurred to action because Ms. Carroll was
a journalist, one who had gained a reputation in Iraq and Jordan for
reports that were sensitive, even sympathetic, to people in the Arab
world.
---
CAIR-CHICAGO CONDUCTS SENSITIVITY TRAINING FOR
ICE OFFICERS -
TOP
(Chicago, IL, 4/2/2006) - The Chicago chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) conducted sensitivity training
recently for some 30 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and
administrators in Chicago.
CAIR-Chicago's presentation focused on basic Islamic beliefs and
practices, including discussion of misconceptions about the concept of
Jihad and the religious attire of Muslim women.
"Both sessions were a great opportunity to address a lot of common
misconceptions about Islam and Muslims," said Christina Abraham,
Civil Rights Coordinator of CAIR-Chicago. "It is important that any
law enforcement officer be educated about the communities they interact
with on a daily basis."
The session was a proactive effort to familiarize ICE officers with
Islam. Presenting to the officers were CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights
Coordinator Christina Abraham and Prison Project Coordinator Mariyam
Hussain.
CONTACT: Civil Rights Coordinator Christina Abraham, 312-212-1520; or
Director of Communications Ahmed Rehab, 312-212-1520
---
CAIR-CA: WHEN THE
TERROR CASE IS OVER, HOW WILL LODI BE REMEMBERED? -
TOP
Layla Bohm, News-Sentinel, 3/31/06
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2006/03/31/update/1_terror.txt
Al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden. Terror camps. FBI investigation. Lodi. For 10
months, those words have frequently been used when the city of Lodi is
mentioned in local, national and even national news. Sometimes residents'
far-off acquaintances joke about it, and sometimes online bloggers cast
the city as a hotbed of terror. . .
But it may take a while for Lodi's Muslim community to move beyond a
stereotype that has lumped them all together under a cloud of terrorism
allegations, said
a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
"People are talking about leaving; they want to leave the
state," said Basim Elkarra, executive director for the
organization's Sacramento branch. "They thought they could live out
their American dream in Lodi but now they can't." (MORE)
---
CAIR-OH: RELIGIOUS
LEADERS ENDORSE 'GUEST WORKER' -
TOP
GREGORY KORTE, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/1/06
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060401/NEWS01/604010396/1056
A broad group of Cincinnati religious leaders met Friday to urge Congress
to pass an immigration bill that provides "a path for
citizenship" for illegal aliens. . .
Karen Dabdoub, president of the Cincinnati Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said the battle goes beyond legislation. She lamented what
she called "rising xenophobia" in America.
"We are all of immigrant descent," she said. "The only
difference is how far back that immigrant status goes in our
families."
---
CAIR-OH: COUPLE HOPE NETWORK
BRINGS UNDERSTANDING -
TOP
Tim Feran, COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 3/31/06
http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/31/20060331-B10-00.html
A long car ride on I-90 in northern Ohio usually produces nothing more
exciting than a sore back.
But in the dark months after Sept. 11, 2001, one couple's drive on that
stretch of road led to something far more positive: Bridges TV, the first
English-language cable TV network devoted to Muslim and Arab
issues.
The network, which made its debut Nov. 30, 2004, recently premiered
locally on WOW's digital basic lineup on Channel 694. . .
The network is trying to plug into central Ohio groups. Coming this
summer, Bridges TV plans a weekly show featuring the Columbus Somali
community, and the network has equipped the central Ohio chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations with a broadcast-quality camera to
enable the group to shoot events in Ohio and feed it to the national
audience.
"It really fills a void," said
Adnan Mirza, director of the
local Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter. "There's a
clear disconnect between popular American media and Muslim audience. The
nice thing is, this is not just for the Muslim audience. It gives a clear
understanding of the issues to viewers and an opportunity to speak for
ourselves." (MORE)
---
CAIR DEFENDS ITSELF -
TOP
Ibrahim Hooper, Washington Times, 3/31/06
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060330-085453-6556r.htm
[Ibrahim Hooper is national communications director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.]
In his commentary ("Cancer in its midst", Op-Ed, yesterday), M.
Zuhdi Jasser states that he hopes and prays "for some
counter-movement within my faith which will push back all this
darkness" of terrorism, in apparent blissful ignorance of the fact
that American Muslim groups have consistently and repeatedly condemned
terrorism in all its forms.
It is particularly ironic that he believes this
"counter-movement" will start with "what is most basic -
the common truth that binds all religions: 'Do unto others, as you would
have them do onto you.' The Golden Rule."
Just the day before publication of Mr. Jasser's commentary, the headline
item on the Council on American-Islamic Relation's daily e-mail,
distributed throughout North America and the Muslim world, was headlined
"The Golden Rule." It offered several hadiths, or traditions of
the prophet Muhammad, such as: "Whoever wishes to (enter Paradise)
... should treat people as he wishes to be treated by
them."
Mr. Jasser also smears CAIR for "doing absolutely nothing about the
most vile hate-speak and actions toward Jews and Christians in the Muslim
world."
Perhaps he missed CAIR's: 1) condemnations of attacks on Christians in
Yemen and Pakistan, 2) statements against suicide bombings in places such
as Haifa and Jerusalem, 3) coordination of an Islamic religious ruling
(fatwa) against terror and religious extremism, 4) distribution of public
service announcements condemning terrorism, 5) online promotion of the
"Not in the Name of Islam" petition drive, or 6) CAIR's recent
condemnation of a plan by an Iranian newspaper to solicit cartoons
denying the Nazi Holocaust.
In that condemnation, CAIR said: "The Holocaust, like all other acts
of genocide, represents one of the lowest moments in human history and
should not be the subject of derogatory cartoons. One cannot demand
responsible behavior from others while at the same time acting
irresponsibly."
Maybe he also missed CAIR's proactive educational campaigns designed to
offer peaceful alternatives to violent responses prompted by recent
controversies over allegations of Quran desecration in Guantanamo and the
publication of offensive cartoons by a Danish newspaper.
Mr. Jasser should visit
www.cair.com/Muhammad and
www.explorethequran.org to
educate himself about the reality of the American Muslim community's true
response to violent events.
Mr. Jasser should practice what he preaches. The Web site for his own
group is long on talk and short on the kind of positive actions and
initiatives taken by CAIR.
-----
LEAVING ISLAM IS NOT A CAPITAL CRIME -
TOP
M. Cherif Bassiouni, Chicago Tribune, 4/2/06
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0604020336apr02,1,3345595.story
A Muslim's conversion to Christianity is not a crime punishable by death
under Islamic law, contrary to the claims in the case of Abdul Rahman in
Afghanistan. . .
Turning away from Islam, which is translated as apostasy, would not have
been considered a crime, except the Prophet Muhammad (praise be upon him)
in the 7th Century applied the death penalty to a Muslim who turned away
from Islam. Historians of the Sunnah, the tradition established by the
Prophet and deemed binding upon all Muslims, failed to note a significant
fact about that case--that person not only had a change of faith, but
decided to join the enemies of Islam at a time of war, thus making it a
crime of high treason. Such a crime exists in all legal systems, many
with the death penalty.
The Prophet's application of the death penalty was used by Muslim
scholars in combination with the verse cited above as a legal basis for
making apostasy, namely, change in religious belief, a crime punishable
by death. These scholars have overlooked the passage to the enemy at a
time of war, which was the most important element in the Prophet's
decision in that case. They have also overlooked two important
factors.
The first relates to the Koran, the highest binding source of Islamic
law, which contains a fundamental principle stated in unequivocal terms:
"Let there be no compulsion in religion," Surat Al-Baqarah,
verse 256. Surely this overarching principle cannot be transgressed by
forcing a person under penalty of death to espouse Islam even after such
a person professes to have renounced it.
The second overlooked factor relates to the Prophet's Sunnah, which is
the second source of law. In another case, the Prophet reached a
different outcome. In this case, which shows the considerate and gentler
face of Islam, a man was brought to the Prophet and accused of turning
away from Islam. He was seen throwing his spear into the sky and
screaming, "I want to kill you God!" The Prophet inquired of
the man if that was true, and then asked for his reasons. The man said
that God had killed his beloved one that he was soon to marry, and that
he wanted to kill God for that. The Prophet, addressing the accusers,
said, "Is it not enough for you that he believes in God enough that
he wants to kill him?" And he let the man go. (MORE)
-----
NC: REGION'S ONLY MUSLIM
CEMETERY IS NEARLY FULL -
TOP
DÁNICA COTO, Charlotte Observer, 4/1/06
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/14238652.htm
Space is tight at the only Muslim cemetery in the Charlotte region, and
finding a new burial ground has turned into a frustrating quest.
About 100 plots remain at the Muslim cemetery in east Gastonia, and it
will likely reach capacity in the next several years, said Hossam
Shoukry, the cemetery's treasurer. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MN: POLICE TO REACH OUT
TO MUSLIMS, SOMALIS -
TOP
Lee Egerstron, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 4/1/06
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/14237433.htm
The Minnesota Public Safety Department awarded a $250,000 grant to the
St. Paul Police Department and partnering organizations for an outreach
program with Muslim and Somali communities.
Police will work with the St. Paul Intervention Project and the Minnesota
Chapter of the Muslim American Society of America to develop the program,
which will address issues like domestic assault and challenges facing
women. Police Chief John Harrington announced the outreach program Friday
morning.
The project is an outgrowth of a master's thesis by Assistant Chief
Dennis Jensen titled "Enhancing Homeland Security Efforts by
Building Stronger Relationships Between the Muslim Community and Local
Law Enforcement."
Its goals include boosting immigrant understanding of the criminal
justice system and increasing the Muslim community's role in
"affecting positive change" in various ways, such as reporting
crimes, seeking protection and intervention by police, volunteer
community policing and through battered women's advocacy and support
services.
---
MI: ISLAM IS RELIGION OF
DIVERSITY, SPEAKER SAYS -
TOP
By Chris Meehan
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1143890464185810.xml&coll=7
Juan Galvan told the crowd at Western Michigan University that his own
ethnic background reflects the changing profile of modern
Muslims.
As he opened his presentation to members of WMU's Muslim Student
Association, Galvan said that Islam is a religion of many faces, races
and nationalities. "The most ironic thing about today is that a
Mexican-American Muslim from Texas is about to speak with a group of
people who live in Michigan," he said at the MSA banquet, held March
24.
Here he was, Galvan said, a Hispanic Muslim appearing at a Midwestern
university to speak to young Muslims who hailed from many lands.
"It is through God's mercy, love, blessing and grace that we meet
today," he said. "And, for this opportunity to meet with you, I
thank you."
Galvan grew up Catholic in a small Texas town. He converted to Islam in
college a few years ago after meeting a man who explained, among other
things, that Spain was a Muslim country for more than 700 years and that
"thousands of Spanish words have Arabic roots." (MORE)
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: ISLAM BRINGS MISERY,
BACKWARDNESS - MARK STEYN -
TOP
IF YOU CAN'T JOIN 'EM, BEAT 'EM
Mark Steyn, Western Standard, 4/10/06
http://www.westernstandard.ca/website/index.cfm?page=article&article_id=1568
I used to date a Muslim gal. Don't think I've ever mentioned that before.
I was going to, once. It was a year or so after September 11, and the
editor of the National Post was noting that some Muslim lobby group had
just given me the Islamophobe-of-the-Month award for the umpteenth time.
I was under the misapprehension that, if you win six months in a row, you
get the Lincoln Town Car and two weeks in St. Lucia, but my boss seemed
to think it less of an occasion for congratulation.
"I'm not Islamophobic," I protested. "I've dated Muslim
women. I'm very partial," I added, lapsing into a modified bit of
Brit vernacular, "to Islamototty."
"Under no circumstances are you to say that in print," he
said sternly. ("Totty" is Britspeak for "hot babe" or
"hot babes." The form can indicate singular or plural, as in
"I went to a party at this duke's pad. Talk about your posh
totty." Would have been nice in Austin Powers, but it may postdate
Austin's sixties' heyday.) . . .
She was a residually observant Muslim, in the way that there are many
Anglicans who go to church at Christmas and Easter and would still wish
their children to be Christened and eventually married in church. Which
makes her much more of a "moderate Muslim" than, say, Dr. Wafa
Sultan, the Syrian-American psychiatrist from Los Angeles who, at great
personal risk, took on some A-list Sunni scholar live on Al Jazeera the
other week. Dr. Sultan was on splendid form, booting every one of
Professor Jihad's points into touch, scoffing at the rationale behind the
many Muslim "grievances,"
pointing out the backwardness and
misery and oppression that attend the advance of Islam.
(MORE)
NOTE: Mark Steyn is a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Send POLITE
comments to:
E-MAIL:
shuntley@suntimes.com
(Editorial Page Editor Steve Huntley)
COPY TO:
cair@cair-net.org,
mark@steynonline.com
-----
RUSSIA: STALINISM FOREVER -
TOP
Anna Politkovskaya, Washington Post, 4/1/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033101584.html
MOSCOW -- We are using Stalin's methods again, this time to fight
terrorism. I am writing for this American newspaper on a subject that one
can no longer write about in Russia -- islamskiy terrorizm, or Islamic
terrorism cases. There are hundreds of such cases going through the
courts in our country. Most of them have been fabricated by the
government so that the special services can demonstrate how
"effective" Russia is in fighting terrorism and so that
President Vladimir Putin has something with which to impress the West.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/3/06
*
Hadith:
Tears are a
Mercy from God
*
CAIR
Employment Opportunities
-
Civil Rights Director/Staff
Attorney
-
Director of Development
*
CAIR-FL:
FBI Asked to Probe Mosque Vandalism
*
CAIR-DC:
Pakistani-American Doctors to Lobby Congress
*
More than
1,000 Turn Out for CAIR-MI Dinner
-
CAIR-FL Rep on
Freedom of Religion
*
CAIR-LA: FBI
to Host Town Hall Meeting
*
CAIR-OH
Takes Part in Walk for Peace (Enquirer)
*
DC:
GU
Prof to Speak at Muslim Congressional Staffer Event
*
NJ:
9/11 Detainees Say They Were Abused With Dogs (NY Times)
-
CA: Early Case
Against Hayats is Diminished (Sac Bee)
*
VT Muslims
Targeted By Scam Artist (AP)
*
New Christian
Pro-Israel Lobby
-
Report on Effect of Israel Lobby (Wash Post)
-
Israel and Moral Blackmail
(Antiwar.com)
-----
HADITH OF THE
DAY: TEARS ARE A MERCY FROM GOD -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If, through fear of
(displeasing) God, tears - even the size a fly's head - fall from any
believer's eyes. . .he will be kept away from Hell."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1433
When he was questioned about weeping over the death of his
grand-daughter, the Prophet said: "(Tears are) a mercy that God has
placed in the hearts of His servants. And surely God bestows mercy upon
those who are merciful to His servants."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4, Number 21
-----
CAIR-DC JOB OPENINGS: CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTOR AND STAFF ATTORNEY/
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT -
TOP
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is seeking applications
for the following positions:
CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTOR AND STAFF
ATTORNEY -
TOP
The ideal candidate is a licensed attorney who has background and
experience in the fields of civil rights, immigration, constitutional and
employment law. Working knowledge of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(especially Title VII) and other constitutionally protected activities is
required.
The candidate shall have good interpersonal, leadership and
organizational skills. The candidate should have demonstrated familiarity
with Westlaw and other legal search engines. Successful applicant shall
also have good research and writing skills that are needed in the
preparation of the annual Civil Rights report and other reports related
to the department.
Qualifications: Law degree from an ABA accredited school required.
Licensed to practice law (Virginia, Maryland and DC highly preferred) and
1-2 years experience in the area of civil rights/employment/immigration
law highly recommended. Good interpersonal, communication skills and a
team player. Excellent verbal and written communications skills
required.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT -
TOP
The successful candidate should be a motivated self initiator who can
plan, develop, and maintain a comprehensive private and public sector
development and fund-raising program that will actively raise funds for
CAIR.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will be a creative, self-motivated,
strategic thinker with ability to meet people with ease; ability to write
and edit effectively; ability to communicate the written and spoken work
with tact, diplomacy, and/or authority when necessary; good
organizational skills, well disciplined, able to meet deadlines, self
starter, able to work under pressure of many priorities and deadlines;
ability to work well effectively with volunteers; thorough understanding
of CAIR and its programs and projects, as well as regional and national
markets; knowledge of marketing strategies and techniques; knowledge of
long-range planning process; good managerial skills; Must have highly
developed interpersonal skills. Minimum of four years experience
including knowledge of Annual Giving, Capital Campaign,
Foundation/Corporate solicitations, Deferred Giving, Communications and
Special Events.
TO APPLY for either position: All those interested and eligible to work
in US (Citizens or proper work visa holders) are encouraged to apply in
confidence via email to:
hr@cair-net.org, or by fax 202 488
0833. No phone calls please. When applying via email please ensure to
write the position title of the position that you are applying for in the
subject line of the email.
By Mail to
HR Department - CAIR
453 New Jersey Ave SE
Washington DC 20003
Salary Range: Based on skills and experience
CAIR is an equal opportunity employer and offers an excellent health and
dental benefit for its full time employees.
-----
CAIR-FL: FBI ASKED TO PROBE FL MOSQUE VANDALISM AS POSSIBLE HATE
CRIME -
TOP
'Osama Binleden' spray-painted on Islamic Center of South
Florida
(MIAMI, FL, 4/3/2006) - The Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today called on local and national
law enforcement authorities to investigate vandalism at one of that
state's mosques as a possible hate crime.
Officials of the Islamic Center of South Florida (IFSF) under
construction in Sunrise, Fla., reported to CAIR-FL that vandals
spray-painted "Osama Binleden" on one of the outside walls of
the facility sometime overnight. The perpetrators also damaged an
electrical box at the site.
"The nature of the graffiti in this incident would seem to indicate
the possibility of a bias motive," said CAIR-FL Executive Director
Altaf Ali. "We urge the FBI to assist local law enforcement
authorities in resolving this case and assuring the security of Florida
Muslims."
Ali also called for additional police patrols outside Islamic
institutions in South Florida. (There are an estimated 70,000 Muslims in
the South Florida area.)
Two weeks ago, officials of the Darul-Uloon Islamic center in Hollywood,
Fla., reported that vandals scrawled unintelligible graffiti on the
exterior wall of that facility. CAIR-FL received reports of similar acts
of vandalism at five other South Florida Islamic centers last
year.
The Washington-based group is urging Muslim institutions nationwide to
review security procedures using advice contained in CAIR's "Muslim
Community Safety Kit." That kit may be obtained free of charge by
e-mailing: pubs@cair-net.org (Include name, address and phone number when
requesting the safety kit.)
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Altaf Ali, 954-298-8214,
altaf@cair-florida.org; Ahmed
Bedier 813-731-9506,
abedier@cair-florida.org;
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; Rabiah
Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
PAKISTANI-AMERICAN DOCTORS TO LOBBY CONGRESS -
TOP
3rd Annual APPNA 'Day on the Hill' will focus on civil rights
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/3/2006) - On Thursday, April 6th, the Association of
Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) will hold a
"Day on the Hill" lobbying effort in Washington, D.C., focused
on the defense of civil rights. SEE:
http://www.appna.org/Day-on-the-Hill.id.231.htm
The event, organized in cooperation with the Pakistani American Public
Affairs Committee (PAKPAC) and other Pakistani and Muslim civil rights
organizations, is a key component of APPNA's Spring Meeting April 6-9 in
the nation's capital. SEE:
http://www.appna.org/APPNA-Spring-meeting-Washington-DC.id.64.htm
APPNA's "Day on the Hill" will begin with a two-hour
"Effective Advocacy at the Capitol by Physicians" information
and training session from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Wardman Park Marriott Hotel.
Training session participants will learn lobbying tips from congressional
staffers and from the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR).
At 9:30 a.m., buses will leave the hotel for Capitol Hill. From 10 a.m.
to noon, APPNA members and other concerned Pakistani-Americans will meet
their elected representatives.
Racial profiling, the NSA wiretapping controversy and closure of American
Muslim charities will be key topics of discussion, along with ongoing
visa issues faced by Pakistani physicians, students and professionals.
Pakistan earthquake relief efforts and ongoing need of relief aid will
also be addressed.
Each member of Congress will be asked to support mandating judicial
review of the NSA spy program by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Act (FISA) court and to write a letter to Treasury Secretary Snow asking
him to improve the Voluntary Best Practices for the US Based Charities.
Senators will be asked to support the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA) of
2005, Senate Bill 2138.
Following the lobbying meetings, APPNA will honor a number of elected
officials at a 1 to 2 p.m. reception in Room 2325 Rayburn House Office
Building.
On April 7th, APPNA will host a 9 a.m. to noon Leadership Training
Seminar conducted by CAIR at the Wardman Park Marriott Hotel, 2660
Woodley Road NW, Washington, D.C.
"Each year, APPNA's 'Day on the Hill' offers an excellent
opportunity for Pakistani-Americans to discuss issues of importance with
their elected representatives," said APPNA President Dr. Abdul R.
Piracha.
APPNA is a non-partisan social, educational and charitable organization
for physicians of Pakistani heritage.
CONTACT: A.R. Piracha of APPNA, 304-320-2635,
arpiracha@yahoo.com; Saud Anwar,
info@pakpac.net; Nasir Gondal,
917-860-0808,
nmgondal@aol.com;
CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor,
csaylor@cair-net.org,
202-488-8787
-----
MORE THAN
1,000 TURN OUT FOR CAIR-MICHIGAN DINNER -
TOP
(LATHRUP VILLAGE, MI - 4/3/06) - More than 1,000 people turned out on
Saturday for the annual banquet and fundraiser for the Michigan chapter
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI).
The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. M. Cherif Bassiouni,
distinguished research professor at DePaul University. Other speakers
included CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad and David Stacy,
featured guest on FX's "30 Days" program.
"This event was a great success and offered us the opportunity to
share our successes as well as further articulate the vision and future
plans of our organization," said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud
Walid.
Contact CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-569-2203, E-mail:
director@cairmichigan.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-FL REP ON FREEDOM
OF RELIGION -
TOP
CAIR-FL Tampa Director Ahmed Bedier appeared over the weekend on Baynews
9 Political Connections' Soapbox to express his views on Freedom of
Religion, Islam and the case of Afghanistan's Abdul Rahman.
TO WATCH THE VIDEO SEGMENT, CLICK BELOW:
http://ahmedbedier.com/video/060403-bedier-religious-freedom.wmv
---
CAIR-LA: FBI TO HOST
TOWN HALL MEETING -
TOP
FBI NEWS RELEASE: The FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, in partnership with
members of the FBI's Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee in Los Angeles, is
hosting a town hall meeting on Saturday, April 8th, 2006, announced J.
Stephen Tidwell, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles.
The meeting will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Exposition
Park Community Center, located at 3980 South Menlo Avenue in Los Angeles.
The purpose of the meeting is to provide a forum wherein the FBI can
address issues of public concern and answer questions posed by members of
the community in an informal setting.
The Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee (MCAC) was formed to create an
environment in which relationships are formed based on mutual respect and
understanding, and through which dialogue is facilitated, between the
community and the FBI. The FBI's responsibility in upholding the
Constitution and civil rights of American citizens is better understood
through the channels of communication that exist through organizations
like the MCAC. MCAC, which will co-host the meeting, includes members
from the following organizations:
* Bahai Faith- Beverly Hills Spiritual Assembly
* Muslim Public Affairs Council
* Council of Pakistan American Affairs
* Masjid Al-Fatiha of America
* Council on American Islamic Relations
* Maleki Foundation
* Free Muslims Coalition.
* Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation
* Inter Religious Federation for World Peace,
* Council of Pakistan-American Chamber of Commerce
* Iranian American Lawyers' Association,
* Pakistan-American Business Executives
* Islamic Society of Orange County,
* Shura Council of Southern California
* Islamic Center of Southern California
* Sikh Society
* LA County Sheriff's Advisory Council
* Syriac Orthodox Foundation
* LA Latino Muslim Association
* US COPTS Association
-----
CAIR-OH: 'PATH FOR PEACE' WINDS THROUGH CORRYVILLE, CLIFTON -
TOP
Jessica Brown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/4/06
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060403/NEWS01/604030333/1056
EAST WALNUT HILLS - As people fight bloody wars in the name of religion,
Teresa Robinson of Anderson Township talked to her daughter on Sunday
about the importance of being peaceful.
"If someone does something bad to you, don't ever think it's because
of you or because you did something wrong," she told 10-year-old
Eryn. "Think that it's because of something wrong with them. I think
that's what it means to be peaceful."
The Robinsons belong to the New Thought Unity Center, a church in East
Walnut Hills. They were among a group of 300 Muslims, Christians and Jews
who took part Sunday in the 3.8-mile Abraham Path for Peace
Walk.
The walk marked the close of a 64-day national peace campaign called the
Season for Nonviolence.
"I don't have to change the world. I just have to deal with
me," Robinson said. "Most people just want to live peacefully
and want community. That's what this peace walk is about."
The walk began at the Unity Center and wound through Corryville and
Clifton, ending at the Islamic Association of Cincinnati's
mosque.
Sponsored by New Thought Unity, the walk was intended to unite people of
different faiths and spread a message of love and peace in the community.
It is one of many local "Abraham Walks" organized around the
world in reference to the Abraham Path Initiative, named for the prophet
who is believed to be a spiritual forefather to Jews, Christians and
Muslims.
The walks contrast with conflicts involving religion that rage in the
Middle East, organizers said.
"That is about people who want to say 'I'm right, everyone else is
wrong,'" said Montgomery resident Karen Dabdoub, a Muslim and member
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "This is about us
getting together as members of the human race." (MORE)
-----
DC: GU PROF TO SPEAK AT MUSLIM CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER EVENT -
TOP
On April 5, the CONGRESSIONAL MUSLIM STAFFER'S ASSOCIATION (CMSA) will
hold a viewing of portions of the PBS documentary "Muhammad: Legacy
of a Prophet" followed by a discussion with the documentary's
producer and a noted scholar of Islamic history.
WHO: John Voll, Professor of Islamic History, Georgetown University; Alex
Kronemer, Producer "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet"
WHEN: Wednesday, April 5th from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: 2226 Rayburn HOB
Lunch will be served.
This CMSA inaugural event is free and open to all Members, staff, and
press.
-----
9/11 DETAINEES IN NEW JERSEY SAY THEY WERE ABUSED WITH DOGS -
TOP
Nina Bernstein, New York Times, 4/3/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/03/nyregion/03detain.html
The photograph, seen worldwide, is one of the defining images from Abu
Ghraib: a dog strains at its leash, lunging at a terrified prisoner in an
orange jumpsuit. One United States military dog handler was recently
convicted of abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib, the prison in Iraq, and the
court-martial of another is to start in May.
But for Ibrahim Turkmen and Akhil Sachdeva, the image evokes something
closer to home: the dogs used inside the Passaic County Jail in New
Jersey. The two men, plaintiffs in a pending class-action lawsuit known
as Turkmen v. Ashcroft, were among hundreds of immigrant detainees held
in the Passaic jail for months after 9/11 before they were cleared of
links to terrorism and deported on visa violations.
Until now, lawsuits brought by former detainees against top American
officials have focused attention on the maximum security unit of a
federal detention center in Brooklyn where the Justice Department's
inspector general found widespread abuse. But today in Toronto, as Mr.
Sachdeva, a Canadian citizen born in India, gives his first deposition
for the class-action lawsuit, the spotlight will shift to the New Jersey
jail.
There, about 400 of the 762 mainly Muslim detainees rounded up in the
United States after 9/11 were held. The lawsuit charges that the
detainees' confinement was arbitrary, illegally based on their religion
or national origin, and that guards routinely terrorized them with
aggressive dogs. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
EARLY CASE AGAINST
HAYATS IS DIMINISHED -
TOP
Stephen Magagnini, Sacramento Bee, 4/2/06
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/ongoing/investigation/story/14238029p-15058569c.html
When the FBI's four-year undercover operation in Lodi's Pakistani
community climaxed last June, the government thought it had struck gold
in the war on terrorism.
Court documents show the FBI believed agents might have unearthed an
al-Qaida cell that stretched from the San Joaquin Valley farm town all
the way to Osama bin Laden.
"Wildcat," their undercover operative, placed al-Qaida's
second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri in Lodi in the late 1990s and added
that three of the Taliban's top leaders had come to Lodi on a fundraising
or money-laundering mission.
During more than a dozen hours of interrogation by FBI agents in June,
Lodi ice cream truck driver Umer Hayat, 48, and his son Hamid, 23, spoke
of half a dozen Lodi youths - including Hamid - who supposedly had
undergone terrorist training and would take out hospitals and federal
buildings on orders from an imam at the Lodi Muslim Mosque, according to
an FBI summary.
Ultimately, only the Hayats themselves were arrested on terrorism-related
charges.
And last week, as prosecutors rested their high-profile case against the
father and son, the scenario seemed far less clear-cut.
Seven weeks into the trial, prosecutors have not raised the specter of
co-conspirators or produced independent evidence that Hamid Hayat ever
attended a terrorist training camp.
On Thursday, as the Hayats' defense got under way, the government agreed
to stipulate there is no evidence to support claims that al-Zawahri ever
came to Lodi. (MORE)
-----
VT. MUSLIMS TARGETED BY
SCAM ARTIST -
TOP
Associated Press, 4/3/06
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060403/NEWS/604030350/1004
ESSEX - Taysir Al-Khatib thought the prayers of himself and fellow
members of the Islamic Society of Vermont were being answered. The group
would be able to hire a full-time imam and start a religious
school.
Al-Khatib, the society's treasurer, got a call from a man who identified
himself as a Saudi banker. The man said he wanted to help the Islamic
Society with those projects and in the opening of a cemetery.
But within days, Al-Khatib realized he was out $2,200 and the purported
benefactor was nowhere to be found.
The FBI says Al-Khatib had been targeted by Mohammed Mustafa Agbareia, a
confidence man who has scammed Muslims across the country by preying on
their religious teaching that they have a duty to help travelers in
need.
Agbareia, whose age and real nationality the FBI has not released, told
Al-Khatib of his plans to visit Vermont. Days later Agbareia called again
to say he was stranded in Toronto because the bags containing his extra
money had been lost on the trip from Saudi Arabia.
"He presented himself like you could believe him," Al-Khatib
said. "This guy is a real professional." (MORE)
-----
NEW CHRISTIAN PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY AIMS TO BE STRONGER THAN AIPAC -
TOP
Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz, 3/4/06
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/701583.html
NEW YORK - Televangelist John Hagee told Jewish community leaders over
the weekend that the 40 million evangelical Christians in the United
States support Israel and that he plans to utilize this power to help
Israel by launching a Christian pro-Israel lobby.
The lobby, called, is slated to launch in July, during a Washington
conference in which hundreds of American evangelicals are slated to
participate, Hagee said at a meeting of the Conference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Organizations, which represents 52 national Jewish
groups. He also discussed the lobby with Israel's consul general in New
York, Aryeh Mekel.
Hagee said his group would be a Christian - and more powerful - version
of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a large
pro-Israel lobby, and would target senators and congressmen on Capitol
Hill. A quarter of congressmen are evangelicals, and many American
legislators represent regions that include a large evangelical
population, he said.
Hagee - the founder and senior pastor of the evangelical Cornerstone
Church in San Antonio, Texas, that claims an active membership of more
than 18,000 - said the lobby's activities would be a "political
earthquake."
SEE ALSO:
REPORT ON EFFECT OF ISRAEL LOBBY DISTORTS HISTORY, CRITICS SAY
-
TOP
Michael Powell, Washington Post, 4/3/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/02/AR2006040201039_pf.html
Two prominent academics, a dean at Harvard and a professor at the
University of Chicago, have stirred a tempest by writing a paper arguing
that the Israel lobby often persuades the United States to set aside its
own security to pursue the best interests of Israel.
"No lobby has managed to divert U.S. foreign policy as far from what
the American national interest would otherwise suggest, while
simultaneously convincing Americans that U.S. and Israeli interests are
essentially the same," the authors wrote in a paper posted on the
Web site of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
"The United States has a terrorism problem in good part," they
add a few pages later, "because it is so closely allied with Israel,
not the other way around.". . .
And they are not without academic support. Juan Cole, a professor of
Middle Eastern studies at the University of Michigan, suggests the
authors make commonplace points -- that U.S. Middle East policy is driven
disproportionately by those who favor Israel, and that this lobby resorts
to all manner of vile accusations to discredit opponents.
"There's nothing intellectually wrong with arguing that U.S. policy
in the Middle East is dislodged from its natural moorings by the power of
a domestic constituency," Cole said. "But most people are timid
-- they don't want to be smeared and risk having their lives
ruined." (MORE)
---
ISRAEL AND MORAL BLACKMAIL -
TOP
The Israel lobby is bringing out the big guns
Justin Raimondo, anti-war.com, 4/3/06
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=8796
The reaction to a pathbreaking - or, rather, taboo-busting - study of how
and why Israel's interests came to be substituted for America's national
interests in Washington policymaking circles, "The Israel Lobby and
U.S. Foreign Policy," [.pdf] by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt,
has confirmed, in part, its thesis.
"The Lobby," as the authors call it, effectively works to
control the debate over our Israel-centric policy in the Middle East by
ensuring that there is no debate. Congress has been captured through
their exemplary use of pressure tactics, and the editorial pages of the
nation's newspapers and magazines are also dominated by the
Israel-Firsters, where the same imbalance prevails. In a hint of what
these two distinguished scholars had to go through to get their study
published, they aver: "It is hard to imagine any mainstream media
outlet in the United States publishing a piece like this
one."
It turns out that, before turning to Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of
Government - where Walt is academic dean (albeit not for long) - they
attempted to get a version of their study published in an American
magazine:
"John Mearsheimer says that the pro-Israel lobby is so powerful that
he and co-author Stephen Walt would never have been able to place their
report in a American-based scientific publication. 'I do not believe that
we could have gotten it published in the United States,' Mearsheimer told
the Forward. He said that the paper was originally commissioned in the
fall of 2002 by one of America's leading magazines, 'but the publishers
told us that it was virtually impossible to get the piece published in
the United States.' Most scholars, policymakers and journalists know that
'the whole subject of the Israel lobby and American foreign policy is a
third-rail issue,' he said. 'Publishers understand that if they publish a
piece like ours it would cause them all sorts of
problems.'"
Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books - which published
a shortened version - tells the Guardian that the piece "was
originally written for, but rejected by, the Atlantic Monthly and picked
up by the LRB, when Wilmers 'became aware of its
existence.'"
In an important sense, then, it appears that, like Palestine, the
American literary and political scene is Israeli-occupied territory. As
Mearsheimer and Walt point out, academia, too, suffers from the
pro-Israel version of the Inquisition, suffering extensive efforts to
"police" campuses for evidence of "anti-Israel"
sentiments. As if to verify this charge, the authors have run smack up
against the campus Thought Police, with Harvard University taking the
unusual step of pulling its logo from their piece, altering and making a
boilerplate disclaimer more prominent, and finally announcing that Walt
would be resigning shortly from his post as academic dean.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/4/06
*
Verse:
Never Let Hatred Make You Depart from
Justice
*
CAIR:
Muslim Student
Attacked on Texas Campus
-
CAIR-FL:
Vandals Scrawl 'Osama
Binleden' on Mosque
*
Action:
Support Comprehensive
Immigration Reform
*
CAIR-CA:
Gag Order Denied in
Fender Bender Case
*
CAIR-OH:
Americans Need to
Learn Other Languages
-
MI:
State to Get Arabic Language
Grant (Free Press)
*
TV Comedy to Feature
Pakistani Muslim (Daily Variety)
-
U.S. Muslim TV Network Expands into
Canada
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: NEVER LET HATRED MAKE YOU DEPART
FROM JUSTICE -
TOP
"O you who believe. . .never let the hatred of others to you make
you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to
Piety."
The Holy Quran, 5:8
-----
CAIR: MUSLIM STUDENT ATTACKED
ON BAYLOR CAMPUS -
TOP
Tim Woods, Tribune-Herald, 4/4/06
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/04/04/04042006wacmuslimearly.html
A national champion for the rights of followers of Islam today asked that
Waco law enforcement officials aggressively pursue Saturday night's
attack on a Muslim Baylor University student on campus as a hate
crime.
"Law enforcement authorities and university officials need to treat
this disturbing incident with the seriousness it deserves," said
Council on American-Islamic Relations communications director Ibrahim
Hooper. "Local, state and national leaders also need to speak
out against the rising level of Islamophobic hate in our society that can
lead to such attacks."
Hooper also called on the FBI to investigate the incident as a hate
crime.
Two recent polls indicate that almost half of Americans have a negative
perception of Islam and that one in four of those surveyed have
"extreme" anti-Muslim views, CAIR officials said.
A Baylor senior of South Asian heritage who was active in
Muslim-Christian relations was attacked on the school's campus Saturday
night, suffering multiple injuries.
Chief Jim Doak of the Baylor Department of Public Safety has confirmed
that police were alerted about the attack and that the incident is being
investigated, but he has refused to release further details. Neither Doak
nor a university spokeswoman could immediately say whether the alleged
attack will be investigated as a hate crime.
The Baylor
DPS web
site indicated that the attack occurred near Draper Hall between 8:45
and 9 p.m.
Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based CAIR,
said the victim called them Monday and said a man, thought to be in his
30s, grabbed her hijab, an Islamic head scarf, and threw the woman to the
ground. As he did, the attacker allegedly yelled anti-Muslim and ethnic
slurs at the woman including "Arabian (expletive)" and
"(expletive) Muslims."
When the woman screamed, her attacker reportedly slapped her and kicked
her multiple times in the ribs, according to Ahmed. An emergency room
examination found bruises and a dislocated shoulder, Ahmed said.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-FL: VANDALS SCRAWL 'OSAMA
BINLEDEN' ON SUNRISE MOSQUE -
TOP
NBC6, 4/4/06
http://www.nbc6.net/news/8462654/detail.html
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Members of a South Florida mosque are calling on local
and federal authorities to investigate what they believe is a hate
crime.
The Islamic Center of South Florida reported that vandals spray-painted
the walls of a mosque under construction in Sunrise with the words
"Osama Binleden."
Altaf Ali, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the
vandalism was discovered on Monday.
"When I saw this, I said to myself, 'Here is another example of the
ignorance within our community,'" Ali said.
Ali said he is asking for additional police patrols outside Islamic
institutions in South Florida.
"Unfortunately, we've seen these kinds of incidents happen over and
over," he said. "Last year we had five incidents of vandalism
at the Islamic center in South Florida. This year, actually two weeks
ago, there was another incident involving vandalism at the Islamic center
in Hollywood. Vandals spray-painted graffiti on the walls. So, of course,
this is very disturbing to us because this is a place of worship. I think
Muslims should have the freedoms to express their faith as any other
individuals in this community." (MORE)
-----
CAIR ACTION ALERT #490 -
TOP
SUPPORT COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
(WASHINGTON, DC, 4/4/2006) - CAIR today called on American Muslims and
other people of conscience to urge their elected officials to support
humane and comprehensive immigration reform.
Last year, the U.S. House passed legislation addressing security concerns
only. The Senate will be voting on its own version of immigration
legislation this week.
Effective reform will address security concerns while simultaneously
reforming our nation's broken immigration system.
The following reforms should be included in any comprehensive immigration
reform legislation:
* A path to citizenship for immigrants earned through working, paying
taxes and learning English
* Measures that regulate wages and working conditions to protect workers
from being exploited
* A way to keep families intact.
* Security measures that detect and exclude terrorists while respecting
basic legal protections such as judicial review and uniform enforcement
of laws
Any measures punishing religious leaders for humanitarian acts toward
undocumented workers, such as providing food and water, should be
excluded.
"Anti-immigrant bigotry and xenophobia should not be allowed to
dominate this debate," said CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey
Saylor. "America's laws should reflect our nation's humanitarian
ideals and immigrant origins."
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:
Call your U.S. Senators and ask them to support immigration reform that
addresses security concerns while simultaneously reforming our nation's
broken immigration system.
TO CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, GO TO (Talking points and advice
for making an effective call are provided at the website.):
http://capwiz.com/cair/callalert/index.tt?alertid=8653051&type=CO
-----
CAIR-CA: GAG ORDER DENIED IN FENDER
BENDER CASE -
TOP
Dan Noyes, ABC, 4/3/06
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=4051404
Apr. 3 - KGO - It's been two-and-a-half weeks since we first told you
about the extraordinary measures Davis Police and Yolo County prosecutors
are taking to prosecute a Muslim teenager for a minor fender bender. The
girl and her family were back in court today, fighting for their right to
talk about what happened to them.
Gag orders in juvenile cases are normally used to protect the young
person's identity, but Yolo County prosecutors pushed for one today to
prevent the girl and her family from talking to us.
This is the seventh time Halema Buzayan's had to appear in court in this
case -- the seventh time. She's had to skip class at Davis High where
she's an honor student. It's the seventh time her father has had to miss
work as a research scientist at U.C. Davis.
Jamal Buzayan, Halema's father: "I think they have an agenda that is
not to serve justice, but to try to handle us in a way that will break
us.". . .
The case has gotten the attention of the nation's Muslim community. Basim
Elkarra is with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Basim Elkarra, Council On American-Islamic Relations: "The
community is outraged, everyone is shocked. Why, why so many hearings,
why take it to this level?" (MORE)
-----
CAIR-OH: NEED IS SEEN FOR AMERICANS
TO LEARN OTHER LANGUAGES -
TOP
Kurt Moore, The Marion Star, 4/3/06
http://www.centralohio.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/BE/20060403/NEWS01/604030317/1002&template=BE
MARION - Americans can talk the talk at home, but can they do it in other
nations as well?
Both the promises of a global economy and the threat of global terrorism
are pushing the discussion as national leaders and foreign policy experts
begin asking that question. Locally the answer is mixed.
Foreign language teachers are seeing a steady stream of students,
especially in Spanish as Marion County and the state and country see an
increasing number of Hispanic immigrants.
However, some languages seen as critical - such as Arabic and Chinese -
are lacking locally, as one professor suggests that Americans are already
behind the curve. Also, for high schools to widen what they offer it will
take money - one thing many schools are lacking.
Recent discussion has been inspired by the National Security Language
Initiative, a plan launched by President George W. Bush to further
strengthen national security and prosperity through education, especially
in developing foreign language skills.
The president is requesting $114 million in the 2007 fiscal year to fund
the effort, which aims to dramatically increase the number of Americans
learning critical languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian and
others.
The need was highlighted in 2005 when government inspectors said
thousands of hours of spy tapes in Arabic could not be deciphered because
of a lack of Arabic translators. There are also fears that mistranslation
in certain circumstances could lead to international incidents.
Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, president of the Ohio Chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, remembers watching news coverage of
Iraqis voting in their country's January's election. She heard a voter
repeat the phrase, "Bism Allah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem."
A correspondent translated it as "Thank God for this
democracy." The correct translation is "In the name of God, the
merciful." The phrase, commonly known as the Basmalah, is the first
verse of the Islamic holy book, the Quran.
"Whoever translated it definitely put a political stand on it,"
she said.
Mobin-Uddin, a former Marion resident and Marion Catholic High School
graduate, said she believes a need exists for better communication
between the United States and the Arab world. She said focusing on such
languages as Arabic could foster improved diplomacy. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
EMBRACING ARABIC: STATE TO GET LANGUAGE
GRANT -
TOP
Emilia Askari, Detroit Free Press, 4/4/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060404/NEWS05/604040601/-1/BUSINESS07
If she didn't live in Dearborn, Emily Schloff might not have had the
opportunity to study Arabic.
Unlike Spanish and French, it's not widely taught. And even though it is
an elective offered in schools in Dearborn, which has one of the largest
Arab-American communities in the country, plenty of people go through
life there without knowing the language.
But for 16-year-old Emily, whose family is of German and English descent,
taking Arabic has been beneficial.
"It's kind of cool to go through different parts of Dearborn and be
able to read the signs," she said.
President George W. Bush would like a lot more students to follow her
example.
That's why Michigan is on target to receive an annual grant of about
$700,000 for up to 16 years to pay teacher salaries and other costs of
teaching Arabic to students in grades K-12 and college, a federal
official said Monday. (MORE)
-----
CW IN 'ALIENS' TERRITORY -
TOP
Josef Adalian, Daily Variety, 4/4/06
http://www.variety.com/av_result.asp?articleid=VR1117940926
The CW is showing some edge, greenlighting production on a half-hour
comedy pilot about a Muslim foreign exchange student who moves in with a
Wisconsin family.
Dubbed "Aliens in America," the single-camera laffer from
"Just Shoot Me" scribes Moses Port and David Guarascio will
begin production in June and is in contention for a midseason slot on the
CW. NBC Universal Television Studio is producing. . .
"Aliens" is set in Altoona, Wis., where Justin Hobgood is an
awkward, lanky 16-year-old having trouble fitting in at school. His mom
hears about the school's foreign exchange program and signs up her
family, figuring the new arrival will give her son a hipness
transplant.
Things don't go as planned, however, when the exchange student turns out
to be a Pakistani Muslim who wears a kufi on his head and a shalwar
kameez over his body.
SEE ALSO:
BRIDGES TV EXPANDS TO BASIC CABLE AND INTO
CANADA -
TOP
Expansion gives unprecedented voice to Arab and Muslim
Americans/Canadians
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060404/phtu009a.html
DETROIT, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridges TV has transitioned from a
premium pay channel to basic cable on several cable and satellite
systems, including WOW! Cable, Buckeye Cable, Shrewsbury Cable, Verizon
FiOS TV and Globecast Satellite. This covers cable markets in Detroit,
Chicago, Toledo, Columbus, Boston, Dallas, Tampa and Washington D.C.
Bridges TV has also been approved by the Canadian Radio & Television
Commission (CRTC) to start broadcasting in Canada, where it will soon
launch on Rogers Cable. The Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan has
made this expansion possible with a charter sponsorship.
The launch of Bridges TV as a free channel on basic cable comes at a time
when Middle Eastern and South Asian communities around the world are in
the spotlight. Most recently, the controversy around the management of
American ports by Dubai Ports and worldwide protests against the
publication of satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad have
highlighted deep divisions between Western and Middle Eastern/South Asian
cultures. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/5/06
*
Verse:
Remember God
*
CAIR-DC Summer Internship
Program
-
CAIR Job Opportunity:
Chapter
Director
*
CAIR-CA Meets with State Dept.
Delegation from Germany
*
CAIR:
Boykin Promotion Would
Send 'Negative Message' to Muslims
-
VA:
Rivals Attack Nod to
Outspoken Army General
*
DC:
Muslim Congressional Staffers
Hold Inaugural Event (Roll Call)
*
TX:
Muslim Student
Believes Attacker Came From Off Campus
-
TX:
Muslim Student
Reports Attack on Baylor Campus (AP)
*
FL:
Vandals Deface
Mosque Under Construction (Sun-Sentinel)
-
FL:
Vandalism at Sunrise
Mosque Feared a Hate Crime (CBS)
*
MN:
American Imam on MPR
*
GA:
School Teaches Arabic,
Diversity (Atlanta Journal)
-
Yale University Develops Online Arabic
Library
*
Flashback:
Muslims Protected Rwandan
Massacre Victims (NYT)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: REMEMBER GOD -
TOP
"Remember Me, and I will remember you."
The Holy Quran, 2:152
HADITH OF THE DAY: REMEMBER GOD'S GLORY
A person once said to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "The
laws of Islam are too much for me, so tell me something that I can follow
easily." The Prophet told him: "Let your tongue be always busy
remembering God's beauty, majesty and glory (dhikr)."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4, Number 99
-----
CAIR-DC SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
-
TOP
WHAT: Exciting, 10-week, paid internship opportunity for high school
graduates available at America's largest Muslim civil liberties group.
The program focuses on civil rights, public relations, research,
community outreach, and government affairs.
WHO: CAIR is looking for dedicated men and women who want to become the
next generation of Muslim leaders in America. To receive a stipend,
applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or have the
appropriate visas and/or work permits. Interns are responsible for
arranging their own housing.
WHERE: CAIR National Headquarters on Capitol Hill.
WHEN: The internship program runs from the 1st Monday of June to the 3rd
Friday of August, 2006, 40 hours per week minimum commitment. Application
deadline: April 30, 2006. For an Application, e-mail
internship@cair-net.org or
call 202-488-8787, ext. 6052.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR JOB OPPORTUNITY: CHAPTER DIRECTOR
-
TOP
CAIR is seeking a full-time Chapter Director based in Washington,
D.C.
Chapter Director: The successful candidate will be responsible for
developing, coordinating and supporting CAIR's chapters nationwide. The
coordinators responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
Publicize and organize new chapters in different states across the US,
Communicate with existing chapters on current issues and activities,
Organize training for chapter personnel, Organize chapter events/assist
chapters in their events.
This position requires extensive travel on weekends.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate should have substantive (3-5 years)
organizational and supervisory experience. The applicant should be a self
starter with excellent oral communication skills in English. The ability
to work quickly and well under pressure, along with building positive
community relationships is desired. A college degree in management or
related field is preferred. Must be willing to travel when
required.
TO APPLY: All those interested and eligible to work in US (Citizens or
proper work visa holders) are encouraged to apply in confidence via email
to:
hr@cair-net.org, or by fax 202
488 0833. No phone calls please. When applying via email please ensure to
write the position title of the position that you are applying for in the
subject line of the email.
By Mail to
HR Department - CAIR
453 New Jersey Ave SE
Washington DC 20003
Salary Range: Based on skills and experience
CAIR is an equal opportunity employer and offers an excellent health and
dental benefit plan for its full time employees.
-----
CAIR-SV MEETS WITH STATE DEPARTMENT
DELEGATION FROM GERMANY -
TOP
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 4/5/06) - On Monday, April 3, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations Sacramento Valley Chapter (CAIR-SV) met with a
delegation German political and cultural leaders to examine educational
and immigrant issues. The delegation was invited to the United States
under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor
Leadership Program.
The objective of the meeting was to examine the integration of immigrants
into the social, economic, and political fabric of the U.S. and the
relationship between the U.S. government and the Muslim community in the
post-9/11 era.
"It is our hope that the experience of the American Muslim community
can serve as a model for the Muslim minorities throughout Europe,"
said CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra.
The delegation included a member of the German Federal Ministry of the
Interior, a policy advisor to a member of the European Parliament, a
member of the Greens Party, and a professor of multicultural
education.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Basim Elkarra, 916-441-6269, E-Mail:
sacval@cair.com
-----
CAIR: ALLEN'S LETTER TOUTING GENERAL
STIRS UP RELIGION, POLITICS -
TOP
Dale Eisman, Virginian-Pilot, 4/5/06
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=102558&ran=222029
WASHINGTON - His career apparently stalled after superiors chided him for
casting the war on terrorism in religious terms, Army Lt. Gen. William G.
"Jerry" Boykin on Tuesday was caught up in a campaign for the
U.S. Senate and a budding contest for the 2008 Republican presidential
nomination.
A letter from U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., urging Boykin's promotion
and transfer to a high-profile assignment drew howls of outrage from a
potential Democratic challenger to Allen.
Boykin's past comments about Muslims "are inappropriate and
reckless, and George Allen knows it," said Harris Miller, one of two
Democrats vying for their party's nomination to oppose Allen's
re-election. . .
Boykin, the Pentagon's deputy undersecretary for intelligence, has kept a
low profile since the Defense Department inspector general concluded in
2004 that he violated regulations by failing to get clearance for
speeches he made - in uniform - in several churches.
Referring to a Somali warlord, who had said God would shield him from
American troops, Boykin told congregants that "I knew that my God
was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an
idol."
Boykin later insisted that his references to an idol referred to the
warlord's corruption. He is not "anti-Islam," he
insisted.
In a three-page letter sent last week to Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld, Allen urged Boykin's appointment to head the U.S. Special
Operations Command in Tampa, Fla. The command is home for the military's
most elite fighters and has been prominent in the terror war.
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said Boykin's promotion "would send a negative message to
the Muslim world." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
VA: RIVALS ATTACK ALLEN'S NOD
TO OUTSPOKEN ARMY GENERAL -
TOP
Peter Hardin, Times-Dispatch, 4/5/06
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835152670
WASHINGTON - Sen. George Allen caught some political flak yesterday for
backing a controversial Army general to lead the U.S. Special Operations
Command.
Allen's difference of opinion with fellow Virginia Republican Sen. John
W. Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, gave Allen
foes some ammunition.
Allen recommended Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin for the
special-operations post in Tampa, Fla. Boykin is the Pentagon's deputy
undersecretary for intelligence.
He drew criticism in 2003 after making church speeches in which he
painted the war on terrorism as a Christian fight against Satan and
suggested that Muslims worship idols. He later apologized for the
characterizations.
Warner made clear this week that Boykin is not among those he'd recommend
for the job, and Allen foes highlighted Warner's stance
yesterday.
"I agree with Senator Warner that General Boykin is not the right
person for the job, and as senator, I will never play political games
with the security of our citizens," said Democrat Harris Miller. He
hit Allen for a "divisive and partisan approach" and labeled
Boykin's past comments "reckless." (MORE)
-----
DC: MUSLIM STAFFERS GROUP TO SCREEN
DOCUMENTARY -
TOP
Roll Call, 4/5/06
http://www.rollcall.com/
[
NOTE: Dozens of staffers representing both houses of Congress
attended today's event.]
The new Congressional Muslim Staffers Association aims to "increase
outreach and awareness" with its first event today.
The event, which will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. in room 2226 of
the Rayburn House Office Building and include lunch, will be a screening
of the PBS documentary "Muhammed: Legacy of a Prophet,"
produced by Alex Kronemer.
The documentary chronicles the life of Muhammed and interviews modern
Muslims about what Muhammed means to them.
Following the screening, Kronemer and Islamic History professor John Voll
of Georgetown University will be available for a question and answer
discussion.
The newly formed association is a small group of Muslim staffers on
Capitol Hill who meet to discuss issues of faith and community.
Jameel Aalim-Johnson, who appears in the documentary and says he is the
temporary president of the association, said that members wanted to form
the association because "most people still don't know that much
about Islam."
He said the association was spurred on especially in the wake of the
Danish cartoon scandal to educate people about the religion and the
followers of Muhammed and to dispel what he called some of the
"misinformation put out by people who are against Islam."
(MORE)
-----
MUSLIM STUDENT BELIEVES
ATTACKER CAME FROM OFF CAMPUS -
TOP
Tim Woods and Terri Jo Ryan, Waco Tribune, 4/5/06
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/04/05/04052006wacmuslim.html
A Muslim woman who said she was assaulted on the Baylor University campus
Saturday night said Tuesday that she doesn't believe her attacker is a
Baylor student.
Nohayia Javed, a 19-year-old senior who has been at Baylor since 2003,
said she was attacked near the Draper Academic Building about 8:45 p.m.
by a clean-shaven white man in his 30s, weighing about 200 pounds, with
buzz-cut blondish-brown hair. She said he was wearing jeans and
steel-toed cowboy boots.
The incident, which wasn't reported immediately, has sparked the
condemnation of the Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights organization. The group's
communications director, Ibrahim Hooper, said law enforcement officials,
including the FBI, should investigate the attack as a hate
crime.
Javed, a Chicago native of South Asian heritage, said that as she was
walking Saturday night from the Student Union Building to her dorm room
in Dawson Residence Hall, a man grabbed her hijab - a Muslim head scarf -
and pulled her to the ground while making anti-Muslim and ethnic slurs
"in a really Southern, very pronounced, noticeable
accent."
She said the man told her to keep quiet or he would kill her. She added
that the quickness and ferocity of the attack shocked her into
silence.
"But when he dug his nails into my chest, reflexively I
screamed," Javed said. "And once I started screaming, I could
not stop."
She said her attacker responded to her screams by slapping her and
kicking her multiple times in the ribs before running away.
"I could tell that he wasn't familiar with campus because he didn't
seem to know where to run," she said. "He ran in a kind of
circle before he found his way out."
Baylor's interim vice president for student life, Dub Oliver, said
Baylor's Department of Public Safety was notified of the reported assault
at about 5 p.m. Sunday. He said "the university is treating this
incident very seriously and is in the process of investigating the matter
in cooperation with law enforcement agencies."
CAIR spokeswoman Rabiah Ahmed said the group's legal affairs office
contacted the FBI and asked them to investigate the matter as a hate
crime. The FBI's Web site states that to qualify as a hate crime,
"the offender's criminal act must have been motivated, in whole or
in part, by his/her bias." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM STUDENT REPORTS ATTACK
ON BAYLOR CAMPUS -
TOP
Associated Press, 4/5/06
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4726996&nav=1TjD
WACO, Texas Baylor University police are investigating a report by a
Muslim student who says she was attacked on campus.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has asked the F-B-I to
investigate the attack as a hate crime.
The student says was walking alone Saturday night when a white man
grabbed her head scarf. He threw her on the ground and yelled ethnic
slurs at her.
The man slapped her face, kicked her ribs and threatened to kill her if
she made noise.
The student reported she screamed and he ran away. She was able to drive
to the emergency room and was treated for a dislocated shoulder and other
injuries.
Baylor is the world's largest Baptist university.
In a statement today, Baylor officials said the university is
"treating the reported incident very seriously."
-----
CAIR-FL: VANDALS DEFACE
MOSQUE UNDER CONSTRUCTION -
TOP
Sun-Sentinel, 4/5/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-c3bdig05apr05,0,3846159.story
Police are investigating on Tuesday the defacement this week of a mosque
under construction, as members of the local Muslim community called for
the matter to be handled as a hate crime.
The words "Osama binleden" were discovered spray-painted on a
wall Monday morning at the Islamic Center of South Florida, under
construction in the 5400 block of Northwest 108th Avenue, according to
Sunrise Police spokesman Lt. Robert Voss.
A report for criminal mischief was filed Monday evening.
The Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
released a statement calling for both Sunrise police and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation to pursue the matter as a hate crime, saying the
nature of the graffiti indicated a specific bias.
Voss said his department had not yet been in contact with the federal
agency, as the investigation had just been initiated.
SEE ALSO:
VANDALISM AT SUNRISE MOSQUE
FEARED A HATE CRIME -
TOP
Carey Codd, CBS, 4/4/06
http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_094160235.html
Members of a Sunrise mosque are asking the public and the FBI to get
involved in investigating an act of vandalism on their building this
week.
Monday, the words 'Osama Binleden' were found spray-painted on one of the
Islamic Center of South Florida's walls located at 5457 Northwest 108th
Avenue in Sunrise. An electrical box was also found damaged at the site
of the building, which is still under construction. Officials believe the
vandalism was done sometime overnight and fear this might be a possible
hate crime.
For this reason the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have
become involved and are publicly requesting that federal and local
agencies get involved in investigating this as a possible hate
crime.
"The nature of the graffiti in this incident would seem to indicate
the possibility of a bias motive," said CAIR-FL Executive Director
Altaf Ali. "We urge the FBI to assist local law enforcement
authorities in resolving this case and assuring the security of Florida
Muslims."
CAIR is also asking for increased police patrols outside Islamic
institutions in South Florida. (MORE)
-----
AMERICAN IMAM -
TOP
Minnesota Public Radio, 4/3/06
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/04/03/midmorning2/
Midmorning talks with an American Muslim cleric about the climate for
Muslims under the Patriot Act, and America's perception of the Islamic
faith.
Guests: Imam Johari Abdul-Malik: Chair of the Coordinating Council of
Muslim Organizations and head of government relations for the Muslim
Alliance of North America. He was the first Muslim to serve as a chaplain
in higher education, at Howard University.
-----
SCHOOL TEACHES ARABIC, APPRECIATION
OF DIVERSITY -
TOP
Bob Andres, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/5/06
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/northfulton/stories/0405arabic.html
The Amana Academy, a tuition-free, public Fulton County charter school in
Roswell, is believed to be the only elementary school in Georgia to offer
Arabic language studies.
Principal Shereen Salam is quick to point out that Amana Academy is not
an Arab or Muslim school.
"A firm command of Arabic is only one of our mission
statements," she said.
Salam wants the school to appeal to mainstream students. She believes
that immersing children in a diverse environment at a young age is the
best way for them to understand and appreciate other cultures, and helps
to bridge cultural barriers.
The school uses the Georgia Elementary School Foreign Languages Model for
teaching the Arabic language, offering 30 to 45 minutes of mandatory
Arabic language instruction each day.
Arabic is one of the hardest languages to learn, experts say. Reading is
from right to left, and the symbols in its 28-character alphabet bear no
resemblance to the ABCs.
Arabic is one of six official languages of the United Nations, and
teaching it, Salam says, provides one of the skills students need to
become world leaders. According to a recent story in the Los Angeles
Times, Arabic is the fastest-growing spoken language of study at U.S.
colleges and universities. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
YALE UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS ONLINE ARABIC
LIBRARY -
TOP
David Shelby, Washington File, 4/4/06
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060404173417ndyblehs0.1197016
Washington -- Library administrators at Yale University in New Haven,
Connecticut, are cataloging Middle Eastern journals from libraries in the
United States, Europe and the Middle East and converting Arabic-language
texts to a digital storage medium in a project to create a virtual
library of Middle Eastern culture.
Project manager Ann Okerson said technological developments during the
past 15 years have changed the way information is published, collected
and shared. But even though many Western libraries have been working to
make their collections accessible on the Internet for more than a decade,
she says, the Middle East is at the beginning of that process.
(MORE)
-----
FLASHBACK: MUSLIMS PROTECTED RWANDA MASSACRE
VICTIMS -
TOP
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2004/04/05/international/20040406_RWAN_AUDIOSS.html
A New York Times report from the 10-year anniversary of the Rwanda
massacres.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/6/06
*
Verse:
A Reward That Will Never Fail
*
CAIR-CA to Host Youth Media
Activism Workshop
*
CAIR-DFW:
TX Muslims to
Call for Tolerance After Baylor Attack
-
FBI Joins Baylor Police in
'Hate Crime' Investigation
*
CAIR-FL:
Mosque Defacing
Part of Ongoing Hate Spree
*
CAIR-Chicago:
Student Project
Bring Jews, Muslims Together
-
CA:
Shared Belief of
Tolerance (Tribune News)
*
NJ:
Centers Help
Muslim Domestic Abuse Victims (Herald News)
*
MD:
Candidate Hopes to Encourage
Muslim Voters (Wash Post)
*
MN:
Scarves Given Out to Raise
Awareness about Islam (Star Trib)
-
TX:
Muslims Open Doors to Share
Faith (Dallas Morning News)
-
NE:
Somali Refugees Add to Cultural
Mix
*
IL:
Profs Spark 'Israel Lobby'
Firestorm (Chicago Trib)
*
Amnesty:
Front Companies Used in
Secret Flights to Torture
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: A REWARD THAT WILL NEVER FAIL -
TOP
"Say thou (O Prophet Muhammad): 'I am but a mortal like you. It has
been revealed to me that your God is the One God. Go then straight toward
Him and seek His forgiveness.' Woe unto those who ascribe divinity to
aught beside Him (and to) those who do not spend in charity and who even
deny the truth of the life to come. (But) for those who have attained to
faith and work deeds of righteousness is a reward that will never
fail."
The Holy Quran, 41:6-8
-----
CAIR-SFBA TO HOST YOUTH MEDIA
ACTIVISM WORKSHOP -
TOP
(SANTA CLARA, CA, 4/7/06) - On April 22, the Council on American-Islamic
Relations San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA) will host the second of a
quarterly series of Youth Leadership Workshops to be held at the Muslim
Community Association at 3003 Scott Boulevard in Santa Clara.
CAIR-SFBA's "Intro to Media Activism" workshop will focus on
introducing Muslim youth to an overview of print, radio, film, internet,
and television media. The workshop will involve group activities and a
field trip to tour the NBC3 studio in San Jose.
The workshops are designed to encourage civic, social and political
activism in Muslim youth of America. This 2006 youth educational
initiative will conclude later in the year with the CAIR-California 2nd
Annual Youth Leadership Conference to be held at the state capitol in
Sacramento, California!
Speaking to our group will be Zaki Hasan, a filmmaker and teacher at
SJSU, Jonathan Jones, journalist for the Argus, Gina Hotta from KPFA
Radio, and a panel of Muslims media activists from the Bay Area.
REGISTER TODAY: $10/per person, limited seating (covers lunch and field
trip, no one will be turned away for lack of funds)
WHAT: Youth Leadership Workshop Series, 2nd Session: Intro to Media
Activism
WHEN: April 22, 2006, 10 AM - 5 PM (registration begins at 9:30 AM)
WHERE: Muslim Community Association, 3003 Scott Blvd. Santa Clara.
Women's Lounge
WHO: Open to all high school students and first years of college.
CONTACT: Amina Ansari, Program Manager at
amina@cair.com or
408-986-9874
-----
CAIR-DFW: TX MUSLIMS TO CALL
FOR TOLERANCE AFTER BAYLOR ATTACK -
TOP
(DALLAS, TX, 4/6/2006) - On Friday, April 7, the Dallas-Fort Worth office
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) will hold a news
conference in Waco, Texas, to call for increased efforts to promote
racial and religious tolerance following a recent assault on a female
Muslim student at Baylor University.
The perpetrator of the attack reportedly used racist and anti-Muslim
slurs, which prompted the FBI to offer its assistance in the
investigation.
WHAT: CAIR-DFW News Conference on Racial and Religious
Tolerance
WHEN: Friday, April 7, 10 a.m.
WHERE: Islamic Center of Waco, 2725 Benton Drive, Waco, Texas
CONTACT: CAIR-DFW Director Saffia Meek, (972) 241-7233,
972-841-5067
Speakers at Friday's news conference will include representatives of
CAIR-DFW, the local Muslim community and Baylor University.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
SEE ALSO:
FBI JOINS BAYLOR POLICE IN 'HATE
CRIME' INVESTIGATION -
TOP
Monica Oritz Uribe, Waco Tribune, 4/6/06
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/04/06/04062006wacfbimuslimstudent.html
The FBI is now assisting Baylor University police in investigating
Saturday's reported assault of a Muslim student on campus.
Chief Jim Doak of the Baylor Department of Public Safety announced the
collaboration Wednesday, said Baylor spokeswoman Lori Fogleman.
"We have had an FBI representative on campus with us throughout the
day and will continue to work with the agency as this process goes
forward," Doak said Wednesday.
Nohayia Javed, 19, a Chicago native of South Asian heritage, Sunday
reported to Baylor police that she had been assaulted the night before by
a white man in his mid-30s.
She said the man made anti-Muslim and ethnic slurs "in a really
Southern, very pronounced, noticeable accent" as he pulled her to
the ground kicking, slapping and digging his nails into her
skin.
Al Siddiq, a leader of the local Muslim community and president of the
Islamic Center of Waco, said Wednesday that he was relieved to learn the
FBI had joined the investigation. He said it was a sign that the Baylor
administration was "no longer in denial that this is a hate
crime."
Siddiq said campus administrators had not initially given the incident
enough attention or concern because the student assaulted was not "a
blond, white girl."
Meanwhile, officials from the Dallas office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations are heading to Waco on Friday to make their
own assessment of the situation, he added.
-----
CAIR-FL: MOSQUE DEFACING PART OF
ONGOING HATE SPREE -
TOP
Ashley Fantz, Miami Herald, 4/6/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/14273637.htm
The weekend defacing of a Muslim prayer hall and a new audit of hate
crimes against Jews brought into relief the continuing threats against
Muslim and Jewish houses of worship in South Florida.
On Sunday, volunteers for the Islamic Center of South Florida discovered
that vandals had sprayed the words "Osama BinLeden" in yellow
paint on a wall of their new school, gymnasium and prayer hall, which are
under construction in the 5400 block of Northwest 108th Avenue in
Sunrise.
"Incidents like this aren't going to stop us," said Syed
Rahman, a spokesperson for the center. ``If anything, this will
underscore the importance of reaching out to the different religious
communities so that we all come together to denounce acts of
hate.''
The Anti-Defamation League released an audit on Wednesday indicating that
hate crimes against Jews increased statewide last year, from 173 in 2004
to 199 in 2005.
In Weston alone, between January 2005 and March 2006, a dozen bomb
threats were made to synagogues, according to the Broward Sheriff's
Office.
One temple director contacted by The Miami Herald, who asked that his
name not be published, said a school at his synagogue regularly conducts
bomb drills.
''There are religious customs,'' said Andrew Rosenkranz, the
Anti-Defamation League's Florida regional director. "Unfortunately,
in the world today there is another custom -- and it's security. Everyone
has got to do it."
FIVE INCIDENTS
At least five incidents of vandalism in South Florida involved mosques or
places of Muslim worship last year, said Altaf Ali, of Pembroke
Pines.
The 41-year-old is the Florida director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations. Founded in 1994, the national organization
monitors hate crimes against Muslims, which have been on the rise since
Sept. 11. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO: INCHING TOWARD
UNDERSTANDING -
TOP
Tara Malone, Daily Herald, 4/6/06
http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=174847
Born in Belarus and raised in Buffalo Grove, surrounded by Jewish
immigrants like himself, Jacob Katz grew up knowing little of Islam and
less of Muslims.
Television shows and movies taught Sharif Murphy about Judaism, a lesson
the Muslim man from Hoffman Estates knew was incomplete.
Naperville's Julia Geynisman tired of watching Jewish and Muslim students
clash, driven by tensions rooted thousands of miles away in the Middle
East.
Together, these University of Illinois at Chicago students are trying to
unravel the knot of conflict among Jews and Muslims one conversation at a
time.
Katz, Murphy and Geynisman are among the suburban students trying to get
students at the Chicago campus talking about what they share, rather than
shouting about what they don't. . .
"It's a good starting point, but it should definitely not be where
the dialogue ends," said
Ahmed Rehab, executive director for the
Council on American Islamic Relations in Chicago. "The goal is
to build enough trust where the two groups can talk about issues that are
very important to both of them." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
SHARED BELIEF OF TOLERANCE -
TOP
Nick Wilson, Tribune News, 4/6/06
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/14276456.htm
About 50 people, mostly students, attended the invite-only event
Wednesday. Organizers limited the size to keep the discussion intimate,
said teacher Geoffrey Land, who helped students put together the program
over the last three months.
The panel talked about the differences and commonalities among Islam,
Christianity and Judaism.
The speakers addressed how religion can divide and unite people,
depending on how it's interpreted. (MORE)
-----
CRISIS CENTERS HELP MUSLIM
WOMEN AND OTHERS SUFFERING FROM DOMESTIC ABUSE -
TOP
Makeba Scott Hunter, Herald News, 4/6/06
http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzNTkmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5MTIwNjQmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz
Founded in fall 2004, WAFA House (Women Against Family Abuse) is a
privately run domestic violence crisis center based in Paterson that
caters primarily to the needs of women of South Asian, Arabic and/or
Muslim descent. The Arabic word "wafa" translates to
"sincerity," "faithfulness" or "to have
hope," and the organization has come to be known as a place where a
Muslim woman can find all three.
The rate of domestic abuse in the Muslim community is about the same as
in the general population -- about 18 percent, according to a 2000 study
performed by Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., a rate comparable to
the national average. It tends, however, to be more hidden, says Dorria
Fahmy, WAFA's founder and executive director.
"There is a mindset that you don't talk about things outside of the
home," says Fahmy, explaining the thinking that inhibits some women
from seeking help. "There is concern that taking these issues
outside of the community somehow contradicts religious
teachings."
The need for organizations like WAFA House is especially great in New
Jersey, which is home to an estimated 10 percent of the U.S. Muslim
population, according to the New Jersey branch of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
"The issues that we face are quite unique," says Lakshmi
Rajagopal, a coordinator at Manavi, New Jersey's oldest Muslim-focused
domestic abuse center. "Among those are the dynamics of violence in
the community. The way that violence manifests requires an understanding
of the culture, the family structures and the people that abuse comes
from." (MORE)
-----
MD: CANDIDATE HOPES TO ENCOURAGE MUSLIM
VOTERS -
TOP
Nancy Trejos and Tim Craig, Washington Post, 4/6/06
Tufail Ahmad, a Montgomery County businessman and community leader, will
announce on Tuesday that he is running for an at-large seat on the
Montgomery County Council, according to a statement put out by his
campaign.
Ahmad, a Pakistani American and Democrat, is the latest in a string of
minorities hoping to be elected to the council this year.
The council currently has just one non-white member, Tom Perez (D-Silver
Spring), the son of Dominican immigrants.
But Perez may run for state attorney general instead of seeking
reelection to the council.
Ahmad, of Potomac, has said in the past that he hopes his entry into the
race will encourage more Muslims -- a growing segment of the county
population -- to vote.
-----
SCARVES GIVEN OUT TO RAISE AWARENESS
ABOUT ISLAM -
TOP
Aisha Eady, Star Tribune, 4/6/06
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/354038.html
The scarves distributed outside the Coffman Memorial Union building were
part of an effort to promote a Thursday night lecture, "Gender
Equity in Islam and America" by Dr. Lisa Zainab Killinger, sponsored
by the Muslim student group Al Madinah.
Both events were designed to help women of other religions to understand
what it might feel like to be Muslim in the United States, said student
event planner Susan Samaha.
Alexandra Mayo-Cullen, who works in Human Resources at the U, said that
before taking a hijab she felt the custom was "a little bit
oppressive because I don't see the men wearing it." But after
talking with the students, who dressed her in the hijab, she looked
pleased.
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS OPEN DOORS TO SHARE THEIR FAITH
-
TOP
Beth Freed, Dallas Morning News, 4/6/06
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/plano/stories/DN-nuplislamic_06cco.ART.North.Edition2.9ff99af.html
Even though the Islamic Association of Collin County did not use the word
"diversity" to describe its open house, it showed up in true
form.
"We hope this will be a beneficial, informative exercise," said
Abdul Khan, an organizer of the open house.
The Sisters Committee greeted visitors and provided a plastic bag for the
removal of shoes. Removing one's shoes satisfies two purposes in Islamic
worship. First, worship requires ablution, or self-cleansing. Muslims
typically wash their face, hands, arms and feet before praying so that
they are rid of any impurities in the presence of Allah (God). Second,
the removal of shoes also protects the plush carpet of the prayer rooms,
which have no seats or pews to disguise tread on the floor.
Visitors toured the facility, which features calligraphy of Quranic
phrases painted on the walls, arabesque domes and decorated arches. Islam
forbids representations of Allah or his prophet Muhammad, because Muslims
distinguish between worshipping the creator and the creation. In Islam,
men and women worship separately. Separate kitchens, bath areas and
classrooms also accommodate this practice.
Muslims believe that men and women both have power and responsibility,
but that it differs, said Noor Sadeh, who presented a lecture titled
"Women in Islam" and participated in the panel discussion. She
said most Muslim women do not feel inferior to their husbands. They are
educated, work and have their own money, which their husband is not
entitled to.
Ms. Sadeh said many Muslim women do not feel oppressed by their
traditional dress - the hijab or headscarf and covering clothing - but
they feel reassured that a man talks to them because of how they think,
not how they look.
Khalil Meek , who presented "The Commonalities of Religions,"
grew up planning to be a Baptist preacher, which his presentation style
reflected. In his talk, Mr. Meek detailed that Muslims believe in such
biblical figures as Adam, Noah and Jesus.
He said the goal of his talk was to "break the ignorance that feeds
negative stereotypes."
A question-and-answer session followed the presentations. Some visitors
came to the table with serious concerns about violence in the
world.
All of the speakers expressed the sentiment that some Muslims can twist
their faith to validate their actions, but that terrorists around the
world are not practicing the faith as it should be. (MORE)
---
SOMALIAN REFUGEES ADD TO COMMUNITY'S
CULTURAL MIX -
TOP
Barb Bierman Batie, Lexington Clipper Herald, 4/6/06
http://www.lexch.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16429164&BRD=284&PAG=461&dept_id=558509&rfi=6
LEXINGTON - In a community where the ethnic mix has grown exponentially
since 1990, human service agencies are gearing up for the arrival of
another group of immigrants.
Friday Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. hosted a cultural awareness seminar
focusing on the newest wave of immigrants, those from Africa,
particularly Somalian refugees.
Conducting the seminar was Fardusa Council, a native of Somalia and a
Tyson employee specializing in ethnic awareness.
Council, the daughter of Somalian diplomats, noted her family moved
around a lot, spending time in India and all over Europe. She arrived in
Nebraska with her Air Force husband and prior to joining Tyson, worked
for the Lutheran Refugee Resettlement Program. She has been in Norfolk
working with Somalian immigrants in that community and when the Tyson
facility closed there, she accepted a transfer to Tyson's Emporia, Kan.,
plant. She will continue to assist Tyson plants around the country as
more Somalians and other Africans immigrant to the United States.
(MORE)
-----
2 PROFS SPARK POLITICAL FIRESTORM -
TOP
Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 4/6/06
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0604060188apr06,1,7426220.story
A University of Chicago professor has ignited an intellectual firestorm
in halls of ivy and corridors of power with an essay in a highbrow
British journal.
Writing in the London Review of Books, John Mearsheimer, a U. of C.
political scientist, and his academic partner, Harvard University
professor Stephen Walt, offered a simple diagnosis for what ails U.S.
foreign policy.
How did we get involved in a seemingly endless Iraq war? Why are we
reviled in Muslim countries and targeted by terrorists?
"Why," they asked, "has the United States been willing to
set aside its own security in order to advance the interests of another
state?"
Mearsheimer and Walt say a vocal and well-financed lobby--made up of
Jewish organizations and Christian fundamentalists, political
fundraisers, media outlets and neo-conservatives--gets Washington to
slavishly do Israel's bidding.
Mearsheimer and Walt's thesis, published late last month, has provoked
both applause and a torrent of criticism. It also has inspired several
spinoff counter-conspiracy theories.
When Walt recently stepped down as dean of Harvard's John F. Kennedy
School of Government, some speculated he was forced out because the
university was taking heat for their essay, "The Israel Lobby."
Harvard published a news release saying the change long had been in the
works. Both Harvard and the U. of C. have argued universities must be a
forum for controversial ideas like those discussed in the essay.
(MORE)
-----
USA: FRONT COMPANIES USED IN SECRET
FLIGHTS TO TORTURE AND "DISAPPEARANCE" -
TOP
Amnesty International, 4/5/06
http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGAMR510542006
Amnesty International today released a new report which exposes a covert
operation whereby people have been arrested or abducted, transferred and
held in secret or handed over to countries where they have faced torture
and other ill-treatment. The report describes how the CIA has used
private aircraft operators and front companies to preserve the secrecy of
"rendition" flights.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR OFFERS REWARD FOR INFO ON BAYLOR U
ASSAULT
$5,000 offered for arrest and conviction of
perpetrator
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/7/2006) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights and advocacy group today announced a $5,000 reward for information
leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator of a recent
assault on a female Muslim student at Baylor University in
Texas.
The Dallas-Fort Worth office of the Washington-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-DFW) made that announcement at a news
conference held this morning in Waco, Texas, to call for increased
efforts to promote racial and religious tolerance following the Saturday
night assault.
In that incident, a Baylor University senior of South Asian heritage says
she was attacked while walking through the university's campus. The
perpetrator of the attack reportedly used racist and anti-Muslim slurs,
which prompted the FBI to get involved in the investigation.
SEE:
Muslim BU Student: Need for Greater Tolerance is Crucial
"We ask anyone with information about this case to come forward
and help bring the perpetrator to justice," said CAIR-DFW Board
Member Mustafaa Carroll. He said the identity of the informant may be
kept confidential.
Carroll also thanked Baylor University officials and law enforcement
authorities for their support.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; Rabiah
Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/9/06
*
Hadith:
Whoever Plants a Tree is Rewarded by
God
*
CAIR-CA Youth Member Dreams of Being a
Lawyer (Sac Bee)
*
CAIR:
Reward Offered in Attack
on TX Muslim Student
-
CAIR-Philly Holds 'Muhammad' Open
House
-
CAIR-OH:
'Muhammad' Screening Sunday
(Enquirer)
*
TX:
Hispanic Missionaries Used to
Target Muslim Countries
*
MA:
Court Rules for Muslim Inmate
(Boston Globe)
-
CA:
Muslim City Worker Claims
Religious Harassment
-
CA:
FBI Seeks to Address Muslim
Civil Rights Concerns (AP)
*
Book Review:
American Muslim Women's
Lives Explored
-
IL:
Muslim Woman Offers Prayer to
Open State Senate
*
MD:
Muslim Groups Offer Health
Fair (Baltimore Sun)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: WHOEVER PLANTS A TREE IS REWARDED
BY GOD -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "(Whoever) plants a
(fruit-bearing) tree gains a reward (from God equal to that of) a
charitable gift for what is eaten from the tree (including what is stolen
by others and what animals eat). (Even) such losses will be counted as a
charitable gift on his part."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 735
-----
PORTRAITS: 'I KNOW WHO I AM' -
TOP
Bob Sylva, Sacramento Bee, 4/9/06
http://www.sacbee.com/content/lifestyle/story/14240390p-15060177c.html
Her name is Annem Khan. She is 17, a senior at St. Francis High School.
She is a Muslim girl who prays five times a day, who also text-messages
her friends. She embodies a bold, old sensibility.
"Whenever you see some Muslim reference, it's always negative,"
she says. "It's always about a terrorist. That's what makes the
news. That's what's exploited. It reflects badly on the millions of
Muslims in the world who are disgusted with the violence."
Given that unfortunate distortion, Annem is not afraid to be a defender
of the faith. "I get a lot of questions," she says. "I'm
very open about my religion. I'm very comfortable with who I am. I am not
the stereotypical image that you see." . . .
Annem, a youth member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is
active in the Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims and works
after school at a local law firm. "Nothing prevents a Muslim woman
from going into the world to realize her dreams," says Annem. Her
dream is to be a lawyer. (MORE)
-----
CAIR: REWARD OFFERED IN ATTACK ON
MUSLIM BAYLOR STUDENT -
TOP
Terri Jo Ryan, Waco Tribune-Herald, 4/8/06
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/04/08/04082006wacmuslimPress.html
The national board of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Friday
announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of the man who assaulted a female Muslim student at Baylor
University on April 1.
The Dallas-Fort Worth office of the Washington-based advocacy group
called for increased efforts to promote racial and religious
tolerance.
"We ask anyone with information about this case to come forward and
help bring the perpetrator to justice," said Mustaffa Carroll, a
CAIR-DFW board member who took part in a Friday morning news conference
at the Islamic center of Waco.
Pakistani-American senior Nohayia Javed said she was attacked while
walking through the university's campus. Her assailant also reportedly
used racist and anti-Muslim slurs, which prompted the FBI to get involved
in the investigation.
Rene Salinas, the San Antonio-based FBI agent who is in charge of the
case, said the preliminary investigation into the allegations of a hate
crime continues. The offer of a reward will be beneficial to the case, he
added, in generating tips from those who may have witnessed something
that could lead to the prosecution of Javed's alleged attacker.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-PHILLY: AREA MUSLIM GROUP PLANS SATURDAY
'OPEN HOUSE' -
TOP
KYW's Karin Phillips
http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/23022.php
A local Muslim civil liberties organization is holding a town hall
meeting Saturday in the Lehigh Valley as a direct response to the Prophet
Muhammed cartoon controversy.
The mosque open house and town hall meeting at the Muslim Association of
Lehigh Valley in Whitehall, Pa. is just part of a long-range
"positive response" by the Council for American-Islamic
Relations to the Muhammed cartoon controversy.
Adeeba Al-Zaman is with CAIR-Philadelphia:
"It was launched shortly after the whole cartoon controversy. We
thought that this was a way for us to teach people who the Prophet
Muhammed was and what his life entailed and what his legacy entailed.
It's really in response to the cartoon controversy, but it's something
much more -- wider and more long-reaching."
There will be discussions with Muslim educators, a presentation by school
children, a film, and other events, all centering around the life and
mission of the Prophet Muhammed.
Al-Zaman says to expect a number of town hall meetings, discussions and
film viewings throughout the region over the next several
months.
---
CAIR-OH: MUHAMMAD SCREENING SUNDAY -
TOP
The Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/9/06
The Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati will show the PBS documentary,
"Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet," at 3 p.m. Sunday, followed by
a question and answer session.
The center, 8092 Plantation Drive, West Chester, will also be open for
guided tours. The event, co-sponsored by the Council on American Islamic
Relations, is part of a campaign by the organization to educate people
about Muhammad in light of the violence surrounding the cartoons
published in Europe.
Information: (513) 755-3280.
-----
TX: BLENDING IN AND SPREADING THE WORD -
TOP
Abe Levy, Express-News, 4/9/06
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA040906.01A.missionaries.3572fdf.html
Carlos Charco bought a turban, tunic and sandals on the first day of a
short mission trip three years ago in a West African country.
He wanted to blend into this Sahara Desert region, far from Mexico's
Pacific coast, where he grew up. Far from the San Antonio seminary where
he was studying Christian theology.
The new duds and his mestizo features - black hair and brown skin -
matched those of the Arab community there. Nearly everyone assumed he was
Muslim.
"It was an advantage as a missionary that I'm not white and my eyes
were not blue or green," said Charco, a San Antonio pastor who's
preparing - along with his wife, Viviana, of South America - to be
missionaries in a Muslim country.
They are part of a rising evangelical movement of Latin-American
missionaries going to areas that are the least Christianized in the
world.
They believe their skin tone and non-Western background give them
advantages in Muslim countries over Anglo missionaries, who are held back
by post-9-11 hostilities.
Yet, for some U.S. Islamic leaders, the emergence of Latino missionaries
only adds to the tension and distrust of evangelicals who they say
periodically invent new ways to conceal unwanted requests for Muslims to
convert. . .
This approach, even if led by Latinos, still draws skepticism from
some Muslims who have seen a variety of methods by Christians seeking the
same objective of conversion, said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group in
Washington.
Men growing beards. Women wearing head coverings. Bibles placed on
wooden stands like Korans. Churches built to resemble mosques.
"It's a new twist on an old approach," Hooper said. "They
want to appear as Muslim as possible to kind of blur the
lines."
Hooper said he doesn't believe humanitarian help from evangelical mission
groups is unconditional.
"If the Bible is handed out with a sack of rice, they're going to
take the sack of rice and the Bible if their kids are starving," he
said. "We have no problem with someone coming to a Muslim and
saying, 'I think Christianity is better.' But we object to going into a
vulnerable population with a disproportionate power relationship." .
. .
Muslim skepticism is fueled in part by the fact that major U.S. Islamic
charity groups have been shut down by U.S. law enforcement officials,
said Ingrid Mattson, Islamic studies professor at the Hartford Seminary
in Connecticut.
The crackdown has come due to concerns about terror links to Islamic
charities, she said, prompting U.S. officials to freeze their
assets.
"This is creating a huge amount of bad will," she said.
"This also helps further the agenda of the American Christian
evangelical groups, because it makes it impossible for (Islamic
charities) to help their fellow Muslim countries and easy for Christian
groups to go there." (MORE)
-----
COURT RULES FOR MUSLIM INMATE -
TOP
Jonathan Saltzman, Boston Globe, 4/8/06
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/04/08/court_rules_for_muslim_inmate/
The state's highest court ruled yesterday that the prison system had
failed to justify denying special meats to a Muslim inmate on Islamic
feast days. The decision pointed out that the Massachusetts Constitution
goes further than the US Constitution to protect the religious freedom of
prisoners. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CA: MUSLIM CITY WORKER CLAIMS
RELIGIOUS HARASSMENT -
TOP
DAVID RYAN, Napa Valley Register, 4/8/06
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2006/04/08/news/local/iq_3377219.txt
A city of Napa engineer charges in a recent civil rights lawsuit that
he's being harassed at his job because he is a Muslim -- and he says his
treatment briefly affected the city's water supply. (MORE)
---
FBI SAYS GOVERNMENT WORKING TO KEEP
INNOCENT OFF SECURITY WATCH LISTS -
TOP
JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/04/08/state/n164806D62.DTL
FBI officials told members of Southern California's Muslim community
Saturday that the government is working to keep innocent people off of
its anti-terrorism watchlists.
Shortcomings in the screening process to prevent terrorists and criminals
from entering the country are "a real concern," said J. Stephen
Tidwell, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles
office.
"There are many agencies working on that very situation ... to make
sure that the databases are correct and that we're only filtering out the
persons of real concern," Tidwell said.
He spoke at a public meeting hosted by the bureau's Multi-Cultural
Advisory Committee, composed of members from local religious and cultural
groups. (MORE)
-----
BOOK REVIEW: AMERICAN MUSLIM WOMEN'S LIVES
EXPLORED -
TOP
Mary Welp, Courier-Journal, 4/8/06
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060408/FEATURES06/604080390/1010/FEATURES
Donna Gehrke-White, a reporter for The Miami Herald, has attempted to do
for Muslim women what Studs Terkel once did for American workers. When it
was published in the '70s, Terkel's Working was a revelation, a catalogue
of the worldview of citizens rarely heard from or represented in any
previously existing literature: washroom attendants, steelworkers,
gravediggers, piano tuners. While many of the interviews followed a
similar pattern, beginning with mundane workplace details, then gradually
moving on to the workers' philosophy of life, readers came to count on
the insight they knew Terkel would deliver -- his way of eliciting from
each worker something about his or her search for meaning in all of those
hours per week given over to the daily grind.
Like Terkel, Gehrke-White, a former Courier-Journal reporter, has divided
her book into sections: the New Traditionalists, the Blenders, the
Converts, the Persecuted and the Changers. She has sought to give voice
to the women themselves, letting them tell their own stories of belief
and practice.
Gehrke-White based her project on the idea that American Muslim women (or
Muslimah), the most diverse and best-educated group of Muslims in the
world, might lift the shroud of obscurity that covers their Middle
Eastern and European counterparts. She wanted to discover why, against so
many odds, American Muslim women don't give up their faith -- why and how
they find solace in Islam, sometimes even after escaping its more
extremist inceptions abroad. While many of the reasons are similar to
those given by women of other faiths (such as community, solidarity and
social outreach) and are therefore not surprising, others shed
much-needed light on a subject that, to much of the non-Muslim
population, remains a mystery. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
IL: FAITH IN POLITICS -
TOP
JANE HUH, State Journal-Register, 4/9/06
http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/83172.asp
Maryam Mostoufi, chaplain to the Islamic Community of Greater
Springfield, prayed for state legislators before they began legislative
business on a recent day in the Illinois Senate.
"We ask that you (God) open our hearts and minds that we may
rededicate our work in the Senate to you," she invoked. "That
we might see each act, each word, each effort as a form of worship to
you."
Mostoufi's prayer is not out of the ordinary. It has been Statehouse
tradition to invite spiritual leaders from throughout Illinois to open
each legislative chamber's session with a prayer. But the noteworthy
aspect about Mostoufi's invitation is that she was the first woman to
invoke a Muslim prayer in the Senate, which has no Muslim legislators.
There are no Muslim lawmakers in the House, either. (MORE)
-----
MD: MUSLIM GROUPS OFFER HEALTH FAIR -
TOP
Baltimore Sun, 4/9/06
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.colwest09apr09,0,4775231.story
The Howard County Muslim Foundation and the Islamic Society of Baltimore
will sponsor their third health fair, open to everyone, from 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. today at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way.
Screenings and counseling will be provided by physicians, social workers
and volunteers. Screenings will be free; a limited number of mammograms
and blood screenings will be available. Short seminars will focus on
topics such as healthy living, cancer prevention, smoking cessation,
stress management, heart disease and child health services.
Information:
www.hcmcmaryland.com
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/10/06
*
Hadith:
The
Quran is Proof for or Against You
-
CAIR-Philly
Co-Sponsors 'Muhammad' Event
*
CAIR-FL: Schizophrenic Man
Jailed as 'Terrorist'
*
CAIR-MI:
Protest Coalition
Heads to Capital (Free Press)
-
Immigrant Supporters
Rally in Detroit (AP)
*
CAIR-MI:
Trying Again for
Warren Mosque (Free Press)
*
CAIR-CAN:
Canadian Troops Must Not be Complicit in Torture
*
WA: Prison Term for
Cross Burning (Seattle Times)
*
MI: Female
Muslim Judge Takes the Bench (Arab American News)
-
MA:
First
Muslim Sorority Hopes to Form Chapters
*
CA: Convert Finds
Peace in Islam (Monterey Herald)
*
CA:
Prosecution Sees Setback at Terror Trial (NY Times)
*
Official:
U.S. Backing Somali
Militants (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE QURAN IS PROOF FOR OR AGAINST YOU -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The Quran is a proof
on your behalf or against you."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 97
To sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-PHILLY: VALLEY MUSLIMS OPEN DOORS TO UNDERSTANDING -
TOP
Group's annual event held early, to counter cartoon controversy.
Sam Kennedy, Morning Call, 4/9/06
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b1_5muslimapr09,0,1407362.story?coll=all-news-hed
The Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley had been planning to have its
annual open house later in the year. But it decided to move up the date,
to Saturday, because of the worldwide controversy ignited earlier this
year by the publication of cartoons depicting Islam's prophet, Muhammad.
. .
At Saturday's event, which was held at the association's mosque in
Whitehall Township, the focus was on Muhammad. Speakers quoted from the
prophet's teachings in the Quran and described his life and impact on the
world.
About 200 people attended. Roughly half were non-Muslims, including many
Christians from various churches throughout the region. . .
Saturday's event was co-sponsored by several Muslim groups in addition to
the Muslim association, including the Islamic Education Center of
Pennsylvania and Al Ahad Islamic Center, both of Allentown, the
Stroudsburg Islamic Center and the
Council of American Islamic
Relations in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia group is part of the
national council, which is organizing outreach events nationwide.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR-FL: DEFEAT OF PASSION -
TOP
Justin George, St. Petersburg Times, 4/10/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/09/Tampabay/He_ended_up_in_jail__.shtml
TAMPA - When he's not in a cell as wide as he is tall, Nabil Mouad uses
one of his two free hours a day playing the only sport available in jail,
basketball. All the while, he wishes he could play soccer, which was his
life, his dream, his goal.
"When I have a problem," he said, "I play soccer and I
feel free."
But soccer is also in part how Mouad, a 20-year-old Moroccan in the
United States illegally, ended up in an orange jail suit, pink plastic
slippers and constraining cuffs in a Falkenburg Road Jail interview room,
explaining how his passion for the sport, mixed with mental illness, led
to a bizarre clash with the University of South Florida soccer
coach.
Locked down 22 hours a day with no possessions besides a Koran and a
bedsheet to kneel on for prayer, Mouad has been isolated for his own
protection. In the minds of other inmates, his Muslim faith and the
report that he threatened to "blow up" the coach add up to
terrorist - about as popular as a child molester behind bars, jail Capt.
Tom Bliss said.
Mental health workers say Mouad's story is common: A man suffering from
schizophrenia has no family support, stops taking his pills and gets
entangled in the justice system. But what makes him different, they say,
is his racial and religious background in the post-9/11 world, where no
threat can afford to be taken lightly. His advocates wonder if jail is
really where he belongs.
"It's just sad that he would be treated as some sort of criminal
or terrorist," said Ahmed Bedier, director of the Tampa branch of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-MI:
PROTEST COALITION HEADS TO CAPITAL -
TOP
Rally pushes for immigrant rights
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 4/10/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/NEWS05/604100412/-1/BUSINESS07
On the eve of a national protest expected to be held today in Washington,
a diverse group of Michiganders gathered Sunday night in front of a
Detroit church to rally for immigrant rights.
Chanting "We are America," hundreds stood on the steps of Holy
Redeemer Catholic Church in southwest Detroit to protest legislation that
would criminalize many in their communities. They listened to Latino,
black, Arab-American, and Muslim leaders who voiced their support for
immigrant rights.
"We're trying to be together, to make it happen," said Cristino
Herrera, 29, a construction worker from Detroit at the rally. "We
are not criminals ... we're paying taxes and raising
families."
At the end of the protest, Herrera and about 100 other protesters boarded
two buses headed for Washington, where thousands are expected to take
part in a massive rally today at the nation's capital.
An anonymous flyer circulated at the rally, advocated that immigrants and
others stay away from work or school today as part of a nationwide
protest. None of the speakers at the rally, however, endorsed the call.
Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength (MOSES), a coalition
of faith-based groups in metro Detroit, organized the rally.
It was joined by a broad spectrum of groups: the Arab Community Center
for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), Latin Americans for Social and
Economic Development, the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, and
the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR).
SEE ALSO:
IMMIGRANT SUPPORTERS
RALLY IN DETROIT -
TOP
Michael J. Feeney, Associated Press, 4/10/2006
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/base/news-33/1144631053318150.xml&storylist=mibusiness
DETROIT - Immigrant rights advocates rallied a few blocks from the bridge
to Canada, voicing their opposition to efforts in Congress that would
make it a crime for an undocumented alien to be in the U.S.
It came on a nationwide day of protests against the legislative
proposal.
About 100 people gathered Sunday night outside Holy Redeemer Catholic
Church, where they heard from U.S. Rep Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick. The
rally included representatives of black, Hispanic, Arab and Muslim
advocacy groups.
The event also served as a send-off for two busloads of people heading
for a national immigration rights rally in Washington on Monday. .
.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Latin
Council for Latin American Advancement, Arab Community Center for
Economic and Social Services, and
Council on American-Islamic
Relations were among the groups represented at the rally.
-----
CAIR-MI: TRYING
AGAIN FOR WARREN MOSQUE -
TOP
Group to ask city panel tonight to approve its plan
Detroit Free Press, 4/10/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/NEWS04/604100402/1006
An Islamic organization is set to ask Warren officials again for a chance
to build the city's first mosque.
Steve Elturk, president of the Islamic Organization of North America,
said Wednesday that he plans to go before the Planning Commission tonight
to seek approval to build a mosque and the organization's headquarters on
Ryan Road, just south of 12 Mile. The commission voted 6-3 against the
proposal on March 16.
The commissioners who voted against the proposal said their concerns
included traffic, parking spaces and the possibility that the mosque
would broadcast calls to prayer that might disrupt the neighborhood.
Elturk said he had no intentions of using a loudspeaker to announce the
calls to prayer. He said the commission was discriminating against him
and the organization.
Elturk declined to comment further until after the meeting.
He previously said he was considering filing suit against the city on
grounds that the commission violated his civil rights. No suit has been
filed.
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations is aware of the situation. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CAN: PARLIAMENT MUST ENSURE CANADIAN TROOPS NOT COMPLICIT IN
TORTURE -
TOP
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 10/04/06) - The Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-CAN) today called on members of Parliament to ensure that
Canadian troops are not complicit in the torture of Afghani
prisoners.
The call came after the release today of two new reports by human rights
organizations and legal experts that Canadian soldiers could find
themselves charged with war crimes in the International Criminal Court
because of a government approved agreement on the handling of Afghani
detainees.
The agreement, made by Canadian General Rick Hillier last year, sees
Canadian soldiers giving their captives to local Afghan authorities.
Human rights organizations have condemned the inhumane treatment of
prisoners by Afghan officials.
"It is imperative that all members of Parliament examine this issue
when debating Canada's involved in the war in Afghanistan today,"
says Karl Nickner, CAIR-CAN's Executive Director. "Canada has a
responsibility under international law to ensure that Afghan detainees
captured by Canadian soldiers are not handed over to
torture."
International law requires Canada to ensure that detainees are not
subjected to inhumane treatment, whether they are given to Afghan
authorities or if they are transferred to third parties. Canadian
soldiers could be charged with war crimes if they knowingly hand
detainees over to possibility of torture.
At a community event this weekend, General Rick Hillier
"challenged" Canadian Muslims to join the Canadian Armed
Forces. Karl Nickner, CAIR-CAN's Executive Director, today challenged
General Hillier, "Canadian Muslims have no hesitation in ensuring
that Canada is safe and secure. But the real challenge for our country is
to both ensure that our troops do not engage in possible war crimes and
to instead participate in the real reconstruction and development of
Afghanistan."
For more information, call Halima Mautbur at 613-795-2012.
CAIR-CAN
Council on American-Islamic Relations CANADA
P.O. Box 13219, Ottawa, ONT, K2K 1X4
Tel: 1-866-524-0004
Fax: 613-254-9810
URL:
www.caircan.ca
-----
WA: PRISON TERM FOR CROSS
BURNING -
TOP
Seattle Times, 4/8/06
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002918530_dige08m.html
A 19-year-old Lynnwood man was sentenced to three months in prison, three
months of house arrest and three years of probation in U.S. District
Court Friday for lying to a federal grand jury about his involvement in a
July 2004 cross burning in Edmonds.
According to U.S. District Court documents, Joseph Lin pleaded guilty in
December to lying about his involvement in a cross-burning incident that
apparently began as an argument among friends. Authorities investigated
it as a hate crime because of the victims' Middle Eastern roots.
Prosecutors said Lin and Jayson Russell, 19, of Snohomish, were part of a
group of teens that burned a cross on the lawn of an Edmonds home, but
those two lied to a federal grand jury about their
participation.
Several of the other participants have pleaded guilty to civil-rights
charges and have been sentenced in state court. Russell is scheduled to
be sentenced June 2.
-----
MI: FIRST FEMALE
MUSLIM TAKES THE BENCH -
TOP
Arab American News, 4/10/06
http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=4910
DETROIT - As the first Arab American to sit on the 3rd Circuit Court of
Wayne County, Charlene Mekled Elder knows she plays an important role.
Not only does she carry the weight of serious decision making, but she
serves as a role model for Middle Eastern women around the
globe.
Appointed to the Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court by Michigan Governor
Jennifer Granholm, Elder embarks on a new phase in her career at the age
of 36 - marked by a balanced commitment to her profession, her family,
and her community. Also, she is the first Arab-American female judge in
this circuit to speak Arabic fluently.
Elder's press release says she is also the first female Muslim to hold a
judicial position in the country.
Judge Elder brings to the bench a solid legal background and a diverse
upbringing. Wayne County has the largest concentration of Arab Americans
outside the Middle East, roughly 350,000 and Michigan is home to
approximately 400,000 citizens of Muslim faith.
Known to many as a high achiever, Judge Elder never opted for the easy
road. At the prime age of 22, Elder set out to have a career, a marriage
and children. Today, she has all three as a judge, wife to the deputy CEO
of Wayne County, Azzam Elder, and mother of four children, Madina 12,
Nozmi 10, Yasmine 9, and Adam 7.
When off the bench, she coaches her youngest son's soccer team and
participates in the sporting events of her other three children. She
volunteers time for various notable civic organizations including but not
limited to the Dearborn Rotary Club, the Girl Scouts of America and the
Islamic Center of America.
"In an era where society struggles to raise good kids, and many have
to choose between careers and family, or raising a family or getting an
education, Judge Elder seems to have found a way to do it all," said
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano. . .
Governor Granholm believes in principled candidates who bring strength
and diversity to the bench. As the first female Governor of the State of
Michigan, Governor Granholm believes in actions to inspire and empower
woman all around the world. The appointment of Judge Elder was an easy
decision because of all the hard work and yes, it's also nice to make
history. . .
[Investiture of Judge Elder with Governor Jeniffer Granholm will be held
on April 12, 2006, at 4pm, at the Fordson High School auditorium in
Dearborn.]
SEE ALSO:
FIRST MUSLIM SORORITY HOPES TO FORM CHAPTERS ACROSS USA -
TOP
Donna Leinwand, USA Today, 4/9/06
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-04-09-muslim-sorority_x.htm
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Christine Ortiz slips quietly from the Muslim prayer
room on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and into
a group of squealing young women. Some of them are Ortiz's Muslim
sisters, the undergraduate pals who embraced her when she converted to
Islam from her family's Roman Catholicism.
Less than a year after she graduated from MIT, Ortiz, 23, has returned to
campus on a chilly night to help introduce them to a new concept in
Muslim sisterhood: the first Muslim-oriented sorority, Gamma Gamma
Chi.
The sorority, which was formed last year, has no campus chapters but is
trying to drum up interest with informational meetings across the nation.
It aims to be a sorority unlike almost all others by adhering to
principles of Islam: no alcohol and no casual mixing between men and
women.
Ortiz is a member of Alpha Phi, one of five traditional sororities at
MIT. She says she wants her Muslim girlfriends to have the sorority
experience without having to compromise their religious values. In
theory, the existing sororities' policies are in line with Muslim
beliefs, but in reality, she says, the sorority culture at MIT and other
campuses "unfortunately is based on men and alcohol."
Muslim women at MIT, the University of Kentucky, Rutgers, the University
of Maryland-Baltimore and the University of Southern California have
expressed interest in Gamma Gamma Chi, says founder and President Althia
Collins, who owns an educational consulting business in Alexandria,
Va.
Collins and her daughter Imani Abdul-Haqq, both Muslim converts, created
the sorority in 2005. (MORE)
-----
CA: CONVERT FINDS PEACE IN
ISLAM -
TOP
Haron Nichols looked into religion after Sept. 11
Andre Briscoe, Monterey Herald, 4/10/06
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/14307202.htm
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, Aaron Eugene Nichols, then 17,
did what many in the United States couldn't think of doing: He embraced
Islam.
"I wanted to know both sides of the story. I wasn't just going to
believe what I heard on TV," said Nichols, now 21, who has changed
his name to Haron, Arabic for Aaron.
"Everybody was saying how Islam and Muslims were terrorists, so I
wanted to find out for myself. I was taught to think for myself, not to
believe what others tell me. And I found out it was the complete
opposite," said the Monterey man.
Just as the events of Sept. 11 changed America, they also changed Haron
and many other Americans who have accepted Islam and become Muslims, said
a local imam.
Abdellah Khidar, who heads the Islamic Society of Monterey County's
mosque in Seaside, said that in the years since the attack he has seen a
greater interest by Americans in Islam.
"It's true, after 9/11 there was a big change," said Khidar, a
native of Morocco. "Before 9/11 there wasn't that much interest from
Americans about Islam. But since then I have been asked to give speeches
at universities, schools, even synagogues. Many who have wanted answers
to questions about Islam have converted. Not just Haron."
Khidar took over as imam at the Seaside mosque last year and has seen at
least 20 Americans of different ethnic backgrounds convert to Islam,
including one man who works at the Defense Language Institute.
"The most important thing is that Americans have opened up," he
said. "They are eager to learn the truth about Islam."
To Haron's friends and family, initially, the words Muslim or Islam were
considered synonymous with terrorism. Haron was brought up Christian,
though he never seriously practiced the faith. (MORE)
-----
PROSECUTION SEES SETBACK AT TERROR TRIAL IN CALIFORNIA -
TOP
Randal C. Archibold, New York Times, 4/10/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/10/us/nationalspecial3/10lodi.html
SACRAMENTO - The federal terrorism trial that has been going on here for
the past several weeks has not lacked for surprises. Its shockers have
included word of a sighting of one of the world's most sought-after
terror suspects in a town not far away and the last-minute discovery of a
surreptitiously recorded tape.
Unfortunately for the prosecution, which is trying a father and son --
the son on charges of attending a terrorist training camp in Pakistan and
lying about it, the father on charges of lying about the son's activities
-- the twists have come at its expense. (MORE)
-----
OFFICIAL: U.S.
BACKING SOMALI MILITANTS -
TOP
Chris Tomlinson, Associated Press, 4/10/06
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3782265.html
NAIROBI, Kenya - The United States is backing a new coalition of Somali
militants fighting Islamic extremists for control of the lawless nation's
capital, a U.S. official said, as both sides prepared for a battle that
could explode in widespread violence.
Clan leaders have put aside their traditional rivalries to take on the
extremists, whom they describe as terrorists. The extremists, though, say
they can offer unity and order after decades of chaos in
Somalia.
Residents say both sides have recently received an infusion of cash and
weapons as they face off for control of the country, which has had no
central government since warlords divided it into clan-based fiefdoms in
1991.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/11/06
*
Hadith: God is
Generous
*
CAIR-OH
to Moderate FBI Town Hall Mtg on Bridges TV
-
CAIR-Chicago
Hosts
Programs on Islam in America
-
CAIR:
Reward Offered For Tips on TX Attack
-
CAIR-CA:
Immigrants Demand Rights (Sac Bee)
*
NJ:
Mosque Officials Allege 'Profiling' During Bridge Stop
-
CA/TX:
Jury Awards
Profiled Passenger $27.5 Million
*
Hijab: It's Not Just
About Modesty (APP)
*
NJ:
Muslims Center
Their Attention on Vineland
-
MS: Muslim
Community Struggles to Survive
-
MI: Warren Board
Approves Mosque Plan (Free Press)
*
AIPAC Lobbyists'
Prosecutors Point to Spy Case (Wash Post)
*
EU:
Lexicon to Shun Term 'Islamic Terrorism' (Reuters)
*
Torture: 'People Were
Begging For Mercy' (Guardian)
*
DC:
Islamic Relief Discusses Impact of Drought in Africa
-
IN:
DePauw to Host Conference on Islam, Catholicism
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD
IS GENEROUS -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone
transgresses and receives punishment in this world, God is too just to
repeat the punishment of His servant in the next (life). And if anyone
transgresses and God conceals it and forgives him, He is too generous to
go back on a thing He has forgiven."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1023
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR-OH DIRECTOR TO MODERATE FBI TOWN HALL MEETING ON BRIDGES TV -
TOP
(COLUMBUS, OHIO 4/11/06) - CAIR-Ohio's Columbus Director Adnan Mirza will
host an upcoming FBI town hall meeting on Bridges TV. The meeting,
scheduled to air May 15 at 9 p.m. (EST), will create a forum for Muslims
to ask FBI Chief Legal Counsel Paul Moskal to address areas of concern to
them and their communities. This will be televised nationally on Bridges
TV and it is open to the public.
"Our goal is to foster a better relationship between the American
Muslim community and law enforcement authorities through communication
and understanding," said Mirza.
To participate in the event, submit questions via e-mail to:
http://www.bridgestv.com/AskFBI.asp by Thursday, April 13,
2006.
CONTACT: Adnan Mirza, 614-451-3232, E-Mail:
director@cair-ohio.com, or
Muzzammil S. Hassan, 716-662-5321, E-Mail:
mohassan@bridgestv.com
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO HOSTS 6-WEEK SERIES ON ISLAM IN AMERICA -
TOP
(CHICAGO, IL, 4/11/2006) - The Chicago chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), along with Elderhostel, will
host a lecture series titled, "Building Bridges to
Islam."
The all-day program will be held every Wednesday from April 5 to May 10,
2006.
Participants are treated to two interactive lectures on Islam and
Muslims, a Q&A town hall session, a tour of the mosque, a Muslim
prayer service, and a Middle-Eastern dinner.
CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago's Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab, 847-971-3963,
E-Mail:
communications@cairchicago.org or 312-212-1520
-----
CAIR: REWARD OFFERED FOR TIPS ON ATTACK OF MUSLIM STUDENT -
TOP
Meredith Amos, Lariat, 4/11/06
http://www.baylor.edu/Lariat/news.php?action=story&story=40136
The Council on American Islamic Relations is offering a $5,000 reward for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of the alleged attacker
of Muslim student Nohayia Javed, the group announced Friday.
Javed said she was walking to her dorm when a man assaulted her April 1,
throwing her to the ground and kicking her while making anti-Muslim
slurs.
San Antonio-based FBI agent Rene Salinas said he could not discuss any
developments in the case Monday, but he said the investigation was
ongoing.
"We're glad there is a reward being offered and hope it will
encourage witnesses to come forward," he said. (MORE)
---
CAIR-SV: IMMIGRANTS AROUND NATION OPPOSE BILL, DEMAND RIGHTS -
TOP
Erika Chavez and Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento Bee, 4/11/06
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14241673p-15061112c.html
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in more than 120
cities across the country Monday, in what was billed as a National Day of
Action for Immigrant Justice.
From Pensacola, Fla., to Sacramento, in Arizona as well as Atlanta,
peaceful protesters chanted, marched and waved signs demanding rights for
immigrants, legal or not.
The protests were the latest chapter in a burgeoning backlash against
proposed immigration law changes. . .
The march from Southside Park to the state Capitol also included about
30 members of local Muslim groups, said Basim Elkarra, executive director
of the Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations. He said members of his group as well as the UC Davis
Muslim Students Association wanted to show they share the Latino
community's concern about immigration proposals.
"This is an issue that affects everyone - Latinos, Muslims,
Asians," Elkarra said. "Part of the debate has been very
racist. ... The same folks that are attacking our community are attacking
the immigrants and Latino communities. We're concerned about the
direction of the debate." (MORE)
-----
NJ: MOSQUE OFFICIALS CRITICIZE THEIR DETENTION IN BRIDGE STOP -
TOP
Elizabeth Llorente, The Record, 4/11/06
http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2OTE1NjI3JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==
Top officials of the Darul Islah mosque in Teaneck allege that Triborough
Bridge police unjustly detained them Sunday morning after stopping the
driver for reportedly speeding.
They say the police overreacted - dispatching five patrol cars and lining
the driver, Syed Haszari, and his five passengers along the side of the
road in handcuffs, before releasing them about an hour later without
explanation. They charge that it happened because they are Muslims. .
.
"They saw six men with beards in a car, early in the morning, three
of them had prayer caps, and they thought, 'There go Osama bin Laden's
people,'" said Waheed Khalid, a mosque spokesman who was not
involved in the incident. "This is clearly a matter of profiling;
the speeding charge is just something they cooked up, I believe.
"We want to know why his name was flagged in the computer,"
Khalid said. "This has happened to Muslims and Arabs, their names
are put on 'watch lists.' And then they are treated like criminals, in
this case, during a routine traffic stop. It is
inexcusable."
Sweeney declined to talk further about the incident or comment about the
men's accounts. . .
The men said they were handcuffed and taken to a TBTA station at
Manhattan Plaza, one of two service buildings near the bridge. Haszari's
van was removed from the bridge by a TBTA tow truck, they said. They said
they saw police search it before it was towed away, but police would not
comment on that accusation.
"That is a clear violation," Khalid said. "They just can't
search a vehicle like that, not after a routine speeding
stop."
The men said they spent about a half hour at the station as Haszari
answered a series of questions about his immigration status, employment
and other personal information.
"I am a neurosurgeon. I pay my taxes. I have never even gotten as
much as a speeding ticket in my life," said Mohammad F. Padela, the
mosque president. "I was disgusted and angry. There we were,
handcuffed and made to stand on this highway, and people passed by and
stared at us like we were criminals. Even some members of our mosque who
were driving by there at the time saw us in handcuffs and called our
imam." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
TX: JURY
AWARDS SOUTHWEST PASSENGER $27.5 MILLION
-
TOP
Tammy Fonce-Olivas, El Paso Times, 4/11/06
http://www.elpasotimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060411/NEWS/604110351/1001
A California woman of Iranian descent arrested in El Paso three years ago
after Southwest Airlines employees accused her of assaulting a flight
attendant and interfering with a flight should receive $27.5 million in
damages for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution, an El Paso jury
decided.
El Paso lawyer Enrique Moreno said the verdict showed that jurors agreed
that his client, Samantha Carrington, was wrongfully arrested on Oct. 7,
2003, when a flight to Houston from Los Angeles made a scheduled stop in
El Paso.
"In the evidence it came out that one of the flight attendants
stated that Ms. Carrington reminded her of a terrorist, and in our views
she was the victim of profiling stereotypes and discrimination,"
Moreno said.
The verdict was issued late Friday in County Court-at-Law No. 5.
The airline plans to appeal the verdict, Beth Harbin, a Southwest
spokeswoman in Dallas, said Monday.
"We certainly don't agree with this particular verdict. The verdict
was not based on all the available facts because those facts were not
presented to the jury for their consideration. We will appeal,"
Harbin said.
According to court documents, the jury found the airline caused
Carrington to be maliciously prosecuted and falsely imprisoned. The jury
also found that Carrington's conduct did not contribute to her arrest and
prosecution.
Moreno said the verdict sends a national message about racial
profiling.
"I think all of us are concerned about security, but I think the
lesson -- and I think it's a national lesson -- is you can't have
uncontrolled power that affects individual rights. ... they (jurors) were
not going to let a company simply under the guise of security fly and
trample on a person's rights," Moreno said. (MORE)
-----
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MODESTY -
TOP
The hijab enhances the beauty of character, say Muslim women
Deborah Lynn Blumberg, Asbury Park Press, 4/9/06
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060409/NEWS03/604090507/1007/NEWS02
Many non-Muslims interpret the headscarves Islamic women wear as a symbol
of oppression. But for Itidal Hashif, 17, and other local Muslim youth,
covering their heads is a show of faith that can enhance character over
physical beauty.
"It's a huge responsibility," said Hashif, a student at South
Brunswick's Noor-Ul-Iman school. "It's about behavior and modesty.
You're basically representing the religion and everything it
embodies."
Most conservative Muslim-American girls wear a headscarf full-time once
they reach puberty. In Arabic, the word "hijab" means covering
or barrier and describes the concept of modest dress and behavior written
about in the Quran and Hadith, sayings and practices of the prophet
Muhammed. In Western countries, the word "hijab" has become
synonymous with "headscarf."
With scarves that vary in design, shape and size, and with multiple ways
of securing them with decorative pins and creative layering and wrapping
techniques, hijab is a religious commitment, but it's also an accessory,
the girls said.
"You have to match the headscarf with everything you're
wearing," said Hashif, who added that scarves become part of a
woman's outfit. "Wearing hijab becomes like putting on your
shoes," Hashif said. "It feels so normal."
Kholoud Shaheen, 18, a classmate of Hashif's, has worn a headscarf for
the last six years. At her Princeton home, Shaheen, whose family is from
Egypt, sifts through drawers stuffed with white, black and blue cotton
head coverings.
Most days, Shaheen wears white, her favorite hijab color, but on Fridays
she'll wear a headscarf with a more intricate design for afternoon
prayer. Every Muslim woman has her own preferred style, Shaheen
said.
Most Muslim-American schools require girls from around grade four on to
wear hijab. This year, administrators at Noor-Ul-Iman held the first-ever
hijab party for fourth-grade girls at the start of the school year to
celebrate the pupils' coming of age.
Women who wear a headscarf full-time remove it only at home, where male
relatives are allowed to see them without the covering. They also go
without it at all-female gatherings. (MORE)
-----
N.J.
MUSLIMS CENTER THEIR ATTENTION ON VINELAND -
TOP
Saba Ali, Press of Atlantic City, 4/10/06
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/cumberland/story/6118242p-6117052c.html
BRIDGETON - Each weekday morning Ghada Salah leaves her home in Bridgeton
before 7 a.m. With her two teenage children and four others from
neighboring families in tow, she makes the one-hour commute so that they
can all attend the Islamic school in Philadelphia, where she also
teaches.
Muslims living in Cumberland County have always had to travel far to find
services that follow their religious requirements.
They travel to Philadelphia for schools and events, to Cherry Hill for
meat that is butchered in a particular way and to Atlantic City to eat at
restaurants or shop at businesses that sell Muslim fashions.
However, that could all change in the coming years as the Bridgeton
Islamic Center plans on building a multimillion dollar center and school
building in Vineland.
The school, which will accommodate grades six through 12, will fill the
gap that has left Muslims in southern New Jersey having to choose between
public schools and attending school in another state.
For Ghada Salah and other families in and around Bridgeton, the extra 100
miles on their cars are worth it for her children to learn in an
environment that shares the values they are taught at home.
"It benefits them, to be around other children like themselves. They
don't feel alone, especially when we are almost the only Muslim family
out here," she said.
Dr. Hassan Salah and his brethren hope that a center such as the one they
plan to bring will attract more Muslim families to the area.
"It's a rural area, you don't expect people to come. But when you
establish a mosque and a school it attracts families, businesses,
employment opportunities to bring in families," said Dr. Salah, a
local pediatrician and who leads prayers at the Bridgeton
center.
The national Mosque Study Project shows that 37 percent of mosques
(Islamic centers) were located in rural or suburban areas outside
cities.
The study was conducted in 2000 and is part of a larger study on American
congregations coordinated by Hartford Institute of Religious
Research.
The Association of Religious Data Archives shows that the Muslim
population in New Jersey was at 120,724 in 2000, which is the fifth
largest among the states. The survey is taken every ten years. The U.S.
Census is prohibited by law to ask about a person religious affiliation.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM COMMUNITY
STRUGGLES TO SURVIVE -
TOP
Nikki Davis Maute, Hattiesburg American, 4/10/06
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/NEWS01/604100323/1002
COLUMBIA - Nearly five years after the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, a small
Islamic community located some 25 miles west of Hattiesburg struggles to
maintain its ground.
A drop in enrollment at the New Medinah community's Islamic school, the
delay in developing an industrial park and no new families moving to the
Marion County community has stretched the group's resources.
"We are trying to hold our own here," said Alvin Shareef, imam
and principal of the New Medinah School System. "Since 9-11 it's
been very difficult. Any time there's a crime committed by a Muslim,
there seems to be an attitude among some people that all Muslims are
guilty. If a Christian commits a crime, all Christians are not equally
condemned."
After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in
2001, New Medinah residents did not face the same suspicions and backlash
that many other Muslims across the United States encountered.
"People knew us as neighbors and business associates before they
knew us as Muslims," Shareef said. "So when this attack
happened, we were spared that."
At New Medinah there are no new faces, but the same 12 families continue
to live and work the land.
Still, Shareef sees a renewal ahead, pegged to the 20th anniversary of
the self-sufficient community, which is about halfway between Columbia
and Sumrall.
A three-day retreat in late May is expected to draw upwards of 200 people
- both Muslims and non-Muslims alike - locally and nationally.
(MORE)
---
WARREN BOARD APPROVES
MOSQUE PLAN -
TOP
Dan Cortez, Detroit Free Press, 4/11/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060411/NEWS04/604110408/1006
The Warren Planning Commission voted 5-3 Monday night to approve the
Islamic Organization of North America's plan to build the first mosque in
the city.
The vote came minutes after an initial 4-4 vote that would have led to an
automatic tabling for two weeks until the next commission meeting. The
matter is being monitored by the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure the
civil rights of the organization and its president, Steve Elturk, are not
violated.
Nearly two hours of discussion from residents and commission members
preceded the votes. One resident wanted a guarantee from the organization
that it wouldn't have ties to terrorists.
The Islamic Organization of North America bought the building in August,
and received a variance on Jan. 25 from the city's Zoning Board of
Appeals to open the center in a commercially zoned area. That variance
also said the center could not place a loudspeaker on the building to
broadcast the five daily calls to prayer.
Despite the written agreement, at the March 13 planning commission
meeting, several residents and commissioners cited the external
loudspeaker, parking and traffic concerns. It rejected the proposal, 6-3.
Elturk addressed some of the concerns and presented his plans to the
board again.
City spokesman Joe Munem said Monday that the Justice Department sent a
letter to the city, informing it that the situation was being monitored.
Elturk said two members of the department called him after his first
proposal was rejected.
Commission members voting against the mosque said there was no
discrimination, but that they were worried about traffic issues. The site
is on Ryan, just south of 12 Mile.
-----
LOBBYISTS'
PROSECUTORS POINTING TO SPY CASE -
TOP
Walter Pincus, Washington Post, 4/11/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/10/AR2006041001423_pf.html
Federal prosecutors have reached back 60 years to a case involving a
convicted Soviet spy as a precedent for indicting two former lobbyists
for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) under the 1917
Espionage Act for receiving and transmitting national defense
information.
The spy, Mikhail Gorin, a Soviet citizen, came to the United States in
1936 as an employee of Intourist, the Moscow-run tourist agency, whose
salary was paid by the Russian government, according to court documents
in the early-1940s case. In the indictment and in the decision of the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, Gorin was referred to as
"the agent of a foreign nation."
After being convicted and losing his appeal in the Supreme Court, Gorin
was sent back to the Soviet Union rather than having to serve his
six-year sentence in a U.S. jail.
The Gorin case was cited in an unusual Justice Department filing last
week in the case of Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman, former lobbyists
for AIPAC who were indicted last August for receiving classified
information in conversations with U.S. government officials and passing
it on to journalists and Israeli Embassy officials.
The filing was ordered by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who wanted
the government to deal with constitutional issues raised by the defense
in arguments on March 24 to dismiss the charges.
Ellis said that although the espionage statute had been around for almost
90 years, there were few precedents he could follow and that Rosen and
Weissman were the first non-government employees to be indicted for
receiving and transmitting national defense information orally.
The case has drawn attention from First Amendment lawyers because the
judge, the prosecutors and the defense attorneys have all noted that the
two lobbyists, in receiving and disseminating classified information, are
doing what journalists, academics and experts at think tanks do every
day. (MORE)
-----
EU
LEXICON TO SHUN TERM "ISLAMIC TERRORISM" -
TOP
Mark Trevelyan, Reuters, 4/11/06
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-04-11T090341Z_01_L22771047_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-EU-LANGUAGE.xml
BERLIN - The European Union, tiptoeing through a minefield of religious
and cultural sensitivities, is discreetly reviewing the language it uses
to describe terrorists who claim to act in the name of Islam.
EU officials are working on what they call a "lexicon" for
public communication on terrorism and Islam, designed to make clear that
there is nothing in the religion to justify outrages like the September
11 attacks or the bombings of Madrid and London.
The lexicon would set down guidelines for EU officials and
politicians.
"Certainly 'Islamic terrorism' is something we will not use ... we
talk about 'terrorists who abusively invoke Islam'," an EU official
told Reuters.
Other terms being considered by the review include "Islamist",
"fundamentalist" and "jihad". The latter, for
example, is often used by al Qaeda and some other groups to mean warfare
against infidels, but for most Muslims indicates a spiritual
struggle.
"Jihad means something for you and me, it means something else for a
Muslim. Jihad is a perfectly positive concept of trying to fight evil
within yourself," said the official, speaking anonymously because
the review is an internal one that is not expected to be made
public.
-----
'PEOPLE WERE BEGGING FOR
MERCY' -
TOP
Owen Bowcott, Guardian, 4/11/06
http://www.guardian.co.uk/egypt/story/0,,1751289,00.html
To stave off madness, Maajid Nawaz organised daily races between two
pebbles flicked haphazardly across the floor of his solitary confinement
cell. By night, he studied the stars through a skylight in the roof of
his Egyptian prison. He had no lights, no toilet and no sheets. For
months he talked to himself; his only other constant companions were
cockroaches.
Under interrogation, along with two other Britons, he was forced to
listen to the screams of inmates as they were tortured. One colleague,
Reza Pankhurst, had electric shocks administered to him. Another, Ian
Nisbet, was beaten. All were forced to sign confessions that they say
were fictitious.
Their introduction to the Egyptian penal system started with a jarring
awakening in the early hours of April Fool's Day 2002, as state security
officers bearing machine guns burst into their homes to arrest them. Four
weeks ago, they were released. They have returned to Britain with a
unique insight into the relationship between the United Kingdom and one
of its closest allies in the Middle East. (MORE)
-----
WWC HOSTS DISCUSSION ON THE HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF DROUGHT IN AFRICA
-
TOP
WHAT: The Woodrow Wilson Center (WWC) holds a discussion with Hany Gawad
El Banna, president and co-founder of Islamic Relief Worldwide, on
"The Humanitarian Impact of Drought in the Horn of
Africa."
WHEN: April 13, 2006
WHERE: WWC, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: 202-691-4000;
http://wilsoncenter.org
SEE ALSO:
DEPAUW TO HOST TWO-DAY SYMPOSIUM: 'ROMAN CATHOLICISM AND ISLAM AS
TRANSCIVILIZATIONAL POLITICAL PHENOMENA' -
TOP
http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=17379
Greencastle, Ind. - DePauw University will hosting a symposium,
"Roman Catholicism and Islam as Transcivilizational Political
Phenomena," on April 24-25, 2006. The event will feature scholars
from Rutgers, Georgetown and Pepperdine Universities, the University of
Nevada- Las Vegas and members of the DePauw faculty. The sessions all
take place in the Emerson Room of the Walden Inn Conference Center and
are free and open to the public.
Sponsored by the Lee G. Hall Distinguished Visiting Professorship in
Political Science, the symposium will bring together several of the
nation's leading experts on religious politics in the contemporary world.
"These scholars will compare and contrast the political roles of
Islam and Catholicism: two monotheistic religious traditions with strong
missionary histories, which promote values and beliefs held to be
universal," states Ted G. Jelen, Lee G. Hall Distinguished Visiting
Professor of Political Science at DePauw University. "Adherents of
both traditions are politically consequential actors in diverse national
and regional settings throughout the world."
Professor Jelen (seen at right) adds, "This symposium will compare
and contrast the political role of each tradition in different national,
regional and global political contexts, and will pose the question of the
comparability of political impact of Islam and Catholicism. The symposium
participants will consider whether, and to what extent, the
Catholicism/Islam comparison can provide material for more general
theories of sacred politics."
For further information, contact Professor Jelen by sending an e-mail
here or call (765) 658-4754.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/12/06
*
Invite Friends
and Family to Join CAIR-NET
*
Hadith:
The Day of
Resurrection
-
Muslim
View on Resurrection (Times-Dispatch)
*
CAIR-LA: 'We
Should Counter Hatred with Tolerance'
-
CAIR:
Muslims Reflect on
Teachings of Muhammad
*
CAIR Jobs:
Civil Rights Dir/Chapter Dir/Dir of Development
*
CAIR-CA
Calls on DOJ to Protect Rights of Muslim Teen
-
Protestors Support
Arrested Muslim Teen
*
CAIR-Ohio
Presents 'Islam 101' to High School Students
-
CAIR-MI: Mosque
Proposal Exposes Fears (Free Press)
*
MA: A Teen Hijabi
Comes of Age (CS Monitor)
*
NY: Kosher Meets Halal
(Newsday)
-----
INVITE FRIENDS
AND FAMILY TO JOIN CAIR-NET -
TOP
If any of your friends or family do not already receive the important
information contained in the daily CAIR-NET messages, invite them to join
the list by entering their e-mail address at:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
They will be added to CAIR-NET only after they reply to the
invitation.
-----
HADITH OF THE
DAY: THE DAY OF RESURRECTION -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Those of you who
will be dearest to me and nearest to me on the Day of Resurrection will
be those with the best characters."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1235
VERSE OF THE DAY: GOD WILL BRING ALL THINGS TO ACCOUNT
"On Resurrection Day, We shall set up scales of justice so that no
one will be dealt with unjustly in any way; even if someone has an act
(of good or evil) as small as a grain of a mustard seed, We will bring it
to account, and sufficient are We to settle accounts."
The Holy Quran, 21:47
SEE ALSO:
CHRISTIANS, MUSLIM, RABBI GIVE VIEWS ON RESURRECTION -
TOP
ALBERTA LINDSEY, TIMES-DISPATCH, 4/12/06
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835309873&path=!news&s=1045855934842
Muslims also believe in the resurrection of the physical body.
"It's very much a part of our basic beliefs," said Malik Khan,
outreach chairman of the Islamic Center of Virginia in Chesterfield
County. "People will be raised in human form and will come back to
life . . . They will come back as a group on a particular day, which
isn't known to us."
-----
CAIR-LA: STUDENTS
AT ODDS OVER CARTOONS -
TOP
The Muslim Student Union dispels "misinformation" about Islam
at its event.
Kaelyn Forde Eckenrode, Daily Trojan, 4/12/06
http://www.dailytrojan.com/news/2006/04/12/News/Students.At.Odds.Over.Cartoons-1845587.shtml
The USC Objectivist Club and the Muslim Student Union hosted separate
events Tuesday to discuss different sides of the debate about free speech
and the Muhammad cartoons printed in a Dutch newspaper. The MSU hosted
its event in response to the event held by the Objectivist Club.
The Muslim Student Union countered the USC Objectivist Club's unveiling
the now infamous cartoons of the prophet Muhammad by hosting a panel
speaker event in Taper Hall Tuesday night titled "Islam and the
Cartoons: The Responsibilities of Free Speech."
In addition to countering the "Unveiling the Cartoons: A
Discussion of Free Speech and World Response" event, MSU also sought
to "proactively educate the community about Islam and who Muhammad
is," said Hussam Ayloush, Director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, who spoke at the MSU event.
The event discussed the social, political and religious implications
of the cartoons.
The Objectivist Club's unveiling, said MSU president Zainah Alfi, was
"without positive effect on the community."
The MSU event emphasized the importance of "evolved free speech -
which is responsible free speech," said Sireen Sawaf, the Hate
Crimes Prevention Coordinator for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, who
also spoke at the event.
"We just wanted to have an open forum, and not be
anti-anybody," Alfi said. "We welcomed questions and comments
from the audience, and want to get as many perspectives as possible on
this issue."
MSU emphasized that it was not protesting the Objectivist Club's right to
hold its event, but rather protesting the misinformation about Muslims
that the event promoted. . .
Ayloush said it was part of the Islamic faith to peacefully correct
injustice and educate others.
"We as Muslims believe that we should counter hatred with tolerance,
and ignorance with education," he said. "And that's what we are
doing here tonight."
SEE ALSO:
MUHAMMAD'S BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATED -
TOP
Muslims plan to reflect on his life and teachings
Kim Mulford, Courier-Post, 4/11/06
http://www.courierpostonline.com/
David Rollins was 24 years old when he started studying Islam. The Camden
man had been raised as a Baptist but the teachings of Prophet Muhammad
resonated with him.
"As I learned more about the way of life of Islam, it called to me,
I guess," said Rollins, now 35. "I believe that 90 percent of
religion is faith, and that's where my faith took me."
Today, millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating the birth of
Prophet Muhammad by reflecting on his life and his teachings.
Called Mawlid al-Nabi, or the birthday of the Prophet, the date is not
universally observed by Muslims because it is not in the Quran.
Rollins said his mosque, the Qibla Islamic Center in Camden, does not
observe Muhammad's birthday. The married father of a 5-year-old daughter
said he looks up to the prophet as a model for his life.
"This was an illiterate man who didn't read or write, who was able
to translate to his companions the revelations of our Creator that were
sent to him by the angel," said Rollins. "He couldn't have made
these things up."
Muhammad is revered by Muslims as the final messenger sent by God, said
Zia Rahman of Voorhees. He also "walked the Quran," Rahman
said.
"In him, you find the best model for you," said
Rahman.
Muhammad was humble and modest, Rollins said. Muhammad was also merciful,
said Rahman, managing director of the Muslim American Community
Association of Voorhees. . .
The negative publicity received by Islam since 9/11 caused Rollins to
strengthen his faith.
"It just allows me to mentally try to do better for myself and try
to set a good example for my people," he said.
ON THE WEB
The Council on American-Islamic Relations lists more information about
the Prophet Muhammad on its Web site, and offers a free book or DVD to
anyone who requests one. Visit
www.cair.com/Muhammad
For more information on the Islamic Society of North America, visit
www.isna.net
KEY POINTS
Mawlid al-Nabi (or Birthday of the Prophet) is observed by many Muslims
around the world but it is not universal. There is no mention of
Muhammad's birthday in the Quran, so some Muslims do not mark the day in
any special way.
For those who do observe it, celebrations include poetry and songs
written in Muhammad's honor and reflections on his life and his
message.
Like other Muslim holidays, the date changes from year to year because of
the differences between the Western and Islamic calendars.
-----
CAIR JOBS: CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTOR/CHAPTER DIRECTOR/DIRECTOR OF
DEVELOPMENT -
TOP
http://cair.com/jobs/
-----
CAIR-CA CALLS ON JUSTICE DEPT. TO PROTECT RIGHTS OF MUSLIM TEEN -
TOP
(DAVIS, CA, 4/12/2006) - The Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on
Islamic-Relations (CAIR-SV) today called on the Department of Justice to
protect the civil rights of Halema Buzayan, a Muslim teenager arrested
following an alleged "fender bender" that media reports now
indicate may never have occurred.
According to an ABC 7 News investigative report: "A Muslim family
from the town of Davis appeared in court for the eighth time Monday in a
minor fender bender. The case raises questions of racial discrimination
and whether Yolo County prosecutors are wasting tax dollars by pursuing
the matter so vigorously.
"All this comes on a day when the I-Team's obtained a report from a
defense expert that says the 16-year-old girl should never have been
arrested in the first place and that the accident never even
happened."
SEE:
Did Fender Bender Ever Really Happen?
"The fact that county officials have taken such extreme measures
in a minor traffic case creates the impression that there is something
motivating them other than the pursuit of justice," said CAIR-SV
Executive Director Basim Elkarra.
Elkarra called on American Muslims and other people of conscience to
donate to the family's legal defense fund.
How you can help: Support Halema's Legal Defense Fund
Make checks Payable to: "Halema Buzayan Defense and Litigation
Fund"
Mail to: Gonzalez and Leigh LLP, Two Shaw Alley, 3rd Floor, San
Francisco, CA 94105
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CA Asks County to Drop Charges Against Muslim Teen
CONTACT: Basim Elkarra, 916-441-6269, or E-Mail:
sacval@cair.com
SEE ALSO:
PROTESTORS SUPPORT
ARRESTED MUSLIM TEEN -
TOP
Dan Noyes, ABC7, 4/12/06
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=4078118
Apr. 12 - KGO - Protesters came out in force at the Davis City Council
meeting Tuesday night. They're outraged by the arrest of a Muslim
teenager over a minor fender bender. The girl's family is accusing the
Davis police of racial discrimination. The ABC7 I-Team first broke this
story last month.
The Davis city council got an earful over the arrest of a Muslim teenager
in a minor fender bender.
Mansur Zahir, UC Davis student: "When I'm out late at night, I think
about how afraid I am of the police, not how afraid I am of my fellow
citizens."
Davis police officer Pheng Ly arrested Halema Buzayan for misdemeanor hit
and run, even though her mother insisted she was driving in a parking lot
last June.
Najat Buzayan, mother: "Yes, I was driving -- not Halema. Halema was
with me in the car."
Witnesses reported seeing the family SUV moving near a sedan that had
been damaged. No one in the SUV recalled a collision, but the Buzayans
cut a check for $870 for repairs to settle the issue.
Three days later, Officer Ly came to the family's home at 9:30 p.m. on a
school night and arrested Halema in her pajamas, charging her with
misdemeanor hit-and-run.
Steven Baissa, UC Davis Cross Cultural Center: "It's truly a sad
testament to a city that we allow a 16-year-old to suffer like
this."
More than a hundred people crowded into the city council meeting to
express their outrage.
Jann Murray-Garcia, Davis resident: "The city council and the Davis
police should have apologized to this young woman and her family a long
time ago. They should apologize today." (MORE)
-----
CAIR-OHIO PRESENTS 'ISLAM 101' TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS -
TOP
(SOUTH BLOOMINGVILLE, OH, 4/12/06) - The Columbus office of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OH) recently presented an "Islam
101" workshop to local high school students as part of a Global
Issues Retreat presented by the Columbus Council on World
Affairs.
The Global Issues Retreat is a weekend camp that offers an opportunity
for international exchange students and local youth to discover each
others' values and beliefs in a peaceful atmosphere. The retreat includes
cultural demonstrations and presentations as well as educational
discussions.
"These students have such a passion for tackling global issues and
we are grateful for the opportunity to provide them with some insight
into Islam so they are better able to counter misconceptions," said
CAIR-Ohio Director Adnan Mirza. "Many students told us they had no
idea there were so many similarities between their beliefs and those of
Muslims."
CAIR-Ohio is based in Columbus, with offices in Cincinnati and
Cleveland.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Adnan Mirza, 614-451-3232, E-Mail:
director@cair-ohio.com
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI: MOSQUE
EXPOSES FEARS IN WARREN -
TOP
Plans OK'd over residents' worries
DAN CORTEZ, FREE PRESS, 4/12/05
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/NEWS04/604120407/1006
The plans for Warren's first mosque were approved, but a series of
ill-informed, fear-tinged and derogatory comments from residents and city
planning commissioners Monday night still echoed a day later.
"It's reminiscent of the Jim Crow South of the 1950s and
1960s," said Dawud Walid, executive director for the Michigan
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations who attended the
meeting Monday night.
"There were blatant Islam-ophobic comments made by two members on
this board," he said, adding that he is happy the plan was approved.
"But we're also very discouraged by some of the comments from both
the residents and the commissioners."
During the two-hour session, one Warren resident was loudly applauded for
demanding that the developer prove the Islamic Organization of North
America won't have ties to terrorists. Planning commissioner Maurice
Daniels asked if sacrifices would be made. The planning commission
rejected the plan a month ago, and nearly tabled it Monday before giving
it the OK. Steve Elturk, the 50-year-old Troy man who proposed the
project, did not return messages Tuesday to comment about the meeting,
but he is going ahead with the project.
Crews already have started renovating the old office and retail building
on Ryan Road just south of 12 Mile, and Walid said Elturk plans to host
an open house at the new mosque in order to promote a better
understanding of Islam.
"What I saw were not only anti-Islamic sentiment, but anti-minority
sentiment," Walid said. "We are hopeful that there are no types
of retaliatory actions taken against the mosque. One positive is that
there are people in the academic and religious communities in Warren that
spoke out in favor of the mosque."
Walid said he wants to hold symposiums on race relations in Macomb County
in response to Monday's raucous meeting. (MORE)
-----
MA: A TEEN HIJABI COMES OF
AGE -
TOP
Cynthia Anderson, Christian Science Monitor, 4/12/06
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0412/p20s01-lire.html
As a senior at Sharon High School, just south of Boston, Sarah is both
different from her non-Muslim classmates and very much the same. To be
sure, the hijab sets her apart, and she intends it to: "It's not
just a piece of clothing. It's a lifestyle and a statement about who I
am." Accordingly, she doesn't drink alcohol or smoke. She doesn't
date, although boys don't go unnoticed (no names, no details). And five
times a day she stops whatever she is doing to pray.
She's one of a growing number of Muslim American teens who wear hijabs -
a choice that says much in the post-9/11 era of lingering suspicion
toward Islam. Yet, many of Sarah's concerns are those of any teenager.
Her senior year is full of familiar markers: SATs and college
applications and a certain giddiness as the acceptances accumulate. She's
still waiting to hear from her top choice, Boston University.
(MORE)
-----
NY: KOSHER MEETS HALAL -
TOP
CAREY KING, Newsday, 4/12/06
http://www.newsday.com/
While Jews have kosher laws that regulate which foods are acceptable to
eat, Muslims follow religious standards that indicate which foods are
halal, a word that means "permitted." Both religions prohibit
pork and are concerned with the slaughter of animals, a process that in
both cases includes a blessing over the animal and the complete draining
of blood.
There are differences - kosher bans mixing meat and milk products, while
halal forbids alcohol - but some Muslims follow a tradition from the
Koran that says eating meat killed by the "people of the book,"
a term including Jews, is acceptable.
That custom has been important - a sort of backup plan - in a country
where halal meat for many years hasn't been widely available. Ubaid can
remember when she was a little girl and her father, a doctor newly here
from India, was forced to slaughter the animal himself. Unable to find
halal meats near their home in Queens, he would, every couple of months,
drive the family to a farm in New Jersey to buy and kill a lamb or goat
and chickens.
"We used to make a family trip of it," recalled Ubaid. "My
dad used to do it, and then my mom would clean it. We had one of those
big freezers, a deep freezer. We would help her pack it up. It took the
whole day."
Those trips stopped about three decades ago, once halal food stores
started springing up in the area, including Halal Spice & Curry in
East Meadow, Kashmiri Bazaar in Hicksville and Desi Bazaar in Huntington.
Eating halal, however, still requires double shopping - heading to
mainstream groceries for some items, then to the halal specialty stores
for meats and products that could include meat- derived ingredients, such
as gelatin (made from meat and bones), and certain food additives.
Observant Muslims, unlike Jews, also have to be on the lookout for
products that contain ingredients derived from alcohol, often used as a
carrier for flavors.
"Kosher helps, but it's not always perfect," said Habib Ghanim,
president of the Halal Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. "You
have to check the ingredients."
While America's Jewish and Muslim populations may be nearing the same
size - both somewhere near 5 million, according to Adherents.com - the
number of halal products still lags far behind kosher offerings. In the
average grocery store, about 40 percent of products have kosher stamps,
but the number drops sharply for halal, said Joe Regenstein, a professor
of food science at Cornell University. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
- MEDIA ADVISORY -
SPANISH MUSLIM DENIED ENTRY TO U.S., JAILED IN FLORIDA
Woman reportedly interrogated, strip-searched, placed in maximum
security
(TAMPA, FL, 4/13/2006) - The Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (
CAIR-FL)
will hold a news conference today in Clearwater to address concerns about
the treatment of a Spanish Muslim woman who was allegedly interrogated
for more than six hours, strip-searched and placed in a maximum security
lock-up following her arrival at Tampa International Airport on Tuesday.
She was also forced to remove her religiously-mandated head scarf, or
hijab, while in detention.
The woman, a Spanish citizen of Iraqi descent, planned to visit her
teenage son who lives with his father in Pinellas County. A
representative of CAIR-FL and an attorney were able to interview the
woman in the Pinellas County Jail. Security officials say she will be
sent out of the country this afternoon.
WHAT: CAIR-FL News Conference on Treatment of Spanish Muslim Woman
WHEN: Thursday, April 13, Noon
WHERE: On the sidewalk outside the Pinellas County Jail, 14400
49th Street, Clearwater, FL
CONTACT: CAIR-FL Tampa Director Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506,
E-Mail:
abedier@cairfl.org
Members of the woman's family will be on hand at the news conference to
address the media. Her ex-husband once spent time in an Iraqi prison for
speaking out against Saddam Hussein and has been recognized by Florida
Gov. Jeb Bush as a symbol of progress in Iraq.
SEE:
Surprise Turns Sour for Iraqi-Born Woman (St. Petersburg
Times)
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787
or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/13/06
*
Hadith:
The Character of Islam is
Modesty
*
CAIR:
VA Muslim Jiffy Lube
Employee Allowed to Wear Hijab
-
Battling Islamophobia in the
Workplace (SHRM)
-
MA:
Bank of America Resolves Complaints
of Bias
*
CAIR:
DHS to Review Case of
Spanish Muslim Detained in FL
*
CAIR-OH:
FBI to Use TV to Reach U.S.
Muslims (Reuters)
*
Islam-Oped:
American Muslims and
'Integration'
*
CA:
Preaching Islam in America
(CBS)
-
Poll:
Sinking Perceptions of Islam (CBS)
-
DC:
Muslim Outreach Key for Promoting
Understanding
*
DC:
Leadership Program for
Muslim Women
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE CHARACTER OF ISLAM IS MODESTY
-
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Every faith has an
innate character. The character of Islam is modesty."
Al-Muwatta, Volume 47, Hadith 9
-----
VA MUSLIM JIFFY LUBE EMPLOYEE ALLOWED
TO WEAR ISLAMIC SCARF -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/13/2006) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights
and advocacy group today announced that a Muslim Jiffy Lube employee in
Virginia will now be allowed to wear a religiously-mandated headscarf, or
hijab, in the workplace. SEE:
http://jiffylube.com/
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says
the Muslim employee, who works at a Jiffy Lube in Leesburg, Va., was
initially told she could not wear her hijab because of a "no
hats" policy. Following CAIR's intervention in the case, company
officials agreed to allow the headscarf and apologized to the Muslim
employee.
"We appreciate Jiffy Lube's quick action in this case and hope
that managers nationwide will be reminded of the legal obligation to
accommodate the religious practices of employees," said CAIR Civil
Rights Manager Khadija Athman.
Athman said CAIR publishes a booklet, called "An Employer's
Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," designed to prevent just such
incidents. The booklet is available by e-mailing:
pubs@cair-net.org (Include name,
address and phone number when requesting the booklet.)
She noted that an article published recently by the Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM) outlined issues faced by Muslims and Islam in
the workplace. (See excerpts from article below.)
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Jiffy Lube International is a subsidiary
of Shell Oil Company with more than 2200 service centers in the U.S. and
Canada.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; Rabiah
Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
BATTLING ISLAMOPHOBIA IN THE
WORKPLACE -
TOP
Rebecca R. Hastings, Society for Human Resource Management, 4/13/06
http://www.shrm.org/diversity/library_published/nonIC/CMS_016505.asp
Recent polls indicate that almost half of Americans have a negative
perception of Islam and that one in four of those surveyed have
"extreme" anti-Muslim views. Education is the key to changing
viewpoints and minimizing Islamophobia, experts say.
An independent survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
shows that approximately one quarter of Americans consistently believe
stereotypes such as "the Muslim religion teaches violence and
hatred."
The CAIR survey also shows that just 2 percent of Americans said they
were "very knowledgeable" about Islam. Some 60 percent of
respondents characterized themselves as "not very
knowledgeable" or "not at all knowledgeable" about Islam.
The Washington-based CAIR says those figures demonstrate that education
is the key to improving public perceptions of Islam.
A similar poll by the Washington Post and ABC News also found that one in
four Americans "admitted to harboring prejudice toward
Muslims." That survey indicated that 46 percent of Americans have a
negative view of Islam, a 7 percent jump since the months following the
Sept. 11 terror attacks. The Post-ABC poll also showed that the number of
Americans who believe that Islam promotes violence has more than doubled
since 2002.
The Post's report on the poll findings quoted experts who say that
negative attitudes about Islam are "fueled in part by political
statements and media reports that focus almost solely on the actions of
Muslim extremists."
"The results of these polls indicate that there is a tremendous need
for public education about Islam and the Muslim community's stance on a
number of issues," said CAIR Board Chairman Parvez Ahmed.
"While there seems to be a sizable minority of Americans who harbor
extreme Islamophobic views, the majority has little knowledge of Islam
and tends to base their perceptions on international events that do not
reflect the daily reality experienced by the world's 1.3 billion Muslims.
. ."
Resources: HR Magazine: Showing Good Faith Toward Muslims
http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/2000index/1100/1100adams.asp
HR Magazine: Fighting the Backlash
http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/articles/1201/1201covstory_bates.asp
Related Resources: External
Active Voice in the Workplace: The Islam Project
http://www.activevoice.net/pdf/IP_dec04_final.pdf
---
BANK OF AMERICA RESOLVES COMPLAINTS OF
ANTI-MUSLIM BIAS BY FORMER FLEET BANK -
TOP
Mark Jewell, Associated Press, 4/12/06
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/04/12/bank_of_america_resolves_complaints_of_anti_muslim_bias_by_former_fleet_bank/
BOSTON --Bank of America Corp. has agreed to resolve allegations by Arab
and Muslim groups that the former Fleet Bank discriminated against 15
customers with Arabic names by closing their accounts in 2002 and 2003
over suspicions of terrorism or money laundering.
Although a state investigation found no evidence of discrimination, Bank
of America agreed to take steps including paying the state $50,000 to
create a brochure and video on consumer finance geared toward
Arab-American and Muslim communities.
Attorney General Tom Reilly, who announced the agreement Wednesday, also
said the bank will name a senior vice president as a liaison to local
Arab-Americans and Muslims.
The bank, which acquired Boston-based Fleet in 2004 for $48 billion, also
assured that it will only close customer accounts as a result of
terrorism or money laundering concerns after carefully reviewing
information supplied to the bank.
Reilly's office also will organize a training program for the Charlotte,
N.C.-based bank to increase awareness among its Massachusetts employees
about Arab-American culture and the Muslim religion.
A Bank of America spokesman said the Fleet accounts were not closed
because of discrimination, but because of patterns of account activity
that triggered money laundering suspicions.
"In this instance, as in any case of this nature, Fleet followed
standard industry practices dictated by federal regulations and
guidelines designed to protect institutions and individuals against money
laundering, including terrorism," spokesman Ernesto Anguilla
said.
Anguilla said the bank was "pleased" to work with Reilly's
office on the projects spelled out in the agreement.
The pact resulted from complaints in 2003 and a "Fleet Flight
Campaign" organized by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee of Massachusetts and the Muslim American Society Freedom
Foundation. (MORE)
-----
DHS TO REVIEW CASE OF SPANISH MUSLIM
DETAINED IN FLORIDA -
TOP
Letter to CAIR: 'Senior officials from DHS are aware of the
situation'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/13/2006) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) said today that the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office
for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties will review the treatment of a
Spanish Muslim woman who was allegedly interrogated for more than six
hours, strip-searched and jailed following her arrival at Tampa
International Airport on Tuesday. She was also forced to remove her
religiously-mandated head scarf, or hijab, while in detention.
The woman, a Spanish citizen of Iraqi descent, planned to visit her
teenage son who lives with his father in Pinellas County. Her ex-husband
once spent time in an Iraqi prison for speaking out against Saddam
Hussein and has been recognized by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as a symbol of
progress in Iraq.
SEE: Surprise Turns Sour for Iraqi-Born Woman (St. Petersburg
Times)
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/13/Northpinellas/Surprise_turns_sour_f.shtml
In a letter to CAIR, an official with the DHS civil rights office wrote:
"Senior officials from DHS are aware of the situation. . .and are
monitoring it to ensure that the actions taken are
appropriate."
The letter also states: "We will continue to work closely with our
colleagues at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border
Protection on this matter to ensure that allegations of 'strip searching'
and detention in poor conditions are investigated."
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-FL Tampa Director Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506, E-Mail:
abedier@cairfl.org; CAIR
Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org;
CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
FBI TO USE TV TO REACH U.S. MUSLIMS -
TOP
Caroline Drees, Reuters, 4/12/06
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12292799/
[NOTE: CAIR representative Adnan Mirza, who moderated the town hall
meeting, is scheduled to appear on CNN's "The Situation Room"
at 5 and 7 p.m. EST. He is also scheduled to appear on MSNBC's "The
Situation with Tucker Carlson" at 11 p.m. The town hall Meeting
will be televised nationally on Mon May 15th at 8pm ET / 9pm PT
exclusively on
Bridges
TV.
]
WASHINGTON - The FBI will hold its first nationally televised
"townhall meeting" for Muslim and Arab-Americans on Thursday in
an effort to improve relations and enlist their help in fighting
terrorism, an FBI official said.
Paul Moskal, chief division counsel for the FBI in Buffalo, New York, who
will lead the meeting and field questions, said the agency and the Arab
and Muslim American communities needed to overcome misconceptions about
each other and foster closer cooperation.
"What we want to do is let the public know that the FBI has changed
its mission after Sept. 11, that our number one priority is the detection
and prevention of another terrorist act. If someone in the public can
help us accomplish that, that's our purpose," Moskal told Reuters on
Wednesday.
The meeting will be broadcast on Bridges TV, an independent, commercial
U.S. television network broadcasting lifestyle and culture programs
around the clock for a primarily Muslim American audience.
The televised meeting is also part of efforts to encourage Muslim and
Arab Americans to report instances of post-Sept. 11 backlash,
intimidation, racism or harassment so the agency can enforce their civil
rights, Moskal said.
A third reason for the townhall meeting was that "we need more Arab
Americans, we need more Muslim Americans as FBI agents and as FBI
employees. So we use it to recruit as well," he said.
Muslim American groups have long accused the Bush administration of
neglect in the fight against terrorism, which they say undermines a
potentially priceless resource that could be used to root out militants
at home.
Muslim groups say the government must visibly engage their community to
undermine militants' charges that Muslims are left out of American
society, and to ensure that Muslims do not feel alienated and become
targets for radical recruiters. . .
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations
which is moderating the television program, said, "It's important to
keep the lines of communication open, for the FBI to understand the
Muslim community better and for American Muslims to better understand law
enforcement agencies." (MORE)
-----
ISLAM-OPED: AMERICAN MUSLIMS AND 'INTEGRATION' -
TOP
ISLAM-OPED is a national syndication service of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designed to offer an American Muslim
perspective on current political, social and religious issues. ISLAM-OPED
commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each
market area. Permission for publication will be granted on a
first-come-first-served basis.
CONTACT:
ihooper@cair-net.org
TEL: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726 (c)
Please consider the following commentary for publication.
---
AMERICAN MUSLIMS AND 'INTEGRATION'
Parvez Ahmed
WORD COUNT: 724
[Parvez Ahmed, Ph.D., is board chairman of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy group. He may be contacted at:
pahmed@cair-net.org. For a photo
of Parvez Ahmed, go to:
http://cair.com/default.asp?Page=Board&person=Parvez ]
At a recent historic meeting in Vienna, European Muslim religious
leaders, or Imams, exhorted Islamic communities to better integrate and
participate effectively in all aspects of European society. They also
urged European governments to give Muslims the opportunity to become full
participants in their respective societies. "Integration is no
one-way street, but should be seen as a mutual process," said the
final declaration of the second Conference of European Imams.
Conference participants also issued an unequivocal condemnation of
terrorism in all its forms, urged stepped-up efforts to learn national
languages and promoted development of mutual intercultural skills. Many
of the participants believed the conference was a turning point in
relations between Europe and its Muslim minorities.
For more than a thousand years, the discourse in Europe has been to view
Muslims as outsiders and Islam as the "other." Islam and
Muslims in Europe and America remain embedded in stereotypical
assumptions and misguided pronouncements regarding their beliefs,
attitudes and customs. But Islam and Muslims can no longer be viewed as
"outsiders." Today, Islam is as integral to the West as Judaism
and Christianity.
The American Muslim community has seen remarkable growth - from one
congregation in the mid-1920s to more than 2,000 organizations
institutions of all types at the end of the 20th century. All indications
suggest a growing momentum among Muslims in favor of integration into
America's civic and political life.
Mainstream Muslims consider core American values to be consistent with
normative Islam. Chief among these are the norms of hard work,
entrepreneurship and liberty; civilian control of the military; the clear
institutionalization of political power; a diffuse process of public
decision-making; and a functioning civil society that gives voice to
competing interests.
The American Muslim community is unique in its diversity. Studies
indicate that 36 percent of American Muslims were born in the United
States, while 64 percent were born in 80 different countries around the
world. No other country has such a rich diversity of Muslims. The
American Muslim community is thus a microcosm of the Muslim
world.
The American Muslim Poll by Project MAPS showed that the American Muslim
community is younger, better educated and better off financially than
average Americans. More than three-quarters of Muslim respondents
reported that they had been involved with organizations to help the poor,
sick, homeless, or elderly. Seventy-one percent had been involved with a
religious organization or a mosque, and over two-thirds have been
involved with school and youth programs. A little over half of those
surveyed also stated that they had called or written to the media or to a
politician on a given issue or had signed a petition.
A majority of American Muslims (58 percent) believed that individuals,
businesses or religious organizations in their community had experienced
discrimination since September 11. An overwhelming majority (93 percent)
nonetheless favored participation in the American political
process.
Despite such integrative attitudes, the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in
America creates tensions and hinders quicker integration of Muslims. A
recent Washington Post poll suggests 46 percent of Americans have a
negative view of Islam and Muslims.
Muslims have enjoyed an uninterrupted presence in America for more than a
century. Yet they remain conspicuous by their absence in many spheres of
American public life. Despite being about 2 percent of the population,
Muslim representation in policy making is negligible even when such
policies directly affect Muslims here or abroad. American Muslims are by
and large absent from representation in major policy making circles of
the three national branches of the U.S. government.
Muslims in America, like their counterparts abroad, are dealing with
issues related to democratization, gender equality, minority rights,
religious tolerance, freedom of thought, and social justice.
Normative Islam provides basic principles that can embrace each of these
ideas in positive ways. Muslim societies that in the past have suffered
from the malaise of unthinking dogma are changing as evidenced in the
reviving of critical inquiry, often leading to renewed understanding of
Islam's congruence with the ever-shifting ideas of
"modernity."
European-Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan in his book "Western Muslims:
Isolation or Integration?" notes that Western Muslims are likely to
play a decisive role in the evolution of Islam worldwide. By reflecting
on their faith, their principles and their identity within
industrialized, secularized societies, Western Muslims can lead Muslims
worldwide in reconciling their relationship with the modern
world.
-----
PREACHING ISLAM IN AMERICA -
TOP
CBS News, 4/12/06
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/12/eveningnews/main1494758.shtml
SACRAMENTO, Calif.: Islam is the fastest-growing religions in the United
States. John Blackstone reports on a man who's out to change the way
others see Muslims.
At the Salam mosque in Sacramento, Calif, the call to prayer echoes with
tradition. But the leader of the mosque is anything but traditional. Imam
Mohammed Azeez delivers his Friday sermon while his 2½-year-old daughter
darts among the worshipers. He prays five times a day - prompted by a
high-tech reminder: his BlackBerry.
Azeez is young for an imam - he's only 30. He came from Egypt six years
ago and graduated from Ohio State University. His daughter was born here.
His wife, Kauther, seems no less modern. She wears jeans with her
headscarf. "The fashion changes, you know," she says with a
laugh.
But a lot has changed since Sept. 11, 2001. The imam now worries about
his wife. "She was called a 'raghead' at one point," he says.
Azeez is also afraid that little Zeyneb could be a target of intolerance.
"I'm scared to let my kid play outside for fear of any person or
attacker," he says. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
POLL: SINKING PERCEPTIONS OF ISLAM -
TOP
CBS, 4/12/06
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/12/national/main1494697.shtml
NEW YORK - Although Americans believe they are better informed about
Islam than they were five years ago, a new CBS News poll finds fewer than
one in five say their impression of the religion is favorable.
Forty-five percent of respondents queried April 6 - 9 said they have an
unfavorable view of Islam, a rise from 36 percent in February. And the
public's impression of Islam has diminished even more compared with four
years ago. In February 2002 - less than six months after the terrorist
attacks of September 11 - the country was evenly divided in its
impression of Islam. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM OUTREACH KEY FOR PROMOTING
UNDERSTANDING, INTEGRATION -
TOP
Sara Feuerstein, Washington File, 4/12/06
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060412110037ASnietsreueF0.2150537&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
Washington -- "The [American] Muslim community realizes today they
are part of the fabric of society, and they have a responsibility and
opportunity to bridge the gap between the two cultures," said Khalil
Jassemm in an April 11 webchat.
Jassemm serves as chief executive officer of the nonprofit,
nongovernmental organization Life for Relief and Development (LIFE),
which has provided more than $100 million in humanitarian assistance to
ten countries around the world.
Jassemm said the attacks of September 11, 2001, served as a "wakeup
call" for American Muslims. The subsequent war in Iraq and War on
Terror "forced them to become more proactive, and do more out reach
in the community, educate, and explain to the general public what Islam
is really about," he said.
He estimated that 6 million to 8 million Muslims reside in the United
States, and noted that every city with a population of more than 30,000
has a mosque or place to pray.
Negative media perception "is probably the biggest challenge facing
Muslims today," Jassem said. "Only through hard work, positive
engagement, a good outreach plan, and help from good citizens, this
problem can be overcome."
For example, even though many non-Muslims stereotype the Muslim world as
harboring negative feelings toward Americans, Jassemm said, "I don't
think Muslims hate the U.S. at all. Islam never preaches hate against
anyone." He pointed out that no single aya (verse) in the Quran uses
the word "hate."
Although some Muslims may disagree with certain U.S. policies, government
policy is only "one element of the relationship" -- with
factors such as culture, economy, and human interaction also serving to
shape Muslim views about America and Americans, he said.
Outreach is necessary on both sides because many Muslims around the world
foster misconceptions about Americans as well, Jassemm added.
Jassemm said he considers American society quite welcoming to both
Muslims, and has found that "the average American citizen is very
open-minded and fair and willing to listen and engage in positive
dialogue." (MORE)
-----
DC: LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR MUSLIM
WOMEN -
TOP
KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights would like to announce its
4th annual Leadership Development Program for Muslim women in Washington,
D.C. from July 10th through July 28th. The participants spend three weeks
in daily intensive and thought-provoking workshops, which cover a
multitude of topics including Leadership Development, Peace and Conflict
Resolution, Domestic Violence in Muslim communities, Islamic
Jurisprudence, and Comparative Law. Applications are available on line
at:
www.karamah.org/events_leadership.htm
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/14/06
*
Verse:
God Gives the Best Form to
Everything
*
CAIR Board Member Speaks at
West Point Military Academy
-
CAIR-CA:
'Building Bridges
Between Islam and the West'
*
DC:
Applications
Being Accepted for CAIR/Qunoot Fellowship
*
CAIR-FL:
Woman's
Ordeal Prompts Federal Inquiry (SP Times)
-
Interview with Safana
Jawad at Pinellas County Jail
-
U.S. Deports
Iraqi-Born Spaniard (EFE)
*
CAIR:
FBI Clears Air at Town
Hall Meeting (AP)
*
Tariq Ramadan:
Hearing for Muslim
Barred by U.S. (NY Times)
*
CT:
Campus Dining Hall Offers Halal
Meals (Daily Campus)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: GOD GIVES THE BEST FORM TO
EVERYTHING -
TOP
"He governs all that exists, from the heavens to the earth; and in
the end all shall ascend to Him (for judgment) on a Day the length
whereof will be (like) a thousand years of your reckoning. . .(It is) He
Who has given the best form to everything that He has
created."
The Holy Quran, 32:5-7
To sponsor or obtain a FREE copy of the Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
CAIR BOARD MEMBER SPEAKS AT WEST
POINT MILITARY ACADEMY -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/13/2006) - CAIR National Board Member Dr. Ahmad
Al-Akhras offered a lecture this week to more than 1000 cadets, staff and
faculty at the
U.S. Military Academy
at West Point, N.Y. The event was part of the academy's "Diversity
Lecture Series."
Dr. Al-Akhras also participated in an evening session at which he was
able to answer questions on a variety of issues related to Islam, Muslims
and international events.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CONTACT: CAIR-OH, Dr. Ahmad Al-Akhras, 614-989-5916, E-Mail:
ahmad@cair-ohio.com; CAIR
Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-SV: 'BUILDING BRIDGES
BETWEEN ISLAM AND THE WEST' -
TOP
(DAVIS, CA, 4/14/06) - The Sacramento Valley office of the Council on
American Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) recently presented a lecture,
entitled "Building Bridges Between Islam and the West," to a
class of more than 270 students and staff at the University of
California. CAIR-SV's Director of Communications Dina EL-Nakhal discussed
recent initiatives taken by Muslims in the West to help dispel
misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.
"It is important for American Muslims to take a proactive role in
building bridges between the Muslim world and America," said Dina
EL-Nakhal. "Education will play a huge role in dispelling
misconceptions."
CAIR-SV also participated in the annual KVIE telethon to raise funds for
the local PBS affiliate. This is the third year of CAIR-SV's
participation in the fundraising effort.
-----
CAIR: APPLICATIONS BEING
ACCEPTED FOR CAIR/QUNOOT FELLOWSHIP -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/14/06) - Applications are now being accepted for a
joint CAIR/Qunoot Foundation fellowship designed to help increase
appreciation for and understanding of the diversity within the American
Muslim community. The summer 2006 fellowship is being offered at CAIR's
Capitol Hill headquarters.
The CAIR/Qunoot Foundation "Diversity and Intra-Community Outreach
Fellowship" is open to students who have shown commitment to the
promotion of mutual understanding as well as those with experience in
statistical and ethnographic research.
To obtain an application for the fellowship, e-mail:
internship@cair-net.org
The Qunoot Foundation is a Washington-based community education
organization that seeks to provide a platform for Muslim youth to
articulate their political, ideological, socioeconomic, ethnic, and
gender-related perspectives on both the Shia community and the Muslim
community at large.
-----
CAIR-FL: IRAQ-BORN
WOMAN'S ORDEAL PROMPTS FEDERAL INQUIRY -
TOP
Shadi Rahimi, St. Petersburg Times, 4/14/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/13/Tampabay/Iraq_born_woman_s_ord.shtml
CLEARWATER - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will investigate
the treatment of an Iraq-born woman who was strip-searched at the
Pinellas County Jail, where she was detained after being barred from
entering the country.
Safana Jawad, 45, was sent home Thursday night without seeing the teenage
son she planned to surprise or her ex-husband, who was lauded last year
by Gov. Jeb Bush as a symbol of progress in Iraq.
"It was a nightmare, and now it's over," Ahmad Maki Kubba, 49,
said in a telephone interview shortly after watching his ex-wife's plane
take off. "But it's caused permanent damage that will be left
forever."
Kubba said he was happy his ex-wife was returning home to Spain because
it meant an end to what he and her supporters described at a news
conference Thursday as "humiliating" treatment during
interrogation at Tampa International Airport and the jail.
She was treated as if she were a common criminal, said Ahmed Bedier,
director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Tampa.
Jawad was fingerprinted, photographed, strip-searched, given a navy
blue jumpsuit and placed in a 6- by 6-foot maximum security cell, Bedier
said.
"Why did she have to go through this?" Bedier asked.
"There has to be a different way to deny people entry into the U.S.
without treating them like a dangerous criminal."
Bedier said that lawyers from his organization have contacted the
American Civil Liberties Union about filing a discrimination lawsuit.
Jawad was singled out from other passengers on her flight because the
devout Muslim was the only one wearing a head scarf, he said.
Homeland Security officials declined for a second day to provide details
for why Jawad was denied entry, citing privacy concerns. Jawad said
Wednesday that federal agents told her she is connected to someone they
view as suspicious, but refused to identify that person. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
LINK: AUDIO INTERVIEW OF
SAFANA JAWAD MADE ON 4/13/2006 AT PINELLAS COUNTY JAIL -
TOP
http://www.cairfl.org/cases/jawad/060412-jawad-interview3.mp3
---
U.S. DEPORTS IRAQI-BORN
SPANIARD -
TOP
EFE News Service (Spain), 4/14/06
http://www.efenews.com/includesasp/noticias.asp?opcion=3&id=952453
Miami, Apr 14 (EFE).- Safana Jawad, an Iraqi-born Spaniard who traveled
to Florida to visit her teenage son, was deported Thursday by U.S.
immigration officials, a Spanish diplomat told EFE.
"Immigration informed us that the Spanish citizen detained in Tampa
left on British Airways Flight 2166 at 6:45 p.m. (2245 GMT) today
(Thursday)," said Santiago Cabanas, Spain's consul-general in
Miami.
Jawad, 45, was detained Tuesday upon her arrival at Tampa International
Airport. A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or
CAIR, told EFE that the woman traveled to the United States to visit her
son, 16-year-old Hany Kubba, who lives with his father in Clearwater,
near Tampa. . .
CAIR's Ahmed Bedier told EFE that after being stopped at immigration,
Jawad was taken to a secure room in the Tampa airport, where she was
questioned for six hours, after which she was transferred to the Pinellas
County jail.
The treatment Jawad received was "very humiliating," according
to Bedier, who said that U.S. officials searched the woman and obliged
her to remove her head scarf. Consul-General Cabanas said he learned of
the case on Wednesday and immediately telephoned the Pinellas County
jail, where authorities allowed him to speak to Jawad. "Within the
nervousness and tension of the situation, she was apparently fine,"
the diplomat said, though adding that Jawad complained about being
strip-searched and having her possessions - including a copy of the Koran
- taken from her.
-----
FBI CLEARS AIR AT TOWN HALL MEETING
-
TOP
Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press, 4/13/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--islamictelevision0413apr13,0,370429.story
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The question came from a 19-year-old audience
member: How does the FBI view the use of torture in conducting
investigations?
It was just the kind of thing Paul Moskal wanted to clear the air about
when he agreed to field questions at a Town Hall-style meeting arranged
by a Muslim-American television station.
"The FBI doesn't use torture as one of its interrogation
methods," Moskal, a special agent in the Buffalo field office,
assured the questioner, Hassan Shibly. The agency is charged with
protecting the civil rights of Americans and visitors to the country, he
said.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the FBI has conducted many
of these question-and-answer sessions with Muslim and Arab audiences,
with the goal of clarifying the agency's mission and addressing the
communities' concerns.
Thursday's forum, moderated by Adnan Mirza, director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, promised to have a much wider audience than
the usual dozens at mosques and universities where they are normally
held. This was destined for a national television audience, said
Muzzammil Hassan, chief executive of Bridges TV, where it was being taped
for a May 15 airing.
In the past few weeks, the English-language, Muslim-American lifestyle
network has gone from being a premium pay channel to a basic-cable
offering on several cable and satellite systems. That has broadened its
reach from 10,000 to more than 1 million U.S. homes.
"This became a more important forum for the FBI and CAIR to reach a
broader audience," Hassan said at his suburban Buffalo
studio.
Hassan said he began the network to bridge understanding between East and
West. (MORE)
-----
HEARING FOR MUSLIM BARRED BY U.S. -
TOP
Julia Preston, New York Times, 4/14/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/14/us/nationalspecial3/14scholar.html
Government lawyers clarified some mysteries yesterday and deepened others
in the case of Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss Muslim scholar and leading European
theologian of Islam who has been barred by the Bush administration from
traveling to the United States since July 2004.
Papers the government presented at a hearing in federal court in New York
revealed that, contrary to officials' statements, a clause in the USA
Patriot Act that bans any foreigner who "endorses or espouses
terrorist activity" was not the reason Mr. Ramadan's United States
visa was revoked. The government also said it did not intend to bar Mr.
Ramadan in the future based on that clause.
But the government also said that Mr. Ramadan's case had been and
remained a national security matter, and that statements he made in
recent interviews with American consular officials in Switzerland had
raised new "serious questions" about whether he should be
allowed to come to the United States.
Neither the government's documents nor its lawyer, David S. Jones, an
assistant United States attorney, explained why Mr. Ramadan was first
banned or provided any detail about the new concerns.
The hearing, before Judge Paul A. Crotty in Federal District Court in
Manhattan, came in a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union on
behalf of three academic and writers' organizations who have invited Mr.
Ramadan to speak. The groups claim their First Amendment rights have been
violated because they cannot meet with Mr. Ramadan.
Mr. Ramadan's difficulties began in 2004, after he had been hired by the
University of Notre Dame as a tenured professor. On July 28, 2004, the
State Department revoked his visa without official explanation. A
spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security told reporters then
that the visa had been pulled under the clause barring foreigners who
support terrorism. (MORE)
-----
CT: TOWERS ADDS MUSLIM OFFERINGS -
TOP
Brittany Dorn, Daily Campus, 4/13/06
http://media.www.dailycampus.com/media/storage/paper340/news/2006/04/13/News/Towers.Adds.Muslim.Offerings-1851041.shtml?sourcedomain=www.dailycampus.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com
A new food station was opened at Towers Dining Hall April 3 to meet the
dietary needs of Muslim students.
According to Towers Chef Blair Davis, the station provides a meat,
vegetable and starch at each meal. He said the station was set to be a
permanent fixture at the dining hall.
The station serves food Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for
lunch and then from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for dinner, according to an
announcement from the Department of Dining Services.
The Muslim Food Station is called Halal, which translates to
"permissible" according to Faleh Ibrahim, a graduate student
majoring in computer engineering.
According to Ibrahim, the dietary rules for Muslims are very easy. First,
alcohol is prohibited and cannot used be used in the cooking of any
dish.
"Besides things that contain alcohol, every other thing is
permissible except meat," Ibrahim said. He generalized the meat
restrictions into three basic rules.
First, the animal must be fed properly while it is alive, Ibrahim said.
Secondly, at the time of slaughter, the animal must be killed
humanely.
"It should be as easy as possible for the animal itself,"
Ibrahim said.
The animal should be comfortable, and a sharp knife should be used. The
animal should not see any other animals killed.
Lastly, "the name of God must be remembered at the time of
slaughtering," according to Ibrahim. A special prayer must be said.
Some meat is prohibited no matter how the animal is killed; this includes
pork as well as the meat from carnivorous animals. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR WELCOMES RESOLUTION OF AL-ARIAN CASE
Government decides not to retry Florida Muslim
professor
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/14/06) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (
CAIR) today welcomed the
government's decision not to retry Sami Al-Arian, a Florida Muslim
professor who remained in jail despite being acquitted late last year of
eight out of 17 federal charges brought against him. The jury deadlocked
on the other charges.
According to media reports, Al-Arian reached an agreement with
prosecutors to plead guilty to a lesser charge and be deported to an
unidentified country. A former defense attorney in the case said the
government conceded in the agreement that there were no acts of violence
committed by Al-Arian. Details of the agreement have not been made public
and still require the approval of a judge.
VIDEO:
CAIR-FL News Conference in Reaction to Decision Not to Retry
Al-Arian
SEE:
Former USF Professor Accused in Terrorism Case to be Deported
(AP)
In a statement,
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
"We welcome the decision not to retry Professor Al-Arian. We are
concerned however that the price paid for his freedom is deportation to
another country, an additional burden on a family that has suffered
tremendously over the past few years. The negative impact this tragic
episode has had on the image of our legal system worldwide warrants a
complete re-examination of government policies and procedures in such
cases."
In December of last year, the American Muslim Taskforce for Civil Rights
and Elections (AMT), a coalition of major Muslim organizations, welcomed
Al-Al-Arian's acquittal, calling it a "vindication of America's
finest ideals and principles."
SEE:
AMT: American Muslims Welcome Al-Arian Verdict
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-FL Tampa Director Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506, E-Mail:
abedier@cairfl.org; CAIR
Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org;
CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/17/06
*
Verse:
Encourage Deeds of Kindness and Compassion
*
CAIR:
Shia, Sunni
Labels Irrelevant in U.S. (AJC)
-
CAIR-FL:
Academic Travel
Curbs Argued (Tampa Trib)
*
TV
Skewing Americans' View of Islam (USA Today)
-
AK:
Media Fail to Show Muslims Speak Against Violence
-
TX:
New Company to Provide Muslim Content for TV, Film
*
American Muslim Women
Shatter Stereotypes (Detroit
Free Press)
-
FL:
Muslim
Festival's Objective is Unity (Sun-Sentinel)
-
TX:
Muslims Unite to Share Words of Prophet (Chronicle)
-
MN:
Politics
in Play at Muslim Convention (AP)
*
Italian Editor
Apologizes to
Muslims (AP)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: ENCOURAGE DEEDS OF KINDNESS AND COMPASSION -
TOP
"What will explain to you the path that is steep? It is the freeing
of a (slave) from bondage, or the giving of food in a day of famine to an
orphan relative or to a needy (stranger) in distress, and to be of those
who believe, enjoin patience (in adversity) and encourage deeds of
kindness and compassion."
The Holy Quran, 90:12-17
-----
CAIR: SHIA?
SUNNI? HERE, LABELS ARE IRRELEVANT -
TOP
BILL OSINSKI, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/0417gwxiraq.html
Over there, everyone cares. Over here, who cares?
In the news from Iraq, the term "sectarian violence" has become
a deadly catchphrase. Almost daily, there are reports of followers of
different sects of Islam killing each other in staggering numbers and in
brutal ways. Conflicts between the two main sects of Islam - Sunnis and
Shias - have brought the country to the brink of civil war.
The worst of the violence has occurred at places of worship. Earlier this
month, at least 70 people were killed in an attack by suicide bombers at
a Shia mosque in Iraq.
But what happens when Muslims move into the neighborhoods of Gwinnett?
The short answer is that as an import to America, trouble does not travel
well.
Local and national Islamic leaders say the conflicts between Sunnis and
the Shias, while real and dire in the Middle East, are simply irrelevant
to their lives and to the lives of nearly all Muslim Americans. .
.
Corey Saylor, the government affairs director of the Washington-based
Council on American-Islamic Relations, said sectarian differences are
"not a big deal" for Muslims in America.
At mosques he attends, "Sunnis and Shias pray side by side,"
Saylor said. Sometimes, a Sunni imam will preach at a mosque attended
mostly by Shias, and vice versa, he said. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-FL:
PROPOSED ACADEMIC TRAVEL CURBS ARGUED -
TOP
CATHERINE DOLINSKI and JOSH POLTILOVE, Tampa Tribune, 4/14/06
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBPWZOYZLE.html
TALLAHASSEE - A lawmaker proposing to stop Florida universities from
sending students to political hotspots flagged as terrorist states said
his main target is Cuba, which he hopes to label "a
pariah."
The bill, from Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, cleared its final House
committee this week, less than a month after the chamber voted to deny
financial aid to international students.
Taken together, critics say, the proposals project an isolationist image
of the state at a time when many countries already oppose the United
States for its international policies. . .
This year's version, though less discriminatory, still doesn't make
sense, said Ahmed Bedier, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
"It's basically a bill that would make our universities
dumber," he said. "If [Kravitz] really understood the global
world we live in and how much Florida relies on that global world, he
would expand money for foreign students in Florida, not take it
away." (MORE)
-----
TV IMAGES SKEWING AMERICANS' VIEW OF PEACEFUL ISLAM, MUSLIM LEADERS
SAY -
TOP
Tamara Audi, USA TODAY, 4/17/06
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-04-16-muslim-image_x.htm
DETROIT - It was an image of Islam that might have startled many
Americans: a young Muslim woman wearing a traditional head scarf standing
in the center of a chandeliered banquet hall singing the U.S. national
anthem.
"It saddens me," Denise Hazime, a 25-year-old, Muslim American
law student remarked after watching the woman sing to kick off an Arab
student fundraiser. "The way things are now, I bet the average
American would never think of the image of a covered girl singing our
national anthem."
The way things are now is this: American Muslim leaders say they are
facing an increasingly tough public relations battle as they fight to
portray their faith as non-violent.
Some Muslims say conveying a peaceful image of Islam is tougher now than
it was after the Sept. 11 attacks, and they blame a daily barrage of
negative media images.
They are referring to stories such as a Christian convert being
threatened with execution in Afghanistan, coverage of thousands of
Muslims expressing outrage at Danish cartoons and shouting anti-Western
threats, and daily bloody images from Iraq.
"We say we're peaceful people, but it doesn't matter what we
say," said Irfan Rydhan, 31, a spokesperson and organizer for the
South Bay Islamic Association in San Jose, Calif. "They see these
violent images on TV, and those people look like us."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
AK: U.S. MEDIA FAILS TO SHOW MUSLIMS WHO SPEAK OUT AGAINST VIOLENCE -
TOP
Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), $/14/06
http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/7625627p-7537326c.html
(Scroll down to letter.)
Fred Agree's letter is another misleading letter written by people who do
not want to see reality ("Muslims should look at leadership when
trying to find the real enemy," April 4). Muslims have been
struggling for a change of leadership for a long time, except that these
leaders have been supported by outside forces in order to stay in
power.
I have admitted in the past that many leaders of the Muslim countries are
part of the problem but not the whole problem. The Palestinian people
have been struggling to be free for a long time, as every other nation
demands, but Israel's policy toward the Palestinians is making the
situation worse in the Middle East. When I stated that 40 Muslim scholars
made a fatwa, or Islamic ruling, requiring Muslims to stop the protests,
I wanted to show some positive news about Islam. My point behind this
statement is that I was presenting facts that there are peaceful Muslims,
including scholars who wanted to live in peace like everybody
else.
There are millions of Muslims who always speak out against violence, but
their voice is not presented in the U.S. media. If people want to learn
about the true Islam, I recommend that people should go to Islamic
sources like the Council on American Islamic Relations for
example.
Khaled Zayed, Anchorage
---
NEW MEDIA COMPANY FOCUSES ON PRODUCING TOP QUALITY MUSLIM AND
DIVERSITY CONTENT FOR TV AND FILM -
TOP
http://www.justsaygofilms.com/media.html
To counter the negative Muslim stereotype in the main media and to
meet the growing demand for positive Muslim content, Naeem Randhawa
launched JustSayGo Films
(
www.JustSayGoFilms.com), a diversity focused film company, based in
Dallas, Texas.
"We have been working with the local and national Muslim communities
to film and produce news and in-depth stories that bring attention to the
diversity that exists in America, and to build bridges between all
Americans" says Randhawa, "With the recent mainstream interest
in more diversified films, like "Syriana", "Paradise
Now", "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World", and many
others, it's imperative for us to bring to the forefront, high-quality
media productions for television and film that portrays Muslims in a
realistic, non-biased point of view."
With strong ties to the American Muslim communities, JustSayGo Films is
currently providing events and news coverage for a national satellite
network. The company is interested in working with local and national
broadcast and film companies, with the goal of producing premiere
television programs and films for American and international markets.
(MORE)
-----
MUSLIM WOMEN SHATTER
STEREOTYPES -
TOP
DONNA GEHRKE-WHITE, Detroit Free Press, 4/17/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060417/OPINION02/604170305/1070/OPINION
She should be one of those red-white-and-blue success stories: An
immigrant, she worked her way through med school and now directs the
laboratories of two Florida hospitals. She passed her career drive on to
her daughters: One just graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in
Lansing; the other is an investigator for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's
Office.
This feminist vision of a successful family, though, has a flaw: Shahida
Shakir and her daughters, Sadia and Sofia, are Muslim.
They're supposed to be downtrodden. Or so that's what most Americans
think.
In a Washington Post/ABC poll last month, nearly half of Americans
admitted that they have a negative view of Islam. In a poll conducted for
the Council of American-Islamic Relations, most people also said that
they would feel better about the religion if they thought Islam treated
women better.
The evidence is in our own back yard: While researching my book,
"The Face Behind the Veil: The Extraordinary Lives of Muslim Women
in America," I found Muslims are among the most achieving women in
the United States. They are doctors, lawyers, engineers, professors,
social workers and artists.
Indeed, we should be exporting the success story to the rest of the
world.
I found Muslim women achieving from coast to coast. They are leading
worldwide humanitarian groups in Washington, presiding over juvenile
court in Baltimore, delivering babies in Los Angeles, teaching in Miami
and helping the homeless in Las Vegas. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
FL: LOCAL
MUSLIM FESTIVAL'S OBJECTIVE IS UNITY -
TOP
Macollvie Jean-François, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cmuslim16apr16,0,6378033.story
Margate -- Under a large tent behind a local mosque, Islamic music
surrounded Muslims browsing wares on display at the second annual Islamic
community festival Saturday. In the background, children screamed from
nearby slides. And the scent of curried meats wafted toward tables
stacked with Islamic books, DVDs, photos, fabric, jewelry and other items
from around the globe.
Farhaad Naim, of Pembroke Pines, tried to take it all in.
"It's cool," said Farhaad, 8, his eyes looking around the
parking lot of Masjid Jamaat Al-Mu'mineen on Holiday Springs Boulevard.
"It has a lot of stuff."
Between Miami Heat games, PlayStation and his cousins, Farhaad gets much
amusement. His parents are grateful that the fun at the free, two-day
festival organized by the American Muslim Association of North America
has a higher purpose: bringing people together.
"We used to have these festivals back home all the time," said
mom Amber, 29, who is from Pakistan. "I want to show him something
what happens in his own community."
About 5,000 people of all faiths are expected, said AMANA national
director Sofian Abdelaziz Zakkout. Literature about Islam, legal and
civil rights advice, information from law enforcement agencies, medical
screenings, toys and candy, and emergency preparedness kits are available
free of charge.
Photos of Pakistani earthquake victims are on exhibit inside the mosque,
to raise funds for relief efforts there.
Abdelaziz Zakkout said the goal is to bring residents of all faiths under
one roof to learn about Islam, though most who came Saturday are
Muslim.
"For a healthier society, we should always bring people
together," he said. "If all cities do what we do here, there'll
be more understanding. Instead of looking at us [Muslims] as part of the
problem, they'll see us as part of the solution."
The U.S. Census Bureau does not track religious populations, but the
latest survey from the Council on American-Islamic Relations found there
are 70,000 Muslims in South Florida. Abdelaziz Zakkout said an estimated
150,000 live in the region, and that number is growing. (MORE)
-----
TX: HOUSTON-AREA MUSLIMS UNITE DOWNTOWN TO SHARE WORDS OF PROPHET -
TOP
CYNTHIA LEONOR GARZA, Houston Chronicle, 4/17/06
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3797579.html
Members of Houston's Sunni and Shia Muslim communities took to downtown
streets Sunday to commemorate the birthday of Islam's Prophet
Muhammad.
The celebration is also observed in homes, mosques, restaurants or
community centers - and in public processions throughout the world - but
this is the first time various sects of the local Muslim community have
come together in solidarity to spread the message about the teachings of
Muhammad during the celebration known as Id Milad un-Nabi.
"We need to change the perception of Muslims. We are open to
everyone," said Syed Shah, an organizer. By gathering in downtown,
others can "see what we do and that our mosques are open, our houses
are open. They can get information directly from us."
(MORE)
---
MN: POLITICS IN
PLAY AT MUSLIM CONVENTION -
TOP
Associated Press, 4/16/06
http://wcco.com/local/local_story_106135130.html
(AP) Minneapolis Muslims who gathered in Minneapolis for the third annual
convention of the Muslim-American Society of Minnesota got a dose of
politics.
The society considers itself to be a religious, social, cultural,
educational and charitable organization. But Saturday the focus was on
politics as several hundred people attended two political
sessions.
Democratic candidates spoke at a late-morning session titled
"Democracy in America: A return to our Democratic ideals." In
the afternoon, Republican candidates spoke on the theme "Building a
More Diverse Minnesota: Is there room for Muslims?"
-----
ITALIAN EDITOR
APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIMS -
TOP
Associated Press, 4/16/06
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060416/ap_on_re_eu/italy_muhammad_cartoon_1http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060416/ap_on_re_eu/italy_muhammad_cartoon_1
ROME - The editor of an Italian monthly has apologized for any offense to
Muslims over a humorous caption for a drawing showing the Prophet
Muhammad in hell, Italian news reports said Sunday.
The journal Studi Cattolici (Catholic Studies), which offers a variety of
opinions on cultural issues, ran the caption and drawing in its March
issue.
Italian news agencies on Sunday quoted the journal's editor, Cesare
Cavalleri, as "apologizing, as a Christian," for any offense.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/18/06
*
Verse:
When the Earth is Shaken
-
NPR:
Diane Rehm Show Seeks Questions
About Quran
*
CAIR-Sacramento:
Muslims
to Rally in Support of Teen
*
CAIR-Cleveland:
General to
Discuss Abu Ghraib at Banquet
-
CAIR-OH Supports Striking
Steelworkers (Enquirer)
*
CAIR-FL:
Al-Arian Deal
(Orlando Sentinel)
-
Supreme Court Rejects Chinese
Muslims' Appeal (AP)
*
MI:
Warren Should Welcome
New Mosque (South End)
-
CA:
Through a Muslim
Child's Eyes (Sacramento Bee)
-
MN:
Somali Students Celebrate
Culture (MN Daily)
*
NC:
Cubans Converting to Islam (El
Nuevo Herald)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: WHEN THE EARTH IS SHAKEN -
TOP
"When the Earth is shaken with her (final) earthquake. . .On that
day mankind will issue forth in scattered groups to be shown their (past)
deeds. Then, whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall see it, and
whoever has done an atom's weight of evil shall (also) see
it."
The Holy Quran, Chapter 99
To sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
SEE ALSO:
NPR: DIANE REHM SHOW SEEKS QUESTION ABOUT
QURAN -
TOP
National Public Radio
http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/specials/special_series_the_koran.php
Just what does Islam's holy book have to say about the nature of faith?.
. .about Christians and Jews?. . .women?. . .jihad? In two previous
shows, Diane put these and other questions to an Islamic scholar and a
religious leader. On April 21st, Diane will continue the Koran series.
This time she'll ask her guests your unanswered questions.
April 21, 2006 Koran III
In this third installment, Diane would like to hear from you in advance.
Please, send us your questions or call 202-885-1231.
E-MAIL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO:
drshow@wamu.org
COPY TO:
cair@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-SV: SACRAMENTO MUSLIMS TO
RALLY IN SUPPORT OF TEEN -
TOP
Islamic civil rights group welcomes dismissal of traffic charge
(DAVIS, CA, 4/18/2006) - The Sacramento Valley office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) has announced that members of the
local Muslim community and others will rally later today in support of
Halema Buzayan, a Davis teenager whose family claims was the target of
police discrimination. A Yolo County judge yesterday dismissed a
hit-and-run charge that had been brought against Buzayan.
WHAT: March for Justice with the Buzayan Family
WHEN: Tuesday, April 18, 5 p.m.
WHERE: From Davis Senior High School (DSHS) to City Hall
CONTACT: CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra, 916-441-6269,
or E-Mail:
sacval@cair.com
SEE:
Teen's Hit-Run Case Dismissed
SEE ALSO:
Family Goes Forward With Civil Suit
CAIR-CA
Calls on DOJ to Protect Rights of Muslim Teen
Girl Describes Police Mistreatment
"We are pleased with the outcome of the case and congratulate the
Buzayan family on their perseverance throughout this ordeal," said
CAIR-SV President Hamza EL-Nakhal.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
-----
CAIR-CLEVELAND: GENERAL TO DISCUSS
ABU GHRAIB -
TOP
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1145349846302720.xml&coll=2
Janis Karpinski, a former Army general at the Abu Ghraib
prison, will speak April 30 at the Cleveland office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations' annual banquet and fund raiser. Karpinski has
written a book about her experience at Abu Ghraib and how events there
shaped the war in Iraq. Also addressing the Muslim civil-liberties group
will be Army Capt. James Yee, an author and Muslim chaplain, and the head
of a privacy-rights organization, Electronic Privacy Information Center.
The banquet is at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd.,
Independence. For information, call 216-830-2247.
[CAIR NOTE: Marc Rotenberg, president and executive director of the
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) in Washington, D.C., will
also speak at the dinner. EPIC is on the forefront of litigation
regarding the NSA warrantless wiretapping program. CAIR-OHIO President
Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin will speak on the challenges facing American Muslims
and the need for perseverance during difficult times.]
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE DINNER, CONTACT: Julia A. Shearson,
216-830-2247 or 216-440-2247, E-Mail:
cleveland@cair-ohio.com; Dr.
Asma Mobin-Uddin, 614-560-0272, E-mail:
asma@cair-ohio.com
-----
CAIR-OH: STEEL UNION TAKES GLOBAL VIEW
-
TOP
International competition complicates settlements
Mike Boyer, Enquirer, 4/17/06
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060418/BIZ01/604180327/1076/BIZ
Steelworkers at the Cognis specialty chemical plant in Winton Place, on
strike for more than 14 months, are taking their fight to win back their
jobs to Washington today.
About a dozen of the 270-member Steelworkers Local 14340 are in the
nation's capital not to lobby their congressional leaders but to appeal
to the ambassador of Malaysia.
The reason is that since last year, most of the Cognis plant has been
owned by a joint venture that includes Golden Hope Plantations, a
Malaysian company the union says is controlled by the Malaysian
government. Malaysia's prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, chairs the
parent corporation holding of Golden Hope, the union says.
"We're trying to reach out to them, to have a fair resolution of
this dispute,'' said Adam Lee, a strategic campaigns researcher for the
international steelworkers union, during a telephone conference Monday to
outline the union's plans. The group plans to picket outside the
Malaysian embassy from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
So far the union has appealed to Cognis' German-based parent and the
chairman of Golden Hope Plantations. It also has gotten the support of
Cincinnati Catholic Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk and the
Cincinnati
Council on American-Islamic Relations, which appealed to Muslim
officials in Malaysia without success. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-FL: AL-ARIAN DEAL -
TOP
Pedro Ruz Gutierrez, Orlando Sentinel, 4/18/06
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-alarian1806apr18,0,3627663.story
Details of Sami Al-Arian's plea agreement emerged Monday after a federal
judge unsealed documents related to hearings held last week out of public
view.
In it, the fired University of South Florida professor admits being a
member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and helping others associated
with the terrorist group -- including his deported brother-in-law Mazen
Al-Najjar -- in immigration matters and lying to conceal their
ties.
Al-Arian pleaded guilty to one count of "conspiracy to make or
receive contributions of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit
of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad." In exchange for his guilty plea,
prosecutors dropped eight outstanding terrorism-related charges on which
jurors deadlocked during a six-month trial.
Prosecutors also agreed to recommend that immigration officials
"expedite" Al-Arian's expulsion after his sentencing. His
family has previously said their first stop may be Egypt before they try
to begin anew in the Palestinian territories.
Department of Justice officials on Monday praised the guilty plea as
vindication of their anti-terrorism policies, while Al-Arian's supporters
sought to distance the professor from the more serious terrorism charges
he once faced.
"We have a responsibility not to allow our nation to be a safe haven
for those who provide assistance to the activity of terrorists,"
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said.
Ahmed Bedier, a Tampa-based spokesman for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said the "plea has nothing to do with
violence, and it has nothing to do with financing terrorism."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
SUPREME COURT REJECTS CHINESE
MUSLIMS' APPEAL -
TOP
Associated Press, 4/18/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/scotus/la-na-muslims18apr18,1,6635565.story
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a long-shot appeal
filed on behalf of two Chinese Muslims held at Guantanamo Bay while the
U.S. government tries to find a country to take them.
The men's plight has posed a dilemma for courts and a public relations
problem for the Bush administration.
A federal judge said the detention of the ethnic Uighurs at the military
prison in Cuba was unlawful but there was nothing courts could do.
Without comment, the justices declined to consider an unusual direct
appeal of that decision.
The military agrees that Abu Bakker Qassim and A'Del Abdu Al-Hakim should
be freed after more than four years in U.S. custody. But with concerns
they would be persecuted in China, where should they be sent?
"We don't want to put them on a boat and shove them offshore,"
said Robert Turner, a former high-level State Department official in the
Reagan administration who teaches at the University of Virginia.
"It's one of those tragic cases … there are no easy answers. These
guys are, in a sense, collateral damage to the war." (MORE)
-----
MI: WARREN SHOULD WELCOME NEW
MOSQUE -
TOP
Alexandra Cervenak, South End, 4/18/06
http://www.southend.wayne.edu/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2521
I had a touch of déjà vu today when I heard that the city of Warren had
just approved a plan that would allow for the opening of the city's first
mosque. My déjà vu was not necessarily related to the opening of a new
mosque, but to the comments of some Warren residents I read in both the
Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News-which I have to say appalled
me.
I have heard disparaging remarks like this before; I hail from Hamtramck
where there has been an ongoing debate for nearly two years about the
right of mosques to play a call to prayer.
I remember when the issue came to a head in Hamtramck-whether several of
the city's mosques were within their legal right to play the
five-times-daily Islamic call to prayer over a loudspeaker. I remember
Hamtramck's newspaper was deluged with letter after letter from residents
either for or against the measure, some more informed than others.
Hamtramck finally permitted the call to prayer to be played, but that
hasn't stopped residents from still debating whether or not it really
should be allowed. Personally, I was one of the people who saw no reason
why the mosques should not be allowed to play the call to
prayer.
I was always glad that I grew up in Hamtramck, because it meant that I
was a Polish girl who attended traditional Catholic school, but went to
the parties that my Filipino neighbors threw, and yes, was used to the
fact that there was a mosque down the street. I only thought that being
able to hear the call to prayer would add to Hamtramck's mix of cultures
and people that I found so appealing.
After the call to prayer had been approved, I remember standing on the
steps of one of Hamtramck's old Polish Catholic churches during an early
morning Mass, when on the wind came musical strands of the call to prayer
from a nearby mosque. Some people thought it interrupted the Mass, but I
thought it was beautiful. It was one of those rare moments where for a
second I regained the long-lost hope that maybe, just maybe, there might
be a time when we really could all just get along. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
THROUGH A MUSLIM CHILD'S EYES
-
TOP
Jennifer Garza, Sacramento Bee, 4/18/06
http://www.sacbee.com/content/lifestyle/story/14244452p-15062969c.html
Tricia Brown saw him at the mosque, playing with other Muslim children
after Sunday prayers. The little boy in the festive clothing was laughing
and running with a red balloon.
Later, he told her his name was Imran Azam. She asked the boy, then 6,
several questions, including what he wanted to be when he grew up. A rock
star, he answered.
"He said it with such confidence and innocence - the way any child
his age would," says Brown.
A Sacramento kindergarten teacher and award-winning children's book
author, Brown continued interviewing Imran over the next year.
The result is "Salaam: A Muslim American Boy's Story" (Henry
Holt, $17.95, 40 pages), which has been selected as this month's Bee Book
Club pick. In the book, which includes black-and-white photographs by Ken
Cardwell, Imran tells his first-person story.
Brown and Imran will appear together for a question-and-answer session
and book signing on Saturday. The free event is part of The Bee's second
annual Share a Story Children's Book Drive, which runs through April. Bee
Book Club participants are asked to bring new and "gently used"
books that will be donated to children in the name of literacy.
In her book, Brown wanted to describe what it's like for a Muslim
American child in the post-9/11 world. (MORE)
---
SOMALI STUDENTS CELEBRATE CULTURE -
TOP
Elizabeth Giorgi, Minnesota Daily, 4/17/06
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/04/17/68063http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/04/17/68063
Traveling abroad isn't always necessary to gain cultural
experience.
The Somali Student Association is trying to help students realize there
are many cultures to celebrate on campus.
Northrop Plaza was filled with sunshine and people Friday to celebrate
Somali Awareness Day.
The Somali Student Association, which hosted the event, provided food,
showed cultural art, traditional clothing and artifacts, and performed
cultural dances.
The Somali Student Association President Mohamud Ahmed said the day is
important for University students because awareness is important for
people to gain understanding about their culture.
There are many misconceptions people believe and by having events people
can learn something new, he said.
One of the things people commonly don't understand is why women cover
their bodies, Ahmed said.
"It is a command by Allah for Islamic beauty," he
said.
Somali Student Association secretary and global studies senior Kadra
Ibrahim said it is important for the association to show its presence on
campus.
There are many different cultures on this campus and it is crucial that
the Somali Student Association is able to celebrate its culture in the
midst of such a vast array of cultures, she said.
"Students don't have to go far," she said. "You don't
necessarily have to go on a study-abroad trip to find another
culture." (MORE)
-----
SOME CUBANS ARE CONVERTING TO ISLAM -
TOP
Rui Ferreira, El Nuevo Herald, 4/18/06
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/americas/14365407.htm
A small number of Cubans have embraced Islam, gathering for prayers and
attending religious events mostly sponsored by Iranian diplomats in
Havana, one of the converts says.
Some Havana residents place the total number of converts at 300; others,
at 3,000. What's certain is that about 70 usually attend the gatherings
hosted by the Iranian diplomats.
"We are a small community that struggles on. . . . Many people
associate Muslims with a not-very moderate Islam, but we are very
moderate," said Alí Nicolás Cossío, a former foreign ministry
official who now reports for the Voice of Islam, the official Iranian
radio station.
"The community owes much to the embassies' moral and human support,
and the Iranian Embassy -- the only Shiite mission -- stands out in that
regard," Cossío told El Nuevo Herald in a telephone interview from
his home in Havana.
There are about 16 Arab diplomatic missions in Havana, Cossío said, but
the Iranian embassy plays the leading role in contacts with the local
Muslims. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/19/06
*
Hadith:
Prayers Wash Away Sins
*
CAIR Seeks Info on U.S. Muslim
Detained in Bangladesh
*
CAIR-Chicago:
Dialogue Between Zorn,
Rehab (Chicago Trib)
-
CAIR-San Antonio: 'What is Wrong with
Islam?'
*
NY:
Muslim Joins
Bias Suit Against Steel Co. (Times Union)
*
WI:
Muslim Women Talk About Faith,
Equality (Capital Times)
-
KY:
Look at Real Islam
(Herald-Leader)
-
MI:
Rare Copy of Quran Donated
to Muslims
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PRAYERS WASH AWAY SINS -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his companions: "If
one of you had a stream running at his door and bathed in it five times
every day, do you think any dirt would be left on him?" His
companions answered: "No dirt at all would be left." To which
the Prophet replied: "That is what (Islam's) five (daily) prayers
are like, with which God washes away your sins."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Hadith 506
-----
CAIR SEEKS INFO ON U.S. MUSLIM DETAINED IN
BANGLADESH -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/19/2006) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights
and advocacy group today said it is seeking information on the condition
of an American Muslim who was reportedly detained in Bangladesh.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said
the family of 19-year-old Ehsanul Islam Sadequee reported that he was
taken into custody April 17 by armed security personnel in Dhaka,
Bangladesh's capital city.
Sadequee was born in Fairfax, Va., is a resident of Atlanta, Ga., and has
a sister in Michigan. His family says he was visiting Bangladesh in order
to get married and has been ill recently. They suspect he was targeted by
Bangladeshi authorities based on information from U.S. law enforcement
agencies that have been periodically interviewing family members in this
country since August of last year.
CAIR says it is concerned about Sadequee's health and the conditions of
his detention. Officials with the American embassy in Bangladesh are
apparently aware of the case.
"It is important that American officials monitor this case to make
sure that all customary norms of international law and humane treatment
are maintained," said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
He urged embassy officials to visit Sadequee in detention.
Hooper noted that the State Department's
"2005
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" says Bangladesh's
"human rights record remained poor, and the government continued to
commit numerous serious abuses." According to the report, abuses
include "arbitrary arrest," "impunity for security
forces," and "physical and psychological
torture."
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO: DIALOGUE BETWEEN ZORN &
REHAB, PART IV -
TOP
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2006/04/dialogue_zorn_r_1.html
Ahmed Rehab, former director of communications and now executive
director of the Chicago Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations and I are engaging in an online dialogue that both of us
hope will address some questions and issues and concerns on both/all
sides of the controversy over the cartoons published in a Danish
newspaper that have enraged many of the world's Muslims. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-SAN ANTONIO: 'WHAT IS WRONG WITH
ISLAM?' -
TOP
Kareem El-Dahab, Paisano, 4/16/06
http://www.paisano-online.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/16/44452f8a186f2
Fidelma O'Leary, an Irish-born Muslim, said she never regretted
abandoning her Catholic religion for Islam.
"I wasn't born in Islam. I chose Islam," O'Leary said.
The neuroscientist professor at St. Edward's University gave a
testimonial last Friday about her life as a convert to Islam. O'Leary
received disapproval from her Catholic family back in Ireland for
converting, but is still confident she made the right choice.
"I changed my religion. I like to think that Islam was a part of my
development," she said.
O'Leary was one of four Islamic speakers last Friday for a lecture
entitled "What is Wrong with Islam?" hosted by the Muslim
Student Association (MSA). . .
The other three speakers aside from O'Leary were Mufti Mohammed-Umer
Esmail, an Islamic preacher; Abbas Bandali, an Islamic expert from
Austin; and
Sarwat Hussain, head of the Counsel of American Islamic
Relations (CAIR) for the San Antonio chapter. . .
Sarwat Hussain, leader of the San Antonio chapter of CAIR, called herself
a born again Muslim and was proud to wrap her head in the traditional
Islamic woman's headscarf known as the hijab.
"The Islamic women are the most misunderstood women in the
world," Hussain said.
Hussain lectured mostly on women within Islam and her time as a Muslim
woman in the United States. She felt privileged to be a part of a
religion that gave so many rights to its women.
"The fight for feminism in the West has been done already for Muslim
women in Islam," Hussain said.
She discussed how women were oppressed throughout history all across the
world, from the lack of property rights in Greece to American women
receiving their right to vote only within the last 100 years.
"All those rights were given to women 1,400 years ago [in
Islam]," Hussain said.
Hussain also praised the institution of marriage as a vital part of Islam
and the rest of society.
"In Islam, men and women, husband and wife, complement each
other," she said.
As the leader of CAIR in San Antonio, Hussain volunteers to stand up
against injustices locally, just so a Muslim voice has a say in the
matter.
CAIR provides legal assistance to Muslims who are discriminated against.
Hussain says this assistance is also available for non-Muslims who feel
their rights as citizens are being undermined. (MORE)
-----
NY: NINE MEN FILE
DISCRIMINATION SUIT AGAINST SUPER STEEL -
TOP
Former, current black employees sue for $175 million
Dan Higgins, Times Union, 4/18/06
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=472735&category=LIFE&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=4/18/2006
GLENVILLE -- Nine current and former employees of Super Steel Inc. have
filed a $175 million discrimination suit against the Glenville
manufacturing company.
The men, who are all black, cite outrageous examples of racial harassment
in the complaint, including a widely-publicized incident in January where
an employee found a threatening message and stuffed monkey hanging from a
noose inside his locker.
The suit also alleges de facto segregation at the plant, with ``white''
areas of break rooms as well as racist graffiti in the rest
rooms.
David Sanford, the Washington, D.C.-based attorney representing the men,
said the company has turned a blind eye to insults and threats against
black and Muslim workers.
Sanford gave a news conference to talk about the suit this morning at the
offices of the Schenectady chapter of the NAACP. He was joined by Norman
Jordan, 39, a former sandblaster at Super Steel. Jordan said he lived in
fear for most of his six months at the company and endured racial
graffiti directed at him as well as name-calling. He was also singled
out, he said, for being a practicing Muslim.(MORE)
-----
WI: MUSLIM WOMEN TALK ABOUT FAITH,
EQUALITY -
TOP
Lecture begins week of UW Islam events
Aaron Nathans, Capital Times, 4/18/06
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=80583&ntpid=1
Muslim women and men share equality in the eyes of God, two speakers said
at the opening event for Islam Awareness Week at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
However, women and men have specific roles they are expected to play in
the home and workplace, they said.
Yasmin Mogahed, a local freelance journalist, and Rohany Nayan, the
principal of the Madinah Academy of Madison, which serves children from
kindergarten through second grade, spoke at Sellery Hall on Monday night.
About 60 people attended the event, which was entitled "Islam &
Women: Lecture and Discussion."
Every person has a central purpose that guides his or her life, said
Mogahed, who has written for the Middle East Times and Islam Online. For
some, it is wealth; for others, it is serving another person, like in the
story of Romeo and Juliet, she said.
Islam teaches that "there is nothing worthy of having that central
position in our lives except for God," Mogahed said.
For women, that means dressing the part, they said. Both were wearing a
hijab, or headscarf, as well as traditional clothing that covered all
other parts of their bodies except for their hands.
Women are not objects to be seen as physically pleasing to other people,
Mogahed said. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
KY: LOOK AT REAL ISLAM -
TOP
Herald-Leader, 4/19/06
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/editorial/14374753.htm
There have been many insults to Muslims in the newspaper lately. As an
American convert to Islam, I'd like to share a few points. Each religion
throughout history has had its share of fanatics who do abhorrent
acts.
In modern times, there is the news regarding some Catholic priests.
Should we view all Catholics as child molesters?
Muslims blow up other Muslims and destroy mosques; do these sound like
the acts of real Muslims? Those few, who use Islam for their own
political goals, don't represent the millions of normal, civil Muslims.
Catholics and Protestants fighting in Ireland don't make their religions
bad; it's the people who are fighting.
Many Muslims misquote the Quran, but this trick could be done to any holy
manuscript.
Muslims throughout history have lived in peace with Jews and Christians,
as evident by the churches and synagogues still standing for centuries
and the 15 million who live in Arab countries today. Muslim Web sites,
scholars and organizations have condemned terrorism, but that doesn't
make for spicy news for most Western media outlets.
Discover true Islam by reading the Quran, reading books by Muslim
scholars or visiting our mosques. Find out why many convert to Islam; for
the beauty and truth in it, not for what is on the news.
Lara Scott
Nicholasville
To obtain or sponsor a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
---
RARE COPY OF HOLY QUR'AN DONATED
TO LOCAL MUSLIMS BY DETROIT LAWYER -
TOP
PR Newswire, 4/18/06
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060418/detu036.html
DEARBORN, Mich - A nearly 300-year old English translation of the Holy
Qur'an -- the Islamic scriptures -- has been donated to the Islamic
Center of America (ICA) by Richard L. Steinberg, a Detroit trial
attorney. The book is to be held in trust for all Muslim peoples in metro
Detroit at the ICA, which is the largest mosque in North America.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/20/06
*
Verse: Avoid
Avarice
*
CAIR-San Diego
Meets
with State Dept Official on Iran
*
NV:
CAIR-LA Rep to Join 'Beyond the Danish Cartoons' Panel
-
MA: Film Focuses on Muhammad
(Daily News)
*
CAIR-CA:
Marchers Protest Police Treatment (Aggie)
-
Council OKs Cop Plan (Davis
Enterprise)
*
CAIR-OH:
Bridging the Cultural Gap One Viewer at a Time
*
Terror List Snags Americans with `Wrong' Name (Mercury News)
-
GA: FBI
Detains Tech Student, But Won't Say Why (AJC)
*
KS:
Muslim Students
Battle Prejudice (LJ World)
-
IL:
Study
to Probe Muslim Integration (Chicago Trib)
-
DC
Lecture: Islamic Science and Renaissance Europe
*
DC: FBI
Wants Columnist's AIPAC Papers (USA Today)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: AVOID
AVARICE -
TOP
"(T)hose saved from the avarice of their own souls - they are the
ones who will achieve true success."
The Holy Quran, 59:9
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Two hungry wolves,
if let loose among a flock of sheep, will not do more damage (to a
person's faith) than that which is caused by avarice for wealth and
status."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 180
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR-SAN DIEGO MEETS WITH STATE DEPT. OFFICIAL ON IRAN -
TOP
(SAN DIEGO, CA, 4/20/06) - CAIR-San Diego, along with Islamic Center of
San Diego, recently hosted a meeting of local Muslim leaders with Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State Gordon Gray to discuss U.S. policy toward
Iran. CAIR-San Diego also presented a Quran, Islam's revealed text, as a
gift to Gray.
-----
CAIR-LA: UNIVERSITY PANEL ASKS 'WHAT'S TOO OFFENSIVE?' -
TOP
Brandon Stewart, Nevada News, 4/19/06
http://www.unr.edu/nevadanews/detail.aspx?id=1612
Following worldwide protests over the publication of Danish cartoons
depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad, journalists are being forced to
reevaluate the ethics of publishing material that could be considered
offensive.
The Reynolds School of Journalism, in partnership with the Reynolds
National Center for Courts and Media, will contribute to that discussion
with its "Beyond the Danish Cartoons" panel discussion at 7:30
p.m. Monday, April 24 in the auditorium of the National Judicial
College.
The panel of journalists, lawyers and clergy will discuss the ethics of
publishing potentially offensive materials, especially those related to
religion. After a short presentation by the panelists, the floor will be
opened to questions, discussion and debate. Using technology similar to
the television show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," audience
members will also vote on about a dozen examples of unpublished
controversial editorial cartoons from across the country, electing either
to publish or not publish.
Led by Ed Lenert, journalism professor and Fred W. Smith Chair of
Critical Thinking and Ethical Practices, the panel features: Rochelle
Wilcox, a nationally recognized media lawyer and First Amendment expert;
Hussam Ayloush, from the Council for American-Islamic Relations; The Rev.
John Emerson, from the United Methodist Church and Religious Alliance in
Nevada; and Rex Babin, editorial cartoonist from The Sacramento Bee.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
FILM FOCUSES ON MUHAMMAD -
TOP
Priscilla Yeon, Daily News, 4/20/06
http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=74751
WESTWOOD -- Ever since a Danish newspaper printed illustrations of
Muhammad, there has been misunderstanding and confusion about Islam and
the prophet, said resident Ali Fakira.
Despite the newspaper's poor decision to print images depicting the
prophet, Fakira said he condemns the destruction that some Muslims caused
around the world because of it.
Fakira, with his wife, Nur'izzah Khalil, both members of the Islamic
Center of New England, organized a film screening about the prophet last
night at the main library to educate people about Muhammad.
"We decided to show the other face of Muslims -- we're not about
destruction," said Fakira. "We want to promote the beauty of
Islam and of Prophet Muhammad."
The Islamic Center has been showing the film "Muhammad, Legacy of a
Prophet," produced by Alexander Kronemer and Michael Wolfe, in
several communities, including Walpole and Norwood, in the last
month.
Hafiz Masood, imam of the Islamic Center of New England in Sharon, said
the film is scheduled to be shown in Sharon and Quincy on April
30.
The movie, which follows a documentary format, talks about Muhammad's
journey of 23 years -- from the time he was 40 to the time he died at 63
in the year 632 -- serving as a messenger of God to promote hope to
Arabia. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-SACRAMENTO VALLEY: MARCHERS PROTEST POLICE TREATMENT -
TOP
Family intends to file civil suit against DPD
Alyson Noble, California Aggie, 4/20/06
http://media.www.californiaaggie.com/media/storage/paper981/news/2006/04/20/CityNews/Local.Judge.Throws.Out.Buzayan.Case.Marchers.Protest.Police.Treatment-1863306.shtml
Protestors march on Tuesday afternoon in support of Halema Buzayan, who
was arrested on June 13 for an alleged hit-and-run.
"What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!"
Protestors chanted Tuesday evening at a "March for Justice,"
organized by Davis Senior High students and UC Davis graduate student
David Greenwald. The march took place to draw attention to the
controversial arrest of a Halema Buzayan, the 16-year-old Muslim teen
arrested June 13 for what many alleged to be a fender-bender. The Buzayan
family said they believed that the police did not handle the case fairly
due to their religion.
The criminal case filed against Buzayan for the incident has recently
been thrown out by a local judge. Now the family intends to file a civil
suit against the DPD.
Citizens at the march held signs that read "Justice for Halema"
and ranged from civil rights groups, City Council candidates and family
and friends of Buzayan. The march began at Davis Senior High School and
proceeded to the City Council meeting on Russell Boulevard.
"I feel that it's great that the people in Davis are united,"
said Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald, chairperson of the city's Human
Relations Commission, who noted that she is speaking on her own behalf.
"They want justice, not just for Halema, but for all those in the
community that are victims of the misuse of power by some officers. It's
great that the issue is finally being discussed in public. I hope council
members see that it's time for a change."
Ivy Anderson, longtime Davis resident and a racial representative
affiliated with the California Chapter of National Action Network,
presented the "Davis Wall of Shame," a poster board covered in
photos and DVD testimonials of those who had complained of some form of
mistreatment by the Davis Police Department.
Dina EL-Nakhal, member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations of
the Sacramento Valley, the largest Muslim civil rights advocacy group in
the nation, said there is some involvement on the national level for this
cause.
"The reason for this march was first to support Halema, and secondly
to send a message to the council that there is a problem with the system
and they need to write a policy to make sure that this doesn't happen
again," EL-Nakhal said.
SEE ALSO:
COUNCIL OKS COP PLAN -
TOP
Claire St. John, Davis Enterprise, 4/19/06
http://www.davisenterprise.com/articles/2006/04/19/news/256new0.txt
Faced with another overflow crowd Tuesday of people advocating for a
police oversight commission, the Davis City Council fast-tracked the
creation of a city ombudsman position. And, straying from form, council
members took turns clarifying their positions on the matter and promising
something will be done.
"All that we did last night is we sped the process up,"
Councilman Stephen Souza said this morning, after his motion to start
work on an ombudsman position as soon as the next council meeting
received unanimous support.
"We've been on this course of action since February. Instead of
waiting for our mid-May budget review when we put the motions forward, we
have asked that it be stepped up."
There was standing room only in the Community Chambers Tuesday night.
Outside, about 50 people marched from Davis High School to City Hall in
support of Halema Buzayan, the 17-year-old Muslim girl who has become the
face of months of complaints against the Davis Police
Department.
Suspected of a parking lot hit-and-run accident, Buzayan was arrested at
9:30 at night in her pajamas, taken to the police station and questioned
without her parents present, leading the family to raise allegations of
police misconduct and discrimination because they are Muslim.
A Yolo County judge dismissed the hit-and-run case Monday.
Dina El-Nakhal, director of communications for the Sacramento Valley
chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, said the march was
organized to keep pressure on the City Council as well as to support
Buzayan.
"Support for Halema was the major theme, and certainly the issue
that injustice was done and needs to be corrected," El-Nakhal
said.
-----
CAIR-OH: BRIDGING THE CULTURAL GAP ONE VIEWER AT A TIME -
TOP
Paul Lane, Tonawanda News, 4/20/06
http://www.tonawanda-news.com/nightandday/gnnnightandday_story_109162458.html
Orchard Park - Tucked in the back of a complex of small warehouses,
Bridges TV doesn't look like much.
A small sign tacked to the front door is the only sign of life visible
from outside Studio V. A couple tiny offices branch off the main hallway
inside, which leads the visitor to a cavernous garage.
A small lounge is set up to the left, with a couple computers and a
diminutive sound station along the wall being the only proof that this
the home to a burgeoning TV station.
Muzzammil Hassan started the Muslim lifestyle network in late 2004,
reaching only 10,000 homes through premium cable subscriptions. With the
addition of several cable and satellite providers in the Midwest, Texas,
Canada and Florida, Bridges TV will soon be seen in 1 million homes.
Carriers including WOW! Cable, Buckeye Cable and Rogers Cable of Canada
will offer the network on its basic packages, allowing for that
jump.
Hassan, speaking prior to the filming of a "town hall session"
last week with members of the FBI, hopes the growth benefits viewers - of
which he hopes to see more non-Arabs and Muslims - as well as his
station. By offering a different perspective, he hopes to spur
understanding between Arabs, Muslims and the rest of the
population.
"Creating any dialogue is important," said Hassan, who usually
answers to "Mo." "The more this type of communication
happens, the better off everyone will be."
Adnan Mirza agrees. As a director with the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, he feels the station fills a void for everyone in
society.
"Bridges TV gives a clear understanding of the issues to viewers and
an opportunity for us to speak for ourselves," he said in a release.
"Americans are increasingly interested in better understanding
Middle Eastern cultures, and Muslim-Americans want to be better
understood." (MORE)
-----
TERROR LIST SNAGGING TOO MANY AMERICANS WITH `WRONG' NAME -
TOP
Shirin Sinnar, San Jose Mercury News, 4/20/06
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/14385671.htm
While Congress continues to debate the National Security Agency's program
of warrantless wiretapping, another form of government scrutiny has
largely escaped public notice. A growing number of private companies are
now screening potential customers against a government watch-list of
suspected terrorists. Financial institutions, credit bureaus, charities,
landlords and even employers are checking names against the list -- a
trend on a collision course with civil rights.
This watch-list, maintained by the Treasury Department Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC), now numbers more than 5,000 names. Shortly after
the Sept. 11 attacks, federal agencies began blocking the assets of
hundreds of people and groups believed to be associated with terrorism,
and adding them to the OFAC list. Most people on the list have never set
foot in the United States. But because many names on the list are common
Muslim or Latino names, people in this country with similar names are
increasingly getting snagged.
A Roseville couple recently found that out the hard way at a local
fitness store. When they attempted to buy a treadmill on a financing
plan, a Wells Fargo representative told the salesperson that the couple
would have to wait 72 hours while they were investigated. The reason? The
husband's first name was Hussein. He is a U.S. citizen who has lived here
more than 30 years, but because others named Hussein -- like Saddam --
are on the list, he had to be "cleared."
Similarly, a Chicago resident discovered the watch-list when he went to
an auto dealership to purchase a used car. At the top of his credit
report, a salesman noticed a reference to an ``OFAC search'' -- followed
by the names of terrorists, including Osama bin Laden. Apparently, the
customer's last name, Muhammad -- one of the most common names in the
world -- had triggered false matches to the watch-list, because the
individuals named on the credit report had Muhammad as their middle
name.
One wonders what would have happened had this man applied for a job or
sought to rent an apartment using the same credit report. How many
nervous employers or landlords would have simply turned him down, scared
off by the alarming reference to terrorists? The prospect of lost
opportunities for jobs or homes is very real, as more employers and
landlords begin checking not just credit reports but also the OFAC list
itself -- most with very little understanding of what the list means.
(MORE)
[SHIRIN SINNAR is an attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow at the
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, where she leads the Project on
Post-9/11 Discrimination.]
SEE ALSO:
FBI DETAINS
TECH STUDENT, BUT WON'T SAY WHY -
TOP
Bill Torpy, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/20/06
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/0420metdetain.html
A Georgia Tech student born in Pakistan has been in federal custody for
nearly a month, apparently because authorities suspect a videotape he
made of a building may have been related to terrorism, his family
said.
Syed Haris Ahmed, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering major who had
become increasingly religious in his Islamic faith, was arrested by the
FBI March 23 and has been held since, his family said.
Patrick Crosby, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, would not
confirm whether an investigation was ongoing or even if an arrest
occurred.
It is unclear what charges face Ahmed, but his family is convinced that
they stem from suspicions that he was participating in activities that
could be related to terrorism. His Atlanta attorney refused to comment on
the details of his client's case.
Ahmed's family denied that he could be involved in anything related to
terrorism. He came to the United States with his family in 1997, is an
American citizen and lived with his family near Dawsonville before moving
to an off-campus apartment near Georgia Tech.
Family members said Wednesday he informed them of his arrest in a phone
call shortly after he was taken into custody.
Ahmed's younger sister, Samia Ahmed, 18, said her brother told her that
authorities found a video on the Internet and apparently traced it to
him. "He said, 'I made a video but didn't distribute it to anyone,'
" she said.
"He said [it was] a building, not an important building," added
his mother, Faiqa Ahmed. Neither woman knew the location of the building
or when the tape was made.
Samia Ahmed said her brother perhaps had made the video while he was out
of state on a trip with some friends. She did not know where or with
whom.
Agents confiscated computer hard drives and data CDs from the family
home, the family said.
Jack Martin, a noted Atlanta criminal defense lawyer, was appointed by a
federal magistrate to represent Ahmed shortly after his arrest. "I
have been appointed to represent him," Martin said. "I'm going
to do my constitutional duty to the best of my ability."
Martin refused to discuss the details of his client's circumstances.
(MORE)
-----
MUSLIM STUDENTS BATTLE
PREJUDICE -
TOP
'I've never done anything to anybody'
Sophia Maines, Lawrence Journal World, 4/20/06
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/apr/20/muslim_students_battle_prejudice/
It was just two days ago that Kansas University student Bazigha Tufail
was taunted for being Muslim.
Tufail, 20, stopped at a food court on campus for a bite when she
casually made eye contact with a young man. Tufail wore a headscarf as
she does wherever she goes.
As the man walked by, he muttered in her direction, "Bombs
away."
The words stung. They gave her pause and left a lingering
sadness.
"I've never done anything to anybody," she said. "I'm
like, 'why?' ... There's no way to counter that ignorance."
KU's Muslim Student Assn. is hosting Islam Awareness Week through Friday
to better students' understanding of Muslims and Islam. The aim is to
correct stereotypes and encourage tolerance. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
STUDY TO PROBE SLOW PACE OF MUSLIM INTEGRATION IN BURBS -
TOP
Charles Storch, Chicago Tribune, 4/20/06
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0604190376apr20,1,3457190.story
Sociologist Louise Cainkar, an authority on immigrant Arabs and Muslims
in the U.S., is leading a new study here aimed at speeding the civic
integration of Muslims in their suburban communities.
Cainkar, a senior research fellow at the University of Illinois at
Chicago Great Cities Institute, is chief investigator for the institute's
study, which is being financed with a $50,000 Chicago Community Trust
grant. In an earlier look at the Chicago area, she wrote of the sense of
exclusion felt by many Muslims -- particularly in suburbs, where they
have been moving in large numbers and especially after the 9/11 terrorist
attacks.
Between now and February, she will concentrate on three suburbs --
Bridgeview and Orland Park to Chicago's southwest and Morton Grove to its
north -- where there have been serious protests aimed at mosques,
existing or planned. Through historical records and interviews with
community leaders, she said she hopes to discover ways to lower the
social and political barriers Muslims face there.
In many suburbs, Muslims and non-Muslims exist in "parallel
universes," she said, one group rarely dealing with the
other.
"Every new ethnic or religious group here has fought its way in, and
it usually takes 20 to 30 years," she said. "Recognizing that,
let's move the process faster, let's not wait 30 years for Muslims to be
elected to city councils or school boards."
She said findings will be shared with Muslim groups. (MORE)
---
DC: "ISLAMIC SCIENCE AND THE MAKING OF RENAISSANCE EUROPE"
-
TOP
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2006/06-074.html
WHAT: George Saliba, senior distinguished visiting scholar in the
John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, will discuss
"Islamic Science and The Making of Renaissance
Europe."
Saliba's illustrated talk will explore the scientific ideas that passed
from the Islamic world to the European Renaissance during the 15th and
16th centuries. He will show the connection between mathematical
innovations produced in the Islamic world and mathematical astronomy
during the Renaissance. Saliba will rely on evidence that was culled from
copies of original Arabic scientific manuscripts and their Latin
counterparts.
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington named Saliba to a 10-month post
as a Kluge scholar last July. Saliba is professor of Arabic and Islamic
science in the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures
at Columbia University. He received a master's degree in Semitic
languages and a doctorate in Islamic sciences from the University of
California at Berkeley. Saliba has been a professor at Columbia since
1979.
WHERE: Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E.,
Washington, D.C.
WHEN: 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 27,
The event, sponsored by the Kluge Center, is free and open to the public;
no reservations are required.
-----
FBI WANTS COLUMNIST JACK ANDERSON'S PAPERS -
TOP
USA Today, 4/19/06
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-04-19-anderson_x.htm
WASHINGTON (AP) - Not long after columnist Jack Anderson's funeral, FBI
agents called his widow to say they wanted to search his papers. They
were looking for confidential government information he might have
acquired in a half-century of investigative reporting.
The agents expressed interest in documents that would aid the
government's case against two former lobbyists for the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, who have been charged with disclosing
classified information, said Kevin Anderson, the columnist's son.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
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Fax: 202-488-0833
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-----
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS
- 4/21/06
*
Verse: Modesty
*
CAIR-NY:
OIC Ambassador to
Speak at Annual Dinner
-
CAIR-OH Hosts
State Department Visitors
-
CAIR-CA
Joins
Manzanar Internment Camp Event
*
CAIR-FL:
Bills
Would Block Aid to International Students
-
CAIR-FL:
U.S. Entry
Increasingly Being Denied (SP Times)
*
CAIR-MI:
Women
Fight to Exercise Away From Men (Free Press)
-
Modesty Rules Apply to
Men Also (Free Press)
*
CAIR-OH:
City Welcomes a
New Culture (Plain Dealer)
*
Incitement: Radio Host - 'Kill 100
Million' Muslims
*
NJ: Matrimony Aim of
Muslim Mixer (THNT)
-
NY: Muslims in the Military
(NY Sun)
*
U.S.
Firms Feel Loss of Arab Spending (WSJ)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: MODESTY -
TOP
"Tell the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty. That will make for greater purity for them. . .And say to
the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty."
The Holy Quran, 24:30-31
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Every faith has an
innate character. The character of Islam is modesty."
Al-Muwatta Hadith, Volume 47, Number 9
The Prophet also said: "Modesty does not come into anything without
adorning it."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1253
-----
OIC AMBASSADOR TO
SPEAK AT CAIR-NY DINNER -
TOP
WHAT: On May 13, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-NY) will hold its annual banquet, "American Muslims:
Protecting our Country and Civil Liberties."
The Keynote speakers will be Ambassador Abdul Wahab, Ambassador of the
57-Nation Organization of Islamic Conference Permanent Observer Mission
to the United Nations. Other speakers will include: Anisa Mehdi, Emmy
Award winning journalist; Ahmed Younis, National Director of the Muslim
Public Affairs Council; CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad; and CAIR
Board Chairman Dr. Parvez Ahmed
WHEN: Saturday, May 13, 2006
WHERE: Manhattan Center Studios at 311 West 34th Street, New York,
NY
CONTACT: CAIR-NY at 212-870-2002 or E-Mail:
info@cair-ny.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-OH HOSTS STATE
DEPARTMENT VISITORS -
TOP
(CINCINNATI, 4/20/06) - On April 20, the Cincinnati office of CAIR-Ohio
hosted a group of 11 visitors in the United States as part of the State
Department International Visitor Leadership Program. The Muslim and
Christian visitors are all community leaders from Arab countries and are
in America to learn about human rights advocacy, contemporary foreign
policy issues and about how human and civil rights activists influence
policy.
These visitors are involved in human rights work, youth programs, women's
rights work, helping the disabled, and journalism in their own countries.
CAIR-Ohio representatives gave the visitors a presentation about CAIR and
responded to questions from the visitors.
---
CAIR-SV JOINS ANNUAL MANZANAR INTERNMENT CAMP OBSERVANCE -
TOP
On April 28-30, CAIR-Sacramento Valley will join the JACL-Florin and
former WWII Japanese-American internees on the annual
"Pilgrimage" to Manzanar internment camp. Muslim youth will
also take part in the event.
CONTACT: CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra, 916-441-6269, or
E-Mail: sacval@cair.com
-----
CAIR-FL: BILLS WOULD BLOCK AID TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS -
TOP
(MIAMI, FL, 4/21/2006) - The Florida office of the Council on American
Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL), along with groups such as Florida
Immigration Advocacy Center (FIAC) and the Muslim Student Association
(MSA) at USF, today called for the withdrawal of proposed legislation
that would prohibit state funds from being used to provide financial aid
to university and college students on visas.
Florida House Bill 205 and Senate Bill 458 target students that hold
visas and receive financial support from Florida to attend state schools.
A similar bill 2003 HB 31, introduced by Rep. Dick Kravitz,
R-Jacksonville three years ago targeting some Muslim countries was
defeated during the senate hearing.
If the legislation passes, Florida will be the only state that prohibits
funds going to international students. According to an analysis by the
Association of International Educators, foreign students and their
families contributed $626 million in the 2004-2005 academic years. HB 205
would save the State about $8 million.
To view the proposed bills, go to:
HB 205,
SB 458
CAIR-FL Executive Director Altaf Ali said there are many who challenge
these bills, including from Mark Rosenberg, chancellor of Florida's
university system, to Marina Ottaway, senior associate at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: Altaf Ali, CAIR FL Executive Director, 954-298-8214, E-Mail:
altaf@cairfl.org, CAIR-FL Orlando
Director Christopher Cusano, E-Mail:
Chriscusano@cairfl.org; CAIR
FL Tampa Director Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506, E-Mail:
Abedier@cairfl.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-FL: U.S.
ENTRY INCREASINGLY BEING DENIED -
TOP
Shadi Rahimi, St. Petersburg Times, 4/21/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/20/Tampabay/US_entry_increasingly.shtml
Since Sept. 11, foreign visitors are under increased scrutiny by Homeland
Security.
A Zimbabwe woman who arrived in San Francisco traveling on a student visa
was barred from entering the United States.
A Jordanian national with a valid passport and visa was denied entry in
Chicago.
And four University of Florida students who had gone home to China for
Christmas were barred from returning for months.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, foreign visitors who may once have
easily entered the United States are facing increased scrutiny at land
borders, airports and seaports. Every year, more than 300,000 noncitizens
are denied entry for reasons ranging from improper or fraudulent travel
documents to suspected terrorist ties.
Last week, Safana Jawad, an Iraqi-born Spanish citizen, said she was
denied entry at Tampa International Airport because federal agents
believed she was connected to someone they view as suspicious.
Her case isn't unusual.
About 500 noncitizens last year were denied entry because of terrorism or
national security concerns, said Kelly Klundt, a spokeswoman for U.S.
Customs and Border Protection in Washington, D.C.
Ahmed Bedier, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in
Tampa, said Muslims like Jawad still often feel singled out by
federal authorities, though reports of racial profiling at airports have
dropped significantly since Sept. 11.
In 2004, of the 1,522 "anti-Muslim incidents" reported to the
council, nearly 6 percent, or 88 incidents, occurred at airports, he
said. The reported cases represent less than 20 percent of the total
number nationwide, he said.
Bedier, however, believes most incidents go unreported because many
people lack the sophistication of Jawad's family "It was beneficial
that she was educated enough that she demanded to speak to lawyers and
the Spanish embassy. Not everybody reacts in real time like that,"
Bedier said. "When you're in a state of shock, you're afraid, you're
being interrogated, you can forget your rights."
-----
CAIR-MI: MUSLIM WOMEN FIGHT TO EXERCISE AWAY FROM MEN -
TOP
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 4/21/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/NEWS05/604210355/1007/NEWS
When Arrwa Mogalli agreed to plunk down $1,465 for a lifetime membership
with the Fitness USA chain of gyms, she did so after being promised that
its Lincoln Park facility would be open only to women on certain
days.
As a devout Muslim, Mogalli firmly believes her religion frowns on her
working out where she could see men -- and men could see her -- moving
and dressed in a manner that might seem immodest.
So when the Lincoln Park gym decided this month to open up part of the
center to both sexes every day, the 28-year-old Dearborn resident and
other area Muslims felt cheated. So far, about 200 Muslim women with
Fitness USA memberships have signed a petition asking the chain to return
to gender-specific days for the entire gym or to put up a divider so men
and women can't see each other while working out.
Fitness USA officials met with one of the women and a Muslim advocate
this week at their corporate office in West Bloomfield and said they are
working on a response to the women's concerns. But they also noted that
their written contracts say nothing about gender.
The women's concerns reflect the ways many Muslims in metro Detroit are
trying to blend their American lifestyles with Islamic traditions. In
recent years, for example, Dearborn Public Schools has offered
gender-segregated gym and swimming classes. The move came after a growing
number of Muslim parents expressed concerns about their children
attending physical education classes with the opposite sex, school
officials said. . .
Though Islam is guiding their concerns, Saidi and other Muslims stress
that people of other faiths, including Christians and Orthodox Jews,
share similar concerns. Moreover, with the Islamic population growing,
Muslims argue it makes good business sense for local companies to
accommodate their faith. . .
But this month, Fitness USA opened a new cardio section in Lincoln Park
with plasma televisions, the latest workout equipment and tanning salons,
and offered it to both genders on all days. Since that part of the gym
can easily be seen from existing workout areas, the gender-specific days
are meaningless, the women said. A similar problem arose in the Westland
location, said
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan branch
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (MORE)
ALSO SEE:
CAIR: MODESTY IS AT
CORE OF THE ISSUE -
TOP
Rules apply to Muslim men also
Detroit Free Press, 4/21/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/NEWS05/604210354/1007/NEWS05
Every faith has a defining characteristic, the prophet Muhammad is
believed to have said. For Islam, it's modesty.
That idea guides many Muslims in metro Detroit, who believe that
separating men and women in certain situations is a requirement of their
faith. Working out in public gyms is one of those times, they
say.
"We try to avoid as much as possible placing ourselves in situations
where we can be seen in immodest ways in front of the other gender,"
said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Ammerah Saidi, 23, of Dearborn spoke of her concern in a letter sent to
Fitness USA this week, asking the company to reinstate women-only days at
its Lincoln Park gym.
Earlier this month, the facility allowed men to attend a new part of the
gym on women-only days, allowing men and women in all sections of the gym
to see each other.
"Men and women in Islam cannot work out together in the same
facility since this would be within the confines of modesty," Saidi
wrote. "We are ... also not allowed to move in compromising ways,
which would be the case if working out in front of men."
Saidi and Walid point out that Christianity and Judaism also urge
modesty.
In some Orthodox Jewish communities, the sexes are separated in schools,
synagogues and during weddings, said Allan Gale, associate director of
the Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit. The gym facilities
at the Jewish Community Center in Oak Park, he noted, have special hours
for women.
Ibrahim Hooper, an official with the national office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said Islamic rules of modesty also apply to
men.
"Many Muslim men avoid going to these kinds of workout
facilities because of the attire worn by other people," he said.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR-CLEVELAND:
CITY WELCOMES A NEW CULTURE -
TOP
Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/18/06
http://www.cleveland.com/mosaic/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/zmosa/1145004537175980.xml&coll=2&thispage=4
As the population in North Olmsted steadily grows, so does its ethnic
diversity. In fact, there has been a rise in the number of Islamic
families coming to this quiet suburb. What's the draw? Certainly location
and convenience, but it's mostly because of the friendly, welcoming
community here a community of people willing to accept and embrace a new
culture.
Perhaps this spirit of invitation comes from the top down. In response to
the city's growing Islamic population, Mayor O'Grady has been working
with the
Council on American-Islamic Relations. "We have
talked with him to try to empower our community to be more active in the
city's affairs," says Julia Shearson, director of the Council's
Cleveland office. "We want to be active, contributing members of
this city, to become part of the fabric of civic
involvement."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a national organization
headquartered in Washington, D.C., that started in 1994. Today there are
32 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, with three chapters in Ohio in
Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland. The Cleveland office opened in fall
of 2003. The Council is an educational organization, not a religious one,
with a mission to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue,
and protect civil liberties.
Isam Zaiem, chair of the Council's Cleveland office, lived in North
Olmsted for 16 years. "Islamic people love North Olmsted for the
same reasons other residents do accessibility to downtown Cleveland, one
of the best school systems in the region, lots of green space, and a safe
environment to raise our children." He adds that getting around town
is easy and the local shopping is great. Zaiem says that people in the
Islamic community are happy here, and they're spreading the word to
family and friends back home. As a result, the population continues to
expand.
"Welcoming diversity makes a lot of economic sense, too," says
Shearson. "Where we feel welcome, we will come to contribute to the
community, to society as a whole, and to the economy. It's a good
situation for everyone."
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: SAVAGE ADVOCATED
"KILL[ING] 100 MILLION" MUSLIMS -
TOP
Media Matters, 4/19/06
http://mediamatters.org/items/200604190001
On April 17, nationally syndicated radio host Michael Savage called for
"kill[ing] 100 million" Muslims. . .
On his radio show, Savage told listeners that "intelligent people,
wealthy people ... are very depressed by the weakness that America is
showing to these psychotics in the Muslim world. They say, 'Oh, there's a
billion of them.' " Savage continued: "I said, 'So, kill 100
million of them, then there'd be 900 million of them.' I mean ... would
you rather us die than them?" Savage added: "Would you rather
we disappear or we die? Or would you rather they disappear and they die?
Because you're going to have to make that choice sooner rather than
later."
-----
MATRIMONY AIM OF MUSLIM MIXER
-
TOP
Deborah Lynn Blumberg, Home News Tribune Online, 4/20/06
http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060420/NEWS01/604200355
For practicing Muslims, dating is prohibited, leaving many singles with
limited opportunities to meet potential mates.
"For Muslims, it's a little tougher to meet new people,'' said
32-year-old Ahmed Osman."It's not like we can go to a bar and meet
somebody.''
Singles convene at mosques, but lectures and afternoon prayer don't
always lend themselves to getting to know members of the opposite sex,
Osman said. Most Muslims looking to marry end up meeting potential mates
through family referrals, sitting through what can be uncomfortable
introductions, as mom, dad and sometimes other family members listen
in.
"A family friend might know somebody who knows somebody," Osman
said, "and then the two families get together and talk. It's a very
awkward situation."
Azra Baig and other young members of the Islamic Society of Central
Jersey in South Brunswick wanted to give single Muslims in the area
another option.
On Saturday night, Baig will help host the Islamic Society's second
Muslim matrimonial event, an evening of chaperoned mingling and chatting
for Muslims ready to marry. Singles younger than 40 will meet at the
Shezan Banquet Hall in Edison for dinner, casual get-to-know-you
sessions, a comedy act and prayer.
Baig, who is married with two children, said the event fills a growing
need in the Muslim community. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS IN THE MILITARY -
TOP
John P. Avlon, New York Sun, 4/21/06
http://www.nysun.com/article/31393
His call sign is "Hadji," meaning "one who has made a
pilgrimage to Mecca."
"It's a pilot thing," explains Colonel Douglas Burpee, the
highest ranking Muslim officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Now in his 23rd
year of military service, Colonel Burpee recently returned from flying
helicopters in Afghanistan.
"Everyone knows I'm a Muslim. When I fly, attached to my dog tags, I
wear a pendant with a passage from the Koran," he says. "I try
to set a good example based upon what I believe.... I can be a soldier
and a Muslim at the same time. I have no problem with
that."
In the era of the war on terror, the example of a devout Muslim serving
in the American Military is a heartening sign that highlights the
difference between America and its self-appointed enemies in this
conflict. This is not a clash of civilizations, but a fight between a
modern pluralistic democracy and intolerant murders who have hijacked one
of the world's great faiths.
Certainly that's Colonel Burpee's view. "These people who commit
terrorism have just adopted the face of Islam - nothing they say or do
have anything to do with Islam," he says. "The Taliban is a
terrorist organization - they are bad people doing bad things and they've
attached religion to it. They are ruthless when it comes to killing
people, but that's how you move helpless people around - you use
fear."
Out of the 1.4 million service men and women serving actively in the
American military, an estimated 3,700 are Muslim, according to the
Department of Defense.
Colonel Burpee's path to both Islam and the military is not necessarily
typical. With blond hair that is now going gray, he was born in America
and raised Episcopalian. He converted to Islam when he was 19 for a very
American reason: "I met a pretty girl" - an Egyptian woman
named Hala who was a fellow student at the University of Southern
California in the late 1970s. Three years later he was accepted at the
Officers Candidates' School in Quantico, Va. Now he and Hala and their
five sons live in Glendale, Calif.
-----
U.S.
SERVICE-SECTOR FIRMS FEEL LOSS OF ARAB SPENDING -
TOP
Yasmine El-Rashidi, Wall Street Journal, 4/21/06
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114558137361431997-fYKSl9P8hu27XuvZ6q46T25IHNU_20070421.html
JIDDA, Saudi Arabia -- The economic rift that opened between the Middle
East and U.S. after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has widened into a chasm.
While the U.S. was once the first stop for goods and services, Middle
Easterners are turning to what many see as more Arab-friendly
environments in Europe and Asia.
Attention in recent months has focused on Arab investment, after security
concerns derailed the acquisition of U.S. port operations by an Arab
company, Dubai Ports World. But a decline in Middle Eastern spending has
also hit service sectors such as tourism, education and health care,
triggering business-strategy shifts in such places as Cleveland and
Rochester, Minn.
A hallmark of past oil booms was that money America spends on oil and gas
gets cycled back into the U.S. economy as investment and spending on U.S.
goods and services. Middle Eastern investors and consumers aren't
completely ignoring the U.S. this time: They are major buyers of U.S.
government bonds, and have purchased U.S. hotels, such as New York's
Essex House, and real estate in the South.
But America's allure appears to be waning, and travel to the U.S. from
the Mideast has dropped. U.S. visits by Saudi Arabians, for example, fell
to 18,573 in 2004, the last year for which statistics are available, from
72,891 in 1999, Commerce Department figures show. That represents an
especially pronounced drop in tourist dollars because Saudi visitors
spend three times as much per person as any other group of U.S. tourists,
$9,368 per trip to the U.S., the Commerce Department says.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS -
4/23/06
*
Hadith:
Do Not Return Evil for Evil
-
Verse:
God is the best of Those Who
Forgive
*
CAIR-Chicago:
Police
Ripped Off Muslim Girl's Hijab
*
CAIR:
In Tribute to
Activist, a Call to Forgive (Wash Post)
-
CAIR:
All Prophets Deserve
Respect, Including Jesus
-
CAIR-OH Joins State Community
Outreach Program
-
CAIR-SC Hosts 'Discover Islam' Open
House
*
Analysis:
5 Truths About
Darfur (Washington Post)
*
NY:
Loans Acceptable to Muslims
Become More Common
-
CT:
Shariah-Compliant Investment
Products
*
MN:
Muslim Day at the Capitol
(AP)
*
VA:
Muslims Host Passover Seder in
Mosque
*
Judge Allows Defense in AIPAC
Trial to Summon Rice (Haaretz)
-
Criticize Israel? How Dare They!
(Sun-Times)
*
Canada:
Hijabs Make Haircuts a
Challenge for Women
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: DO NOT RETURN EVIL FOR EVIL -
TOP
Narrated Ayesha: (The Prophet Muhammad) did not return evil for evil, but
he would forgive and pardon."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1528
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
VERSE OF THE DAY: GOD IS THE BEST OF THOSE WHO
FORGIVE -
TOP
"(Moses) prayed: "O my Lord. . .You are our protector, so
forgive us and give us Your mercy, for You are the best of those who
forgive."
The Holy Quran, 7:155
To sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO: POLICE RIPPED OFF
MUSLIM GIRL'S HIJAB -
TOP
Khalid Hasan, Daily Times (Pakistan), 4/23/06
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5c04%5c23%5cstory_23-4-2006_pg7_15
WASHINGTON: The trial of Rehana Khan, a Muslim girl of Pakistani-descent
from Illinois who had her headscarf or hijab ripped off after she and
several others were arrested for civil disobedience while protesting at a
rally for immigrant rights last year, has finally been scheduled for
April 25.
A group of five young people - white, Latino, Muslim - are facing up to
four years in jail for a protest against the racist vigilante group the
Minutemen.
Two Illinois state attorneys have reportedly refused to discuss a plea
without jail time.
Their case goes to trial on April 25, according to
the New Jersey-based website DesPardes, quoting the Council for American
Islamic Relations
(
CAIR).
Rehana, while being led to a police squad car, reportedly informed an
officer that the way in which she was being handled was causing extreme
pain - actions from which she obtained bruises and scars - and requested
that the officer ease her grip.
The officer responded by stating, "No, that's what you get,"
and then remarked, "Take that off" and violently pulled off her
hijab. At the police station, Rehana was made to take off her hijab again
and was searched by a female and male officer without her hijab
on.
After the search, the female officer tried to give the hijab back to her
but the male officer stopped her, saying that there was nobody at the
station to look at her, while adding that the practice of wearing the
hijab was a "fashion statement".
The detainee was then kept in lock up without being permitted to wear her
hijab. CAIR-Chicago will be meeting representatives of the village of
Arlington Heights to discuss this instance of police misconduct.
SEE:
http://cairchicago.org/
-----
CAIR: IN TRIBUTE TO ACTIVIST,
A CALL TO FORGIVE -
TOP
Peace Group's Aim: Praising Va. Man, Not Blaming Killers
Jerry Markon, Washington Post, 4/23/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/22/AR2006042201202.html
Tom Fox lived for peace but died a violent death, shot multiple times,
his body dumped in a trash-strewn Baghdad neighborhood after he was
kidnapped.
Yet colleagues of the Virginia peace activist suggested absolution for
his killers yesterday at a memorial service that celebrated his life.
Titled "Reflections on Compassion and Forgiveness," the service
featured a black banner in Fox's memory: "To those who held Tom we
declare: God has forgiven you."
It was the message of Christian Peacemaker Teams, the Toronto- and
Chicago-based peace group that Fox served in Iraq after he quit his job
running a grocery store in Springfield. The Rev. Carol Rose, the
organization's co-director, told more than 200 of Fox's friends and
colleagues that the banner was hung in Baghdad after his body was
discovered last month. . .
Inside the church, there were a few tears but more smiles as speakers
recalled Fox's courage and commitment. They remembered him as kind and
quiet, a man who rarely raised his voice but had a yell that sounded like
Kermit the Frog when he did. Fox's license plate and e-mail address, they
said, contained the words "inner light."
Emily Smith, a representative of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said Fox's work reflected the close ties between Muslims and
the Christian peacekeeping community. "All of us, people of many
faiths, have been touched by Tom's life and death," she said.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR: `SOUTH PARK' TAKEN TO TASK -
TOP
The San Diego Union-Tribune, 4/20/06
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060420/news_1c20relbrief.html
HOLLYWOOD -- A Christian advocacy group has blasted Comedy Central for
last week's episode of the controversial cartoon show "South
Park," in which the network censored an image of the Prophet
Muhammad but showed an animated Jesus defecating an American flag.
President Bush was depicted doing the same thing.
Charmaine Yoest, vice president of the Family Research Council, said it
was "outrageous" to air the prophet's image and censor another.
"It only adds insult to injury that Comedy Central is so sensitive
to the feelings of Muslims without seeming to care one little bit with
how Christians would react," Yoest said. . .
Rabiah Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said, "We welcome their responsible decision
making," but urged that respect be given to all of the prophets,
including Christ.
-----
OHIO HOMELAND SECURITY LAUNCHES
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS -
TOP
US Fed News, 4/21/06
http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/news/2006/042106_SSLrelease.pdf
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 21 -- The Ohio Department of Public Safety issued
the following news release:
Advancing the mission to protect Ohioans from terrorism, Ohio Homeland
Security Director John Overly today highlighted statewide community
outreach efforts through the establishment of a new Office of
Multicultural Affairs and the "See Something" public awareness
campaign.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs, led by Omar Alomari, was established
to develop a culturally-diverse outreach program for all Ohioans,
including the Hispanic and Arab/Muslim American communities. Mr. Alomari
outlined his vision at a press conference held at the Ohio Hispanic
Coalition. Also attending the press conference were Ohio Hispanic
Coalition Director Julia Arbini-Carbonell and
Council on American
Islamic Relations Director Adnan Mirza. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-SC HOSTS 'DISCOVER ISLAM AND MUSLIMS' OPEN
HOUSE -
TOP
Matters of Faith
The State, 4/22/06
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/14402891.htm
MASJID NOOR - UL HUDA:
S.C. Chapter of Council on American-Islamic
Relations holds an open house "Discover Islam &
Muslims," which includes speakers, video on the Prophet Muhammad and
dinner following. 3:30 p.m. today. 517 Winmet Drive off of Fairfield
Road, Columbia. (803) 233-1809.
-----
5 TRUTHS ABOUT DARFUR -
TOP
Emily Wax, Washington Post, 4/23/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/21/AR2006042101752.html
Heard all you need to know about Darfur? Think again. Three years after a
government-backed militia began fighting rebels and residents in this
region of western Sudan, much of the conventional wisdom surrounding the
conflict -- including the religious, ethnic and economic factors that
drive it -- fails to match the realities on the ground. Tens of thousands
have died and some 2.5 million have been displaced, with no end to the
conflict in sight. Here are five truths to challenge the most common
misconceptions about Darfur:
1 Nearly everyone is Muslim. . .
A long-running but recently pacified war between Sudan's north and
south did have religious undertones, with the Islamic Arab-dominated
government fighting southern Christian and animist African rebels over
political power, oil and, in part, religion.
"But it's totally different in Darfur," said Mathina Mydin, a
Malaysian nurse who worked in a clinic on the outskirts of Nyala, the
capital of South Darfur. "As a Muslim myself, I wanted to bring the
sides together under Islam. But I quickly realized this war had nothing
to do with religion."
2 Everyone is black
Although the conflict has also been framed as a battle between Arabs
and black Africans, everyone in Darfur appears dark-skinned, at least by
the usual American standards. The true division in Darfur is between
ethnic groups, split between herders and farmers. Each tribe gives itself
the label of "African" or "Arab" based on what
language its members speak and whether they work the soil or herd
livestock. . .
"Black Americans who come to Darfur always say, 'So where are the
Arabs? Why do all these people look black?'" said Mahjoub Mohamed
Saleh, editor of Sudan's independent Al-Ayam newspaper. "The bottom
line is that tribes have intermarried forever in Darfur. Men even have
one so-called Arab wife and one so-called African. Tribes started
labeling themselves this way several decades ago for political reasons.
Who knows what the real bloodlines are in Darfur?". . .
5 The "genocide" label made it worse
Many of the world's governments have drawn the line at labeling
Darfur as genocide. Some call the conflict a case of ethnic cleansing,
and others have described it as a government going too far in trying to
put down a rebellion.
But in September 2004, then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell referred
to the conflict as a "genocide." Rather than spurring greater
international action, that label only seems to have strengthened Sudan's
rebels; they believe they don't need to negotiate with the government and
think they will have U.S. support when they commit attacks. Peace talks
have broken down seven times, partly because the rebel groups have walked
out of negotiations. And Sudan's government has used the genocide label
to market itself in the Middle East as another victim of America's
anti-Arab and anti-Islamic policies. . .
-----
NY: LOANS ACCEPTABLE TO MUSLIMS BECOME
MORE COMMON -
TOP
Chinki Sinha, Post-Standard, 4/23/06
http://www.syracuse.com/business/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/business-2/1145610298276040.xml&coll=1
It took A. Ali at least six years to get the right kind of loan to buy a
house. It wasn't because his credit score was bad. It was his
faith.
Islam prohibits Muslims from dealing in conventional credit and taking or
giving Riba, or interest, in any form. So, Ali kept paying rent until
HSBC introduced Shariat-based loans in New York in 2002.
"We were renting. Our rent was much more 25 (percent) to 30 percent
more than the regular mortgage, if we had taken it. But we waited for
many years," said Ali. "It was like throwing money down the
drain."
Ali moved to Syracuse in 1994. At the time, there were no institutions in
New York that provided Islamic finance products based on co-ownership of
property.
The Quran explicitly says that one who takes interest income is at war
with Allah. It is as important as Zakat, or charity, which is mandatory,
said Imam Taqiuddin Ahmed, the director of the Islamic Society of Central
New York, 925 Comstock Ave.
"It is a sin. It is very, very serious," he said.
Ahmed provides counseling to Muslims who are planning to buy a house and
directs them to go to institutions that have Islamic financing options.
If there are none available, he directs them to keep paying
rent.
"There is no ground for you to buy on interest. When it is the
matter of life and death, then we allow," he said, giving an example
of how he would allow a Muslim to eat pork, which is considered Haram, or
sin, if there is nothing else available. "But eat little, only to
keep yourself alive, and then search for other options," he
said.
The same, he said, applies in the case of a loan.
The Quran made Riba unacceptable to provide for fairness in transactions
and to avoid loan-sharking. But in the modern world, it means rejecting
anything that promises a guaranteed return, including mortgages, credit
cards and stocks. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CT: ISLAMIC INVESTING -
TOP
Julie Fishman-Lapin, Stamford Advocate, 4/23/06
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/scn-sa-investingapr23,0,6238783.story
Last month, Eric Meyer was at a hedge fund conference in Dubai, speaking
to a room filled with asset managers -- about half from the United States
and a good number from lower Fairfield County.
"What is your strategy in the Middle East?" Meyer asked the
audience rhetorically.
It's a logical query, considering that the Middle East is estimated to be
a $250 billion to $500 billion investment market -- and virtually
untapped by the burgeoning American hedge fund community.
Meyer wasn't surprised that, despite the liquidity in the Middle East,
driven primarily by high oil prices, American and European hedge funds
don't have a go-to strategy for the region.
The reason: Accessing the Islamic investor market is a formidable
challenge.
No one knows that better than Meyer, who has spent the past five years
traveling from his New Canaan office to the Middle East and Europe,
laboring with Islamic Shariah scholars, as well as Western financial and
legal experts, to achieve what many thought impossible -- creating risk
management tools that enable observant Islamic investors to participate
in an alternative investment world.
In a pioneering effort, Meyer's New Canaan firm, Shariah Capital, a
division of Meyer Fund Management, has developed Shariah-compliant
alternative investment products, as well as the first Shariah-compliant
fund of funds. (MORE)
-----
MN: MUSLIM DAY AT THE CAPITOL -
TOP
Associated Press Daybook
April 24. 10:30 a.m. KIFFMEYER ADDRESS -- Minnesota Secretary of State
Mary Kiffmeyer greets participants in Muslim Day at the Capitol.
Location: State Capitol, rotunda, St. Paul
Contacts: Kent Kaiser (Secretary of State's office), (651)
297-8919
-----
ADAMS CENTER HOLDS PASSOVER SEDER -
TOP
Kim Centazzo, Connection Newspapers, 4/20/06
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=64668&paper=67&cat=104
What do Jews, Christians and Muslims have in common?
According to the All Dulles Area Muslims Society's president Rizwan Jaka,
a lot. The ADAMS Center held a Passover seder for 30 area Jews,
Christians and Muslims at the mosque in Sterling.
"It was a historical event," Jaka said. "For the first
time, a seder was held in a mosque on Easter." (MORE)
-----
VIRGINIA JUDGE ALLOWS DEFENSE IN
AIPAC TRIAL TO SUMMON RICE -
TOP
Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz, 4/22/06
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=708014
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis on Friday allowed the defense to summon
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify in the trial of two former
AIPAC officials accused of disclosing classified information.
Ellis ruled that Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman's lawyers established
sufficient reason to call for Rice to take the stand, adding that she
could decline the invitation by handing in a written document explaining
her reasons for doing so.
The two former pro-Israel lobbyists claim Rice and Rosen discussed the
classified information during a meeting. The prosecution said Rice denied
those claims. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CRITICIZE ISRAEL? HOW DARE THEY! -
TOP
U. of C.'s John Mearsheimer and Harvard's Stephen Walt spoke the
unspeakable when they challenged America's enduring support of the
'Israel Lobby'
Juan Cole, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/23/06
http://sun-times.com/index/index.html
John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt of Harvard
University's Kennedy School of Government have put their hands into a
hornet's nest with their paper in the London Review of Books titled
"The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy." As political
scientists who routinely analyze U.S. foreign policy, they have gained a
reputation for lucid and principled argument, but outside the halls of
academia are not exactly household names. In daring to simply describe
the well-known operations of the Israel lobby, however, they have made
themselves targets of a massive smear campaign. Ironically, this reaction
is just what their paper predicted.
Fair and gentlemanly to a fault, and widely respected in their
discipline, the two professors are impossible to imagine as
fire-breathing racial bigots, devious purveyors of blatant falsehoods or
wild-eyed conspiracy theorists prone to ignore obvious evidence, but
these are the sort of epithets being hurled at them by their
critics.
In "The Israel Lobby," Mearsheimer and Walt argue that U.S.
policy toward the Middle East has been dangerously skewed by a powerful
pro-Israel lobby, which inhibits free discussion of the issues and has
made the pro-Israeli position a political sacred cow. Congress, they
point out, virtually never criticizes Israel: It is an untouchable
subject. And this taboo has had enormous consequences, which are
themselves off limits for discussion. Because America's blank-check
support for Israel arouses enormous Arab and Muslim rage, Israel is a
strategic liability, not an asset.
Nor, Mearsheimer and Walt argue, is there any moral reason for America to
act against its own interests by supporting Israel come what may. Citing
distinguished Israeli historians and journalists, they demythologize
Israel's history, demonstrating that the root of the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict is the historical fact that "the creation of Israel
entailed a moral crime against the Palestinian people" -- a crime
that Israel's founders explicitly acknowledged and that has never been
rectified. They discuss Israel's illegal, almost 40-year-old occupation
and colonization of Palestinian land, and its flawed democracy, which
explicitly discriminates against Arabs. . .
That a powerful pro-Israel lobby exists and plays a significant role in
determining America's Middle East policies may be controversial here, but
everywhere else in the world, it is taken as virtually axiomatic. As
Geoffrey Wheatcroft noted in a piece on the controversy over the paper in
the Boston Globe, "On the eastern side of the Atlantic, it has long
been recognized that there is an intimate connection between the United
States and Israel, in which AIPAC clearly plays a major role. The degree
to which this has affected American policy, up to and including the war
in Iraq, has been discussed calmly by sane British commentators -- though
also, to be sure, played up maliciously by bigots. In America, by
contrast, there has been an unmistakable tendency to shy away from this
subject." Wheatcroft quotes Michael Kinsley, who noted in Slate in
2002 that "the connection between the invasion of Iraq and Israeli
interests had become 'the proverbial elephant in the room. Everybody sees
it, no one mentions it.' "
Predictably, most of paper's harshest critics have avoided engaging its
key arguments. Instead, they have raised straw men, attempted to shift
the debate to the question of whether it is even acceptable to raise the
subject, and either hinted or outright alleged that Mearsheimer and Walt
are bigots. These tactics allow critics to sidestep all the crucial
questions raised by the paper, while at the same time signaling to others
tempted to comment that if they stick their heads up, they will be cut
off. . .
The outraged and dismissive reaction to Mearsheimer and Walt's paper
illustrates their thesis. The United States faces severe challenges in
the Middle East, including issues having to do with Iraq, Iran, Saudi
Arabia, al Qaeda and what to do about the Israeli-Palestinian situation
now that Hamas has won the Palestinian elections. A debate about the best
policies to achieve American interests is being made difficult or
impossible by the tactics of intimidation deployed on both sides of the
Atlantic. With a possible war against Iran being floated by the Bush
administration, the stakes are far too high not to have the full and open
discussion we never had before Iraq. When Ben Franklin exited the
Constitutional Convention, he was asked what kind of government the
United States would have. "A republic, if you can keep it," he
is said to have replied. If we cannot even discuss the shape of U.S.
foreign policy toward the Middle East without a lynch mob forming, we
won't be able to keep it.
-----
HIJABS MAKE HAIRCUTS A CHALLENGE FOR
WOMEN -
TOP
Linda Nguyen, Hamilton Spectator, 4/22/06
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1145657414095
For Muslim women who don't expose their hair in public, something as
seemingly simple as getting a haircut is a challenge.
Many avoid regular hair salons and go to basement hairdressers and
private rooms to avoid being seen by men without their traditional
headscarf, the hijab.
Mira Khattab used to go to a woman who only cut hair in her home on the
weekends.
"(These) salons are private, in people's basements. A lot of
hairdressers are making cash at home. It's a little
industry."
Women who wear hijabs cover their hair and often parts of their face and
bodies for religious reasons. Khattab says it's about covering yourself
so men don't judge you only on your physical appearance. Finding private
home salons can be difficult. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MICHIGAN PROF TELLS MUSLIM STUDENTS TO LEAVE
AMERICA
CAIR-MI seeks disciplinary action over Islamophobic
e-mail
(LATHRUP VILLAGE, MI, 4/24/06) - The Michigan chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today called on Michigan
State University (MSU) in East Lansing to take
"appropriate
disciplinary action" against a professor who sent an
Islamophobic e-mail to Muslim students.
MSU engineering professor
Indrek Wichman used his faculty e-mail
account to send a "Dear Moslem Association" message to the
university's Muslim Students' Association (MSA) containing a long list of
charges, including a claim that Muslims rape
"Scandinavain [sic]
girls and women (called 'whores' in your culture)."
The February 28, 2006, e-mail also stated: "I counsul [sic] you
dissatisfied, agressive [sic], brutal, and uncivilized slave-trading
Moslems to be very aware of this as you proceed with your infantile
'protests.' If you do not like the values of the West--see the 1st
Ammendment [sic]--
you are free to leave. I hope for God's sake that
most of you choose that option. Please return to your ancestral
homelands and build them up yourselves instead of troubling
Americans."
Representatives from CAIR-MI and the MSA met several times with MSU
officials to urge the university to take appropriate action in the case
as well as to address the increasing religious and racial tensions on
campus. The university is considering a response to Muslim student
concerns.
"It is unconscionable for a professor to use his university
e-mail account to foster a hostile learning environment for Muslim
students," said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid. "The
university needs to take appropriate disciplinary action in this case to
demonstrate through its actions that anti-Muslim bigotry will not be
tolerated on campus."
Walid also said there have been a number of recent incidents on or
near the MSU campus targeting minorities.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-842-1418,
e-Mail:
director@cairmichigan.org;
CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/24/06
*
Hadith:
A Place in Paradise
*
CAIR Condemns Attack on Egyptian
Resort
*
IL:
News Conference for Muslim Who
Had Scarf Removed by Police
*
MI:
MSA Receives
Hate-Filled E-Mail from MSU Prof
*
VA:
Last Rites Tailored to Muslim
Customs (Wash Post)
*
IL:
More Menus Cater to Muslims
(Sun Times)
-
Danish Firm Receives U.S. Halal
Certification
*
IL:
Methodists, Muslims Form Pact
*
More Torture at Iraqi
Jails (Wash Post)
-
UK Muslims Must Pay More for US
Visas (BBC)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A PLACE IN PARADISE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There is a (place)
in paradise. . .prepared for those who are polite in their speech,
provide food (to the needy), fast frequently, and (pray) when (other)
people are asleep."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 367
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR CONDEMNS ATTACK ON EGYPTIAN RESORT -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/24/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) today condemned attacks Monday evening (local time) on the
Egyptian resort city of Dahab that left a number of people dead or
injured. Egyptian authorities said the blasts were likely caused by
bombs.
In a statement, the Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy
group said:
"We condemn these cowardly attacks, offer condolences to the loved
ones of all those who were killed or injured and call for the swift
apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators."
There have been a string of terror attacks in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula
over the past 18 months.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
IL NEWS CONFERENCE FOR MUSLIM WHO HAD
SCARF REMOVED BY POLICE -
TOP
(CHICAGO, IL, 4/24/06) - On Tuesday, April 25, the Chicago office of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) will hold a news
conference to urge the Village of Arlington Heights and the State's
Attorneys Office to drop charges against Rehana Khan, a Muslim woman who
alleges that police ripped off her Islamic head scarf (hijab) during an
arrest at a 2005 immigrant rights protest.
Khan is currently facing charges for battery against a police officer and
resisting arrest and is set to go to trial tomorrow.
SEE:
http://cairchicago.org/
WHAT: CAIR-Chicago News Conference on Rehana Khan Trial
WHEN: Tuesday, April 25, 9 a.m.
WHERE: In front of the main doors of the Third Municipal District
Circuit Court of Cook County, 2121 Euclid Ave., Rolling Meadows, IL
CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Coordinator Christina Abraham,
312-212-1520, E-Mail:
civilrights@cairchicago.org, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed
Rehab, 847-971-3963, E-Mail:
director@cairchicago.org
"The arresting officers should not have ripped the hijab off Ms.
Khan's head," said CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab.
"Police officers do not normally strip arrestees, but rather pat
them down or take them into private areas where they are searched by
officers of the same gender."
"For Muslim women who wear it, removing the hijab in such a
manner is equivalent to a forced state of nudity," said CAIR-Chicago
Civil Rights Coordinator Christina Abraham.
CAIR-Chicago is urging the Village of Arlington Heights to discipline
the officers who took part in Khan's arrest.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
MI: MUSLIM STUDENTS'
ASSOCIATION OF MSU RECEIVES HATE-FILLED E-MAIL FROM PROFESSOR -
TOP
(East Lansing, Michigan - 04/24/06) - The Muslim Students' Association
(MSA) of Michigan State University (MSU) received a very disturbing email
from Dr. Indrek S. Wichman, professor of Mechanical Engineering at
Michigan State University on 02/28/06. Using his MSU email account, he
degraded Muslims by calling them, "dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal,
and uncivilized slave-trading Moslems" and despicably demanded
Muslim students to "return to your ancestral homelands and build
them up yourselves instead of troubling Americans." These virulent
attacks are inexcusable for a MSU professor, especially considering the
University's collective commitment to fostering a welcoming academic
environment for all.
Representatives from the MSA have discussed this grave matter with
University officials on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, their response
was unsatisfactory and therefore, along with the undersigned
organizations, the MSA is calling for a public letter of reprimand by the
University to the professor.
Despite the University administration's unwillingness to adequately
discipline the professor, they have expressed a positive commitment to
work with us to avoid the reoccurrence of such an incident. To achieve
this end, we call for a comprehensive initiative to be undertaken by the
University to address the underlying problems of hate and discrimination
present at MSU through the following measures:
o Support for the MSA to put on Islamic culture and diversity
programs,
o Sponsorship by the office of the president and provost for diversity
programs and programs highlighting issues confronting Muslim
students,
o Mandatory freshmen seminar addressing hate and discrimination, and
o Programs for the faculty of MSU to undergo diversity training,
including Muslim sensitivity training.
The MSA has been proactive in uniting students of various backgrounds to
take a unified stance against all levels of hate, discrimination, and
racism at MSU. Specifically, we have been working with many other student
groups to establish an umbrella organization comprised of student leaders
of every concerned University registered student organization (RSO). RSOs
interested in joining the coalition should contact the MSA at
msaofmsu@gmail.com. We also urge
everyone to contact the University to express their disapproval of the
professor's racist remarks and support the call for the implementation of
the aforementioned initiatives. It is our hope that these initiatives and
the like will help put an end to hatred and discrimination at MSU and
foster a healthier and more harmonious community.
Signed:
Muslim Students' Association of Michigan State University
Co-Signed:
Arab Cultural Society - ACS
Asian Pacific American Student Organization - APASO
Black Student Alliance - BSA
Islamic Medical Students Association - IMSA
Jewish Student Union - JSU
North American Indigenous Student Organization - NAISO
Pakistan Students Association - PSA
Students for Economic Justice - SEJ
Women's Council
Council on American Islamic Relations - CAIR-MI (non-RSO)
Islamic Society of Greater Lansing - ISGL (non-RSO)
Muslim American Society - MAS-Lansing Chapter (non-RSO)
Press Contacts:
Farhan Abdul Azeez
President, Muslim Students' Association - MSU
(734) 604-2426,
azeezfar@msu.edu
Maryam Khalil
Vice President, Muslim Students' Association - MSU
(734) 834-7348,
khalilm2@msu.edu
-----
LAST RITES, TAILORED TO IMMIGRANT CUSTOMS -
TOP
Funeral Homes Learn the Traditions of a Diversifying Clientele
Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 4/24/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/23/AR2006042300874.html
On a recent gray day, the earth next to the Islamic Garden at National
Memorial Park near Falls Church was upturned for expansion. There,
deceased Muslims are often propped on one shoulder inside their coffins
so they face Mecca.
Nearby, workers placed stones in a creek bed bordering the Asian Garden.
Originally, the creek was going to be drained and filled in -- until
sales manager Scott Sagman, who consults feng shui masters about each
change to the section, put a stop to it. He knew running water is
considered good energy.
"If they cover that, not so good," Quang Duc, one of the
cemetery's feng shui consultants, said as he gazed at the creek. "We
need water, and we need trees."
Inside the cemetery's funeral home, closets hold the white shrouds,
Egyptian spray perfume and carbolic soap Muslims use to wash and dress
the dead. In one room, incense ash from Buddhist funerals has left marks
on the brown carpet.
As immigrants have transformed the way of life in the Washington region
and across the nation, they also have influenced the way of death, adding
customs to long-standing traditions. In recent decades, many cemeteries
and mortuaries -- whose directors are mostly white -- have adapted
services for a diversifying clientele, designing special burial sections,
providing rooms for Muslims and others to wash the deceased and allowing
mourners to participate in cremation, as Hindus and Buddhists often
request. (MORE)
-----
MORE MENUS CATER TO MUSLIMS -
TOP
Janet Rausa Fuller, Sun-Times, 4/24/06
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-halal24.html
Practicing Muslims who have a craving for a burger or hot dog can't just
go to any restaurant.
They have to make sure the meat they're eating is zabiha halal, or
prepared according to Islamic custom.
Until recently, the restaurants where they could be assured of this were
mostly mom-and-pop operations serving their native dishes.
But increasingly, fast-food restaurants are meeting the needs of Muslim
diners with Western tastes by offering menu items that are
halal-certified.
General manager Sonia Khan and assistant manager Michael Alcoser fill a
customer's order at a Brown's Chicken & Pasta restaurant in Skokie on
Friday. The restaurant offers all zabiha halal food except for the items
listed on the menu board.
Earlier this month, a KFC restaurant in Rogers Park began offering halal
chicken. Store owner Afzal Lokhandwala also runs a halal KFC in Lombard
that, when it opened in 2003, was the first of its kind in the nation,
according to a KFC spokeswoman.
Three Brown's Chicken & Pasta stores in the Chicago area also offer
halal items. A fourth opening this summer on Devon Avenue will offer an
entire halal menu, owner Nasir Yaqoob said.
Nationwide, Outback Steakhouse uses halal lamb from New Zealand in its
restaurants, and some Sizzler stores on the West Coast serve halal items.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CERTIFICATION WILL ALLOW FORTITECH TO TARGET
MUSLIM MARKET -
TOP
Eric Durr, The Business Review, 4/24/06
http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2006/04/24/daily3.html
Fortitech Inc's Denmark nutrient premix manufacturing plant has been
certified as Halal-compliant by the
Islamic Food and Nutrition
Council of America.
The certification means Fortitech Europe can now sell to packaged food
makers who are selling to Europe's estimated 50.9 million Muslims, said
Mark Fanion, Fortitech's spokesman.
"We see Halal as a form of guarantee that boosts our customers trust
and confidence in our nutrient premixes," said Peter Sorensen,
managing director of Fortitech Europe ApS.
The Muslim market is huge, at 1.5 billion people, and Fortitech's plants
in Schenectady and Southern California, and in Malaysia -- which serves
the worlds largest Muslim population in Indonesia -- are already Halal
certified, Fanion said.
The latest certification improves the 270-person Schenectady company's
ability to penetrate Muslim markets.
To earn the certification the company had to meet Islamic guidelines on
hygiene, dietary regulations, raw material processing and
packaging.
Fortitech, which has revenues of about $90 million annually, produces
custom nutrient mixes for food, drink and the pharmaceutical
industries.
The Fortitech Europe plant, located in Gadstrup, Denmark, serves markets
in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. (MORE)
-----
METHODISTS, MUSLIMS, FORM PACT IN ILLINOIS -
TOP
Linda S. Rhodes, Spero News, 4/24/06
http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=33&idsub=134&id=3339
United Methodists and Muslims in Northern Illinois have officially
created a covenant relationship between the two faith groups.
More than 100 leaders of the greater Chicago Islamic community and the
United Methodist Northern Illinois Conference celebrated that covenant at
an April 6 interfaith banquet at the Islamic Foundation in Villa
Park.
United Methodist Bishop Hee-Soo Jung and Abdul Malik Mujahid, chairman of
the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, signed a
"Declaration of Relationship" committing the two groups to
"a relationship grounded in our mutual love for God and dedication
to the ethical core of our faiths."
The covenant includes an agreement that the two groups will continue in
dialogue with each other and expand the dialogue to include local faith
communities; work together on issues of social justice; inform one
another of situations that may affect each other's faith community; and
gather annually to celebrate, reflect on the relationship and reaffirm
the commitment.
Also attending the banquet was the Rev. Larry Pickens, a Northern
Illinois clergy member who serves as chief executive of the United
Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious
Concerns.
The covenant was the result of a dialogue that began a year ago as an
introduction between Jung, who started serving as the episocopal leader
in September 2004, and Malik Mujahid. (MORE)
-----
INSPECTORS FIND MORE TORTURE
AT IRAQI JAILS -
TOP
Ellen Knickmeyer, Washington Post, 4/24/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/23/AR2006042301027.html
BAGHDAD - Last Nov. 13, U.S. soldiers found 173 incarcerated men, some of
them emaciated and showing signs of torture, in a secret bunker in an
Interior Ministry compound in central Baghdad. The soldiers immediately
transferred the men to a separate detention facility to protect them from
further abuse, the U.S. military reported.
Since then, there have been at least six joint U.S.-Iraqi inspections of
detention centers, most of them run by Iraq's Shiite Muslim-dominated
Interior Ministry. Two sources involved with the inspections, one Iraqi
official and one U.S. official, said abuse of prisoners was found at all
the sites visited through February. U.S. military authorities confirmed
that signs of severe abuse were observed at two of the detention
centers.
But U.S. troops have not responded by removing all the detainees, as they
did in November. Instead, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials, only a
handful of the most severely abused detainees at a single site were
removed for medical treatment. Prisoners at two other sites were removed
to alleviate overcrowding. U.S. and Iraqi authorities left the rest where
they were.
This practice of leaving the detainees in place has raised concerns that
detainees now face additional threats. It has also prompted fresh
questions from the inspectors about whether the United States has honored
a pledge by Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, that U.S. troops would attempt to stop inhumane treatment if they
saw it.
Pace said at a news conference Nov. 29 with Defense Secretary Donald H.
Rumsfeld, "It is absolutely the responsibility of every U.S. service
member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene to
stop it." Turning to Pace, Rumsfeld responded: "I don't think
you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it; it's to report
it."
"If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking
place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it," Pace
answered. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM 'MUST PAY FOR VISA CHECKS' -
TOP
BBC, 4/24/06
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/4938760.stm
Mohammed Umar Haleem Khan, 22, was told by US Embassy officials that
"a lot of bad people" shared his name.
The Manchester Metropolitan University student had to pay an extra $80
(£45) to have his fingerprints checked against a US terror suspect
database.
An embassy spokesman said it could not say how visa applications are
assessed. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/25/06
*
Hadith:
Punish
Perpetrators, Not Victims
*
CAIR
Reps Attend
Reception for Mukhtaran Mai
-
CAIR-MI:
Mosque Plan
Spurs Outreach Effort (Detroit News)
*
CAIR-Chicago:
Scarf
Pulled Off By Cops (Chicago Trib)
-
NJ:
Muslim
Women Wear Scarves to Reflect Modesty
-
Coast Guard to Allow
Religious Headgear in Photos (NYT)
*
CAIR-MI:
MSU Prof
Apologizes for 'Intemperate' E-Mail
-
MSU Prof Says E-Mail
Biased (Detroit News)
-
MSU Prof's E-Mail Outrages
Muslims (Free Press)
-
MSU Muslims Seek Discipline of Professor (State Journal)
-
Video:
Professor's E-mail Sparks Controversy at MSU
-
U.S.
Professor Under Fire After Comments (Reuters)
-
MSU Asked to Punish Prof for Anti-Muslim E-Mail (AP)
*
Incitement:
Pat
Robertson Compares Islam to Nazism
*
Poll:
Americans Would
Vote for Muslim President
*
FBI's
Sought IDs of Pro-Israel Reporters Close to AIPAC
-----
HADITH
OF THE DAY: PUNISH PERPETRATORS, NOT VICTIMS -
TOP
Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr: "When a woman was forced against her will
in the time of (the Prophet Muhammad), he avoided punishing her but
inflicted (punishment) on the one who had molested her."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1012
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR REPS
ATTEND RECEPTION FOR MUKHTARAN MAI -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/25/06) - Representatives of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) attended a reception yesterday evening
at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Washington, D.C.,
honoring human rights activist Mukhtaran Mai. Mai has gained
international recognition as an advocate for women's rights, education
and human equality.
"It is inspiring to see how Mukhtaran Mai has triumphed over
adversity to become a symbol for the empowerment of women
worldwide," said CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, who
attended last night's event.
Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affair Karen
Hughes also attended the reception. Earlier in the day, Hughes hosted a
conference call with American Muslim leaders, including a representative
of CAIR, to discuss the latest audiotape issued by Osama Bin
Laden.
CAIR Governmental Affairs Director
Corey Saylor told Hughes
the tape sought to exploit legitimate Muslim grievances and issues to
further Bin Laden's own twisted and un-Islamic agenda.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI:
MOSQUE PLAN SPURS EFFORT TO REACH OUT -
TOP
Christina Stolarz, Detroit News, 4/25/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060425/METRO03/604250341/1014
WARREN -- Steve Elturk says he was shocked at the reaction he received
over his request to establish the first mosque in Warren.
The controversial project approved by the Warren Planning Commission
ignited concerns from residents and commission members over traffic, ties
to terrorists and religious sacrifices.
The mosque would be at Ryan Road south of 12 Mile.
"It's horrifying," said Elturk, president of the Islamic
Organization of North America. "Unfortunately, there is a huge gap
between understanding other faiths and other cultures among the people in
Warren.
"It is our challenge now to make sure that the residents, No. 1, are
comfortable with us."
Education efforts have already begun by Elturk and the
Michigan
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The chapter,
based in Lathrup Village, is planning to organize a symposium this summer
with religious groups in Warren to discuss intolerance.
"We believe that through discussion and respectful dialogue, this
will turn people who have bad feelings about others into possible
friends," said
Dawud Walid, executive director of the local
chapter. "People are the enemies of that which they do not
know." (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO: SCARF PULLED OFF BY COPS, MUSLIMS SAY -
TOP
Deborah Horan, Chicago Tribune, 4/25/06
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/north/chi-0604250270apr25,1,4419562.story
Dozens of area Muslims have placed protest calls to Arlington Heights
Mayor Arlene Mulder demanding that charges against a Muslim civil rights
protester be dropped after allegations were made that police ripped off
the woman's headscarf during her October arrest.
Between 80 and 100 calls have been received at Mulder's office since last
week after the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based
Muslim advocacy group, sent out mass e-mails asking people to protest the
incident, said Maria Croy, an assistant to Village Manager William Dixon.
. .
The protester, Rehana Khan of Chicago, was arrested Oct. 15 with four
other people while demonstrating in Arlington Heights in support of
immigrant rights and against the Minutemen, a group that opposes illegal
immigration. Khan is to appear in court Tuesday.
Khan is charged with battery and resisting arrest. She is accused of
hitting a female officer and trying to break free while being arrested,
authorities said.
Khan alleges that police handcuffed her and then ripped off her
headscarf, or hajib, which observant Muslim women believe Allah commanded
them to wear, according to
Christina Abraham of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
Police allowed her to put on the headscarf during the ride to jail
but then forced her to remove it again while she was being charged with
resisting arrest, Abraham said.
"It's analogous to having a blouse ripped off," said council
spokesman Ahmed Rehab. "It's a state of forced nudity.". .
.
"Would the police pull off a woman's wig?" said Assad Busool, a
professor at the American Islamic College in Chicago. "Do they strip
people naked? No. Therefore there is no need to remove her head
cover." (MORE)
CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Coordinator Christina Abraham,
312-212-1520, E-Mail:
civilrights@cairchicago.org, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed
Rehab, 847-971-3963, E-Mail:
director@cairchicago.org
SEE ALSO:
NJ:
MUSLIM FEMALES WEAR HEAD SCARVES TO REFLECT MODESTY -
TOP
DEBORAH LYNN BLUMBERG, Home News Tribune, 4/24/06
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060424/LIFE/604240316/-1/NEWS01
Many non-Muslims interpret the head scarves Islamic women wear as a
symbol of oppression. But for Itidal Hashif, 17, and other Muslim youth,
covering their heads is a show of faith that can enhance character over
physical beauty.
"It's a huge responsibility," says Hashif, a student whose
family is from Palestine and who attends the Noor-Ul-Iman school in South
Brunswick, N.J.
Most conservative Muslim-American girls wear a head scarf full time once
they reach puberty. In Arabic, the word "hijab" means covering
or barrier and describes the concept of modest dress and behavior written
about in the Quran and Hadith, which are the sayings and practices of the
Prophet Muhammad. (MORE)
---
COAST GUARD RELAXES PHOTO
POLICY -
TOP
ANDY NEWMAN, New York Times, 4/25/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/25/nyregion/25mbrfs.html
The Coast Guard has changed its rules and will allow merchant mariners to
wear religious headgear in their identity photographs. The change,
implemented on April 17, came less than three weeks after a suit was
filed by a Muslim oil barge captain named Khalid Hakim, left, whose job
is based in New York. Mr. Hakim, an American-born convert to Islam, has
been a merchant mariner since the 1970's and wore his round knitted
skullcap in official photos for more than 20 years. But after Sept. 11,
2001, he was told that he had to remove the skullcap for his ID
photograph. His lawyer, Christopher Dunn of the New York Civil Liberties
Union, said yesterday, "Though it should not take a lawsuit, we
appreciate the government's change of policy."
---
CAIR-MI: MSU PROF APOLOGIZES FOR 'INTEMPERATE' E-MAIL -
TOP
(LATHRUP VILLAGE, MI, 4/25/06) - The Michigan chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today said that a Michigan State
University (MSU) professor has offered an apology for an Islamophobic
e-mail sent to Muslim students.
In an e-mail reply to a person expressing concern over his offensive
remarks, MSU engineering professor Indrek Wichman said: "I wrote my
comments in haste to what I thought was a private organization and I used
intemperate language. My apologies to you and other [sic] whom I have
offended. I regret this very much and my comments have nothing to do with
my classes or any research."
"Let us hope this disturbing incident can serve as a learning
opportunity for all concerned," said
CAIR-MI Executive Director
Dawud Walid. "Once again we see that activism, education and
dialogue are the best tools to use when challenging intolerant
views."
Walid said MSU sent a letter to Wichman informing him that the opinions
he expressed went against the values of the university. He urged MSU to
institute religious sensitivity training for faculty members before the
next school year.
The
Michigan Department of Civil
Rights is looking into the case.
CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-842-1418, e-Mail:
director@cairmichigan.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI: MSU PROF SAYS
E-MAIL BIASED -
TOP
Gregg Krupa, Detroit News, 4/25/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060425/SCHOOLS/604250334
EAST LANSING -- A professor at Michigan State University admitted Monday
that he sent an e-mail with statements reflecting prejudice against
Muslims. He said he thought his missive would remain private.
Indrek Wichman, a professor of mechanical engineering, said he intended
the letter as a critique of Muslim students' protests at the university
about the publication of caricatures of the prophet Muhammad.
In the e-mail, after citing several international incidents of what he
said was Muslim violence directed against others, Wichman wrote: "I
counsul (sic) you dissatisfied, agressive (sic), brutal and uncivilized
slave-trading Moslems to be very aware of this as you proceed with your
infantile 'protests.' If you do not like the values of the West -- see
the 1st Ammendment (sic) -- you are free to leave."
"I hope for God's sake you choose that option," Wichman wrote.
"Please return to your ancestral homelands and build them up
yourselves instead of troubling Americans. Cordially, I.S. Wichman,
Professor of Mechanical Engineering."
In an interview Monday, Wichman said he believes he has done nothing that
requires an apology.
"Why should it?" Wichman said. "I am a private citizen,
right? What am I doing wrong in my job? What did I do here?
"For the record, I thought it was a private communication and it was
written in haste. I think a very minor thing has been blown completely
out of proportion. I wrote it in 60 seconds. It was not like I sat and
pondered over this thing for days. It was like you talking one night to
your wife or your kids."
The letter was written Feb. 28. Wichman said he sent it to an e-mail
address that he believed belonged to a particular student who is active
in the Muslim Students' Association.
But students who lead the association said the e-mail address was part of
the official Web site of the group, which assured distribution of the
letter to more than the students and others who are active in Muslim
affairs on the campus in East Lansing and elsewhere.
The Muslim Students' Association and the Council on American-Islamic
Relations met with administrators at MSU three times over the past six
weeks, said Dawud Walid, the executive director of the council in
Michigan. The groups are seeking a reprimand for Wichman and the
implementation of more diversity programs on campus.
"He does have academic freedom and freedom of speech," Walid
said. "But when his inflammatory speech is fostering apprehension
and an unhealthy learning environment for students at the university at
which he teaches, that is a problem.
"Furthermore, he is sending out this information on university
property, a computer, and that is paid for by the taxpayers, by our tax
dollars, during his working hours in his office."
Wichman received a letter from MSU Provost Kim Wilcox informing him that
the opinions he expressed were against the values of the university and
that if he expresses similar views again, he must make clear that they
are entirely his own, said Terry Denbow, the vice president for
university relations.
"I can certainly see that as to the tone and the content of the
e-mail why it was offensive," Denbow said. (MORE)
---
MSU PROF'S E-MAIL
OUTRAGES MUSLIMS -
TOP
LORI HIGGINS and NIRAJ WARIKOO, Detroit Free Press, 4/25/06
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060425/NEWS05/604250381
An Islamic student group at Michigan State University demanded Monday
that university officials publicly reprimand a professor whose Feb. 28
e-mail called on Muslims who don't "like the values of the
West" to leave the United States.
But MSU officials said there's little that can be done to punish Indrek
Wichman, 55, a tenured professor of mechanical engineering, because his
comments essentially constitute free speech. Wichman sent the message to
the Muslim Students' Association of Michigan State University while it
handed out free cocoa during a public awareness event about controversial
cartoons that depicted Islam's founder as a terrorist. . .
The Muslim Students' Association, along with 12 other student and
advocacy groups, called Monday for the university to issue a letter of
reprimand. They have met several times with university officials since
Feb. 28 and went public with the e-mail Monday because the school had not
acted.
Terry Denbow, spokesman for MSU, said Wichman's views in no way represent
the university's views. But, he said, they do not violate the
university's antidiscrimination policy.
"He was cautioned that any additional commentary … could constitute
the creation of a hostile environment, and that could … form the basis of
a complaint" under the policy, Denbow said.
He said he considers the comments "very inappropriate. And I
personally wish he would apologize to the students."
To Farhan Abdul Azeez, an MSU senior studying human biology and the
president of the student association, the e-mail was startling.
"Naturally, I was very upset. I was disgusted. All of those emotions
went through my body," said Azeez, 20, of Canton.
In addition to a reprimand, the student group wants the university to
implement diversity training programs for faculty and a mandatory
freshman seminar on hate and discrimination. . .
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations also is
urging the university to take "appropriate disciplinary"
action, saying the e-mail creates a hostile learning environment for
students.
"It was upsetting, yet sad" that a tenured professor could make
such comments, said Dawud Walid, executive director of the council.
"It's scary when you think about the power that this gentleman
has" as a professor.
Walid said that MSU has the academic and moral obligation to publicly
denounce the e-mail, conduct a formal investigation and have sensitivity
training on how to deal with Muslims on campus. (MORE)
---
MSU MUSLIMS SEEK DISCIPLINE OF PROFESSOR FOR CRITICAL E-MAIL -
TOP
Matthew Miller, Lansing State Journal, 4/25/06
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060425/NEWS06/604250326/1001/opinion
The Muslim Students' Association at Michigan State University is calling
for a public reprimand of a mechanical engineering professor who sent the
group an e-mail calling them "dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and
uncivilized slave-trading Moslems."
The e-mail, sent by professor Indrek Sven Wichman on Feb. 28 from his
university account, was a sharply worded criticism of Muslim protests
against the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad and of Muslim
cultures in general.
In it, according to a copy provided by the Michigan chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, Wichman told the group he hoped
that they would "return to your ancestral homelands … instead of
troubling Americans." (MORE)
---
VIDEO:
PROFESSOR'S E-MAIL SPARKS CONTROVERSY AT MSU -
TOP
http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/2687366.html
---
U.S.
PROFESSOR UNDER FIRE AFTER COMMENTS ON MUSLIMS -
TOP
Jui Chakravorty and Kevin Krolicki, Reuters, 4/25/06
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060425/3/2jjvo.html
DETROIT (Reuters) - A Michigan State University professor who referred to
Muslims as "brutal and uncivilized" and urged Islamic students
to return to their "ancestral homelands" came under fire from a
civil rights group on Monday.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations called engineering professor
Indrek Wichman's remarks "Islamaphobic" and issued a statement
quoting the e-mail that prompted the controversy.
"The university needs to take appropriate disciplinary action in
this case to demonstrate through its actions that anti-Muslim bigotry
will not be tolerated on campus," said Dawud Walid, head of the
rights group's Michigan chapter. . .
Wichman, who specializes in studying how fire starts and spreads, said he
regretted that a private e-mail had been made public. "I wrote it in
haste," he told Reuters. "It's a shame it was made
public."
Walid said his group had urged university officials to discipline
Wichman, but "They said they didn't feel they could take any
tangible disciplinary action."
A spokesman for MSU said Wichman had been warned that any further
comments of a similar kind could prompt a formal complaint under the
university's anti-discrimination policy. (MORE)
---
MICHIGAN STATE ASKED TO PUNISH PROFESSOR FOR ANTI-MUSLIM E-MAIL -
TOP
DAVID EGGERT, Associated Press
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/news-33/1145911766317600.xml&storylist=newsmichigan
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - An Islamic rights group on Monday urged Michigan
State University to discipline an engineering professor for disparaging
Muslims in an e-mail he sent to the school's Muslim Students'
Association.
Indrek Wichman, a mechanical engineering professor, sent an e-mail to the
student group Feb. 28 - apparently in response to its protests of
controversial Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a
terrorist. The students had labeled the cartoons as hate speech, not free
speech.
Wichman, 50, wrote that he was protesting their protest and said he was
not offended by cartoons but rather Muslims who commit suicide bombings,
behead civilians, attack public buildings, burn Christian churches, kill
Catholic priests in Turkey, rape Scandinavian girls and riot in France. .
.
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said Michigan State officials should publicly
denounce Wichman's statements and conduct an investigation. The results
of the probe should be made public, and Wichman should at least have a
letter of reprimand placed in his file, Walid said. (MORE)
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: PAT ROBERTSON COMPARES ISLAM TO NAZISM -
TOP
http://mediamatters.org/items/200604240007
Robertson: The West is ignoring threats from "Islam in
general," just as it ignored "what Adolf Hitler said in Mein
Kampf"
Summary: On The 700 Club, Pat Robertson warned his viewers that "we
are not listening" to what Islam "says," just as we did
not listen to "what Adolf Hitler said in Mein Kampf." Robertson
claimed that we are ignoring the threats by "not only the radical
Muslims but Islam in general," because "it is not politically
correct to believe that any religious group would do what they claim they
are going to do." (MORE)
-----
AMERICANS
PONDER EVANGELICAL, MUSLIM PRESIDENT -
TOP
http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/11666
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the United States would not
see faith as a deterrent for a politician seeking the nation's highest
office, according to poll by Ipsos-Reid released by CanWest Global. 64
per cent of respondents say they would be willing to vote for a
presidential candidate who was an Evangelical, and 63 per cent would back
a Muslim. . .
Polling Data
If a presidential candidate belongs to a political party you like and has
many views which you like, would you be willing to vote for such a person
if the person is…
An Evangelical - 64%
A Muslim - 63%
An atheist and does not believe in God - 52%
-----
FBI'S
ISRAEL INTERESTS IN COLUMNIST'S FILES DETAILED -
TOP
Walter Pincus, Washington Post, 4/25/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/24/AR2006042401784_pf.html
FBI agents last month sought the identities of pro-Israel reporters who
had worked for columnist Jack Anderson or were close to the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) when they asked to look through
the late journalist's files, according to Mark Feldstein, director of the
journalism program at George Washington University.
The agents asked Feldstein, a former journalist who is writing a book
about Anderson, for the material as part of the criminal prosecution of
Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman, two former AIPAC lobbyists who were
indicted last August on charges of violating the 1917 Espionage Act by
receiving and transmitting national defense information. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MICHIGAN WORKOUT CHAIN TO ACCOMMODATE MUSLIM
PRIVACY CONCERNS
CAIR-MI welcomes company's 'accommodation for customers
of all faiths'
(LATHRUP VILLAGE, MI, 4/26/06) - The Michigan chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today welcomed a decision
by the West Bloomfield-based
Fitness
USA workout chain to provide separate exercise times and areas for
women and men.
CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid and a Muslim gym member met
recently with Fitness USA Vice President James Hoppin and Administrative
Director Jodi Berry to discuss complaints that the company changed its
policy of providing specific days and areas for gym and pool privacy for
female members. Many Muslim women said their sole reason for joining
Fitness USA was to take advantage of the privacy accommodations.
SEE:
Muslim Women Fight to Exercise Away from Men (Detroit Free
Press)
In an effort to accommodate privacy concerns, Fitness USA has agreed to
place partitions between the co-ed area and the main gym area at its
facility in Lincoln Park, Mich. Other Fitness USA facilities in Westland,
Dearborn, Harper Woods, and Royal Oak, will continue to accommodate
privacy concerns.
"We welcome Fitness USA's decision to continue providing a gender
privacy accommodation for customers of all faiths," said CAIR-MI
Executive Director Dawud Walid.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-842-1418,
E-Mail:
director@cairmichigan.org;
CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/26/06
*
Verse:
Do What is Just and Right
*
CAIR 'Explore the
Quran' Requests Top 30K
*
CAIR:
FBI Asked to Probe Attack on
Georgia Muslim Family
*
CAIR-Cleveland Speakers to Raise
Constitutional Issues
-
CAIR-St. Louis:
Energy Issue Billboards
Stereotype Muslims
-
CAIR-FL:
Farewell to a Bridge-Builder
(Sun-Sentinel)
-
CAIR-Chicago Rep Discusses Hijab
Removal Case on MSNBC
-
CAIR-MI:
Fitness USA Agrees to Buffer
Between Genders
*
MI:
For Arab Men, U.S. Citizenship Can
Be Elusive (Free Press)
*
MI:
Financiers Sell
Koran-Compliant American Dream (Reuters)
*
Brzezinski:
Do Not Attack Iran
(IHT)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: DO WHAT IS JUST AND RIGHT -
TOP
"And who could be better in speech than one who calls (humankind) to
God, does what is just and right, and says, 'I am of those who surrender
themselves (to God).'"
The Holy Quran, 41:33
-----
CAIR 'EXPLORE THE QURAN'
REQUESTS TOP 30K -
TOP
To date, more than 30,000 Americans of all faiths have requested free
copies of the Quran, Islam's revealed text, through CAIR's "Explore
the Quran" campaign, and more requests are coming in daily.
The group's educational campaign was initiated as a positive response to
the controversy over allegations that American military personnel
desecrated the Quran at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay.
CAIR is urging Muslims in America and worldwide to support the campaign
by sponsoring one or more Qurans. To sponsor or request a free Quran, go
to:
http://www.explorethequran.org
In response to the recent controversy over Danish cartoons mocking the
Prophet Muhammad, CAIR launched a second educational campaign called
"Explore the Life of Muhammad," through which anyone may obtain
a free DVD or book about the life and legacy of the Prophet.
More than 12,000 DVDs and book have been already requested. SEE:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
FBI ASKED TO PROBE ATTACK ON GEORGIA
MUSLIM FAMILY -
TOP
Family's van torched, 'Killers Go Home' sprayed on
wall
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/26/2006) - A prominent national
Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today asked the FBI to probe an
attack on a Georgia Muslim family as a possible hate crime.
On April 8, vandals torched the Douglasville, Ga., family's van and
spray-painted
"Killers Go Home!" on a wall of their
home. The family told CAIR that local authorities have been slow to
investigate the attack.
SEE:
Spray Painted Hate Message (CBS 46)
"This disturbing incident once again points to the need for our
nation's leaders to speak out strongly against anti-Muslim bias,"
said
CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "We urge
the FBI to add its resources to those of local law enforcement
authorities so that the perpetrators of this attack may be brought to
justice."
Hooper said other attacks on American Muslims and their institutions have
occurred recently. Earlier this month, CAIR announced a reward for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator of an
assault on a female Muslim student at Baylor University in
Texas.
SEE:
CAIR Offers Reward for Info on Baylor U Assault
Also this month, CAIR's Florida office (CAIR-FL) called on local and
national law enforcement authorities to investigate vandalism at one of
that state's mosques as a possible hate crime. CAIR-FL received reports
of similar acts of vandalism at five other South Florida Islamic centers
last year.
SEE:
FBI Asked to Probe Mosque Vandalism
As evidence of growing Islamophobia, Hooper cited the recent Dubai ports
management controversy and an ongoing highway billboard campaign in
Missouri that features a farmer and an unlabeled image of the former king
of Saudi Arabia with the text: "Who would you rather buy your gas
from?"
SEE:
Billboards Highlight Middle Eastern Relations During Ethanol Debate
(AP)
The Washington-based group is urging Muslim individuals and institutions
nationwide to review security procedures using advice contained in CAIR's
"Muslim Community Safety Kit." That kit may be obtained free of
charge by e-mailing: pubs@cair-net.org (Include name, address and phone
number when requesting the safety kit.)
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; Rabiah
Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-CLEVELAND: POST-9/11 CONSTITUTIONAL
ISSUES RAISED -
TOP
Muslim rights group brings speakers here
Robert L. Smith, Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/26/06
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1146040532219270.xml&coll=2
The annual banquet of the Cleveland chapter of CAIR, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, does more than raise money to pay the bills.
It's the bandstand from which a rising civil rights group issues its
alarms and warnings.
Sunday's program, called "Upholding the Truth and Defending the
Constitution," offers a good idea of what concerns CAIR's local
leaders.
Two of the three nationally prominent speakers could have used a little
more constitutional protection after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11,
2001, and all three may be described as people with ringside seats at the
dramas of a nervous age.
Former Army Capt. James Yee was the Muslim chaplain at the U.S. prison
camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, when he was accused of conspiring with the
inmates to aid terrorists.
After he was exonerated, he quit the military and wrote a book, "For
God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire."
Former Gen. Janis Karpinski commanded the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in
Iraq when the guards were snapping photos of torture and abuse. The
images spread on the Internet, inflaming anti-U.S. passions in the Muslim
world, and Karpinski took a demotion and much of the blame.
As president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington,
D.C., Marc Rotenberg has helped document increased government
surveillance of American citizens in recent times, including the
monitoring of phone calls and e-mails. . .
WHAT: CAIR, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Fourth Annual Banquet
& Fund-raiser. Presentations by James Yee, Janis Karpinski and Marc
Rotenberg.
WHEN: Sunday, April 30. 4 p.m. reception and chance to talk to speakers;
dinner at 5 p.m.
WHERE: Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd.,
Independence
Tickets: $50. Call 216-830-2247 by Thursday.
---
CAIR-ST. LOUIS: BILLBOARDS HIGHLIGHT MIDDLE
EASTERN RELATIONS DURING ETHANOL DEBATE -
TOP
Chris Blank, Associated Press, 4/25/06
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/14426908.htm
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Highway billboards with pictures of a former Middle
Eastern leader and a farmer are underscoring the role international
politics are playing in a debate about whether to require most gasoline
sold in Missouri to be blended with ethanol.
The billboards, located throughout Missouri, show a farmer and an
unlabeled picture of the former king of Saudi Arabia standing in front of
corn field with the text: "Who would you rather buy your gas
from?"
The advertisement has prompted a mixed reaction in the Muslim community,
with the president of the
St. Louis chapter for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations calling it "an attack" and a
"cheap method" for ethanol supporters to get their point
across.
"Just looking at the board implies hate and discrimination for no
reason," Kamal Yassin said.
Yassin said it made sense to talk about the Middle East when debating
alternatives to fossil fuels, but said the billboards cross the
line.
"Middle Easterners, Arabs and Muslims are all easy targets right now
because no one is really defending them," he said. "It gets to
the point where you have to think twice because using that tactic is
inappropriate. It doesn't belong in any kind of campaign or discussion of
the issues."
The billboards are paid for by the Missouri Corn Growers' Association,
one of the biggest backers of a bill that would require a 10 percent
ethanol blend in Missouri gas whenever ethanol costs the same or less
than gasoline. (MORE)
---
CAIR-FL: FAREWELL TO A BRIDGE-BUILDER -
TOP
Diverse crowd pays respects to Weston parish's founder
Ihosvani Rodriguez, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 4/26/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-spriest26apr26,0,3616337.story
Mourning can be done in different languages and in different faiths, but
the loss feels the same.
Thousands of mourners from varied ethnic and religious backgrounds filled
St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Weston on Tuesday to pay last
respects to the congregation's beloved founder, the Rev. Paul
Edwards-Komarc, who died last weekend of a brain tumor.
Some said the diversity of the mourners was only fitting because the Rev.
Edwards-Komarc, 52, was a bridge-builder for the community. . .
Altaf Ali, the executive director of the Council on American Islamic
Relations, said he was moved by the pastor's comments and called him.
Ali said he was shocked days later when the Rev. Edwards-Komarc invited
him to attend Thanksgiving Mass.
"He really understood the role of a leader, and he knew that meant
doing things that were unimaginable, such as inviting a Muslim to a
Mass," said Ali. "After that, we forged a relationship based on
the respect we had for each other and our sincere desire to build bridges
between our committees." (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO REP DISCUSSES HIJAB REMOVAL
CASE ON MSNBC'S 'THE SITUATION' -
TOP
The Situation With Tucker Carlson, 4/25/06
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8063292/
Tonight`s "Under the Radar" segment comes to us from Arlington
Heights, Illinois. That`s where a 24-year-old Muslim woman, Rehana Khan,
says police violated her religious principles by removing her head scarf
after arresting her for battery, to which she later pled guilty.
Officials deny wrongdoing, saying cops followed standard procedures. My
next guest says the police actions were akin to ripping off her blouse,
creating, quote, "a state of forced nudity".
Ahmed Rehab is the spokesman for the Council on American Islamic
Relations. He joins us tonight from Chicago. . .
AHMED REHAB, SPOKESMAN, CAIR: Glad to be on.
CARLSON: Now the cops - I`m a little confused as to what exactly your
complaint is. The police made it pretty clear, her religion had nothing
to do with their actions. It`s police policy to remove from someone
arrested, particularly for a violent crime, as this woman was arrested
for, anything that could be used as a weapon or any garment in which a
weapon could be hidden.
I think the exact quote from the cops, the police spokesman was, "If
a priest was wearing a cross around his neck, we`d take it
off."
Why does this woman want special treatment?
REHAB: That actually does not make much sense to me, because it is
inconsistent with what the police have done in the past. There are two
things that the police normally would do. One is pat on a person`s
clothing to ensure that nothing is concealed under a
person`s clothing, whether it`s a blouse, a skirt or a head
scarf.
And then, two, if they feel that it is necessary for them to take that
person and actually strip search them, they don`t do it publicly. They
take them into a private area and purport to do that with an officer of
the same gender as the individual that`s being searched.
CARLSON: Strip searched? It`s take a head scarf off. I mean, look, if a
man is wearing a hat and he`s arrested, the police make him take the hat
off, because they`re afraid he might have an ice pick in his hat. That`s
just -- that`s what they do.
REHAB: Well, let me ask you this. If they had removed her blouse or
skirt, would you have considered that to be a strip search or
no?
CARLSON: Yes, but they didn`t remove her blouse or skirt. It was her head
scarf, which...
REHAB: That`s precisely the point, Tucker. Whose standards are you using
for what strip is? For this girl, as a female, she has a right to conceal
whichever part of body she wants. Her hair is and her head scarf, really,
is just like her blouse and her skirt. You cannot remove any of these
articles of clothing.
CARLSON: She may have that -- I don`t know. You seem to be making up your
own rules, but the rules in America are she may have that right, but she
forfeits it when she punches a cop, as she did. So she no longer has that
right to do whatever she wants.
REHAB: Do you forfeit your right to -- do you forfeit your right to have
your blouse or skirt removed in public by a police officer?
CARLSON: I don`t know, if...
REHAB: Because you punched them, allegedly?
CARLSON: If the police -- Not allegedly. She pled guilty to it.
REHAB: What I`m trying to say is...
CARLSON: Read the news.
REHAB: What I`m trying to tell you...
CARLSON: OK.
REHAB: ... is that a scarf for a Muslim woman who wears a
scarf...
CARLSON: Right.
REHAB: ... because she believes it is religiously mandated is no
different than a blouse or a skirt. That is the standard...
CARLSON: I don`t know. I`m not sure -- I`m no expert on...
REHAB: She`s not thinking of Tucker Carlson`s standards of clothing but
her own.
CARLSON: Slow down. I`m not an expert on Islamic customs here. But it
seems to me...
REHAB: Then you shouldn`t be making a -- statements about her clothing if
you`re not an expert.
CARLSON: Is it my -- I`m merely asking you questions, to which hopefully
you can provide answers. Do -- it`s my understanding that a woman would
take her head scarf off, say, in front of her children, where she would
not -- in front of her grown children, where she would not take her
blouse off in front of her grown children. That is right, isn`t it?
That`s not exactly the same as a blouse.
REHAB: But in public, in public in front of men to whom she`s not
married, if it`s not her husband or her father or brother, no male member
of her family is present, she does not remove her scarf at all.
CARLSON: Here`s the bottom line.
REHAB: And if she tells the officer not to remove the scarf because she
has it on for religious reasons, then that officer has to respect her
civil right to dress the way she wants and to practice her religion
because she`s not...
CARLSON: You can say that all you want. I can say, "I`m carrying my
sacred handgun. And to take it away from me, you`d be violating my
religious rights." And you know what I mean? "I`m going to sue
you."
OK, fine. But the cops are still going to say, look, that`s a threat to
my safety. I`m sorry. You may say that`s your religious right, but I feel
it`s a threat. OK? So you know, we have conflicting interests.
REHAB: See, that`s the difference...
CARLSON: And in a secular society the secular interest, the interest of
safety wins. I`m sorry.
REHAB: You can argue -- you can argue that a woman covering her breasts
is a religious thing to do or a secular thing to do. And we`re not going
to get into details of why a person does what they do.
If they decide -- if a woman decides to conceal a certain part of her
body, she has a right to that self-determination. You cannot take that
away from her. No police officer can take that away from her.
If we are concerned about security, then I`ll ask you this. Why not
remove her boots? Her boots are harder than her head scarf. It is a soft
clothing on her head that does not present any peril or danger to
anyone.
CARLSON: I don`t know. I`m not a cop and I guess you`re not either. That
seems to be the policy developed, presumably for a good reason over a
good number of years, because there are threats that you emanate from
people`s head covering.
REHAB: That is not true. The policy is that they pat down -- they pat
down on people`s clothes. They do not remove people`s clothings. It`s
never happened before.
CARLSON: Just one closing piece of advice: as a civil rights hero, I
think this woman -- I mean, it`s hard to hold her up as an example if she
just pleaded guilty to punching the cop. It makes the case - not to give
you unsolicited advice, but less compelling.
REHAB: That`s half the story. That`s half the story, Tucker, because it
was a plea bargain, and they dropped charges.
CARLSON: OK. I`m just saying it`s hard to make her Rosa Parks if she`s
running around hitting cops. Just my view.
REHAB: She`s not trying to make herself a Rosa Parks. She`s trying to
say, "I`m a woman, and I have a right to maintain my head scarf if I
so want it on my head.
CARLSON: All right.
REHAB: No one can remove it from me.
CARLSON: Not in America, as far as I`m concerned. But you
know...
REHAB: She`s an American citizen practicing her American civil
rights.
CARLSON: All right.
REHAB: She wears those. When she`s having a head scarf on her head, she`s
being and American practicing her civil rights.
CARLSON: OK. Until she punches a cop. But we`ve had this argument. We
have to stop now. Mr. Rehab, thanks for joining us. I appreciate
it.
REHAB: Thank you. Not a problem.
---
FITNESS USA AGREES TO BUFFER BETWEEN GENDERS -
TOP
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 4/26/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060426/NEWS11/60426012
After pressure from Muslim and non-Muslim women, Fitness USA has agreed
to place a divider and frosted glass in its Lincoln Park gym to ensure
gender separation, a company official said Wednesday.
"We hope all of our female members will be pleased,'' said Jodi
Berry, administrative director for Fitness USA.
The move comes after the Free Press reported last week that almost 200
Muslim women who are members of Fitness USA signed a petition saying that
the company reneged on a promise to maintain gender separation in its
Lincoln Park facility.
Islam calls for gender separation in some cases, according to some
Muslims. After the report, two Dearborn women appeared on several TV and
radio shows voicing their concerns.
Berry said Wednesday that the West Bloomfield-based company has placed a
divider and frosted some glass to ensure that women won't be able to see
men - and vice-versa - while working out in a new co-ed section of the
gym.
Arrwa Mogalli, a Dearborn resident who is a member of the gym,
said:
"I'm very happy because that's what we suggested…we're happy they
took our suggestion."
After the Free Press report, non-Muslim women contacted Mogalli to
support her efforts.
Dawud Walid, head of the Michigan branch of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, also said he is pleased with the
decision.
-----
FOR ARAB MEN, U.S. CITIZENSHIP CAN BE ELUSIVE
-
TOP
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 4/26/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060426/NEWS05/604260409
Ali Ali says he loves America -- for its freedom, its values and
opportunities.
But the Iraqi immigrant says he has been unable to become a U.S. citizen,
despite passing all the citizenship tests and requirements and waiting
for almost a year. His problem is shared by other Arab and Muslim men in
metro Detroit and across the United States, attorneys in Dearborn said
Tuesday.
"I hate to be waiting all my life," said Ali, 37, of Dearborn.
"Just tell me."
Ali, along with attorneys and civil rights advocates, spoke Tuesday at a
news conference held by the Michigan chapter of the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee. The committee also held conferences in
Dallas, Anaheim, Calif., and Washington, D.C., to highlight
problems.
Under federal law, immigrants who have taken citizenship interviews are
supposed to be notified within 120 days on whether their U.S. citizenship
request has been approved. Ali had his interview in May 2005, but he
still hasn't heard from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Service.
A spokesman for the service, Shawn Saucier, said Tuesday that the agency
is "working hard to refine the process."
The problem, he said, is that in some cases, it takes a while for the FBI
to conduct background checks, known as name checks. In less than 1% of
cases, the FBI takes more than six months to conduct the checks.
-----
ISLAMIC FINANCIERS SELL KORAN-COMPLIANT
AMERICAN DREAM -
TOP
Reuters, 2/26/06
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-04-26T120545Z_01_N17265000_RTRUKOC_0_US-LIFE-ISLAMICFINANCE.xml
DEARBORN, Michigan - For 30 years, Khalil Madun has been packing pastries
at his bakery in Michigan, waiting for the day he could buy a home
without committing sin.
"I'm so happy I can have my own place now and still be on the right
side of God," 54-year-old Madun said, smiling widely as he shuttled
trays of Middle Eastern confections from the kitchen of his bakery in
Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit.
Madun is one of an estimated 7 million Muslims living in the United
States, many of whom observe a Koranic law that forbids paying or
receiving interest, or "riba."
That has left many observant Muslims in the United States shut out of the
American dream of home ownership and facing a difficult choice: Either
save hundreds of thousands of dollars, borrow from family or resort to a
conventional mortgage that contravenes their faith.
But Madun, like thousands of others, recently turned to a mortgage
compliant with Koranic law, a fast-growing niche for entrepreneurial
bankers in which American financial engineering is reshaping a
centuries-old Islamic tradition. These banks have developed ways of
avoiding traditional interest-carrying mortgages, for example by buying
the home then having the buyer pay the bank for it over time.
"The banking market is becoming saturated and firms have to figure
ways to grow," said analyst Alois Pirker of consulting firm Celent,
who has tracked the growth of Islamic finance. "The Islamic
community is growing and if a bank can capture that community, there is
big potential there." (MORE)
-----
DO NOT ATTACK IRAN -
TOP
Zbigniew Brzezinski, International Herald Tribune, 2/26/06
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/25/opinion/edzbig.php
WASHINGTON - Iran's announcement that it has enriched a minute amount of
uranium has unleashed urgent calls for a preventive U.S. air strike by
the same sources that earlier urged war on Iraq.
If there is another terrorist attack in the United States, you can bet
your bottom dollar that there will be also immediate charges that Iran
was responsible in order to generate public hysteria in favor of military
action.
But there are four compelling reasons against a preventive air attack on
Iranian nuclear facilities:
1. In the absence of an imminent threat (with the Iranians at least
several years away from having a nuclear arsenal), the attack would be a
unilateral act of war.
If undertaken without formal Congressional declaration, it would be
unconstitutional and merit the impeachment of the president. Similarly,
if undertaken without the sanction of the UN Security Council either
alone by the United States or in complicity with Israel, it would stamp
the perpetrator(s) as an international outlaw(s).
2. Likely Iranian reactions would significantly compound ongoing U.S.
difficulties in Iraq and in Afghanistan, perhaps precipitate new violence
by Hezbollah in Lebanon, and in all probability cause the United States
to become bogged down in regional violence for a decade or more to come.
Iran is a country of some 70 million people and a conflict with it would
make the misadventure in Iraq look trivial.
3. Oil prices would climb steeply, especially if the Iranians cut their
production and seek to disrupt the flow of oil from the nearby Saudi oil
fields. The world economy would be severely impacted, with America blamed
for it. Note that oil prices have already shot above $70 per barrel, in
part because of fears of a U.S./Iran clash.
4. America would become an even more likely target of terrorism, with
much of the world concluding that America's support for Israel is itself
a major cause of the rise in terrorism. America would become more
isolated and thus more vulnerable while prospects for an eventual
regional accommodation between Israel and its neighbors would be ever
more remote.
It follows that an attack on Iran would be an act of political folly,
setting in motion a progressive upheaval in world affairs. With America
increasingly the object of widespread hostility, the era of American
preponderance could come to a premature end. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/27/06
*
Hadith:
The Final
Brick
*
CAIR Congressional Alert:
Help
End the Crisis in Darfur
-
DC:
Rally
on Mall to Protest Darfur Violence
*
CAIR
Offers
Reward for Info About Attack on GA Muslims
*
Muslims Care:
Volunteers Needed to Fight Breast Cancer
*
CAIR-CAN
Dinner May 6 in Toronto
-
CAIR-CAN:
Suspects Should Not Be Held Without Charge
*
CAIR-St. Louis:
Photo of
Billboard that Stereotypes Muslims
*
MI: '
Shame on You, Indrek
Wichman'
*
CA:
Bay Area Muslim
Group to Mark 25th Anniversary
-
CA:
UCI
Scholar to Study U.S. Muslim Integration
*
DC:
June 16 Deadline for White House Internship Program
*
Robert Fisk on the
'Israel Lobby' Controversy (Independent)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THE
FINAL BRICK -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "My comparison to the
other prophets before me is that of a man who built a beautiful house,
except for the placement of one brick in a corner. The people go about it
and wonder at its beauty, saying: 'But for the placement of this (final)
brick (how splendid the house would be)!'"
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadiths 734 and 735
The Prophet also said: "Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I
am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets
are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is
one."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 652
-----
CAIR CONGRESSIONAL ALERT: HELP END THE CRISIS IN DARFUR -
TOP
http://capwiz.com/cair/issues/alert/?alertid=8710176&type=CO
SEE ALSO:
GROUPS
PLAN RALLY ON MALL TO PROTEST DARFUR VIOLENCE -
TOP
Alan Cooperman, Washington Post, 4/27/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042602182.html
Keeping the peace within the diverse Save Darfur Coalition has not been
easy. Tensions have arisen, in particular, between evangelical Christians
and immigrants from Darfur, whose population is almost entirely Muslim
and deeply suspicious of missionary activity.
Organizers rushed this week to invite two Darfurians to address the rally
after Sudanese immigrants objected that the original list of speakers
included eight Western Christians, seven Jews, four politicians and
assorted celebrities -- but no Muslims and no one from Darfur.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
OFFERS REWARD FOR INFO ABOUT ATTACK ON GA MUSLIMS -
TOP
$5,000 offered for arrest and conviction of perpetrators
(ATLANTA, GA, 4/27/2006) - The Georgia chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today announced a $5,000 reward for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of
an apparent bias crime against a Muslim family in that state.
On April 8, vandals torched the Douglasville, Ga., family's van and
spray-painted "Killers Go Home!" on a wall of their home. Local
law enforcement authorities tell CAIR there is "evidence to suggest
a racial or religious motive." Investigators say they are waiting
for the results of laboratory tests on debris from the burned van.
Yesterday, CAIR'S national office called on the FBI to join the
investigation.
SEE: Spray Painted Hate Message (CBS 46)
http://www.cbs46.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?clipid1=762957
SEE ALSO: FBI Asked to Probe Attack on Georgia Muslim Family
http://www.cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=2122&theType=NR
"A reward can often bring forward information from community members
that may otherwise go unreported," said Yusuf Burke, director of
CAIR's Georgia chapter.
Burke said CAIR will soon release its annual report on the status of
American Muslim civil rights.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Yusuf Burke, 404-542-1209; Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair-net.org; Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
MUSLIMS CARE: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/27/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) will be participating in the National Race for the Cure on June
3rd as part of its annual summer volunteer initiative, "Muslims
Care." (To view last summer's campaign, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/muslimscare/ )
CAIR is looking for participants in the local MD-DC-VA area to join its
team, "Muslims Care." The deadline for online registration for
the race is this Friday, April 28.
To sign up, visit:
http://www.nrftc.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=164980
When prompted, click on "Join a Team" and look for the MLM
listing. (MLM is the abbreviation for CAIR's team, "Muslims
CAIR").
The largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world, the Komen Race
Series raises significant funds and awareness for the fight against
breast cancer, celebrating breast cancer survivorship and honoring those
who lost their battle with the disease.
For more details, visit:
www.nationalraceforthecure.com or contact Joshua Brockwell at
202-488-8787, ext, 3243, or e-mail: jbrockwell@cair-net.org.
-----
CAIR-CAN'S FOURTH ANNUAL TORONTO FUNDRAISING DINNER MAY 6 -
TOP
NOTE: Only three days left to receive the early ticket rate of $60 or
$500 for a table of 10. After April 30th, tickets will be $80 or $700 for
a table of 10. Reserve your tickets now!
It's time for CAIR-CAN's fourth annual fundraising dinner in Toronto.
Come and join the celebration of CAIR-CAN successes and fundraising for
the future. The evening will include a farewell to Riad Saloojee,
CAIR-CAN's outgoing Executive Director and a welcome to Karl Nickner,
CAIR-CAN's incoming Executive Director. Then share a laugh when comedian
Preacher Moss takes the stage.
Buy your tickets early and show your support for CAIR-CAN's advocacy and
human rights work on behalf of Canadian Muslims!
CAIR-CAN'S FOURTH ANNUAL TORONTO FUNDRAISING DINNER:
"Defending Civil Liberties: Keeping Canada Strong and
Free"
DATE: Saturday, May 6, 2006
WHEN: Registration at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd.
INFO:
http://www.caircan.ca/downloads/2006dinner.pdf
Tickets: $60 in advance, $500 for a table of 10; after April 30th $80 or
$700 for a table of 10. To get your tickets please call 416-732-2965 or
e-mail toronto@caircan.ca. Limited childcare available with advance
registration.
Ittihad Capital is a Gold Sponsor of this fundraising dinner.
OTHER SPEAKERS:
* Dr. Abdul Hakim Jackson, Professor, University of Michigan
* Abdul-Basit Khan, CAIR-CAN Chair
SEE ALSO:
GROUPS CALL ON OTTAWA TO RECONSIDER "SCANDALOUS" SECURITY
CERTIFICATE PROCESS -
TOP
Canadian Press, 4/27/06
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=6ff7afd1-bbaf-4cca-bffa-4f0db7f4513f&k=18481
(CP) - Human rights groups are calling on the federal government to
reconsider its practice of holding terrorist suspects indefinitely
without charge.
They say the security certificates that have been used in a handful of
cases, and the secretive process by which they are issued, run contrary
to Canada's international human rights commitments.
New Democrat MP Bill Siksay, who has tabled a private member's bill
calling for repeal of the legislation, joined Amnesty International
Canada and the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations today at a
news conference on Parliament Hill.
Siksay and the groups lament the opening of what they call
"Guantanamo North," the Kingston (Ont.) Immigration Holding
Centre where four terrorist suspects - Mohamed Harkat, Mohamed Mahjoub,
Mahmoud Jaballah and Hassan Almrei - are now being held on security
certificates. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-ST.
LOUIS: BILLBOARDS' MESSAGE DRAWS FIRE -
TOP
KEVIN COLEMAN of the Tribune's staff
http://columbiatribune.com/2006/Apr/20060426Busi001.asp
A billboard on Old 63 was designed to send a message. To some, it's the
wrong message.
The billboard depicts a farmer next to the former king of Saudi Arabia
with the question, "Who would you rather buy your gas from?"
The bottom of the billboard reads: "Support the statewide ethanol
standard."
Terry Hilgedick is the farmer on the billboard. He's also the president
of the Missouri Corn Growers Association and a Hartsburg farmer. He said
the intent of the message from MCGA and the Missouri Renewable Fuels
Association was to raise awareness that Americans now have choice about
the source of their fuel.
"I think it is the first time in U.S. history that we have a choice
between Middle Eastern oil or renewable fuel grown here in
Missouri," he said. "I think it's a fair
question."
The MCGA has seven similar billboards throughout the state with Hilgedick
and the king and 10 others with just Hilgedick and the caption "Use
ethanol, we'll grow more."
But some feel the billboard with the Saudi king conveys a message of
animosity toward a group of people rather than pushing awareness of an
economic choice for corn-based ethanol fuel.
"Just looking at the board implies hate and discrimination for no
reason," Kamal Yassin, president of the St. Louis chapter for the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, told The Associated
Press.
A local minister this morning said that there is a better way to deal
with the issue. (MORE)
-----
MI: POOR CHOICE, PROFESSOR -
TOP
The State News 4/27/06
http://www.statenews.com/op_article.phtml?pk=36087
Shame on you, Indrek Wichman.
Come on, you didn't really send an offensive e-mail to a prominent
student organization with the notion that it was going to be kept private
- did you?
Well, you're saying you did, but that was a pretty irresponsible move for
an MSU professor.
Seriously.
The Muslim Students' Association received an e-mail Feb. 28 sent from
your university account in which you blatantly verbally attacked the
organization and basically told them if they don't like Western ways, to
leave the United States.
That's quite a thing to say.
But as disturbing as that might be, what is arguably worse is the e-mail
The State News received from you in which you appear to have decided
maybe you should have actually thought this one through before typing out
a ranting, accusatory e-mail.
You're singing a different tune stating, "A communication that I
thought was private was subsequently made public, much to my chagrin.
That is troubling, and I regret this entire incident."
If you're going to have the audacity to label a whole group of people,
you better at least be able to back up your claims if need be.
But instead you hid behind regret.
There's no denying that you have the right to harbor the idiotic opinion
about Muslims that you do, but using your MSU e-mail account and
introducing yourself as a professor of mechanical engineering in the
first sentence is unfairly looping the university in with your claims.
(MORE)
-----
BAY AREA
MUSLIM GROUP TO MARK 25TH ANNIVERSARY -
TOP
San Jose Mercury News, 4/27/06
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/14440686.htm
United Muslims of America, a Bay Area-based organization that encourages
Muslims to participate in civic life, is celebrating its 25th anniversary
Saturday with a dinner and symposium in Newark.
Fremont organizer Syed R. Mahmood, who ran unsuccessfully for a
Republican seat in Congress in 2002, said speakers will discuss the role
of the government in addressing the rising rift with Muslims, and how a
national policy can promote harmony with Muslim countries.
Speakers include Robert Tappan, deputy assistant to the U.S. secretary of
state, and Pete McCloskey, former Peninsula congressman and now a
candidate for the 11th District of the U.S. House of
Representatives.
Mahmood said any proceeds from the $30 ticket price will be distributed
to congressional offices, think tanks, media organizations and the White
House.
Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Chandni Restaurant, 5748 Mowry
School Road in Newark. To make reservations, contact Syed R. Mahmood at
(510) 579-8991 or contact@umanet.org.
SEE ALSO:
UCI SOCIOLOGIST HONORED FOR MUSLIM-ARAB AMERICAN RELATIONS -
TOP
GARY ROBBINS, Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/healthscience/homepage/article_1118874.php
UC Irvine sociologist Jen'nan Ghazal Read has received a $100,000
Carnegie Scholarship for work promoting dialogue between Muslims in the
United States and Arab-Americans, the Carnegie Foundation of New York
said this morning
She is one of 20 scholars to be awarded the two-year scholarship, which
this year went entirely to scholars studying Islam and the modern world,
UCI says.
Read will "look at how racial or ethnic group membership impacts
Muslim Americans' political integration," UCI says in a news
release. (MORE)
-----
DC: DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM -
TOP
White House Internship Program
http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/wh-intern.html
Welcome to the White House Intern website! Thank you for your interest in
serving President George W. Bush. The White House Internship Program
provides a unique opportunity to learn more about the daily operations of
the White House.
In addition to normal office duties, interns attend weekly lectures,
volunteer at special events, participate in tours, and contribute to a
community service project in the Washington, D.C. area. White House
Internships are unpaid positions and participants are responsible for
arranging their own transportation and housing. Approximately 100 interns
are chosen each spring, summer, and fall to participate in this highly
competitive program.
We invite you to apply. Please read the (pdf) (doc) and the White House
Office descriptions carefully. Office descriptions can help you determine
your areas of interest and assist you in making an informed decision
about which offices might fit your qualifications. Interns will be
selected based on their application and demonstrated interest in public
service.
Applicants must be:
* At least 18 years of age on or before the first day of the
internship
* Enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a college or
university, or graduated the previous semester
* A U.S. citizen
Completed application materials must be submitted to Karen Race, Deputy
Director and Intern Coordinator in the office of White House Personnel,
at intern_application@whitehouse.gov prior to the following
deadlines:
* Applications due June 16, 2006 for Fall 2006 (September 5 to December
15)
* Applications due October 13, 2006 for Spring 2007 (January 9 to May
11)
-----
ROBERT FISK: UNITED
STATES OF ISRAEL? -
TOP
The Independent (UK), 4/27/06
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article360492.ece
When two of America's most distinguished academics dared to suggest that
US foreign policy was being driven by a powerful 'Israel Lobby' whose
influence was incompatible with their nation's own interests, they knew
they would face allegations of anti-Semitism. But the episode has
prompted America's Jewish liberals to confront their own complacency.
Might the tide be turning?
Stephen Walt towers over me as we walk in the Harvard sunshine past Eliot
Street, a big man who needs to be big right now (he's one of two authors
of an academic paper on the influence of America's Jewish lobby) but
whose fame, or notoriety, depending on your point of view, is of no
interest to him. "John and I have deliberately avoided the
television shows because we don't think we can discuss these important
issues in 10 minutes. It would become 'J' and 'S', the personalities who
wrote about the lobby - and we want to open the way to serious discussion
about this, to encourage a broader discussion of the forces shaping US
foreign policy in the Middle East."
"John" is John Mearsheimer, a political scientist at the
University of Chicago. Walt is a 50-year-old tenured professor at the
John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. The two men have caused
one of the most extraordinary political storms over the Middle East in
recent American history by stating what to many non-Americans is obvious:
that the US has been willing to set aside its own security and that of
many of its allies in order to advance the interests of Israel, that
Israel is a liability in the "war on terror", that the biggest
Israeli lobby group, Aipac (the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee), is in fact the agent of a foreign government and has a
stranglehold on Congress - so much so that US policy towards Israel is
not debated there - and that the lobby monitors and condemns academics
who are critical of Israel. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 4/28/06
*
Hadith:
Those Who Dispense Justice
*
CAIR Calls for New Trial
After Lodi Juror Disavows Verdict
*
CA:
Lodi Juror Says She Was
Pressured to Convict (AP)
-
Juror in Terror Trial
Disavows Verdict (SF
Chron)
-
Juror:
'I Never Believed
Hamid Hayat Was Guilty'
-
Juror Says She Was Pressured to
Change Her Vote
*
FBI Asked to
Look Into GA Vandalism at Muslim Home
*
CAIR:
Islamophobia 'an
Accepted Form of Racism'
-
AL:
Anti-Muslim Letters are
Repugnant
-
MI:
Non-Muslims Should
be Angry About Prof's Letter
*
Preview of Bridges TV
FBI/Muslim Town Hall Meeting
*
NY:
Speakers
Say Islam is About Peace, Not Terror
-
TN:
Interest in Islamic, Arabic
Studies Rising
*
Muslim Sportswear Covers Skin
Without Cramping Style
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: THOSE WHO DISPENSE JUSTICE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Those who dispense
justice will be seated on pulpits of light beside God (in
Paradise)."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 844
"If every person who has done injustice possessed all that the earth
contains, he would be willing to offer it all in ransom to redeem himself
(on Judgment Day)."
The Holy Quran, 10:54
-----
CAIR CALLS FOR NEW TRIAL AFTER
LODI JUROR DISAVOWS VERDICT -
TOP
Terror trial juror says 'I never believed that Hamid Hayat
was guilty'
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 4/28/06) - The Sacramento Valley office of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) today said a Lodi
Muslim recently convicted on terrorism-related charges should get a new
trial after a member of his jury filed a sworn affidavit disavowing the
guilty verdict.
SEE:
http://www.cair.com/pdf/Affidavit_Arcelia_Lopez.pdf
Hamid Hayat was convicted Tuesday of providing "material
support" to terrorists and lying to the FBI. Yesterday, one of the
jurors in the case filed an affidavit alleging that she was bullied into
a guilty verdict by fellow jurors who exhibited a pattern of misconduct
and racism.
In that affidavit, the juror states: "I never once throughout the
deliberation process and the reading of the verdict believed Hamid Hayat
to be guilty. . .
I never believed that Hamid Hayat was guilty. My
fellow jurors knew it and as a result of changing my vote a unanimous
verdict was reached. I deeply regret my decision."
The juror also alleges that other panelists had improper access to news
sources containing information about the trial and that the jury foreman
made racist statements such as: "If you put them in the same costume
then they all look alike."
Hayat's attorney has filed a motion for a new trial based on jury
misconduct.
SEE:
http://www.cair.com/pdf/Affidavit_Wazhma_Mojaddidi.pdf and
http://www.cair.com/pdf/Defendants_Notice.pdf
"Basic principles of justice dictate that a conviction must be based
on a unanimous verdict reached in an atmosphere free of coercion and
bias," said
CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra. He
called for a new trial in the case.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Basim Elkarra, 916-441-6269, E-Mail:
sacval@cair.com; CAIR Legal Director
Arsalan Iftikhar, 202-488-8787, 202-415-0799, E-Mail:
arsalan@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726,
E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org;
CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CA: JUROR CLAIMS SHE WAS PRESSURED TO
CONVICT -
TOP
DON THOMPSON, Associated Press, 4/28/06
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5786502,00.html
SACRAMENTO - A juror said in a sworn statement that she was pressured
into casting the final vote to convict a man of attending a Pakistani
terrorist training camp.
The juror's affidavit means Hamid Hayat, of Lodi, should get a new trial,
attorney Wazhma Mojaddidi argued in a motion filed in federal court late
Thursday.
"I was under so much stress and pressure (from the other jurors)
that I agreed to change my vote," Arcelia Lopez of Sacramento said
in her statement. "I never once throughout the deliberation process
and the reading of the verdict believed Hamid Hayat to be
guilty."
Prosecutors said repeatedly since Tuesday's verdict that they don't
believe there was any improper influence on jurors, and that any pressure
on Lopez was part of the normal jury deliberation process.
Though emotional, Lopez confirmed her guilty vote in open court Tuesday
when all 12 jurors were questioned by presiding U.S. District Judge
Garland E. Burrell Jr.
"I deeply regret my decision," Lopez said in the affidavit
obtained by defense investigator and former FBI agent James
Wedick.
Lopez said she went to a medical clinic Saturday with a migraine headache
and believed "my health and physical well-being were being affected
by the pressure from the other jurors to change my vote."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
JUROR IN TERROR TRIAL
DISAVOWS VERDICT -
TOP
Demian Bulwa, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/28/06
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/04/28/LODI.TMP
Sacramento -- One of 12 jurors who convicted a 23-year-old Lodi man
Tuesday on charges that he trained for holy war disavowed the verdict
late Thursday, alleging that she was bullied into a guilty finding amid a
pattern of misconduct by fellow panelists.
"I never once throughout the deliberation process and the reading of
the verdict believed Hamid Hayat to be guilty," Arcelia Lopez, a
44-year-old school nurse from Sacramento, said in a 2,000-word affidavit
filed to the U.S. District Court in Sacramento by the defense just after
9 p.m.
Among other accusations, Lopez said the jury's foreman, near the start of
the two-month trial, "gestured as if he was tying a rope around his
neck" and said, "Hang him." Lopez said the gesture was
repeated throughout the trial and that she believed it was a reference to
Hayat.
Hayat's attorney, Wazhma Mojaddidi, said Lopez's claims should prompt
U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell Jr. to grant the young man a new
trial. Hayat now faces 30 to 39 years in prison at a July 14 sentencing.
(MORE)
---
JUROR CLAIMS SHE WAS COERCED
IN HAYAT VERDICT -
TOP
Denny Walsh, Sacramento Bee, 4/28/06
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14248927p-15066095c.html
A woman on the jury that convicted a Lodi man of terrorism has alleged
improprieties and inappropriate conduct on the part of some jurors,
according to an affidavit filed late Thursday in Sacramento federal
court.
In the document, Arcelia Lopez says her vote to convict Hamid Hayat was
coerced by foreman Joseph Cote and other jurors.
The affidavit was obtained by defense investigator James Wedick and
submitted by defense lawyer Wazhma Mojaddidi in support of an
as-yet-unfiled motion for a new trial of Hayat.
"I cried several times during deliberations," Lopez says in the
affidavit. "My health and physical well-being were being affected by
the pressure from the other jurors to change my vote.
"I was emotional during the reading of the verdict and when the jury
was polled I responded to the court that I agreed with the verdict,"
Lopez says in the affidavit submitted to U.S. District Court Judge
Garland E. Burrell Jr.
"In fact, I did not. I never believed Hamid Hayat was guilty. My
fellow jurors knew it, and as a result of changing my vote, a unanimous
verdict was reached. I deeply regret my decision." (MORE)
---
HAMID HAYAT JUROR SAYS SHE WAS PRESSURED
TO CHANGE HER VOTE -
TOP
Defense asks for new trial in light of juror's declaration
Layla Bohm, News-Sentinel, 4/27/06
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2006/04/27/news/0_juror_060427.txt
The foreman who guided Hamid Hayat's jury to a guilty verdict was racist,
and he harassed the lone dissenting juror until she changed her mind, the
juror wrote in a declaration Thursday.
In her seven-page statement, Arcelia Lopez said the foreman decided the
case before he heard the evidence and commented on media coverage of the
Lodi man's terrorism trial. On the second day of the nine-week trial, he
"gestured as if he was tying a rope around his neck and then pulling
the rope in an upward motion" and said, "Hang him," Lopez
wrote. (MORE)
-----
FBI ASKED TO LOOK
INTO GEORGIA VANDALISM AT MUSLIM HOME -
TOP
DOUG GROSS, Associated Press, 4/28/06
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=74556
ATLANTA - A national Islamic civil rights group is asking the FBI to
investigate vandalism at a Muslim home in suburban Atlanta as a hate
crime.
The Douglas County family's van was burned and the words "Killers go
home" spray-painted on the side of their house on April 8.
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington said local
authorities had been slow to investigate the crime.
But Douglas County Chief Deputy Stan Copeland said evidence from the
scene has been submitted to the state crime lab and that police patrols
in the neighborhood have been stepped up as investigators seek new leads.
. .
Sania Kamran, a native of Pennsylvania whose husband is from Pakistan,
said she had been involved in an argument at a local store weeks earlier,
during which a woman insulted her for wearing a traditional Muslim
outfit.
During another trip to the store, about a week before the vandalism, she
said someone traced the word "killers" into dust on her van
which had a license-plate holder that read "Proud to Be
Muslim."
She said she quit wearing obviously Muslim outfits after that
incident.
"I'm just afraid," she said. "I have four young children;
if someone did something, how would I protect them and protect
myself?"
Copeland said authorities believe the couple's religion was the motive
behind the attack.
"I'm afraid, with what's going on in the world now, there's somebody
out there that just wanted to make a statement," he said.
CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said the Kamrans' experience was
part of a growing pattern of anti-Muslim acts in the U.S.
"We attribute it to a rise in Islamo-phobia in our nation," he
said.
CAIR is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an
arrest in the Douglas County case.
Yusuf Burke, a CAIR representative in Atlanta, said such incidents
are not common in Georgia, but there have been a few. The most notable
was the destruction of Islamic Center of Savannah mosque by fire in
2003.
More recently, Burke said, there was minor vandalism at a mosque in
Clarkston, and about two weeks ago a window was broken at a mosque in
Fayetteville.
Burke said it is necessary to make a point of having such incidents
investigated fully by authorities so the perpetrators "don't think
they can keep on doing it." (MORE)
-----
RCC EVENT STIRS OPINIONS, IRE
AMONG STUDENTS -
TOP
Billed as "Islamic Bewareness," it is held in a designated
free-speech area.
MARISA AGHA, Press-Enterprise, 4/28/06
http://www.pe.com/localnews/riverside/stories/PE_News_Local_D_islam28.14cd26c3.html
Robert Morey stood before about 100 people Thursday at Riverside City
College talking about Islam and how it treats women.
"Do not let it keep women from the right to vote and drive a
car," Morey said.
As the hour wore on, students became more upset as topics bounced from
polygamy to child abuse and spousal abuse and how they related to
Islam.
But as students rose to speak, Morey cautioned them not to say anything
until each signed a waiver, saying he was making a movie about
"American Jihad against Civil Rights."
The event, called "Islamic Bewareness," was held in a
designated free-speech area. . .
Muslim students held up signs during the speeches that read "The
Hijab does not Oppress Against Women," "Stand Against
Hatred" and "Islam is not the Enemy." They urged listeners
to learn about Islam in a counter event they had organized outside of the
cafeteria, where members of RCC's Muslim Student Association and others
sat and listened to teachings from the Quran. . .
Thursday's event at RCC worries the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
"Islamophobia, the fear of Islam, which we fear is the root of
events like this has unfortunately become an increasing concern in our
society," said Rabiah Ahmed, council spokeswoman. "It seems to
be evolving into an accepted form of racism."
SEE ALSO:
AL: ANTI-MUSLIM LETTERS ARE
REPUGNANT -
TOP
By Members of the Ecumenical Book Group of First Christian Church
Aniston Star, 4/28/06
http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/2006/as-letters-0428-speakout-6d27r4202.htm
We are compelled to respond to recent letters in Speak Out. The writers
of "Let's play 'Black Jack'" and "Smell the terrorists,
ma'am" (April 16) clearly do not share our experience of the Islamic
tradition. It is unclear where they got their information about this
sister faith, but their responses seem as violent as the people they are
condemning. (MORE)
---
MI: NON-MUSLIMS SHOULD BE
ANGRY ABOUT LETTER -
TOP
The State News, 4/28/06
http://www.statenews.com/op_article.phtml?pk=36119
I am glad The State News reported on the prejudiced e-mail, "Prof's
e-mail angers Muslims" (SN 4/25), against Muslims by MSU Professor
Indrek Wichman to the Muslim Students' Association, or MSA.
At the same time, I am a little disappointed by the heading given to the
article, which indicates anger among Muslim students, although it should
state anger among MSU students.
Here are some reasons why we all should respond to it equally: If Nazis
stage a congregation at the Capitol and 800 anti-Nazi demonstrators can
gather, why can't several Muslims express their feelings about something
they think is blasphemous by gathering at the rock and painting
it?
Apart from worrying about timing when registering for our classes, should
we start looking at professors' "religious understanding"
ratings as well?
I have never felt any sort of discrimination by any faculty member at
MSU, but should I start worrying about my grades in IAH class because I
am affiliated with a certain religious group? Has MSU established a
perfect criteria for selecting faculty members?
I have no clue what the definition of a civilized nation is in his
dictionary or in which Muslim countries they trade slaves. His words are
full of ignorance, bigotry and hate. He apparently played a cheap shot to
get attention.
If the administration does not openly condemn these outrageous comments
of a faculty member who also used his university e-mail account, the
Student Engineering Council will file a petition against
Wichman.
Hammad Ghazali
mechanical engineering junior
-----
PREVIEW OF BRIDGES TV FBI/MUSLIM TOWN
HALL MEETING -
TOP
Airing Monday, May 15, 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. PT)
http://bridgestv.barakastreaming.com/vod/FBI3min.wmv
-----
NY: SPEAKERS SAY
ISLAM IS ABOUT PEACE, NOT TERRORISM -
TOP
By RANDI WEINER, Journal News, 4/28/06
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060428/NEWS03/604280349/1019/NEWS03
RAMAPO - Nearly 30 people intrigued about Islam filled a Rockland
Community College classroom yesterday to learn from two practitioners who
argued that their religion has been mislabeled as promoting
terrorism.
Ezz Hamza and Mohammad Paul Harris stressed to an audience of mostly
college students that Islam is a religion that advocates peace,
understanding and acceptance.
Those who quote Islamic tenets to wage war and kill civilians are not
following the rules set down by the prophet Muhammad, they
argued.
"These are extremists on both sides," said Hamza, a retired
chemist who has spent the past five years studying his religion and now
speaks to groups about it. "It's their understanding of how to do
things right, and they're wrong. Very, very wrong. The worst thing that
ever happened to Islam is Osama bin Laden. He hurts Islam every time he
speaks. He's just wrong. Maybe he's crazy or something."
Harris, who came to Islam as an adult, spoke extensively about Muhammad
the man - from the child who followed his family caravan trade to the
teen who was known for his fairness and honesty to the man who was
persecuted for advocating worship of a single god, not a series of idols.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
INTEREST IN ISLAMIC, ARABIC STUDIES
RISING -
TOP
Dorie Turner, Chattanooga Times Free Press, 4/28/06
http://www.tfponline.com/QuickHeadlines.asp?sec=l&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fepaper%2Ewehco%2Ecom%2FWebChannel%2FShowStory%2Easp%3FPath%3DChatTFPress%2F2006%2F04%2F28%26ID%3DAr0010
Although Joyce Haikal was raised Catholic, the Lebanese-American was
curious about the Islamic roots of her parents' home country.
This semester, the 22-year-old Dalton, Ga., resident signed up for a
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga course on Islam.
"I just found it very interesting," the sociology major said.
"(Americans should be) more educated in knowing that not all Muslims
are bad and not all Muslims are Arab."
Ms. Haikal is one of a growing number of students taking courses on Islam
or Arabic at colleges across the country, a trend that emerged after the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, educators said. As the war on terror
grows more complicated, students are looking for a better understanding
of the Middle East, and companies are looking for experts in Arabic and
Islam, educators said.
Area colleges are beginning to offer more options for students who want
to learn about the history and politics of the Middle East, educators
said.
Last fall, Vanderbilt University began offering a minor concentration in
Islamic studies, and already 12 students have declared it as a minor. Dr.
Richard McGregor, who coordinates Islamic studies at Vanderbilt, said the
students take courses in history, political science, religion and
language with a focus on Arabic countries.
"It is a very hot area," Dr. McGregor said. "(Government
contractors) are clamoring for anybody who knows anything about the
Islamic world and has a grasp of Arabic."
At UTC, the department of philosophy and religion has offered a basic
course on Islam for the last few years taught by Dr. Stephen Eskildsen,
who is trained in Asian religions. But Dr. Eskildsen said the university
should hire a faculty member with expertise in Islam to teach a variety
of courses on the religion.
"It's ridiculous not to," Dr. Eskildsen said. "You've got
to offer courses on this."
The enrollment in his Islam class grew from 10 students to more than 20
this semester, and the interest only will increase, Dr. Eskildsen said.
(MORE)
-----
MUSLIM ATHLETIC WEAR COVERS SKIN
WITHOUT CRAMPING STYLE -
TOP
Jennifer Cutraro, National Geographic News
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0427_060424_muslim_sports.html
The design of most modern sportswear puts many Muslim women athletes in a
curious bind: adhere to their faith and have their motions hampered or
compromise their beliefs in the name of athletic performance?
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
BREAKING NEWS. . .
SHOTS FIRED INTO MARYLAND MOSQUE
CAIR asks FBI to investigate possible bias
motive
(WASHINGTON, DC, 4/28/2006) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (
CAIR) today asked the FBI to
investigate a possible bias motive for shots being fired into a Maryland
mosque.
Local and state law enforcement authorities say shots were fired Thursday
into the Islamic Center of Delmarva in Salisbury, Md. One person was
reportedly inside the building at the time of the shooting but was not
injured. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to
call (410) 548-1776.
SEE:
Shots Fired Into
Salisbury Islamic Center (WBOC-TV)
Yesterday, CAIR announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the
arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of an apparent bias crime
against a Muslim family in Georgia. The family's van was torched and
"Killers Go Home!" was spray-painted on a wall of their
home.
SEE: FBI
Asked to Look Into Vandalism at Muslim Home as Hate Crime
(AP)
CAIR will soon release its annual report on the status of American Muslim
civil rights.
The Washington-based group is urging Muslim individuals and institutions
nationwide to review security procedures using advice contained in CAIR's
"Muslim Community Safety Kit." That kit may be obtained free of
charge by e-mailing:
pubs@cair-net.org (Include name,
address and phone number when requesting the safety kit.)
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR ASKS WHY NO MUSLIM GROUPS TO SPEAK AT DARFUR
RALLY
Lack of Muslim speakers calls into question rally's
'true agenda'
(WASHINGTON, DC, 4/30/2006) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (
CAIR) today questioned why
no representatives of major American Muslim groups are
listed as speakers
at the Save Darfur Coalition
"
Rally to Stop
Genocide" this afternoon in Washington, D.C.
CAIR and other American Muslim groups, including the Islamic Society of
North America, the Islamic Circle of North America, the Muslim Public
Affairs Council, and the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, are
members of the
coalition. But no representative from these, or any Muslim coalition
member, is listed on the latest rally program. (Several Muslims will
speak, but they do not represent Islamic groups that are coalition
members.)
The
Washington Post reported that rally organizers "rushed this week
to invite two Darfurians to address the rally after Sudanese immigrants
objected that the original list of speakers included eight Western
Christians, seven Jews, four politicians and assorted celebrities -- but
no Muslims and no one from Darfur."
Earlier this month, after noticing the lack of Muslim speakers on the
program, CAIR wrote to rally organizers asking to have a representative
speak at the rally. The Save Darfur Coalition never replied to CAIR's
letter, despite the fact that the Washington-based Islamic civil
liberties group is an original signatory of the coalition's founding
"
Unity
Statement."
"It is unfortunate that the Save Darfur Coalition chose not to list
any mainstream American Muslim groups in the rally program," said
CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. "This disturbing omission calls
into question the coalition's true agenda at the rally."
Awad said rally participants would have benefited from hearing American
Muslim leaders offer support for those suffering in Darfur and in
neighboring areas. He added that CAIR recently renewed its call to end
the violence and suffering in Darfur, and
asked American Muslims to contact their elected representatives to
urge government action.
Awad also said that all too often, the conflict in Darfur is portrayed in
racial and religious terms, with "Arabs" killing "black
Africans." He cited a recent article,
"
5 Truths About Darfur," in which the Washington Post's East
Africa Bureau Chief Emily Wax pointed out that: "
1 Nearly
everyone is Muslim,
2 Everyone is black,
3 It's all about
politics,
4 This conflict is international, and
5 The
'genocide' label made it worse."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper 202-744-7726,
E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org;
CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/1/06
*
Hadith:
Oppression
Punished By God
*
CAIR:
FBI to
Probe Possible Anti-Muslim Bias in MD, GA
-
CAIR-Cleveland:
Bigotry at Work
in War (Plain Dealer)
-
CAIR-MI:
Prof Offers
Up Apology for E-Mail (State Journal)
-
CAIR-Chicago:
Immigrants in
U.S. Rally, Boycott
*
WI:
Event Aims to Boost Understanding of Faith (Journal Sentinel)
-
FL: The 70 Virgins, and
Other Myths (PB Post)
-----
HADITH OF THE
DAY: OPPRESSION PUNISHED BY GOD -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “There are no sins more
fit to (be punished) by God…than oppression and severing ties of
relationship.”
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2299
-----
FBI TO
PROBE POSSIBLE ANTI-MUSLIM ATTACKS IN MD, GA -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/1/06) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) said today that the FBI will investigate possible bias motives in
two recent attacks targeting Muslims in Maryland and Georgia.
On April 8, vandals torched the van of a Douglasville, Ga., Muslim family
and spray-painted “Killers Go Home!” on a wall of their home. CAIR
offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of the perpetrators.
SEE:
CAIR: FBI Asked to Probe Attack on Georgia Muslim Family
On April 27, shots were fired into the Islamic Society of Delmarva in
Salisbury, Md. One person was reportedly inside the building at the time
of the shooting but was not injured.
SEE:
Shots Fired Into Maryland Mosque
CAIR called on the FBI to investigate both incidents as possible
anti-Muslim hate crimes.
“We welcome the FBI’s intervention in these cases and hope the resources
the agency can offer to local law enforcement authorities will help bring
the perpetrators to justice,” said CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah
Ahmed.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair-net.org; CAIR Communications Director
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org.
ALSO SEE:
CAIR-CLEVELAND: BIGOTRY AT WORK IN WAR, 3 WARN -
TOP
James F. McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer, 5/1/06
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1146479077163010.xml&coll=2
Three speakers with similar messages spoke Sunday to the annual banquet
gathering of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
Two of the speakers have been the focus of news stories in recent years,
as both were targeted for suspected wrongdoing, although neither was
prosecuted.
Retired Gen. Janis Karpinski, former commander of the notorious Abu
Ghraib prison in Iraq, and retired Capt. James Yee, the former Muslim
chaplain at the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have each
written a book about their experiences. Both are now on speaking tours,
providing their insight into the impact that prejudice against Muslims
has had on the war on terrorism.
Their stories gave the audience of about 500 Muslims and their guests
pause to consider some troubling changes in the country since Sept. 11,
2001.
"I'm talking to them about justice, prejudice and racism because it
does play a large role" in the war in Iraq, Karpinski said prior to
her keynote speech.
Karpinski, 52, considers herself the first among a growing number of
retired generals to speak out against the war. She's critical of
America's dearth of Arabic-speaking translators, and of the random, mass
arrests of Iraqis because most American soldiers cannot tell friendly
Iraqis from foes.
In particular, she's critical of what she perceives as an underlying
prejudice against Army reservists. Seven low-ranking soldiers who were
convicted of mistreating prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison were reservists,
as is Lt. Col. Steven Jordan, the prison's highest-ranking officer, who
is expected to be charged. (MORE)
---
CAIR-MI: MSU
PROF OFFERS UP APOLOGY FOR E-MAIL -
TOP
Matthew Miller, Lansing State Journal, 5/1/06
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/NEWS06/604290342/1102/RSS03
The Michigan State University professor who came under fire for calling a
Muslim student group "dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and
uncivilized slave-trading Moslems" in an e-mail has issued a partial
apology.
In a letter, published Friday in The State News, MSU's student newspaper,
mechanical engineering professor Indrek Wichman wrote that he had used
"tactless and hyperbolic language" in the e-mail he sent to the
Muslim Students' Association on Feb. 28.
"My letter addressed the attempts of the MSA to suppress free speech
regarding publishing the (Danish) Muhammed cartoons. It was not intended
to impugn the integrity and decency of all Muslims in the United
States," he said.
Advertisement
Wichman continued, however, by saying that free speech includes "the
right to provoke, challenge and debate the important issues of our
day" and that he is still "outraged by the abuses committed in
the name of Islam."
Wichman could not be reached for comment Friday.
On Monday, the MSA and the Michigan chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations called on the university to publicly reprimand
Wichman, saying that his harsh language and his suggestion that Muslims
"return to your ancestral homeland ... instead of troubling
Americans" were highly inappropriate for a professor.
University officials have said they don't agree with Wichman's e-mail. In
a letter Thursday to MSA President Farhan Abdul Azeez, Provost Kim Wilcox
called it "boorish, small-minded, and intemperate," but he also
said it was "protected by Professor Wichman's constitutional right
to free speech."
Wichman has been cautioned about the inappropriateness of the e-mail, but
not formally disciplined.
Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR's Michigan Chapter, said his
group is "still not thoroughly satisfied," with MSU's handling
of the issue or with Wichman's apology.
Had Wichman been "having a discussion about this from a sociological
standpoint, this could almost be justified," Walid said. "But
he's a mechanical engineer. He has no expertise in the matters he spoke
about.
"He should stick to mechanical engineering," Walid
added.
---
CAIR-CHICAGO: IMMIGRANTS IN U.S. RALLY, BOYCOTT -
TOP
Demonstrators Making Statements with Feet, Voices, Wallets
CBS, 5/1/06
http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/topstories_story_121095005.html
Illegal immigrants and their allies across America marched, prayed and
demonstrated during a day of economic protest Monday, boycotting work,
school and shopping to show their importance to the country.
In one of the early demonstrations, about 1,200 people marched in the
rural Homestead, home to one Florida's largest Mexican immigrant
populations and many major growers of fruits, vegetables and nursery
plants.
Jose Cruz, 23, from El Salvador, said he took off the day from his
construction job to attend the rally.
"If I lose my job, it's worth it," said Cruz, who has a
temporary work permit that is granted to many Central Americans.
"It's worth losing several jobs to get my papers."
Others were working Monday but buying nothing as part of the economic
boycott around the country. Some attended protests during lunch breaks or
after work. Church services, candlelight vigils, picnics and human chains
also were planned.
In each of New York City's five boroughs, thousands of workers took work
breaks to form human chains throughout the five boroughs, linking arms
with shoppers, restaurant-goers and other supporters for about 20
minutes.
"This will symbolize the interdependence of all of us, not just
immigrants, but all of society," said Chung-Wa Hong, executive
director of the New York Immigration Coalition.
In Denver, El Centro Humanitario, a nonprofit set up to help day
laborers, was closed Monday because its managers were helping organize a
rally downtown expected to attract tens of thousands of people.
But there was little change at Labor Finders, a temporary office with
several offices in the Denver area, spokesman Tim Kaffer said.
"The people who come in here really can't afford to take a day
off," he said. "Their daily pay just takes care of their hotel
and food."
In New Orleans, several thousand demonstrators attended a rally, carrying
signs that read `"Proud to rebuild" and "We come to
work."
Derrick Trundle, 29, of Metairie, La. said he sends money to his mother
in Honduras every month. "We don't come here to do anything
bad," Trundle said. "Just support our family because our
country is so very poor."
Thanks to the success of previous rallies, planning for Monday's events,
collectively called Un Dia Sin Inmigrantes, or A Day Without Immigrants,
is widespread, though fragmented. Rallies were planned in at least 60
U.S. cities today, CBS News national correspondent Byron Pitts
reports.
Some big businesses were shutting down operations: Six of 14 Perdue Farms
plants will close; Gallo Wines in Sonoma, Calif., was giving its 150
employees the day off; Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat
producer, planned to shut five of its nine beef plants and four of six
pork plants.
On the eve of the protest, about 3,000 people rallied for immigrant
rights at a park in Lynwood, a heavily Hispanic Los Angeles suburb.
Organizers of the demonstration called on residents and businesses to
support the boycott.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa urged students to stay in school
and advised protesters against waving flags of their native
countries.
"You should wave the American flag," he said. "It's the
flag of the country that we all are proud of and want to be a part of.
Don't disrespect the traditions of this country."
A rally in Chicago representing the city's Arab, Asian, black, eastern
European and Hispanic communities, along with labor groups and religious
leaders, could bring out as many as half a million people, organizers
say. It could be the largest immigrant rally ever in Chicago, Pitts
reports. They urged immigrant workers to ask for time off and encouraged
students to get permission to attend the demonstration.
"Stand in solidarity with people of all races and nationalities
because immigration legislation does not just affect one group; it
affects everyone!" Sadiya Ahmed, with the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, wrote in a recent e-mail.
-----
ISLAMIC CENTER EVENT AIMS TO BOOST UNDERSTANDING OF FAITH -
TOP
Tom Heinen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/30/06
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=419918
Galvanized by a recent national poll that shows an increase in the number
of Americans with negative views of Islam, local Muslims are
re-energizing outreach efforts by inviting the public to an open house
this week at the Islamic Center.
The estimated 10,000 Muslims in the Milwaukee metropolitan area have not
experienced the type of hate-motivated vandalism or attacks that have
occurred in some parts of the country, but participation in interfaith
events and public speaking by representatives of the Islamic Society of
Milwaukee in recent years do not appear to have reached enough people,
said Othman Atta, president of the society and a Milwaukee
attorney.
"Despite the bridge building, something clearly is not
working," Atta said.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in early March found that the
number of Americans with a negative view of Islam had grown from 38% to
46% since a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon. The poll also showed that the number of
Americans who think that mainstream Islam encourages violence against
non-Muslims has more than doubled since the attacks, from 14% in January
2002 to 33%.
"I am really appalled by the numbers," said Zulfiqar Ali Shah,
the Milwaukee Islamic Society's religious director and a prominent member
of the Fiqh Council of North America, an association of Islamic legal
scholars that interprets Muslim religious law.
"Because of the global situation in Egypt, Palestine, Afghanistan
and Iraq, it is most significant at this stage to talk to each other and
interact with each other."
An independent poll commissioned by the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, or CAIR, in Washington, D.C., and released last month found
that about 1-in-4 Americans believe that Islam is a religion of hatred
and violence. And almost 60% indicated that they had no or little
knowledge about Islam - about the same proportion as in a 2004 CAIR
survey.
Despite many statements by CAIR and other American Muslim groups
condemning terrorism, 63% of Americans in the CAIR poll said they did not
see, hear or read about any Muslim leaders condemning terrorism.
SEE ALSO:
THE 70 VIRGINS, AND OTHER
MYTHS -
TOP
C.B. Hanif, Palm Beach Post, 4/30/06
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2006/04/30/m2e_cbcol_0430.html
I couldn't get worked up about the clamor over the Danish cartoons that
depicted the prophet Mohammed. I am sure I was just as offended by them
as the majority of the world's 1.4 billion Muslims.
But, like them, rioting was the last thing on my mind. The point
oh-oh-oh-oh percent who did, and the folks who were demanding that more
of the media defame my faith by way of cartoon, seemed to deserve each
other.
Nor could I be bothered with the incessant demands that Muslims condemn
the 9/11 attacks. Not when the diverse, worldwide community of Muslims
hardly should have to answer for any act of a fringe group, madman or
even a well-meaning adherent in contradiction of Islam. Not when untold
hundreds of Muslims also died in the World Trade Center. Not when it was
obvious that the perpetrators were adhering to neither Islam nor any
other faith sanctioned by the Creator of mankind.
Nor when groups such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(
www.cair-net.org
) are bending over backward to provide such messages, which the media
ignores, some claim not to hear and some don't want to.
For example, CAIR recently coordinated a joint appeal by national Muslim
leaders for the safe return of American journalist Jill Carroll, who was
abducted in January in Iraq while on assignment for The Christian Science
Monitor, and for members of the Christian Peacemakers Teams also taken
hostage.
In contrast, the "Death to America the Great Satan" crowd, and
the hate-filled rhetoric of Islam-bashers such as televangelist Pat
(Islam is a "violent religion") Robertson and the Rev. Franklin
("a very evil and wicked religion") Graham are simply opposite
sides of the same coin.
But I'm still fuming over the misrepresentation of my faith in the matter
of Abdul Rahman, the Afghan who was threatened with an apostasy death
sentence for converting to Christianity. So I was happy to hear recently,
during the Friday prayers ordained in Islam, that my friend, Imam Jaabir
Muhammad, was worked up about it, too. (MORE)
----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS
- 5/2/06
*
Hadith:
Gentleness
*
CAIR/Qunoot Fellowship:
Application Deadline Extended, May 10
*
CAIR-AZ:
Muslims
Accosted By 'United 93' Viewers
-
Incitement:
Robertson Says Islam is "Bloody, Brutal"
*
CAIR-Cincinnati:
Muslim Community Sponsors Darfur Prayer
-
CAIR-FL:
Pastor's Death
Mourned (Miami Herald)
-
CAIR-CA:
Loyalty, Responsibility Keeps Some at Work
*
FBI Sought Data on
Thousands In '05 (Wash Post)
*
MT: Lecturer Sheds
Light on Islam (Missoulian)
-
CA:
Opening
Books, Minds at Festival (LA Times)
*
VA: Marriage is about
Dwelling In Tranquility (Wash Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GENTLENESS
-
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who is deprived
of gentleness is deprived of good."
Sunan of Abu Dawood, Hadith 2238
-----
DC: DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR CAIR/QUNOOT FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS UNTIL
MAY 10 -
TOP
http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=416&theType=AA
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/2/06) - The deadline to apply for the
CAIR/Qunoot Foundation fellowship has been extended until May 10th,
2006.
The CAIR/Qunoot Foundation "Diversity and Intra-Community Outreach
Fellowship" is designed to help increase appreciation for and
understanding of the diversity within the American Muslim community. The
summer 2006 fellowship is being offered at CAIR's Capitol Hill
headquarters.
It is open to students who have shown commitment to the promotion of
mutual understanding as well as those with experience in statistical and
ethnographic research.
To obtain an application for the fellowship, e-mail:
internship@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-AZ
MUSLIMS ACCOSTED BY 'UNITED 93' VIEWERS -
TOP
Women told: 'Take off your f***ing burqas and get the f*** out of this
country'
(PHOENIX, AZ, 5/2/06) - The Arizona office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ) reported today that several young
Muslim women were verbally abused by two people who said they recently
saw the movie "United 93" about one of the planes hijacked on
9/11.
The three Muslim women say a white middle-aged couple approached them on
April 29 at the Desert Ridge Marketplace in Scottsdale, Ariz., and asked
whether they were Muslim. After learning that the women were in fact
Muslims, the couple indicated they had seen "United 93" and
then said: "Take off your f***ing burqas and get the f*** out of
this country. We don't want you in this country. Go home." [Note:
Two of the three women are American-born citizens.]
"The couple's verbal abuse had obviously been prompted by their
associating all Muslims with those who took part in the 9/11 terror
attacks," said CAIR-AZ Office Manager Bushra Khan, who was one of
those accosted by the couple. "The best way to prevent this type of
stereotyping and intolerance is to educate ordinary Americans of all
faiths about Islam and Muslims."
Khan said CAIR launched several post-9/11 educational campaigns to
promote mutual understanding. CAIR's campaigns included a "Not in
the Name of Islam" public service announcement rejecting terrorism
and religious extremism, the "Explore the Quran" campaign
offering free copies of Islam's revealed text to Americans of all faiths,
the
"Explore the Life of Muhammad" initiative, which offers free
DVDs and books about the life and legacy of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, and
the recently concluded "Explore Islamic Civilization and
Culture" campaign that distributed materials about Islam to more
than 8,000 public libraries nationwide.
A recent CAIR survey showed that just two percent of Americans said they
were "very knowledgeable" about Islam. Some 60 percent of
respondents said they "are not very knowledgeable" or "not
at all knowledgeable" about Islam.
SEE: CAIR: American Public Opinion About Islam and Muslims
Summary:
http://www.cair.com/cairsurveyanalysis.pdf
Detailed Results:
http://www.cair.com/CAIRSurveyReport.pdf
A similar poll by the Washington Post and ABC News found that one in four
Americans "admitted to harboring prejudice toward Muslims."
That survey indicated that 46 percent of Americans have a negative view
of Islam. The Post's report on the poll findings quoted experts who say
negative attitudes about Islam are "fueled in part by political
statements and media reports that focus almost solely on the actions of
Muslim extremists."
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, is headquartered
in Washington, D.C., and has 32 regional offices and chapters nationwide
and in Canada.
CONTACT: Bushra Khan, 602-262-2247, officemanager@cairaz.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441,
E-Mail: rahmed@cair-net.org; CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper,
202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org.
SEE ALSO:
INCITEMENT WATCH: ROBERTSON LABELED ISLAM A "BLOODY, BRUTAL TYPE
OF RELIGION" -
TOP
Media Matters, 5/2/06
http://mediamatters.org/items/200605010007
Summary: On the Christian Broadcasting Corp.'s 700 Club, host Pat
Robertson expressed concern that Americans, "especially the American
left," need to "wake up" to the "danger" that
Islam presents. Robertson continued: "Who ever heard of such a
bloody, bloody, brutal type of religion? But that's what it is. It is not
a religion of peace."
On the April 28 edition of the Christian Broadcasting Corp.'s (CBN) 700
Club, host Pat Robertson referred to Islam as a "bloody, brutal type
of religion." Following a report suggesting that those who convert
from Islam could face hardships and even death sentences in some Middle
Eastern countries, Robertson expressed concern that Americans,
"especially the American left," need to "wake up" to
the "danger" that Islam presents. He said that, in the past,
Muslim invaders would kill "an unbeliever" if they would not
convert to Islam and that today, "if somebody wants to leave Islam,
they're going to kill them." Robertson continued: "Whoever
heard of such a bloody, bloody, brutal type of religion? But that's what
it is. It is not a religion of peace."
Robertson has frequently asserted that "Islam is not a religion of
peace," as he did in the April 28 broadcast. For instance, as Media
Matters for America previously noted, Robertson made similar comments on
April 24 when he warned his viewers that "we are not listening"
to what Islam "says," just as we did not listen to "what
Adolf Hitler said in Mein Kampf." (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CINCINNATI: MUSLIM COMMUNITY SPONSORS DARFUR PRAYER -
TOP
(CINCINNATI, 5/2/06) - The Cincinnati office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cincinnati) co-sponsored an interfaith
prayer event for the victims of violence in Darfur on Sunday, April
30.
The program, held at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, drew a
standing room only crowd of 400 Muslims, Christians, Jews and Buddhists.
Attendees completed the "Save Darfur Now" postcards and pledged
to call their representatives to voice their concerns on the Darfur
crisis.
"When all faiths work together, the voices for Darfur will be
heard," said Zeinab Schwen, Chairperson of CAIR-Ohio Cincinnati
office.
The sponsors of the event included: CAIR-Ohio, the Islamic Center of
Greater Cincinnati, Muslim Mothers Against Violence, The Catholic
Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Wise Temple, and the American Jewish
Committee.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, is headquartered
in Washington, D.C., and has 32 regional offices and chapters nationwide
and in Canada.
CONTACT: Karen Dabdoub, 513-281-8200, E-mail: karen@cair-ohio.com; Zeinab
Schwen, E-mail: zschwen@fuse.net
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-FL: PASTOR'S DEATH
MOURNED -
TOP
Syed Ali Rahman, Miami Herald, 5/2/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/editorial/letters/14476858.htm
South Florida Muslims commiserate with the Catholic community of South
Florida after the death of Rev. Paul Edwards-Komarc, pastor for St.
Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Weston. That he was loved by
Catholics is no surprise.
What is remarkable is the respect he earned from people of other faiths
as he took steps to build bridges of understanding.
On my first visit to St. Katharine Drexel in 2004, I and others wanted to
condemn the attack on Christian churches in Baghdad. We were so impressed
by Rev. Edwards-Komarc's hospitality. The church management had reserved
parking for us right in front of the entrance. They made us feel at home
from the moment we stepped in.
Local Muslims will remember Rev. Edwards-Komarc as an advocate for
justice, a bridge builder and a visionary leader. He promoted his own
faith without condescending others. Public figures and other religious
leaders who have espoused anti-Islam views could borrow a page of
tolerance from this Christian leader.
[Syed Ali Rahman is with Council on American-Islamic Relations in
Pembroke Pines]
---
SENSE OF LOYALTY, RESPONSIBILITY KEEPS SOME SYMPATHIZERS AT WORK -
TOP
Lisa Fernandez, Mercury News, 5/2/06
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/14477046.htm
While thousands of immigrant-rights supporters took off work Monday to
join the protest march, many others clocked in because they needed the
paycheck, or wanted to show their importance in another way: loyalty to
their bosses, customers or co-workers.
Martha, who came 10 years ago from Durango, Mexico, and who asked that
her last name not be used, reported to her job as a preschool teacher in
Fremont, even though she fervently opposes the bill that would make
illegal immigrants felons.
She said she has a ``sense of responsibility to the kids'' who need her.
She has two children in school herself and wouldn't appreciate it if
their teachers' went out on strike, leaving her without anyone to watch
her 7- and 9-year-olds.
``I think there are two lines of thought on this,'' said Safaa Ibrahim,
31, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations in
Santa Clara, which sent two representatives to the San Francisco rally.
``Don't show up for work and show the impact that has, or you should
protest in a more constructive way, by showing your work ethic, that
you're responsible and a contributor.''
She surmised that's why the rallies in Oakland, San Francisco and San
Jose were spaced throughout the day so that protesters could try to both
work, and attend an event. (MORE)
----
FBI SOUGHT DATA ON
THOUSANDS IN '05 -
TOP
Dan Eggen, Washington Post, 5/2/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/01/AR2006050101388.html
The FBI sought personal information on thousands of Americans last year
from banks, Internet service providers and other companies without having
to seek approval from a court, according to new data released by the
Justice Department.
In a report to the top leaders of both parties in the House, the
department disclosed that the FBI had issued more than 9,200
"national security letters," or NSLs, seeking detailed
information about more than 3,500 U.S. citizens or legal residents in
2005.
The USA PATRIOT Act, approved overwhelmingly by Congress after the Sept.
11, 2001 attacks, greatly expanded the government's power to monitor,
search, detain or deport suspects in terrorism-related
investigations.
The report, released late Friday, represents the first official count of
NSL use. It was required under legislation that extended the USA Patriot
Act anti-terrorism law.
The count does not include other such letters that are issued by the FBI
to obtain more limited subscriber information from companies, such as a
person's name, address or other identifying data, according to the
report. Sources have said that would include thousands of additional
letters and may be the largest category of NSLs issued. The Washington
Post reported in November that the FBI now issues more than 30,000 NSLs
each year, including subscriber requests.
The Justice Department report also outlined a continued increase in the
use of secret warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,
or FISA. The secret court that oversees the law approved a record 2,072
orders for clandestine searches or surveillance in 2005 -- an 18 percent
increase from the year before. (MORE)
-----
LECTURER SHEDS LIGHT ON ISLAM
-
TOP
Betsy Cohen, Missoulian, 5/2/06
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/05/02/news/local/news05.txt
Intrigued by his lecture titled "Why Are We so Ignorant About the
Islamic World?" a standing-room-only crowd turned out for a Monday
lunch-hour community talk given by Mehrdad Kia, a native of Iran, former
history professor and current director of the University of Montana's
Office of International Programs.
For starters, there is no such thing as what the Western media is fond of
calling the "Islamic World," Kia said to an overflow crowd in a
lecture hall at UM's Gallagher Building.
There is no easy, catchall name by which to group the complex and ancient
cultures of the diverse groups of people who have for the past 14
centuries - and longer - inhabited the region the modern world knows as
Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
"There is no homogenous Islamic world," Kia said. "There
are no five adjectives to describe these people, this region.
"They are as different as countries can get in terms of culture,
literature, politics and religion."
Thanks to the West's infatuation with ancient Greece, all things
European, a cultural penchant for stereotypes and television media that
loves to perpetuate stereotypes, Americans are left with simplistic,
misrepresentative images of this part of the globe, Kia said.
Most Americans consider the "Middle East" - which is also a
misnomer - as a place of vast deserts, where fanatics live, where camels
roam, where people wear towel-like headgear, where there is lots of oil,
where tyrants live, where a death culture thrives.
Few Westerners are aware of the gorgeous costal stretches or the mountain
ranges; few can name a poet, a writer, philosopher, scientist or musician
from any one of the many countries in the region. Even more disturbing,
Kia said, few people know about the sophisticated cultures that were at
their zenith just as Europe was evolving and wrestling with the Dark Ages
during the 14th century.
Few people know, for instance, that inventions that have changed the
world such as the concept of algebra was invented by Arabic speaking
mathematicians, and that an Arab is not always a Muslim, but is a person
who speaks the Arabic language and could also be a Muslim, Christian,
Jewish, or a member of any other religion. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
OPENING BOOKS,
OPENING MINDS AT THE FESTIVAL -
TOP
Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times, 5/1/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-books1may01,1,5765244.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california&ctrack=1&cset=true
With critics pointing a harsh finger at Muslims and the Arab world, Alia
Dada and Shahid Ali could not have been more pleased with the crowds
gathered around their little information booth at the 11th annual Los
Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday.
By day's end, they had handed out more than 1,500 free paperback English
translations of the Koran and answered hundreds of sometimes tough
questions about their faith.
Refilling the diminishing stack of Korans on her display table over the
weekend, Ali said a few visitors even "came up to apologize for
having said negative things about Islamists in the past."
Theirs was one of 350 booths visited by an estimated 127,500 people
during the two-day book festival, a community event designed to celebrate
the written word and bring together a critical mass of readers and
authors to develop ideas and discuss the hottest topics of the day.
(MORE)
-----
VA: DWELLING IN TRANQUILITY -
TOP
Imam Mohamed Magid, Washington Times, 5/1/06
www.washingtontimes.com
[Imam Magid is the Executive Director and Imam of the All Dulles Area
Muslim Society (ADAMS). The following is a khutba, or sermon, that was
printed in the May 1st edition of the Washington Times]
Of the many blessings God showers upon us, one of the greatest is
marriage. It sweetens our lives with love and friendship, comfort and
security, while helping us grow personally and strengthening us.
The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"The whole world is a provision and the best object of benefit of
the world is a good spouse." Marriage is one of our greatest
responsibilities. Muslims often quote the Prophet's saying, "Whoever
marries has fulfilled half of his religion" to remind themselves of
the significance of marriage.
Do we indeed approach our marriages, current or future, as though they
are half of our religion?
From an Islamic perspective, marriage is a pledge that a man and woman
make to one another in accordance with the Qur'an (the Muslim Holy Book)
and the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad's life).
The foremost obligation is to treat each other with kindness and
gentleness. One's words, actions, and behavior must always be suffused
with mercy, love, and tenderness. Knowing the purpose of marriage is
important because when we fulfill it, we automatically fulfill the terms
of our contract. When we do not, we risk loosening the marital knot. In
the Qur'an, God says, "And among His Signs is this: that He created
for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility
with them, and that He has put love and mercy between your hearts.
Verily in that are Signs for those who reflect" (30:21). This famous
verse, often printed on Muslims' wedding invitations, describes some of
the wonderful purposes of marriage.
Consider the phrase "from among yourselves." God reminds us to
view our mates as extensions of ourselves, and ourselves as extensions of
our mates. There is no room for selfishness. We must intentionally walk
the path to oneness. Our vocabulary changes from 'I' to 'we' and from
'me' to 'us,' and we make decisions together rather than
individually.
Now take the phrase "that you may dwell in tranquility." The
Arabic word for "tranquility" derives from a root word meaning
"a place where one lives." Think about the many purposes of our
homes. These structures protect us from the harshness of the elements,
permit us to relax and refresh ourselves, and enable us to be ourselves
without having to worry about always looking our best.
A good marriage should provide all of these same virtues. A husband and
wife must protect one another. A marriage in which one member does not
feel protected by the other is like a house in which the roof is leaking.
Spouses should always put one another at ease. They should be a
wellspring of comfort, love, and support. They must understand that while
each will give his or her best, both must be free to be who they are
without pretension.
Marriage must be built on a firm acceptance of each other, including
imperfections. Just as we do not don business suits to watch television,
we should not have to exert ourselves to interact with our spouse.
Similarly, we must never go into marriage hoping to change our partner --
not only because this is utterly beyond our capacity, as only God is The
All-
Powerful -- but also because it creates an environment of rejection.
Much as our houses need occasional maintenance and inspections, so do our
marriages.
We must check with ourselves and with our other halves to see if anything
needs repair and tend to these repairs immediately. The time to fix the
roof is before it rains.
In a beautiful passage in the Qur'an, God gives further insight into the
role of husband and wife: "They are your garments and you are their
garments" (2:187).
We wear our clothes very close to our bodies, and our spouses should also
be held close to us and us to them -- emotionally, physically, and
spiritually. Garments serve many purposes: veiling our faults, preserving
our modesty, accentuating our beauty. We should do the same by covering
our spouse's shortcomings, preserving their privacy and dignity, and
helping them develop their innate talents. While we may have only one
spouse in our lifetime, though, we own many articles of clothing, for
different occasions and different seasons.
We own suits for work and pajamas for sleep; jackets for winter and
sandals for summer. But as spouses, we are only one person and must adapt
to all of life's eventualities. Finally, we must consult and respect our
spouse's "care label."
Just as some clothes may become discolored when washed in hot water, we
must learn how to care for our spouse, something often unique to them and
different from ourselves.
Striving to give our best to our spouse and marriage is the key to truly
upholding marriage as half of our religion.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS BRIEFS
- 5/3/06
*
Hadith: Good
Deeds
*
CAIR-MI
Rep
Discusses MSU Prof's Anti-Muslim Email on WJR
*
IL: From the Mosque to
the March (Daily Southtown)
-
IL:
Muslim Confronts
Needs of City (Chicago Trib)
*
NY:
Feds Ask Informer to Write Down Plate Numbers at Mosques
-
DC: Enemy of the State
(Atlantic)
*
US:
Government Creating "Climate of Torture" (AI)
*
NJ: Where the
Meat Meets Muslim Standard (Star-Ledger)
-
CT: Hartford Islamic
Leader Dies (Hartford Courant)
*
MA:
University Pulls
Artwork By Palestinian Youths (Globe)
*
Poll:
Islamic World Says Most Muslims Reject Terrorism (VOA)
*
DC: GWU Hosts Discussion
with Shirin Ebadi
*
Hindu Mob Burns Muslim to
Death (UPI)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GOOD DEEDS
-
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Who among you has fasted
today? ...Who among you followed [a funeral procession] today? Who among
you fed a poor man today? Who among you visited an invalid today? Anyone
in whom (these good deeds) are combined will certainly enter
Paradise.
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 505
-----
CAIR-MI REP DISCUSSES MSU PROF'S ANTI-MUSLIM EMAIL ON WJR -
TOP
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan Chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), appeared as a guest on 760WJR Frank
Beckmann's news/talk show on Wednesday, April 26, to discuss CAIR s
concerns over a MSU Professor's incendiary email to the Muslim Student
Association.
To listen to the interview, visit:
http://www.760wjr.com/getpodcast.aspx?sid=6552&lid=5157&id=207056&source=1&url=http://rope.wjr.com/Interviews/Beckmann/MP3/Walid-042606.mp3
-----
FROM THE MOSQUE TO THE MARCH -
TOP
Gregg Sherrard Blesch, Daily Southtown, 5/2/06
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsindex/02-ds2.htm
Govea spoke Spanish as she greeted a friend Monday in the parking lot of
the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview.
Govea, 27, was dressed in hijab like the rest of the women boarding buses
to join a largely Latino crowd in Chicago calling for changes in the
country's immigration laws.
Govea's family is Mexican, and she has converted to Islam.
"I'm Mexican, too," Govea thought when she independently joined
a similar rally in March and noticed puzzled looks from the throngs of
Latinos.
This time, though, she was joined by many more Muslims, including a few
hundred from the Bridgeview mosque, organized by the Council of Islamic
Organizations of Greater Chicago.
The mosque's imam, Sheik Jamal Said, had called repeatedly for the
worshippers to show their support for the cause.
Mahamadou Drame, of Orland Park, had gotten the day off from his job at
the International House of Pancakes.
"They asked me why, and I said, 'The imam decreed,' Drame said. His
boss, likewise a Muslim, would be joining the rally later
himself.
Drame, a very tall immigrant from Mali, was dressed in black slacks,
crisp white shirt and white Islamic prayer cap.
Throughout the day, he cheerfully distributed a thick stack of red and
white signs that would make the outnumbered group's solidarity visible:
"Muslims for American Dream" on one side and "Keep
Families United" on the reverse.
The Latino population in the Chicago area more than a quarter of the
city's residents far surpasses the number from Muslim countries.
But the southwest suburbs are home to a large and growing Muslim
community, now numbering from 40,000 to 50,000, according to Mosque
Foundation president Dr. Mohammed Sahloul. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM CONFRONTS NEEDS OF
CITY -
TOP
Activist sees poverty, gangs as top threats to urban brethren--and he
won't stand for it
Margaret Ramirez, Chicago Tribune, 53/06
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0605030211may03,1,1986718.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true
He is one of Muslim America's rising young activists, yet he is reserved
in his comments on caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, the Mideast
conflict and the war in Iraq.
Instead, Rami Nashashibi speaks out against Muslim-owned liquor stores,
protests on behalf of Latino workers and denounces mistreatment of blacks
by the criminal justice system. On Monday he joined Mexicans, Koreans and
Poles in a massive march for immigrant rights.
Such issues are not commonly associated with Muslim activism, but
Nashashibi, 33, believes Islam calls on the faithful to focus on gritty
problems in urban areas. For him, waging a war at home against poverty,
gang violence and other modern plagues is key to uniting Muslim
Americans.
"Muslims have been absent and aloof about the problems in the inner
city," he said. "We're seen either as victims or villains. We
have not been part of the larger story in transforming communities. But
now we have a unique opportunity to bring together the diverse elements
of our community to effect change."
Muslim leaders and scholars agree that one of the most pressing problems
in Muslim America today is the divide separating Arab and Southeast Asian
immigrants, such as Nashashibi, from the growing number of
African-Americans and Latinos becoming Muslims.
As executive director of the Chicago-based Inner-City Muslim Action
Network or IMAN, Nashashibi is one of the few Muslim activists nationwide
connecting wealthy, suburban Muslim immigrants with largely working-class
Muslims in the city. As a Palestinian-American educated in Chicago, he
bridges both worlds, mixing Islamic beliefs with street culture like
spoken-word and hip-hop music.
This month, IMAN moves into new offices that include a free health clinic
for the low-income Latinos, African-Americans and Arabs in Chicago Lawn
on the Southwest Side. As Nashashibi's influence grows, many observers
say he is redefining what it means to be a Muslim-American activist.
(MORE)
-----
INFORMER IN BOMB PLOT TRIAL TELLS OF HIS VISITS TO MOSQUES
-
TOP
William K. Rashbaum, New York Times, 5/2/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/02/nyregion/02herald.html
The paid police informer who is the central witness at the trial of a
Pakistani immigrant charged with plotting to blow up the Herald Square
subway station testified yesterday that he collected a wide range of
information on his visits to two city mosques, from the tenor of the
sermons to how many people attended the services.
The informer, Osama Eldawoody, 50, secretly recorded roughly two dozen
conversations about the plot with the immigrant, Shahawar Matin Siraj, in
the summer of 2004 many of them incriminating. He was questioned by Mr.
Siraj's lawyer about the information he provided to the police on his
frequent visits to mosques in Brooklyn and Staten Island. The visits
occurred over roughly 13 months in 2003 and 2004, both before and after
the informer met Mr. Siraj.
Regardless of the outcome of the trial for Mr. Siraj, 23, who faces up to
20 years in prison if convicted, Mr. Eldawoody's testimony is shedding
light on what seem to be new police tactics to uncover terrorist plots
before they come to fruition. While a federal judge gave the police
expanded powers in 2003, critics have nonetheless raised objections to
the use of informers in places of worship, political events and other
gatherings.
Mr. Eldawoody had earlier testified that he had been told to keep
"his eyes and ears open for any radical thing," but many of the
details that came out during questioning seemed mundane: How many people
attended a service. How long it lasted. The name of the imam who
spoke.
A frequent phrase in the reports he made to the police was, "the
service was religious in nature."
What he reported sometimes seemed like small talk among worshipers. For
example, pressed by one of Mr. Siraj's lawyers to explain what one
report, about a man who discussed opening a new mosque on Staten Island,
had to do with radicals, Mr. Eldawoody replied, "He doesn't have to
be bad or good, I report it, he doesn't have to be a terrorist to report
it. I report what happens and what I saw and what I heard…"
At one point, he questioned the witness about a report that indicated
that he had written down the license plate numbers of worshipers at a
mosque.
"I was asked to do that," Mr. Eldawoody replied.
"Who asked you?" Mr. Stolar said.
"The detective," he said.
"He told you to go out and write down the license plates of people
who attended services?" the lawyer asked.
"Yes," Mr. Eldawoody replied.
SEE ALSO:
ENEMY OF THE STATE -
TOP
Atlantic, 5/3/06
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200605u/viorst-interview
Milton Viorst on the path that brought his son's childhood friend from a
middle-class American upbringing to life imprisonment for conspiracy to
commit "violent jihad"
In 1977, at the bar mitzvah of his son, Nick, journalist and author
Milton Viorst squirmed as the rabbi delivered a stormy sermon about
Arabs, castigating them as a people for killing young Jewish boys. Seated
somewhere in the audience, Viorst was well aware, was his son s close
friend, Ali al-Timimi, the American-born son of Iraqi imigris and the
only Muslim in the room. Deeply embarrassed, Viorst found himself hoping
that Ali, an adolescent after all, would be too bored or distracted to
pay attention to the rabbi s declamations.
Just after the boys entered high school, Ali moved to Saudi Arabia with
his parents, who had each obtained lucrative positions there in
government and academia. Nick Viorst s relationship with Ali faded, as
youthful friendships so often do, into a pleasant memory.
Until last year. One day, Nick telephoned his father with a startling
message: he had read in the newspaper that Ali had been sentenced to life
in prison, charged by the FBI with recruiting fellow Muslims to an
anti-American jihad network in the wake of 9/11. He was, the prosecutor
claimed, a rock star of Islamic fundamentalism, a kingpin of hate who had
used his religious authority and charisma to lure his followers into
clandestine military operations against the United States.
Advertisement
Viorst was shocked. How, he wondered, could Ali, a kid who grew up
wearing McDonald s T-shirts and baseball caps, who enjoyed beers and rock
concerts, who seemed, in other words, so wholly American, have gone on,
in the span of three decades, to become an enemy of the state?
It was more than a hypothetical question for Viorst. A prominent
journalist who had written copiously about the Middle East and the Arab
world (his most recent book is Storm From the East: The Struggle Between
the Arab World and the Christian West), Viorst saw in Ali s arrest a
confluence of the personal and the professional, a story about radical
Islam, centering on a man who had once been a welcome guest in his own
house. It was, he realized, a story he had to write.
What ensued, Viorst admits in retrospect, was the most difficult
reporting he had ever faced as a journalist. Secluded by the government
in a maximum-security facility, Ali was unavailable for questioning. Most
of Ali s friends preferred to remain silent, fearing the repercussions
that might come from criticizing the government. Working mainly with
official records, then from Ali s past speeches to the government s
indictment Viorst tried to recreate the path that had led Ali from his
schooldays with Nick to the burning scarlet letter of a being convicted
as a terrorist.
The more Viorst learned, however, the more troubling the questions that
presented themselves. While Ali had almost certainly made some disturbing
statements advising a small group of his followers to leave America and
become holy warriors in Kashmir, Chechnya, or Afghanistan he never
advocated or pursued action against the United States. Viorst was also
troubled by some of the strategies pursued by Ali s prosecutorial team,
from disregarding testimony on the grounds that Islam allows its
adherents to lie, to interpreting a penchant for paintball a sport
favored by some of Ali s followers as clear evidence of violent
intentions.
In his June 2006 article in The Atlantic, Viorst addresses these
questions by constructing an intricate mosaic of theology, politics, and
grand human drama. He also raises a question of his own: are Muslims in
post-9/11 America being treated fairly under the law?
I spoke to him by telephone on April 10. (MORE)
-----
US:
GOVERNMENT CREATING "CLIMATE OF TORTURE" -
TOP
Amnesty International, 5/3/06
http://origin2.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR510702006?open&of=ENG-USA
Amnesty International today made public a report detailing its concerns
about torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of
prisoners and detainees both in the US and in US detention sites around
the world.
The report has already been sent to members of the UN Committee Against
Torture, who will be examining the US compliance with the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment on 5 and 8 May in Geneva. The Convention against Torture
prohibits the use of torture in all circumstances and requires states to
take effective legal and other measures to prevent torture and to provide
appropriate punishment for those who commit torture.
The US is reportedly sending a 30-strong delegation to Geneva to defend
its record. In its written report to the Committee, the US government
asserted its unequivocal opposition to the use or practice of torture
under any circumstances -- including war or public emergency.
"Although the US government continues to assert its condemnation of
torture and ill-treatment, these statements contradict what is happening
in practice," said Curt Goering, Senior Deputy Executive Director Of
Amnesty International USA. "The US government is not only failing to
take steps to eradicate torture it is actually creating a climate in
which torture and other ill-treatment can flourish -- including by trying
to narrow the definition of torture."
The Amnesty International report describes how measures taken by the US
government in response to widespread torture and ill-treatment of
detainees held in US military custody in the context of the "war on
terror" have been far from adequate. This is despite evidence that
much of the ill-treatment stemmed directly from official policy and
practice.
The report reviews several cases where detainees held in US custody in
Afghanistan and Iraq have died under torture. To this day, no US agent
has been prosecuted for "torture" or "war crimes".
(MORE)
-----
WHERE THE MEAT MEETS
MUSLIM STANDARD -
TOP
Suleman Din, Star-Ledger, 5/3/06
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1146669308204860.xml&coll=1
There's just one place in North America where an observant Muslim can
follow Jared's diet, the two-sandwich-a-day plan that helped Subway
pitchman Jared Fogel lose 245 pounds.
The Subway restaurant that adheres to Islamic restrictions is off Route
27 in Iselin. The eatery is indiscernible from other Subways except for a
neon green sign in the window spelling out "halal," the Islamic
equivalent of kosher.
In two years she has served halal food at her Subway, Ruhila Khan has
built a following from all over the tristate area. The success can be
seen in the sales-volume awards on the wall behind the register. "I
don't have enough space to hang up all of them," Khan said, smiling.
"I did something for Allah, and he has blessed us."
The Subway isn't the only American fast food restaurant in New Jersey
serving halal. Not far away is the only A&W Root Beer restaurant in
the country doing the same, on Route 1 in Edison.
In a state with one of the largest Muslim populations in the country,
restaurant owners and community members say it makes business sense for
mainstream restaurants to cater to Muslims.
"It's symbolic of our acceptance in the fabric that is
America," said Irfan Rydhan, founder of a Web site (zabihah.com)
that lists halal restaurants across the United States. "Especially
if you grew up here. Your home cuisine is American cuisine."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
HARTFORD ISLAMIC LEADER DIES -
TOP
Frances Grandy Taylor, Hartford Courant, 5/3/06
http://www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-ctsharief_.artmay03,0,6936950.story?coll=hc-headlines-life
Imam Qasim Sharief, leader of the Islamic Center of Hartford, died
Tuesday at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. He was 54.
Sharief, who led the Islamic Center, also known as the Masjid Muhammad,
since 1988, was a pivotal figure in Hartford's interfaith community. He
spoke of Islam as a religion of peace and often joined with leaders from
a range of denominations to call for ecumenical understanding and
reconciliation. He was also the first Islamic chaplain of the Hartford
Police Department.
Members who gathered at the mosque on Hungerford Street Tuesday evening
said Sharief had been ill in recent months and had been hospitalized for
several weeks before his death.
"He wasn't just the imam - he was our brother," said Hassan
Ali, a member who credits Sharief with helping him choose Islam and
"find my way back to God."
"He was such an engaging brother," said Ali, 54. "People
at the masjid just always wanted to be with him and around him. He never
refused anybody."
Under Sharief's leadership, the mosque's membership outgrew its former
home on North Main Street, and the mosque purchased the building at 155
Hungerford St., along with a building next door to house a program for
Muslim children. He was also a force behind reducing crime in the
neighborhood, working to rid the block of drug dealers who used abandoned
houses on the street.
Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Sharief welcomed city and state
leaders to the mosque. During a rally last summer in Bushnell Park, he
called on American Muslims to raise their voices to denounce
terrorism.
"We are partners in this America," Sharief said. "The
Muslim mother has the same concerns about her children as the Christian
mother, as the Jewish mother."
Michael Clarke, 28, said the mosque had become his home since his release
from prison a year ago, and that Sharief had become a father figure to
him. "He really embraced me," Clark said.
-----
BRANDEIS PULLS
ARTWORK BY PALESTINIAN YOUTHS -
TOP
School says show was one-sided
Michael Levenson, Boston Globe, 5/3/06
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2006/05/03/brandeis_pulls_artwork_by_palestinian_youths/
A bulldozer menaces a girl with ebony pigtails, who lies in a pool of
blood. A boy with an amputated leg balances on a crutch, in a tent city
with a Palestinian flag. A dove, dripping blood, perches against blue
barbed wire.
Palestinian teenagers painted those images at the request of an Israeli
Jewish student at Brandeis University, who said she wanted to use the art
to bring the Palestinian viewpoint to campus. But university officials
removed the paintings four days into a two-week exhibition in the
Brandeis library.
University officials said the paintings depicted only one side of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Lior Halperin, the student who organized
the exhibit, said the university censored an alternative view.
Now, Brandeis is embroiled in a debate about how to portray Palestinian
perspectives on a campus where 50 percent of the students are Jewish and
where passions about the Middle East run deep. Six to a dozen students at
the Waltham university complained about the paintings, which were hung on
Wednesday and removed Saturday.
The controversy occurs at a sensitive time for the campus, which has
angered some students and Jewish groups with the appointment of a
prominent Palestinian scholar and with a partnership with Al-Quds
University, an Arab institution. (MORE)
-----
NEW POLL OF ISLAMIC WORLD SAYS MOST MUSLIMS REJECT TERRORISM -
TOP
Meredith Buel, VOA News, 5/2/06
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-05-02-voa82.cfm
The preliminary results of a worldwide survey of predominantly Islamic
countries says most Muslims condemn terrorism and extremism. The Gallup
Organization released the results during a news conference in
Washington.
The Gallup polling organization released the first round of findings
based on a worldwide survey of Muslims from countries ranging from North
Africa, to the Middle East, to Southeast Asia.
The data show a generally unfavorable view of the United States and
Britain, as well as a distrust of American intentions to establish
democracy in the Middle East and South Asia.
Georgetown University Religion and International Affairs Professor John
Esposito says the results indicate a deepening gulf between Muslim
countries and the West. "At times it looks like we do have a clash
of cultures or certainly a clash of cultures that is looming very close
to us. Anti-Americanism remains very strong and in some areas is growing.
Terrorism is growing. In the West we see an increase in negative
attitudes towards Islam and Muslims, both in America and Europe and we
now find the word Islamophobia more and more being used," he
said.
The executive director of Muslim Studies for Gallup, Dalia Mogahed, says
the survey also shows a strong majority of those polled in Islamic
countries oppose terrorist attacks on civilians.
Mogahed says while religion is a very important part of everyday life,
most Muslims denounce the use of faith to promote terrorism. "On the
one hand, we found that the most admired aspect of the Muslim world was
people's religious adherence. But when we asked people what do you admire
least about the Muslim world, sort of a critique, among the most frequent
responses was extremism, radicalism, terrorism and fanaticism. So there
is on one hand a love of Islam and on the other hand a condemnation of
extremism," he said.
Mogahed says the results of the Gallup survey show that technology and
political freedom are the most admired aspects of life in the West. The
survey, she says, indicates a majority of Muslims want a system of
government that combines democracy and their Islamic faith.
Mogahed says most Muslims surveyed want respect for themselves and their
religion from people in Western countries. "The overwhelming
response was to respect Islam, to stop associating, to stop seeing
Muslims as inferior, to stop thinking of us as barbaric. So there is this
keen sense of humiliation, and I think it is important to note this
feeling because from a psychological point of view it has been called the
nuclear bomb of emotion. It is very combustible," he said.
By the end of this year the Gallup organization says it will have polled
Muslims in 40 countries and will release results it says will reflect the
views and aspirations of more than one billion Muslims around the
globe.
-----
GWU HOSTS DISCUSSION
WITH SHIRIN EBADI -
TOP
WHAT: The George Washington University (GWU) Elliott School of
International Affairs holds a discussion with Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel
Peace Prize recipient, on "Human Rights, Women, and
Islam."
WHEN: May 4, 2006
WHERE: GWU Elliott School, 1957 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. --
CONTACT: 202-994-6240
-----
HINDU MOB BURNS MUSLIM TO
DEATH -
TOP
UPI, 5/3/06
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060503-045223-6488r
VADODARA, India - Security forces have been sent to a town in western
India to quell several days of interreligious violence that saw a Hindu
mob burn a Muslim to death.
The Indian government Wednesday sent 500 troops to Vadodara in Gujarat
state to maintain order after a Hindu mob Tuesday night stopped a passing
car and set it on fire, killing the Muslim occupant, the Press Trust of
India reported.
Mobs reportedly set two factories on fire, and there were incidents of
stone throwing and sporadic violence in parts of the city.
Riots broke out in Vadodara this week as Muslims protested the demolition
of a centuries-old Sufi shrine as part of a development plan. Six people
have been killed and more than 70 have been injured since Monday, when
the shrine was destroyed
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/4/06
*
Hadith:
Guidelines for
Life
*
CAIR:
Muslims to Protest Wachovia's Closure of Charity Account
-
CAIR-CA
Concerned Over Release of Family's Private Info
-
CAIR-OH:
Helps
Bring Iraq War Exhibit to State Capitol
-
CAIR-OH
Sponsors Muslim Youth
Concert
-
CAIR-AZ Interfaith
Event A Success
-
CAIR-LA:
Balancing Editorial Freedom, Responsibility
-
CAIR-Chicago:
Anti-Islamic Ravings Are
Shameful
*
DC: GAO
Faults Pro-U.S. Effort with Muslims (Wash Post)
-
WI: Violence Is
Not a Religion (Journal Sentinel)
-
PA:
Criticism of Saudi Students Sparks Protests
*
OH:
Charity Says U.S. Won't Let It Defend Self (Toledo
Blade)
-
CA: A New Hayat Jury Issue
(Sac Bee)
-
CAN: Mosque Defaced (Montreal
Gazette)
*
LA: Website Attracts
Islamic Students (Daily Revielle)
*
IL: Islamic
Internship for Worker Justice
-----
HADITH: GUIDELINES FOR LIFE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “God has forbidden you to
be undutiful to your mothers, to withhold (what you should give), or
demand (what you do not deserve), and to bury your daughters alive [a
pre-Islamic practice]. And God has disliked that you talk too much about
others, ask too many questions or waste your property.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 6
-----
MUSLIMS TO PROTEST WACHOVIA'S CLOSURE OF CHARITY ACCOUNT -
TOP
Bank won't say why it closed account of VA Muslim charity serving victims
of domestic violence
(WASHINGTON, DC, 5/4/2006) - On Monday, May 8, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim American Society Freedom
Foundation will hold a news conference in Washington, D.C., to announce a
campaign in response to Wachovia Bank's unexplained closure of a Virginia
Muslim charity's account.
WHAT: Press Conference Announcing Campaign to Protest Closure of
Muslim Charity's Account
WHEN: Monday, May 8, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: In front of Wachovia Bank, 444 North Capitol Street, N.W.,
Washington, DC
In November, 2005, Wachovia Bank sent a letter to the Foundation for
Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH), a small Muslim-run
charity in Northern Virginia, announcing that the organization's accounts
would be closed in January, 2006. The organization's accounts were in
good standing it all times during its several-year relationship with
Wachovia and the bank never expressed concern about the charity or its
activities. Wachovia Senior Vice President Jeraldine Davis wrote:
"As you are aware the Bank's contract with FAITH provides that the
Bank can close any customer's account at any time."
FAITH, a charity providing aid to individuals and families that are needy
or victims of domestic violence within the Northern Virginia area, serves
people of all faiths and ethnicities. SEE:
http://www.faithus.org/
CONTACT: FAITH Board Treasurer Margaret Farchtchi, 703-850-8555, E-Mail:
farchtchim@hotmail.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor,
571-278-4658, E-Mail: csaylor@cair-net.org; MAS Freedom Foundation
Executive Director Mahdi Bray, 202-421-3623
ALSO SEE:
CAIR-CA CONCERNED OVER RELEASE OT FAMILY'S PRIVATE INFO
–
TOP
District Attorney Releases Family’s Private Information to the
Public
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 5/4/2006) - The Sacramento Valley office of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) today expressed concern over Yolo
County District Attorney’s release of private information about the
family of a Muslim teenager whose hit-and-run case was recently dismissed
by a local judge.
Private information such as the family’s names, address, phone number,
and birthdates was released in an audio recording and placed on the Davis
Enterprise website.
SEE:
“
New Controversy In Davis Hit And Run Case” (ABC 7 News Report)
Jamal Buzayan, the father of the teenager, is upset that prosecutors
released his private information and his concerned about identity theft
and what he sees as a vendetta by the district attorney and the Davis
police.
In the ABC 7 news report, Buzayan is quoted: "The police is telling
you now and the DA's office, we're not stopping after the judge makes the
decision. We're going to go after you, judges cannot protect you, lawyers
cannot protect you, the truth cannot protect you."
"Releasing private information to the public places the family at
risk," said CAIR-SV Communications Director Dina El-Nakhal. “There
is no justification to try this case in the public after the case was
dismissed in court.”
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Basim Elkarra, 916-441-6269, E-Mail: sacval@cair.com
---
CAIR-OHIO HELPS BRING IRAQ WAR EXHIBIT TO STATE CAPITOL -
TOP
(COLUMBUS, OH, 5/4/2006)- The Columbus office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), along with various interfaith
organizations, is bringing the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
exhibit, “Eyes Wide Open: the Human Cost of War in Iraq,” to the West
Lawn of the Ohio Statehouse from June 12-14.
This exhibit will feature a panel display memorializing the Iraqi
civilians killed since the beginning of the war, an interlocked field of
shoes and sandals representing Iraqi women, children, and men who have
died, and a field of empty combat boots symbolizing the US soldiers who
have been killed during this war. Around the clock reading of the names
of civilians and soldiers will also take place. The goals of the exhibit
are to put a human face to the casualties in the Iraq War, to lift up the
deaths of Iraqis and US soldiers, and urge the US government’s
accountability.
“This is truly an important event as it highlights clearly the toll this
war has had on both Iraqi’s and US service-members, but it also stresses
the interfaith community’s unified commitment to seeking peace in this
horrific human tragedy,” said CAIR-Columbus Director Adnan Mirza. “One
cannot leave this display and not be moved by it.”
Volunteers are needed and tax deductible donations are accepted. For more
information on the exhibit please visit:
http://www.afsc.org/eyes/about-the-exhibit.htm.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. The CAIR-Ohio Chapter has three
offices – Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Its mission is to enhance
the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-Columbus Director Adnan Mirza, 614-451-3232, E-Mail:
director@cair-ohio.com; Pat Rose, 614-294-9019, E-Mail:
ProgramAsst@peace-center.org.
---
CAIR-OHIO SPONSORS
MUSLIM YOUTH CONCERT -
TOP
(COLUMBUS, OH, 5/4/2006) – The Ohio Chapters of the Council on
American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) is sponsoring the 1st Annual Youth
Concert for the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) on Saturday, May 6
at 6:30 p.m.
The concert, which will benefit MYNA, will be held at the Southern
Theatre in downtown Columbus and will feature groups such as Native Deen
and 786. Comedian Ramez Habbal will also be performing at the
event.
“Supporting Islamic entertainment is paramount for young Muslims; it
enables Muslim youth to be connected to the arts while maintaining their
religious values,” said Adnan Mirza, CAIR-Columbus Director.
Mirza added that the event also falls under CAIR’s new Y-CAIR initiative
(Youth-CAIR), which is designed to empower Muslim youth and introduce
them to the benefits of community service.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. The CAIR-Ohio Chapter has three
offices: Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. CAIR’s mission is to
enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-Columbus Director Adnan Mirza, 614-451-3232, E-Mail:
director@cair-ohio.com; Riyad Shamma, 513-623-4608
---
CAIR-AZ: INTERFAITH
EVENT A SUCCESS -
TOP
(PHOENIX, AZ, 5/4/2006) - On Tuesday, May 2, the Arizona office of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ), in cooperation with the
Islamic Community Center (ICC) of Tempe, hosted an interfaith event,
"A Day of Discovery: Building Bridges to Islam."
Over 50 members of Elderhostel, a non-profit organization that provides
educational opportunities for people 55 and over, attended the event. It
was the first of a series that will be held throughout May and
June.
Speakers included Shaykh Ahmed Shqeirat of ICC, and Nure Elatari and
Bushra Khan of CAIR-AZ. Topics covered were "More in Common Than You
Think," "Women, Democracy and Jihad," and "CAIR: A
Brief Overview."
"Interfaith events are crucial in promoting a better understanding
between communities," said Nure Elatari, Program Director at
CAIR-AZ. "We are happy to host Elderhostel and look forward to
similar events in the future."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
To read CAIR's Mission, Vision Statement and Core Principles, go to:
http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=About
CONTACT: Nure Elatari, director@cairaz.org, 602-312-2223
---
CAIR-LA: BALANCING EDITORIAL FREEDOMAND RESPONSIBILITY -
TOP
University of Nevada Reno, 5/4/06
http://www.unr.edu/journalism/060501page2.htm
For many in the Muslim community, the publication of cartoons that
depicted the prophet Mohammed as a terrorist was not considered a
respectful use of free expression in a democratic society.
“Muslims don’t see this as freedom of speech,” said Hussam Ayloush of the
Council for American-Islamic Relations. “For most, it was an issue of
hatred. … To demonize one of the highest symbols of Islam was the cause
of great pain.”
Perhaps in an earlier era, cartoons running in a Danish newspaper
wouldn’t have received global attention. Times have changed. How might
this impact freedom of speech?
That was the topic debated by this year’s Fred Smith Ethics Seminar at
the National Judicial College April 24. The public discussion on the role
of a free press was emceed by Reynolds School Professor Ed Lenert. The
four-person expert panel included a First Amendment lawyer, a Muslim
community leader, an editorial cartoonist and a former Methodist
minister.
Often college students don’t fully appreciate the First Amendment’s role
in society, First Amendment lawyer Rochelle Wilcox said. The
constitutional guarantee was put in place to prevent abuses of free
speech that had occurred in England, where a government license had been
required for all publications. (MORE)
---
ANTI-ISLAMIC RAVINGS ARE
SHAMEFUL -
TOP
Sultan Muhammad, Fort Wayne News Sentinel, 5/4/06
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/14499441.htm
It is a tremendous public disservice for The News-Sentinel to publish the
unfounded and misguided ravings of an extremist.
In a letter headlined "Islam is What Corrupts Its Militants"
(April 14), Mr. R. Sauder boorishly characterizes Islam as a
"fanatical religion" that has "corrupted the people"
in an irresponsible rant that portrays Islam itself, not terrorism, as
the imminent threat out to destroy us.
Sauder attempts to lend credence to these obtuse assessments by citing a
market opportunist, academically qualified to assess nothing expertly but
rising market trends.
Remarkably enough, author Craig Winn's sensationalist writing career
began on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, ironically mining the instant
market of American fear spawned by the regrettable atrocities.
Winn has proven himself neither an author of any import nor an authority
on terrorism or Islam. In his published biography, he unsuccessfully
attempts to exude authority by touting an "invested
4,000 hours of study of the religion of Islam" (less than 2 work
years). Winn's only expertise seems to lie in hatemongering and fomenting
incitement for the purpose of cashing in on fear and ignorance.
Sauder is as unjustified in his sweeping condemnation of Islam, a world
faith credited by most historians as being the spark which ignited the
Renaissance in the Western world, as he would be in purveying similar
sentiments toward any of the world's other great religious traditions,
based on the worst some of their adherents had to offer.
If "Islam is a serious threat to America," as Sauder
categorically states, then how come fewer than 20 Muslim Americans (out
of an estimated 8 million) have ever been indicted on charges of
terrorism and many fewer convicted? (MORE)
[Sultan Muhammad is the Communications Coordinator for the Chicago
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.]
-----
GAO FAULTS PRO-U.S.
EFFORT WITH MUSLIMS -
TOP
Associated Press, 5/3/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/03/AR2006050301595.html
WASHINGTON -- State Department efforts to reach more than 1.5 billion
Muslims in 58 countries to counter anti-American criticism lack a strong
central message and a strategic plan of communication, the Government
Accountability Office said Wednesday.
Last year, the department spent $597 million on public diplomacy under
the direction of Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes, and spending is
due to increase this year.
Theres a shortage of officers, though, and tours of duty at posts in the
Muslim world are shorter than elsewhere. As many as 30 percent of those
public diplomacy posts are filled by officers with limited language
skills, compared with 24 percent elsewhere, said Congress' investigative
arm.
"Many public diplomacy officers in the Muslim world cannot
communicate as well with local audiences as their position
requires," the report said.
Public diplomacy officers spend less time talking to local audiences than
they should, and while the program is aimed primarily at younger
audiences, there is a shortage of basic, core messages and a lack of
analysis of the program's results, the report said.
To explain U.S. foreign policy more effectively, the GAO recommended that
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice provide written guidance on priority
goals and tactics.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack had no immediate comment on the
findings. But in an appendix, the State Department said it is in the
midst of improving its strategy and stepping up research and monitoring
of the program's results.
And the GAO credited State Department officials with encouraging embassy
officers to speak more to local audiences.
SEE ALSO:
EDITORIAL: VIOLENCE
IS NOT A RELIGION -
TOP
Journal Sentinel, 5/3/06
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=420564
The last time an Osama bin Laden tape showed up for our viewing
displeasure, the terrorist spoke of a "crusade against Islam."
Unfortunately, U.S. polls are showing that Americans misunderstand Islam
on such a scale that this bogus claim is allowed more fertile ground to
sprout than should be available.
That's why Milwaukeeans should avail themselves of a special opportunity
Saturday. They should visit the Islamic Center of Milwaukee for an open
house that will include a tour, question-and-answer sessions and
information about a religion that shares some of the same roots as
Judaism and Christianity.
Journal Sentinel reporter Tom Heinen wrote on Monday of the invitation to
the public from the Islamic Center. The article also contained some
disquieting revelations.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll in early March showed negative views of
Islam have grown and that many Americans believe that Islam encourages
violence against non-Muslims. An independent poll by the Council on
American-Islamic Relations last month had one in four Americans believing
that Islam is a religion of hatred and violence, Heinen wrote.
Such slanted U.S. views on Islam inform not only Muslim perceptions of
this country but also provide cover to U.S. policy decisions not
necessarily in the country's interest. The view that the jihadists who
perpetrated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were concretely and
operationally tied to Iraq's Saddam Hussein, for instance. We suspect
that this falsehood would not have been so believable had perceptions
about Islam been on firmer and more accurate ground and there wasn't such
a temptation to lump all Arabs and Muslims into one pile.
Many of those blowing up themselves and others in Iraq and elsewhere are
indeed citing their faith and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed for
this lunacy. And it's important to understand what these people believe
their faith says that compels such action. A visit to the open house
could help. (MORE)
---
PA: CRITICISM OF SAUDI STUDENTS SPARKS PROTEST AT WILKES -
TOP
Kris Wernowsky, Wilkes Barre Times Leader, 5/4/06
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/14496277.htm
WILKES-BARRE - A letter to the editor in Sunday's Times Leader blasting
Saudi Arabia and criticizing the paper's decision to run a story about
Saudi Arabian international students at Wilkes University sparked a
protest at the college Wednesday. Salmon Punekar, a Wilkes
University business student, organized a protest of a recent letter to
the editor in the Times Leader. The letter, written in response to an
article, pointed out that most of the Sept. 11 conspirators were Saudis
and many had come to the United States on student visas.
Nearly 300 students attended the hour-and-a-half exposition outside the
Henry Student Center Wednesday afternoon to protest the letter written by
Forty Fort dentist Stephen M. Lawrence referencing 9/11, honor killings
and the treatment of women and Christians in Muslim states.
"It is said we are having a clash of civilizations, but as we can
plainly see, only one side is civilized," he wrote. "Wake up
Americans. We are letting the barbarians in and we must be
diligent."
The letter responded to an April 9 story that followed 15 Saudi Arabian
students' acclimation into an American university.
Interviewed Wednesday, Lawrence stood by his views, calling the religion
of Islam "a political and religious system that is against
everything that Western values stand for."
Salman Punekar, 19, a business major at Wilkes University and a
naturalized American citizen of Saudi Arabian decent, organized the
peaceful protest that drew out many students on the final day of classes.
He said he learned about the letter earlier this week and began
circulating e-mails to fellow students.
"His statements undermine American values," Punekar said of
Lawrence.
"I'm a naturalized citizen now and there's no difference between me
and anybody else. We came out here so that he (Lawrence) knows there's a
strong opposition to his views. He's exercising his freedom of speech and
so are we." (MORE)
-----
KINDHEARTS: MUSLIM CHARITY SAYS U.S. WON'T LET IT DEFEND SELF-
TOP
Christopher D. Kirkpatrick, Toledo Blade, 5/4/06
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/NEWS02/605040424&SearchID=73243559154954
Toledo-based KindHearts - a Muslim charity shuttered by the federal
government for suspicion of funding terrorism - says the U.S. Treasury
Department has denied it access to frozen assets needed to hire
lawyers.
Board members say the allegations by Toledo native John Snow's office
that KindHearts gave money to Hamas, a terrorist organization and the
recent victors in elections held by the Palestinian Authority, are
untrue. The decision to deny them access to assets, they say, also leaves
the agency legally defenseless.
"With the stroke of a pen and without any judicial review, they have
shut down KindHearts and killed it forever," said Jihad Smaili, a
Cleveland lawyer and board member.
But federal court records indicate the government's suspicions could be
fueled by the intertwined case against three Toledo-area men indicted in
February for plotting terrorist acts.
It could hang together or fall apart based on the motivations of the paid
confidential informant in the case - a man named Darren L. Griffin, who
lived in the LaSalle Apartments downtown. He has owed child support for
at least two of the children he has had by three women and declared
bankruptcy in Kentucky in 1999 after an injury led to his discharge from
the Army there at Fort Campbell.
Mr. Griffin's financial problems also led to requests seeking reduction
in child-support payments, according to Lucas County court
records.
Dubbed "the Trainer" in the federal indictment against the
three area men, the 40-year-old is the critical link in the federal case,
documents show.
He is known as "Bilal" in the Toledo Muslim community. Sources
have said he owned a security company here. He worked for KindHearts
part-time for $7 an hour and befriended the three suspects in the local
Muslim community.
Mr. Griffin's motivations have become an important issue in at least one
defense strategy.
Steve Hartman, the lawyer for Othman El-Hindi, 43, one of the indicted
terrorist suspects, said paid informants should be looked at with a
jaundiced eye. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
A NEW HAYAT JURY ISSUE -
TOP
Denny Walsh, Sacramento Bee, 5/4/06
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14251380p-15067796c.html
During deliberations in the 10-week federal trial of a Lodi man convicted
of terrorism, the jury foreman contacted an alternate juror about a
member of the jury who was frustrating the foreman.
The seemingly inappropriate conduct in the trial of Hamid Hayat came to
light Wednesday when U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. issued a
notice of the contact.
The judge's courtroom deputy, Shani Furstenau, received a message on her
voice mail from alternate juror Marta Watanabe that she was contacted
April 20 by jury foreman Joseph Cote, who "asked her a question
about Arcelia Lopez," according to Burrell's one-sentence
notice.
It was not clear Wednesday whether Burrell intends to investigate Cote's
conduct.
When contacted Wednesday, Watanabe, a state lottery employee who lives in
Roseville, said: "I'd rather not talk about it right now. Maybe at a
later time, but not now."
April 20 was the sixth full day of deliberations for the Hayat jury. Late
the next day, Cote sent a note to Burrell about Lopez, but did not name
her. It read:
"There is impass with a juror who does not seem to understand the
deliberation process. I'm available to discuss this with you and counsel
at any time."
Burrell responded April 24, telling the jury to continue its
deliberations.
The next afternoon the jury found Hayat, a 23-year-old cherry packer of
Pakistani descent, guilty of providing material support to terrorists by
undergoing training in Pakistan and returning to Lodi 11 months ago
prepared to wage violent jihad against U.S. citizens.
Hayat, who faces a maximum 39 years in prison at sentencing July 14, also
was found guilty of lying to conceal the training and his intentions when
he was first questioned by the FBI.
On the same day Hayat was found guilty, a jury deadlocked and a mistrial
was declared in the prosecution of his father, Umer Hayat. The elder
Hayat was charged with lying to the FBI to conceal his son's training and
his own firsthand knowledge of terrorist training in Pakistan.
In an affidavit submitted by defense attorney Wazhma Mojaddidi to Burrell
two days after the verdict in Hamid Hayat's case, Lopez says she does not
believe he is guilty and was pressured by Cote and other jurors into
voting for conviction. (MORE)
---
MOSQUE DEFACED -
TOP
The Gazette, 5/4/06
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=3dc1a777-6f3c-491a-abf1-b07bd73b2c7a
The Muslim community in Trois Rivieres is shaken after three racist
posters were taped to the front door of a mosque last weekend. One of the
signs read in French: "Arab terrorists, get out." Another
showed one of the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published in a Danish
newspaper last fall that caused an international furor. The third called
for young Quebecers to stand up against the "Islamization" of
Quebec cities. The posters were signed Quebec Radical, described in news
reports as an underground, extreme-right, anti-immigration group. About
300 Muslims live in Trois Rivieres.
-----
SITE ATTRACTS ISLAMIC
STUDENTS -
TOP
Travis Andrews and Michael Mims, Daily Reveille, 5/4/06
http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/05/04/44597acc48c32
In the wake of the success of sites like Facebook.com and MySpace.com,
followers of one religion have taken their own piece of the Internet
social networking pie.
Mohamed El-Fatatry, a Muslim who studied computer science at the American
University of Sharjah, created MuslimSpace.com, a social network for
Muslims that is similar to MySpace.
El-Fatatry said in an e-mail that he created the site in response to the
adult content on other social networking Web sites.
“The reason I created it was simply that popular social-networking Web
sites like MySpace and Hi5 were often filled with adult advertisements,
corrupted content and racist members who constantly attack Muslims and
Islam,” El-Fatatry said. “However, I also found out that there was a
minority who like to use social networking the ‘clean’ way and were
disturbed at what they found on these popular sites.”
El-Fatatry said this group gave him the idea to create a site similar to
MySpace for Muslims and anyone wanting to communicate with Muslims. The
site is carefully monitored, and there are strict rules to keep the site
“clean.”
“Members are expected to respect the Islamic Shariah Laws, so no posting
of pictures without proper clothing (for both males and females), no bad
language, and the list goes on,” El-Fatatry said.
The site has a large number of non-Muslim members as well.
“What attracts [non-Muslims] is the positive and clean atmosphere,”
El-Fatatry said.
El-Fatatry said in addition to the need for a “clean” social networking,
he also felt the members of the fast-growing Muslim nation need a place
to connect on the Internet.
“I believe Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world,”
El-Fatatry said. “It should not be any different on the Internet world.”
(MORE)
-----
ISLAMIC INTERNSHIP
FOR WORKER JUSTICE -
TOP
The Interfaith Worker Justice and the Labor Movement are co-sponsoring
the Islamic Internship for Worker Justice, an internship that offers
Muslim students the opportunity to engage in social justice work through
union campaigns that benefit hotel, healthcare, janitorial, and other
workers in low-wage jobs and work with people of other religions to live
your faith in action.
Participants receive one week of orientation and training in Chicago
before starting work on local union organizing campaigns. The program
runs from June 11 and ends August 18.
Students receive a weekly stipend, housing if relocation is necessary,
transportation costs, and possible academic credit.
Students receive:
* Invaluable experience in ministry and community organizing
* Weekly stipend of $300
* Housing if relocating for the summer
* Transportation costs
* Possible academic credit
* Help in finding a theological mentor for reflections
Applications are available online at
http://www.iwj.org/outreach/students/sem_sum.html. There is a rolling
application deadline. For more information, contact Sara Wohlleb,
Seminarian Organizer at 773-728-8400x43; swohlleb@iwj.org.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/5/06
*
Hadith:
Put Things
Right between People
*
CAIR-AZ: Muslims
Worried By Tirade after Film (Daily Star)
*
CAIR-Chicago:
Muslims Sue for Citizenship, Allege Bias
-
IL:
Suit Claims
Delay in Citizenship (Sun Times)
*
NJ:
Cabbie Returns
$2,085 to Passenger (Kron 4)
*
CA:
More Allegations
against Juror (Lodi News)
-
CA: Attorney
Wants New Trial (News Sentinel)
*
Muslim Diet Is
Strict, Healthy and Delicious (Daily Facts)
-----
HADITH
OF THE DAY: PUT THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN PEOPLE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Shall I not inform you of
something more
excellent than fasting, prayer and charity?...It is putting things right
between people.”
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2310
-----
MUSLIMS WORRIED BY
TIRADE AFTER FILM -
TOP
Stephanie Innes, Arizona Daily Star, 5/5/06
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/127787.php
The verbal abuse of three young Muslim women in Scottsdale by a couple
who had just seen "United
93" is stirring concern among the Arizona Islamic community that the
film will reignite furor at
their faith.
"Generally, what we try to do is turn a negative into a positive, so
if there's a good
initiative to take to educate people to show we're not responsible for
violence or terrorism,
that's what we will be looking at doing," said Bushra Khan, office
manager of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations' Arizona chapter, based in Phoenix. About
60,000 Muslims live in
Arizona about 8,000 of them in the Tucson area.
Khan, 24, was one of the three young women who say they were shopping at
the Desert Ridge
Marketplace in Scottsdale on April 29 all of them wearing burqas, or
head scarves when they
were approached by a middle-aged couple who asked if they were Muslim.
Khan said she always welcomes inquiries about her faith and was happy to
tell the couple yes.
But what happened next was a shock, she said.
According to Khan, the couple said they'd seen the movie "United
93" and then told the women to
take off their burqas, swore at them, and told them to get out of the
country. The couple
quickly left and the women did not file a police report.
"United 93," released last week, re-creates the flight of the
fourth and final plane hijacked by
Islamist terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.
"The couple's verbal abuse had obviously been prompted by their
associating all Muslims with
those who took part in the 9/11 terror attacks," Khan said.
"The best way to prevent this type
of stereotyping and intolerance is to educate ordinary Americans of all
faiths about Islam and
Muslims."
Khan said the council could reignite campaigns similar to those it
sponsored post-9/11, among
them "Not in the Name of Islam" public service announcements
rejecting terrorism and religious
extremism, and the ongoing "Explore the Life of Muhammad"
initiative, which offers free DVDs and
books on the life and legacy of Islam's prophet and founder. The council
also continues to offer
free copies of its holy book, the Quran. (MORE)
-----
MUSLIMS SUE FOR CITIZENSHIP, ALLEGE GENDER, RELIGIOUS BIAS -
TOP
Micheal Higgins, Chicago Tribune, 5/5/06
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0605050208may05,1,3376761.story
Ten Muslim men allege that they have been denied U.S. citizenship for up
to two years, in
violation of their civil rights, despite passing every test and
interview, according to a
federal lawsuit filed Thursday.
The men are permanent legal residents who say they should have been sworn
in as citizens within
120 days of meeting all the requirements. Instead, they said they have
been kept waiting for a
year or more.
Meanwhile, "hundreds of thousands of other people seeking to be
naturalized" have had their
swearing-in ceremonies, the lawsuit said.
"They're in limbo," said Christina Abraham, civil rights
coordinator for the Chicago chapter of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, an advocacy group
that represents the
plaintiffs. "These are people who don't have any criminal record
whatsoever. ... They don't know
why they've been delayed. They've done everything they can
do."
The plaintiffs allege the delays discriminate against them on the basis
of their gender and
religious beliefs. They are seeking a court order that they be sworn in
as citizens, along with
unspecified money damages and attorney fees.
U.S. Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales and top officials at the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security
and FBI are named as defendants. Federal officials had not yet reviewed
the lawsuit on Thursday
and could not comment, said Charles Miller, a spokesman for the U.S.
Department of Justice.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul Plunkett.
The plaintiffs are seeking to bring the lawsuit as a class action on
behalf of thousands of
other Muslim males who they allege may face similar problems. The wait is
frustrating for those
who want to apply for certain government jobs or want to know whether
they can vote in the next
election, Abraham said.
CAIR in Chicago has gotten about 80 complaints in the last year, Abraham
said. She said other
chapters also have fielded complaints and may file suits.
The plaintiffs have tried to determine how their wait times compare with
other ethnic groups.
But they said U.S. officials have failed to produce the necessary records
under the federal
Freedom of Information Act. The plaintiffs seek the records as part of
the lawsuit.
"We don't really know what is going on here," Abraham said.
"There is a lack of transparency in
the system."
SEE ALSO:
SUIT BY
MUSLIM MEN CLAIMS DELAY IN CITIZENSHIP -
TOP
Rummana Hussain, Sun Times, 5/5/06
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-discrim05.html
Ten Chicago area Muslim men filed a class-action lawsuit against the
federal government Thursday
alleging their quest to become U.S. citizens is being delayed because of
their Islamic faith and
male gender.
The Syrian, Moroccan, Jordanian, Pakistani and Egyptian natives have no
criminal records, but
they have been waiting one to four years for the government to make a
decision on their
applications, Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center attorney Chuck
Roth said. Some of their
wives applied at the same time and have since received their U.S.
citizenship.
The plaintiffs, including the Council on American Islamic Relations'
Chicago office, agree the
government must conduct background checks on all potential citizens. But
they say Muslim men,
more than any other group, have their cases delayed too often with no
explanation.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman Marilu Cabrera said
99 percent of
background checks are resolved within six weeks and 80 percent within
three. "Until we get
clearance from the FBI, for national security reasons, we cannot grant
citizenship," she said.
-----
CABBIE RETURNS $2,085 TO
PASSENGER -
TOP
Kron 4, 5/4/06
http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=4859159&nav=5D7l
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. Temptation wasn't a factor for a cab driver in
Atlantic City when a
passenger left nearly 21-hundred dollars in 100-dollar bills in the back
seat.
When the cabbie (Abdelmegid Emam) spotted the cash, he alerted his
company and the doorman at
the Atlantic City Hilton yesterday.
It didn't take long for his fares to come running back from the city's
Convention Center.
Bill Jesse of Dallas, Pennsylvania, handed the cabbie a 100-dollar
bill.
The cab driver tells The Press of Atlantic City he is a Muslim and his
faith forbids him to take
something that does not belong to him.
The Egyptian native says he has five kids and wants to raise them
right.
-----
MORE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST
JUROR -
TOP
Layla Bohm, Lodi News, 5/4/06
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2006/05/04/news/1_juror_note_060504.txt
Misconduct allegations mounted Wednesday against the man who guided his
fellow jurors to guilty
verdicts in the terrorism trial of Lodi resident Hamid Hayat.
In a court filing Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr.
said the foreman had
contacted an alternate juror to ask her about another juror. The
alternate juror then contacted
Burrell's courtroom deputy this week.
Marta Watanabe, who heard all evidence in the trial but was not present
during deliberations,
said in her telephone message left with the court that the foreman
"asked her a question about
Arcelia Lopez," according to the one-page filing.
Lopez, who spent more than a week arguing that Hayat was innocent, has
since signed an affidavit
alleging that jury foreman Joseph Cote made racist remarks and talked
about media coverage of
the case.
Those alleged actions, along with discussing the case with anyone outside
the jury deliberation
room, are prohibited. Before trial started, Burrell instructed all jurors
to avoid media
coverage of the case and to not discuss it with anyone. Then, before the
jury began
deliberating, he again told them not to discuss the case with anyone,
including alternate
jurors.
"It's something we're interested in and will be looking into,"
defense attorney Wazhma Mojaddidi
said of the filing.
Watanabe could not be reached for comment, and Cote did not return a
telephone message left
Wednesday.
Jurors last week convicted Hayat, 23, of all four charges against him,
including providing
material support to terrorists and three counts of lying to the FBI. A
separate jury deadlocked
on his father's case and prosecutors have not announced if they will
retry him.
The verdicts came last Tuesday, the ninth day of deliberations. Shortly
before jurors had
adjourned for the weekend on the previous Friday, Cote had sent Burrell a
note saying that a
juror "does not seem to fully comprehend the deliberation
process."
Jurors went home for the weekend before Burrell could respond to the
note, and the next day Cote
called Watanabe, according to Wednesday's filing. Burrell did not
indicate what Cote asked about
Lopez.
When the jury returned after the weekend, Lopez learned of Cote's note,
and that it had been a
reference to her. That's also when another juror read several pages she
had typed over the
weekend, accusing Lopez of contributing to her health problems.
Lopez ultimately changed her vote to guilty, and when the clerk polled
jurors after their
verdicts were read, she said "Yes," it was her verdict. In her
affidavit days later, Lopez said
she regretted her verdict.
Wednesday's filing, along with Lopez's affidavit and a separate motion in
which Mojaddidi asked
for a new trial on grounds that evidence should not have been barred,
will likely postpone
Hayat's sentencing. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
HAMID HAYAT'S
ATTORNEY WANTS NEW TRIAL -
TOP
Layla Bohm, News-Sentinel, 5/3/06
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2006/05/04/terrorism/0_motions_060503.txt
Hamid Hayat did not get a fair trial on charges related to terrorism
because a judge refused to
allow crucial testimony, Hayat's attorney alleged in a motion filed
Tuesday in federal court.
In her four-page filing, Wazhma Mojaddidi did not specifically name U.S.
District Judge Garland
E. Burrell Jr., but she said jurors should have heard numerous portions
of testimony.
A jury last week convicted the 23-year-old Lodi man on a charge of
providing material support to
terrorists and three counts of lying to the FBI. He faces up to 39 years
in prison at his July
14 sentencing, which will likely be postponed while attorneys argue the
motion for a new trial.
Burrell barred much of the testimony Mojaddidi had sought to introduce
during the two-month
trial, including that of a retired 35-year FBI agent who planned to tell
the jury he believed
the FBI bungled the case against Hayat and his father, Umer
Hayat.
The elder Hayat, 48, was released to home detention Monday after his jury
deadlocked on two
counts of lying to the FBI. Prosecutors have not said if they will retry
him.
Father and son were arrested last June in what was revealed to be a
years-long FBI
investigation. Agents had originally targeted two religious leaders in
Lodi's Muslim community,
and an undercover informant testified he only met Hamid Hayat by accident
after he'd been
working in Lodi for eight months.
The jury heard almost nothing about the religious leaders' roles in the
case. The men were
ultimately deported for administrative immigration violations but were
never charged criminally.
-----
MUSLIM DIET IS
STRICT, HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS -
TOP
Gregory Elder, Redlands Daily Facts, 5/4/06
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/news/ci_3785478
The fact that our Jewish friends have dietary laws which govern their
meals is well known, and
likewise the vegetarianism of many Buddhists. Less well known, and
increasingly important in the
Western world are the dietary laws of our Muslim friends and neighbors,
whose laws are both
interesting and worth bearing in mind as we invite new friends to our
homes.
Islamic law is derived from a number of sources, but the most important
is the Quran, which the
faithful believe was dictated verbally from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad
in the Arabic
language. Also of great importance are the sayings of the Prophet, the
Hadith, which interpret
the revelations of the Quran. For Sunni Muslims, the legal decisions of
the learned Quranic
scholars and human logic also play a part of jurisprudence, while for the
Shia Muslims, the
teachings of the religious scholars, the imams, bear great weight. But
for all Muslims, the
Quran and the Hadith carry force of law, and this is true in matters of
diet and many other
areas of life.
Islamic law makes a fundamental distinction between Haram and Halal
foods. Halal means that
which is permitted to the faithful, while Haram means that which is
forbidden to the faithful.
No mortal authority can change this fundamental distinction. A third
category also exists, which
is Mash-booh, or Subha, and this is that which is suspected. This
category covers foods or
behaviors which are not clearly defined as Halel or Haram, but the Quran
and Islamic tradition
warn the faithful that while they must make up their own minds on
difficult issues, the wise
person avoids all cases where the law does not make clear what may be
eaten or done.
The dietary restrictions of Islam not difficult to grasp. Some foods are
simply forbidden and to
consume them is a sin. These are all meat derived from carrion, meat from
animals which have
been strangled, meat from animals which have been beaten or killed in
cruel manner, flesh which
died by falling from a height or killed by being gored by a horn of
another animal or killed and
eaten by another beast, all blood, meat which is derived from animals
sacrificed to or killed
int he name of any god other than Allah, all pork and swine and any kind
of alcohol or
intoxicating drug including all wine, spirits, beer or any other
intoxicant. Islam permits
alcohol to be used as a medical agent, such as using an alcohol swab used
to clean a wound, but
it is never permitted as a food or drink at all.
Intoxicants of all kinds bear a special place in Islamic law. The Quran
states that Satan uses
them to sow discord among men, and it ranks them with gambling and
divination as particularly
vile crimes. In some Islamic nations alcohol is forbidden as a matter of
law, as in Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia. In other places it is tolerated in the tourist trade and
may be served to
foreigners but not to the locals, as is the case in Egypt. Egypt produces
a tasty brew called
Saqquara Gold which I heartily recommend, but most Egyptians have never
tasted it at all.
While the Hebrew scriptures say that Noah planted grapes and became drunk
by the fruit of the
vine (Genesis 9:20 to 21) and the Christian Gospels tell us that Jesus
used wine at the Last
Supper (Mark 14:23), these verses are rejected by Muslims as distortions,
for certainly the
prophets of Allah would have never touched such evil drinks.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
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cair@cair-net.org
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http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR WELCOMES DARFUR PEACE ACCORD BROKERED BY
STATE DEPT.
Letter to Dep. Sec. of State Zoellick 'commends' his brokering of
peace accord
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/5/06) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) today welcomed the announcement of the peace accord
between the major parties involved in the tragic Darfur
conflict.
In a letter to United States Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick,
who brokered three days leading to the peace accord, CAIR Executive
Director Nihad Awad wrote:
"As one of the first American Muslim organizations to join the 'Save
Darfur' Coalition, CAIR has always called for the peaceful resolution and
ending the brutal suffering of the innocent people of Darfur.
"Your leadership, wisdom and knowledge on this pressing global
crisis brought the needed intervention to resolve this crisis in a
peaceful manner and we commend you for this truly noble
achievement."
Awad also congratulated the Sudanese government, the African Union, and
the largest rebel faction of the Sudan Liberation Army for their roles in
reaching the agreement.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed,
202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair-net.org CAIR National Legal Director
Arsalan Iftikhar, 202-415-0799 E-Mail: arsalan@cair-net.org
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list, called CAIR-NET, receive news
releases and other materials dealing with American Muslim positions on
issues of importance to our society.
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from CAIR-NET, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/7/06
*
Verse:
Do Not Consume Wealth Through Unlawful
Means
*
TX:
Attack on Mosque
Probed as Hate Crime (SA Express)
*
DC/VA:
Wachovia Bank Action Riles
Muslim Activists (Wash Post)
-
CAIR:
Muslims to
Protest Closure of Charity Account
*
CAIR-CA:
'United 93' Stirs Up
Muslim Americans
-
CAIR-AZ Muslims Accosted by
'United 93' Viewers
-
CA:
So Where Are the
Muslims on `CSI'?
*
VA:
A Financial Model
Fit for Islam (Wash Post)
-
Halal Meets Kosher in Health-Food
Aisle (WSJ)
*
CAIR-NY:
Muslims Find
Acceptance, Racism in Community
-
NY:
Extremists Don't
Represent Muslims (Star Gazette)
-
WV:
Muslims Haven't Had to Compromise to Fit In
-
WI:
700 to 800 Attend Mosque Open
House
*
Study:
Islam
Associated with Progressive Economic Reforms
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: DO NOT CONSUME WEALTH THROUGH
UNLAWFUL MEANS -
TOP
"Do not consume one another's wealth through unlawful means, but
(instead) let there be traffic and trade by mutual
agreement."
The Holy Quran, 4:29
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Once a man died and
was asked, 'What did you say (or do in your lifetime)?' He replied: 'I
was a businessman and used to give time to the rich to repay his debt and
(used to) deduct part of the debt of the poor.' So he was forgiven (his
sins.)"
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Hadith 576
-----
TX: POLICE INVESTIGATING
ATTACK ON EAST SIDE MOSQUE AS HATE CRIME -
TOP
Joe Conger, KENS 5, 5/6/06
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA050506.mosquevandals.KENS.132bb8bc.html
A Friday morning attack on a San Antonio Muslim center is being
investigated as a hate crime.
The vandalism happened in the 1700 block of Hayes Street on the East
Side.
Worshippers say vandals who broke into the mosque took some cash and
appliances, but also took the sense of peace in the sanctuary.
The mosque looked like a late-night party that was never cleaned up.
Paper towels, ribbons and other pieces of trash were strewn about the
building.
"They just papered the place," said Sadeeq Mateen, a Muslim
prayer leader, or Imam. "A lot of it is odd, the aluminum foil
wrapped around the base of this pillar and these chairs set up in
audience fashion, as if something was going on."
In the mas-jid, or place of prostration and prayer, a safe was overturned
and money was taken. A donation box was emptied, except for checks
written to the Muslim Mission Center that were scattered on the floor. .
.
A pentagram and gang-style symbols scribbled on one of the walls of the
sanctuary have police listing this as a hate crime, a crime not often
seen in San Antonio. (MORE)
-----
CAIR: WACHOVIA BANK ACTION RILES MUSLIM
ACTIVISTS -
TOP
Caryle Murphy, Washington Post, 5/6/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/05/AR2006050501574.html
Local Muslim activists said yesterday that they will launch a public
campaign against Wachovia Corp. to protest its refusal to explain why it
closed the bank accounts of a Herndon-based Muslim social service
organization.
The activists said they will hold a news conference Monday outside a
Wachovia branch on North Capitol Street and ask people to contact the
North Carolina-based bank to voice concern about its action. If the bank
fails to explain its decision to close the accounts, they said they may
take other steps, including street demonstrations and calls for a bank
boycott.
"Hopefully, Wachovia will see that the community is very serious
about this issue," said Corey P. Saylor, government affairs director
at the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"People in this community have a right to know why Wachovia
closed this account," said Mahdi Bray, director of the Muslim
American Society's Freedom Foundation.
Wachovia spokesman Scott Silvestri wrote in an e-mail yesterday that
"Wachovia is committed to conducting business and operations with
the highest ethical standards and in full compliance with applicable
laws. . . It is also the company's long-standing policy not to comment on
customer relationships." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR: MUSLIMS TO
PROTEST WACHOVIA'S CLOSURE OF CHARITY ACCOUNT -
TOP
http://www.cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=2132&theType=NR
(WASHINGTON, DC, 5/4/2006) -
On Monday, May 8, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim American Society Freedom
Foundation will hold a news conference in Washington, D.C., to announce a
campaign in response to Wachovia Bank's unexplained closure of a Virginia
Muslim charity's account.
WHAT: Press Conference Announcing Campaign to Protest Closure of
Muslim Charity's Account
WHEN: Monday, May 8, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: In front of Wachovia Bank, 444 North Capitol Street, N.W.,
Washington, DC
In November, 2005, Wachovia Bank sent a letter to the Foundation for
Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH), a small Muslim run
charity in Northern Virginia, announcing that the organization's accounts
would be closed in January, 2006. The organization's accounts were in
good standing it all times during its several-year relationship with
Wachovia and the bank never expressed concern about the charity or its
activities. Wachovia Senior Vice President Jeraldine Davis wrote:
"As you are aware the Bank's contract with FAITH provides that the
Bank can close any customer's account at any time."
FAITH, a charity providing aid to individuals and families that are needy
or victims of domestic violence within the Northern Virginia area, serves
people of all faiths and ethnicities. SEE:
http://www.faithus.org/
CONTACT: FAITH Board Treasurer Margaret Farchtchi, 703-850-8555,
E-Mail: farchtchim@hotmail.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey
Saylor, 571-278-4658, E-Mail: csaylor@cair-net.org; MAS Freedom
Foundation Executive Director Mahdi Bray, 202-421-3623
-----
CAIR-SFBA: 'UNITED 93' STIRS UP
MUSLIM AMERICANS -
TOP
At Newark symposium, leaders express concern regarding anti-Islamic
sentiments
Jonathan Jones, Inside Bay Area, 5/7/06
http://insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_3795613
FREMONT - At the United Muslim American symposium in Newark,
Muslim-American leaders discussed the rhetoric regarding Iran, the war in
Iraq and the image of the United States in Islamic countries.
But some also expressed concern that "United 93," a new film
about the last moments of the last hijacked plane to crash on Sept. 11,
2001, could stir up anti-Islamic sentiments.
Safaa Ibrahim, executive director of the Council on American Islamic
Relations, took her staff of four women wearing a hijab, the traditional
Muslim head scarves, to a Thursday matinee.
As a civil rights advocate, Ibrahim said, she wanted to see the movie
after reports that several young Muslim-American women in Arizona were
verbally assaulted by two people who said they had seen the movie
recently. Ibrahim said she knew the movie would stir up emotions, but she
did not expect that all of the members in her group would walk out in
tears.
"We thought it was important to see the movie to find out how it
comes across," Ibrahim said. "But it dredged up a lot of
emotions. We were watching it - as Americans and as Muslims - and it
hurts us to see our fellow Americans hurt, and see people hurt others,
acting in the name of Islam." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-AZ MUSLIMS ACCOSTED BY
'UNITED 93' VIEWERS -
TOP
http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=2130&theType=NR
---
SO WHERE ARE THE MUSLIMS
ON `CSI'? -
TOP
Diane Winston, Los Angeles Times, 5/7/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-winston7may07,0,6865662.story
SUMAYA ABUBAKER doesn't go to movies much anymore. Nor does she watch
television. It's too painful for her to see Muslims stereotyped as
terrorists, fanatics and fools.
"You see a scary-looking, heavy-bearded man shouting 'Allahu Akbar!'
and you know you are going to be disappointed again," said Abubaker,
whose parents emigrated from Yemen.
Still, Abubaker volunteered at the 15th annual Media Awards, sponsored by
the Muslim Public Affairs Council. The event, held downtown last weekend,
honored the makers of "Paradise Now" and "Syriana" as
"voices of courage and conscience." Coincidentally, the awards
were handed out on the same day as the closing ceremonies of the Azusa
Street Centennial celebration, which commemorated the 100th anniversary
of the birth of Pentecostalism in what is today Little Tokyo. Spurned and
derided by the mainstream media of its day, Pentecostalism has become the
fastest-growing Christian movement in the world.
In Samuel Huntington's 1993 essay, "The Clash of
Civilizations?" the world's 1.3 billion Muslims and 2.2 billion
Christians are on a collision course. In truth, they face a common enemy
- the mainstream media. The controversy about a Danish cartoonist's
depictions of the prophet Muhammad starkly illustrated the problem. But
the tension over who chooses and controls images in the media is roiling
producers and consumers of news and entertainment.
Cultural stereotypes have long been an unfortunate media shortcut.
Muslims may be the fanatics du jour, but Pentecostals once wore the
label. Even before such movies as "Elmer Gantry" mocked the
fervidly faithful, mainstream newspapers disparaged the behavior of true
believers. (MORE)
-----
A FINANCIAL MODEL FIT FOR
ISLAM -
TOP
Students Look to Weave Strict Codes into Business Life
Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 5/7/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/06/AR2006050600747.html
The business class had just finished its evening prayer break, and
everyone's shoes were back on.
"Okay, now let's talk about program development," Iqbal Unus
told the 12 Muslim students taking his spring Non-Profit Management
course at the Islam-oriented Fairfax Institute in Herndon.
Unus, a former nuclear scientist from Pakistan, took the class of social
service workers through a series of business-building principles,
including the importance of consulting, planning and using effective
communication.
And he explained the most essential reason why they, as Muslims looking
to grow their organizations, should master these ideas: because it honors
God to do business by his teaching.
"It's a religious obligation, not just a business obligation"
he said, as suras, or sections of the Koran, and hadith, or sayings of
the prophet Muhammad, flashed on the projection screen.
Management and investing courses at the three-year-old institute are an
example of what scholars say is a new phase for the U.S. Muslim immigrant
community, which once consisted mostly of engineers, academics, doctors
and other professionals. As the community grows larger and more heavily
populated by business people, it is creating its own financial culture.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
HALAL MEETS KOSHER IN HEALTH-FOOD AISLE
-
TOP
Barry Newman, Wall Street Journal, 5/5/06
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114679010867944463.html
Muslims and Jews are advancing, at different rates, toward new
breakthroughs in frozen pepperoni pizza.
Daniel Gryfe, the 24-year-old operations chief of Gryfe's Kosher Bakery
near Toronto, launched a frozen kosher pizza in the U.S. last year. Now
he is at work on the next model: pizza with soy-milk cheese and veggie
pepperoni. Neither milk nor meat, it would satisfy not only Jews who keep
kosher, but also vegans and the lactose intolerant. "We're the first
kosher pizza to go after the mass market," says Mr. Gryfe.
"We've got stone-ground, whole-grain crust."
William Aossey, 65, founder of Midamar Corp., of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a
Muslim. He sells a frozen pizza, too. His has real cheese and pepperoni
made from halal beef-raised and slaughtered according to Muslim dietary
laws.
As Mr. Aossey strives to bring his pizza -- and his people -- into the
American culinary mainstream, his model is the Jewish struggle for
freedom from the delicatessen. Gryfe's hopes non-Jews will want to go
kosher-vegan. Midamar is betting that Muslim Americans are ready to go
Italian-Islamic.
"We've had immigrants accuse us of 'distorting the culture' by
feeding kids halal pepperoni," says Mr. Aossey, whose father
immigrated to Iowa from Lebanon. "But your children are going to
grow up in this country. You cannot deny them American
food."
Mapping kosher's progress, halal producers are coming to see that eating
may be the fastest way to this country's heart. Muslims can be as
American as pepperoni pizza and still keep their faith. And halal-pizza
makers can make a lot of money. "It's the approach the Jewish
community took 60 years ago," says Mohammad Munir Chaudry, 62, who
grew up in Pakistan and now heads the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council
of America. "We are 60 years behind, but it's not going to take us
60 years to catch up." (MORE)
------
FAMILIES FIND MOSTLY
ACCEPTANCE, SOME RACISM AS THEY BLEND INTO COMMUNITY -
TOP
Jeff Murray, Star-Gazette, 5/7/06
http://www.stargazettenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060507/NEWS01/605070313
Shahida Zainul of Horseheads doesn't try to conceal her Muslim heritage
when she attends nursing classes at Corning Community College.
Her traditional attire makes her stand out, but Zainul said that's a good
thing.
Some Muslims shun attention at a time when relations with some of their
fellow Americans are strained; the Council of American-Islamic Relations
says it has handled many more harassment complaints against Muslims since
Sept. 11, 2001.
But Zainul believes it's her responsibility to let her fellow Americans
know that that most visible faces of Islam - Osama bin Laden, convicted
Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, Iraq al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi and other extremists who are frequently in the news - do not
represent her or millions of others of her faith.
"I'm the only one in my school who is a Muslim, so I am a minority.
I get questions all the time," said Zainul, who is in her early
40s.
"In all religions, you have extremists, then you have regular
people. I'm working for a purpose. If I'm at home, I can't spread the
message. If I'm in a work place, I can spread a message by my behavior.
I'm in a position to defend my religion and set a good example. .
."
Discrimination and hostility toward Muslims has escalated since Sept.
11 and the war on terror, said Nadia Mohammad, civil rights director with
the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
"A lot of what we get now tends to be more harassment complaints
or a lot of employment complaints. We've started to see a lot more
immigration-related issues when it comes to border detentions and
re-entries," Mohammad said.
SEE ALSO:
EXTREMISTS DON'T
REPRESENT MUSLIMS -
TOP
Area residents say terrorist actions are condemned by religion.
Jeff Murray, Star-Gazette, 5/7/06
http://www.stargazettenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060507/NEWS01/605070310
Islam encourages violence.
Islam oppresses women.
Islam fosters terrorism.
Or does it?
The Islamic extremist blowing up a car or bragging about a beheading
might make the headlines, but it's not what Islam is all about, local
Muslims say.
Muslims who live in the Twin Tiers say they cringe whenever they see news
of another brutal act carried out in the name of their religion.
"People who are terrorists have no faith, no religion. They should
be punished," said Basit Naseeb, a Pakistani immigrant and owner of
Desi World, a Big Flats grocery store that specializes in Middle Eastern
and Southeast Asian food and beverages.
"Islam teaches peace, respect and love," Naseeb said.
"There is no religion in the world that tells people to hurt others.
They think what they are doing is right but they are 100 percent wrong.
They should be stopped."
The notion that all Muslims are terrorists or terrorist sympathizers is
among many misconceptions Westerners have about Islam, said Mamoun
El-Hassan, a Sudanese immigrant and imam, or Muslim prayer leader, at the
Elmira Correctional Facility.
"Sometimes people who don't know what Islam is think Muslims are all
dangerous," El-Hassan said.
"If you read the first verse of the Koran, we have to live in peace.
Peace is part of Islam. In Arabic, it means peace."
Islam was founded in the 7th century A.D. Muslims believe that God
transmitted his word through the prophet Muhammad.
Even though Muhammad was Arab and the Koran was written in Arabic, less
than one-fifth of the estimated Muslims worldwide are of Arab
descent.
Many of the misconceptions about Islam stem from interpretations that
vary from the original text of the Koran or from customs that have more
to do with cultural than religious practices, El-Hassan and others
say.
For instance, it's a common belief that women are treated as second-class
citizens or worse under Islam.
That isn't true, according to Faisal and Hafsa Qureshi, a young couple of
Pakistani descent who lived in Horseheads for several years before
recently moving to Minnesota.
The Koran calls for women to dress modestly, which in fact helps them
avoid many of the cultural pitfalls Western women encounter, Faisal
Qureshi said. (MORE)
---
MUSLIMS PRACTICING THEIR FAITH HAVEN'T HAD TO COMPROMISE MUCH TO FIT IN -
TOP
Mahmood Jawaid, West Virginia Gazette, 5/7/06
http://wvgazette.com/section/Columns/2006050611
I WAS in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. While driving down Devon Street,
one of the famous business districts, I noticed a magnificent church on
the right side of the road. While I was still admiring the magnificence
of the church, my wife diverted my attention toward a group of men clad
in black suits wearing long beards and felt hats. It was close to sunset
on Saturday, and these men of Jewish faith were heading toward a
synagogue.
After driving a few blocks, the ethnic mix changed. The street was now
bustling with people of Indo-Pakistani origin. The restaurants were
crowded. The shops were filled with people busy haggling. It is a typical
Indo-Pakistani culture to haggle for prices right down to pennies. It is
not as much a matter of saving a few pennies, it is the joy the buyer
gets out of negotiating a price and the bragging right that comes with
it. I again saw a bunch of men hurrying toward a building. Many of them
were clean-shaven. Some of them were wearing short beards, some wearing
long beards. Most of them were in regular dress, but some were wearing
long shirts. Many had caps on their heads. They were all Muslims. Since
it was close to sunset, they were all heading toward a mosque to perform
congregational dusk prayer.
Muslims, like others from Third World countries, started coming in droves
to the United States in the 1960s. Most of them were either professionals
or students. The basic reason for the emigration was economical or
educational. However, it was the practice of justice, freedom, equality,
tolerance, generosity, hospitality and respect for individuals - the
basic Islamic values - which made them feel at home. It is an admirable
characteristic of the United States that it has welcomed people of all
faiths and races with open arms. They admire the nondiscriminatory
character of the Constitution and the separation of church and government
that has done wonders and has shown the world how people of different
faiths can live in peace and harmony for the betterment of the whole
society. (MORE)
---
WI: 700 TO 800 PEOPLE ATTEND OPEN
HOUSE AT ISLAMIC CENTER -
TOP
By MARK JOHNSON, Milwaukee Journal, 5/7/06
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=421555
On a glorious spring Saturday, Aaron and Crystal Zorn got out the
strollers and took their twin daughters, Savannah and Noelle, 2½, on an
outing. They went to a former school building on S. 13th St. to learn
about Islam.
Aaron said he came to the Islamic Center's open house knowing little
about the religion. He and his wife are Christians.
"I think there are a lot of similarities," he said, referring
to Christian and Muslim beliefs. "Their belief in human rights. . .I
think it's important to understand what Muslims believe."
The Zorns were among an estimated 700 to 800 people from southeastern
Wisconsin who came to the open house organized by the Islamic Society of
Milwaukee. The society held an open house in December 2004 and planned
Saturday's follow-up in an effort to counter negative views of Islam that
have risen steadily since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center and Pentagon.
The open house offered a forum for varying views of Islam, attracting
supporters, the curious, and even a small group of demonstrators outside
the center, the former site of the New Road School. (MORE)
------
NEW STUDY FINDS
RELIGIOUS ORTHODOXY ASSOCIATED WITH SUPPORT FOR PROGRESSIVE ECONOMIC
REFORMS -
TOP
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/3345.html
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The portrayal in the West of Islamic
traditionalists or fundamentalists often emphasizes their relegation of
women to lower status in the home and family, restrictions on sexual
expression and reproductive rights, and harsh punishments for crimes, but
a new study by Indiana University and DePauw University sociologists
found that Islamic orthodoxy has an "egalitarian
face."
In research based on survey data from seven predominantly Muslim nations,
the authors found that Islamic orthodoxy -- identified as the desire to
implement Islamic law (shari'a) as the sole legal foundation of their
nation -- is associated in every country with support for such
progressive economic reforms as increasing the responsibility of
government for the poor, reducing income inequality, and increasing
government ownership of businesses and industries.
"While it is common to associate traditional religious beliefs with
conservative political stances on a wide range of issues, this is only
partly true," said Robert V. Robinson, Chancellor's Professor and
chair of IU's Department of Sociology. "The Islamic orthodox are
more conservative on issues having to do with gender, sexuality and the
family, but more liberal or left on economic issues."
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #491
URGE WACHOVIA TO EXPLAIN ACCOUNT CLOSURES OF
MUSLIMS
(WASHINGTON, DC, 5/8/2006) - CAIR and the MAS Freedom Foundation
today called on American Muslims and other people of conscience to urge
Wachovia to explain and reverse its decision to close the accounts of
several Muslims and the Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate
Temporary Help (FAITH) - a small, Northern Virginia charity that provides
assistance to people of all faiths.
In November, 2005, Wachovia sent a letter to FAITH announcing that the
organization's accounts would be closed in January, 2006. Wachovia had
never previously expressed any concern about the charity. At all times
during FAITH's several-year relationship with Wachovia the organization's
accounts were in good standing.
Despite numerous attempts by FAITH to discuss the issue with Wachovia,
the bank's position remains unsatisfactory. Wachovia Senior Vice
President Jeraldine Davis said in a letter to the charity, "As you
are aware the Bank's contract with FAITH provides that the Bank can close
any customer's account at any time…The Bank has determined that FAITH
does not fit the business profile of a customer with whom the Bank
chooses to transact business."
"Wachovia's heavy-handed approach to this small community charity
requires explanation," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
"Since 9/11, the American Muslim community has noticed disturbing
trends within the national banking industry where law-abiding American
Muslims are seemingly and summarily being denied service based solely on
their name, religion or ethnicity."
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (As always, please be
POLITE.)
1.
CONTACT Wachovia and urge them to provide a satisfactory
explanation for their decision to close Muslim and FAITH's accounts,
issue a public apology, and reinstate the accounts.
COPY TO:
cair@cair-net.org
Mr. Jeff Gish, Senior Vice President,
Community Relations Executive,
MidAtlantic Region
Wachovia Corporation
Phone: 804-697-7631
Fax: 804-697-7079
E-mail: jeff.gish@wachovia.com
Wachovia Corporate Communications Department Phone: (704) 374-2138
Wachovia Contact Us Webform:
https://www.wachovia.com/form/1,,14,00.html
2.
EMAIL CAIR at csaylor@cair-net.org and answer the following
questions:
a. Do you have an account or do business with Wachovia?
b. Are you willing to move your account elsewhere if CAIR calls for a
boycott?
c. Are you aware of any Muslim accounts Wachovia has closed in a similar
fashion?
- PLEASE POST, COPY AND DISTRIBUTE -
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/9/06
*
Hadith:
Spend
Righteously and Teach Wisdom
*
CAIR:
Bank Agrees to Review its Closing Muslim Charity Accounts
-
CAIR:
Closing of Muslim Charity Accounts Sparks Protest
-
Action Alert:
Call Lawmakers to Oppose Anti-Palestinian Law
-
CAIR-NJ:
Muslims Teens Killed
By Drunk Driver
-
CAIR-FL
Trains FBI
Agents on Islam and Muslims
-
CAIR-CA: Muslims Fight
Terror
*
CAIR-MI:
Muslims from Africa Praise Americans, Criticize Policy
-
MI:
American 'outreach' has US Muslims Wary (Reuters)
-
MI:
Muslim Leader
Embraces Challenge City Presents
*
CA:
Students Look to Quran as Guide (Inside Bay Area)
-
MD:
Sorority Based on Islamic Principles Dispel Stereotypes
-
CT:
Muslims Reach Out to Other Faiths (Bulletin)
-
IL:
College Sparks Debate with Decision to Publish Cartoons
*
VA:
Muslim Family Magazine Joins CAIR’s Muhammad Initiative
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SPEND RIGHTEOUSLY AND TEACH WISDOM -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “There are two (kinds of)
people worth envying: someone whom God has made rich and who spends his
money righteously; and someone whom God has given wisdom and who acts
according to it and teaches others.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 9 Hadith 255
-----
CAIR: BANK AGREES TO REVIEW ITS CLOSING OF ACCOUNTS THAT BELONG TO
MUSLIM CHARITY -
TOP
Robin Farmer, Richmond Times Dispatch, 5/9/06
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835948118&path=!business&s
A campaign by Muslim activists against Wachovia Corp. to protest the
unexplained closing of bank accounts belonging to a Herndon-based Muslim
charity is on hold pending an investigation by the bank.
Any actions against the North Carolina-based bank, which has branches on
the East Coast and in Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee, could include
protests and boycotts, the activists said. That depends on what it ends
up doing and saying.
Activists held a news conference yesterday in front of a Wachovia branch
in Washington to urge supporters to express concern about the bank's
action against the Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary
Help, or FAITH, a Northern Virginia charity.
The news conference was held by FAITH, the Council on American-Islamic
Relations and the Muslim American Society's Freedom Foundation.
Activists later learned Wachovia said it would re-examine its decision.
"Wachovia contacted FAITH Friday evening and [CAIR yesterday]
morning," said Corey P. Saylor, CAIR's government affairs
director.
"The president's office said they will investigate closure of the
accounts," Saylor said.
That was a welcome message for the activists. "Up to this point
their response has been 'we closed your account because we can,'"
Saylor said. (MORE)
SEE ALSO
BANK'S CLOSING OF MUSLIM CHARITY ACCOUNTS SPARKS PROTEST -
TOP
Monisha Bansal, CNSNews.com, 5/9/06
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200605/CUL20060509a.html
(CNSNews.com) - Muslim American groups Monday lashed out at Wachovia
Corp., accusing the banking company of discrimination, for closing the
accounts of a Muslim charity.
Wachovia first notified the Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate
Temporary Help (FAITH), based out of Herndon, Va., that the group's
accounts would be closed in November 2005.
"We had no notice or anything before that. It is their right to do
so, but there is also a why. Why did you do that?" Margaret
Farchtchi, treasurer of FAITH, complained.
The Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the MAS Freedom
Foundation joined FAITH Monday in protesting Wachovia outside one of the
bank's branches in Washington, D.C.
"We've talked with them many times, we've sent them letters
requesting this information and the only thing they have responded to us
with is that they have the right to do this and they are doing it,"
said Farchtchi.
"It is not their right to do that if it is discriminatory," she
told Cybercast News Service. "I don't know if they are doing this to
any other organizations, or if it is just our organization. We don't see
a reason for this action being taken and we are completely shocked by
it."
CAIR's executive director, Nihad Awad, said Wachovia's "heavy-handed
approach to this small community charity requires
explanation."
"Since 9/11, the American Muslim community has noticed disturbing
trends within the national banking community, where law-abiding American
Muslims are seemingly and summarily being denied service based solely on
their name, religion or ethnicity," Awad said.
---
ACTION ALERT: CALL LAWMAKERS TO OPPOSE ANTI-PALESTINIAN LAW -
TOP
S. 2370 and H.R. 4681 would punish millions of innocent
Palestinians
(WASHINGTON, DC, 5/9/2006) - CAIR today called on American Muslims and
other people of conscience to urge their elected officials to oppose
legislation which would effectively hurt millions of innocent
Palestinians who have already been economically, socially and politically
marginalized due to the current conflict.
A new United States House of Representatives resolution, H.R. 4681, and a
newer Senate resolution, S. 2370, would impose a wide range of
essentially punitive measures on the Palestinian Authority.
H.R. 4681 (The Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006) would impose
measures to defend the Palestinian Authority and limit its ability to
travel and operate unless it meets many requirements.
According to sources on Capitol Hill, the momentum for passing the
Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act (S. 2370 and H.R.4681) appears to be
dissipating on Capitol Hill. The Bush administration announced several
policy changes over the spring congressional recess that, in addition to
longstanding U.S. policy, would make most provisions of both the Senate
and House bills superfluous.
Under the legislation, if the Palestinian Authority government meets
these requirements for "certification" then it can have
continued funding. If not the new law would:
1. Bar all direct aid to the Palestinian Authority and not provide the
President with any authority to waive the ban, even in the case where
national security interests of the U.S. are at stake; 2. Bar all aid via
NGOs except "to meet basic human health needs" specified as
food, water, medicine, sanitation, etc; 3. Hold back owed dues to the UN
in proportion to the UN's direct support for the Palestinian Authority;
4. Designate areas controlled by the PA (The West Bank and Gaza) to be a
"terrorist sanctuary;” 5. Ban the issuance of visas to anyone
affiliated with the PA; 6. Comprehensively bar both the PLO and PA from
maintaining an "office, headquarters, premises, or other facilities
or establishments" in the U.S.; 7. Require the President to direct
U.S. representatives at International Financial Institutions (e.g., the
World Bank, IMF) to use the voice, vote, and influence of the U.S. to
block any aid to the PA.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:
1) Call your U.S. Senators and ask them to oppose S. 2370 as being
against the best interests of the United States;
2) Call your member of the House of Representatives and ask them to
oppose H.R. 4681 as also being against the best interests of United
States foreign policy.
TO CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, GO TO (Talking points and advice
for making an effective call are provided at the website):
http://capwiz.com/cair/callalert/index.tt?alertid=8749871&type=CO
---
NJ MUSLIMS TEENS
KILLED BY DRUNK DRIVER -
TOP
CAIR-NJ, MADD to call for Maximum Sentencing
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/9/2006) - On Wednesday, May 10, the New Jersey
office of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) and Mother’s
Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) will hold a press conference to call on the
Morris County prosecutors to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law a
drunk driver who killed two Muslim teens.
The two cousins, Mayada Jafar, 15, and Athear Jafar, 16, were both killed
in April while they were walking on the sidewalk at Kinnelon Road in
Kinnelon, NJ. The driver hit them head on and was later found by the
police to be intoxicated.
(For background on the story, see:
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=4103419)
WHAT: News Conference calling for maximum sentencing
WHEN: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC)
152 Derrom Ave., Paterson, NJ 07504
“This is a tragic moment for the community and their families,” said
CAIR-NJ President Ahmed Shehab, “Drunk driving is a concern for all us.
It can claim the life of anyone, regardless of their faith. We all need
to work together to fight this growing problem in our society.”
CONTACT: CAIR-NJ President Ahmed Shehab, 908-938-5990; Mohamed El Filali
of ICPC at 973-278-7070, Ext.15 E-Mail: m_elfilali@icpc.com.
---
CAIR-FL
TRAINS FBI AGENTS ON ISLAM AND MUSLIMS -
TOP
(ORLANDO, FL, 05/05/06) - The Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today held a diversity training
workshop on Islam and the American Muslim community at the University of
Central Florida's downtown Orlando Ying Academic Center.
Approximately 15 law enforcement agents, including members from the FBI
and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, attended the workshop that
examined basic Islamic beliefs and concepts, common stereotypes of Islam
and Muslims, and ways in which to improve interactions with the Muslim
community. Agents were able to ask questions throughout the two-hour
CAIR-FL presentation.
“This type of positive interaction between law enforcement officials and
the Muslim community helps break down barriers to communication and
promotes mutual understanding,” added CAIR-FL Chairman Atif
Fareed.
Fareed said CAIR-FL hopes that it will continue to expand the program to
help train law enforcement authorities in other parts of the state, just
as it did in Orlando and in Jacksonville. CAIR offices in other states
have offered similar training programs.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Christopher W. Cusano, Orlando Director, (407) 649-1660 or (407)
473-1555, Email:
chriscusano@cairfl.org.
---
CAIR-CA: MUSLIMS FIGHT TERROR
-
TOP
Munira Syeda, Press Enterprise, 5/7/06
http://www.pe.com/
Bill Tammeus' efforts to recognize Muslim voices against terrorism are
commendable ("Muslim rebel demands change," Opinion, May
3).
However, such voices lose credibility when they falsely claim Muslims
"aren't standing up strongly and loudly enough to this polluted
version of Islam."
Muslims in America and all over the world have vehemently denounced all
terrorist acts committed by fringe elements in the name of
Islam.
There is not one Islamic scholar, here or abroad, who has not spoken
loudly in opposition to terrorism or those who have committed these
heinous acts.
Muslims and religious scholars continue to encourage healthy debate in
Islam, something that has happened for the past 1,400 years and is
evidenced by this faith's adaptability and compatibility with the 21st
century and 1.4 billion followers.
We should stand together against the terrorists and also against those
who spread misinformation or negative perceptions about Islam.
[MUNIRA SYEDA is with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Southern
California, Anaheim]
-----
CAIR-MI: MUSLIMS FROM AFRICA PRAISE AMERICANS; BUT THEY CRITICIZE
WHITE HOUSE POLICY -
TOP
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 5/8/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060509/NEWS05/605090415/1007
On a visit sponsored by the U.S. State Department, about a dozen Muslim
leaders from Africa were in Michigan on Monday to learn about Islam in
America.
While they praised the U.S. government's treatment of Muslims inside the
country, they were less enthusiastic about how it treats Muslims
elsewhere, criticizing the White House for how it deals with Muslims in
Iraq, the Palestinian territories and Africa.
"America's population is good," Abdel-Madjid Mahamat Amine, a
Muslim leader from Chad, said through a translator. "But its foreign
policies have caused America to be seen as having an ill
spirit."
Most of those on the visit, part of a State Department program to improve
relations between the United States and foreign countries, were Muslim
leaders from countries in the western part of Africa.
The group visited the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn and then the
Muslim Center in Detroit, where they discussed how Islam is practiced in
the United States. Several said they were impressed with America's
commitment to freedom of religion.
"We have noticed there is ... freedom to practice your faith,"
Mahamat Amine said.
At the Muslim Center, the group toured the mosque, had lunch and spoke
with center members about a range of subjects, from politics to
African-American Muslims.
The group has been to Washington, D.C., and will next visit Santa Fe,
N.M., and Seattle, before heading home.
Djibril Zakari Sambaou of Benin was visiting the States for the first
time. He said he was pleased to be able to pray in a room while visiting
the Pentagon. But he said that the U.S. government should "get to
know us more" through ways other than politics.
Dawud Walid of Detroit, executive director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, met with the delegation.
"I'm glad to see these leaders make a clear distinction between the
American people and the foreign policy of the current
administration," Walid said. "I'm hopeful they will take this
message back home."
SEE ALSO:
IN TERROR WAR, AMERICAN ‘OUTREACH’ HAS US MUSLIMS WARY –
TOP
Caroline Drees, Reuters, 5/8/06
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=inDepthNews&storyID=2006-05-08T120519Z_01_N03272936_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-USA-OUTREACH.xml
DEARBORN, Michigan – When U.S. soldiers raid a cave in Afghanistan, FBI
agent William Kowalski knows to expect a call at his office in
Detroit.
"When a military raid goes on in Kabul, or in a cave, and they find
a computer that contains an address book or names and phone numbers,
invariably I'm going to get a call here that says, 'We did a raid and
there was this 313 (Detroit-region) area code phone number in it. Check
it out,'" Kowalski said.
The Detroit area, and especially the suburb of Dearborn, is home to the
largest Arab American community in the United States, potentially fertile
ground for U.S. officials looking for information and help to fight the
war on terrorism.
Counterterrorism officials are trying to build closer ties to Muslim and
Arab Americans through so-called outreach efforts. These include townhall
meetings, discussions with community leaders and one-on-one talks with
local residents at mosques, schools or cultural events.
Officials hope closer ties will encourage community members -- who are
just as eager to live in safety as other Americans -- to tip off
authorities to suspicious newcomers or militant activities, allowing
agents to foil possible plots before it's too late.
Agents believe immigrant communities may have unique links to conflict
areas and can help them distinguish between useful leads and red herrings
after incidents such as the raids Kowalski described.
But many Muslim and Arab Americans fear the bridge-building initiative
that began after the September 11 attacks means little more than
propaganda, recruitment and spying.
"It's not about reaching out to us and including us," said
community activist Kenwah Dabaja, whose family emigrated to the United
States from Lebanon. "The community is nervous."
Federal, state and local counterterrorism officials say bridging this gap
in understanding is key to protecting the country, but efforts are
stumbling over deep-seated mistrust and suspicions.
Many Arab and Muslim Americans say they have felt the target of racism
and discrimination after the 2001 attacks, and they accuse law
enforcement officials of singling them out for scrutiny in the fight
against terrorism. (MORE)
---
MUSLIM
LEADER EMBRACES CHALLENGE WARREN PRESENTS -
TOP
Dan Cortez, Detroit Free Press, 5/9/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060509/NEWS05/605090377
As some of his future neighbors flung hate-filled comments about Islam
and cursed Muslims last month at a Warren Planning Commission meeting,
Steve Elturk listened quietly.
The rude welcome showed him that getting formal approval from the
commission that night to open Warren's first mosque was probably the easy
part. Winning acceptance from skeptical neighbors in a city known for its
resistance to change is the bigger challenge.
Elturk hopes to ease the lingering tensions with an open symposium
intended to correct misperceptions about Islam and the Islamic
Organization of North America. Elturk, from Troy, is president of the
nonprofit organization, which wants to open the mosque and learning
center in an existing building his group bought on Ryan south of 12
Mile.
"We seem to have the support of the majority of the residents,"
Elturk said. "There are a few individuals who are still
uncomfortable with us. We have to deal with that."
Elturk met last Tuesday with representatives of civil rights groups to
organize the meeting, planned for early next month. He hopes it will
include officials from several religious and civil rights groups. The
city has offered to host the symposium at the Warren Community
Center.
"I think if we all talk, it will go well," Elturk
said.
Elturk has played the parts of peacemaker and teacher since getting
approval for the mosque last month.
He asked Harry Bissell, a Royal Oak resident who converted to Islam 13
years ago, to speak to concerned residents on his behalf a couple of days
after the Planning Commission met. Bissell spent two hours answering
questions from members of the Central Homeowners Association of Warren,
whose homes surround the site of the proposed mosque.
It was a dramatic change from the Planning Commission meeting, where some
residents asked if Elturk's organization had ties to terrorist groups and
a commissioner asked if Elturk planned to offer sacrifices at the mosque.
Some exchanges became vulgar.
Barbara Sollose, president of the homeowners association, said 80
residents attended Bissell's forum, and 79 had positive impressions from
it.
"I think they feel better about it," Sollose said. "I
think they were happy with what happened." (MORE)
-----
STUDENTS LOOK TO QURAN AS GUIDE; YOUNG MUSLIMS LEARN RELIGION, CIVICS
–
TOP
Angela Woodall, Inside Bay Area, 5/8/06
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_3797432
NEWARK Zahra Qureshi traces her delicate fingers across spiraling
Arabic letters as she recites the Quran in Arabic. It is the second
language for the 6-year-old native English speaker, but she has a command
few Americans ever master in a foreign tongue.
Zahra is one of many students who come to Muslim school at Newark's Taqwa
Islamic Center to learn the Quran, which holds the words Muslims believe
were passed down verbatim to the Prophet Muhammad from God.
"It makes you do good deeds. Allah made the Quran, so when you read
it, he gets so happy," Zahra said, her small head and dark hair
covered in a lacy white headscarf.
Although the children devote considerable time to it, learning the Muslim
holy book is not a goal in itself.
The purpose of the school is to teach pupils how to be good Muslims,
which means being good people, said Salim Mastan, a leading member of the
Islamic Center of Fremont.
"If you are not a good human being, you cannot be a good
Muslim," he said.
Schools such as Taqwa also have helped followers of the religion come to
terms with the difficult times they have faced since the attacks of Sept.
11, 2001 attacks carried out by Muslims who espouse an especially
strict interpretation of Islam, which Mastan characterized as more of an
attempt to exert power over people than a religious practice.
Attending the Taqwa school is helping Rohina Ebadi, a serious-minded
15-year old, grapple with her teenage years, a time that can bewilder
young people. It can be even tougher for a teenager whose religion and
ethnicity have been under intense scrutiny since 9/11. ..
[Mastan] said the slurs and prejudice aimed at Muslims can be painful,
but he sees it historically. Muslims are one group in a wave of
immigrants to enter American society. Right now is especially difficult
because the men who carried out the attacks on 9/11 were
Muslims.
Children such as those at Taqwa are Americans, he said. "This is
their home, where they were born and will die." They will be good
citizens because they are educated, he said. "Education is the key
to overcoming wrong." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
INTRODUCING A RARE KIND OF RUSH; SORORITY BASED ON ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES
INVITES MD WOMEN TO DISPEL STEREOTYPES –
TOP
Susan Kinzie, Washington Post, 5/8/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/07/AR2006050701010.html
Greek letters gleamed from a satin banner hanging at the front of the
room, sequins flashed on little purses, and one woman holding a gold
brochure blushed crimson, trying to explain why she liked the idea of
this new group. Another widened dark eyes lined with kohl, watching
everyone closely.
Tasmim Anwar smiled and said, with a little gush, "I am such a
sorority type of girl."
And – long before the first Gamma Gamma Chi rush in Maryland was over – a
student had politely interrupted to ask if they could break for maghrib,
a sunset prayer. The women, draped in dark scarves, knelt to praise Allah
in a hallway at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Forget everything you thought you knew about Greek life. These women came
curious about a new kind of sorority, one that could change stereotypes
of Muslim women, one based on Islamic beliefs: no drinking, no
socializing with men.
Like Anwar, a freshman at Johns Hopkins University, most of the students
had never seriously considered going Greek. They've heard the
stereotypes, such as keg parties with fraternity guys and, well, that's
plenty right there.
So they came to this new kind of rush, some covered head to toe in dark
abayas, some with scarves pinned carefully around their heads and strappy
four-inch heels, some with hair loose and jeans tight. Like so many
Americans, most of these women don't fit into any easy cultural niche;
they've been blending and balancing all their lives.
And some wondered aloud whether this most American of college traditions
might be too tricky to pull off.
"I'm curious to see how that will be, that balance," Anwar
said.
Greek life has changed dramatically from the days when wealthy, young
white men drank gin and tonics on the verandas of fraternity houses. As
the mix of students at colleges gets ever more varied, so do their campus
groups. (MORE)
---
EASTERN CONNECTICUT MUSLIMS REACH OUT TO OTHER FAITHS –
TOP
Julie A. Varughese, Norwich Bulletin, 5/8/06
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060508/NEWS01/605080336/1002
GROTON -- Carole Shores, a retired Bacon Academy teacher, said she
realized just how much she didn't know about the rest of the world after
the Sept. 11 attacks occurred in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington,
D.C.
"I think it's very important we all learn about each other's
religions and learn to respect each other," said the 59-year-old New
London resident, who used to live in Norwich. "People fear what they
don't understand."
Muslims and non-Muslims gathered Sunday in a mosque for an interfaith
service and open house.
Those in attendance learned basic tenets of Islam and heard the answers
to both simple and difficult questions.
The open house at the Islamic Center of New London in Groton was part of
a series of events held at Christian, Jewish and Muslim places of worship
this spring to promote knowledge and understanding of other
faiths.
Saeed Shaikh of the center welcomed guests explaining the open house was
organized to teach what unites and divides Muslims and
non-Muslims.
During a question-and-answer session after lectures and a prayer,
audience members asked panelists questions about topics as simple as the
reason for Muslim caps and veils to more politically-oriented ones
concerning Islam's stance on those who convert to other religions. That
question referred to an Afghan, Abdul Rahman, who may face the death
penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity. (MORE)
---
CARTOON CONTROVERSY: COD SPARKS DEBATE WITH DECISION TO PUBLISH
MUSLIM CARTOONS –
TOP
Catherine Edman, Daily Herald, 5/8/06
http://www.dailyherald.com/search/searchstory.asp?id=186123
Student journalists at the College of DuPage ran 12 controversial
political cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, including the one that
sparked riots worldwide, saying they wanted to provoke
discussion.
As the Courier newspaper was missing in action on the Glen Ellyn campus
Friday, that was a difficult task. Batches of the free paper wound up in
garbage cans and recycling bins as detractors sought to get the paper out
of circulation.
“Some people literally put them in their cars, took them and left,” said
Kristina Zaremba, the Courier’s 21-year-old editor-in chief.
The decision to run nearly a full page of the controversial cartoons in
color was sparked by a speech May 1 by political cartoonist Scott
Nychay titled “Drawing Fire: A discussion of the Art of Visual Satire and
the Muslim Cartoon Controversy.”
His presentation by all accounts included little about those
cartoons, and he did not distribute them.
“In order to cover the event properly, we (felt we) would have to show
the cartoons,” Zaremba said. “We wanted to objectively present the
cartoons so people could make their own decisions.”
They asked representatives of the Muslim Student Association and the
International Education Office to provide input and published it
alongside the cartoons with an explanation of the editorial board’s
decision. No one from the association could be reached for comment
Friday.
Zinta Konrad, who heads the International Education Office, opposed the
publication of the images that first ran in a Denmark newspaper last
October.
“I’m sorry that it happened,” she said Friday. “I hope something good
comes from it.”
So does Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago branch of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Students contacted him this week when they heard the newspaper was
publishing the cartoons.
He advised them to take a three-pronged approach: Don’t be
confrontational as the student journalists have a right to freedom of
expression, and confrontation gives the issue unwanted publicity; request
equal access to explain “our stance on Islam”; and set up a town hall
meeting where Muslims and non-Muslims can get to know and understand each
other and discuss the issues.
“What we have done in the past with the cartoon situation … is we have
taken the approach to make the best out of it through education,” Rehab
said. (MORE)
-----
MUSLIM FAMILY MAGAZINE JOINS CAIR’S MUHAMMAD INITIATIVE –
TOP
HERNDON, VA May 8, 2006America’s Muslim Family Magazine takes up CAIR’s
call to inform Americans about Prophet Muhammad, and Islam.
“In our Spring issue, we detail some easy ways Muslim families can
approach their neighbors, schoolmates and co-workers with basic
information about Islam and its Prophet,” says Kari Ansari, editor of the
magazine. “It’s important for Americans get know us as fellow citizens,
and begin to understand that the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and Islam
are very much in line with old-fashioned American values.”
This full color, full gloss magazine also includes profiles on Muslim
personalities, articles on social issues facing Muslims living in
America, parenting advice, young adult columns, and an eight page
mini-magazine supplement for children called HullabalooSerious Fun for
Muslim Kids.
Readers are asked to initiate dialogue about Muhammad, and then to
contribute their family’s experiences to be featured in future
issues
The current issue is available with a paid subscription. Order online at
www.americasmuslimfamily.com or call Kari Ansari at (703)
354-1025.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/10/06
*
Hadith: No Better
Meal
*
CAIR-CA:
Muslims Concerned 'United 93' Creates Anti-Islam Sentiment
-
Why I'm Nervous about
`United 93' (RNS)
*
NY:
Muslim Mosque Leaders Claim Police Profiling On Bridge
*
NY:
Groups Call on DOE to Include Muslim Holidays in Calendar
-
US Muslim
Women Americanizing Mosques, Book Finds
*
CA:
Professor Fights Portrayal as Supporter of Terrorism
*
UK:
Attorney
General Says Guantanamo Should Be Closed (Reuters)
-
Judge Rules Lawsuit by Former Detainees Can Proceed
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: NO
BETTER MEAL -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “No one has ever eaten a
better meal than that which has been earned by working with one’s own
hands.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 286
-----
SOME MUSLIM COMMUNITIES CONCERNED 'UNITED 93' CREATES ANTI-ISLAM
SENTIMENT -
TOP
Justin Malvin, California Aggie, 5/10/06
http://www.californiaaggie.com/media/storage/paper981/news/2006/05/10/CityNews/Some-Muslim.Communities.Concerned.united.93.Creates.AntiIslam.Sentiment-1924050.shtml
"Take off your f**king burqas and get the f**k out of this country.
We don't want you in this country. Go home."
These words were allegedly spoken by a middle-aged couple to a group of
three young Muslim women wearing head scarves Apr. 29 at the Desert Ridge
Marketplace in Scottsdale, Ariz.
According to the young women, the couple approached them calmly and asked
if they were Muslim. After answering yes, the women said the couple
became enraged and verbally abused them, indicating they had just watched
the film United 93.
The event raised concerns throughout several Muslim communities after one
of the women, Bushra Khan, the office manager for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations' Arizona chapter, sent a message out to all 31
CAIR offices nationwide about the incident.
"The words were very harsh," Khan said. "I thought we were
going to have a conversation."
Khan said she assumed the exchange would be peaceful because she said she
works to spread cultural information about Islam as part of her job at
CAIR.
Khan said she is concerned that United 93 is causing citizens to become
angry again and express anti-Muslim sentiments like those common after
the initial terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"People's emotions are getting flared again," Khan said.
"The couple's verbal abuse had obviously been prompted by their
associating all Muslims with those who took part in the 9/11 terror
attacks."
Dina El-Nakhal, director of communications for CAIR-Sacramento Valley,
said she feels the incident in Arizona has affected Muslim communities
across the nation.
El-Nakhal said the images presented by the film of terrorists as devout
Muslims misrepresents the ideals of the majority of Islam followers and
makes generalizations about the faith.
"[The incident] certainly got us concerned," El-Nakhal said.
"People feel a sense of fear. You feel like you are being painted by
a general brush."
SEE ALSO:
WHY I'M NERVOUS ABOUT
`UNITED 93' -
TOP
Hesham Hassaballa, Religion News Service, 5/9/06
Sept. 11, 2001 was one of the darkest days of my adult life. The memories
of the pain and fear I felt on that day are still vivid more than four
years later.
As an American Muslim, the attacks of Sept. 11 hurt me twice over: first,
it hurt to see so many innocent fellow Americans brutally and mercilessly
killed. But it hurt even more to learn that those Americans were killed
by fanatics murdering in the name of Islam. That hurt still stings my
heart.
Enter "United 93."
Watching the film about the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania would be
enormously powerful and tremendously emotional for me. It would give me
an opportunity to feel if only for a moment the pain of some of the
victims of the 9-11 attacks. It would allow me to relive the horror from
a different perspective, and share in the national trauma with millions
of fellow Americans in a therapeutic, healing way.
And it would make me angry. To watch those "holy warriors" as
those murderous fanatics are wont to call themselves invoke the name of
the Holy God I worship, while killing innocent human beings, would kindle
fires of rage in my heart.
To watch those murderous fanatics stand up and yell "Allahu
Akbar" ("God is the Greatest") the same words I use in
daily prayer would make my blood boil. It makes me terribly angry to see
my faith twisted and perverted to the point in which the murder of
innocents is justified and glorified as a "holy war."
Yet, I must be completely honest: I am afraid of going to see this film
in the theater.
I am afraid that fellow moviegoers will take their anger out on me, even
though I have nothing to do with the terrorism committed in the name of
my faith. Perhaps this fear is irrational Americans are good people, and
I should never be afraid of my own people. But a recent incident in
Arizona helped rekindle my fear.
On May 2, the Arizona office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) reported that several young Muslim women were verbally abused by
two people who said they recently saw "United 93."
(MORE)
[Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago physician and columnist for
Beliefnet]
-----
MUSLIM MOSQUE LEADERS CLAIM POLICE PROFILING ON TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE -
TOP
Pat Milton, Associated Press, 5/9/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--profilingclaim0509may09,0,1382211.story
NEW YORK -- Six leaders of a mosque said Tuesday that city transit
officials handcuffed and detained them following a traffic stop on a
bridge because they are Muslims.
The officials of the Dar Ul Islah Mosque, in Teaneck, N.J., said they
were made to line up along a Triborough Bridge roadway and handcuffed
behind their backs while passing motorists gawked.
"We were made a spectacle," said Igbal Khan, of Paramus, N.J.
"We had caps and beards. I am sure people were thinking, 'They
finally got those terrorists."'
The men demanded at a news conference that the agency that runs the
bridge, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Bridges and Tunnels
division, provide religious sensitivity training to its police officers.
They also said they planned to file a civil rights lawsuit for what their
attorney Devereauz Cannick called "Muslim profiling."
A spokeswoman for the MTA's Bridges and Tunnels, Catherine Sweeney, said
the men's van was stopped after police radar picked it up traveling 70
mph in a 40 mph zone. She said the agency was looking into the
discrimination charges.
The six men said they were on their way to a breakfast meeting at a
mosque in Queens at around 7 a.m. on April 9 when their van was stopped
at a foot of the Triborough Bridge system, which comprises three bridges,
a viaduct and approach roads connecting the Bronx, Manhattan and
Queens.
The driver, Syed Hazari, of Teaneck, said he gave the officer his license
and registration and the officer returned to his police cruiser. Within
minutes, he said, five other police cars arrived and officers ordered the
vans' occupants out.
Khan said he and the other men are U.S. citizens and longtime residents
of the United States.
"There is no explanation for this except for religion," Khan
said. "It was humiliating."
The men said they were taken in separate police cars to a station house,
uncuffed and forced to wait while the driver was questioned in another
room. They said one of the officers told the men they were detained
because Hazari's name was on a list of names that demanded further
inquiry.
After the men were released, the officers "were very
apologetic," Hazari said.
-----
MUSLIM GROUPS CALL ON DOE TO INCLUDE MUSLIM HOLIDAYS IN SCHOOL
CALENDAR -
TOP
NY1 News, 5/9/06
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=59288
Parents of Muslim students are asking the Department of Education to add
two Muslim holidays to the city's school calendar.
A delegation of parents, students and religious leaders who held a rally
Tuesday outside DOE headquarters say omitting Muslim holidays from the
official school calendar is discriminatory.
They called for a meeting with Schools Chancellor Joel Klein to discuss
the issue.
“Muslims contribute a lot to New York City. They are New York City, and
this is a wonderful way for the Board of Education and for the chancellor
and for the mayor to take leadership in recognizing the Muslim
population,” said Gouri Sadhwani of the New York Civic Participation
Project.
"Muslim students should not have to chose between religion and
education, between celebrating a holiday with their family and taking a
test," said former student Sadia Kalam.
The DOE says school regulations allow excused absences for religious
observations. It also points out it doesn't set the school calendar, the
state does.
SEE ALSO:
US MUSLIM
WOMEN AMERICANIZING MOSQUES, BOOK FINDS -
TOP
Michael Conlon, Reuters, 5/10/06
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-05-10T121603Z_01_N29286160_RTRUKOC_0_US-RELIGION-MUSLIMS-USA.xml&archived=False
CHICAGO - The face Muslim women present to America is as diverse as the
faith itself -- and one that is changing as waves of often impoverished
immigrants come to the United States.
That is part of the picture that emerges from a new book shedding light
on the lives of Muslim women by way of well-crafted profiles of more than
four dozen of them, cutting across cultures and lifestyles.
"Part of what we found is that the United States is one of the best
places in the world for women to practice Islam because they do have
freedom, because of our ideas about women having careers and a voice in
houses of worship," said Donna Gehrke-White, author of "The
Face Behind the Veil" (Citadel Press).
"Muslim women here have much more to say in how the religion is
practiced," challenging some traditions such as separate entrances
and second-rate worship spaces in some mosques, she said in an interview.
"In some countries women don't even go to mosques."
"The other thing is that women are Americanizing the mosques,
bringing in Brownie (scout) troops, self-help programs" -- common
adjuncts to other houses of worship but not often seen in places where
mosques were there for prayer and nothing more, added Gehrke-White, a
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at the Miami Herald
newspapers.
She estimates there are 3 million Muslim women in the United States.
While earlier immigration patterns brought in the educated and affluent,
whose children have moved easily into middle or upper class society, more
recent trends have brought in the poor and desperate, many from Africa
and Asia.
-----
PROFESSOR FIGHTS PORTRAYAL AS SUPPORTER OF TERRORISM
-
TOP
Lisa M. Krieger, Mercury News, 5/10/06
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/14543692.htm
As one of Stanford University's most respected Middle East scholars,
professor Joel Beinin knows what terrorism looks like.
So it was a shock when he saw his own face on the cover of a new book
titled ``Campus Support for Terrorism,'' linking him to radical
Islam.
He's suing the book's publishers in what is the first counteroffensive by
a professor against a growing campaign by conservative groups targeting
left-leaning college educators.
Conservative groups acknowledge they are watching scholars like Beinin in
an effort to combat what they believe are inaccuracies perpetuated by
liberal faculties on college campuses. But while many of the monitored
faculty have stayed silent -- saying they lack the tenure or campus
support necessary to protect their careers from outside critics -- Beinin
hired an attorney.
``They have used my picture as part of their war on free expression,''
Beinin said. ``I have never, in any way, supported terrorism. I've spoken
out against it. They're trying to intimidate people into
silence.''
David Horowitz, publisher of the book that is the subject of Beinin's
complaint, says he is simply exercising his right to free speech and
considers the suit harassment.
``I didn't say he was a terrorist. I said he supported terrorism,'' said
Horowitz, president of the Los Angeles-based Center for the Study of
Popular Culture. ``It is my view. If he doesn't like it, he can respond
anytime he wants, instead of playing legal games.''
Horowitz and other leading conservatives seek to combat what they believe
is the ``radicalization'' of Mideast studies by liberal-dominated
faculties at the nation's universities.
Stanford is among 18 campuses targeted as having ``anti-Israel bias'' by
the watchdog organization ``Campus Watch.'' ``Stanford students are
getting a very poor interpretation of the Middle East, an extremist
viewpoint that doesn't tolerate other viewpoints,'' wrote Campus Watch
founder Daniel Pipes.
Beinin, a 58-year-old Jewish professor who supports Palestinian rights,
knows he has enemies. Secure in his tenured position at an elite
university, he routinely criticizes U.S. leaders for failing to
understand why Americans are hated in the Arab world. He decries the
humanitarian costs of the Palestinian occupation. (MORE)
-----
UK
ATTORNEY GENERAL: GUANTANAMO SHOULD BE CLOSED -
TOP
Reuters, 5/10/06
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-05-10T172313Z_01_L10490167_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-BRITAIN-GUANTANAMO.xml&archived=False
LONDON (Reuters) - The British government's top legal adviser called on
Wednesday for the closure of the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay,
which he said had become a symbol of injustice.
"The existence of Guantanamo Bay remains unacceptable. It is time,
in my view, that it should close," Attorney General Peter Goldsmith
said of the naval base in Cuba where up to 500 foreign terrorism suspects
have been held.
In the most outspoken criticism of Guantanamo yet by a senior British
official, he said it would be right as a matter of principle to close the
center and added: "I believe it would also help to remove what has
become a symbol to many -- right or wrong -- of injustice.
"The historic tradition of the United States as a beacon of freedom,
liberty and of justice deserves the removal of this symbol," he said
in a speech in London.
Human rights groups around the world have condemned Washington's use of
indefinite detentions without charge and want Guantanamo to
close.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, President George W. Bush's closest
ally in the war in Iraq, has called Guantanamo "an anomaly"
that should be dealt with.
SEE ALSO:
JUDGE RULES RELIGIOUS LIBERTY LAWSUIT BY FORMER GUANTANAMO DETAINEES
CAN PROCEED -
TOP
Tom Henry, Jurist, 5/10/06
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/05/judge-rules-religious-liberty-lawsuit.php
[JURIST] US District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina [official profile] has ruled
that a lawsuit against US officials brought by four British citizens
formerly held at Guantanamo who claim their religious freedoms were
infringed during detention may go forward. Urbina found that because the
Religious Freedom Restoration Act [text] applies to territories and
possessions of the United States, it applies not only to government
action within the continental US but to areas such at the US Naval
station at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay where the US "exercises perhaps as
much control as it possibly could short of 'ultimate sovereignty."
The 1993 Act declares that the government may not "substantially
burden a person's exercise of religion" except in specified
instances.
The four men, who claim they were captured while providing humanitarian
relief in Afghanistan post-9/11, have sued [Guardian report] US Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld [official profile] along with 10 US military
commanders claiming they suffered harassment, were forced to shave their
religious beards, and watch as a guard desecrated the Koran [US military
rules for Koran treatment, PDF]. They are seeking $10 million in
damages.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/11/06
*
Hadith:
Contentment
*
CAIR-CA
Hosts 'Correcting Misperceptions about Islam' Lecture
-
CAIR-Chicago:
Program
Offers Insight on Islam
-
CAIR-CA:
Muslims Reinforce Values, Share Culture
-
CAIR-OH:
Moussaoui is
Antithetical to True Islam
-
CAIR-NJ:
Relatives of Slain Teens want Tougher DWI Law
*
Incitement:
Hitchens Calls Prophet 'Epileptic Plagiarist'
*
NSA Has
Massive Database of Americans' Phone Calls (USA Today)
*
FL: Al-Arian Appeals
Prison Term (SP Times)
*
MI: Mothers
Deserve Nearly Divine Devotion (Det. News)
*
CAN: Muslim
Girls Allowed Private Swim Test (Toronto Star)
-
UK:
Guantanamo
Detainees Sue U.S. for $10m
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY:
CONTENTMENT -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Being rich does not
mean having a great amount of property, but [it] is being content [with
what one has]."
Sabih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 453
-----
CAIR-SAN DIEGO HOSTS 'CORRECTING MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM' LECTURE
-
TOP
(SAN DIEGO, CA 5/10/06) - On Friday May 12, the San Diego chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Diego) will be hosting a
lecture, titled "Correcting Misperceptions about Islam: Our
Role," at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD).
The event will feature speakers Hussam Ayloush, Executive Director of
CAIR Southern California and Edgar Hopida, Director of Public Relations
CAIR-San Diego.
WHAT: Lecture on "Correcting Misperceptions about Islam: Our
Role"
WHEN: Friday, May 12, 8pm (PST)
WHERE: Multipurpose Room (1st floor), Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD),
7050 Eckstrom Avenue, San Diego, CA 92111
"We hope that this event will empower the Muslim community of San
Diego County into becoming more active in combating the negative
stereotypes and misperceptions about Islam," says CAIR San Diego
Director of Public Relations Edgar Hopida.
CONTACT: CAIR San Diego Director of Public Relations Edgar Hopida,
619-913-0719, E-mail ehopida@gmail.com or
cair.sandiego@gmail.com
---
CAIR-CHICAGO:
PROGRAM OFFERS INSIGHT ON ISLAM -
TOP
Ed Fanselow, Daily Herald, 5/11/06
http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=187745
As he walked through the doors at the Islamic Center of Des Plaines, Vern
Geurkink couldn't help but marvel at the austerity of the modern-looking
mosque.
A retired Christian minister now living in Naperville, Geurkink has been
inside dozens of churches and even some synagogues over the years, but
this was like no worship space he had ever seen.
"I thought to myself, where are all the books? Where are all the
paintings and icons?" he said. "It was different, but a
wonderfully eye-opening experience for me."
Geurkink was one of about 60 seniors - many of them from the suburbs -
who visited the mosque Wednesday during the latest in a series of daylong
educational programs sponsored by the local chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.
In addition to the tour, they also observed the mosque's afternoon prayer
ritual, dined on an Egyptian lunch and listened to a brief lecture about
the Koran and the five pillars of the faith.
Later, they partook in an hourlong question-and-answer session aimed at
debunking myths about the faith, which counts more than 1.4 billion
followers worldwide. . .
Ahmed Rehab, who coordinates the program, said Muslims themselves are
partly to blame for that phenomenon.
"The American media isn't inherently anti-Muslim, it just hasn't
dealt with us for long enough." he said. "Since 9/11, we've
sort of been shocked into opening up more and I think there's been a
greater understanding."
Although more than 1,200 people have participated in the outreach program
during the past two years, Rehab said he hopes to expand it even more,
perhaps by welcoming school field trips.
"There is a huge disconnect between what these people have seen
today and to what most people see on TV or in the newspapers," Rehab
said. "We American Muslims need to be more outspoken so more people
will understand who we really are."
-----
CAIR-CA: MUSLIMS FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO REINFORCE VALUES, SHARE
CULTURE IN GIRL SCOUTS -
TOP
Helen Gao, Union-Tribune, 5/11/06
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060511-9999-7m11scouts.html
A devout Muslim, Lallia Allali was drawn to the Girl Scouts because it
shares many of the values of her religion, such as an emphasis on moral
character, service and charity.
That's why about two years ago, Allali founded three Muslim Girl Scout
troops at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in San
Diego County, where her husband is the imam.
The troops, which serve about 50 girls, are among a growing number of
Muslim Girl and Boy Scout troops sprouting up across the nation. A Muslim
Cub Scout troop of about 25 boys also meets at the Islamic Center in
Clairemont.
"In Girl Scouts, it teaches you to be confident. In Islam, it says
you should be confident and never give up," said Layla Elmi, 10, who
attends school at the Islamic Center. "You can be friends with
people of any skin color or religion. In Islam, it's the same
thing."
The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have for years been reaching out to
Muslims and other religious groups, working with them to offer patches or
medals tailored to their faiths. The Girl Scouts has made it known that
the word "God" in its oath can be substituted with Allah (God
in Arabic) or other words to fit one's beliefs.
"The Girl Scouts appreciates diversity. That's very important. It's
important to teach our girls to accept our diversity, our
differences," said Allali, mother of three daughters, one a
Brownie.
Muslim Girl Scout troops have formed in Phoenix, Nashville, Washington,
D.C., and Santa Clara, but the organization does not track how many
exist. The Islamic Committee on Girl Scouting in Connecticut estimates
almost 1,000 Muslim girls participate in scouting. The Boy Scouts of
America has counted nearly 2,000 Muslim Boy Scouts in 104 units
affiliated with mosques and Islamic schools.
The Muslim troops, in some ways, serve as goodwill ambassadors for their
religion and people. They reach out to peers who might have little or no
understanding of Islam and whose exposure to it comes from television
images of terrorism and Muslim extremists.
A Muslim Girl Scout troop from Santa Clara was featured in an ad
campaign, "We're Americans and We're Muslims," sponsored by the
Council on American-Islamic Relations. A picture of smiling Muslim troop
members from a recent multicultural fair at the Islamic Center adorns the
2005 annual report of the Girl Scouts' San Diego-Imperial
Council.
During the opening ceremony of the February multicultural fair, Muslim
Girl Scouts wearing head scarves linked hands with girls in jeans and
T-shirts to make a big circle.
Together, they sang "It's a Small World" and recited the Girl
Scout Promise. Later they visited one another's booths and sampled ethnic
food. Some had their names written in Arabic and got their hands painted
with intricate henna designs.
Non-Muslim guests were won over by the hospitality of their
hosts.
Nure Elatari, communications director for the Arizona chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Muslim Girl Scouts help break
down the stereotype of oppressed Muslim women.
"It's definitely pushed them to integrate with society and let
society know who Muslim women are," she said. (MORE)
---
CAIR-OH:
MOUSSAOUI IS ANTITHETICAL TO TRUE ISLAM -
TOP
Brent Meyer, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/11/06
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060511/EDIT02/605110304/1021/EDIT
Zacarias Moussaoui has been the subject of much debate since his shocking
testimony in both the guilt and sentencing phases of his terrorism trial.
His statements about the 9/11 victims were particularly
offensive.
The extent of his involvement in planning the attacks that took their
lives remains in question. But one thing is clear: Moussaoui is a
misguided and dangerous individual. His words and deeds show that he
subscribes to values that are directly opposed to the true message of
Islam.
I am an American, and I am a Muslim. In the mind of Moussaoui that is
probably a contradiction. Sadly some Americans might agree with him;
those who believe that to be an "American" one must be a
certain color or a certain religion. People like Moussaoui have an
absolute intolerance for those who they perceive to be
"different." As proud Americans we should aspire to be better
than that.
The "clash of civilizations" that we often hear about is
neither ongoing nor inevitable. Where there is conflict it is between
people and nations, and it is rarely "civilized."
But Western states and Muslim-majority governments cooperate peacefully
every day, sharing resources, technology and culture. Good people,
regardless of faith or culture, work together worldwide to improve the
human condition.
Prominent Muslim leaders and organizations have repeatedly and forcefully
condemned acts of terrorism and violence. And yet Moussaoui and those
like him continue to advocate unprovoked violence while spreading their
messages of hatred and fear.
The Prophet Muhammad said, "A Muslim is the one with whom people
feel safe from harm by mouth or hand." Although it is not for me to
judge who is and who is not a Muslim, I can say that I feel safer knowing
that Moussaoui is locked up for good.
[Brent Meyer of Lebanon is a member of the board of the
CAIR-Ohio.]
---
RELATIVES OF SLAIN TEENS WANT TOUGHER DWI LAW; JOINING WITH MADD,
THEY SAY A TICKET ISN'T SUFFICIENT -
TOP
Navid Iqbal, Daily Record, 05/11/06
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060511/COMMUNITIES22/605110338/1203/NEWS01
PATERSON -- Family members of the two teenage girls killed by a passing
car in Kinnelon last month said Wednesday that they need the public's
help to make driving while intoxicated more than a motor vehicle
violation, in New Jersey.
They spoke at a press conference in an Islamic Center on Wednesday
afternoon.
Mayada Jafar, 15, of Kinnelon and her cousin, Athear Jafar, 16, of
Jefferson, were walking from Mayada's house to a movie theatre at 8 p.m.
April 20 when they were struck by a car driven by Eugene Baum of Dover,
police said. Authorities said Baum admitted to drinking a half-liter of
vodka before getting into his car. He also told police he was taking an
anti-anxiety medication.
While Baum is facing two counts of death by auto, he was issued summonses
for driving while intoxicated and reckless driving, both motor vehicle
violations. During his arraignment April 21, he handed over his driver's
license.
Within a week he had posted $100,000 bail and was freed from Morris
County jail, pending a trial.
The Jafar family believes driving while intoxicated is too severe a crime
to just get a ticket.
MADD, Islamic view
At the press conference, a representative from the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a national civil rights group for Muslims,
and the state director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, addressed a
small crowd of reporters,
Teresa S. Stevens, the state executive director of MADD, based in Trenton
said that DWIs are considered motor vehicle violations. Though
alcohol-related fatalities have declined overall, she said 270 deaths in
New Jersey in 2004 were attributable to alcohol. She added that the
figures in 2005 may be higher and that early figures of 2006 indicate
another spike. All of this, she said, is alarming especially because it
is before the peek season of drunk-drivers.
Yet New Jersey still hasn't criminalized DWIs, though there is
legislation being worked on, Stevens said. "The families' cries for
justice are very familiar: 270 families had the same cry last
year."
James R. Sues of South Orange, vice president of CAIR's New Jersey office
said no one was being critical of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office
handling of the case thus far, a point reiterated by family
members.
"It's not as if Muslims' civil rights are being violated here,"
Sues said. "We're just trying to work with Mothers Against Drunk
Driving to highlight the importance of preventing this kind of
behavior."
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: RADICAL ISLAM CRITICIZED; CONTROVERSIAL WRITER
HITCHENS TALKS TERROR -
TOP
James Hohmann, Stanford Daily, 5/10/06
http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=20434&repository=0001_article
The West needs to take the threat of fundamentalist, militant Islam more
seriously, controversial British commentator Christopher Hitchens told a
predominately older audience at the Geology Corner auditorium last night.
In an hour-and-a-half program, the liberal-socialist contrarian with a
wry British wit and a sharp English tongue offered up barbs against Osama
bin Laden, Muslims, liberals and Jacques Chirac. In an at-times rambling,
back-and-forth exchange with audience members, Hitchens also denounced
organized religion.
"You don't have to be paranoid, racist or a bigot to take
alarm," he said. "There is a civil war within Islam. We are not
in a war on terror. We cannot be at war with an
expression."
Hitchens, an editor for Vanity Fair, described himself as an atheist and
issued a sharp rebuke of the Muslim prophet Muhammad.
"Of course, he's not a prophet," he said. "He's an
epileptic plagiarist."
He said the Quran - Islam's holiest book - was full of "evil fairly
tales" that were "unimaginably recycled."
"It's a boring plagiarism of the worst parts of Christianity and
Judaism," he added. (MORE)
-----
NSA HAS
MASSIVE DATABASE OF AMERICANS' PHONE CALLS -
TOP
Leslie Cauley, USA Today, 5/11/06
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call
records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by
AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the
arrangement told USA TODAY.
The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by
amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans - most of whom
aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA
listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the
data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist
activity, sources said in separate interviews.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: The NSA record collection program
"It's the largest database ever assembled in the world," said
one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA's
activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation. The
agency's goal is "to create a database of every call ever made"
within the nation's borders, this person added.
For the customers of these companies, it means that the government has
detailed records of calls they made - across town or across the country -
to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others.
The three telecommunications companies are working under contract with
the NSA, which launched the program in 2001 shortly after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks, the sources said. The program is aimed at identifying
and tracking suspected terrorists, they said.
The sources would talk only under a guarantee of anonymity because the
NSA program is secret. (MORE)
-----
AL-ARIAN APPEALS PRISON TERM -
TOP
The judge linked him to violent activity, but the plea agreement had
nonviolent admissions.
Meg Laughlin, St. Petersburg Times, 5/11/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/11/Tampabay/Al_Arian_appeals_pris.shtml
Sami Al-Arian is appealing his prison sentence.
Last week, a federal judge sentenced him to the maximum allowed in his
plea agreement, 57 months. Explaining the reason for the sentence, U.S.
District Court Judge James S. Moody told Al-Arian that he had
"created orphans and widows" through his help for Palestinian
Islamic Jihad.
In December, after a six-month federal trial, a jury acquitted Al-Arian
of conspiring to further the violence of the PIJ, which has claimed
responsibility for hundreds of deaths in Israel and the occupied
territories. The jury acquitted him of eight counts and deadlocked on
nine.
Three months later, as part of a plea deal, Al-Arian pleaded guilty to
helping PIJ associates in nonviolent ways. But when Moody sentenced
Al-Arian last week, the judge linked Al-Arian to violent activity,
despite the nonviolent admissions that were the basis of the plea
agreement and the jury's December acquittal.
Al-Arian has been in the Federal Detention Center in Tallahassee for
seven days, waiting to be assigned to a permanent facility to serve the
remainder of his time, which is about 18 months. A prison official said
Al-Arian will be allowed one brief telephone call a week, and will
probably be at the detention center for a month.
The attorney on the notice of appeal is Peter Erlinder, a law professor
at William Mitchell College of law in St. Paul, Minn., who sat with
Al-Arian at his sentencing.
-----
MOTHERS DESERVE
NEARLY DIVINE DEVOTION -
TOP
Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, The Detroit News, 5/11/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060511/OPINION01/605110301/1007/METRO
The Prophet Mohammad was asked, "Who deserves my utmost help and
compassion?"
"Your mother," the prophet answered.
Who next? Your mother.
Who next? Your mother.
And then whom? Your father.
Mothers receive their special status because they provide the gift of
life to a child. Because of the hardship of pregnancy, delivery and
breastfeeding, God obligates us to be mindful of our mothers, especially
as we prepare to celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday.
As the Quran says, "And We have enjoined on man to be kind to his
parents. His mother bore him in weakness and pain upon weakness and pain
and his weaning is in two years: Give thanks to Me and to your parents.
Unto Me is the final destination."
Imam Sajjad in the seventh century reminded us of the heavy debt we owe
our mother. She carried you in her womb, gave you the fruit of her heart,
helped you to rest even if she had to stay up, fed you even if she had to
stay hungry, protected you from the heat and cold, cleaned you and talked
to you.
You can't appreciate your mother enough.
Love and dutifulness to parents are next to divine devotion. Even smiling
at your parents is considered an act of worship, while maltreatment and
cutting ties with parents is one of the most serious seven sins in
Islam.
There is no place in paradise for those who hurt their parents.
The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love
their mother.
In the Islamic legal system, the father is financially and spiritually
responsible for the welfare of the mother and children. The Prophet
Mohammed set a wonderful example for husbands by entertaining the
children and helping with the chores in addition to providing food,
clothing and shelter for his family.
Mother's Day may be best known for eating out, cards, gifts, hugs and
kisses. But it should also be a day of building better bridges between
mothers and children, of renewing our lifelong commitment to our mothers.
We must keep our parents near to us in their old age.
"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that
you be dutiful and kind to your parents. If one of them or both of them
attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor
brush them away, but address them with honor. And lower unto them the
wing of humility, and say: My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they
took care of me when I was young." (Quran 17-23).
Mothers are responsible for raising good children and good citizens.
There would be no Ishmael without Hagar, no Jesus without Mary.
Our mother's personality, patience, purity, love, sacrifice, dignity and
wisdom give the children the basic understanding of life and truth by
which we can ascend to heaven. As the Prophet Mohammad said,
"Paradise lies at the feet of the mothers."
Our mothers deserve our gratitude, obedience, care and support not only
on Mother's Day but every day.
[Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi heads the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn
Heights.]
-----
MUSLIM GIRLS ALLOWED
PRIVATE SWIM TEST -
TOP
Sean Gordon, Toronto Star, 5/11/06
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1147297812988&
MONTREAL-The decision to close a high school pool to give three Muslim
girls a private swimming class is stoking debate over the place of faith
in Quebec's public institutions.
At issue is the practice known as "reasonable accommodation"
for religious views, one that's increasingly common in a city that's home
to most of Quebec's immigrants.
Parents say the decision by Commission Scolaire Marie-Victorin, with more
that 40,000 students in 80 schools, risks encouraging "segregation
in the name of religion."
The board argues it is simply respecting provisions of a recent Supreme
Court judgment on wearing Sikh kirpans (ceremonial daggers) in classrooms
that set limits on restricting religious rights.
The most recent chapter in the argument centres on a request from three
Muslim students at Antoine-Brossard high school in the South Shore suburb
of Brossard, who asked to be excused from swimming class because their
religion rejects sharing a pool with men.
The board demurred, saying children couldn't beg off the requirements,
which are part of a physical education curriculum, but could take the
swimming test needed to pass the course under special
circumstances.
So last Friday morning, the pool was closed to all other students and
tables were placed in front of the windows so the three girls would be
shielded from view. A female teacher administered the test, aided by
another female school employee.
The problem with all that, says the parental representative on
Antoine-Brossard's "conseil d'établissement" (parent-teacher
council) is that, when the question was brought to the council, it
unanimously decided to demand the board shelve that decision.
Fouad Cheddadi, a Muslim whose children attend the school, told reporters
this week, "This is a decision that makes a lot of parents
uncomfortable. The main goal of school is to provide secular instruction
to children. It's a place where all cultures meet."
School board officials referred all questions to its executive director
François Houde, who could not be reached for comment.
Houde told La Presse, "This issue is closed," noting the board
is constrained by the Constitution and by high court rulings that spell
out "an obligation to find a reasonable
accommodation."
The board notes many other public pools in Montreal, especially in areas
with large Jewish, Muslim and Sikh populations, have time set aside
specifically for women.
Last week's swim test is just the latest incident illustrating Quebec's
recent struggles to reconcile constitutionally guaranteed religious
freedoms - especially those exercised by minorities - with the increasing
secularization of public institutions. (MORE)
-----
BRITISH
GUANTANAMO DETAINEES SUE U.S. FOR $10M -
TOP
Times Online and PA, 5/11/06
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2175790,00.html
Four Britons who were held at Guantanamo Bay have won the right to go
ahead with a lawsuit suing their captors for allegedly violating their
religious rights.
Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal and Rhuhel Ahmed, the so-called Tipton Three,
and Jamal Al-Harith, from Manchester, want $10 million dollars (£5.4
million) damages from US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and 10 US
military commanders.
The former detainees, who were held at the camp in Cuba for nearly three
years, claim they were forced to shave off their beards, were harassed as
they worshipped and once saw a guard throw a copy of the Koran into a
toilet bucket.
The American government had argued that the action should be dismissed
because the Religious Freedom Restoration Act under which it has been
taken was only meant to apply to government action in the continental
United States.
But District Judge Ricardo Urbina ruled that the 1993 law, which
restricts government officers from taking action that interferes with
individual religious liberty, applied to territories and possessions of
the US.
In the case of Guantanamo Bay, "the United States exercises perhaps
as much control as it possibly could short of 'ultimate
sovereignty'," he said.
"Flushing the Koran down the toilet and forcing Muslims to shave
their beards falls comfortably within the conduct prohibited from
government action" by the Act, he added in his ruling on Monday.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/12/06
*
Hadith:
Show
Mercy
*
CAIR
Calls for Special Counsel on NSA Phone Data Spy Program
-
CAIR-MI:
Attempt at
Increased Security Lacks Supervision
-
CAIR-CA:
Uproar over Phone Spying (SJ Mercury News)
*
CAIR St. Louis
Honored for Promoting Racial Equality, Social Justice
-
CAIR-MI:
Don't Back
Speech Urging Citizens to Leave
*
PA:
Negative Letter Based On False Notions about Muslims
*
NJ: UI
School Prevails In Mock Trial Competition
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SHOW
MERCY -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The Compassionate
One [God] has mercy on those who are merciful. If you should mercy to
those who are on the earth, He Who is in heaven will show mercy on
you."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2322
-----
CAIR CALLS FOR SPECIAL COUNSEL ON NSA PHONE DATA SPY PROGRAM -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, DC, 5/12/06) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and
advocacy group today called for the appointment of a special counsel to
investigate revelations that the National Security Agency (NSA) has built
a giant database of Americans' phone records.
According to a USA Today article, the NSA "has been secretly
collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using
data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth…The NSA program reaches
into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about
the calls of ordinary Americans - most of whom aren't suspected of any
crime."
The phone records monitoring program, reportedly authorized by the
president shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks, authorizes the NSA to
bypass a secret court set up to provide warrants for such
surveillance.
In its statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
said:
"The recent revelations of the secret domestic spying program should
be an issue of concern for all Americans, but especially for American
Muslims who have been previously targeted in other surveillance measures
such as the mosque radiation monitoring, and the warrantless wiretapping
program.
It is a moral, legal and political imperative for Congress to ensure that
civil liberties and the right to privacy are maintained, even during
times of international conflict and crisis. An independent investigator
should be appointed to look into whether the NSA phone data surveillance
program violated existing laws."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, has 32
offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance
the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR National Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar, 202-488-8787 or
202-415-0799, Email: arsalan@cair-net.org Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or
202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
ADVOCATES FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES SAY ATTEMPY AT INCREASED SECURITY LACK
PROPER SUPERVISION-
TOP
Gregg Krupa, Detroit News, 5/12/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/POLITICS/605120410/1022
CANTON TOWNSHIP -- Immigrants and advocates for civil liberties in Metro
Detroit Thursday criticized unsupervised domestic spying by the
government, but they also said that national security remains an
important priority in the wake of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The immigrants and advocates were responding to reports that the Bush
Administration has, with the help of telecommunications companies,
secretly collected telephone records from tens of millions of Americans
-- most of whom are not suspected of crimes.
"It is not good, but one can understand," said Ihtesham Shadid,
of Canton Township, an engineer and an immigrant from Pakistan. "We
had a saying in Pakistan that basically is that if one is burned by a hot
drink, one will be cautious even of a glass of cool lemonade. And I think
that is what is happening, since 9/11. The government is trying to
protect people.
"Sooner or later, the process of law will take its own course and
these things will be checked with some checks and balances," Shadid
said.
Some immigrants from Southeast Asia and the Middle East said they have
long assumed they are disproportionately the targets of such surveillance
because Al Qaeda, the group responsible for the attacks, has members from
that part of the world.
"This is what we have been saying all along: We are always
considered terrorists," said Al Hamzi, of Dearborn, a mechanic who
is of Palestinian descent. "Security is important, yes, because we
have enemies.
"But everyone, all of us, came to live in the U.S. for the freedom.
If it is not free, why come? Those murderers, those terrorists, they
should not make us do this to ourselves."
Advocates for civil liberties, including officials of the American Civil
Liberties Union of Michigan, the American Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee and the Council on American Islamic Relations criticized the
spying because of it lacks the supervision required by law.
---
UPROAR OVER PHONE SPYING; SILICON VALLEY LEADERS OUTRAGED BY IDEA OF
CALLS BEING EXAMINED -
TOP
K. Oanh Ha, Mercury News, 5/12/06
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/14559977.htm
Revelations that the government has collected phone-call records of
millions of Americans touched off a political firestorm Thursday in
Washington that spread quickly to Silicon Valley, where the news fueled
outrage among business and community leaders - particularly those who
make a lot of overseas calls.
Triggering the furor was a USA Today report that at least three companies
-- AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth -- turned over call records for
millions of their customers to the super-secret National Security Agency,
which searches them for patterns to help identify terrorist networks. One
source said the goal of the program, put into place shortly after Sept.
11, 2001, is to build a database of every call made within the
country.
Critics said the massive collection of phone records violates Americans'
privacy and raises disturbing questions about the government's reach into
personal lives.
``Are you telling me that tens of millions of Americans are involved with
Al-Qaida?'' Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., asked. ``If that's the case, we've
really failed in any kind of a war on terror.''
Bay Area citizens voiced suspicion and fear that phone logs would lead to
surveillance of their phone calls.
``Even if it's just our phone call records, it's a very dangerous
precedent,'' said Dilawar Syed, a Bay area tech professional from
Pakistan. ``Now that they have the data, what will it take before they
record and listen to our calls?''
Local leaders expressed shock and outrage. Immigrants within the Muslim
and South Asian communities were particularly concerned, fearing the
program would target their members. ``They're grasping at straws to find
links to terrorism,'' said Sameena Usman, a representative of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations in Santa Clara.
The organization received calls Thursday from Bay Area Muslims who
suspect they are victims of wiretapping. (MORE)
-----
CAIR ST. LOUIS RECEIVES "WHAT'S RIGHT WITH THE REGION"
AWARD -
TOP
(ST. LOUIS, MO, 5/12/06) - On Thursday May 11, the St. Louis chapter of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-St. Louis) received a
"What's Right with the Region" Award from FOCUS, an
organization that honors individuals and organizations who make the St.
Louis area a better place to live.
CAIR-St Louis was honored specifically for improving racial equality and
promoting social justice in the area.
Kamal Yassin, CAIR-St. Louis President, accepted the award on the
chapter's behalf and said that it is part of CAIR's mission to encourage
dialogue, protect civil liberties, and to build coalitions that
promote justice and mutual understanding in communities across
America.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI: DON'T BACK SPEECH URGING CITIZENS TO LEAVE -
TOP
Detroit News, 5/12/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/OPINION01/605120334&SearchID=73244326666813
Contrary to the letters to the editor, Michigan State University did not
punish nor censure professor Indrek Wichman in regards to his boorish,
insensitive e-mail. MSU merely stated that his views did not represent
the sentiments of the institution and rightfully so ("MSU errs by
punishing professor's speech," May 2).
Statements such as Wichman's reflect the sentiment of some who feel they
have the right to define who should be considered an authentic American
or who has the right to live here. This mentality parallels those who
wish to build walls at the American-Mexican border and classify illegal
immigrants similarly to one who commits an aggravated felony.
Similar xenophobic statements have been made in the past pertaining to
sending the ex-slaves back to Africa during the Reconstruction
era.
We have freedom of speech, but should our speech seek to exclude others
from being recognized as true Americans to the point that we endorse
calls for citizens to leave America in the name of freedom of
speech?
Dawud Walid is Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations.
-----
NEGATIVE LETTER BASED ON FALSE NOTIONS ABOUT ISLAMIC PEOPLE -
TOP
Badr Al Hussain Fahad Al Yami, Times Leader, 5/12/06
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/opinion/14560784.htm
We have been reading with a great deal of dismay the recent reaction in
the Times Leader by Stephen Lawrence of Forty Fort who objects to the
fact that we are in America.
Please be assured, we are here to study, travel and learn as much as we
can so that we will be able to develop our skills and become good
businessmen, health-care professionals and computer scientists. We have
come as peaceful ambassadors of our own country.
We are students learning a new language and a new culture. We do not wish
to abandon our upbringing, but we appreciate the fact that others in the
world live differently from us and have different customs. In addition,
we are hoping to bridge many of the gaps in understanding between
Americans who have a stereotyped perception of us, our nation and our
culture based on some of the outrageous things published in the media
about people who live in the Middle East.
Please be assured that the people who live in that part of the world are
no different from people who live anywhere else. We would like to get an
education, hold jobs, raise families and make the world better for our
children. We, too, resent the fact that the few radicals in our culture
are the ones grabbing the attention of the media. These radicals kill
their own people as well as people in other nations. They do not control
the minds and hearts of any of us.
As true believers of Islam, we strive for peace in the world. Until we
read Mr. Lawrence's letter, we felt welcomed by the community at Wilkes
University and in Wilkes-Barre in general. It dismayed us to learn that
there are people here like him who prefer to believe things they read on
the Internet rather than getting to know us, as so many have here at
Wilkes, and learning first-hand what kind of people we are.
We would like to thank those who do know us, and have reserved their
judgments for when they can be substantiated. We would like to thank the
Times Leader for showing us the stark reality of the region that we came
to, although the method of doing so would have been much more effective
had it followed reason and sound logic.
Mr. Lawrence's letter did little more than insult, incite negative
feelings and cause hurt. It is this kind of hatred that precipitates the
kind of anger, violence and animosity that civilized peoples of the world
are trying to extinguish.
We would like to end this letter by inviting anyone who has any qualms
about us (not those who misrepresent us) to come and see, with your own
eyes, who we are, and what kind of people we are.
Come see why the signatures of over 350 students, faculty, professors and
deans of Wilkes University were collected in the period of one
hour.
We would also like to invite you to learn about Islam, as it should be
taught, and in its most beautiful light. The Islamic Association of
Northeastern Pennsylvania (located here in Wilkes-Barre) is more than
willing extend its hand to anyone who wishes to learn with an open
mind.
-----
UI SCHOOL
PREVAILS IN MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION -
TOP
Chris Gaetano, South Brunswick Sentinel, 5/12/06
http://nbs.gmnews.com/news/2006/0511/Schools/032.html
SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Noor-Ul-Iman School's mock trial team had no objections
to their first victory at the Middlesex County Bar Association's mock
trial competition.
The team, composed of nearly one-third of the entire high school
population of 48, was the winner of the Feb. 9 competition, defeating
teams from five other schools. On Wednesday, they were honored by the
Middlesex County Bar Association with a banquet.
Mock trial is a popular school activity where students take the role of a
legal team and argue either for the defense or prosecution side of a
fictional court case. It involves a lot of preparatory work, as team
members don't know which side they will be arguing on behalf of until a
coin toss before the trial begins.
The local Islamic school's team is only three years old, having formed
when the coach, Sufia Azmat, heard of the activity when visiting family
in Illinois.
Getting the team started was a challenge, according to Azmat, because of
the relatively low population of the high school. As its performance has
improved over the years (the team won one match in last year's
competition), more interest in the team has developed. This year more
people were interested in joining than there were slots
available.
"In the past, we weren't able to make it this far, though last year,
we won one round and lost another. Considering the team is only three
years old, [this year's win is] a great victory for them," said
Azmat, who teaches English as well as coaches the team.
The team actually has something of a handicap other schools don't. While
many other schools begin to prepare in October, Noor-Ul-Iman's team must
begin meeting in November, after the holy holiday of Ramadan is
finished.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/14/06
*
Verse:
Be Kind to Your Parents
*
CAIR Asks Muslims to Support Family
of Slain VA Officer
*
CAIR Rep
Discusses Privacy Concerns
on NBC
-
CAIR-LA:
Health Care Not Only For
Privileged (OC Reg)
-
CAIR-FL:
Various
Faiths Observe Day of Prayer (Sun-Sent)
-
Former CAIR-CAN Chair Speaks to
Canadian Security Agency
*
Islam-Oped:
A Sensible Way to Describe
Terrorists
*
TX:
Muslims Reach Out to Help the
Needy (Dallas Morning News)
-
ME:
Jr. High Students
Gain Understanding of Islam
-
MI:
New Mosque to Hold Open
House
*
Kashmiri-American Addresses Russian
Conference
*
DC:
AIPAC Case Defense Seeks to Depose Israeli
Officials
*
Incitement:
Threats on Internet Hate
Site
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: BE KIND TO YOUR PARENTS -
TOP
"Your Lord has decreed that you shall worship none but Him and that
you shall be kind to your parents. If one or both of them live to their
old age in your lifetime, you shall not say to them any word of contempt
nor repel them, and you shall address them in terms of honor. You shall
lower to them the wing of humility and pray: 'O Lord! Bestow on them Your
blessings just as they cherished me when I was a little child.'"
(17:23-24).
-----
CAIR ASKS MUSLIMS TO SUPPORT FUND FOR
FAMILY OF SLAIN VA OFFICER -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/14/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) today called on members of the Washington-area Muslim community to
contribute to a fund set up to support the family of Fairfax County
Police Detective Vicky Armel, who was gunned down outside her police
station last Monday. Armel was the mother of two young children.
SEE:
Thousands Mourn Detective Killed in Va. (AP)
"We all have to pull together as one community to honor Detective
Armel's service by helping to support her family," said CAIR
Executive Director Nihad Awad, who is a resident of Northern
Virginia. Awad also asked people of all faiths to pray for the speedy
recovery of a second officer who was injured in the attack.
At the request of Detective Armel's family, a trust fund was established
for her children.
Donations can be made by cash or personal check to:
Armel Family Trust Fund
c/o: Fairfax County Federal Credit Union
4201 Members Way
Fairfax, VA 22030
Awad said CAIR will encourage local mosques to support the fund.
-----
CAIR REP DISCUSSES
PRIVACY CONCERNS ON NBC -
TOP
http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=c8fe75fb-1c6e-4103-b8a1-4f2f4d2a417a&f=&fg
NBC News: Saturday Today
5/13/2006
CAMPBELL BROWN, co-host:
On CLOSE UP this morning, that domestic surveillance program, the NSA's
tracking of phone calls made by ordinary citizens in this country. The
issue is sparking a lot of debate, and in the center of it all is the man
President Bush has tapped to become the new head of the CIA. NBC's Kevin
Corke joins us with more from the White House. . .
And this issue raise many questions for national security to technology
as well as civil and privacy rights. To get into some of them, we have
with us Juliette Kayyem, who is a national security expert and NBC News
analyst. A
rsalan Iftikhar is the legal director for the Council on
American Islamic Relations whose organization, by the way, has filed a
lawsuit against the NSA for wiretapping. Omar Wasow is a technology
expert. Mike Stanfield is a resident of New Orleans who is in favor of
the government's phone call surveillance. And Monica Gabrielle lost her
husband in the September 11th attacks and opposes the NSA
program.
We appreciate all of you for being here. Good morning.
Mr. ARSALAN IFTIKHAR (Council on American-Islamic Relations): Good
morning.
HOLT: Juliette, let me begin with you. This information was stripped of
identifying information.
Ms. JULIETTE KAYYEM (National Security Expert): Right.
HOLT: It was simply phone numbers. There was no active monitoring of
conversations, just an analysis of the numbers. Based on what we know,
does that sound legal?
Ms. KAYYEM: It's a hard question to answer. I think constitutionally it's
probably legal. But there are all sorts of debates on whether it violates
a number of statutory privacy laws including whether the telephone
companies violated our own privacy by giving information to the
government.
HOLT: That's a different question, though, isn't it?
Ms. KAYYEM: Yes.
HOLT: Because we have a contract with our phone companies...
Ms. KAYYEM: Yes.
HOLT: ...and we assume that they'll keep the information
private.
Ms. KAYYEM: Well, except for when you sign the contract apparently
there's a line in there that says you consent to the phone company giving
information to the government in national security cases. So it's whether
that consent is voluntary or not. So this is very technical, legal stuff.
This is what the lawsuits are going to be about. I think the bigger
question here is we certainly--certainly know the administration's
argument is that under sort of the war on terror and the support for the
war in Afghanistan, they justify their own surveillance, that they can do
surveillance against almost anyone or anything. And that's a--whatever
you think about that, it's highly controversial, and it's very broad. And
what we're seeing now, two months after the first NSA disclosure in
December--what we're seeing is basically them pushing the envelope a
little bit further. So whether it's legal or not, the lawyers are going
to debate it, but whether it sort of violates our own notion of what we
are expecting the government is doing and our own sense of privacy, I
think that's why you're seeing a huge debate right now.
HOLT: One of the questions we're trying to answer here.
Ms. KAYYEM: Yeah.
BROWN: And, Monica, let me ask you, because for you, of all people, this
has got to be very personal. You lost your husband on 9/11. And, as you
know, the president has said that the reason behind this is ultimately to
prevent another terrorist attack. And, yet, you're opposed to it, and a
lot of people might be surprised to hear that. Explain why.
Ms. MONICA GABRIELLE (Husband Was Killed in 9/11 Attacks): Oh,
absolutely. And I, for one, want anyone with any terrorist ties to be
caught, to be prosecuted. However, I prefer it to be done under the legal
laws that we have. We have FISA. If FISA is not working in today's post
9/11 world, then President Bush and General Hayden need to go to Congress
and ask them to fix it. It's been four and a half years post 9/11. No
debate has been done. It's been cited that the time limit for the FISA
warrants to be processed is too lengthy, the backlog of work. Fix the
problem. We don't break laws and circumvent laws because they don't work
anymore. We go and adjust them. And that is of grave concern for me, and
it should be a grave concern for a lot of the citizens.
BROWN: Mike, you're nodding, but I know you don't agree with
her.
Mr. MIKE STANFIELD (Favors Government Monitoring of Phone Calls): No. I
mean, what's the harm that's happened? The bottom line, to this point, we
haven't been attacked again. And if it saved one American life, I think
it's worth it, you know, there is nothing--it's not--I mean, the
government doesn't have a bunch of soup cans on everyone's telephone. I
mean, they're doing this for a good reason, and I hope people sleep
better because they're doing it.
HOLT: And we should point out, Mike, you're not alone. You're actually in
the majority. The polls tell us most Americans feel on this issue as you
do, that it's OK.
And, Arsalan, that's got to worry you a little bit. Because I know that
you're very concerned that Muslim-Americans will be targeted more than
others.
Mr. IFTIKHAR: Absolutely. You know, since 9/11 the American Muslim, Arab
and South Asian communities have been disparately impacted by the Bush
administration's law enforcement initiatives. And I think that what this
policy does is it really shows the true scope of these sorts of issues
and how they should be of concern to all Americans. I mean, the question
becomes not, you know, can the government store phone numbers of average
American citizens, but where do we draw the line? Are we going to turn
into a police state similar to the KGB in cold war Soviet Union? Or are
we going to allow the government to look through our mail, read through
our e-mail? Where do we draw the line? This, unfortunately, I think,
opens the floodgates. And I think that's why we've seen a lot of
bipartisan opposition to this. This is not a Republican-Democratic issue.
You see a lot of Republicans who are just as opposed to the wiretapping
as progressive Democrats are as well. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-LA: HEALTH CARE NOT ONLY FOR
PRIVILEGED -
TOP
HUSSAM AYLOUSH, Orange County Register, 5/13/06
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/life/features/religion/article_1140803.php
[Ayloush is executive director of CAIR, the Council on American
Islamic Relations, Southern California.]
Q: How should people of faith respond to the growth in the number of
people without adequate health-care coverage?
A: Spiraling medical costs and a growing uninsured population require
that religious leaders join the health-care debate and offer a
solution.
Faced with ever-rising costs, more and more companies are dropping their
health insurance plans, depriving many families, children and the elderly
of much-needed medical care. Today, an astounding 46 million Americans
lack health insurance.
Islam teaches that God intends for us, human beings, to strive for our
societies to set rights and obligations for all people, protect the
public interest and promote justice and compassion.
Many of our laws are being drafted by interest groups and are
increasingly devoid of ethical and moral values. They tend to serve the
interests of some people and victimize others, usually the economically
and politically weak.
"Verily, God enjoins the doing of justice and compassion to
others." (Quran, 16:90)
Every person deserves medical care because God has decreed that every
life is sacred and every person has dignity. (MORE)
---
CAIR-FL: PEOPLE OF
VARIOUS FAITHS OBSERVE DAY OF PRAYER -
TOP
David Volz, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 5/12/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
People of many faiths came together in Davie, Plantation and Hollywood to
observe the National Day of Prayer.
"This is a great event where we celebrate the freedom we have in the
United States to be able to pray," Andy Fernandez, executive
director of Firewall Ministries in Davie, told about 400 people at the
Southwest Broward Christian Fellowship eighth annual Prayer Breakfast at
the Signature Grand.
The event featured a variety of Christian entertainment. A group from
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Davie sang God Bless the USA, and Jacob
Smitter, who directs the church's Praise Choir, sang We Remain.
Prayers were led by various church and community leaders, including
Pastor John Barham of New Horizon Methodist Church, Marilyn Luschen of
Intercessors International, Greg Savitt of Jews for Jesus, Pastor Dennis
DeCosta of Sheridan House Family Ministries, Angel Hamilton of the
Liberty Life Center, and Davie Mayor Tom Truex. The Rev. Rick Braswell,
chaplain for the Broward Sheriff's Office, offered a special prayer for
the military, police and fire departments.
"Prayer is what moves God's hand," said Linda Owen, executive
director of the Southwest Broward Christian Fellowship. "There is
power in unity. When we are on the same page, we can move mountains with
our faith."
In Plantation, about 230 people attended the Mayor's Interfaith Prayer
Breakfast at Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El, which was presented by the
Plantation Clergy Association and the Greater Plantation Chamber of
Commerce.
"We had a lot of singing and each house of worship in Plantation had
a part of the program," said Siobhan Edwards, president of the
Plantation Chamber of Commerce. "Each house of worship expressed
their personal philosophy through song and music."
Participants included: the Rev. Robert Deshaies of St. Benedict's
Episcopal Church, Plantation Mayor Rae Carole Armstrong, the Rev. David
Massey of Plantation Presbyterian, Edward Maline of Temple Kol Ami
Emanu-El, Cantor Sharon Hordes, Rabbi Andrew Jacobs of Ramat Shalom
Synagogue, the Rev. Edwin Nicklas of Our Savior Lutheran Church, and the
Rev. Robert Tenglin of Covenant Village.
Raid Khan of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations Florida offered a Prayer in Islam Through
Song. And a benediction was given by Monsignor Noel Fogarty of St.
Gregory the Great Catholic Church. (MORE)
---
FORMER CAIR-CAN CHAIR OFFERS CSIS
LECTURE ON POST-9/11 EXPERIENCE -
TOP
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 05/12/06) - The Canadian Security Intelligence Service
(CSIS) recently invited CAIR-CAN's former Chair, Dr. Sheema Khan, to give
a lecture to its personnel on the experience of Canadian Muslims after
9/11.
"I appreciated the opportunity to speak directly to CSIS members
about the concerns of Canadian Muslims and Arabs, while also discussing
ways in which can become partners in security. Canadian Muslims and Arabs
should be seen as part of the solution, not part of the problem,"
says Dr. Khan. "It is important for security services and citizens
to continue dialogue in order to forge a common front against
terrorism."
"Dr. Khan's thought-provoking presentation has helped Service
employees to better understand the perspective of Canada's diverse and
growing Muslim community regarding the world after 9-11," said John
Dunn, Director General of Communications for CSIS. "The cultural
landscape of Canada is changing rapidly. CSIS wants to build bridges with
all communities in this new Canada so it can better protect all our
citizens."
A copy of Dr. Khan's speech may be read at:
http://www.caircan.ca/downloads/Khan_Partners_in_Security.pdf
"Canadian Muslims care deeply about Canada's security and the
welfare of our fellow Canadians. The current initiatives in creating
dialogue are an important part of ensuring the safety of our
country," says Karl Nickner, CAIR-CAN's Executive Director.
Several of CAIR-CAN's board members also participate in other forums
aimed at providing cultural and spiritual literacy training, such as an
RCMP diversity advisory committee in Winnipeg as well as other social
planning and civic committees across the country. CAIR-CAN is also
participating in the RCMP's National Security Community Advisory
Committee in Ottawa, which brings together members of the RCMP, CSIS and
the Ottawa Muslim community to discuss issues of concern.
-----
ISLAM-OPED: A SENSIBLE WAY TO DESCRIBE
TERRORISTS -
TOP
ISLAM-OPED is a national syndication service of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designed to offer an American Muslim
perspective on current political, social and religious issues. ISLAM-OPED
commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each
market area. Permission for publication will be granted on a
first-come-first-served basis.
CONTACT:
ihooper@cair-net.org
TEL: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726 (c)
Please consider the following commentary for publication.
---
A SENSIBLE WAY TO DESCRIBE TERRORISTS
By Parvez Ahmed
WORD COUNT: 698
[Parvez Ahmed, Ph.D., is board chairman of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy group. He may be contacted at:
pahmed@cair-net.org. For a photo
of Parvez Ahmed, go to:
http://cair.com/default.asp?Page=Board&person=Parvez ]
The European Union (EU) will soon distribute new guidelines to its
25-member nations that recommend using "non-emotive lexicon for
discussing radicalization."
EU officials say that the guidelines, which are not legally binding, will
ask European governments to shun the phrase "Islamic terrorism"
in favor of "terrorists who abusively invoke Islam." Other
terms being considered by the review include "Islamist,"
"fundamentalist" and "jihad."
This first of its kind effort to separate terrorism from its perceived
roots is laudable. Associating the criminal enterprise of terrorism with
the faith of 1.4 billion Muslims, 99.99 percent of whom will never come
near any act of terrorism, much less use Islam as a justification for
their crimes, is just plain wrong.
Unfortunately, all too often "Islam" and "terrorism"
are juxtaposed in news reports and editorials. A word search on news
stories published in major newspapers over the past decade shows that
reporters are hundred times more likely to associate Islam with terrorism
or militancy than all other faiths combined. Such lopsided portrayal is
indicative of deep-seated misunderstandings about Islam, and sometimes
just plain prejudice. Surely all terrorists are not Muslim, neither are
all Muslims terrorists.
The 9-11 attacks brought home the horrors of a new form of suicidal
terrorism. In order to eradicate terrorism, it is important to explore
its root causes.
More and more scholarly writings are delving deeper into this issue
offering us new insights. Robert Pape's book "Dying to Win"
uses over two decades of data to show the paucity of connection between
suicide terrorism and any of the world religions. The pioneering
instigators and the largest purveyors of suicide terrorism are the Tamil
Tigers of Sri Lanka, a Marxist-Leninist group whose members are
overwhelmingly Hindu.
Diego Gambetta in "Making Sense of Suicide Missions" calls
suicide missions "the high-precision artillery of the militarily
challenged" yet they all have a strategic objective.
Pape writes, "From Lebanon to Israel to Sri Lanka to Kashmir to
Chechnya, the sponsors of every campaign have been terrorist groups
trying to establish or maintain political self determination by
compelling a democratic power to withdraw from a territory they
claim."
Occupation is the primary motivator and religion, at best, is an
"aggravating" factor. Considering this, the Iraq war has only
amplified the problem.
Today we all live in fear of terrorism. Equating terrorism with Islam
makes the mainstream Muslim community doubly vulnerable to both the
random acts of terror and the ensuing backlash. Muslims worldwide are the
primary victims of terror.
Governments in Muslim-majority nations, religious establishments and the
lay community have a vested interest in fighting back to isolate and
marginalize the terrorists.
Hidden from our headlines are on-going efforts to do just that.
Fatwas (Islamic edicts) condemning terrorism and dissociating Islam from
such barbarism have been issued worldwide, including in America. One of
the more successful efforts was conducted by Turkey against PKK (a
secular group) suicide campaigns, which were part of Kurdish aspirations
for an independent homeland.
Falsely associating Islam with terrorism weakens the efficacy of these
efforts by creating the impression that the global war on terror is
merely a euphemism for a war on Islam.
Terrorism is stateless and yet transnational. It will always require a
stern response. However, it will never be defeated through force alone.
It will have to be fought ideologically by attempting to win the hearts
and minds of those vulnerable to terrorist manipulations.
A recent policy brief by the Stanley Foundation states that Western
powers "should not focus on the religious and cultural divisions
between East and West when approaching this issue (of terrorism), as this
plays into the existing grievances of Arab and Muslim populations and
creates a sense of clash between civilizations, all of which hinder the
resolution of differences."
An attempt to institutionally dissociate Islam from terrorism is
imperative.
The EU seems to understand this crucial point. Will others follow their
lead or will they choose to remain entrapped in their simplistic and
counterproductive labels, which unfortunately spawn even more bizarre
terms such as 'Islamo-fascism,' or 'militant jihadism'?
Every religion has its own fair share of extremists who commit heinous
acts in the name of their faith. Why is Islam being unfairly singled
out?
-----
TX: MUSLIMS REACH OUT TO HELP THE NEEDY -
TOP
Dallas Morning News, 5/12/06
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/051306dnrelmuslimcharity.347d85c1.html
Dallas-area Muslims are gearing up for Islamic Charity Day from 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. next Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center,
2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Food, clothing, toys and hygiene items will be distributed to needy
families.
More than 40 volunteer doctors and nurses will be on hand to do health
screenings, including diabetes and cholesterol testing and blood pressure
checks.
For details, visit
www.dallasrelief.com.
SEE ALSO:
ME: BRUNSWICK JR. HIGH
STUDENTS GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM -
TOP
Rachel Ganong, Times Record, 5/12/06
http://www.timesrecord.com/website/main.nsf/news.nsf/0/1E04160AA5745FCF0525716C00563105?Opendocument
BRUNSWICK - Seventh-graders at Brunswick Junior High School saw their
textbooks spring to life Thursday when University of Southern Maine
professor Mahmud Faksh talked about the religion of Islam and the
importance of understanding it.
Social studies teacher Felicity Beede invited Faksh to supplement her
classes' annual study of the Byzantine and Muslim empires. After looking
for someone to give a firsthand account, Beede heard of Faksh from
another USM faculty member.
"I enjoy teaching this unit, but I think that Islam and Muslims are
often misunderstood by our culture, so hearing about Islam from an
expert, an 'insider,' is a powerfully positive thing for these students
and me," she said.
Faksh, originally from Aleppo, Syria, said he has been teaching in Maine
for more than 20 years - but he still hasn't traded his soft Arabic
accent for a rougher Maine one.
"We were all really hoping he would have a cool accent,"
Jacklynn Reynolds said afterwards.
While his accent doubtlessly caught his young audience's attention, the
content of his presentation held it during his hour-long presentation.
Faksh started by outlining Islam's historical relationship to three
monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
"All these are a sequence like a chain," he said, noting that
the three religions all had Abraham in common.
Despite Islam's well-known roots, Faksh said as recently as 30 years ago,
Westerners still pegged Islam as "an exotic" religion. But now,
he said, with 6 million adherents in the United States alone, Islam is
one of the fastest-growing religions worldwide.
"You will find some of your neighbors, if not now then in the
future, will be Muslim," he said. (MORE)
---
MI: NEW MOSQUE OPENS IN GRAND BLANC
TOWNSHIP -
TOP
Cathy Shafran, WJRT, 5/12/06
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=4167719
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP (WJRT) - (05/12/06)--There are new signs of growing
cultural diversity in Genesee County as the area's second Islamic mosque
is ready to open.
Genesee County has been the home of one mosque for some time near Corunna
and Morrish roads. But rapid growth in the Muslim community has now
created a need for a second mosque in the county.
The new Grand Blanc Islamic Center just about a half mile west of Genesys
Health Park on Baldwin Road is now complete.
And a week from Saturday the center will open its doors for an open house
to the entire community with a hope of dispelling any misconceptions
about mosques and the Islamic religion. (MORE)
-----
KASHMIRI-AMERICAN ADDRESSES RUSSIAN
CONFERENCE -
TOP
(St. Petersburg, Russia, May 12, 2006) - Dr. Ghulam-Nabi Fai, Executive
Director, Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center recently addressed the
14th Annual International Conference on Conflict Resolution (ICR) in St.
Petersburg, Russia. He spoke on the topic, "Peace Initiative in
South Asia: A Way Toward Resolution of Conflict of Kashmir." SEE:
http://www.kashmiri.com/
The conference was sponsored by the Common Bond Institute, USA and
Harmony Institute, Russia. These Institutes try to create an open
learning community, for deeply exploring core issues and for sharing
effective skills in conflict resolution. . .
Dr. Fai said that the Kashmir issue was simply this: the people of a
large territory which was not part of any existing sovereign state were
assured by the entire international community represented by the United
Nations that they would be given the right of self-determination to
decide their future by a free vote. Until now, that assurance has not
been honored.
He said that India and Pakistan have initiated a peace process, which was
a healthy development in the region of South Asia. However, the major
stumbling block in resolving the Kashmir conflict was the failure to
recognize Kashmiri Leadership as a legitimate partner in the peace
process. One cannot loose sight of the fact that the Kashmiris are the
ones who are most affected in the ongoing conflict. They are the ones who
are shouldering most of the casualties. Their basic human rights too need
to be taken into consideration and not just the establishment of peace in
the region. . .
Dr. Fai emphasized that any type of progress in Jammu and Kashmir would
entail demilitarization of the whole area. Demilitarization could start
with the most disturbed cities. It could then extend to small towns and
villages on both sides. Simultaneous assurances by all sides for peace
and tranquility in these areas would be the essential parameter for
complete demilitarization. To take the sting out of the dispute by
detaching moves towards demilitarization of the State from the rights,
claims or recognized positions of the three parties involved. In order to
do this, it might be necessary to make the demilitarization of the State
the first step towards the reduction of Indian and Pakistani forces on
their borders outside of Kashmir. It is after the peace-process is set
afoot that the rights and claims of the parties can be considered in a
non-violent atmosphere.
Dr. Fai can be reached at:
gnfai2003@yahoo.com
-----
AIPAC CASE DEFENSE CITES TREATY -
TOP
NATHAN GUTTMAN, Jerusalem Post, 5/14/06
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961338055&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Defense attorneys in the case of two former employees of the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) are taking a new approach in
attempts to get depositions from three Israeli diplomats referred to in
the indictment.
Defending Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, who are awaiting trial on
charges of communicating national defense information, the attorneys told
the court last week that the Legal Cooperation Treaty signed between
Israel and the US in the late 1990s, to help with criminal investigations
in both countries, can be used to take depositions from the three
diplomats, who are all in Israel.
Judge T.S. Ellis of the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, has
not yet ruled on the request to move forward with taking depositions from
the Israelis, and even if he does grant the motion, the court has no
authority to compel the Israelis to give depositions or to
testify.
Use of the Legal Cooperation Treaty by the defense is intended to counter
claims by the government that there would be no sense in allowing the
defense to enter depositions from the Israelis because they would not
agree to be deposed anyway.
The Israeli diplomats, mentioned in the indictment as "foreign
officials," served at the Israeli Embassy in Washington and
according to court documents were in touch with Rosen, Weissman and Larry
Franklin. The latter is the former Pentagon analyst who pleaded guilty to
passing on classified information regarding Iran and Iraq.
(MORE)
-----
INCITEMENT WATCH: THREATS ON INTERNET HATE SITE
-
TOP
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=20548#c0008
"The next time someone in a truckstop or a Starbucks or a
library or any public place says ANYTHING even resembling support for the
Muslim 'cause' WILL be sent to either the hospital or worse. . .just
waiting to bash someones face in. no more games."
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=20548#c0017
"Islam is evil and must be fought. The only language Muslim savages
understand is violence."
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
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To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/15/06
*
Hadith:
Every Act of
Goodness
*
CAIR-LA:
Entertainment
Night for Civil Rights
*
CAIR-San Diego:
More than
100 Turn Out for Lecture
-
CAIR-AZ:
Moussaoui Didn't
Represent Islam
-
CAIR-NY:
OIC
Secretary General Supports CAIR's Work
*
MI:
Discipline Sought for Prof Who Wrote Islamophobic E-Mail
*
CA: Iranian
Americans Finding Their Voice (SF Chronicle)
*
OH: Islamic Artists
to Be Discussed (Springfield News Sun)
-
WV:
Arab-American Speaks About Culture, Misconceptions
*
Photo May
Shift Old Spat From Academia to Court (NY Times)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY:
EVERY ACT OF GOODNESS -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Every act of
goodness is (a form of) charity."
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 496
-----
CAIR-LA:
ENTERTAINMENT NIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS -
TOP
(ANAHEIM, CA, 5/15/06) - On Saturday, May 20, the Southern California
office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) will honor
nine young Muslims for their outstanding contributions to the community
at the annual "Entertainment Night for Civil Rights." The
Muslim youths will be recognized for their work in civic, social and
religious activities.
Special recognition will also be given to the League of United Latin
American Citizens, Santa Ana Council President Zeke Hernandez for his
exceptional work in civil rights.
For the third year in a row, CAIR-LA asked the community to nominate
young people dedicated to improving the lives of people in their
communities. CAIR-LA then selected qualified individuals to be recognized
and will reward them with certificates and monetary awards, thanks to
generous donations of local business leaders.
The "Entertainment Night for Civil Rights" will feature comedy
from the popular Muslim group, "Allah Made Me Funny."
WHEN: Saturday, May 20, 6 to 10 p.m.
WHERE: The Heritage Forum, 201 E. Broadway Ave., Anaheim, CA
TICKETS: Remember to buy tickets early. Pre-sale tickets are $15, $20 at
the door, and $10 for children up to 10 years of age. Call 714-776-1847
to purchase tickets. (Note: No charge for media - please RSVP before the
event.)
CONTACT: Sabiha Khan, 714-776-1847 or 714-390-0334, e-mail:
socal@cair.com; Munira Syeda, 714-776-1847 or 626-422-9976, e-mail:
socal@cair.com
-----
MORE THAN
100 TURN OUT FOR CAIR-SAN DIEGO LECTURE -
TOP
(SAN DIEGO, CA, 5/15/06) - More than 100 people turned out on Friday for
a CAIR-San Diego lecture on "Correcting Misperceptions About
Islam" at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Presentations were offered by CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush
and CAIR-San Diego Director of Public Relations Edgar Hopida. The event
also featured a short video of some CAIR's activities and projects in
challenging misperceptions about Islam. Shaykh Taha Hassane, Imam of the
Islamic Center of San Diego, served as moderator for the event.
"We as a community need to be more proactive and serve as a source
of information about Islam for the public, media and elected
officials," says Hopida.
Omar Hassaine, president of the CAIR-San Diego Executive Committee was
also honored by the City of San Diego with an award for Excellence and
Community Service. The San Diego City Council proclaimed May 12th to be
Omar Hassaine Day because of his contributions to the Muslim Community
and the City of San Diego.
CONTACT: Edgar D. Hopida, Director of Public Relations at CAIR-San Diego,
619-913-0719
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-AZ:
MOUSSAOUI DIDN'T REPRESENT ISLAM - TOP
Mohamed El-Sharkawy, Tuscon Citizen, 5/15/06
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/opinion/12377
Regarding the sentencing of Zacarias Moussaoui: For the sake of the
families of the 9/11 victims, we are glad this sad chapter of this trial
is finally closed.
I can't imagine how painful it must have been for them to watch Moussaoui
making a mockery of their tragedy.
Although not all jurors were convinced that Moussaoui had a significant
part in the attacks (despite his boastful claims that he did), he is
certainly guilty of extremism, insensitivity toward the victims and their
families, and he may be mentally incompetent.
As an American Muslim, I would like to reiterate that Moussaoui stood in
court as Moussaoui, the deranged fanatic. He was never a representative
of Muslims or Islam.
If anything, he represented the very opposite of what Islam
teaches.
[Mohamed El-Sharkawy is the Arizona chairman of the Phoenix chapter of
the Council on American Islamic Relations]
---
CAIR-NY: OIC SECRETARY GENERAL SUPPORTS CAIR'S WORK -
TOP
Excerpts from a statement by OIC Secretary General Prof Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu presented at CAIR-NY's annual dinner on May 13, 2006.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
It is with immense pleasure that I am sending this message to the New
York chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) on the
occasion of its annual banquet of 2006.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound appreciation
for the commendable work being done by CAIR, an organization that has had
many successes towards assisting Muslims in the United States to seek
justice and mutual understanding. Since its inception, CAIR has earned
the admiration through its activities for social justice, dialogue with
the authorities and its deep commitment to human rights.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Muslim World today stands at a historic and critical juncture, amidst
global changes and challenges with immense repercussions for its future.
The rapid international developments that are reshaping the international
order oblige Muslims and their States to redefine their visions and
actions and design a political, economic and cultural agenda, which would
engage the Muslim States and their societies proactively.
As you know, the Organization of the Islamic Conference is one of the
leading intergovernmental organizations with a membership of 57 sovereign
states. By its Charter, the OIC is mandated to promote solidarity and
cooperation in the political, social, economic, cultural and scientific
spheres among its members. The OIC is also required to create a suitable
atmosphere for the promotion of cooperation and understanding among its
Member States and other countries. Protecting the rights of Muslim
minorities around the world is yet another important task ingrained in
the Charter of the OIC.
On its part, the Organization of Islamic Conference, is leading a massive
effort, a leap forward to disseminate messages of moderation,
modernization and development in the Muslim World and dialogue with the
West, in total rejection of poverty, diseases, backwardness, extremism,
violence and intolerance. The OIC Ten Year Program of Action adopted by
the Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in Makkah last December has
constituted the blueprint of the progressive and proactive joint action
to face up the challenges of the 21st century. . .
We are also happy to note that CAIR has been playing a leading role in
promoting interfaith and intercultural understanding within the
communities in the United States. CAIR's national and regional offices
have often created opportunities to interact with and learn from members
of other faiths. I greatly appreciate CAIR's participation in activities
where people of different faiths literally work together for the common
good by uniting to accomplish social service projects. CAIR's New York
office has recently been a part of important efforts to involve
interfaith NGO's in the UN's initiative on Alliance of Civilizations in
cooperation with the OIC's Permanent Observer Mission to the United
Nations. . .
In conclusion, I would like to felicitate CAIR-NY for holding this
important annual event. It is commendable that even though CAIR-NY is a
regional branch of the Council on American Islamic Relations, it has a
strong international component to its work. Its interactions with the
national and international opinion and decision makers on issues
affecting Muslims in the West are particularly commendable. I sincerely
wish CAIR and CAIR-NY success in achieving the noble objectives.
-----
ENGINEERING GROUP WANTS UNIVERSITY TO DISCIPLINE PROFESSOR -
TOP
Laura Misjak, The State News, 5/15/06
http://statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=36173
Weeks after a derogatory e-mail from an MSU professor to the Muslim
Students' Association was made public, student groups are still rallying
for a public reprimand from the university.
Mechanical engineering professor Indrek Wichman wrote an e-mail on Feb.
28, using his university account, in response to the students' protests
of the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
In the e-mail, Wichman wrote, "If you do not like the values of the
West. . .you are free to leave.
"I counsul you dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and uncivilized
slave-trading Moslems to be very aware of this as you proceed with your
infantile 'protests.'"
The association called for a public admonishment of the professor's
actions by the university. The group's newly elected president, Maryam
Khalil, said it didn't get the response it wanted from the university
when it first met with administration officials.
"So we went public with it," Khalil said. "To see if they
were still going to budge a little bit more for the public
reprimand."
So far, the university has responded by saying that Wichman's opinions
are his alone and do not fall into the university's harassment policies.
The university has also acknowledged Wichman's freedom of speech rights.
(MORE)
-----
IRANIAN AMERICANS
ARE FINDING THEIR VOICE -
TOP
Tense U.S.-Iran relations motivate many
Matthai Chakko Kuruvila, San Francisco Chronicle, 5/15/06
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/15/BAGS8IRUAU1.DTL
When President Bush visited Silicon Valley last month, he was greeted by
protesters, including many Iranian Americans urging the administration to
pursue a peaceful path toward their former homeland.
On the same day, Bush met with a group of academics, including Professor
Abbas Milani, an Iranian exile and co-director of the Iran Democracy
Project at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
In one day, Bush's interactions with local Iranian Americans spanned the
frustrations and hopes of many struggling to create a political identity
as U.S.-Iran tensions over Iran's nuclear program escalate
Many Iranian Americans say they remain political outsiders. They blame
their lack of clout to their own politically shy sensibilities, formed as
emigrants from a repressive land. But there are signs of change.
Some Iranian Americans in the Bay Area are running for office. Susan
Irene Etezadi is campaigning to be a San Mateo County Superior Court
Judge. San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is also Iranian American.
Others have set up a political action committee, and there's a national
group trying to get Iranian Americans more involved by teaching them to
write letters to the editor and registering them to vote.
"We are witnessing the beginning of an awakening," said Milani.
"It has come after a belated recognition that the community's
economic, scientific and scholarly success has not yet translated in any
way to a commensurate political influence."
Most of the roughly 1 million Iranian Americans in the United States are
refugees from the 1979 Iranian revolution. It transformed their homeland
from a monarchist dictatorship to an Islamic theocracy.
But the growing tension has triggered fear among Iranian Americans that
their apathy has left them unequipped to handle a situation in which
global tensions focus on the two countries most dear to them.
(MORE)
-----
ISLAMIC ARTISTS TO BE
DISCUSSED -
TOP
Program planned for Thursday at the library is part of Global Education
Speakers Series.
Springfield News Sun, 5/15/06
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/05/15/sns0515speakerseries.html
Islamic artists will be the topic for a presentation at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday at the Gaier Room of the Clark County Public Library, 201 S.
Fountain Ave.
Dr. Akber Mohammed, a local cardiologist, will present a program
highlighting Islamic artists and their work in music, poetry and
calligraphy. Mohammed writes poetry, speaks seven languages and enjoys
the art of calligraphy.
This program is sponsored by the Global Education and Peace Network and
the Clark County Public Library. The theme of this year's Global
Education Speakers Series is "Global Art Traditions."
(MORE)
---
ARAB-AMERICAN SPEAKS ABOUT CULTURE, MISCONCEPTIONS -
TOP
Bob Withers, The Herald-Dispatch, 5/15/06
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060515/NEWS03/605150329/1001/NEWS
HUNTINGTON -- Did you know many Arabs are not olive-skinned? Or that only
20 percent of Arab-Americans are Muslims? Do negative images come to mind
when you hear the word "Arab?"
Regarding religion, Shora said Muslims consider themselves "the
third chapter of a three-chapter book," the first two chapters being
Judaism and Christianity. And, he adds, Muslims believe in Moses, Jesus
and the Immaculate Conception.
"The Virgin Mary is mentioned more in the Koran than in the
Bible," he said. "People are usually shocked to find that
out."
Steve Hensley, Marshall's dean of student affairs, said the seminar was
primarily for Marshall faculty and staff.
"This was for people who interact with foreign students
regularly," he said. "Often, it's in situations that are
difficult, such as payment of bills and registration."
Shora explained that the Arabic word "jihad" means
"struggle," not "holy war," but the word has been
hijacked by terrorists groups to justify attacking innocent civilians.
"Lesser jihad" or "defensive jihad" refers to a
military stand against the enemies of religion, but is meant to be a call
to arms if the religion is under attack and threatened with
annihilation.
"The last true lesser or defensive jihad I can think of would be in
the 12th century, with Saladin battling the Crusaders," he
said.
Appearances and the Americanization of names mean that many more people
in the United States are Arab than you might think.
Sally Tweel, wife of the late owner of Jim's Steak & Spaghetti House
and a friend of the Shora family who attended the seminar, knows about
that -- and revealed that it was her biology teacher in junior or senior
high school in Beckley, W.Va., who Americanized "Salwa," her
first name.
"He couldn't remember it," said Tweel, a Welch, W.Va., native
of Lebanese descent. "He asked me if I minded if he called me
'Sally.' "
Shora, 29, who graduated from Marshall University in 1997 and the West
Virginia University College of Law in 2001, is founder and CEO of Shora
Arab, Muslim, Sikh Training & Development LLC, an Alexandria, Va.,
consulting firm. His father is chief of the gastroenterology section of
Marshall's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.
-----
PHOTO MAY
SHIFT OLD SPAT FROM ACADEMIA TO COURT -
TOP
Sara Ivry, New York Times, 5/15/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/15/business/media/15horowitz.html
When David Horowitz, the editor in chief of the conservative online
journal FrontPage, published the pamphlet ''Campus Support for
Terrorism'' last year, he put a photograph of Joel Beinin, a professor of
Middle East history at Stanford, on the cover. The move effectively
relocated an ideological battle between Mr. Horowitz and Mr. Beinin, who
has criticized the war in Iraq, from the pages of newspapers and
magazines to the courtroom.
In March, Mr. Beinin filed a complaint charging copyright infringement
against Mr. Horowitz and the Center for the Study of Popular Culture,
which Mr. Horowitz founded and heads. He said an earlier request faxed to
Mr. Horowitz to take his likeness off the pamphlet had been ignored,
leaving him no recourse but legal action. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/16/06
*
Hadith: Beware
of Suspicion
-
Verse:
Suspicion Can be a
Sin
*
Action:
Urge Elected Officials to Probe NSA Surveillance
*
CAIR-LA:
FBI Asked to Release Data on CA Muslims (AP)
-
ACLU
Seeks FBI Surveillance Data (LA Times)
-
ACLU
Seeks FBI Records on Monitoring (OC Reg)
-
Monitoring Worries
Muslims (Press-Enterprise)
*
CAIR-CAN:
Security Probes Affected by Ethnicity
-
CAIR-OH:
FDA
Should Regulate Use of Tobacco
-
C
AIR-FL: Man to
be Tried Despite Delusions (SP Times)
*
NY:
Don't See Terrorism in
Sikh Turbans (Newsday)
-
AL: Plan to Turn
Church into Mosque Ok'd
*
CO: Muslim Mom Shows
Her Funny Side (Denver Post)
-
CA: Bruin Cafe
to Add Kosher and Halal Meals
-
DE:
Women Police
Officers Learn About Islam
*
Critic
of Islam to Quit Holland After Lies Exposed
*
US Warns Israel Not to
Request Funds (Jerusalem Post)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY:
BEWARE OF SUSPICION -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Beware of suspicion
(about others), as suspicion is the most untrue speech. Do not spy on
each other and do not listen to (evil talk) about others'
affairs."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 74
VERSE OF THE DAY:
SUSPICION CAN BE A SIN -
TOP
"Avoid immoderate suspicion, for in some cases suspicion is a sin.
Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another."
The Holy Quran, 49:12
-----
ACTION: URGE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO PROBE NSA SURVEILLANCE, APPOINT
SPECIAL COUNSEL -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, DC, 5/16/06) - CAIR today joined a broad coalition* of
groups in calling on American Muslims and other people of conscience to
urge their elected officials to demand a full, public investigation of
the National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance program and the
appointment of a special counsel to probe possible legal
violations.
The phone records monitoring program, reportedly authorized by the
president shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks, permits the NSA to
bypass a secret court set up to provide warrants for such
surveillance.
The coalition is asking Congress to reject draft legislation that would
give the executive branch new surveillance powers that are immune to
oversight.
Last week, CAIR called for the appointment of a special counsel to
investigate revelations that the NSA has built a giant database of
Americans' phone records.
SEE: CAIR Calls for Special Counsel on NSA Phone Data Spy Program
http://www.cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=2144&theType=NR
CAIR is also part of a legal challenge to the domestic wiretapping
program:
SEE: CAIR Joins Legal Challenge to NSA Eavesdropping
http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=1948&theType=NR
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (As always, please be POLITE.)
1) CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS and ask them to ensure that there is an
immediate and unrestricted investigation by a special prosecutor into the
NSA surveillance program, including a probe into the massive database of
American phone calls.
GO TO:
http://capwiz.com/cair/issues/alert/?alertid=8769261&type=CO
2) PUT YOUR CELL PHONE TO GOOD USE. Call all of your friends and family
members and ensure that they contact their elected officials. Act as a
facilitator. You can enter their zip code into our website at
http://capwiz.com/cair/dbq/officials/ and get the names and contact
information of their Senators.
*Organizations supporting the call-in day (partial list) include the
Alliance for Justice, American Civil Liberties Union, Bill of Rights
Defense Committee, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Electronic
Privacy Information Center, First Amendment Foundation, Friends Committee
on National Legislation, National Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers, National Coalition Against Oppressive Legislation, National
Lawyers Guild, People For the American Way, and Unitarian Universalist
Association of Congregations.
CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey P. Saylor
Phone: 202-488-8787 x3221
Cell: 571-278-4658
E-mail:
csaylor@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-LA: ACLU ASKS FBI TO RELEASE DOCUMENTS ON SOCAL MUSLIMS -
TOP
ASSOCIATED PRESS, 5/16/06
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20060516-0503-ca-fbi-muslims.html
LOS ANGELES - Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union have asked
the FBI to reveal any post-Sept. 11 surveillance of Southern California
Muslims.
The ACLU made the request for documents Monday, after Islamic leaders
said the FBI gave them little information when they alleged that
investigators had been monitoring local Muslims and mosques.
Using the Freedom of Information Act, the ACLU filed the request on
behalf of six Islamic organizations, including the Council on
American-Islamic Relations and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern
California, along with several individual Muslims. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
ON
BEHALF OF MUSLIMS, ACLU SEEKS FBI SURVEILLANCE DATA -
TOP
H.G. Reza, Los Angeles Times, 5/16/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-aclu16may16,1,4800547.story
Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union asked the FBI on Monday
to release documents detailing any post-Sept. 11 surveillance of Southern
California mosques and Muslims.
Local Islamic leaders said they enlisted the ACLU's help after the FBI
provided little information in response to their allegations that the
agency was monitoring them and their places of worship. They say some
Muslims are afraid to go to mosques because they fear government
monitoring
Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern
California, said numerous Muslims reported being questioned by the FBI
about their religious practices and sermons given during prayer
services.
The ACLU filed the request under the federal Freedom of Information Act
on behalf of individual Muslims and six Islamic groups, including the
Shura Council, an Anaheim-based federation of more than 60 mosques, and
the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group
whose Southern California chapter is also in Anaheim. (MORE)
---
ACLU
SEEKS FBI RECORDS ON MONITORING OF ISLAMIC GROUPS -
TOP
Ann Pepper, Orange County Register, 5/16/06
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/atoz/article_1142850.php
Six groups, including the Anaheim-based Council on American Islamic
Relations in Southern California, filed a Freedom of Information Act
request Monday asking about suspected law enforcement monitoring of
Islamic religious institutions.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed the
request on behalf of CAIR, the Islamic Shura Council of Southern
California, area mosques and six leaders in the Muslim community. Four
from Orange County include: Muzammil Siddiqi, imam of the Islamic Society
of Orange County in Garden Grove; Hussam Ayloush, executive director at
CAIR; Sabiha Khan, CAIR spokeswoman; and Shakeel Syed, executive director
of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California.
The federal government has 20 days to respond to the public-records
request, which seeks to learn whether area mosques and community leaders
are being monitored and, if so, why, said Ranjana Natarajan, the attorney
handling the matter.
The Freedom of Information Act, which outlines request procedures, was
enacted by Congress in 1966 to give the public greater access to the
federal government's records. Natarajan said the ACLU decided to request
FBI records after working with the Muslim community and conducting
"know your rights" presentations at mosques.
Natarajan said worshippers at mosques have been asked what their imam is
preaching, where they go and what they do on pilgrimages to Mecca, and
for details about religious practices.
"People are asking me if it is safe to worship. People began to
worry that maybe there is something wrong with going to the mosque,"
Natarajan said. "So they need to know, is there monitoring going on
and, if so, why? If there is monitoring, can we assure people it is not
just their religion that is being targeted, that there are other
reasons?"
CAIR wanted the records request filed on the belief that no person or
organization should be monitored because of peaceful religious practice,
Khan said. There must be a legitimate probable suspicion of illegal
activity, she said.
"Also, based on the history of innocent people who have gotten into
trouble due to incompetence, human error or even untruthful informants,
it is necessary to insist on transparency from our government," Khan
said. "This is our right as Americans."
She pointed to American lawyer Brandon Mayfield, 37, a convert to Islam
who was mistakenly arrested in 2004 in connection with terrorist train
bombings in Spain. The case was dismissed, and the FBI later
apologized.
---
CAIR-LA: MONITORING
WORRIES MUSLIMS -
TOP
Bettye Wells Miller, Press-Enterprise, 5/15/06
http://www.pe.com/localnews/corona/stories/PE_News_Local_D_foia16.12cc6e73.html
Muslim leaders from the Inland area and elsewhere in Southern California
filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FBI on Monday seeking
information about government monitoring of local Muslims and
mosques.
The request, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in Los Angeles
and Washington, was not prompted by a specific incident, said Shakeel
Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern
California, an organization of mosques.
However, a number of Muslims in the past three years -- including a
Riverside man -- have been detained or questioned by local law
enforcement or immigration officials, adding to the community's sense of
unease, Syed said.
"We suspect that phones have been tapped, but none of us know,"
Syed said.
J. Stephen Tidwell, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles field
office, said the agency will address the request. He said in an e-mail to
the Press-Enterprise that the FBI "does not investigate anyone based
on their lawful activities, religious or political
beliefs."
Federal law requires an agency to respond to Freedom of Information Act
requests within 20 business days.
Corona resident Hussam Ayloush, who is one of those seeking information
about government monitoring of himself, said he and his family have been
interrogated at the border when returning from vacations in Canada and
Mexico. Ayloush is executive director of the Southern California chapter
of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
Ayloush said the questions suggested he was suspected of links to
terrorism or the interrogators had incorrect information about him and
his family. He said his wife was asked where they met, if she had been a
Muslim before they met and why they had married.
"I think every American, Muslim or otherwise, should request full
transparency and accountability from their government and nothing
less," Ayloush said. "It's the only way to prevent abuse of
power."
The government reported in 2004 that more than 5,000 immigrants, all of
them Arabs or Muslims, had been detained, but did not say how many
remained in custody. Muslim activists have said about one-third were
deported for immigration violations. The status of the others remains
unclear.
Most complaints of area Muslims to the Council on American Islamic
Relations about government abuses involve homeland security or
immigration officials, not the FBI, Ayloush said
"The FBI has been much more receptive to our concerns and has
responded to some things," he said. "DHS and customs
enforcement act as if they don't owe any accountability."
(MORE)
-----
CANADIANS SUSPECT CSIS INVESTIGATIONS AFFECTED BY ETHNICITY -
TOP
James Gordon, Ottawa Citizen, 5/16/06
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=ce279d5d-c7ae-4a10-a198-694327cc7cd0&k=95549
OTTAWA - A majority of Canadians believe the country's spy service might
treat citizens differently because of their ethnicity, an internal poll
has found.
The survey conducted for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
(CSIS) by Ekos Research Associates last October found 52 per cent of
people interviewed thought race could affect how the agency interacts
with people.
That finding, which appears under the headline "concerns" in a
summary of survey results, comes amid sustained accusations by Canadian
Muslims that the service engages in racial profiling.
CSIS spokeswoman Barbara Campion denied CSIS engages in racial profiling,
suggesting in an interview Monday that people shouldn't read too much
into the results, given the vague wording of the question.
"The term 'differently' wasn't defined very clearly during the
polling, so it's difficult to draw a definite conclusion from that
result," she argued.
"We target individuals based on their activities, not at all based
on anything else.''
She confirmed it is still a concern for the agency, however.
"CSIS is aware that it needs to do some work with respect to
building bridges and forging strong relationships, especially with the
Muslim community in this country," she said, noting the service
regularly attends meetings with various ethno-cultural groups across
Canada to provide information and dispel "misconceptions" about
what CSIS does. . .
Last summer, the
Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR-CAN) released a study claiming both CSIS and the RCMP regularly
intimidate and threaten community members in their hunt for
terrorists.
CAIR-CAN spokeswoman Halima Mautbur said there hasn't been much
improvement since.
"Unfortunately, we still continue to receive complaints about CSIS,
and I think the perception within the community is still largely the
same," she said Monday.
Mautbur added while CSIS has been participating in some community
meetings, the outreach efforts lag behind those of the RCMP.
"It just hasn't resulted in anything yet" beyond a stated
willingness to improve relations, she said. (MORE)
ALSO SEE:
CAIR-OH: FDA SHOULD REGULATE USE OF TOBACCO, LEADERS SAY -
TOP
James Nash, Columbus Dispatch, 5/16/06
http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/16/20060516-E4-01.html
Rabbi Harold Berman, of Congregation Tifereth Israel, is joined by
several other area religious leaders in speaking out in favor of Food and
Drug Administration regulation of tobacco products.
Saying the federal government has a moral responsibility to keep
cigarettes out of the hands of children, a coalition of central Ohio
religious leaders launched a campaign yesterday to pressure lawmakers to
put the Food and Drug Administration in charge of tobacco
regulations.
The campaign moved from Texas to Ohio in February after Rep. John
Boehner, R-West Chester, replaced Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, as House
majority leader.
DeLay had stymied efforts to bring tobacco products under FDA regulation.
Tobacco products have been largely free of federal regulation since a
U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2000 that stripped the FDA of oversight, and
DeLay blocked legislation that would have restored that role.
FDA regulation would limit cigarette manufacturers' ability to advertise,
could restrict the additives that make cigarettes more addictive and
could ban cigarettelike candies that are marketed to children.
It also would add to the cost of cigarettes, although the national
organization Faith United Against Tobacco says it would amount to pennies
per pack.
The group held a news conference yesterday at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church
in Columbus to announce a petition drive and letter-writing campaign to
persuade Boehner and other lawmakers to support legislation making
tobacco products an FDA responsibility.
"As people of faith and as community leaders, we are here today
to say, 'Enough is enough,' " said Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin, president
of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
"This means standing up against an unregulated tobacco industry
that markets candy flavored products that look like cigarettes to
children." (MORE)
---
CAIR-FL: MAN TO BE
TRIED ON USF THREAT -
TOP
Justin George, St Petersburg Times, 5/16/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/16/Hillsborough/Man_to_be_tried_on_US.shtml
TAMPA - Nabil Mouad did not tell a psychiatrist that he believes there is
a princess of the United States or that Jay Leno once spoke to him
through the television.
These are things he still believes, said his advocate Ahmed Bedier, who
spoke to him over a jail phone recently. Despite that, a tie-breaking
psychiatrist ruled him competent to stand trial after two doctors split
on assessments.
But the same doctor also said that there was basis for Mouad to use the
insanity defense, which his public defender told a judge Monday he will
do. A trial date was set for July 17.
Mouad, 20, is accused of threatening to blow up University of South
Florida soccer coach George Kiefer after he denied Mouad a team tryout.
The coach told him he needed to attend the school first. Medical records
show Mouad suffers from schizophrenia, and he said he was off his
medication on Feb. 6 when the confrontation took place. He denies making
the threats.
He is a Moroccan immigrant with an expired visa who is being held in a
Hillsborough County jail without bail, charged with threatening to
discharge a destructive device and assault on a specified official or
employee.
Friends hope to hire him a private lawyer before trial.
"We'll pray for him that justice is served," friend Mustapha
Lahrach said.
"The best scenario we're hoping for is he's treated in some kind of
institution," said Bedier, director of the Tampa branch of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations. "A mental institution is the
best way to go."
Bedier, acting as Mouad's advocate, said he recently quizzed him on
whether he told the psychiatrist about some tall tales he has shared
before. (MORE)
-----
VIGILANCE GOES TOO FAR -
TOP
Newsday, 5/16/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpsik164743477may16,0,7966612.story
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," said Thomas
Jefferson. But the price of eternal vigilance in the post-9/11 era,
sadly, seems destined to include too many painful cases of innocent
people being suspected of terrorism. The latest example was a Sikh man
who fell under suspicion last week, simply because he discarded trash at
a community center, while wearing the turban that his religious belief
dictates.
The story is not without its complications, but the simple truth at its
core is this: The man regularly uses the exercise facilities at a Jewish
community center in Plainview, and he has also taken wedding photographs
there. But a woman saw him drop trash into a can on his way into the
building, and she asked a security guard to check for a bomb. To his
credit, the guard refused, because he knows the man. The guard says his
refusal cost him his job. His bosses say no.
This cautionary tale offers proof that vigilance can too easily descend
into something like profiling. No one should make assumptions about
Muslims and terror. That's unfair. But suspicions of Sikhs are just as
indefensible. In India, Muslims and Sikhs were once rivals, but now live
in peace. Still, they're not the same. So, for a Sikh to be suspected of
terrorism, because some Muslim foes of the United States (such as the
ayatollahs in Iran or Osama bin Laden) also wear turbans, is doubly
unfair. Yet it keeps happening. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
PLAN TO TURN CHURCH
INTO MOSQUE OK'D -
TOP
Dawn Kent, Birmingham News, 5/16/06
http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1147771286318670.xml?birminghamnews?nmet&coll=2
The Hoover City Council voted 6-1 to approve the Birmingham Islamic
Society's plans to turn a church into a mosque and family life center
during a Monday meeting that at times sounded like a referendum on the
religion.
The society has a contract to buy a church on Hackberry Lane from Point
of Grace Ministries. Plans call for renovations to the existing building
for a mosque, and eventually, the construction of a family life
center.
Residents have opposed the plans, citing traffic concerns, but on Monday,
Loyd Brannon criticized Islam, saying it is murdering, kidnapping and
enslaving Christians, and it has not made a lot of apology for the 9-11
terrorist attacks.
"Islam has a very bad international reputation at the present
time," he said, adding that the purpose of Islam is to turn the
world into an Islamic community. "We're allowing an organization
with a worldwide terrorist reputation to establish a beachhead in this
community."
But other residents supported the society's plans, saying the group will
be a good neighbor.
"If this were a Baptist or a Methodist church, nobody would
object," said resident Marian Lowry.
The majority of residents who opposed the plans said they are concerned
about extra traffic on the winding Hackberry Lane, not the religion that
would occupy the church.
They said they are afraid the mosque may grow into a megachurch that
would overwhelm their community.
Society officials said they have no plans to expand beyond the existing
6.5-acre site. The move is being driven by a plan to free up space for a
school at the organization's Homewood campus, and not an effort to draw
all Muslims to Hoover.
-----
METRO MOM SHOWS HER FUNNY
SIDE -
TOP
Al Lewis, Denver Post, 5/14/06
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_3818144
Rubi Nicholas works long hours as an assistant vice president at a health
care insurance carrier in Denver. At 36, she has two young daughters, a
husband, a house in Castle Rock and dreams of becoming a
comedian.
She's a Muslim of Pakistani descent who married a Greek Orthodox man. Her
husband converted to Islam, and became a stay-at-home dad so she could
get her MBA and become a corporate executive.
Now she's writing and performing jokes about her life as a working mom
and Muslim. Last week, she won Nick at Nite's Search for the Funniest Mom
in America 2, a TV competition that resembles an "American
Idol" for comedians.
Today, she will host a special night of programming from 7 to 10 p.m. on
Nick at Nite, which is piped into 88 million homes. And she will soon
develop a comedic TV pilot about her life.
"Growing up as a Muslim and a Pakistani, it's just not something you
do," she said. "It's very inappropriate behavior for a young
lady, clowning around and goofing off." Nicholas runs her jokes by
an imam, or cleric, out of respect for her family, culture and
traditions. But her humor isn't without its edge.
"It's strange being a Muslim family in an all-white suburb,"
jokes Nicholas, who moved to Colorado from Pennsylvania three years ago.
"Every time my daughter leaves her Barbie Jeep in someone's
driveway, they call the bomb squad."
Nicholas hopes to offer Americans a lighter perspective on the Muslims
living in their midst. But in a world where some Muslims protest
editorial cartoons, she knows she's taking a risk. "I'm waiting for
the fatwa papers to come through my door any day now," she
laughs.
Nicholas grew up near Philadelphia, the daughter of practical immigrant
parents who taught her that artistic pursuits are hobbies, not ways to
make money.
Her father, she jokes, is "the Pakistani MacGyver. Give him a paper
clip, some cardboard and gum, and he can make anything." Her mom,
she said, remains technologically challenged: "She prints out
e-mails and then faxes them to people." (MORE)
ALSO SEE:
BRUIN CAFE TO ADD
KOSHER AND HALAL MEALS -
TOP
Eric Duncan, Daily Bruin, 5/16/06
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=37203
Bruin Cafe plans to offer kosher and halal sandwiches and salads starting
within the next week, providing more diet-specific dining options for
students on the Hill.
Associate Director of Dining Services Connie Foster and members of the
Jewish Student Union and the Muslim Student Association agreed upon the
inclusion of kosher Chinese chicken salads, turkey onion roll sandwiches
and turkey pastrami sandwiches on rye. The foods will be available for a
meal-plan swipe plus an additional charge of $1 to $2, depending on the
item.
The meals will come with a fountain drink and possibly fruit as a side,
though the side-dish details have not been decided.
Catering company Got Kosher? will be providing these options. The company
has also been providing kosher sandwiches at the Cooperage and the
Bombshelter, two on-campus eateries, for the past two years.
Jewish and Muslim student groups expressed excitement about the inclusion
of these foods, calling it an initial victory toward their longer-term
goal.
"The Jewish and Muslim communities are thrilled at this news,"
said Ariel Hecht, JSU advocacy chairman, in a May 3 press
release.
But Hecht also said "these sandwiches are ... simply the first stage
in the ultimate goal of having kosher and halal meat in every residential
dining facility."
MSA President Aliya Hussaini said she was also excited about Bruin Cafe's
new kosher and halal food options.
"It is something that our community is in need of," Hussaini
said. (MORE)
---
WOMEN
POLICE OFFICERS LEARN ABOUT ISLAMIC CULTURE -
TOP
Jim Westhoff, Cape Gazette, 5/16/06
http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/0506/policemuslim051206.html
It's going to be a different type of convention when one of the door
prizes is a handgun.
The 20th annual conference of Mid-Atlantic Association of Women in Law
Enforcement met in Rehoboth Beach, Sunday, April 30, to Thursday, May 4,
at the Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center.
The officers learned about everything from media relations to surviving
captivity.
At a lunch program on Tuesday, Sarah Elshazly, a division chief in the
New Jersey Attorney General's Office, gave some insight into her culture
and religion to about 200 law enforcement officers in an effort to
promote better communication with Muslims.
Elshazly said if officers come to a Muslim's home, the Muslim will try to
feed them. "You have to say yes," she said. "If you say
no, it is a great insult - you are telling them that you don't think they
are clean enough or that they are not a good cook."
Consequently, officers should be suspicious if they enter a Muslim's home
and they are not offered food. "All Muslims cook, even the men, so
if there is not the smell of cooking and spices, that house is probably
not being used a residence," she said.
Muslims work very hard at politeness, so they may say yes to a police
officer if they feel that the officer wants a yes answer, she
said.
"You may be lied to if you ask a yes or no question. So, always ask
open-ended questions. Then be patient because Muslims love to talk, but
they will eventually get around to the answer you were looking for,"
she said.
She also said that unlike in Western culture, when police expect that
honest people will look them straight in the eye, most Muslims believe it
is impolite to look at an authority figure in the eyes. (MORE)
-----
CRITIC OF ISLAM TO QUIT HOLLAND AFTER LIES ARE EXPOSED -
TOP
David Rennie, Telegraph, 5/16/06
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/16/wneth16.xml
Holland's most strident critic of Islam, the Somali-born MP Ayaan Hirsi
Ali, is today expected to announce she is quitting politics and moving to
America, amid allegations that she lied to gain asylum.
Miss Hirsi Ali faces penalties up to and including the potential loss of
her Dutch citizenship, after a leading member of her own political party,
the VVD, pledged a formal investigation of her actions.
The Dutch immigration minister, Rita Verdonk, who is running for the
parliamentary leadership of the VVD, said she would order a probe of her
colleague's case, saying: "Laws and rules are valid for
everyone".
Miss Hirsi Ali, 36, lives under constant police guard, after receiving
death threats for her criticisms of the treatment of women in Islam (her
own religion), a stance that won her many fans in Europe and
America.
A film she scripted about abuse of women, Submission, led to the brutal
murder of its director, Theo van Gogh, in 2004, by a Muslim
extremist.
The MP has in fact long admitted lying to the Dutch authorities in 1992
about her name, her age, and the fact that she did not flee directly to
Holland from Somalia.
She presented those omissions as necessary lies to obtain refugee status.
Asylum seekers are expected to seek shelter in the first safe country
they come to, and she would have been automatically deported if she had
owned up to spending more than a decade outside Somalia, in Ethiopia,
Saudi Arabia, Kenya and, briefly, Germany.
She obtained Dutch citizenship in 1997, and was elected to parliament in
2003.
However, the controversy has been stoked by a television documentary last
week, which showed members of her own family striking at the very heart
of her dramatic life story - her claim that she fled a forced marriage to
a cousin she had never met.
Relatives, including her brother, said she had not been forced into
marriage, and had nothing to fear. The documentary showed images of her
family's comfortable middle-class home in Kenya.
Miss Hirsi Ali, who cut short a book tour in America to return to Holland
and address the media storm, is expected to announce she is moving to
Washington DC, to take up a post at the neo-conservative think-tank, the
American Enterprise Institute, the newspaper De Volkskrant reported.
(MORE)
-----
US WARNS ISRAEL NOT TO
REQUEST FUNDS -
TOP
Etgar Lefkovits, Jerusalem Post, 5/16/06
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961353302&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
A day after US National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said President
George Bush will not discuss the details of the convergence plan when he
meets Prime Minister Ehud Olmert next week, but would rather prefer to
allow him to outline his vision, officials said the US has also informed
Israel not to ask for funding for the withdrawal plan.
This message was conveyed to the prime minister by the executive vice
chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish
Organizations, Malcolm Hoenlein, in a Sunday night meeting with the
premier.
The Israeli government had not planned on asking the Americans for
economic assistance for the proposed pullout plan during Olmert's first
official visit to Washington since taking office this month, but the
American Administration, it appears, wanted to make sure that this was
the case.
"There is a common understanding about the purpose of the visit,
which is meant for the prime minister and the president to establish
relations...and to strengthen the bonds on both sides," Hoenlein
told The Jerusalem Post Monday.
Olmert's convergence plan, whereby Israel would unilaterally withdraw
from scores of isolated West Bank settlements while strengthening the
major settlement blocs, is expected to cost as much as $10 billion.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/17/06
*
Verse:
Righteousness is the Best
Garment
-
Hadith:
Give Clothing to the Needy
*
CAIR-IL:
Muslims, Officials to Discuss
Citizenship Delays
*
PA:
Clothing Options for Muslim
Women Come Into Vogue
*
FBI Secret Probes:
3,501
Targets in the U.S. (ABC News)
*
CA:
Stanford Islamic Studies Grow
Too Slowly for Critics
-
AZ:
Muslim Leader Speaks to
Fort Soldiers
-
NC:
Students Take on Hate Crime at Mock
Trial
*
DE:
Gloomy Look at U.S.-Muslim
Relations
-
U.S. Secretly Backing Warlords in
Somalia
*
Tunisia:
Magnetic Cards for Muslim
Worshipers
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE BEST GARMENT -
TOP
"O children of Adam! We have bestowed on you garments to cover your
nakedness and as an adornment, but righteousness is the best garment of
all."
The Holy Quran, 7:26
To sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
HADITH OF THE DAY: GIVE CLOTHING TO THE NEEDY -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone wears some
new clothing and says, 'all praise and thanks be to God Who clothed me to
cover my nakedness, and made it a means of adornment for me,' and then
takes the old garment and gives it in charity, will be under the
protection of God and will be treated as if struggling in the cause of
God, in this life and after death."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4, Number 123
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO: MUSLIMS TO DISCUSS CITIZENSHIP
DELAYS WITH GOV OFFICIALS -
TOP
On May 18, CAIR-Chicago will moderate a meeting with government officials
who will explain some of the reasons behind delays in processing
applications for citizenship. They will also explain what the government
can and cannot do in terms of these delays. Although the officials will
not be able to answer questions about specific cases, they will have
forms on hand for anyone who wishes to file an inquiry on their
case.
Intake will be performed on-site for members of the community who wish to
discuss their experience of citizenship delay.
WHEN: Thursday, May 18th, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
WHERE: Mosque Foundation, 7360 West 93rd Street, Bridgeview, IL
Speakers:
* Jerry Heinauer, Acting District Director of the Chicago Office of U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
* Carol Hallstrom, Community Liaison for the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS)
* Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director, CAIR-Chicago
* Christina Abraham, Moderator/Civil Rights Coordinator,
CAIR-Chicago
For more information, contact:
civilrights@cairchicago.org
-----
PA: CLOTHING OPTIONS FOR MUSLIM WOMEN
COME INTO VOGUE -
TOP
Elizabeth Wellington, Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/17/06
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/religion/14595736.htm
When Gwendolyn Dawan converted to Islam in 1973, she wore a long skirt, a
long top and wrapped her hair.
Today, she designs pinstriped suits and ankle-length denim skirts for
Muslim women that are modest, yet follow current fashion trends.
"I get a lot of requests from business women for suits with
skirts," said Dawan, who also offers sage green and paisleys in her
collection. "Nothing in the Koran says we can't wear color.
Many Muslim women have always worn designer labels underneath their outer
garments.
But now more Muslim women - mostly those who are African American and
live in larger cities - are jazzing up their outerwear, too, shattering
perceptions that devout means drab. As a result, more designers are
catering to them in specialized stores and in runway presentations as
sophisticated as the ones held for non-Islamic customers. (MORE)
-----
FBI SECRET PROBES: 3,501 TARGETS IN THE
U.S. -
TOP
Brian Ross and Maddy Sauer, ABC News, 5/16/06
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/3501_americans_.html
The Department of Justice says it secretly sought phone records and other
documents of 3,501 people last year under a provision of the Patriot Act
that does not require judicial oversight.
The records were obtained with the use of what are known as National
Security Letters, which can be signed by an FBI agent and are only for
use in terrorism cases.
The letters require telephone companies to keep secret even the existence
of the request for records.
Assistant Attorney General William Moschella told Congress last month
that 9,254 National Security Letters were issued in 2005 involving 3,501
people.
Federal law enforcement sources say the National Security Letters are
being used to obtain phone records of reporters at ABC News and elsewhere
in an attempt to learn confidential sources who may have provided
classified information in violation of the law. (MORE)
-----
STANFORD ISLAMIC STUDIES GROW TOO SLOWLY
FOR CRITICS -
TOP
Lisa M. Krieger, Mercury News, 5/17/06
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/education/14599194.htm
Four years after Stanford University announced plans to expand its
Islamic Studies program, students complain that its curriculum still lags
far behind that of other elite universities.
Dismayed by the departure of three key professors since 2002 and the slow
pace of replacing them, some Muslim students say the university isn't
moving fast enough on its promise to build a world-class program focused
on the Middle East. They also seek the creation of a Muslim Community
Cultural Center, where students could socialize. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
AZ: MUSLIM LEADER SPEAKS TO FORT
SOLDIERS -
TOP
Bill Hess, Sierra Vista Herald, 5/17/06
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2006/05/17/local_news/news1.txt
FORT HUACHUCA - You can look throughout the holy book of Islam and never
find the phrase "holy war," but "jihad" (meaning
"struggle") is in the Koran and every faithful Muslim practices
it almost daily.
As many Muslims do not understand the nuances of Christianity and
Judaism, the same is true of many people not being aware of the subtlety
of other faiths. And the three monotheistic faiths - Judaism,
Christianity and Islam - have more in common than most people
know.
For two hours Monday, Imam Yahya Hendi gave a group of intelligence
soldiers on the post a crash course about Islam and those who properly
practice the faith, called Muslims.
Looking at the audience, he said he was at the fort to help soldiers to
prepare for when they deploy to places like Iraq by having a better
understanding of Islam, particularly about Arab Muslims. (MORE)
---
NC: STUDENTS TAKE ON HATE CRIME AT MOCK TRIAL
-
TOP
Beth Velliquette, The Herald-Sun, 5/16/06
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-735493.html
CHAPEL HILL -- A Muslim student is attacked, and a local teenager is
charged with a hate crime.
Attorneys for the prosecution call it a vicious, racist attack. Defense
attorneys contend their client is innocent and that the charges against
their client have ruined his life.
This is a case that is argued over and over, literally, at the first
American Mock Trial Invitational that was held Tuesday and continues
today at UNC's School of Government and at the downtown courthouse in
Chapel Hill. (MORE)
-----
GLOOMY LOOK AT U.S.-MUSLIM RELATIONS -
TOP
Beth Miller, The News Journal, 05/17/2006
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060517/NEWS/605170379/1006
NEWARK -- With a long history of conflict, hostilities and misperceptions
as the backdrop, it was no wonder that the "State of US-Islamic
World Relations" was described in gloomy terms at a University of
Delaware panel discussion Tuesday night.
About 200 people packed a room in Kirkbride Hall to hear five panelists
-- academics and policy analysts -- describe facets of the tension
between the United States and Islamic states around the globe.
One of them, UD professor Stuart Kaufman, traced the worldwide decline in
public support of the United States. He said the country is in a state of
"low-intensity war with the entire Muslim world," and ended his
stinging commentary on the "catastrophic, inept" foreign policy
by saying he had no answers. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
U.S. SECRETLY BACKING WARLORDS IN
SOMALIA -
TOP
By Emily Wax and Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, 5/17/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/16/AR2006051601625_pf.html
More than a decade after U.S. troops withdrew from Somalia following a
disastrous military intervention, officials of Somalia's interim
government and some U.S. analysts of Africa policy say the United States
has returned to the African country, secretly supporting secular warlords
who have been waging fierce battles against Islamic groups for control of
the capital, Mogadishu. (MORE)
-----
TUNISIA: MAGNETIC CARDS FOR WORSHIPERS -
TOP
The Media Line, 5/17/06
http://themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=13711
The Tunisian Ministry for Internal Affairs has announced a plan to
provide a magnetic card to each worshiper, reports online news portal
Elaph, quoting Tunisian daily 'Sawt Al-Haqq Wal-Huriyya.
The project is part of the country's national-reforms package and aims at
"improving the system of worshiping," said Minister of Internal
Affairs Al-Hadi Muhanni in a press conference.
Each worshiper will receive a magnetic card, with his photo, address and
the name of the mosque in which he prays.
The Imam in each mosque is expected to ensure all worshipers carry their
personal cards.
If a worshiper's card specifies a different mosque the imam will ask him
to leave, according to the proposed system. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/18/06
*
Hadith:
Love Each Other
*
CAIR-Ohio Provides Training to Nurses about
Islamic Culture
-
CAIR-MI Trains Recreation
Dept. on Islam, Muslims
-
CAIR-SV Participates in 'Race for
the Cure'
*
CA:
Vandals Shatter Front Door of
Milpitas Mosque
-
VA:
Muslim Groups Protest Account
Closure
*
MI:
Small Islamic School Fits in
Heart of Franklin
-
MD:
Students who Pray May Have to At
School
*
DC:
Georgetown Launches New PhD
in Islamic Studies
*
Yusuf Islam Hopes New Album Will Bridge
Gap
*
Prisoners at Gitmo Make Odd
Collection (AP)
-
Nation of Fear (Washington Post)
*
TX:
First Annual Islamic Charity Day
Event, May 20
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: LOVE EACH OTHER -
TOP
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sent to Mu’adh and Abu Musa to
Yemen, telling them: ‘Treat the people with ease and don’t be hard on
them; give them glad tidings and don’t fill them on with aversion (to
good deeds); love each other, and don’t disagree.’”
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 275
-----
CAIR-OHIO PROVIDES TRAINING TO NURSES ABOUT
ISLAMIC CULTURE -
TOP
(CLEVELAND, OH, 5/18/06) - The Cleveland office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OHIO) recently provided training on
Islamic culture to parish nurses affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic
Health System.
The training, titled, "Cultural Competency: Understanding the Muslim
Patient" is part of a series of outreach efforts by CAIR-OHIO to
teach healthcare practitioners how to provide culturally competent care
to their Muslim patients.
Dr. Shazia Khan of MetroHealth Medical Center, led the training. CAIR
also provided the publication “A Health Care Provider’s Guide to Islamic
Religious Practices” as well as other materials on Islam and cultural
sensitivity.
CONTACT: Julia A. Shearson, Director, Cleveland Office,
216-830-2247,
E-Mail:
cleveland@cair-ohio.com; Dr.
Asma Mobin-Uddin, President, CAIR-OHIO, 614-451-3232, E-Mail:
asma@cair-ohio.com.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI TRAINS RECREATION
DEPARTMENT ON ISLAM AND MUSLIMS -
TOP
(LATHRUP VILLAGE, MI, 5/18/06) – The Michigan office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today held diversity training for
the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Department in Ypsilanti,
Michigan.
Today’s diversity training as well a previous training held on Saturday,
March 13, 2006, examined basic beliefs of Muslims related to issues of
modesty, which includes dress codes and manners.
In January 2006, Washtenaw County became the first county in Michigan to
write a formal, written dress code policy, which accommodates Muslim
males and females religious dress requirements.
SEE: Mich. County alters dress code policy in pools for religious reasons
(The Plain Dealer)
http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1137848102229910.xml&coll=2
“We applaud Washtenaw County’s pioneering effort to accommodate its large
constituency of Muslims in regards to modifying the dress code policy for
pool usage. We hope that their revisions can serve as a model for other
counties in Michigan, who have residents with particular attire needs
based upon religious requirements.”
CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-842-1418, E-Mail:
director@cairmichigan.org
---
CAIR-SV PARTICIPATES IN 'RACE FOR THE
CURE' -
TOP
Race raises awareness and funds for breast cancer
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 5/18/06) - On Saturday, May 13, 2006, the Sacramento
Valley office of the Council on American-Islamic relations (CAIR-SV)
participated in the tenth annual “Race for the Cure,” a relay sponsored
by the Susan B. Komen breast cancer foundation.
The annual race helps to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer
research. Thousands of participants and cancer survivors joined the race,
including a team organized by CAIR-SV.
"Breast cancer has touched the lives of many people around the
world,” said Maren Shawesh, CAIR-SV volunteer coordinator. “It was both
touching and empowering to join in solidarity with thousands of others
for this wonderful cause.”
CONTACT: Maren Shawesh, CAIR-SV Volunteer Coordinator at
916-441-6269.
-----
VANDALS SHATTER FRONT DOOR OF MILPITAS
MOSQUE -
TOP
CBS5.com, 5/18/06
http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2006/05/18/n/HeadlineNews/MOSQUE-VANDALISM/resources_bcn_html
Vandals shattered a $350 front door of an Islamic mosque in Milpitas this
week but police say so far they have no evidence indicating it was a hate
crime.
Visitors who came to attend an early morning prayer discovered the
smashed glass front door at Masjid Dar Al-Salaam, located at 90 Dempsey
Road, around 5 a.m. Tuesday.
Milpitas police Detective Peter Prolo said today police found no
graffiti, notes or other evidence to suggest the mosque was targeted in a
hate crime.
Yet, the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is concerned about Bay Area Muslims
being singled out in hate crime-related attacks because of such incidents
being reported recently across the nation.
"CAIR attributes these incidents to existing levels of anti-Muslim
bias in American society and war-related sentiment,'' the organization
wrote in a statement.
The perpetrator "did not leave any evidence of intrusion into the
mosque but we don't know that it wasn't a hate crime for sure,"
Mohammad Nada, a board member of the mosque, stated.
Prolo said police are investigating a string of recent vandalism
incidents at a local Catholic Church. Since Christmas, vandals have
thrown rocks through that church's windows three times.
Because no rocks were found at the mosque, Prolo said investigators do
not believe the crimes are related.
No suspects have been identified in any of the vandalism.
"We have taken additional (security) measures," Prolo said.
"We've increased surveillance and heavy patrol in the area around
the mosque."
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Milpitas
Police Department at (408) 942-2400.
To contact ,CAIR-SFBA, call Sameena Usman, Public Relations Coordinator,
408-986-9874, Email:
sameena@cair.com; Sajidah Wahdy,
Civil Rights Coordinator, 408-986-9874, Email:
sajidah@cair.com
ALSO SEE:
MUSLIM GROUPS PROTEST ACCOUNT CLOSURE
-
TOP
Non-profits call for explanations for refusal of service
Scott J. Krischke, Connection Newspapers, 5/17/06
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=65925&paper=66&cat=104
Decrying the closing of its bank accounts in November of last year with
no official explanation, the Herndon-based non-profit organization
Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH) has
joined with other area Muslim non-profits to call for a national boycott
Wachovia Corp. financial services unless the bank provides an explanation
for closing the accounts.
"We want to prove to [Wachovia] that what they did here is outright,
blatantly wrong," said Mukit Hossain, a member of the board of
directors of FAITH. "American citizens should not be treated like
this it's time for us to make a stand."
After achieving the support of Falls Church-based Muslim American Society
Freedom Foundation and the Council on American-Islamic Relations in
Washington, D.C., members of FAITH called a press conference in
Washington on Monday. FAITH and the other non-profits demanded an
explanation of the closing of the three FAITH accounts from the bank
within two weeks or they would urge Muslims nationwide to close their
Wachovia accounts, Hossain said.
While acknowledging that FAITH has called for possible boycotts of their
services, Wachovia spokesperson Carrie Ruddy refused to comment on
specific cases due to Wachovia's privacy and ethical
regulations.
"Wachovia is committed to operating its business with full and
ethical standards and under the full compliance of applicable laws and
regulations," Ruddy said in a phone interview. "We never make
any account decisions based on race, religion, national origin or other
discriminatory factors."
FAITH IS a Herndon-based non-profit organization with a mission "to
provide humanitarian aid to needy individuals and families living
Northern Virginia," according to its Web site.
Established in 1999, the organization uses money donated from
predominantly Muslim individuals and businesses to provide counseling
services and assistance for women and children who have been the victims
of domestic violence, as well as food distribution for the needy,
regardless of religious or ethnic background.
FAITH provided "a little less" than $200,000 in services and
contributions as listed in the organization's 2004 annual financial
statement, the most recent report released by the group, said FAITH
treasurer and board member Margaret Farchtchi.
Wachovia sent FAITH a letter in November of 2005 telling them that the
bank would be closing the organization's account, but without giving a
specific reason, according to Farchtchi.
"It was strictly out of the blue, we had absolutely no notice,"
Farchtchi said. "We have always had a healthy relationship with
Wachovia we've never had any types of balance or accounting problems,
the things you would expect might lead to this."
"I called them and asked to speak to their corporate lawyers and I
asked them why," Hossain said. "They told me that they did not
need to share with me the information why the account was
closed."
Wachovia responded to a letter that FAITH drafted demanding an
explanation for the closing of the account by saying that the company had
"merely exercised its right to stop services to a client,"
Hossain said.
"When this first happened we had a board meeting at FAITH and we
really debated whether or not to make any issue out of this at all
because we didn't want our donors thinking that something was
wrong," Farchtchi said. "But the more we talked about it, the
more we realized something wasn't wrong we couldn't see any real reason
why they would have done this."
"It really appears that this is discriminatory, and it's bad not for
just us, but for other interfaith organizations throughout the
country," Farchtchi said. "Many people like the ACLU [American
Civil Liberties Union] are interested in the outcome."
(MORE)
-----
SMALL ISLAMIC SCHOOL FITS IN HEART OF
FRANKLIN -
TOP
Emilia Askari, Free Press, 5/18/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060518/NEWS05/605180329/1007
Driving through the heart of Franklin's historic downtown, past the
cemetery with graves from the early 1800s, past the village green with
the picturesque church steeple, past the tidy, century-old homes and the
landmark cider mill, you might never know that you also passed the only
full-time Islamic school in Oakland County.
The only hints are a tastefully small wooden sign reading "Huda
School" and an unusual, minaret-like top on the play structure in
the yard.
The Huda School's administrators pride themselves on being good neighbors
and fitting in well with the small-town classic mood in Franklin. But the
administrators also are excited about their plans to expand their
preschool through 8th-grade school, doubling its physical size with a
three-story expansion.
They say the addition would give the school, whose name means
"guidance" in Arabic, a greater but still discreet presence in
Franklin, which calls itself "the village that time forgot."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
STUDENTS WHO PRAY MAY HAVE TO DO SO AT
SCHOOL -
TOP
Policy Would Affect Observant Muslims
Amit R. Paley, Washington Post, 5/18/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/17/AR2006051701010.html
The Howard County Board of Education is considering a policy that could
effectively prohibit Muslim students from leaving school early for Friday
afternoon prayers.
The measure, which will be the subject of a public hearing Tuesday, would
allow students to miss class for prayer only if the services are held in
school. Currently, some Muslim students are allowed to leave school on
Friday afternoons to pray with a congregation.
"We just want the situation to continue the way it is," said
Anwer Hasan, president of the Maryland Muslim Council. "I don't know
what's the reason for changing it now."
Hasan said it would be very difficult to arrange congregational prayer
services on campus for Muslim students.
The current policy does not allow students to miss class for any reason
except official holidays, but school officials said that the rule has
been applied inconsistently and that some students routinely leave school
early on Friday afternoons to pray. (MORE)
-----
GEORGETOWN LAUNCHES NEW PHD IN ISLAMIC
STUDIES -
TOP
University News, 5/17/06
http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=15539
Recent world affairs have prompted an increased demand for professionals
and scholars with advanced knowledge of Arabic and expert knowledge of
Islam. In response, Georgetown University has launched a new degree
program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies.
“Georgetown’s strengths in Arabic language as well as the history,
culture, religion and society of the Muslim world make this new program
an obvious addition to our academic offerings,” said Georgetown
University Provost and Professor of Classics James J. O'Donnell. “I am
confident that the new PhD in Islamic Studies will prepare future
academics, professionals and leaders to rigorously tackle the critical
issues facing the Muslim world today.”
Drawing on Georgetown’s unparalleled resources for study of the Islamic
world through the Department of Arabic, the Center for Contemporary Arab
Studies, the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian
Understanding, and the Departments of History, Theology and Government,
the new PhD program will prepare students not only for scholarly careers
in academia, but also to meet a rapidly growing demand in both the public
and private sectors for those with expert knowledge of the language and
culture of the Islamic world.
The inaugural class will begin in fall 2007 and applications will be
accepted on a rolling basis through February 2007. Courses will seek to
advance the knowledge and understanding of classical and modern Islamic
religious thought and textual traditions. The program will also introduce
students to traditional and modern scholarly approaches to the study of
Islam, as well as provide training in history, religion, culture,
society, languages, literatures and thought of the Islamic
world.
Upon joining the program, students are expected to have achieved advanced
proficiency in Arabic, as demonstrated by enrollment in advanced Arabic
seminars and the ability to work with a variety of Islamic texts. Those
with a master’s degree in a relevant field will take 12 courses or 36
credits, and students with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in an
unrelated field are required to complete 18 courses or 54 credits. In
addition to progressing to an advanced level of Arabic language, students
in the program should demonstrate intermediate mastery of a second
Islamic language such as Persian, Turkish or Urdu, as well as reading
proficiency in a European research language such as French or
German.
Associate Professor Ahmad Dallal, who is currently chair of the Arabic
Department, will serve as director of the new program. Dallal earned his
PhD in Islamic studies from Columbia University and his bachelor’s degree
in mechanical engineering from the American University of Beirut. He is
author of An Islamic Response to Greek Astronomy: Kitab Ta’dil Hay’at
al-Aflak of Sadr al-Shari’a (Brill, 1995) and has written numerous
articles and papers on the history of science, Islamic revivalist thought
and Islamic law.
“The primary purpose of this program is to train specialists in Islam to
respond to manifest needs at the academic and professional levels,” said
Dallal. “It is also an opportunity for us at Georgetown to pool our
remarkable resources and contribute to shaping the field by training a
new generation of graduate students.”
-----
YUSUF ISLAM RETURNS TO RECORDING -
TOP
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4990640.stm
Yusuf Islam will release an album of new songs this year, 28 years after
he left the music industry.
As folk musician Cat Stevens he had a string of hits in the 1960s and
1970s, including such contemporary classics as Moon Shadow and Morning
Has Broken.
He gave up music in 1979, two years after he converted to Islam and
changed his name.
The new album, which has yet to be given a title, will be released by
Polydor records in the autumn.
The singer says he hopes the album will improve understanding between
Islam and the West.
"It is important for me to be able to help bridge the cultural gaps
others are sometimes frightened to cross."
Religious convictions
Islam has been a teacher and an advocate for his religion for many years,
and founded a Muslim school in London in 1983.
In 2004, he was refused entry to the US on "national security
grounds".
However the singer said he had "consistently denounced the acts of
terrorists as being directly contradictory to the peaceful teachings of
Islam".
At around the same time as he was refused entry to the US, Islam was
presented with the Man for Peace award by a group of Nobel Peace
Laureates. (MORE)
-----
PRISONERS AT GITMO MAKE ODD COLLECTION -
TOP
Pentagon is ordered to open list of names
Ben Fox, Associated Press, 5/18/06
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1147843263274630.xml&coll=1
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- He has a flowing white beard, can't hear or see
very well and, according to his lawyer, uses a walker to hobble around
the Guantánamo Bay detention center.
Haji Nasrat Khan is the oldest prisoner at Guantánamo Bay, according to a
newly released list of all those who have been held at the isolated
prison on a U.S. Navy base in southeastern Cuba, known in the armed
services as Gitmo.
Khan, an Afghan who the military says is 71 but may be several years
older, exemplifies the striking diversity of Guantánamo detainees past
and present as identified by the list, which the Pentagon released Monday
to the Associated Press in response to a Freedom of Information Act
lawsuit.
"I met him one time and came out of there thinking, 'Why is this old
man here?'" said Peter Ryan, a lawyer whose firm represents Khan and
14 other Afghans at Guantánamo, perched about the Caribbean Sea.
The list provides the first full official accounting of all those who
have been held by the military at Guantánamo on suspicion of links to al
Qaeda or the Taliban. The document provides the names, hometowns and
dates of birth of 759 current and former detainees.
They range from teenagers to an Afghan, now released, who was nearly 90
and was reportedly referred to as "al Qaeda Claus" by
interrogators. Their hometowns are from all over -- including the holy
Muslim city of Mecca, Lyon in France and Baton Rouge, La.
The military now holds about 480 detainees at Guantánamo following a
series of releases and transfers that began in October 2002, nearly 10
months after the detention center opened.
An additional 136 detainees have been approved for transfer or release,
but the timing depends on when their home countries agree to accept them
and whether they can assure the U.S. the men will be treated humanely,
said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chito Peppler. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
NATION OF FEAR -
TOP
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post, 5/18/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051501187.html#
There's little comfort in the latest polls on the revelation that the
National Security Agency, on orders from George W. Bush, is compiling a
permanent record of Americans' telephone calls. True, the new surveys by
Newsweek and USA Today/Gallup are more encouraging than the Washington
Post/ABC News poll last week in which
63 percent said sure, no problem, go ahead and rummage through my life.
But even the new polls say that four out of every 10 citizens are ready
to surrender privacy and due process without so much as a whimper of
protest.
That is just stunning.
After all, this is a nation that has always balked at the idea of any
kind of national identification card, which other countries don't mind at
all. This is a nation that refuses to require meaningful controls on
firearms, accepting more than 30,000 deaths a year as the price we have
to pay for privacy and freedom. You'd think news that the government is
keeping track of all of our phone conversations would spark thundering
outrage from sea to shining sea.
But it hasn't, and I think the reason is that the normally sunny,
optimistic American mood has been adulterated by alien emotions we don't
handle very well - fear, insecurity, resentment. It's as if the whole
nation needs to be on Xanax.
In the past I've noted how Bush regularly stokes and exploits our fears
to get Americans to accept the previously unacceptable - not just
intrusive domestic surveillance but also secret CIA prisons, abandonment
of due process for terror suspects, and mistreatment of detainees that
international accords describe as torture. The most tragic example, of
course, is how he planted and fertilized the idea that the war in Iraq
had something to do with Sept. 11, 2001, which it did not.
But while Bush takes every advantage of this sour and apprehensive mood,
he didn't conjure it out of thin air. And sometimes it spins out of his
control - as evidenced by the immigration debate, in which he is having
to scramble to keep the House Republican leadership, running scared in an
election year, from insisting on a program of mass deportation that would
resemble a latter-day Trail of Tears.
---
FIRST ANNUAL DFW ISLAMIC CHARITY DAY
EVENT, MAY 20 -
TOP
DALLAS, Texas - The First Annual DFW Islamic Charity Day Event is
scheduled for May 20, at the Martin Luther King Center. The event will
offer information on free G.E.D classes, present a health fair, and
supply clothes, non-perishable items, toys, and school supplies to those
in need in the Dallas/Ft. Worth-area,
The DFW Islamic Associations, a group comprised of various Islamic relief
organizations and mosques within the DFW metropolitan area, are working
together to give back to the community. To assist in this event, dozens
of business, civic and political leaders have been invited to help make
this event a success. Everyone is welcome!
WHAT: The First Annual DFW Islamic Associations Charity Day Event: Free
Clothing, School Supplies, Immunizations and more.
Specific Items needed (NEW): T-Shirts, Socks, Sports Bras, Underwear,
Sweat Pants, Tooth Brushes, Tooth paste, Combs, Brushes, Soap, Shaving
Razors, Shaving Cream, Deodorant, Towels both large and small, blankets,
Toys, Diapers and Diaper wipes.
WHEN: May 20, 2006, 11:00am – 5:00pm
WHERE: Martin Luther King Center, 2922 MLK Blvd., Dallas, Texas
Please visit our website at
www.dallasrelief.com.
For cash donations you can make checks payable to Masjid Al-Islam and
mail to P.O. Box 150053, Dallas, TX 75215. In the memo section of your
check please write Islamic Charity Day.
CONTACT: Hassan Karriem @ 214- 371-2772 for more information about the
First Annual DFW Islamic Charity Day Event. For more information on where
to drop donated items, please contact Mustafaa Carroll at 214-476-7234 or
muspeaks@yahoo.com.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
-----
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/19/06
*
Hadith:
A Cheerful Face
*
CAIR Supports Call
To Close Gitmo
-
CAIR
Takes Part in
Panel on Islam for MD Judges
-
CAIR-MI:
Muslims to
Inform at Symposium
*
NY:
Detective Was 'Walking Camera' Among City Muslims
-
NJ:
Muslims, FBI Seek to Build Trust Strained by 9/11
*
Somali-born
Dutch lawmaker welcome in US: Zoellick
*
MD:
Muslim
Council to Help School Clean Up
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: A CHEERFUL FACE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Do not abuse anyone…Do
not look down upon any good work, and when you speak to your brother,
show him a cheerful face.”
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 1889
-----
CAIR SUPPORTS CALL TO
CLOSE GITMO -
TOP
U.N. Committee on Torture critical of U.S. Detention facilities
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/19/2006) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights
and advocacy group today echoed a U.N. agency's call to shut down the
Guantanamo Bay Camp X-Ray detention facility and to ban
"torture" of security detainees.
The Washington-Based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued
that call after the Committee Against Torture (CAT), the United Nations
top anti-torture body, said such facilities were illegal and should be
closed.
In its first review of U.S. policy since the start of the war on
terrorism, the committee also urged President Bush to ban interrogation
methods such as "water boarding," sexual humiliation and the
use of dogs to induce fear.
SEE: U.N. Panel Backs Closing Prison at Guantánamo
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/world/19cnd-torture.html
"Indefinite detention of those who have insufficient access to legal
safeguards does not reflect American principles," said CAIR
Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor. "Many Americans of all
faiths are concerned that conditions at Guantanamo Bay and at secret
prisons worldwide constitute a violation of the U.N. Convention Against
Torture and should be shut down."
In April of last year, CAIR and other groups called for an independent
9/11 commission-style investigation into the use of torture by American
military personnel. SEE:
http://www.cair-net.org/antitorture/. CAIR also urged Americans to
contact their elected representatives and ask that a ban on torture by
U.S. military personnel be sent to President Bush.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices,
chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to
enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org;
Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR TAKES
PART IN PANEL ON ISLAM FOR MD JUDGES -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, DC, 5/19/06) - A representative of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) participated yesterday in a panel
discussion on Islam for judges attending the 2006 Maryland Judicial
Conference in Cambridge, Md.
CAIR National Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar participated in a panel
titled "What Judges Need to Know about Islam." The panel was
moderated by Associate Judge Hassan El-Amin of the District Court of
Maryland. Other panelists included Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, a national
leader of the American Muslim community, and Zakia Mahasa, a Master of
Chancery for the Circuit Court of Baltimore County.
Iftikhar later met with U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at
a private reception after the panel discussion. Chief Justice Roberts
offered a keynote address at the conference.
"It was an honor to help Maryland judges learn more about the basic
teachings of Islam and about the American Muslim community," said
Iftikhar.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim advocacy and civil liberties group, has 32
offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance
the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Arsalan Iftikhar, National Legal Director, 202-415-0799, E-Mail:
arsalan@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
---
MUSLIMS
TO INFORM AT SYMPOSIUM IN ST. CLAIR SHORES -
TOP
Shabina S. Khatri, Detroit Free Press, 5/19/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060519/NEWS04/605190477/1006
Got questions? Just ask.
That's what members of the Islamic Cultural Institute in St. Clair Shores
are encouraging area residents to do during a Saturday afternoon
symposium about the prophet Muhammad.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is cohosting the event -- which
it says is the first of its kind in the county -- as part of a national
educational series designed to answer questions raised after the Danish
cartoon controversy, said Dawud Walid, director of CAIR's Michigan
chapter.
"This symposium is important because Islam is unknown to a majority
of the citizens of Macomb County," Walid said.
During the afternoon, Muslim scholars will touch upon the basic tenets of
the faith and discuss Muhammad's mostly cordial relationship with Jews
and Christians in Seventh-Century Arabia.
Speakers also will discuss the role of Muslim women in society and show
segments of a 2001 PBS documentary called "Muhammad: Legacy of a
Prophet."
But the most important part, said Dalia Elsouhag, a 35-year-old Roseville
resident, is not the presentation, but the community's feedback.
"We want you to come in and listen to what we have to say, but
again, we want you to ask," said Elsouhag, who was born in Oak Park
and has attended the St. Clair Shores mosque for several years. "My
kids are fourth-generation American Muslims, but for some reason we've
never really been integrated in the community. We just want to make sure
everybody understands our beliefs correctly."
The event, which is free, will run from 2 to 5 p.m. at the institute,
30115 Greater Mack Ave. Refreshments will be served.
Community members also are invited to an interfaith program June 8 at the
Warren municipal center, where Muslims will discuss plans and field
questions on the city's first mosque.
-----
DETECTIVE WAS 'WALKING CAMERA' AMONG CITY MUSLIMS, HE TESTIFIES -
TOP
William K. Rashbaum, New York Times, 5/19/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/nyregion/19herald.html?_r=1&oref=login
A young police detective testified yesterday at the Herald Square bombing
plot trial that he was recruited from the Police Academy 13 months after
9/11 to work deep undercover in the Muslim community to investigate
Islamic extremists.
The detective, a Muslim who came to America from Bangladesh when he was
7, testified that he was a 23-year-old college graduate when he was
plucked from the academy in October 2002. He took an apartment in Bay
Ridge, Brooklyn, where, he testified, his assignment was to be a
"walking camera" among Muslims there.
He said he had no regular contact with the department other than through
his handler, to whom he reported by e-mail at first. During two years of
living in Bay Ridge, he was involved in "numerous"
investigations, he testified, and was at times shadowed by a field team
to ensure his safety.
The Police Intelligence Division's program to post detectives overseas
has been widely publicized. But this detective's testimony yesterday in
federal court in Brooklyn provided the closest look yet at how the
division is using undercover investigators to penetrate mosques,
bookstores and other places where Muslims gather in the city.
His testimony confirmed what many Muslims have believed since the Sept.
11 attacks: that law enforcement agencies have worked to infiltrate their
community during terrorism investigations. It also revealed the
extraordinary steps the department took to create a fictitious identity
so a Muslim investigator could live for years in an insular neighborhood
where people have become highly suspicious of the authorities.
Beyond the detective's testimony, police officials yesterday would not
discuss the scope of the program and provided no details about its
structure, its guidelines or its successes or failures. Several
officials, however, suggested it was in its early stages. The witness was
identified only by a pseudonym Kamil Pasha in order, prosecutors
said, to protect continuing investigations.
The detective was the final witness at the four-week trial of Shahawar
Matin Siraj, 23, a Pakistani immigrant who is charged with plotting to
blow up the Herald Square subway station in 2004. His lawyers have argued
that he was entrapped by a paid police informer, a 50-year-old
Egyptian-born nuclear engineer who they say was the driving force behind
the plot. They have argued that their client was an inept dupe who was
not predisposed to commit an act of terrorism until the informer inflamed
him. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS, FBI SEEK TO BUILD TRUST STRAINED BY SEPT. 11 ATTACKS -
TOP
Wayne Parry, Associated Press, 5/18/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--fbi-muslims0518may18,0,4640655.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey
NEWARK, N.J. – In September, a group of Muslim men praying near the main
air intake duct at Giants Stadium was detained by suspicious FBI
agents.
On Saturday, the federal agency and an Egyptian-American group plan to
meet at the stadium in the latest FBI push to recruit Arab-Americans and
repair relations strained in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
"It's an effort to build bridges with this community," said Les
Wiser Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark bureau, who has
made improving ties with New Jersey's Muslim community a priority.
"We think it's important for them to get to know us. We're fighting
perceptions we think are skewed against us."
The FBI accepted an invitation from the Egyptian American Group, an
interdenominational organization that was formed after Sept. 11 when
hundreds of New Jersey Muslims, Arab-Americans and south Asians were
taken into custody as part of the investigation.
"We were afraid of them, and they were suspicious of us,"
Suzanne Loutfy, a member of Egyptian American group. "It was thought
by many people that the FBI is the enemy. That's the perception we're
fighting against."
Part of the event is aimed at interesting young Arab-Americans in law
enforcement careers, particularly with the FBI, which needs their help as
investigators and translators.
"We think the more they know about us, the more comfortable they
will be," Wiser said. "We do need to get more diversity in the
ranks."
Loutfy's 18-year-old son will be at the event, along with six or seven of
his friends, to hear what the FBI has to say. Kareem Loutfy, a senior at
Carteret High School, says he's considering a career with the
agency.
"Because of my background, I can easily approach people" in
Arab-American communities, he said. "They would feel much more
comfortable dealing with me because of who I am, and that would be great
for both sides. We need to build more trust with the people who are
protecting us."
Since the 2001 attacks, the FBI has made numerous efforts to reach out to
Muslims and Arab-Americans in New Jersey. Several months after the
attacks, it held a job fair in one of the most prominent mosques in
Paterson. While no one there got a job with the FBI, several applicants
landed local law enforcement jobs.
The FBI also has invited Muslim community leaders to conduct cultural
sensitivity training with agents and civilian employees.
Other law enforcement agencies also are trying to better understand and
connect with Muslims. On Thursday, Union County Prosecutor Theodore J.
Romankow distributed copies of a new training video his office developed
on how officers should interact with Muslims. The tapes will go to each
police chief in the county, and nearly 2,000 officers will view
them.
"Where there is good communication, there is a better understanding
between people no matter what religion and that was the goal here,"
Romankow said.
-----
SOMALI-BORN DUTCH LAWMAKER WELCOME IN US: ZOELLICK -
TOP
Reuters, 5/18/06
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-05-18T125718Z_01_L18284140_RTRUKOC_0_US-DUTCH-ASYLUM-USA.xml
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - A Somali-born lawmaker who may lose her Dutch
citizenship because she lied on her asylum application is welcome to move
to the United States, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said
on Thursday.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an outspoken critic of Islam, said earlier this week she
was resigning and leaving the Netherlands after Immigration Minister Rita
Verdonk, a member of her own VVD liberal party, told her she might lose
her Dutch passport.
Hirsi Ali has been offered a job by the American Enterprise Institute, a
conservative Washington-based think tank, and according to media reports
had been in negotiations with two other U.S. institutes.
Zoellick, on a visit to the Netherlands, told journalists Hirsi Ali would
be admitted to his country.
"The government of the Netherlands is still discussing her ultimate
status and that is ... for the Netherlands to determine along the way,
but she is obviously welcome to the United States," Zoellick
said.
He added that if she did move to the United States her status would
depend on decisions taken by the Dutch government and that her special
security needs would be attended to.
"I am not going to comment on specific security matters but
obviously she needs to be taken care of," Zoellick said.
Hirsi Ali has drawn death threats for her fight for the rights of Muslim
women.
She went into hiding in 2004 when an Islamic militant killed Dutch
filmmaker Theo van Gogh after he directed a film Hirsi Ali wrote accusing
Islam of suppressing women. (MORE)
-----
MUSLIM COUNCIL TO
HELP SCHOOL CLEAN UP –
TOP
Baltimore Sun, 5/19/06
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.comnotes19may19,0,5316797.story?coll=bal-local-howard
The Howard County Muslim Council, in cooperation with the Baltimore
Muslim Council and Baltimore Jewish Council, will sponsor a day to clean
up and make repairs at Falstaff Elementary School, 3801 Fallstaff Road,
Baltimore.
The group will prime and paint the locker rooms, landscape and
participate in other projects from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Adults and high school students are welcome to participate.
For more information, contact Irfan Malik at 410-750-2739.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/20/06
*
CAIR-ST. Louis Receives Social Justice
Award (Post-Disp)
-
CAIR-FL:
Muslim
Community Mourns Teen (Sun-Sent)
*
CAIR-DFW:
Texans Turning Muslim?
(Dallas Morning News)
*
KY:
Muslim Student Harassed
After Challenging School Prayer
-
Graduates Stage Protest
Prayer
*
VA:
Lawyers Argue Suit on
Muslim Beards (Times-Dispatch)
*
CA: Latino, Muslim Youths Share
Their Heritage (OC Reg)
-
CO:
State's Muslims Know
Struggle (Rocky Mtn News)
-
IL:
Muslim Action Network to
Expand Center
-
MI:
Islamic Cemetery a Milestone
for Muslim Community
*
Muslim View on Miracles
(Kansas City Star)
-----
CAIR-ST. LOUIS: LOCAL MUSLIM GROUP GETS A
'WHAT'S RIGHT' AWARD -
TOP
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5/20/06
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/6700D6AC2EFE24DC86257173008199F9?OpenDocument
The St. Louis Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations
received a "What's Right with the Region" award from FOCUS St. Louis,
which honors individuals and organizations doing an outstanding job of
making the St. Louis area a better place to live. CAIR's St. Louis
chapter received the award for "Improving Racial Equality and Social
Justice."
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-FL: MUSLIM COMMUNITY MOURNS TEEN, TOO -
TOP
Altaf Ali, Sun-Sentinel, 5/20/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-pbmail964may20,0,4929355.story
[Ali is executive director of the Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Pembroke Pines.]
Re the Tuesday letter, "Where is outrage over teen's death?":
Contrary to the author's assertion, "once again, our Muslim brothers
here in South Florida have missed an opportunity to show some humanity
by publicity," our response was not of publicity, it was one of sorrow
and repudiation.
I share part of a letter written to Rabbi Yisroel Spalter and Dr. Laurence Kutler Director of David Posnack Hebrew Day School.
"On behalf of the Muslim community in Florida, I would like to
sincerely express our condolences and sorrow. We are deeply saddened to
learn of the passing away of Daniel Wultz.
"As I followed the story in the media about Daniel, I could not help
but be touched by what I learned of his character, his faith in God and
most impressively his desire to serve and become a rabbi. For a young
person such as Daniel to have such aspirations, he must have had
positive influences in his life such as his parents, his family and the
institution of his education at the David Posnack school.
"We repudiate acts of violence in the strongest possible terms. Islam
strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against
innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or
terrorism. Targeting civilians' life and property through suicide
bombings or any other method of attack is haram -- forbidden -- and
those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not `martyrs.' All
acts of terrorism targeting civilians are haram (forbidden) in Islam.
It is also haram for a Muslim to cooperate with any individual or group
that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence.
"It is our hope that Daniel did not die in vain. Our community hopes
that we work together striving for peace, harmony and justice. These
are the common characteristics of the people of the Abrahamic Faith."
-----
CAIR-DFW: TEXANS TURNING MUSLIM? -
TOP
British documentary on Lone Star Islam has new life on Web
SAM HODGES, Dallas Morning News, 5/20/2006
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/DN-texasmuslims_20rel.ART0.State.Edition1.3a08dcf.html
A 2004 British documentary called Turning Muslim in Texas has
resurfaced in a big way on the Internet, drawing hundreds of thousands
of viewers for its account of white Texans who grew up Christian but
now practice Islam.
But it also shows them praying in Arabic, attending a Dallas-area
mosque and, in the case of the women, wearing the hijab (head scarf).
Among those in Turning Muslim in Texas are Eric and Karen Meek, a married couple from Lewisville.
"I run across people all the time who say, 'Are you the guy in the
video?'" said Mr. Meek, who planned to be a Southern Baptist minister
until he began to study Islam while rooming with a Muslim at the
University of North Texas.
Two British women shot the documentary in September and October of
2003. It aired the following January on Channel Four, one of the United
Kingdom's main noncable channels.
But apparently few outside the U.K. saw Turning Muslim in Texas until
late February of this year. That's when a Muslim group posted it to the
Web site
TurnToIslam.com.
Since then, the film has had more than 600,000 views, said Ameer Ali,
site administrator. Word of mouth - or word of e-mail - appears to have
been the key.
For example,
Ms. Meek, office manager for the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
said she had heard from a Virginia friend who had seen the documentary.
That woman had been alerted to it by an Irish friend's e-mail. (MORE)
-----
KY: STUDENT QUESTIONS CONSTITUTIONALITY OF PRAYER -
TOP
WHAS-11, 5/18/06
http://www.whas11.com/education/stories/WHAS11_TOP_SchoolPrayer.549dba28.html
Arshiya Saiyed is one of those girls that seems to get everything done in a day: school, volunteering, extra curriculars.
"I was planning graduation with the senior committee when this comes," she says.
"This" started as something she heard in that committee -- a religious graduation prayer.
"Terms like Jesus Christ, heavenly father, I talked about the fact I
was Muslim and the prayers in the past were offensive to me," she says.
Arshiya and other students were also concerned it wasn't constitutional.
But almost the minute she questioned the religious prayer, Arshiya
started getting harassed by a group of students, some in individual
meetings, and one student who told her he wanted her out of the
country. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
GRADUATES STAGE PROTEST PRAYER -
TOP
Peter Smith, Courier-Journal, 5/20/06
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060520/NEWS01/605200365&SearchID=73245158637516
A federal judge ordered school officials and a student not to include a
scheduled prayer at last night's Russell County High School graduation
ceremony.
But about 200 seniors responded at the event by standing during the
principal's opening remarks and reciting the Lord's Prayer. That
prompted a standing ovation from the standing-room-only crowd in the
school gymnasium.
And thunderous applause drowned out the last part of the prayer.
Judge Joseph H. McKinley of the U.S. District Court in Bowling Green
had ruled earlier in the day in favor of a lawsuit filed by an
anonymous graduating senior who said he was offended by graduation
prayers. (MORE)
-----
VA: LAWYERS ARGUE SUIT ON PRISON HAIRCUTS -
TOP
TOM CAMPBELL, TIMES-DISPATCH, 5/19/06
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137836204450
Lawyers argued before a federal judge yesterday whether Virginia's
prison haircut rules for men violate the religious rights of Muslim and
Rastafarian inmates.
U.S. District Judge Richard L. Williams is considering motions for
judgment in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of
Virginia on behalf of several inmates. It challenges the Virginia
Department of Corrections grooming policy for male prisoners.
Williams did not make a ruling yesterday. (MORE)
-----
CA: LATINO, MUSLIM YOUTHS SHARE THEIR HERITAGE VIA HUMAN RELATIONS PROGRAM -
TOP
ERIN UY, Orange County Register, 5/20/06
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/atoz/article_1148108.php
When Endy Galindo, 12, takes snapshots of her life, she photographs
parked Cadillacs in her neighborhood and her younger siblings.
Her new friend, 11-year-old Mariyah Saiduddin, takes photos of herself wearing a hijab, traditional Muslim attire, and glasses.
Galindo, a Mexican-American, and Saiduddin, a Pakistani-American, lead
different lives, but they recently learned that they have common
interests.
"It's cool because you get to learn that everyone has a different culture and that they speak their own language," Galindo said.
Similarities are cool too, said Saiduddin, who learned that she and Galindo share a deep love for their friends and family.
Through the Latino-Muslim Exchange project, an Orange County Human
Relations Commission program to link youths from different lifestyles,
ethnicities and economic backgrounds, more than 60 students met
Thursday to share what they learned. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CO: STATE'S MUSLIMS KNOW STRUGGLE -
TOP
Tom Noel, Rocky Mountain News, 5/20/06
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/spotlight_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23962_4712665,00.html
Muslim students Mohammad and Shazia are in my Colorado History class this semester at University of Colorado at Denver.
Mohammad reported that Chinese scholars wrote that Muslim sailors came
to America (Mu-Lan-Pi) in 1178 and that King Abu Bakari, a Muslim king
of the Malian Empire, first came to America in 1310.
Muslims have come to Colorado in recent decades from Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Many are students on
scholarships from their governments. Mohammad adds that many
U.S.-educated Muslims return and put their learning into action to
"improve their countries on all levels.
"If you go to the newly developed countries of the Arab Gulf, you would
think you are in America or Europe: highways, bridges, tall buildings,
luxury hotels, new banking systems using computer technology, credit
cards, and supermarkets."
The Colorado Muslim Society, or Masjid Abu-Bakr, established a
community center in a South Denver rental house during the early 1970s.
The Muslim population grew so fast, however, that a much larger center
was built in the early 1980s at 2071 S. Parker Road. That complex has
grown into a four-acre site, including 14 classrooms, offices, meeting
halls and a large domed mosque with a minaret. Within a 10-mile radius
are many Middle Eastern grocery stores and restaurants, as well as
Crescent View Academy, an Islamic K-8 parochial school.
Colorado's first mosque was in Boulder, where Masjid Boulder still
exists. Shazia found that Denver now has six mosques, Aurora has two,
with one each in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Golden,
Greeley, Northglenn and Pueblo.
Shazia said Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in Colorado,
attracting members from all different ethnicities. More than 15,000
Muslims live in metro Denver and as many as 2,000 Muslims attend Friday
night services at Masjid-Abu Bakr. (MORE)
---
IL: MUSLIM ACTION NETWORK TO EXPAND CENTER -
TOP
YVETTE PRESBERRY, Southwest News-Herald, 5/18/06
http://www.swnewsherald.com/news_frontpage/2006/05/051806c_center.php
In its 10th year of offering social and community services to residents
and members of the Southwest Side, the Inner-City Muslim Action
Network, 3344 W. 63rd St., will soon be expanding its work in a bigger
facility.
IMAN is creating a new administrative facility and health clinic at 2744 W. 63rd St.
The former Marquette Manor site previously served as a bank for many years before closing.
Leaders of the Greater Southwest Development Corporation, a non-profit
organization that supports commercial and residential growth in
Marquette Manor and Chicago Lawn, bought the former bank building to
help an entity succeed in the area instead of having the site sit empty
and boarded up.
GSDC is currently working on a lease agreement with IMAN.
"This move is going to allow us to expand the services we can offer the community," said Rami Nashashibi, executive director.
In the 3,500-square foot building, visitors will see a computer lab,
health clinic, multipurpose room and administrative offices.
There will also be tutoring and computer classes given by voluntary
leaders from various fields, as well as health programs for the
community. (MORE)
---
MI: ISLAMIC CEMETERY ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY -
TOP
Arab American News, 5/20/06
http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=5304
DEARBORN- The Muslim community in Southeast Michigan continues to grow,
and with it comes the building of mosques and cultural centers. Now
another group, operating as Islamic Memorial Gardens, has developed the
first and only exclusively Islamic Cemetery.
Up until this time, the Muslim community surrounding Dearborn had to
share burial spaces with other religious communities and had to travel
substantial distances. That has all changed with this development.
-----
DOES YOUR FAITH EMBRACE MIRACLES? -
TOP
The Kansas City Star, 5/20/06
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/living/religion/14621849.htm
Rushdy El-Ghussein, former president of the Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City:
Muslims do believe in miracles. Muslims believe that miracles happen because of God's will and plan.
Miracles can mean nothing unless we are willing to accept the authority
of God and his ability to do anything that he wishes. For example,
early people saw the miraculous birth of Prophet Jesus, saw the
deliverance of Jews from Pharaoh and saw how God split the sea so that
the Jews could escape terrible things that could happen to them. Since
these miracles happened a long time ago, some of us might not believe
in them.
God with his wisdom gave us the keys to the universe, and it is up to
us to discover its possibilities. The miracles of God happen every
moment of our lives, and we get used to them, and they are not miracles
anymore.
To a believer who commits his or her life to God, miracles are in
everything that exists; to the skeptics, unusual events are dismissed
or explained away.
Some may see that miracles contradict science, but to a believer
everything is in the hands of God. He is the one who gives life and
takes it. He is the one who causes the rain, the thunder, the lightning
and all other amazing occurrences in the world.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/22/06
*
Hadith:
Truthfulness Leads to
Paradise
*
CAIR
Delegation
Meets with US Ambassador in UAE
-
ISLAM-OPED:
A
Sensible Way to Describe Terrorists
-
CAIR-FL:
Free
Community Forum on Civil Rights
-
CAIR-CA
Hosts
Entertainment Night for Civil Rights
*
CAIR
Rep
Discussing FBI Outreach to Muslims on CNN
-
NJ:
Building Bridges
at Giants Stadium
-
DNC Chairman Meets with Muslim American Leaders
*
VA:
Muslim Cadet Balances
God and Countries
-
MO:
Liquor Store
Location Too Close to Mosque
-
IL:
Panel
on ‘Who Shapes the Muslim Identity?’
*
Ex-Informant Says Officials
Wanted Him to Frame Scholar
*
Israel OKs
Expansion of Jewish Settlements
-
The Storm Over the Israel
Lobby
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: TRUTHFULNESS LEADS TO
PARADISE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Truthfulness leads to
righteousness, and righteousness leads to paradise.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 116
-----
CAIR
DELEGATION MEETS WITH US AMBASSADOR IN UAE -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/22/2006) - A delegation from the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) met Sunday with the U.S. ambassador to
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Abu Dhabi.
The CAIR delegation offered Ambassador Michele J. Sison information about
the American Muslim community and its desire to act as a bridge of
understanding between the United States and the Muslim world.
Meeting participants also discussed recent CAIR initiatives, such as
"Explore the Quran" and "Explore the Life of
Muhammad," designed to enhance the American public's understanding
of Islam and Muslims. CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad presented
Ambassador Sison with a copy of the Quran that is being offered free of
charge to Americans of all faiths.
"American Muslims can help people in the Middle East and the larger
Islamic world better understand the United States, just as they explain
Islam and Muslim concerns to fellow Americans," said Awad. "All
of our research shows that when levels of knowledge go up, prejudice and
misunderstanding decrease."
Awad also thanked Ambassador Sison for receiving the CAIR delegation and
promised to follow up on a number of ideas for mutual cooperation that
came up at the meeting.
He said the CAIR delegation is in the region to discuss initiatives to
improve the image of Islam in the United States.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices,
chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to
enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org.
SEE ALSO:
ISLAM-OPED:
A
SENSIBLE WAY TO DESCRIBE TERRORISTS -
TOP
Parvez Ahmed, Orlando Sentinel, 5/22/06
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
The European Union will soon distribute new guidelines to its 25-member
nations that recommend using "non-emotive lexicon for discussing
radicalization."
EU officials say that the guidelines, which are not legally binding, will
ask European governments to shun the phrase "Islamic terrorism"
in favor of "terrorists who abusively invoke Islam." Other
terms being considered by the review include "Islamist,"
"fundamentalist" and "jihad."
This first-of-its-kind effort to separate terrorism from its perceived
roots is laudable. Associating the criminal enterprise of terrorism with
the faith of 1.4 billion Muslims, 99.99 percent of whom will never come
near any act of terrorism, much less use Islam as a justification for
their
crimes, is just plain wrong.
Unfortunately, all too often "Islam" and "terrorism"
are juxtaposed in news reports and editorials. A word search on news
stories published in major newspapers over the past decade shows that
reporters are hundred of times more likely to associate Islam with
terrorism or militancy than all other faiths combined. Such lopsided
portrayal is indicative of deep-seated misunderstandings about Islam, and
sometimes just plain prejudice. Surely all terrorists are not Muslim,
neither are all Muslims terrorists.
The 9-11 attacks brought home the horrors of a new form of suicidal
terrorism. In order to eradicate terrorism, it is important to explore
its root causes.
More and more scholarly writings are delving deeper into this issue
offering us new insights. Robert Pape's book Dying to Win uses more than
two decades of data to show the paucity of connection between suicide
terrorism and any of the world religions. The pioneering instigators and
the largest purveyors of suicide terrorism are the Tamil Tigers of Sri
Lanka, a Marxist-Leninist group whose members are overwhelmingly Hindu.
(MORE)
CONTACT: Parvez Ahmed of Jacksonville is board chairman of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim
civil-rights and advocacy group. He may be contacted at:
pahmed@cair-net.org.
---
CAIR-FL: FREE COMMUNITY FORUM TO DEAL WITH CIVIL RIGHTS -
TOP
Orlando Sentinel, 5/21/06
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
The Council on American-Islamic Relations will present a free community
forum on civil rights, "Security vs. Liberty," from noon to 2
p.m. Thursday at the Callahan Neighborhood Center, 101 N. Parramore Ave,
Orlando.
Guest speaker and author David Cole from Georgetown University and a
panel of local law professors and civil-rights activists will discuss
topics such as executive power in the war on terror and immigration and
border security.
Refreshments will be served. Details: 407-649-1660.
---
CAIR-CA
HOSTS ENTERTAINMENT NIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS -
TOP
Muslim youths and Latino leader recognized for civil rights
work
(ANAHEIM, CA. 5/22/06) - About 1,400 people attended the “2nd Annual
Entertainment Night for Civil Rights” hosted by the Council on
American-Islamic Relations - Southern California (CAIR-LA) on Saturday,
May 20, at the Heritage Forum in Anaheim.
CAIR-LA honored Zeke Hernandez, deputy district director of the League of
United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) for his civil rights struggle and
nine Muslim youths for their efforts in civil, social and religious
activities.
The highlight of the evening included performances by comedians Azhar
Usman and Preacher Moss of the “Allah Made Me Funny” comedy tour. Hussam
Ayloush, Executive Director of CAIR-LA, also discussed the status of
Muslim civil rights in America today.
In his talk, Ayloush said although Muslims are the main targets of civil
rights violations today, Muslims defend the civil rights of all people in
America when they choose to speak up.
He also stressed the responsibility of Muslims to speak out for "all
victims of injustice, regardless of who they are, or what ethnic or
religious background they represent."
CONTACT: Sabiha Khan or Munira Syeda at CAIR-LA at (714) 776-1847 or
email
socal@cair.com.
-----
CAIR REP
DISCUSSING FBI OUTREACH TO MUSLIMS ON CNN -
TOP
5/21/06
NGUYEN: Well good morning to you on this Sunday. The FBI is looking for a
few good men and women. The agency is reaching out to young
Arab-Americans and trying to improve its image in the Muslim community.
The story now from CNN's Sumi Das.
SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Call it show and tell FBI style.
DAS: At Giants Stadium in New Jersey, young Arab-Americans and their
parents are learning about FBI agents' work, and the bureau is getting
some face time with a community it's trying to better understand and
whose help it needs to fight terrorism.
LESLIE WISER, FBI, NEWARD DIVISION: We are trying to reach out to the
kids of the Muslim community. I think it's very important that we
establish a dialogue with them.
SUZANNE LOUTFY, THE EGYPTIAN-AMERICAN GROUP: Education is what is going
on here today, exchange of knowledge. Who are you? Who am I? Who are
you?
DAS: Some Muslim Americans say they felt a backlash after 9/11 which led
to a distrust of the FBI.
KAREEM LOUTFY, 18 YEARS OLD: It's just removing the negative stigma of
law enforcement to the people, showing that law enforcement are just
regular people that shouldn't be scared of them.
DAS: The FBI isn't looking to sign up new recruits at this event, but it
does hope to spotlight what it can offer.
BRETT HOVINGTON, FBI COMMUNITY RELATIONS UNIT: Youth are very important
and that's across all communities, whether you're talking in the Arab
community. We have to do a better job of creating sort of a track
atmosphere where youth come in and they are actually put through a
process, sparking their interest, whether it's forensics, whether it's
cyber crime, whether it's white collar crime to give them the flavor of
what the FBI does.
DAS: While not a traditional choice, some Muslim Americans say teens are
considering careers at the FBI.
RABIA AHMED, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: It's becoming more
and more of an option for Muslims, because they are part of the fabric of
this society. And they too want the security of this nation.
DAS: The 9/11 Commission cited the FBI's lack of Arab-American agents as
an area needing urgent attention. Officially the FBI won't reveal how
many it has. Privately, officials as of early last year, say there are
about 20 in the entire bureau, but it does admit employing Arab-Americans
at all levels of the FBI is important. In the words of one agent, the FBI
wants to look like America. Sumi Das, CNN, Washington.
SEE ALSO:
BUILDING BRIDGES AT
GIANTS STADIUM -
TOP
Bob Ivry, North Jersey.com, 5/21/06
http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5Mzc4NTImeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz
EAST RUTHERFORD -- Nasser Abdelaziz Saber watched the aftermath of last
summer's London subway bombings on TV at his home in Bloomfield and vowed
that the same senseless bloodshed wouldn't happen here.
Saber, who runs a construction company and owns 20 Dunkin' Donuts
outlets, paid particular attention to the grieving parents of the suicide
bombers. As president of the Jersey City-based Egyptian-American Group, a
social organization consisting of 500 North Jersey families, he felt
compelled to prevent a similar tragedy from washing up on these
shores.
So Saber called the FBI, where he spoke with Leslie Wiser Jr., the agent
in charge of the Newark office. "We need to build bridges,"
Saber told him.
Together they planned, among other events, a meet-and-greet Saturday,
bringing together a dozen FBI agents and about 40 Arab-American
youngsters at the Giants' practice facility -- "the bubble" --
for give-and-take about mutual concerns, informal chats about Internet
safety and crime-scene investigations, a guided tour of an FBI helicopter
and a little tossing around of the old pigskin.
It's a mutually beneficial relationship. Saber's group announces to the
FBI that they are Muslims willing to help defend their country --
meanwhile teaching their children not to be frightened of the badge --
while the FBI makes friends in a community where friends aren't always
abundant.
"Most people like us when they get to meet us," Wiser said,
smiling. Then, more seriously, he added, "These are good folks who
are invested in America. If we don't have people like this helping us, we
won't win the war on terror."
Members of the Egyptian-American Group said they felt the heat of
heightened scrutiny after 9/11 even though, as member Nagy Motosh pointed
out, "Nobody said anything about Timothy McVeigh's religion after
Oklahoma City."
With that increased scrutiny came a greater responsibility to educate
fellow Americans about their culture, said Suzanne Loutfy, a former
Carteret school board president.
"That's why we took it upon ourselves to reach out," said
Loutfy, the group's spokeswoman. "The response from law enforcement
was positive."
The mood was upbeat Saturday. The children -- mostly high school-age,
with some preteens -- were awed by the helicopter, which landed and took
off for their amusement, and were responsive to the agents'
presentations.
But some, like 15-year-old Younes Haddouche of Kearny, had come to
discuss "what's going on in the world today." (MORE)
---
DNC CHAIRMAN HOWARD DEAN MEETS WITH MUSLIM AMERICAN LEADERS -
TOP
(Washington, DC) - On Wednesday, May 17, Democratic National Committee
Chairman Howard Dean met with a diverse group of Muslim leaders to talk
about the Democratic agenda for change along with efforts to reach out to
members of the religious community early on in the election
process.
Muslim leaders joined Chairman Dean in an informal discussion in which
they talked about civil liberties, the Patriot Act, immigration, poverty,
engagement of Muslim Americans in the political process, ways the DNC can
best reach out to the community and other issues important to Muslim
Americans. This meeting was part of a larger outreach by the DNC's Faith
in Action Initiative, a mission to involve state parties and religious
leaders from around the country in an ongoing dialogue about their shared
values within the Democratic Party.
Chairman Dean issued the following statement:
"With millions of Muslims in America, Islam is one of the fastest
growing religions in this country. Muslims mirror the diverse melting pot
that is America, including peoples of many regional, ethnic and racial
backgrounds. They are deeply patriotic, and they make invaluable
contributions to our society.
"It is my hope that this meeting will be the first in a series of
on-going discussions with leaders of the Muslim American community. We
had a productive discussion about a wide range of subjects and opened a
healthy dialogue on our shared values, including the protection of
religious freedom and civil liberties. No American should be subjected to
discrimination because of his or her race, ethnic background or religious
beliefs. It is our obligation as Democrats and as Americans to speak out
against such discrimination, whenever and wherever it rears its ugly
head. Likewise, as part of Democrats' national outreach efforts, it is no
longer enough to say that Muslim Americans should have a place at the
table; more importantly, we must have diversity on our tickets.
"I look forward to continuing to work with the leaders of the Muslim
American community to advance our shared values and goals for
America."
CONTACT: Amaya Smith, 202-863-8148.
-----
MUSLIM CADET
BALANCES GOD AND COUNTRIES -
TOP
Amy Jeter, The Virginian-Pilot, 5/21/06
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=104655&ran=4091&tref=po
NORFOLK “Car-ry co-lors!”
The order echoes in the Norview High School gymnasium. A Naval Junior
ROTC cadet, flanked by another with a rifle, pops a Virginia flag into
the air.
“No, go back down,” the unit’s executive officer, Zishan Hameed, tells
one of the cadets. “As big as that flag is, man, come on. Make some
noise.” The underclassmen, soon joined by two others, march around and
around the gym, and Zishan follows.
“You’re leaning forward.”
“Pick your knees up.”
“If one person goes fast, all y’all got to go fast.”
Zishan is 16. His voice, even his command voice, sounds more boy than
man. His black uniform coat, weighed down by braids, bars and medals,
hangs loose over his 5-foot-7-inch frame. A scratchy mustache sprouts on
his upper lip.
Zishan shaves it off for some ROTC events but always grows it back to
honor his Pakistani heritage. It’s one way Zishan balances his worlds:
that of a first-generation American and that of a gung-ho high school
cadet.
He is Muslim, and he’s looking to make a career in the U.S. military,
where today’s enemy worships the same god he does. (MORE)
ALSO SEE:
MO: LIQUOR STORE
LOCATION IS PROTESTED -
TOP
Muslims contend it's too close to mosque
Carolyn P. Smith, Belleville News-Democrat, 5/22/06
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/14638401.htm
EAST ST. LOUIS -- Several members of Muhammad's Mosque No. 28B protested
Saturday outside an East St. Louis liquor store they said is too close to
their place of worship.
"The store next door to us was given a liquor license by the city to
open a liquor business," Minister Ralph Muhammad said. "The
problem with this is the fact that it is within 100 feet of the mosque.
That's a violation of the ordinance. No way can they operate a liquor
business that close to a place of worship."
The mosque brothers are giving store owner Saber Barta 30 days before
they take legal action, said Clarence Muhammad, captain of the mosque.
The store, Express Market, is located at 2204 State St. and has been open
about a year.
"We do expect them in 30 days to seek other means of earning a
living in our community or we'll seek legal action," he said.
"We're here to make sure our rights are not infringed or stepped
on."
Barta, 22, said he's been harassed almost daily by the Muslim brothers
who attend the mosque, and he wants it to stop.
"Every since we opened, the Muslim brothers have been coming in here
harassing us, threatening to burn down the store," he added.
"They came in here today, about 15 of them in suits. They pushed the
customers to the side and blocked all of the entrances. They were
screaming, harassing and threatening us. They said we have to close in 30
days or they will close it themselves or burn it down."
Clarence Muhammad said no brothers from the mosque have threatened or
harassed Barta or anyone connected with the store.
"We're not in the habit of threatening anyone," he said.
"We're a peaceful community. We always practice peace. We are taught
to never be aggressive. When we see an atrocity, we speak towards the
issue. We have no problems with any persons, but we know if they were in
their own country or own neighborhood, they wouldn't open an
establishment of this nature next to a house of holiness."
(MORE)
---
IL: PANEL ON
WHO SHAPES THE MUSLIM IDENTITY? -
TOP
http://www.crecnet.org/events/052206whoshapes.htm
WHAT: The Civil Rights Education Center will host a panel discussion
on “Who Shapes the Muslim Identity?” with Aminah McCloud, Shakeel Syed,
Cherif Bassiouni, and Agha Saeed.
Invited guests include: Salam Al-Marayati, Muqtedar Khan, Farooq
Kathwari, Sayyid Syeed, Gowher Rizvi, Feisal Abdul Rauf, Imad Qasim, Eboo
Patel, Talat Othman, Guity Nashat, Nihad Awad, Javeed Akhter, Khalid
Azim, Yahya Mossa Basha,
WHEN: Monday May 22nd6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Islamic Foundation
300 High Ridge Rd. Villa Park, Illinois
Cost: Box Dinner $5
For more information, please call 312.765.6798 or email to
info@crecnet.org
-----
SWISS SPY IN A WAR OF WORDS -
TOP
Sebastian Rotella, Los Angeles Times, 5/22/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mole22may22,0,5675485.story?coll=la-home-headlines
GENEVA - Along with banks and chocolates, this placid lakefront city has
another claim to fame: It is full of spies.
Claude Covassi, a broad-shouldered, gray-eyed martial arts expert, was
one of them. He became an informant for Swiss intelligence in early 2004,
converted to Islam and infiltrated fundamentalist circles here in his
hometown. He followed the trail of holy warriors all the way to mosques
in Syria where aspiring foreign "martyrs" are groomed for
Iraq.
But in February, the secret agent went explosively public. He revealed
his mission to its prime target, a Muslim scholar here who has been
periodically accused of extremism, and gave newspaper interviews accusing
his handlers of trying to frame the cleric. Since then, Covassi has
unleashed everything from confidential documents to details of
clandestine operations.
The former spy insists that he abandoned his masquerade because he found
faith.
"It is not great speeches that convinced me but the force of prayer
and understanding of the Koran," Covassi, 36, said in a recent
interview by e-mail from his refuge in Egypt. "Islam transformed my
existence."
But Swiss anti-terrorism officials reject his allegations and accuse him
of a personal vendetta. It's unclear who was manipulating whom.
Covassi's story gives a rare street-level view of the fight against
Islamic extremism. All across Europe's Muslim communities, security
forces conduct aggressive surveillance of mosques, prayer halls,
bookstores, butcher shops, Internet cafes and other outposts where legal
fundamentalist activity converges with terrorism.
The case of the turncoat informant also reveals the risks involved for
spy agencies -- and for a scruffy legion of secret soldiers on the front
lines.
Covassi alleges that he was a pawn in a turf war between domestic and
foreign services in Switzerland that resembles the conflicts among
anti-terrorism agencies in other countries. (MORE)
-----
ISRAEL OKS
EXPANSION OF JEWISH SETTLEMENTS -
TOP
USA Today, 5/21/2006
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-05-21-israel-settlements_x.htm
BEITAR ILLIT, West Bank Officials said Sunday that Israel has approved
plans to expand four Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a practice the
United States has opposed in the past.
The settlements slated for expansion lie within areas that Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert hopes to incorporate within Israel's final borders. The
United States, which opposes settlement activity in the West Bank, has
not endorsed Olmert's plan.
News of the settlement expansions came shortly before Olmert was
scheduled to leave for Washington for talks with President Bush.
Olmert's plan to withdraw from dozens of isolated settlements in the West
Bank while beefing up large settlement blocs is expected to be on the
agenda at Tuesday's meeting at the White House. The Palestinians claim
all of the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War, as
part of a future independent state.
Othniel Schneller, a lawmaker with the ruling Kadima Party, said Israel's
Defense Ministry signed orders months ago to expand the boundaries of
Beitar Ilit and Givat Zeev, near Jerusalem, and of Oranit and
Maskiot.
Although Israel frequently builds new housing in existing settlements,
the expansions of settlement boundaries were the first in years, the
settlement watchdog group Peace Now said.
Israel's Defense Ministry, which oversees settlement activity, said the
expansion orders were signed by former Defense Minister Shaul
Mofaz.
But it said the ministry was "re-examining" the approvals under
the new defense minister, Amir Peretz, a moderate who took office this
month. Israeli media reports, however, said Peretz also has approved the
orders.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat urged Peretz to rescind the orders.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
THE STORM OVER THE ISRAEL
LOBBY -
TOP
Michael Massing, NY Books, 5/8/06
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19062
Not since Foreign Affairs magazine published Samuel Huntington's
"The Clash of Civilizations?" in 1993 has an academic essay
detonated with such force as "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign
Policy," by professors John J. Mearsheimer of the University of
Chicago and Stephen M. Walt of Harvard University's Kennedy School of
Government. Published in the March 23, 2006, issue of the London Review
of Books and posted as a "working paper" on the Kennedy
School's Web site, the report has been debated in the coffeehouses of
Cairo and in the editorial offices of Haaretz. It's been called
"smelly" (Christopher Hitchens), "nutty" (Max Boot),
"conspiratorial" (the Anti-Defamation League), "oddly
amateurish" (the Forward), and "brave" (Philip Weiss in
The Nation). It's prompted intense speculation over why The New York
Times has given it so little attention and why The Atlantic Monthly,
which originally commissioned the essay, rejected it.
The objects of all this controversy are two eminent members of the
academic establishment. Mearsheimer is a graduate of West Point, a
veteran of five years in the Air Force, and the author of three books,
including The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. In 1989, Mearsheimer
persuaded Walt to leave Princeton and to join the faculty at Chicago, and
they worked closely together until 1999, when Walt left for Harvard's
Kennedy School; he's been its academic dean for the last three years.
Last year, he published Taming American Power: The Global Response to US
Primacy. As their book titles suggest, both professors belong to the
"realist" school of international relations, viewing national
interest as the only effective ground for making foreign policy.
In their paper (the Web version runs eighty-two pages, forty of them
footnotes), Mearsheimer and Walt argue that the centerpiece of US policy
in the Middle East has been its unwavering support for Israel, and that
this has not been in America's best interest. In their view, the
"extraordinary generosity" the US showers on Israel the nearly
$3 billion in direct foreign assistance it provides every year, the
access it gives Israel to "top-drawer" weapons like F-16 jets,
the thirty-two UN Security Council resolutions critical of Israel that it
has vetoed since 1982, the "wide latitude" it has given Israel
in dealing with the occupied territoriesall this "might be
understandable if Israel were a vital strategic asset or if there were a
compelling moral case for sustained US backing." In fact, they
write, "neither rationale is convincing." Israel may have had
strategic value for the US during the cold war when the Soviet Union had
heavy influence in Egypt and Syria, but that has long since faded. Since
September 11, Israel has been cast as a crucial ally in the war on
terror, but actually, according to Mearsheimer and Walt, it has been more
of a liability; its close ties to America have served as a rallying point
for Osama bin Laden and other anti-American extremists. Morally, Israel
qualifies as a democracy, the authors write, but it's a deeply flawed
one, discriminating against its Arab citizens and oppressing the
Palestinians who have lived under its occupation. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. MUSLIMS SAY 'SIEGE' OF PALESTINIANS MUST
END
CAIR: Restore humanitarian aid, talk to elected
representatives
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/23/2006) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights and advocacy group today called on the Bush administration to use
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit this week to the United States
to address urgent issues that are harming America's image and interests
in the Middle East and throughout the Muslim world.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(
CAIR) said the current suffering
caused by the Israeli and international "siege" imposed on the
Palestinian people is a humanitarian disaster that will only deepen
divisions and hostility in the region.
In its statement, the Washington-based group said:
"We urge President Bush to tell Mr. Olmert that the American
people will not support unilateral actions such as settlement land grabs,
Apartheid-style walls or denial of basic humanitarian needs that block
progress toward a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mr. Olmert should also be told that he cannot expect American taxpayers
to continue financing Israel's illegal and counterproductive actions,
which impede the peace process.
"It is in our nation's interest to recognize that the issue of
Palestine is a core concern of Muslims worldwide and that our past
one-sided approach to the conflict has only served to damage America's
image in the international arena.
"Decades of unbalanced foreign policies have undermined our nation's
efforts to spread democracy in the region and have called into question
our own adherence to the most basic American values of freedom and
justice for all.
"As a start, President Bush should lift the current siege imposed on
ordinary Palestinians by the withdrawal of humanitarian aid and American
officials should begin talking with the elected representatives of the
Palestinian people.
"If we truly seek to promote democracy in the Muslim world, we
should respect the results of elections and not starve those who exercise
their democratic rights."
Olmert will meet with President Bush today and will speak before a
joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
SEE:
Olmert to Seek Bush View on West Bank Plan (AP)
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices, chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission
is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect
civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that
promote justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org; Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/23/06
*
Hadith:
Knowledge Leads to
Paradise
*
CAIR-CAN:
Mosque
Vandalized with Anti-Muslim Posters
-
CAIR-FL:
Judge Orders Release
of Saudi Students
*
Albright
Critical of Bush's Religious Absolutism
*
Extremism Isn't Islamic Law
(Wash Post)
*
Amnesty: Needy Suffer From
War on Terror
-
Civilians Die in Raid on
Taliban
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO
PARADISE -
TOP
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
-----
CANADA
MOSQUE VANDALIZED WITH ANTI-MUSLIM POSTERS -
TOP
CAIR-CAN calls for commitment to combat Islamophobia
(OTTAWA, CANADA, 5/23/06) – The Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-CAN) has condemned the recent vandalism of a Quebec
mosque with hateful messages and is calling on all Canadians to renew
their commitment to outreach efforts to build bridges and combat hate in
all its forms.
According to news reports, posters bearing hateful statements were taped
to the front door of a local mosque in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. The
posters labeled Arabs as terrorists, ordered them to leave the area,
reprinted offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad and called on
Quebecers to stand against the “Islamization” of Quebec cities. The
posters were signed by a group called Quebec Radical.
In a statement released today, CAIR-CAN said:
“The posting of such deeply offensive materials on the door of a Quebec
mosque is a blatant attempt to demean the local Muslim community and
frighten them into withdrawing from the area. This shameful act of
hate shows the destructive potential of Islamophobic attitudes.
“CAIR-CAN calls on the local officials in Trois-Rivieres to demonstrate
leadership and stand strong against hate and to investigate this incident
as a hate crime and bring the perpetrators to justice to ensure that the
hate-mongers who committed this shameful act do not succeed in their
attempt to intimidate vulnerable minorities.
“CAIR-CAN further encourages the citizens of Trois-Rivieres to engage in
outreach efforts aimed at strengthening relations and building bridges in
order to defend the democratic values that are so dear to all Canadians
and show hateful groups that malicious agendas will not be permitted to
succeed."
For more information, please contact Halima Mautbur at 613-795-2012. For
French media inquiries, please contact Sarah Elgazzar at
514-776-6566.
SEE ALSO:
FL JUDGE ORDERS
RELEASE OF SAUDI STUDENTS WHO RODE SCHOOL BUS -
TOP
CAIR helps advocate for the rights and release of students
(TAMPA, FL, 5/23/2006) - The Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today welcomed the decision of a
Florida Circuit Judge to release two Saudi students who have been in
custody since Friday for riding a public school bus. The decision comes
after federal and local authorities determined the students entered the
country legally and were not deemed a security risk.
Last week, the Saudi students were charged with trespassing on school
property when they mistakenly boarded a school bus. A day after their
arrest, a judge revoked their $250 bail to give Immigration and Customs
Enforcement time to check the backgrounds of the two men.
SEE: (SAUDI) FOREIGNERS CLEARED IN BUS SCARE
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBUL0ROJNE.html
Since their arrest, CAIR-FL officials have advocated for the release of
the two men, citing cultural differences and miscommunication as the
reason for the incident. CAIR-FL, Tampa Director Ahmed Bedier and an
accompanying attorney met with the students, who do not speak English, on
Monday and found that they were unaware of the charges filed against
them.
Outside the courthouse today Ahmed Bedier reacted to the judge's
decision. To view video news clips of today's hearing, visit:
WTVT FOX:
http://www.cairfl.org/video/060523-wtvt-saudi-students.wmv
WFLA NBC:
http://www.cairfl.org/video/060523-wfla-bus.rm
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices,
chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to
enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ahmed Bedier, CAIR-FL Tampa, Tel: 813-731-9506, E-MAIL:
abedier@cairfl.org
-----
ALBRIGHT
CRITICAL OF BUSH'S RELIGIOUS ABSOLUTISM -
TOP
Gideon Long, 5/22/06
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-05-22T111759Z_01_L22546477_RTRUKOC_0_UK-RELIGION-ALBRIGHT.xml
LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush has alienated Muslims
around the world by using absolutist Christian rhetoric to discuss
foreign policy issues, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
says.
"I worked for two presidents who were men of faith, and they did not
make their religious views part of American policy," she said,
referring to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both Democrats and
Christians.
"President Bush's certitude about what he believes in, and the
division between good and evil, is, I think, different," said
Albright, who has just published a book on religion and world affairs.
"The absolute truth is what makes Bush so worrying to some of
us."
Bush, a Republican, has openly acknowledged his Christian faith informs
his decisions as president. He says, for example, that he prayed to God
for guidance before invading Iraq.
Some Muslims have accused him of waging a crusade against Islam,
comparable with those of the Middle Ages. The White House says it has
nothing against Islam, but against those who commit terrorist atrocities
in its name.
But Albright says Bush's religious absolutism has made U.S. foreign
policy "more rigid and more difficult for other countries to
accept".
In her book, "The Mighty and the Almighty," Albright recalls
how Bush, while he was governor of Texas, told Christians he believed God
wanted him to be president.
She quotes from his speech to his party convention of 2004, when he told
Republicans: "We have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for
freedom". (MORE)
-----
EXTREMISM ISN'T ISLAMIC LAW -
TOP
Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid, Washington Post, 5/23/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/22/AR2006052201152.html
For a few days this year the world's media focused an intense spotlight
on the drama of a modern-day inquisition. Abdul Rahman, a Muslim convert
to Christianity, narrowly escaped the death penalty for apostasy when the
Afghan government -- acting under enormous international pressure --
sidestepped the issue by ruling that he was insane and unfit to stand
trial. This unsatisfactory ruling left unanswered a question of enormous
significance: Does Islam truly require the death penalty for apostasy,
and, if not, why is there so little freedom of religion in the so-called
Muslim world?
The Koran and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad do not definitively
address this issue. In fact, during the early history of Islam, the
Agreement of Hudaibiyah between Muhammad and his rivals stipulated that
any Muslim who converted out of Islam would be allowed to depart freely
to join the non-Muslim community. Nevertheless, throughout much of
Islamic history, Muslim governments have embraced an interpretation of
Islamic law that imposes the death penalty for apostasy.
It is vital that we differentiate between the Koran, from which much of
the raw material for producing Islamic law is derived, and the law
itself. While its revelatory inspiration is divine, Islamic law is
man-made and thus subject to human interpretation and revision. For
example, in the course of Islamic history, non-Muslims have been allowed
to enter Mecca and Medina. Since the time of the caliphs, however,
Islamic law has been interpreted to forbid non-Muslims from entering
these holy cities. The prohibition against non-Muslims entering Mecca and
Medina is thus politically motivated and has no basis in the Koran or
Islamic law. (MORE)
[Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid is a former president of
Indonesia.]
-----
NEEDY SUFFER FROM WAR ON
TERROR: AMNESTY -
TOP
Eugen Tomiuc, Radio Free Europe, 5/23/06
http://news.ibn.net/newsgen.asp?url=need
PRAGUE -- The war on terror has diverted the world's interest and
material resources from human rights emergencies, and caused
"enormous damage" to the lives and livelihoods of the ordinary
people, concludes the "Amnesty International Report 2006" on
"The State Of The World's Human Rights," released today in
London.
Amnesty International Secretary-General Irene Khan says powerful
governments blocked international organizations and wasted resources in
the name of the war on terror, turning a blind eye to massive human
rights violations and humanitarian catastrophes in other parts of the
world.
As a result, Khan says, such forgotten hotspots bore the brunt of
neglect.
"It's the forgotten conflicts that I remember most because those are
the things the world needs to remember and the world needs to act to
change," she said.
The report says that regional and international institutions gravely
failed to tackle humanitarian crises, such as the one in Sudan's Darfur
region, where conflicts have displaced millions of people, with war
crimes and crimes against humanity being perpetrated by all
sides.
Amnesty says Iraq also sank into a "vortex of sectarian
violence" in 2005, with the highest price being paid by the poor and
powerless -- ordinary Iraqi women, men, and children.
The Middle East conflict slipped off the international agenda in 2005,
the report says, "deepening the distress and despair of the
Palestinians and the fears of the Israeli population."
Europe, U.S. 'Partners In Crime'
Amnesty International says some European governments have been
"partners in crime" with the United States, defying the
absolute ban on torture. It says they condoned outsourcing of torture by
allowing prisoners to be transferred to states such as Egypt, Jordan,
Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Syria, which are known to practice torture.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CIVILIANS DIE IN RAID ON
TALEBAN -
TOP
Tim Albone, Times Online, 5/23/06
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2192240,00.html
AMERICAN-LED forces in southern Afghanistan claimed to have killed up to
80 fighters yesterday in a night-time airstrike on a Taleban stronghold
as violence continued to spread in the region.
However, the operation, about 30 miles from the second city of Kandahar,
left dozens of civilian casualties. Local authorities said that 16 people
had been killed, including women and children, and 16 had suffered
serious wounds.
A coalition statement said an investigation was under way into reports of
civilian deaths.
Asadullah Khalid, the governor of Kandahar, who visited some of the
wounded in hospital, urged villagers not to shelter Taleban fighters.
“These sort of accidents happen during fighting, especially when the
Taleban are hiding in homes,” he said. The airstrike caused extensive
damage in the village of Azizi, in Panjwayi district, which is made up
mainly of mud-walled compounds. There is no electricity and water is
drawn from a well. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS – 5/24/06
*
Hadith:
Generosity
*
CAIR:
Ellison May Become Congress’s First Muslim
-
CAIR:
Muslims Will Worship in New Mosques
-
CAIR-FL:
Seminar on “Security vs. Liberty”
-
CAIR-FL:
Student
Video Sparks Complaint
*
IL:
Special Meals
for Muslim Military Personnel
*
Conference
Develops Islam Image, Integration
-
Distorted Images of Islam
*
Former Gitmo
Detainees “Disappointed” in America
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GENEROSITY -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “A generous man is near
God, near Paradise, near men, and far from Hell. But a miser is far from
God, far from Paradise, far from men, and near Hell. Indeed, an ignorant
man who is generous is dearer to God than a worshipper who is
miserly.”
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 580
-----
KEITH ELLISON MAY BECOME CONGRESS’S FIRST MUSLIM -
TOP
Aaron Blake, The Hill, 5-24-06
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Campaign/052406.html
With a fast-growing U.S. population estimated around 5 million, Muslims
are increasing their voice in local and national politics every year. But
thus far they haven’t had one of their own in a national position of
power in Congress, the Cabinet or the Supreme Court.
He didn’t know it at the time, but Keith Ellison took a large step toward
changing that earlier this month when he won the Democratic endorsement
for the seat of retiring Rep. Martin Sabo (D-Minn.) in one of the safest
Democratic districts in the country.
Ellison, a black Muslim, still faces a September primary challenge that
could feature Sabo’s chief of staff, a former state Democratic party
chairman. But he has already gotten closer than any other Muslim
candidate in recent years and would be the first Muslim in Congress,
according to several national Muslim groups. . .
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is at the forefront of
Muslim get-out-the-vote efforts nationwide. Spokesman Corey Saylor said
CAIR put together substantial efforts in Ohio and Florida in 2004 and
will broaden its scope in the upcoming midterms.
He said most of the progress in getting candidates elected has been on
the local level but an Ellison victory would be a breakthrough.
“I think it would be huge, no questions asked particularly for a
community that feels very much like its presence in the United States is
being questioned,” Saylor said. “This would be a tremendous assertion of
the fact that we’re Americans and we’re just as interested in public
service as anyone else, and here’s the proof we have somebody in
Congress.”
Saylor attributed the fact that there have been no Muslims in Congress to
two things: The Muslim political movement in America is in its infancy,
with the first groups having started less than two decades ago, and the
lasting effects of Sept. 11 and the negative perceptions about Muslims
that have resulted. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
BUILDING ON FAITH; MUSLIMS WILL WORSHIP, GROW IN NEW MOSQUES -
TOP
Shelia M. Poole, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/24/06
www.ajc.com
As the sun beats down through the trees, the adhan, or Muslim call to
prayer, wafts through the nondescript house on Centerville Highway in
Snellville.
Upstairs, about 18 men and women, Bosnians who resettled in metro Atlanta
after the Balkan Wars, begin the Friday prayers and weekly congregational
service.
Their first place of worship was in Clarkston --- the first stop for many
refugees who move to Georgia --- in a former crack house. Then last year,
members of the community bought 8.3 acres of land in Gwinnett County.
They converted the house into a community center, Sunday school or mekteb
and central masjid in an effort to better serve the large number of
Bosnians who had settled in the area.
Now the Islamic Community of Bosniaks hopes to raise enough money to
build a gym and eventually a cultural center and new masjid on the
Gwinnett County site.
Although both places (the Clarkston site is a musallah or prayer center)
are used for worship and other activities, they are now too small to
handle the growing congregation, said Abdullah Kapic, one of the founders
of the Islamic Community of Bosniaks, who moved to Georgia with his
family in the late 1990s.
"The community has become very large and we want to accommodate
everyone," said Kapic, who estimates about 5,000 Bosnians live in
the immediate area. During a recent fund-raiser to build the gym, members
had to erect a huge white tent in the front yard of the Gwinnett site to
handle overflow. Sometimes they have to rent space.
The Bosnians are among several Muslim congregations renovating, expanding
or building new places of worship in metro Atlanta. In addition to the
Al-Farooq Masjid of Atlanta under construction in Midtown, there are many
more springing up in the suburbs. By one count, metro Atlanta is home to
30 to 40 mosques or places of worship. . .
Mohamed Nimer, research director at the Washington-based Council on
American-Islamic Relations, estimated there are 5 million to 7 million
Muslims in the United States and more than a billion worldwide.
He also estimated there were about 1,300 mosques and places of worship in
the United States as of 2003. (MORE)
---
CAIR-FL: SEMINAR ON “SECURITY VS. LIBERTY” -
TOP
Orlando Sentinel, 5/24/06
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
WHAT: The Council on American-Islamic Relations will present
"Security vs. Liberty," a civil-rights community forum. Guest
speaker and author David Cole from Georgetown University and a panel of
local law professors and civil-rights activists will discuss topics such
as executive power in the war on terror and immigration and border
security. Free.
WHEN: Noon-2 p.m. May 25;
WHERE: J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center, 101 N. Parramore Ave.,
Orlando.
For more information, contact 407-649-1660.
---
CAIR-FL: STUDENT
VIDEO SPARKS COMPLAINT -
TOP
Mary Spicuzza, St. Petersburg Times, 5/24/06
www.sptimes.com
Someone has filed a complaint saying that it portrays people from the
Middle East as terrorists.
An American Islamic civil liberties group is investigating a complaint
about a video produced by a Seven Springs Middle School student that
allegedly portrays Middle Easterners as terrorists plotting to blow up a
Pasco County school.
The film won second place at the district level of the Florida
Association for Media in Education (FAME) award, and was shown on the
campus' morning news program, Seven Springs Middle School principal Chris
Christoff said.
But Christoff said the video, a comedy, was a satire of the show 24 and
said he hadn't received any complaints about it.
"It was taking the events of the show and dramatizing it," he
said.
Christoff said the only copy of the video had been returned to the
student and was not available for viewing.
Ahmed Bedier, director of the Tampa office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), is trying to obtain a copy of the
video.
"We respect free speech; however, we should not be encouraging
hatred and bigotry in our schools," Bedier said. "Hate speech
by students should be condemned, not rewarded."
According to the complaint, which was filed with CAIR on Monday, children
in the video pretending to be Middle Eastern were shouting, "I love
Mohammed, I love Mohammed," Bedier said.
The complaint also said students in the video were pretending to be
plotting terrorist activity and speaking English in an "Arabic
accent" as well as mispronouncing words.
Bedier said that, depending on the content of the video, CAIR may file a
complaint with the school district and possibly the state.
(MORE)
-----
TWO CHICAGO COMPANIES
SUPPLY MEALS TO MEET MUSLIM, JEWISH MILITARY PERSONNEL NEEDS -
TOP
Dalia Hatuqa, Medill News Service, 5/24/06
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/05/24/news/illiana/487a1254409ed841862571780002f30a.txt
Dietary requirements of Muslim and Jewish military personnel were long
overlooked by the armed forces, leaving many strict followers to survive
on peanut butter, fruits and vegetables, and cereal.
Thanks in large part to two Chicago companies, these troops now have
everything from lamb and lentil stew, and cheese tortellini, without
feeling a burden on their consciences.
My Own Meals Inc. and J&M Food Products Co. are the U.S. military's
sole suppliers of prepackaged meals that meet Muslim and Jewish dietary
standards.
Produced and packaged under the careful eye of Jewish and Muslim
inspectors, the kosher and Halal meals Ready to Eat have only been
available in the military since the mid-1990s.
Jewish or Muslim personnel make up .5 percent of the U.S. military, said
Mary Anne Jackson, president of My Own Meals.
"While the numbers aren't necessarily big, the demand is
changing," she said. "A new market niche is emerging."
(MORE)
-----
LONDON
CONFERENCE DEVELOPS ISLAM IMAGE, INTEGRATION -
TOP
Mohammed Sabry, Islam Online, 5/24/06
http://news.ibn.net/newsgen.asp?url=lconf
CAIRO – London will play host to a three-day conference to be attended by
140 Muslim academics and community leaders from 25 European countries to
develop a moderate image of Islam in the West and improve integration of
Muslim minorities.
"We believe that Islam can contribute in a very positive way to
European society to the benefit of both Muslims and non-Muslims,"
Mutlag Al-Garawi, Kuwaiti Ministry of Islamic Affairs Undersecretary,
said in a statement, a copy of which was mailed to
IslamOnline.net.
The 1st International Moderation Conference, to kick off on Friday, May
26, is sponsored by the Kuwaiti government.
The three-day meeting will discuss the best ways to integrate Muslim
minorities into European societies while maintaining their religious
identity.
Issues of cultural isolation among young people and countering radical
groups among European Muslims will also top the agenda. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
DISTORTED IMAGES OF ISLAM -
TOP
Carl W. Ernst, IslamiCity, 5/24/2006
http://www.iviews.com/Articles/articles.asp?ref=IC0605-3002
Modern Europeans and Americans assume that Muslim women are invariable
oppressed, it is by no means clear that Muslim women have always suffered
from disadvantages in comparison with Christians or others. This is an
instance in which very recent advances in Europe and America are somehow
assumed to be an essential part of the West.
English women did not have full property rights until the Married Women's
Property Acts of 1870 and 1882, yet under Islamic law, Muslim women have
been guaranteed inheritance and property rights since the seventh
century. English women were still chattels of their husband or father
when Lady Mary Wortley Montagu traveled to Constantinople in 1716 with
her husband, the British ambassador. She was amazed to meet there Ottoman
women of the nobility who owned large estates and managed their own
property without male interference. Lady Mary even found the veil to be a
liberating device that freed women from the prying eyes of men.
Certainly misogyny and unequal rights for women are features that can be
found in abundance in the societies of North Africa, the Near East, and
much of Asia, but can we honestly say that America and Europe are free of
these problems? It is easy and hypocritical to accuse other societies of
abuses and inequities when injustices still exist in our own culture. The
image of the oppressed Muslim woman can all too often serve as another
self-righteous reason for Europeans to congratulate themselves on their
superiority. (MORE)
[Excerpted from 'Following Muhammad' by Professor Carl W. Ernst]
-----
MEN WITHOUT
A COUNTRY 'DISAPPOINTED' IN AMERICA AFTER A 'POINTLESS' FOUR YEARS AT
GITMO -
TOP
Lara Setrakian, ABC News, 5/23/06
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=1997083&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
Their story may be the strangest one you'll hear out of Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba.
Even after being cleared of any wrongdoing, five innocent men were kept
captive at the detention center at Guantanamo. Today, these men who
started out in China and ended up in Cuba are now free and in the Eastern
European country of Albania, the only country that would take them. They
spoke to the ABC News Law & Justice Unit in their first American
interview.
'In The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time'
Many of Guantanamo's prisoners proclaim they're innocent. What's
different about these men, Muslims from China's Uighur minority, is that
even American authorities said they were innocent, referring to them as
"no longer enemy combatants" or "NLEC." Nevertheless,
they remained imprisoned more than a year after their names were cleared
after the U.S. government determined they did nothing wrong and posed
no terrorist threat to America or Americans.
Why were they kept at Guantanamo so long after they were deemed innocent?
Simply put, no country including the United States would accept them.
They couldn't go back to China because they believed, as did the American
government, that as Uighur Muslims they faced persecution by the Chinese
government. With nowhere else to turn, they were taken in by Albania, a
country with a Muslim majority.
Even as they struggle to find a place to call home, they are working to
move past the ordeal of incarceration. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
CAIR ACTION ALERT #492
CAIR LAUNCHES 'MUSLIMS CARE' VOLUNTEERISM
CAMPAIGN
Summer-long effort focused on health, helping the needy,
youth activities
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/25/06) - CAIR today called on American
Muslims to support its second annual campaign, called
"
Muslims Care,"
designed to promote volunteerism in the Islamic community.
In the summer-long initiative, CAIR will offer Muslims the resources and
information they need to help improve the communities in which they live.
This year, CAIR will again ask Muslims across the country to focus on
health awareness, helping the needy and activities for youth.
[
NOTE: DC-area Muslims will participate in the
Komen National Race for
the Cure in
Washington D.C., on June 3. Register under
"MLM Muslims CAIR" team name.
E-Mail:
jbrockwell@cair-net.org
]
Visitors to CAIR's campaign website,
www.muslims-care.org, will be
able to download a
toolkit containing information about how to become a volunteer and
suggesting volunteer activities such as blood drives, health awareness
fairs and student tutoring. CAIR is suggesting that community members
visit the "Muslims Care" website to
submit local
volunteer opportunities and see what activities are available in
their state.
The "Muslims Care" kit also offers advice to Islamic religious
leaders about how they can promote volunteerism in local mosques and
suggests partnering with established volunteer groups such as the
American Cancer Society and Big Brother/Big Sisters.
Local Islamic leaders and imams are being encouraged to give Friday
sermons on the importance of volunteerism. The "Muslims Care"
toolkit has sample verses from the Quran and hadith to incorporate in the
sermons.
"As Muslims, we are encouraged to work to improve the communities
in which we live," said CAIR Communication Coordinator Rabiah
Ahmed.
Ahmed cited a recently-conducted
CAIR opinion survey showing that a majority of American said they
would change their views about Islam and Muslims if they perceived that
Muslims were more concerned about issues such as healthcare, education
and the economy.
ACTION REQUESTED:
1) Download the "Muslims Care" toolkit from:
http://www.muslims-care.org
2) Search the website for volunteer opportunities in your
area or contact your local CAIR office for volunteer
opportunities.
3) Submit volunteer activities that are occurring locally so that
CAIR can share those activities with others.
4) Form a "Muslims Care" committee to coordinate Muslim
volunteerism efforts in your community.
5) Come up with your own volunteer activities. For example, Muslim
physicians could offer blood pressure screenings at houses of
worship.
6) Encourage local leaders and imams to give Friday sermons on the
importance of volunteerism. See the "Muslims Care" toolkit for
sample verses of the Quran and hadith to incorporate in your
khutba.
7) Document and report all local campaign activities by sending
articles with photos to:
rahmed@cair-net.org
- PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE -
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society.
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from CAIR-NET, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/25/06
*
Hadith: Ask
God for Well-Being
*
CAIR: Is Islam
Misunderstood in America? (VOA)
-
CAIR-FL:
Judge Frees
Saudi Students (SP Times)
-
NJ:
Court Upholds
Decision to Deny Muslim Center
*
CAIR-Chicago:
Understanding Islam in the Modern World
-
CAIR-Chicago:
Former Director to Receive Award
*
KY:
High School
Prayer Axed After Muslim Complaint (AP)
*
A Black
Muslim's Perspective on the War on Terror (NPR)
*
DC: Alleged
AIPAC Informant Promoted (JTA)
*
NY
Post Falls for
Iran Dress Code Hoax (NY Daily News)
-----
HADITH OF THE
DAY: ASK GOD FOR WELL-BEING -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) heard a man begin a prayer
saying: "O Possessor of majesty and splendor." The Prophet told
the man: "Your prayer is answered, so make a request." He also
heard a man saying: "O God, I ask Thee for endurance." The
Prophet told him: "You have asked God for hardship, now ask Him for
well-being."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 766
-----
IS ISLAM MISUNDERSTOOD
IN AMERICA? -
TOP
Mohamed Elshinnawi, Voice of America, 5/24/06
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-05-24-voa33.cfm
A new survey of U.S. public attitudes toward Muslim-Americans and Islam
finds that a majority of Americans -- 55 percent -- regard
Muslim-Americans favorably, but that smaller numbers - only 41 percent --
have favorable impressions of Islam as a religion. The study by the
Washington, D.C.-based Pew Research Center indicates that many Americans
perceive a link between Islam and violence, with more than one in three
saying Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence
among its believers. Experts on Islamic-American relations believe such
negative views stem from American ignorance of Islamic culture.
Muslims and Islamic culture have long been an integral part of American
society. But today, almost years after the 9/11 attacks by radical
Islamists and the start of America's war on terror, many Americans
associate Islam with violence and extremism. . .
American Muslim leaders blame the US news media for generating what Nihad
Awad, Executive Director of the Council for American Islamic Relations
calls "Islamophobia".
"The kind of coverage that the American audience has been receiving
about Islam and Muslims leads one to just one conclusion, that Islam is
bad and Muslims are violent," he said. "The media has failed to
capture the reality of the Muslim world and only focused on the actions
of the few."
One of the problems with the media's portrayal of Islam, experts say, is
that violent acts committed by Islamic terrorists aligned with al-Qaida
make the news far more often than the peaceful aspects of Islamic
culture. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-FL:
JUDGE FREES TWO JAILED SAUDI STUDENTS -
TOP
COLLEEN JENKINS, St. Petersburg Times, 5/24/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/24/Hillsborough/Judge_frees_two_jaile.shtml
TAMPA - Not long after shedding his orange jail jumpsuit for jeans and a
T-shirt Tuesday afternoon, Shaker Mohsen Alsidran stared blankly at a
throng of TV cameras and microphones.
"Can you try to answer me in English if possible?" a TV
reporter asked with exaggerated enunciation. "Was this all a big
mistake?"
Alsidran, 20, looked ahead silently. A few uncomfortable seconds
passed.
"Mistake," he said, nodding.
Just four months into a five-year stay in the United States, the Saudi
Arabian man and his friend, 23-year-old Mana Saleh Almanajam, had
experienced a harsh side of American life after deciding to board a
yellow school bus Friday.
They went from English students to inmates. They got questioned by the
FBI and had their $250 bail revoked by a judge wanting more information
about their backgrounds.
On Tuesday, after four days in jail on misdemeanor trespassing charges,
they regained their freedom.
Hillsborough Circuit Judge Mark Wolfe released the men from jail without
requiring them to post bond. Prosecutors said a thorough investigation by
the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and the federal government found
that the Saudi men posed no threat.
Unlike their first bail hearing, this time an interpreter attended to
translate the morning court proceedings into Arabic.
The students' poor grasp of English added to the confusion and
consternation surrounding their bus ride on Friday. Law enforcement
authorities grew more suspicious when the men seemed evasive about why
they got on a bus headed to Wharton High.
First they said they were from Morocco, then Saudi Arabia. They gave
several reasons they made the trip.
But Ahmed Bedier, director of the Central Florida Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said any perceived caginess resulted from a
language barrier.
"They have a very limited command of the English language,"
Bedier said Tuesday. "Their stories have been straight all
along."
Almanajam and Alsidran came to Tampa in January to attend the English
Language Institute at the University of South Florida. They are
recipients of a Saudi government scholarship designed to boost post-Sept.
11 Saudi enrollment in U.S. schools and ease hostility toward
Americans.
Bedier, who visited the men in jail and translated for them Tuesday, said
they often told people they were from Morocco because it carried less
stigma than Saudi Arabia. (MORE)
---
NJ: COURT
UPHOLDS DECISION TO DENY MUSLIM CENTER -
TOP
AMY S. BOBROWSKI, The Reporter, 5/25/06
http://www.nj.com/news/reporter/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1148497564111180.xml&coll=13
SOMERVILLE -- Upholding a decision by the borough's Board of Adjustment,
a Superior Court Judge last week denied the Muslim Center of Somerset a
conditional use variance.
The ruling is the latest in a step of obstacles the center has faced in
its quest to run operations out of small house on Southside Avenue. Had
the judge approved the request, his decision would have cleared the way
for the county's first mosque.
Marguerite Schaffer, an attorney for the center, said her clients are now
considering their legal options. . .
During hearings in front of the board, the center suggested a mix of
parking areas including streets, the driveways of center members and a
lot at the nearby Chambres Park in order to meet the borough
requirements. But Schaffer doesn't think the board or the judge took any
of the center's recommendations into consideration when rendering
decisions.
"Under RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act)
the board and the applicant need to figure out what level of steps would
be necessary to make this work," she said, referring to an act that
requires land use board to weigh the negative conditions of a house of
worship against the public good. "Nothing was suggested. We
suggested ways to ameliorate the situation, but those weren't
considered." . . .
Schaffer said Buchsbaum noted that the board might approve the center's
request if it continues to hold Friday prayer services off-site.
"I don't think that's appropriate," she said. "It's as if
you're telling a Catholic church not to have mass on Sunday."
(MORE)
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO: UNDERSTANDING ISLAM IN THE MODERN WORLD -
TOP
The goal of the event is to provide a forum for education and discussion
around complex cultural issues that have strong implications in the lives
of individuals and communities on campus and beyond.
Speakers:
Aminah Beverly McCloud, Ph.D
Professor of Religious Studies & Director, Islamic World Studies,
DePaul University
Ahmed M. Rehab
Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago)
Public Editors
Chicago Tribune staff
WHEN: Thursday, May 25, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: IDA Noyes Hall, East Lounge, University of Chicago, 1212 East 59th
Street, Chicago, IL
SEE ALSO:
FORMER CAIR-CHICAGO DIRECTOR TO RECEIVE COMMUNITY BUILDERS AWARD -
TOP
Former CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Yaser Tabbara will be the
recipient of the "2006 Community Builders Award for Excellence in
Community Service" to be presented at Community Builders Annual
Banquet this Saturday at the Ramada Plaza Hotel O'Hare.
SEE:
http://www.mycommunitybuilders.com/
-----
KY:
GRADUATION PRAYER AXED AT SHELBY COUNTY HIGH -
TOP
ASSOCIATED PRESS, 5/25/06
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/14661681.htm
SHELBYVILLE - The principal of Shelby County High School said the school
will not have formal prayer at graduation exercises next month after
receiving a complaint from a student and the American Civil Liberties
Union of Kentucky.
Principal Gary Kidwell met Monday with the Board of Education and a
lawyer as residents held a prayer vigil outside. Tuesday, Kidwell said
the school will break from the tradition of student-led invocations and
benedictions at graduation June 2.
The school "will be compliant with the law and also provide a
respectful and dignified program for all students," he
said.
Traditional prayers at a school banquet and an awards ceremony also will
not be held, he said.
Last week, a court ordered a Russell County High School student who had
been designated to pray at graduation not to do so. Students rose on
their own and recited the Lord's Prayer during the principal's remarks.
The student who had been designated to lead the prayer included religious
messages in her remarks to graduates.
Arshiya Saiyed, 17, who is Muslim, identified herself Tuesday as the
Shelby County student who filed the ACLU complaint. She said other
students share her view, a contention echoed by Kidwell.
Arshiya said she understands that student speakers at Shelby County also
might include a prayer in their remarks, but she hopes they will respect
her objections to the formal prayer. (MORE)
-----
A BLACK
MUSLIM'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE WAR ON TERROR -
TOP
Christopher Johnson, NPR, 5/24/06
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5427587
News & Notes with Ed Gordon, May 24, 2006 · Christopher Johnson
reports on Yusuf Muhajir, a 58-year-old African-American Muslim -- and a
veteran of the first Gulf War -- who has recently had some run-ins with
Homeland Security enforcement.
-----
DC: ALLEGED AIPAC
INFORMANT PROMOTED -
TOP
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 5/23/06
http://jta.org/page_view_breaking_story.asp?intid=2793
The Bush administration promoted David Satterfield, an alleged informant
for a former AIPAC lobbyist facing trial in a classified information
case.
The State Department last week announced Satterfield's promotion to
senior adviser on Iraq to Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state.
Satterfield was promoted from deputy ambassador to Baghdad. Satterfield
is cited in the indictment against Steve Rosen, the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee's former foreign policy director, and Keith
Weissman, its former Iran analyst, as one of three government officials
who shared information with Rosen.
Satterfield is described as meeting with Rosen in 2002, when Satterfield
was second in command at the State Department's Near East desk.
Prosecutors refuse to explain why Satterfield escaped prosecution for
leaking information.
-----
POST BUMBLES
AND FALLS FOR 'FOURTH REICH' HOAX -
TOP
New York Daily News, 5/25/06
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/420925p-355354c.html
A story splashed across the front page of Saturday's New York Post has
been unveiled as a hoax.
"FOURTH REICH" screamed a Post headline over a shocking story
that Iran was going to require Jews and Christians to wear badges
identifying them as religious minorities.
The problem: The story's just not true.
The shaky story got its start Friday in a Canadian newspaper, the
National Post, which apologized yesterday for publishing the false
information.
Douglas Kelly, editor in chief of the National Post, said the story was
based on a column by Amir Taheri, an Iranian author and journalist, and
two expatriate Iranians living in Canada.
"We acknowledge that on this story, we did not exercise sufficient
caution and skepticism, and we did not check with enough sources,"
Kelly wrote.
The same can be said for the Post. Most U.S. media were skeptical of the
Canadian report and, unable to verify it, did not pick it up. But the
fact challenged Post blared the story on Page 1 - and across two inside
pages - in its Saturday edition. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
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-----
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In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/26/06
*
Hadith:
Pay the
Rights of Others Generously
*
CAIR-FL:
Rights
Being Stripped Away, Panelist Says (SP Times)
*
CAIR-CA: Bigoted Cartoon
(Press Enterprise)
-
CAIR-FL:
Saudi Released After Boarding Bus (Arab News)
-
CAIR-CA:
Looking for
Muslims in the Comedy World
*
CA:
Feminism Can't Solve All, Muslim Speaker Advises
*
Military
to Report Marines Killed Iraqi Civilians (NY Times)
*
Enough is Enough with Israeli Lobby
(Antiwar.com)
*
WA:
Folklife Festival Shows Diversity of Arab Cultures
-
PA: International
Islamic Heritage
Festival
*
VA:
Countering Sectarian
Violence: An Intrafaith Dialogue
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PAY THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS GENEROUSLY -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The best (person) is
the one who pays the rights of others generously."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Hadith 501
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
VERSE OF THE DAY: RIGHTS
"O Mankind! Be conscious of your Sustainer, who has created you out
of one living entity, and out of it created its mate, and out of the two
spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And remain conscious of God,
in whose name you demand (your rights) from one another. .
."
The Holy Quran, 4:1
To sponsor or obtain a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
CAIR-FL:
RIGHTS BEING STRIPPED AWAY, PANELIST SAYS -
TOP
Kevin Graham, St. Petersburg Times, 5/26/06
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/26/Tampabay/Rights_being_stripped.shtml
TAMPA - The U.S. government has a habit of creating laws that strip
foreign nationals of their freedoms then expanding them to take away
rights of American citizens, a Georgetown University Law Center professor
said Thursday.
David Cole delivered the keynote speech at the University of South
Florida for a discussion titled "Executive Power in the War on
Terror: Are There Any Limits?"
A Tampa FBI agent and the national director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations were among panelists who offered their views.
The American Civil Liberties Union and CAIR organized the event.
Cole began his remarks to the more than 250 people with a history
lesson about a bomb explosion in 1919 outside the home of then-U.S.
Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer, one in a series of explosions
in different cities that day. The government responded, Cole said, by
rounding up foreign nationals in what became known as the "Palmer
raids."
J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI director, focused much of his time on trying to
expand the Palmer raids so the government controlled U.S. citizens'
rights, Cole said.
"These were mistakes that we should avoid, not mistakes we should
repeat," said Cole. "The Bush administration has done just
that."
Earlier this month, a controversy erupted over news reports that the
National Security Agency has been secretly tracking millions of
Americans' phone calls. Former NSA director Michael Hayden, who is
seeking confirmation to become CIA director, defended the agency. He said
everything the NSA did was lawful and that "appropriate members of
Congress" are briefed on its activities. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CA: BIGOTED CARTOON -
TOP
Sabiha Khan, Press Enterprise, 5/25/06
http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/letters/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_25_letters.1cc02d60.html
I am writing in response to the editorial cartoon "Religious
reactions" (May 22). Not only is it inaccurate to compare the fringe
Muslim reactions to the Danish cartoons controversy and the mainstream
Christian reactions to "The Da Vinci Code," it is downright
racist to do so. In his cartoon, Garry Varvel unfairly depicts the
religious reactions of the Muslim world to the cartoon controversy as
overwhelmingly violent while portraying the reactions of the Christian
world to "The Da Vinci Code" as overly intellectual and
peaceful, continuing the stereotype that Muslims are violent.
While the majority of Muslims did not like the cartoons, most protested
peacefully, if at all. Many looked at the controversy as a teaching
moment, taking the opportunity to educate people on the life of Prophet
Muhammad. The violent protests were the exception and were unequivocally
condemned by almost all Muslim groups and scholars.
Secondly, comparing the two issues is like comparing apples to oranges.
The cartoons demonized a revered prophet of Islam, labeling him a
terrorist, among other horrible things. The movie, while it questions the
divinity of Jesus, does not demonize him, but offers a fictional story
about him marrying and having children.
[SABIHA KHAN, Communications Director, Council on American-Islamic
Relations, Southern California, Anaheim]
ALSO SEE:
CAIR-FL: SAUDI MEN RELEASED AFTER BOARDING SCHOOL BUS IN TAMPA -
TOP
Barbara Ferguson, Arab News, 5/26/06
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=82776&d=26&m=5&y=2006
WASHINGTON - One should never, ever lie to authorities; and here's why:
Just four months into a five-year stay in the United States, Shaker
Mohsen Al-sidran, 20, and his friend, 23-year-old Mana Saleh Al-manajam,
experienced a harsh side of American life after deciding to board a
yellow school bus last Friday.
The Saudi students were charged with trespassing on school property when
they mistakenly boarded the school bus. A day after their arrest, a judge
revoked their $250 bail to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement time
to check the backgrounds of the two men.
The problems resulted from a language barrier.
"They have a very limited command of the English language,"
Ahmed Bedier, director of the Central Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations told Arab News by phone.
The two Saudis came to the United States via a scholarship program
offered by Saudi Arabia to promote cultural understanding between the two
countries. After spending the weekend in jail, the presiding judge,
Circuit Judge Monica Sierra, decided what happened was due to a lack of
understanding and not something more sinister that prompted them to take
a ride on a school bus last week.
The men raised concerns among the students on the bus when they began
speaking in Arabic. The bus driver, a substitute, called ahead, and
deputies met the bus at Wharton High School and arrested both
men.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said the two men
were "evasive" as they answered questions. They first said they
were from Morocco, Callaway said, and then Saudi Arabia. The men later
told authorities they said they were from Morocco because they worried
Americans fear Saudi Arabian men.
Ahmed Bedier, Tampa director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, CAIR, said the misunderstanding was the result of cultural
differences and language barriers and that local authorities overreacted
when they jailed the men and revoked their bail.
"The whole reason they got on the bus was because they wanted to go
to the school," Bedier said. "They had some time on their
hands, and they like to look around the city. They don't have their own
transportation, and they saw the bus stop and thought there would be no
harm in riding the bus.
"I explained to them about the yellow buses being exclusively for
students of public schools," Bedier said, "and they responded
that, 'We are students attending a public school.'" After some
initial confusion, law enforcement officials learned the Saudis had been
students since January at the English Language Institute at the
University of South Florida. (MORE)
---
CAIR-CA:
LOOKING FOR MUSLIMS IN THE COMEDY WORLD -
TOP
Theo Douglas, OC Weekly, 5/25/06
http://www.ocweekly.com/culture/comedy/looking-for-muslims-in-the-comedy-world/25186/
You had to wait almost two hours at the Second Annual Entertainment Night
for Civil Rights before the funny men of the Muslim comedy group Allah
Made Me Funny stopped skewering their own and started sticking it to the
United States. Then it got good.
"Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World-like we don't have a sense
of humor, like we don't smile," said Muslim comedian Preacher Moss,
pacing the stage and taking a swing at comedian Albert Brooks' recent
film. "That's like looking for crime in Harlem, or wine in a liquor
store, or stupidity in the White House. It's right there." Then, not
missing a beat, he veered back to safe jokes about converting to Islam
when your parents are Southern Baptists, and marrying into an Indian
family when you're African-American.
It was sad-when would he bash Bush some more?-but you gotta know your
audience, and this was a Muslim family crowd overwhelmingly.
The
organizers, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, expected no more
than 600 people and roped off vast sections of the floor at the Heritage
Forum in Anaheim. They got a crowd of 1,600. . .
-----
CA:
FEMINISM CAN'T SOLVE ALL, MUSLIM SPEAKER ADVISES -
TOP
Allison Dedrick, Stanford Daily, 5/26/06
http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=20683&repository=0001_article
Stressing open-mindedness, education and humility as requirements for
Western feminists hoping to aid Muslim women, Asifa Quraishi gave a talk
last night entitled "Western Advocacy for Muslim Women: It's Not
Just the Thought That Counts." An assistant professor at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School and a specialist in Islamic
law and legal theory, Quraishi discussed the potentially harmful effects
misguided efforts from Western feminists can have on the Muslim women
they are trying to help.
The event was planned by the Islamic Society of Stanford University
(ISSU) and the Muslim Students Awareness Network (MSAN) in response to
increasing attention on the status of Muslim women as seen in headlines
last year about a woman sentenced to be raped to preserve the honor of
her family.
Student organizers said they hoped the event would increase awareness
about women's rights.
In an email to The Daily, ISSU organizer and electrical engineering
graduate student Salman Latif said, "We wanted to have an event
where we could start a discussion on how Muslims in the West and western
human rights organizations can work together, realizing that we share the
same goals."
Quraishi began her speech by observing that Western feminists often use
"conflicts of strategies that are ultimately detrimental in the long
run to the very women they are trying to aid."
She cited basic misconceptions about Islam and Islamic law as main causes
of these unintended negative consequences, arguing that Western feminists
sometimes have an "innate, often subconscious sense of
superiority" and approach issues facing Muslim women with a
"rescue mentality."
"It is a situation of friends, but they are not having a
conversation as equals," Quraishi said. "Western women
generally don't even realize there is this disconnect."
(MORE)
-----
MILITARY
TO REPORT MARINES KILLED IRAQI CIVILIANS -
TOP
Thom Shanker, Eric Schmitt, and Richard A. Oppel Jr., New York Times,
5/26/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/26/world/middleeast/26haditha.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
WASHINGTON, May 25 - A military investigation into the deaths of two
dozen Iraqis last November is expected to find that a small number of
marines in western Iraq carried out extensive, unprovoked killings of
civilians, Congressional, military and Pentagon officials said
Thursday.
An image from videotape taken shortly after a fatal raid in Haditha,
Iraq. Residents there said several marines carried out unprovoked
killings.
Two lawyers involved in discussions about individual marines' defenses
said they thought the investigation could result in charges of murder, a
capital offense. That possibility and the emerging details of the
killings have raised fears that the incident could be the gravest case
involving misconduct by American ground forces in Iraq.
Officials briefed on preliminary results of the inquiry said the
civilians killed at Haditha, a lawless, insurgent-plagued city deep in
Sunni-dominated Anbar Province, did not die from a makeshift bomb, as the
military first reported, or in cross-fire between marines and attackers,
as was later announced. A separate inquiry has begun to find whether the
events were deliberately covered up.
Evidence indicates that the civilians were killed during a sustained
sweep by a small group of marines that lasted three to five hours and
included shootings of five men standing near a taxi at a checkpoint, and
killings inside at least two homes that included women and children,
officials said.
That evidence, described by Congressional, Pentagon and military
officials briefed on the inquiry, suggested to one Congressional official
that the killings were "methodical in nature."
Congressional and military officials say the Naval Criminal Investigative
Service inquiry is focusing on the actions of a Marine Corps staff
sergeant serving as squad leader at the time, but that Marine officials
have told members of Congress that up to a dozen other marines in the
unit are also under investigation. Officials briefed on the inquiry said
that most of the bullets that killed the civilians were now thought to
have been "fired by a couple of rifles," as one of them put it.
(MORE)
-----
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH -
TOP
People have had it up to here with The Lobby
Justin Raimondo, anti-war.com, 5/26/06
http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=9045
Perhaps Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) didn't quite realize what she was
getting into when she voted against the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of
2006, so-called, which would cut off all aid to the Palestinians, impose
economic sanctions, and make it impossible for any entity, public or
private, to operate in Palestine. Or maybe she's just brave.
A liberal Democrat, Rep.McCollum had always been a strong supporter of
Israel, but on the issue of how to deal with the democratically elected
Hamas government of the Palestinian Authority, she had real differences
with what Stephen Walt and John J. Mearsheimer call "the
Lobby," in their pathbreaking and provocative study of "The
Israel Lobby," published by Harvard University. In that work, the
two professors have this to say about the power of the Lobby over the
U.S. Congress:
"The bottom line is that AIPAC, a de facto agent for a foreign
government, has a stranglehold on Congress, with the result that U.S.
policy towards Israel is not debated there, even though that policy has
important consequences for the entire world. In other words, one of the
three main branches of the government is firmly committed to supporting
Israel. As one former Democratic senator, Ernest Hollings, noted on
leaving office, 'you can't have an Israeli policy other than what AIPAC
gives you around here.'"
What AIPAC had been giving out was that the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism
Act of 2006 was a litmus test - either you voted for it, or, as a local
AIPAC representative, Amy Rotenberg, put it to Bill Harper, Rep.
McCollum's chief of staff:
"On behalf of [myself] the Jewish community, AIPAC, and the voters
of the Fourth District, Congresswoman McCollum's support for terrorists
will not be tolerated."
Rep. McCollum's response to this smear has been exemplary - and
indicative of a growing backlash against the Lobby. Her letter to AIPAC
takes them out to the woodshed and gives them such a thrashing that the
sound of it is reverberating throughout Washington. Averring that
"During my nineteen years serving in elected office, including the
past five years as a Member of Congress, never has my name and reputation
been maligned or smeared as it was last week by a representative of
AIPAC," McCollum goes on to say in a letter to AIPAC President
Howard Kohr that "until I receive a formal, written apology from
your organization I must inform you that AIPAC representatives are not
welcome in my offices or for meetings with my staff."
Ouch!
That Rep. McCollum would take such a stance, shows, I think, that the
power of the Lobby is waning. With an espionage investigation and
upcoming trial of its chief Washington lobbyist at hand, the
Walt-Mearsheimer controversy, and indications of a growing chasm between
Washington and Tel Aviv over the latter's arms sales to China and covert
activities in the U.S., the power of the Lobby is being openly challenged
as never before. What Walt and Mearsheimer describe as the distortion of
American foreign policy in favor of a foreign power - Israel - has now
become a major topic of debate. And how that debate has been conducted
shows that the future does not bode well for the Lobby…
-----
NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL: THIS YEAR'S ACCENT IS ON THE DIVERSITY
OF ARAB CULTURES -
TOP
Gene Stouts, Seattle Post Intelligencer, 5/26/06
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/271616_folklife26.html
Are you curious about courtship and marriage in North Africa? Arabic
calligraphy or Palestinian embroidery? The latest beats from Arab
DJs?
Or are you hungering for a plate of hummus, tabbouleh and baba
ghanouj?
Arab American life is the cultural focus of the 35th annual Northwest
Folklife Festival today through Monday at Seattle Center.
Titled "Arab Communities of the Pacific Northwest," the
wide-ranging cultural program features an Arab Dance Party, with a local
DJ, tonight from 7 to 11 at the Center House and a free concert Sunday
night at 7 at McCaw Hall.
The concert, dubbed "Sahra: A Night of Arabic Music," includes
Lebanese singer-guitarist May Nasr, a master nay (reed flute) player
Nadeem Dlaikan and violinist and oud player Simon Shaheen, who recently
performed at Town Hall Seattle.
Dlaikan, who lives in Detroit, and Shaheen, from New York, are two of the
country's most admired Arab musicians. They are the only Arab American
performers thus far to receive National Heritage Fellowships, the highest
honor the United States bestows on traditional artists. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
THE INTRIGUING 2006
ISLAMIC FESTIVAL -
TOP
PrimeZone, 5/26/06
http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news.html?d=99764
PHILADELPHIA -- Presented by the Islamic Cultural Preservation and
Information Council (ICPIC), the Fourteenth Annual International Islamic
Heritage Festival is part of PECO's Multicultural Series. This FREE and
unique event draws visitors, vendors, and Islamic scholars from all over
the country. Taking place on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus
Boulevard and Chestnut Street on June 10, 2006 from Noon -- 8 p.m., the
event will be a chance to experience authentic Islamic cuisine, music and
entertainment along with learning about the rich Islamic heritage and
history. PECO is a proud supporter of the Multicultural series at Penn's
Landing which features ten different ethnic festivals and Independence
Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2006 season at Penn's
Landing.
The festival will kick off with a "Unity in Diversity and Stop the
Violence Community Parade," featuring Youth Groups, Drill Teams,
Schools and Community Organizations from across the Delaware Valley. The
parade will commence at 11 a.m. at Independence National Park, 5th and
Market Street, and end on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing.
The festival begins at 12 Noon at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing,
located on Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street. The day's events will
include a book signing and meet the author pavilion. The authors will
include Nimat Marie, "Mother's Wit Commentaries for the Human
Spirits," and Amin Nathari, "Muslim Unity by Any Means
Necessary" will be present along with other writers.
Over 50 national and international merchants will be on hand selling an
assortment of goods and services from around the world including Islamic
arts and crafts, books, clothing, and unique foods. ICPIC's New Africa
Muslim American Museum and Archive will display a sample of their
exhibits.
In addition to the bazaar and activities, stage entertainment will be
provided throughout the day beginning at 1:00 p.m. World-renowned UPK
Generals will perform as well as the Universal African Dancers, the
Association of Islamic Charitable Project's Madih Chorus, young
rap/spoken word artists from the J&R Grassroots Artist Group, the
Exiles, acclaimed singer Dar Es Salaam and the Muslim Vanguard Jazz
Ensemble Healing Force. Other musical groups will feature Muslim rap
artists as well as multicultural performance groups.
Admission is free for all PECO Multicultural Series events. More
information about the International Islamic Heritage Festival can be
found at
www.icpic.net (MORE)
-----
VA: COUNTERING SECTARIAN VIOLENCE:
AN INTRAFAITH DIALOGUE -
TOP
The Muslim Public Affairs Council would like to invite you to:
WHAT: Countering Sectarian Violence: An Intrafaith Dialogue
SPEAKERS:
* Imam Mohamed Magid
* Imam Sayid Hassan Qazwini
WHEN: Friday, May 26 at 6:00 pm
WHERE: ADAMS Center, 46903 Sugarland Rd., Sterling, Virginia
RSVP: Please e-mail to
zuleqa@mpac.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
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In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/28/06
*
Hadith:
Give Charity Without Delay
*
Islamic Relief Responds to Indonesian
Quake
*
CAIR-NY Co-Sponsors Dialogue on Shias,
Sunnis, Iraq
*
NY:
Trial Opens Window on
Shadowing of Muslims (NYT)
-
Undercover Work Deepens
Police-Muslim Tensions
-
CA:
The Agent Who Might Have
Saved Hamid Hayat (LAT)
*
NJ:
Muslim-Americans Seek
Harmony (Star-Ledger)
*
Revealed:
How US Marines Massacred 24 Iraqi
Civilians
-
Iraqi Townspeople Describe
Slayings (Wash Post)
-
More Marines Held in Separate Death
Probe (Press-Ent)
*
U.S. Marine Converts to Islam
(Los Angeles Times)
*
Canada:
Film Could Stir Anti-Muslim
Violence (Free Press)
-
Ordinary Americans Challenge
Anti-Muslim Hate
*
OH:
Filmmaker Details Prophet's
Life (Toledo Blade)
-
KS:
'Muhammad' Will Present
Faith of Muslims
*
FL:
Muslim School to Get New
Home (Miami Herald)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GIVE CHARITY WITHOUT DELAY -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Give charity without
delay, for it stands in the way of calamity."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 589
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
ISLAMIC RELIEF RESPONDS TO INDONESIAN QUAKE -
TOP
BURBANK, CA (May 27, 2006) - Thousands of people have been killed and
injured after a deadly earthquake struck Indonesia's main island of Java.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck before 6:00 am local time on Saturday
off the island's coast. . .
Islamic Relief has already allocated over $928,000 for initial emergency
projects and is appealing for a further $3.7 million for the victims of
the disaster.
Islamic Relief has already began distributing blankets, clean water,
food, and hygiene kits and is coordinating efforts with domestic and
international agencies in the area. . .
Donations can be made online at:
www.irw.org
Media Contact:
Mostafa Mahboob
Islamic Relief
mostafa@irw.org
(310) 351-0952 mobile
(818) 238-9520 office
-----
CAIR-NY: A DIALOGUE ON SHIAS, SUNNIS, AND POLITICS
IN IRAQ -
TOP
On June 3, Independent Viewpoints (IV) will hold a panel discussion in
New York City, "A Dialogue on Shias, Sunnis, and Politics in
Iraq," moderated by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now.
This event is being co-sponsored by the New York Chapter of Council on
American-Islamic Relations, The Qunoot Foundation (DC), Education for
Peace in Iraq Center (DC), United Muslim Foundation (Florida), Muslim
Consultative Network (NY), and Muslim Bar Association of New
York.
WHEN: Saturday, June 3rd, 2006, 9 AM - 6 PM
WHERE: New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street at
Central Park West, New York, NY
COST: $20 online, $35 at the door
GO TO:
http://www.independentviewpoints.org/events_buytickets.html
-----
NY: TRIAL OPENS WINDOW ON SHADOWING
OF MUSLIMS -
TOP
WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM, New York Times, 5/28/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/nyregion/28tactics.html
On an unusually warm day in December 2003, three dozen men filed into the
Islamic Society of Bay Ridge on Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn, kneeling on the
moss-green carpet for the midday prayer.
To anyone watching, the service itself would have appeared unremarkable.
But several police reports, when taken together with testimony at the
recent federal trial of a Pakistani immigrant in the plot to bomb the
Herald Square subway station, revealed something extraordinary about the
gathering: Among the kneeling men were at least three who were working
undercover for the New York Police Department.
The intense level of scrutiny in the mosque that day was, by all
accounts, exceptional. But it nonetheless suggests the depth of the
Police Intelligence Division's clandestine programs, developed since the
Sept. 11 attack, to infiltrate mosques and Muslim gatherings around New
York City to try to prevent another terrorist strike. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
UNDERCOVER WORK DEEPENS
POLICE-MUSLIM TENSIONS -
TOP
ANDREA ELLIOTT, New York Times, 5/27/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/27/nyregion/27muslim.html
It is no secret to the Muslim immigrants of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, that
spies live among them.
Almost anyone can rattle off what they regard as the telltale signs of
police informers: They like to talk politics. They have plenty of free
time. They live in the neighborhood, but have no local
relatives.
"They think we don't know, but we know who they are," said
Linda Sarsour, 26, a community activist.
It is another thing for them to be officially revealed. Over the last
several weeks, during the trial of a Pakistani immigrant who was
convicted on Wednesday of plotting to blow up the Herald Square subway
station, Muslims in Bay Ridge learned that two agents of the police had
been planted in the neighborhood and were instrumental to the
case.
They absorbed the testimony of an Egyptian-born police informer who had
recorded the license plate numbers of worshipers at a mosque. They heard
that an undercover detective, originally from Bangladesh, had been sent
to Bay Ridge as a "walking camera."
The trial's revelations, and its outcome for the defendant, Shahawar
Matin Siraj, have brought a bitter reckoning among Muslims in the city.
Many see the police tactics unveiled in the case as proof that the
authorities - both in New York and around the nation - have been
aggressive, even underhanded in their approach to Muslims.
(MORE)
---
CA: THE AGENT WHO MIGHT HAVE SAVED
HAMID HAYAT -
TOP
For 35 years, James Wedick had been a star at the FBI. When his former
colleagues prosecuted a suspected terrorist, he came to the side of the
defense and was branded a traitor.
Mark Arax, Los Angeles Times, 5/28/06
http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/west/la-tm-wedick22may28,0,4951185.story
Wedick couldn't look Hamid Hayat in the eye. He had pledged to him months
earlier that he was going to do everything he could to see injustice
righted, even if it meant turning his back on 35 years in the FBI.
"Hamid is a hapless character, but, my God, he isn't a terrorist.
The government counted on hysteria, the 1,000-pound gorilla, to be in the
room. And it worked. Damn, it worked."
He saw one juror holding back tears and made a straight line for her
apartment. She wouldn't let him in at first, talking through a crack. Two
hours, four hours, finally she opened the door and told him what he
suspected. She didn't believe Hamid was guilty. So intense was the
pressure from fellow jurors to convict him that she had to check into the
hospital. Throughout the trial, she said, the foreman kept making the
gesture of a noose hanging. "Lynch the Muslim," she took it to
mean. Wedick persuaded her to write it all down and sign it. Then he
filed the affidavit with the federal court, hoping it might lead to a new
trial. (MORE)
-----
NJ: MUSLIM-AMERICANS SEEK HARMONY -
TOP
1,000 attend 3-day conference in Somerset on assimilating Islam and
American society
JEFF DIAMANT, Star-Ledger, 5/28/06
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-3/114879223881440.xml&coll=1
Prominent Muslims are joining together to brainstorm on countering the
isolation and lack of understanding many Muslim-American communities feel
in a time of tremendous cultural upheaval.
At a three-day conference titled "Muhammad and the West," held
at the Garden State Convention and Exhibit Center in Somerset, hundreds
of Muslims from New Jersey and surrounding states attended talks on the
role of Muslims in American politics, raising Muslim children in America,
and relations with non-Muslims. (MORE)
-----
CANADA: MUSLIMS FEAR FILM COULD STIR VIOLENCE -
TOP
Carol Sanders, Winnipeg Free Press, 5/27/06
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/local/story/3517723p-4064954c.html
OPPONENTS of the screening of a controversial documentary say an Imax
screening of Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West Monday and
Tuesday night in Winnipeg may put Winnipeg Muslims in danger.
City police have been asked to increase their patrols around the Islamic
school and mosques after the Imax screenings this week.
Once the film has been widely screened, Muslims in Winnipeg may become a
target, said Shahina Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Social Services
Association Inc. of Canada. She has filed a formal complaint with
Winnipeg police alleging the movie promotes hatred.
Last night, the documentary was shown to a diverse group of about 60
Christians, Muslims, Jews and others at Mondragon Bookstore and
Coffeehouse. They discussed the film and how to respond to it being shown
to the broader Winnipeg public.
"I would worry about its effect on people," said Wayne
Helgason, executive director of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
who attended the screening. "It certainly doesn't promote
tolerance," he said.
"I'd give it one star with poisonous points," he said.
"I'd describe it as a disjointed chronology of hate statements and
conclusions that come at you like a fire hose and for too
long."
The screening of the American-made film is being sponsored by the
Winnipeg Zionist Initiative, Aish Winnipeg and the Asper
Foundation.
The film includes interviews with policy analysts, terrorists and
journalists and is peppered with images of bloody carnage from terror
attacks and snippets of translated speeches from religious leaders and
young children.
University of Manitoba professor Howard Davidson, a secular Jew, said he
wonders why some Jewish groups want to show the film here. He said he's
concerned it's anti-Muslim propaganda intended to stir up support for a
war with Iran.
"Why are they showing the film? Are they trying to promote
understanding?" (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
ORDINARY AMERICANS CHALLENGE ANTI-MUSLIM
HATE -
TOP
http://watchjihadwatch.blogspot.com/
-----
REVEALED: HOW US MARINES MASSACRED 24 -
TOP
Sarah Baxter, Hala Jaber and Ali Rifat, The Sunday Times, 5/28/06
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2200170,00.html
PHOTOGRAPHS taken by American military intelligence have provided crucial
evidence that up to 24 Iraqis were massacred by marines in Haditha, an
insurgent stronghold on the banks of the Euphrates.
One portrays an Iraqi mother and young child, kneeling on the floor, as
if in prayer. They have been shot dead at close range.
The pictures show other victims, shot execution-style in the head and
chest in their homes. An American government official said they revealed
that the marines involved had "suffered a total breakdown in
morality and leadership".
The killings are emerging as the worst known American atrocity of the
Iraq war. At least seven women and three children were among those
killed. Witness accounts obtained by The Sunday Times suggest the toll of
children may be as high as six. "This one is ugly," a US
military official said.
SEE ALSO:
IRAQI TOWNSPEOPLE DESCRIBE
SLAYING OF 24 CIVILIANS BY MARINES IN NOV. 19 INCIDENT -
TOP
Ellen Knickmeyer, Washington Post, 5/27/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/26/AR2006052602069.html
BAGHDAD, May 26 -- Witnesses to the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians by U.S.
Marines in the western town of Haditha say the Americans shot men, women
and children at close range in retaliation for the death of a Marine
lance corporal in a roadside bombing.
Aws Fahmi, a Haditha resident who said he watched and listened from his
home as Marines went from house to house killing members of three
families, recalled hearing his neighbor across the street, Younis Salim
Khafif, plead in English for his life and the lives of his family
members. "I heard Younis speaking to the Americans, saying: 'I am a
friend. I am good,'" Fahmi said. "But they killed him, and his
wife and daughters."
The 24 Iraqi civilians killed on Nov. 19 included children and the women
who were trying to shield them, witnesses told a Washington Post special
correspondent in Haditha this week and U.S. investigators said in
Washington. The girls killed inside Khafif's house were ages 14, 10, 5, 3
and 1, according to death certificates. (MORE)
---
MORE MARINES HELD IN SEPARATE DEATH PROBE
-
TOP
Rick Rogers, UNION-TRIBUNE, 5/27/06
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20060527-9999-1n27pendle.html
A probe into what is being described as the execution of Iraqi civilians
by local Marines in November continues at Camp Pendleton, where it was
announced yesterday that other Marines are being held in a separate
investigation of the death of an Iraqi man in April.
The larger incident took place in the town of Haditha after a roadside
bomb killed a member of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment on Nov.
19.
Initial reports said the civilians who were killed had died in the blast
and a subsequent firefight, but details later emerged to bring that
version into question.
The April 26 death happened in Hamandiyah, a village west of Baghdad. It
involved members of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
(MORE)
-----
PILGRIM'S PROGRESS IN IRAN -
TOP
Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times, 5/27/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-qom27may27,1,628099.story
After years of zigzagging between career paths and coasts in the United
States, Tappan converted to Shiite Islam five years ago, saved up money
and secured some loans. Last fall, he headed here with his wife, Sara, to
make a spiritual connection with his newfound faith as well as finish his
doctorate in Islamic Studies.
But he has found himself struggling for answers about his new religion as
well as his relationship to the U.S. in this conservative town, the
religious center of a country now locked in a war of words with
Washington and the West over its pursuit of nuclear technology, its ties
to militant groups abroad and its role in neighboring Iraq.
(MORE)
-----
OH: FILMMAKER DETAILS PROPHET'S LIFE -
TOP
DAVID YONKE, Toledo Blade, 5/27/06
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060527/NEWS10/60527019
Alex Kronemer was finishing up a documentary on the Prophet Mohammed,
founder of Islam, when his neatly planned project was torn apart by the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"The idea [for the film] was born in 1988, when [author] Michael
Wolfe and I first discussed it, and production began in July, 2000. The
film was finished in July, 2002," Mr. Kronemer said in a recent
interview from Cairo, Egypt, where he was attending the World Economic
Forum. "Of course, a very important date happened in between -
9/11."
Mr. Kronemer, who will give a lecture Friday sponsored by the United
Muslims Association of Toledo, said he was forced to rewrite the
documentary to include the terrorist attacks, but also to shift somewhat
the perspective of his film, Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet.
"We really did not intend to deal with war and jihad and
battles," he said. "We wanted to focus more on community
building. But after 9/11, everybody was talking about wars and battles,
and the film would have seemed irrelevant if we didn't include those
elements."
Fortunately, the documentary was not finished when the 9/11 attacks shook
the world and Mr. Kronemer had time to make adjustments. The program
premiered on PBS-TV nationwide in December, 2002, and has been
rebroadcast more than 600 times on PBS affiliates.
Mr. Kronemer, 45, who grew up in western Pennsylvania, has a master's
degree in theological studies from Harvard University. In 1996, he was
awarded a Joseph J. Malone Fellowship for Middle East and Islamic
Studies, which funded a research tour of Saudi Arabia and
Bahrain.
The filmmaker said he converted to Islam about 20 years ago and was
interested in using his skills to tell the life story of founder of
Islam, who was born about 570 A.D. in what is now Saudi Arabia.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
KS: 'MUHAMMAD' WILL PRESENT
FAITH OF MUSLIMS -
TOP
JOE RODRIGUEZ, Wichita Eagle, 5/27/06
http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/living/religion/14677929.htm
As Muslims worldwide denounced the caricatures of the prophet Muhammad
first printed in a Danish newspaper last September, a group of
Wichita-area Muslims met to discuss their response.
The group, members of the Islamic Society of Wichita's Masjid Committee,
decided to host a "learning convention," which they hope will
become an annual event and help educate non-Muslims about different
aspects of Islam.
The event, "Legacy of Muhammad," will be June 3 at Ahlberg Hall
on the campus of Wichita State University. (MORE)
-----
FL: MUSLIM SCHOOL TO GET NEW HOME -
TOP
DIANA MOSKOVITZ, Miami Herald, 5/28/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/cities_neighborhoods/plantation_sunrise/14669735.htm
When Dr. Samina Qureshi moved to South Florida in 1984, her family drove
to a mosque in Miami for prayer. A few years later, she and a few other
families started teaching weekend classes in rented classrooms for a
small group of children in Broward.
"Then it just took off," Qureshi said. "We realized there
were dozens of families with a need."
So the group, the Islamic Foundation of South Florida, bought a home --
about 9,500 square feet in a converted warehouse at 4505 NW 103rd Ave. in
Sunrise.
But now they have outgrown that space. The school has about 140 full-time
students, Qureshi said. Friday prayers draw about 500 people.
They are building a new school and prayer hall blocks away, near
Commercial Boulevard and the Sawgrass Expressway. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/30/06
*
Hadith:
God Provides a Cure for
Every Disease
*
CAIR:
DC-Area
Muslims to Take Part in 'Race for the Cure'
*
CAIR-FL
to Announce Bias Complaint Against School
-
CAIR-TX:
Barriers to Muslims Joining School Group
-
CAIR-CA:
Houses of Worship
Tighten Security
*
CA:
Islamic Relief, Church Deliver Aid to Quake Victims
*
AZ:
Alamo Car Rental Guilty of Post-9/11 Backlash (EEOC)
*
Canada:
Aspers Sponsor
Anti-Muslim Hate Film, Say Critics
-
Incitement:
'Rock
Against Islam' Concert in Oregon
*
CA:
Muslim Film
Festival Coming to Fremont Theater
*
NJ:
Arab-American Candidate Sues After Losing Endorsement
-
NY:
Arab-Sounding
Immigrant? Wait 1,001 Nights
*
Iraq:
The Shame of Kilo
Company (Time)
-
Marines
and
the 'Massacre' (The Times)
-
Iraqis' Accounts
Link Marines to Killings (NY Times)
*
Somalia:
U.S. Supports
Warlords Against Islamic Courts Union
-
Wall to Enclose
Palestinians
Inside Jewish State
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GOD PROVIDES A CURE
FOR EVERY DISEASE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "(God) has let no
disease exist without providing for its cure, except for one ailment,
namely old age."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4, Number 5C
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
DC-AREA
MUSLIMS TO TAKE PART IN 'RACE FOR THE CURE' -
TOP
Event participation part of 'Muslims Care' volunteerism campaign
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/30/06) - On June 3, Muslims will participate in the
Komen National Race for the Cure in Washington D.C., as part of a
national volunteerism campaign called "Muslims Care."
SEE:
www.nationalraceforthecure.org/ [Those who wish to join the Muslim
participants should register under "MLM Muslims Cair" team
name.]
SEE ALSO:
www.muslims-care.org
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) launched the annual
"Muslims Care" campaign earlier this month as a way to promote
the concept of volunteerism in the Islamic community.
In its summer-long initiative, Washington-based Islamic civil rights and
advocacy group will offer Muslims the resources and information they need
to help improve the communities in which they live. This year, CAIR will
again ask Muslims across the country to focus on health awareness,
helping the needy and activities for youth.
Visitors to CAIR's campaign website,
www.muslims-care.org, will be
able to download a toolkit containing information about how to become a
volunteer and suggesting volunteer activities such as blood drives,
health awareness fairs and student tutoring. CAIR is suggesting that
community members visit the website to submit local volunteer
opportunities and see what activities are available in their
state.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-FL TO ANNOUNCE BIAS COMPLAINT AGAINST JACKSONVILLE SCHOOL -
TOP
Muslim elementary student allegedly threatened with arrest, kicked off
school bus
(JACKSONVILLE, FL, 5/30/06) - On Tuesday, May 31, the Florida office of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) will hold a news
conference in Jacksonville to announce details of a discrimination
complaint by the family of a 10-year-old Muslim elementary student who
says she was not allowed to participate in a school performance,
threatened with arrest and kicked off a public school bus because of her
religion and religious attire. The girl and her mother will take part in
the news conference.
WHAT: Jacksonville News Conference to Announce Discrimination
Complaint
WHEN: Wednesday, May 31, Noon
WHERE: On the sidewalk outside (in front of the marquee sign) Pine Forest
Elementary School, 3929 Grant Road, Jacksonville, FL
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ahmed Bedier, CAIR-FL Central Florida Director, 813-731-9506,
abedier@cairfl.org; Areeb Naseer,
CAIR-FL Legal Advisor 619-301-9091,
anaseer@cairfl.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-DFW: NON-CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO JOIN TAPPS -
TOP
Kate Hairopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 5/29/06
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/highschools/topstories/stories/053006dnspotappssider.122c6391.html
TAPPS is open to schools of all faiths, though most of its members are
Christian schools.
But Jewish and Islamic schools have faced barriers to belonging.
When an Islamic school in Houston applied for membership in 2004, Edd
Burleson, TAPPS' executive director, discouraged the school in a letter
suggesting that its students would not fit in with non-Muslims.
The school stopped pursuing membership, and a national Islamic
organization demanded an apology from TAPPS. But Burleson, who said he
formed his opinion after reading the Quran, hasn't changed his
opinion.
"The Quran preaches if you're not a Muslim, you're an infidel,"
Burleson said recently. "It teaches death to all
infidels."
A representative of a local Islamic group called Burleson's
interpretation "nonsense."
"That's a totally untrue statement that the Quran teaches to kill
infidels," said Iyas Maleh, the president of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations D-FW chapter. "'Infidel' is not used in
the Quran. A Muslim would never use that word.
"It hurts to hear something like that."
TAPPS officials said Jewish schools are welcome as long as their days
of religious observances don't affect TAPPS scheduling. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-LA: HOUSES
OF WORSHIP TIGHTEN SECURITY -
TOP
They have set up cameras and alarms, among others. Leaders' safety is
also a concern.
Bettye Wells Miller, Press-Enterprise, 5/28/06
http://www.pe.com/localnews/hemet/stories/PE_News_Local_P_security29.dea932b.html
Most Southern California mosques have spent more for security --
including lights, cameras, alarms and guards -- because of increased
vandalism after Sept. 11, said
Hussam Ayloush, a Corona resident and
executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations' Southern
California chapter. Mosques and Islamic centers no longer stay open
around the clock, he said.
In the wake of Sept. 11, CAIR has especially encouraged mosques to
develop good relationships with their neighbors, Ayloush said.
"Muslims tend to trust more that the neighbors would be the first
line of defense," he said. "Muslims count on God's protection,
too."
-----
DELIVERY OF OVER $1.6 MILLION OF URGENTLY NEEDED AID TO INDONESIA
EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS -
TOP
BURBANK, CA (May 30, 2006) - In coordination with the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, Islamic Relief is shipping over 200,000
pounds of urgently needed supplies, valued at over $1.6 million, to
assist victims of the devastating earthquake that struck
Indonesia.
The 747 cargo plane departing from Salt Lake City will include essential
items such as hygiene kits, first aid supplies, medical and surgical
supplies, tarps, wheel chairs, crutches, and many other items. The
supplies for the shipment were gathered based on needed items requested
by the government of Indonesia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has supplied all items
for the shipment. Islamic Relief staff on the ground in Indonesia will
distribute the goods in the affected areas. Islamic Relief is also
covering the majority of the shipment costs. (MORE)
Media Contact: Mostafa Mahboob, Islamic Relief,
mostafa@irw.org, (310) 351-0952
mobile (818) 238-9520 office.
-----
ALAMO CAR RENTAL GUILTY OF RELIGIOUS BIAS FEDERAL COURT RULES IN EEOC
LAWSUIT -
TOP
Suit Said Muslim Employee Fired for Wearing Head Scarf Shortly After 9/11
Attacks
PHOENIX - In a legal victory for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC), Arizona Federal District Court Judge Roslyn Silver
ruled that Alamo Car Rental committed post-9/11 backlash discrimination
based on religion when it terminated a Somali customer sales
representative in December 2001 for refusing to remove her head scarf
during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Alamo Car Rental is owned and
operated by Ft. Lauderdale-based Alamo Rent-A-Car LLC and ANC Rental
Corporation - a subsidiary of Vanguard Car Rental USA Inc.
In the first post-9/11 backlash case brought by the EEOC's Phoenix
District Office, the court took the unusual step of finding the religious
discrimination so clear cut based on the pleadings that it did not need
to be resolved by a jury. "It is extremely rare that a court will
find discrimination based solely on the pleadings," said Mary Jo
O'Neill, Regional Attorney for the Phoenix District Office. "The
court found undisputed evidence that Alamo should have approved this
employee's request to wear her head scarf as a religious accommodation or
proposed a reasonable alternative."
According to Judge Silver's ruling: "It is undisputed that the
accommodation Alamo offered Ms. Nur required her to remove her head
covering during Ramadan when she served clients but still required her to
serve clients, making it impossible for Ms. Nur to avoid removing her
head covering at work." Accordingly, Alamo's proposal would have
failed to accommodate Ms. Nur's religious conflict and was not a
reasonable accommodation."
The EEOC filed suit in September 2002 (EEOC v Alamo Rent -A-Car, LLC; ANC
Rental Corporation, CIV 02 1908 PHX ROS) in the U.S. District Court for
the District of Arizona only after exhausting its conciliation efforts to
reach a voluntary settlement.
Prior to being fired, charging party Bilan Nur had worked for Alamo since
1999. EEOC's lawsuit asserted that the company had permitted her to wear
a head covering for religious reasons during Ramadan in 1999 and 2000.
However, following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Alamo refused
to permit Ms. Nur to observe this particular religious belief during
December of 2001.
Alamo claimed that it told Ms. Nur that the company dress code prohibited
wearing of a scarf. Notwithstanding Alamo's representation, the EEOC
found that the company had no such policy. When Ms. Nur refused to remove
the religious garment, Alamo disciplined, suspended and terminated her
employment following consultation with regional level human resources
officials and in-house counsel.
"I am very pleased that the judge believed that Alamo's actions were
illegal," said Ms. Nur, who now resides in Minneapolis. "No
person should ever have to be forced to choose between her religion and
her job. Alamo appeared to understand this before the horrible attacks of
September 11, 2001. Then something changed. This has been an incredible
nightmare for me and I am very grateful to the EEOC for its efforts to
correct this wrong."
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from
discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring,
firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. Employers must
reasonably accommodate employees' sincerely held religious beliefs or
practices unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer.
A reasonable religious accommodation is any adjustment to the work
environment that will allow the employee to practice his
religion.
"Unless a religious accommodation imposes an undue hardship,
employers are strongly advised to look favorably on such requests,"
said EEOC Regional Attorney O'Neill. "Given the strong facts of this
case, we are surprised that a large employer as sophisticated as Alamo
has repeatedly refused to stand up and take responsibility for such a
conspicuous violation of law."
Chester V. Bailey, District Director for the EEOC Phoenix office, said:
"As the court found, Alamo dismissed the requests by Ms. Nur for
accommodation without consideration, in violation of the mandates of
Title VII. This decision was made at the corporate Human Resources level
apparently in consultation with in-house counsel., Alamo's violation is
particularly noteworthy given that one of the individuals involved in the
disciplinary action wore a cross at work."
According to its web site
(
www.alamo.com), Alamo Rent-A-Car is
one of the nation's largest rental car companies operating in 1,000
locations nationwide and internationally. The Alamo Rent-A-Car brand is
owned and operated by Vanguard Car Rental USA Inc., a worldwide
organization with more than 3,200 locations in 83 countries and a
domestic fleet of more than 217,000 automobiles.
The EEOC is the federal government agency that enforces the nation's
anti-discrimination laws in the workplace based on race, color, sex
(including sexual harassment and pregnancy), religion, national origin,
retaliation, age and disability. Further information about the Commission
is available on the agency's web site at
www.eeoc.gov.
CONTACT: Mary Jo O'Neill, Regional Attorney, (602) 640-5044
-----
CANADA:
ASPERS SPONSOR HATE FILM, SAY CRITICS -
TOP
By Carol Sanders, Winnipeg Free Press, 5/30/06
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/local/story/3519696p-4067049c.html
LAST night's Canadian premiere of the controversial documentary
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West was a sellout.
"People are basically excited about the film," said Rabbi
Daniel Klatzkow with the Jewish faith group Aish Winnipeg.
Aish, the Winnipeg Zionist Initiative and the Asper Foundation sponsored
the screening last night at Imax in Portage Place. A second screening in
the theatre, which seats about 300 people, was added for
tonight.
The movie will also be shown in Toronto next month, with Canada's
Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day as a featured guest.
Local Muslims and some non-Muslims who obtained a copy of the film last
week said it's hate propaganda that promotes intolerance.
Howard Davidson, who has spent time in the Middle East and is a director
of aboriginal focus programs at the University of Manitoba, attended the
screening and questioned the intentions of the film and its
sponsors.
"A huge problem with the film is at no time does the film give any
explanation for why people would be saying these things," said
Davidson.
"If the Asper Foundation is bringing in the film that is clearly
propaganda and clearly fear-mongering and this is the organization that
is a leader in the human rights museum, that is not only baffling, it's
astounding. Where is their credibility? Their legitimacy?"
ALSO:
ANTI-MUSLIM PROPAGANDA -
TOP
Winnipeg Free Press, 5/30/06
Why would the Asper family, which is working so hard to establish a human
rights museum in Winnipeg, sponsor the IMAX screening of Obsession:
Radical Islam's War Against the West? I saw this awful film last Friday.
It is a vicious piece of anti-Muslim propaganda that comes at you in a
steady stream of images of violence and of Muslims chanting angry threats
and shaking their fists.
Throughout the film, talking heads make assertions that reveal either a
profound ignorance or crass disregard of the socio-political context of
these events and a lack of critical thought. There is not a single image
of the multitudes of dispossessed Muslim people who live in miserable
squalor, nor of the vast majority of peaceful, law-abiding Muslims among
us who regularly must deal with racism in their everyday lives. Instead,
there is some black-and-white footage of a sheik meeting with Hitler, and
from that the dire assertion that radical Islam is today's
Naziism.
As I understand it, the purpose of the human rights museum is to remember
many human rights abuses and struggles and, thereby, stimulate reflection
and promote understanding of the roots of hate and violence and their
terrible personal and social costs. Why then, I ask, would the Aspers
promote a film that can only breed intolerance and, worse still, provoke
violence against Muslims in their own community?
MARGUERITE WARNER
Winnipeg
SEE ALSO:
INCITEMENT: 'ROCK AGAINST ISLAM' CONCERT IN OREGON -
TOP
MAN IN INFAMOUS HATE-CRIME KILLING ARRESTED ON VIOLATION OF PAROLE
TERMS
BOAZ HERZOG, Oregonian, 5/20/06
http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1148095509124790.xml&coll=7
One of the three men convicted in the 1988 Southeast Portland killing of
Ethiopian immigrant Mulugeta Seraw was arrested Friday on accusations
that he violated his parole by contacting members of a white supremacist
group, authorities said.
Kyle Brewster, 36, was arrested without incident during a routine visit
with his parole officer Friday morning. He was booked into the Multnomah
County Detention Center with no bail allowed. . .
Brewster's MySpace.com Web site contains racist writings and shows a
photo of him with a known Volksfront member who was wearing a Volksfront
T-shirt, Freda-Cowie said.
Volksfront has been associated with numerous crimes in the Northwest. In
2003, Volksfront members murdered a homeless man in Tacoma. The group has
created fliers promoting a July 4th weekend "Rock Against
Islam" campout and party somewhere in northern Oregon featuring the
bands Aggressive Force, Frontline and Jew Slaughter. (MORE)
-----
MUSLIM FILM
FESTIVAL COMING TO FREMONT THEATER -
TOP
Organizer hopes to show Islam in positive light
Jonathan Jones, Tri-Valley Herald, 5/29/06
http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_3877324
FREMONT - Muslim snowboarders, gender divisions at mosques, praying
etiquette at American restaurants, and a hajj pilgrimage are some of the
themes to be showcased at this years Muslim Film Festival, an all-day
event that comes to Naz 8 Cinema in Fremont on July 29.
By basing the festival in Fremont, Juveria Aleem, a Concord resident in
her early 30s and the main organizer of the festival, said she hopes to
reach the local Muslim community and reach out to friends of other
faiths.
We've got a lot of great films, Aleem said. Now we need large numbers of
people to come out.
Aleem conceived of the film festival in 1998, while learning filmmaking
at University of California, Berkeley, where she produced a 20-minute
documentary on why Muslim women wear the hijab, the traditional Islamic
head scarf.
I felt I needed to do something that explained my identity, recalled
Aleem, who wore a pink hijab during an interview Saturday at Central
Park. A lot of my friends were wearing the hijab, and a lot of high
school (Muslim girls) were starting to wear the hijab. So it was a good
time to explore the issue.
After the documentary was accepted at film festivals, broadcast on local
cable television stations and discussed at local schools, Aleem said she
became convinced a Muslim film festival could help shine more light on
the fabric of modern Muslim life. (MORE)
For more information on the film festival, log on to
http://www.mffusa.org or call (4087)
480-0144.
-----
ARAB CANDIDATE SUES AFTER LOSING ENDORSEMENT OVER 9/11 COMMENTS -
TOP
Newsday, 5/27/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--arabcandidate-ter0527may27,0,4530140.story
PATERSON, N.J. -- An Arab-American political candidate who was dumped by
Passaic county Democratic leaders for comments some people interpreted as
sympathetic to suicide bombers is suing to get on the ballot.
Democrats put forward Sam Merhi's name as a nominee for a county
freeholder seat in the June 6 primary, but withdrew it in March amid
political backlash from remarks Merhi made in 2002 about the 9/11
attacks.
Merhi, a Totowa businessman active in Democratic politics, said during a
political fundraiser that he was outraged by the 9/11 attacks. When asked
whether those feelings also applied to Palestinian suicide bombers in
Israel, Merhi said he did not see a comparison. He later elaborated,
saying that while all terrorist attacks are wrong, 9/11 was unique
because it was on such a massive scale.
The lawsuit alleges that Merhi was the victim of anti-Arab prejudice,
saying that his removal as a candidate violated his civil rights and the
rules of the Democratic organization. The suit calls for Merhi's name to
be reinstated on the primary ballot.
"The stated reason for the withdrawal was 'politics,' but the
underlying basis...is the fact that Merhi is an Arab-American and
exercised his constitutional right of freedom of speech," the
lawsuit reads, according to The Record of Bergen County for Saturday's
newspapers. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
ARAB-SOUNDING
IMMIG? WAIT 1,001 NITES -
TOP
Leslie Casimir, Daily News, 5/28/06
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/421518p-355866c.html
The World Trade Center site was still a raw mound of twisted steel and
debris when Muhammad Jawwad applied for naturalization in November
2001.
Less than a year later, he was called for both his test and interview -
the final step before he was to be sworn in shortly afterward as a U.S.
citizen.
"I remember the woman asking me, 'Why is your name Muhammad?'"
said Jawwad, 46, a health insurance enrollment caseworker at Coney Island
Hospital who came from Pakistan 11 years ago. "I told her that's
what my parents put down on my birth certificate."
Jawwad, whose wife and kids already have become citizens, has waited
3-1/2 years for his swearing in even though immigration officials are
required to complete the process within 120 days of the interview. They
say the holdup is his FBI clearance.
Immigrant advocates say hundreds - if not thousands - of men with
Arabic-sounding or Muslim names are experiencing endless delays in what
should be the pro forma final step of the citizenship application
process.
"I understand the burden that the government has in wanting to make
sure that all security checks go through," said Dev Viswanath, a
Queens attorney who said he has two clients who have waited years for
their swearing-in ceremonies. "But having to wait two or three years
... is just ridiculous." (MORE)
-----
THE SHAME OF KILO COMPANY -
TOP
Michael Duffy, TIME, 5/28/06
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1198892,00.html
Sparked by a TIME report published in March, a U.S. military
investigation is probing the killing of as many as 24 Iraqi civilians by
a group of Marines in the town of Haditha last November. Several Marines
may face criminal charges, including murder. And new revelations suggest
that their superiors may have helped in a cover-up.
The outfit known as Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment,
wasn't new to Iraq last year when it moved into Haditha, a Euphrates
River farming town about 150 miles northwest of Baghdad. Several members
of the unit were on their second tour of Iraq; one was on his third. The
men in Kilo Company were veterans of ferocious house-to-house fighting in
Fallujah. Their combat experience seemed to prepare them for the ordeal
of serving in an insurgent stronghold like Haditha, the kind of place
where the enemy attacks U.S. troops from the cover of mosques, schools
and homes and uses civilians as shields, complicating Marine engagement
rules to shoot only when threatened. In Haditha, says a Marine who has
been there twice, "you can't tell a bad guy until he shoots
you."
But one morning last November, some members of Kilo Company apparently
didn't attempt to distinguish between enemies and innocents. Instead,
they seem to have gone on the worst rampage by U.S. service members in
the Iraq war, killing as many as 24 civilians in cold blood. The details
of what happened in Haditha were first disclosed in March by TIME's Tim
McGirk and Aparisim Ghosh, and their reporting prompted the military to
launch an inquiry into the civilian deaths. The darkest suspicions about
the killings were confirmed last week, when members of Congress who were
briefed on the two ongoing military investigations disclosed that at
least some members of a Marine unit may soon be charged in connection
with the deaths of the Iraqis--and that the charges may include murder,
which carries the death penalty. "This was a small number of Marines
who fired directly on civilians and killed them," said
Representative John Kline, a Minnesota Republican and former Marine who
was briefed two weeks ago by Marine Corps officials. "This is going
to be an ugly story."
With the U.S. struggling to hold on to public support for the war and no
end to the insurgency in sight, the prospect of possible indictments has
induced an aching dread among military and government officials. As the
military launched another probe--into the April 26 killing of an Iraqi
civilian by Marines--General Michael Hagee, commandant of the Marine
Corps, headed to Iraq to address Marines on the growing crisis. Marine
Corps public-affairs director Brigadier General Mary Ann Krusa-Dossin
says the allegations "have caused serious concern at the highest
levels" of the corps. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MARINES AND THE 'MASSACRE': A NEIGHBOUR TELLS OF AFTERMATH -
TOP
Ali Hamdani and Ned Parker, The Times, 5/29/06
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,170-2201470,00.html
GRAPHIC accounts of the apparent slaughter of unarmed civilians have been
obtained by The Times as Washington braces itself for the results of an
investigation into what threatens to be the most damaging military
scandal in Iraq.
On Saturday Iman Hassan, a 10-year-old Iraqi girl, told The Times how she
had watched US marines kill her mother, father, grandmother, grandfather,
four-year-old cousin and two uncles.
Residents in the insurgent stronghold of al-Haditha have now stepped
forward to corroborate elements of Iman's story and to describe to The
Times the murder of a second family, which included five children, the
youngest of whom were two and three years old.
The events threaten to land a major blow to the US military's reputation
in Iraq. (MORE)
---
IRAQIS' ACCOUNTS LINK MARINES TO THE MASS KILLING OF CIVILIANS -
TOP
Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Mona Mahmoud, New York Times, 5/29/06
http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_3876652
Hiba Abdullah survived the killings by American troops in Haditha last
Nov. 19, but said seven others at her father-in-law's home did not. She
said American troops shot and killed her husband, Rashid Abdul Hamid.
They killed her father-in-law, Abdul Hamid Hassan Ali, a 77-year-old in a
wheelchair, shooting him in the chest and abdomen, she said.
Her sister-in-law, Asma, "collapsed when her husband was killed in
front of her eyes," Ms. Abdullah said. As Asma fell, she dropped her
5-month-old infant. Ms. Abdullah said she picked up the baby girl and
sprinted out of the house, and when she returned, Asma was dead.
Four people who identified themselves as survivors of the killings in
Haditha, including some who had never spoken publicly, described the
killings to an Iraqi writer and historian who was recruited by The New
York Times to travel to Haditha and interview survivors and witnesses of
what military officials have said appear to be unjustified killings of
two dozen Iraqis by marines. Some in Congress fear the killings could do
greater harm to the image of the United States military around the world
than the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.
The four survivors' accounts could not be independently corroborated, and
it was unclear in some cases whether they actually saw the killings. But
much of what they said was consistent with broad outlines of the events
of that day provided by military and government officials who have been
briefed on the military's investigations into the killings, which the
officials have said are likely to lead to charges that may include murder
and a cover-up of what really happened. (MORE)
-----
FIGHTING IN THE SHADOWS -
TOP
Battles rage near the scene of 'Black Hawk Down'-and a covert American
hand is tied to the warlords.
Michael Hirsh and Jeffrey Bartholet, Newsweek, 6/5/06
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13008291/site/newsweek/
June 5, 2006 issue - Mogadishu is a place most Americans would rather
forget. During the 1990s, the "Black Hawk Down" debacle
symbolized the dangers of dabbling in far-off lands we don't understand.
TV images of a half-stripped GI being dragged through the dust by gleeful
Somalis-he was one of 18 U.S. Army Rangers killed in a botched effort to
arrest a warlord-became an emblem of American vulnerability. But
Mogadishu, it seems, won't be forgotten. Somalia is erupting in violence
again. And with little warning, Americans find themselves once more in
the middle of battles they only dimly comprehend-and may well be
losing.
Last week, for the first time since the early 1990s, much of the Somali
capital was engulfed in bloody fire fights. By all accounts, a jihadist
militia of the so-called Islamic Courts Union was gaining ground on an
alliance of secular warlords who have received U.S. backing. Observers
say the Union has been winning adherents by casting its enemies as
stooges of Washington, especially since the U.S.-friendly warlords formed
a group called the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and
Counter-Terrorism last winter. The revived fighting inside Somalia-a
lawless state on the Horn of Africa with no central government-has raised
new questions about America's global war on terror, which is being fought
mostly out of the public eye.
For several years Somalia's three major anti-Islamist warlords have
received U.S. cash and some equipment to help with intelligence
operations, according to several unofficial sources, including John
Prendergast of the International Crisis Group. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
WALL TO
ENCLOSE PALESTINIANS INSIDE JEWISH STATE -
TOP
Scott Wilson, Washington Post, 5/30/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/29/AR2006052901018.html
NUAMAN, West Bank -- For generations, first in caves hollowed from
hillsides, then shepherds' tents and simple stone houses, the Shawarwa
and Darawi families thrived here amid pine windbreaks, olive orchards and
flocks of sheep. On a hill of their own, they worked, married and raised
children.
Jamal Darawi was born here in a weathered house in June 1967, the same
month Israel triumphed in the Middle East war. In the conflict, Israel's
army seized East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan. Soon, the
Israeli government drew a larger municipal boundary around Jerusalem,
annexing the lands to the Jewish state, including Darawi's home.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 5/31/06
*
Hadith:
Killing of Women and Children
Forbidden
*
CAIR Calls on Rumsfeld to
Resign Over Iraq Massacre
-
U.S. Troops Kill Pregnant
Woman in Iraq (AP)
*
Government Must Reveal
Monitoring (NY Times)
-
Librarians Break Silence in Records
Case (NY Times)
*
UT:
LDS Church, Muslims to Aid Indonesia
Quake Victims
*
AZ:
Judge Sides
with Muslim in Ramadan Scarf Lawsuit
*
KY:
Students Stage
Unity Rally as KKK Protests
-
KKK Uses Prayer Flap as Recruiting
Tool
*
Dow Jones to Launch Islamic Market China
Offshore Index
-
China Detains Children of Muslim
Activist (UPI)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KILLING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
FORBIDDEN -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon) once saw the corpse of a woman who
had been killed during a battle. He disapproved of it and forbade the
killing of women and children.
Al-Muwatta, Volume 21, Hadith 9
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR CALLS ON RUMSFELD TO RESIGN
OVER IRAQ MASSACRE -
TOP
U.S. Marines allegedly killed 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/31/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) today called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld over reports that U.S. Marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians last
November in the city of Haditha.
Survivors say American troops shot the men, women and children after a
bombing killed a Marine on November 19. Media reports indicate that
murder charges may be brought against some of the Marines involved in the
incident.
SEE:
Bush Is Troubled by Haditha Reports
In its statement, CAIR said:
"Throughout history, leaders of military forces have accepted
ultimate responsibility for the actions of those under their command.
Given the seemingly unending stream of blunders, abuses and unjustified
killings on Secretary Rumsfeld's watch, it is time for him to demonstrate
in concrete terms that with power, comes accountability.
"From the unrestrained post-invasion looting of Iraq, to the Abu
Ghraib abuse scandal and the allegations of killings and torture at
military detention facilities, Secretary Rumsfeld's flawed policies and
lack of judgment have harmed our nation's image worldwide.
"We believe Secretary Rumsfeld's resignation, and bringing those
involved in the massacre to justice, would send a clear message that
America will not tolerate or excuse the kind of atrocities that
reportedly took place in Haditha. This stain must be removed from the
reputation of America's military personnel."
A number of retired generals have similarly called for Secretary
Rumsfeld's resignation over his execution of the war in Iraq. Rep. John
Murtha (D-PA), a former Marine, said U.S. troops "killed innocent
civilians in cold blood" and has called the Haditha massacre a
bigger setback to U.S. interests in Iraq than the Abu Ghraib
scandal.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
U.S. TROOPS KILL PREGNANT WOMAN
IN IRAQ -
TOP
Kim Gamel, Associated Press, 5/31/06
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3918038.html
U.S. forces killed two Iraqi women one of them about to give birth when
the troops shot at a car that failed to stop at an observation post in a
city north of Baghdad, Iraqi officials and relatives said
Wednesday.
Nabiha Nisaif Jassim, 35, was being raced to the maternity hospital in
Samarra by her brother when the shooting occurred Tuesday.
Jassim, the mother of two children, and her 57-year-old cousin, Saliha
Mohammed Hassan, were killed by the U.S. forces, according to police
Capt. Laith Mohammed and witnesses. (MORE)
-----
MAGISTRATE RULES THAT GOVERNMENT MUST
REVEAL MONITORING -
TOP
Nina Bernstein, New York Times, 5/31/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/31/nyregion/31monitor.html
A federal magistrate in Brooklyn yesterday insisted that government
lawyers defending former Attorney General John Ashcroft and other top
officials in a lawsuit brought by former immigrant detainees cannot dodge
the plaintiffs' persistent and unwelcome question: Are members of the
United States trial team and likely witnesses - including Mr. Ashcroft
and Robert S. Mueller III, the F.B.I. director - aware of any secret
government monitoring of communications between the plaintiffs and their
lawyers?
"Plaintiffs' effort to learn whether their conversations with their
attorneys were monitored by the government is not a mere fishing
expedition based on unfounded speculation," the magistrate, Judge
Steven M. Gold, wrote in an 11-page decision. The order rejected the
government's request that he reconsider a similar order that he made
orally on March 7.
He noted that "the government's electronic surveillance of
individuals suspected of links to terrorism has received widespread
publicity and has even been acknowledged by the president of the United
States." And he cited findings by the inspector general that on more
than 40 occasions, staff members of the Metropolitan Detention Center
secretly video-recorded visits between lawyers and Muslim immigrants
swept up and detained there after the Sept. 11 attacks, and later
deported after being cleared of links to terrorism. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
FOUR LIBRARIANS FINALLY BREAK SILENCE IN
RECORDS CASE -
TOP
Alison Leigh Cowan, New York Times, 5/31/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/31/nyregion/31library.html
Four Connecticut librarians who had been barred from revealing that they
had received a request for patrons' records from the federal government
spoke out yesterday, expressing frustration about the sweeping powers
given to law enforcement authorities by the USA Patriot Act.
The librarians took turns at the microphone at their lawyers' office and
publicly identified themselves as the collective John Doe who had sued
the United States attorney general after their organization received a
confidential demand for patron records in a secret counterterrorism case.
They had been ordered, under the threat of prosecution, not to talk about
the request with anyone. The librarians, who all have leadership roles at
a small consortium called Library Connection in Windsor, Conn., said they
opposed allowing the government unchecked power to demand library records
and were particularly incensed at having been subject to the open-ended
nondisclosure order.
"I'm John Doe, and if I had told you before today that the F.B.I.
was requesting library records, I could have gone to jail," said one
of the four, Peter Chase, a librarian from Plainville who is on the
executive committee of Library Connection's board.
The organization won part of its court fight last week, when a
three-judge panel of the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals in
Manhattan dismissed the government's appeal and allowed a lower court
judge's revocation of the nondisclosure order to stand. But the four
librarians say they remain concerned that other provisions of the Patriot
Act could deter people from using libraries. (MORE)
-----
LDS CHURCH TEAMS UP WITH MUSLIMS TO SEND AID TO
INDONESIA QUAKE VICTIMS -
TOP
http://www.abc4.com/local_news/local_headlines/story.aspx?content_id=C0444678-5B34-42D9-8F3E-724B6E5A6134
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is teaming up with
Muslims to get the much-needed medical supplies to earthquake victims in
Indonesia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined with Islamic
Relief Worldwide, one of the leading humanitarian organizations in the
Islamic world. "Good people, when they work together, can make a
tremendous difference in this world," said Mokhtar Shawky of Islamic
Relief Worldwide. "Were talking about 200,000 people who lost their
homes. Were talking about over 5,000 people lost their lives,"
Shawky said, "The numbers are climbing by the minute." "It
was great that we were able to do it so fast, and I'm sure this is going
to save a lot of lives," said LDS church spokesperson Garry
Flake.
Government officials are calling Sundays quake one of the worst to ever
hit Indonesia. The 6.3 magnitude quake killed thousands and left tens of
thousands homeless. Now, the toughest barrier to overcome is that the
victims need aid urgently.
The LDS church has an ongoing warehouse of disaster relief
goods-materials readily available for quick response. "What you see
today going out is very, very critical first aid, essential items that
are needed for the injured," said Flake. More than eight semi-trucks
and a 747 cargo jet were loaded with items including first-aid supplies,
ward clothing, canes, and hygiene kits.
To contribute to the emergency response effort, visit
www.ldsphilanthropies.com
-----
JUDGE SIDES WITH MUSLIM
IN RAMADAN SCARF LAWSUIT -
TOP
Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services, 5/31/06
http://www.azstarnet.com/business/131448
PHOENIX - A national car rental firm illegally discriminated against a
Muslim woman in the wake of 9/11 by refusing to let her wear a scarf
during the holy month of Ramadan, a federal judge has ruled.
U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver rejected arguments by Alamo Rent-A-Car
that it could not exempt Bilan Nur from its corporate dress code. Silver
said the company made no efforts to reasonably accommodate Nur's beliefs
and failed to show that making any accommodations would have caused the
company undue hardships.
In fact, Silver noted that the company's regional manager admitted under
questioning that the only hardship Alamo might suffer is the image that
the firm has with customers.
Nur's claim was among the first filed by EEOC dealing with anti-Muslim
discrimination after the terrorist attacks.
Silver's ruling means that the only issue to be determined is how much
the company will need to pay the woman, who has since left
Arizona.
Mary Jo O'Neill, regional attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, which filed suit on Nur's behalf, said her agency
is seeking lost pay, other compensatory damages and punitive
damages.
O'Neill said the commission is seeking a punitive award because the
evidence shows that the decision to deny Nur the right to wear a head
scarf was not made solely by the manager of the Phoenix office where she
worked. O'Neill said this decision went to corporate offices as well as
the firm's attorney.
"They should have known" about the requirements of federal law,
O'Neill said.
A spokesman for Alamo refused to comment, saying the litigation is still
an open issue.
O'Neill said there is a link: She said Nur, who had worked for Alamo
since 1999, had been allowed to wear a scarf during Ramadan in two prior
years.
It was only during Ramadan of 2001 -three months after the attacks - that
Nur was told she could not wear a scarf while waiting on customers.
O'Neill said Nur even offered to wear an Alamo scarf but was
rebuffed.
She eventually was fired. (MORE)
-----
KY: STUDENTS STAGE UNITY
RALLY AS KKK PROTESTS -
TOP
Incensed by Klan's Message, They Stand Up for Diversity
Cassondra Kirby, Lexington Herald Leader, 5/31/06
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/14703870.htm
A community's effort to deal with the divisive issue of prayer at Shelby
County High School's graduation later this week spilled into the streets
yesterday after the Ku Klux Klan and a group of senior students held
opposing protests.
Although the student body has split over a Muslim student's complaint
about traditional prayers originally scheduled for Friday's graduation,
they united after a member of the KKK disparaged the student and the
school's decision to have no official prayer.
More than 40 seniors gathered across from the Shelby County courthouse to
support diversity and togetherness.
Earlier, some students cursed and yelled obscenities at Michael Hibbs, a
member of the Louisville-based KKK Unit 1771, who stood just outside the
high school while protesting.
"These heathens come over here from whatever third-world country
they come from and they've got the nerve to tell people how to
live," said Hibbs, who answered each taunt with a Hitler salute.
"If they want to come here and be free, they can come here and be
free. But they aren't going to come here and tell us how to
live."
Hibbs said he hopes to intimidate Muslim students and others who are
against the "Christian principles this country was founded on."
He called the American Civil Liberties Union, which had threatened a
lawsuit if the high school endorses prayer at the graduation, a
joke.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled in favor of an ACLU petition to
block prayer at the Russell County High School graduation. The ACLU was
representing an anonymous student.
In Shelbyville, students are passionately divided on the issue of prayer,
but many said they were appalled yesterday by Hibbs' presence and his
message of hate.
SEE ALSO:
KKK USES PRAYER FLAP AS RECRUITING
TOOL -
TOP
Mark Hebert, 5/30/06
http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/WHAS11_TOP_KKKSchoolPrayerFlap.3a370d37.html
The Ku Klux Klan is using the graduation prayer controversy at Shelby
County High School as an attempt to recruit new members.
A single Klansman from Louisville showed up with a sign at the high
school Tuesday. About two dozen Shelby County High School seniors chanted
in front of the courthouse their message to the Ku Klux Klan.
"A lot of people support being Christian but personally I don't
think we agree with anything the KKK has to stand for," said Nadine
Delarosa.
The Klan's visible turnout in Shelby County Tuesday -- one Michael Hibbs
of Louisville, who showed up in front of Shelby County High School,
protesting the school board's decision to honor one student's request to
ban organized prayer from the graduation ceremony.
"Diversity is the god of Satan. That's what he worships. Anybody is
welcome in his church. All false religions and homosexuals," said
Hibbs. "I'm here to protest. This is a Christian nation. It was
founded upon Christian principles. These people from these other
countries come over here with their fake religions, their strapping bomb
to theirself religions, they come here wanting freedom, they get to this
country and what do they do? They wanna tell you and me how to live,
people who've lived here our whole life for generations
back."
One woman stopped to ask Hibbs how he could hate and call himself a
Christian. Another applauded him.
Hibbs left as soon as our camera did, but stopped to put KKK fliers on
windshields in Shelbyville:
The Muslim student who successfully challenged the idea of a graduation
prayer was pleased to see a group of classmates fighting back.
"We all have different opinions on the graduation prayer issues but
we're here united to say we believe in unity and we believe in tolerance
and we're going to unify whether the KKK wants us to or not," said
Arshiya Saiyed. (MORE)
-----
DOW JONES INDEXES TO LAUNCH DOW JONES ISLAMIC
MARKET CHINA OFFSHORE INDEX -
TOP
Primezone, 5/31/06
http://au.biz.yahoo.com/060531/21/qh4k.html
NEW YORK, May 31, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global
index provider, today announced that it will expand its Dow Jones Islamic
Market Index series by launching the Dow Jones Islamic Market China
Offshore Index.
The Dow Jones Islamic Market China Offshore Index represents companies
that have been screened for compliance with Islamic principles and whose
primary operations are in mainland China but trade at the Hong Kong Stock
Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq or American Stock Exchange.
Stocks included in the index are H shares, red chips, ADR/ADS and Chinese
stocks listed in the U.S.
The Dow Jones Islamic Market China Offshore Index is designed to serve as
underlying for investment products such as mutual funds, exchange-traded
funds (ETFs) and other investable products.
"The Dow Jones Islamic Market China Offshore Index offers market
participants exposure to an investable and Shari'ah compliant index that
follows the superior methodology of the Dow Jones Islamic Market
Indexes," said Michael A. Petronella, president of Dow Jones
Indexes. "While China has experienced tremendous growth, the local
Chinese market offers only restricted access to foreign investors.
Investing in China offshore stocks is an attractive
alternative."
The Dow Jones Islamic Market China Offshore Index is weighted by
free-float market capitalization and will be reviewed quarterly in March,
June, September and December. Historical index values are available daily
back to Dec. 31, 2005. The base value of the index is set at 1,000 as of
that date. (MORE)
Further information about the Dow Jones Islamic Market China Offshore
Index, as well as about the Dow Jones Islamic Market Indexes, is
available at
www.djindexes.com
.
Journalists may e-mail questions regarding this press release to
PR-Indexes@dowjones.com or contact Dow Jones Indexes/STOXX press office:
New York: +1-212-597-5720.
SEE ALSO:
CHINA DETAINS CHILDREN OF MUSLIM
ACTIVIST -
TOP
United Press International, 5/31/06
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/article_1168264.php/China_detains_children_of_Muslim_activist
Chinese Muslim activist Rebiya Kadeer, freed from prison and sent to the
United States last year, said her three children have been arrested in
China.
Kadeer's two sons and her daughter, all adults, were taken into custody
on Monday, the BBC reported Wednesday.
The activist said they were detained to prevent them from speaking to a
U.S. Congressional delegation that is visiting China's northwest province
of Xinjiang, where most of China's Muslim Uighur minority live.
Kadeer called for the immediate release of her children.
Kadeer, a businesswoman once held up as a model for the Uighur minority,
was jailed in 2000 for revealing "state secrets" after she sent
newspaper clippings abroad. She was released after U.S. authorities
intervened on her behalf.
In the United States she has campaigned for the rights of the 8 million
Uighurs still living in China's northwest. China has accused her of
supporting separatists, as some Uighurs want to establish an independent
Islamic state which they call East Turkestan.
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
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In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/1/06
*
Hadith:
Righteousness is a
Traveler's Best Provision
-
Verse:
Aid a Traveler in Need
-
CAIR-OH:
Misunderstanding Tenets of
the Quran
*
CAIR Offers Training on Islam
for Marines, DHS
*
CAIR-FL:
Teacher
Discriminates Against Muslim Girl
-
Muslim Girl:
Teacher Mocked Me
(CNN)
-
CAIR
Joins "Torture Awareness Month"
-
CAIR-Chicago:
Moderate
Voices (Chicago Tribune)
*
CAIR:
Rumsfeld Urged to
Resign
-
Iraq:
A Town Awoke to
Slaughter (LA Times)
-
U.S. Killed Civilians in
Another Town (Reuters)
-
U.S. Troops Fired at Crowd in
Kabul (Wash Post)
*
CAIR-CA:
Prosecutors Drop
Hayat Retrial
*
Terror Fears Hamper U.S. Muslims'
Travel (NY Times)
*
Muslim Family Terrorized in
Georgia (Progressive)
-
UT:
Muslim Women Live Their Faith in
Utah
-
WA:
Get a Kid's-Eye View of Being
Muslim
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A
TRAVELER'S BEST PROVISION -
TOP
On beginning a journey, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would
say: "O God, we ask of Thee, in this journey of ours, righteousness
and piety, and to (be able to) perform such deeds that are pleasing to
You."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 2, Number 119B
A man once approached the Prophet and said: "I am intending to go
out on a journey, please (offer a prayer for me)." The Prophet
replied: "May God grant you the provision of righteousness. . .And
may He make it easy for you to do virtuous deeds, wherever you may
be."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 235
The Prophet also said: "Be in this world as if you are a stranger or
a traveler."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 425
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
VERSE OF THE DAY: AID A TRAVELER IN NEED -
TOP
"Give what is due to your relatives, the needy and the traveler in
need. That is best for those who seek God's pleasure, and it is they who
will prosper."
The Holy Quran, 30:38
To sponsor or obtain a free copy of the Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-OH: MANY
MISUNDERSTAND TENETS OF THE QURAN -
TOP
Columbus Dispatch, 6/1/06
http://www.dispatch.com/editorials-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/06/01/20060601-A10-06.html
I respond to Nick Gatz's May 7 letter in which he offered several
criticisms of Islam. I fully agree with his point that one tends to find
what one wants in Scripture. The Quran itself makes that point: By it
(the Quran) many are misguided, and by it many are guided; but none are
misguided except the iniquitous? (Sura 2:26). If one approaches the Quran
with bad intentions, misguidance will surely be found.
Islam is the world's second-largest religion. If it required or
encouraged such atrocities as the murder of non-Muslims or the subjection
of women, would it be adopted by more than a billion people worldwide? If
these were tenets of Islam, no practicing Muslim would be able to
function in society, and Islam would not be the fastest-growing religion
in the world.
The Quran exhorts people to the highest standards of morality and
provides a framework for building lives and societies founded on worship
of God. It is a book of guidance for those with open minds.
The local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations offers
free copies of the Quran and information about Islam for anyone
interested. Contact CAIR at 614-451-3232.
Emily Tarazi
Worthington
-----
CAIR OFFERS TRAINING ON ISLAM FOR
MARINES, DHS PERSONNEL -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/1/06) - Representatives of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) recently offered cultural and religious
sensitivity training at the Marine Corps University
(
http://www.mcu.usmc.mil/) in
Quantico, Va.
CAIR's training was part of the ongoing program of the Center for
Advanced Operational Culture Learning (CAOCL), Marine Corps Training and
Education Command. Those who attended the training included Marine
commanders and other career military personnel.
A representative of CAIR Civil Rights Department offered another
sensitivity training session this week at the Fairfax, Va., office of the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Formerly called the
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), USCIS is now part of
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SEE:
http://www.uscis.gov/
(To inquire about CAIR's sensitivity training, e-mail:
events@cair.com)
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-FL: SOUTHSIDE
SCHOOLTEACHER DISCRIMINATES AGAINST MUSLIM GIRL -
TOP
5/31/06
http://www.news4jax.com/news/9300683/detail.html
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Jacksonville family recently filed a
complaint with the school board, claiming a teacher at a Southside
elementary school discriminated against their daughter because she's
Muslim.
Ten-year-old Alana Scott said she was forbidden to perform with her
school orchestra because of her religion. Alana wears a head scarf and
said her orchestra teacher at Pine Forest Elementary School ridiculed her
for wearing it and wouldn't allow her to perform in a concert.
The girl's mother, Latisha Jones, recently filed a discrimination
complaint with the school board on her daughter's behalf.
Alana told her mother that her music teacher questioned why she wears her
head scarf and that the same teacher was the one who refused to let her
play her instrument with her classmates.
The 10-year-old told Channel 4 she has learned a lot at school, and that
this year she has learned about discrimination.
"I want them to know that sometimes teachers don't know
everything," Alana said. "It made me feel
horrible."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations became involved in the case
when Alana said her cello instructor made several derogatory comments
about her head scarf.
"Why do you wear that nun thing? She explained to him this is called
a he jeb, an Islamic head scarf and the reason why we wear it is for our
religion. He mockingly told her, 'Why would you do something like
that?'" said Ahmed Bedier of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
Jones said things went from bad to worse for her daughter at the school
when the teacher would not allow Alana to get on a school bus to perform
at a school concert downtown. She said she believes it was because of her
Muslim beliefs.
Together, Alana's family and the Council on American-Islamic Relations
filed a complaint with the school board. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CNN VIDEO OF CAIR-FL NEWS CONFERENCE -
TOP
Muslim Girl: Teacher Mocked Me
http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url=/video/law/2006/06/01/leveton.fl.islamic.school.discrim.affl
MUSLIM FAMILY CHALLENGES SCHOOL'S BEHAVIOR
Roger Weeder, First Coast News, 5/31/06
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=58549
MUSLIM ORGANIZATION SAYS SCHOOL DISCRIMINATED AGAINST STUDENT
Associated Press, 5/31/06
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/breaking_news/14710567.htm
-----
CAIR JOINS
"TORTURE AWARENESS MONTH" -
TOP
June 2006 effort focuses on practice of outsourcing torture
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/1/06) - CAIR today joined a coalition of human
rights, civil liberties and faith organizations* in declaring June
"Torture Awareness Month." This action is part of an effort to
respond to the growing evidence that the United States government is
engaging systematically in the use of torture and inhuman treatment as
part of the "war on terror."
See the campaign website here:
http://www.tortureawareness.org/
The month-long initiative will provide all people of conscience with
action ideas and tools to help raise awareness in their communities about
the US government's use of torture and inhuman treatment.
The campaign will culminate with special grassroots lobby efforts in
Washington, D.C. and around the country where participants will urge
Congress to pass legislation to stop the use of extraordinary rendition,
or "outsourcing torture."
Persons interested in participating in lobbying in Washington, DC on June
26, the date that the United Nations has marked as the International Day
in Support of Survivors and Victims of Torture, can register here:
http://www.tortureawareness.org/registration.html
Last year, CAIR and other groups called on Congress to appoint an
independent commission to examine use of torture by US personnel. CAIR
also supported anti-torture legislation that became law earlier this
year.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Corey Saylor, 202-488-8787 or 571-278-4658, E-mail:
csaylor@cair-net.org; Ibrahim
Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
*A list of sponsoring organizations can be found here:
http://www.tortureawareness.org/organization_sponsors.html
-----
CAIR-CHICAGO: MODERATE VOICES
-
TOP
Ahmed M. Rehab, Chicago Tribune, 6/1/06
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_opinion_letters/2006/06/moderate_voices.html
Congratulations to Michael Tackett, the Tribune's associate managing
editor in Washington, on his wonderful piece "Melting ice with
Westerners" (News, May 10). As a Muslim-American activist who spends
most of his waking hours "melting ice" with fellow Westerners,
I am very appreciative of an article that brings forth the moderate and
refreshing views of credible mainstream leaders from the Muslim world. I
have grown tired of hearing my religion in the media attributed solely to
nutcases such as Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. More often than
not, I find that media venues are all too keen to echo opinions and
statements of extremist Muslims of the lunatic fringe, while overlooking
the moderate and far-reaching voices of mainstream Muslim
leaders.
Tackett's fair and insightful reporting has broken through the very ice
we can only hope to melt.
I hope that the Tribune continues to lead the way in presenting Americans
with an accurate representation of the reality of Islam and Muslims in
order that we continue to melt ice together.
[The author is Executive director, Council on American-Islamic Relations,
CAIR-Chicago]
-----
RUMSFELD URGED TO RESIGN BEFORE
HADITHA FINDINGS ARE IN -
TOP
Susan Jones, CNSNews.com, 6/1/06
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=%5CNation%5Carchive%5C200606%5CNAT20060601c.html
(CNSNews.com) - An Islamic civil rights group is calling for the
resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld amid reports - still
under investigation - that U.S. Marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians last
November in the city of Haditha.
"Throughout history, leaders of military forces have accepted
ultimate responsibility for the actions of those under their command.
Given the seemingly unending stream of blunders, abuses and unjustified
killings on Secretary Rumsfeld's watch, it is time for him to demonstrate
in concrete terms that with power, comes accountability," the
Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement.
CAIR indicated that its concerns with Rumsfeld go beyond what happened in
Haditha: "From the unrestrained post-invasion looting of Iraq, to
the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal and the allegations of killings and torture
at military detention facilities, Secretary Rumsfeld's flawed policies
and lack of judgment have harmed our nation's image worldwide," CAIR
said.
According to press reports based on survivors' accounts, American troops
killed Iraqi men, women and children - unarmed civilians, reports claimed
- after a fellow Marine was killed by an improvised explosive device in
Haditha.
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a former Marine, has been quoted as saying that
U.S. troops "killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ; A TOWN AWOKE TO
SLAUGHTER -
TOP
Iraqis say Marines went house to house killing Haditha residents. `I wish
I had died with them,' says a child who saw her family slain.
Megan K. Stack and Raheem Salman, Los Angeles Times, 6/1/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-haditha1jun01,1,5861778.story
The killing began shortly after sunrise on a November day. As a U.S.
patrol rolled through Haditha, a homemade bomb exploded beneath the belly
of a Humvee, rocking the sleepy riverside town.
"The Americans who were in the first vehicle came back to the
damaged car. They started to scream and shout," said a gray-haired
shopkeeper who would give his name only as Abu Mukarram. He said he
watched the scene unfold from his bedroom window. "After some
minutes, everything was quiet. During this quiet, no bullets were shot.
They were moments of expectation."
Ten minutes passed in silence. Then Abu Mukarram heard the crack of the
first bullets.
Planted by insurgents at the edge of the road, the bomb had killed Lance
Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, a 20-year-old Marine from El Paso. Survivors and
witnesses said Terrazas' death drove some of the troops into a murderous
rage.
Survivors say that furious Marines rampaged through a quiet street,
bursting into homes and gunning down Iraqi civilians -- including
children, women and an elderly man in a wheelchair. Their account appears
to match details emerging from a military investigation of the deaths of
at least 24 Iraqi civilians on the morning of Nov. 19.
For some in the United States, the Haditha killings are reminiscent of
the torture at Abu Ghraib, both cases involving conduct by troops that
suggests a breakdown of morality in a climate of fear and violence.
President Bush said Wednesday that he was "troubled" by news
reports of the slayings. (MORE)
---
IN ANOTHER TOWN, IRAQIS SAY US
KILLED CIVILIANS -
TOP
Reuters, 5/31/06
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=newsOne&storyid=2006-05-31T145905Z_01_MAC149206_RTRUKOT_0_TEXT0.xml
SAMARRA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces denied on Wednesday a new
accusation, from Iraqi officers, that American troops killed unarmed
civilians in their home this month.
Amid mounting public interest in the United States in an inquiry into a
suspected massacre at Haditha, the allegations about the deaths of three
people at Samarra are among many that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
said this week were trying his patience with the U.S. military's
"excuses" over "mistakes".
Iraqi army and police officers and several people who said they were
witnesses and relatives of the dead said U.S. soldiers killed two women,
aged 60 and 20, and a mentally handicapped man in their home on May 4
after insurgents fired on the troops.
Spokesmen for the 101st Airborne Division, which controls Samarra and
Salahaddin province north of Baghdad, said soldiers from its 3rd Brigade
Combat Team killed two unnamed men and a woman in a house who had
"planned to attack the soldiers". (MORE)
---
U.S. SAYS TROOPS FIRED AT CROWD IN
AFGHAN CAPITAL -
TOP
Shooting Was in Self-Defense, Spokesman for Military Says
Pamela Constable, Washington Post, 6/1/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/31/AR2006053100362_pf.html
KABUL, Afghanistan, May 31 -- U.S. military officials acknowledged
Wednesday that American troops had fired at an angry mob that surrounded
the scene of a traffic accident in the Afghan capital Monday morning.
Officials previously had said the troops fired only into the
air.
In the fatal accident, the driver of a U.S. military cargo truck lost
control and struck 12 vehicles in rush-hour traffic, killing one person
and injuring six, the military said. The incident sparked violent,
day-long riots that ended with 20 dead, 160 injured and dozens of
buildings badly damaged.
President Bush spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday and
pledged a full investigation, White House press secretary Tony Snow said
in Washington, according to the Associated Press.
The incident has exposed deep public resentment against the presence of
foreign troops here and shaken investor confidence in the fledgling
postwar economy at a time when Afghanistan faces a mounting threat from
armed Taliban fighters and other insurgents in the countryside.
(MORE)
-----
HAYAT AGREES TO PLEA DEAL -
TOP
Prosecutors drop retrial in Lodi case after earlier jury deadlock.
Denny Walsh, Sacramento Bee, 6/1/06
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14262667p-15075861c.html
Prosecutors will seek the dismissal of terrorist-related charges against
Lodi ice cream vendor Umer Hayat in return for his guilty plea to an
unrelated charge.
Hayat pleaded guilty Wednesday in Sacramento federal court to making a
false statement to customs officials in 2003 as he and his family were
leaving the United States for Pakistan.
The prosecutors will recommend that the 11 months Hayat had already spent
in jail awaiting trial was his sentence. . .
Hamza El-Nakhal, president of the Sacramento Valley chapter of the
Council on American Islamic Relations, said he is "glad that justice
finally prevailed."
El-Nakhal described the Hayat family as "very simple people that
don't have anything to do with terrorism. … I'm glad (Umer Hayat) at
least can look after his children and his family." (MORE)
-----
TERROR FEARS HAMPER U.S. MUSLIMS' TRAVEL -
TOP
Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 6/1/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/us/nationalspecial3/01traveler.html
SAN FRANCISCO, May 31 - Azhar Usman, a burly American-born Muslim with a
heavy black beard, says he elicits an almost universal reaction when he
boards an airplane at any United States airport: conversations stop in
midsentence and the look in the eyes of his fellow passengers says,
"We're all going to die!"
For Ahmed Ahmed, a comedian, it is even worse. His double-barreled name
matches an occasional alias used by a henchman of Osama bin Laden.
"It's a bad time to be named Ahmed right now," he riffs in his
stand-up routine, before describing being hauled through the Las Vegas
airport in handcuffs.
Taleb Salhab and his wife say they too were dragged away in handcuffs at
the border crossing in Port Huron, Mich., as their two preschool
daughters wailed in the back seat of their car. The Salhabs were
discharged after four hours of questioning, with no explanation from
customs officers.
Getting through United States airports and border crossings has grown
more difficult for everyone since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. But
Muslim Americans say they are having a harder time than most, sometimes
facing an intimidating maze of barriers, if not outright discrimination.
Advocacy groups have taken to labeling their predicament "traveling
while Muslim," and accuse the government of ignoring a serious
erosion of civil rights. Next month, the American Civil Liberties Union
will go back to court to broaden a suit on behalf of Muslims and
Arab-Americans who are demanding the United States government come up
with a better system for screening travelers.
The delays, humiliation and periodic roughing up have prompted some
American Muslims to avoid traveling as much as possible. Some even skip
meeting anyone at the airport for fear of a nasty encounter with a
law-enforcement officer. Those who do venture forth say they are always
nervous.
"I find myself enunciating English like never before, totally
over-enunciating just because I want the guy to know that I am an
American," says Maz Jobrani, an Iranian-born, Berkeley-educated
actor. "Middle Easterners are just as scared of Al Qaeda as
everybody else, but we also have to be worried about being profiled as Al
Qaeda. It's a double whammy."
Many Muslim Americans fault the Department of Homeland Security and its
various agencies, chiefly the Transportation Security Administration, as
failing to develop an efficient system to screen travelers. In
particular, they deplore the lack of a workable means for those on the
federal watch list by mistake - or those whose names match that of
someone on the list - to get themselves off. (MORE)
-----
MUSLIM FAMILY TERRORIZED IN
GEORGIA -
TOP
Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive, 6/1/06
http://www.progressive.org/mag_mc000106
Sania Karman says it all began at Wal-Mart.
The 27-year-old mother of four lives in Douglasville, Georgia, about 45
minutes from Atlanta. Born in Pennsylvania, she describes herself as
"white, blond hair, blue eyes." She says she's been a Muslim
for about five years, and she's married to a Muslim man who came here
from Pakistan.
She shops at her local Wal-Mart several times a week, she says, and it
was there that she began noticing the hostility of other
customers.
Over the course of several months, she says she saw "that snide
look" when she was at the store with her young children and her
husband, since they are all darker than she is.
And she says some people would comment on her Muslim attire and ask,
"How could you wear something like that?" (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM WOMEN LIVE THEIR FAITH IN UTAH -
TOP
Fitting right in
Frances Johnson, Close-Up, 5/31/06
http://www.sltrib.com/westvalley/ci_3884647
Many things changed for Fatima Afridi when she and her family moved from
Pakistan to Utah in 1995.
For one thing, the family, which observes Muslim dietary restrictions -
called halal - had to slaughter its own meat. There were cultural
differences that came as a shock, as well.
"When I saw the girls and boys, they were hanging around,"
Afridi said. "I saw one of the boys giving one of the girls a back
massage. He put his hand under her shirt and I started to
cry."
There were other things, however, that remained exactly the same. Even in
a new country and new culture, Afridi, who now lives with her family in
South Jordan, chose to continue to wear the traditional Muslim head
covering, called a hijab.
"I see people who look at me, but I don't care," she said.
"I'm comfortable."
And it is getting easier to be comfortable. These days the Afridis can
buy their halal meat instead of slaughtering it themselves. Three years
ago they opened the Desi Market, at 1615 W. 2100 South in West Valley
City to help meet the needs of the growing Muslim population.
The Desi Market also sells other traditional foods and spices, as well as
a small selection of the hijab and shalwar kameez, a long, tunic-style
shirt and flowing pants ensemble. Mona Nisar, who came to Utah from
Pakistan in 1985, operates Libas Sari House in Sugar House. Women who
visit the by-appointment shop (call 801-467-4137) can find a selection of
traditional clothes there as well.
"A lot of Muslims were in need of these clothes, so we opened a sari
house," Nisar said. "It's the way we cover the body. In the
religion that's what it says, to cover yourself properly."
That is not to say there are not difficult times as Muslim women and
their daughters must come to their own decisions about their dress. In
one incident in particular, Afridi recalled, a store clerk refused to
wait on Afridi and her daughters, who do not cover their heads.
"She wouldn't even look at my face. She didn't even say 'hi,' like I
wasn't human," Afridi said.
"That was really hard. I cried and cried. I asked the manager why
she [the clerk] was pointing and laughing and he started laughing. That
time I felt bad."
The incident was enough for the family to take their business elsewhere,
but not enough for Afridi to uncover her head. No one forces her to wear
the hijab. She chooses to cover, Afridi said, because it is part of her
religion. Her religion is one of the most important things in her life,
and she wants people to understand that. Afridi's determination is an
example to her children. (MORE)
---
GET A KID'S-EYE VIEW OF BEING MUSLIM -
TOP
Rebecca Young, News Tribune, 5/30/06
http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/5776041p-5163993c.html
Because of Islamic extremists, Muslim families living in the United
States are the victims of stereotypes and misconceptions, especially
harsh since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Maybe two new books can
help head off that sort of ugliness among children.
One is nonfiction, the other, fiction. One tells the story of a virtually
all-American little boy, the other is about a girl newly arrived here.
Neither names the family's country of origin. Both depict charming
children with interesting cultural and faith-based traditions.
In the end, in both books, the same good message emerges: Children are
children. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/2/06
*
Hadith:
Kindness Wipes Out Sin
*
CAIR:
Muslim Congressional
Aides Taking a Stand (AP)
*
CA:
Mosque to Host Town
Hall Mtg with CAIR, FBI
*
CAIR Rep
Discusses Iraq Massacre
on MSNBC
-
New 'Iraq Massacre' Tape
Emerges (BBC)
-
New Reports Say US
Troops Killed More Civilians
*
CAIR-AZ Offers Training on
Islam for Military
-
CAIR-LA Rep to
Discuss Misperceptions of Islam
-
CAIR-CA Joins in
Japanese-American 'Pilgrimage'
-
CAIR-Philly Rep to Speak at
Church
*
IL:
Attorney Says
County Avoiding Muslim Jurors
-
MI:
Judge Says Spy Case
Hearings Will Go On
-
WA:
Imam Ends Effort to Stay in
U.S. (P-I)
*
CA:
So.
Calif. Muslims to Hold Drive for Quake Aid
-
TX:
Muslims to Collect Funds for
Earthquake Relief
*
IA:
Mosque Hopes
Broken Sign was Random Vandalism
-
NY:
New Castle Mosque
Proposed
-
IL:
Undertakers Offer
Funerals for Diverse Faiths
*
Israel Breaks Promise to U.S. with
New Settlement
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: KINDNESS WIPES OUT SIN -
TOP
A man once came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and asked
what act of penitence he could perform for a sin he had committed. The
Prophet asked the man if he had a mother. When the man replied that his
mother had died, the Prophet asked if he had a maternal aunt. When the
man replied that he had, the Prophet said: "Then be kind to
her."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1274
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR: MUSLIM CONGRESSIONAL AIDES
TAKING STAND -
TOP
PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press, 6/2/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-capitol-muslims,0,3212947.story
WASHINGTON -- At midday on Fridays, Muslims gather to pray in a basement
room of the U.S. Capitol. Kneeling on sheets they've spread over the
floor and facing east toward Mecca, they are members of the Congressional
Muslim Staffers Association, about two dozen congressional aides who are
part of a small but growing minority in America and in the halls of
government.
At first just a prayer group, later a Muslim support group, the
association is now looking outward to change what many see as woeful
ignorance about Islam on Capitol Hill and beyond, said Jameel
Aalim-Johnson, a black Muslim and chief of staff for Democratic Rep.
Gregory Meeks of New York.
Some 100 non-Muslim congressional colleagues attended an association
luncheon and the showing of part of a documentary on Islam in America.
Visiting Imams from the Middle East recently met with association
members.
The congressional chaplain's office consulted them about offering classes
on Islam on Capitol Hill, said association member Nayyera Haq, daughter
of Pakistani immigrants and spokeswoman for Rep. John Salazar,
D-Colo.
"We're excited and hopeful," Haq said of the group's new
mission. "It's nice to be Muslim and feel hopeful about the
future."
That's not always easy to do.
Though there's no official count, the association says the number of
congressional staffers who identify themselves as Muslim is little more
than 20 out of some 10,000 employees at the Capitol complex.
There also is a smattering of Muslims at other Washington agencies, and
some departments have consulted American Muslims for help with the
counterterror war. Muslims have served as state legislators, but there is
no member of Congress who identifies himself as a Muslim, said C
orey
Saylor, government affairs director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations. (MORE)
-----
CA MOSQUE TO HOST TOWN HALL MTG
WITH CAIR, FBI OFFICIALS -
TOP
WHAT: On June 5, the Islamic Center of Irvine in Irvine, Calif., will
host a community town hall meeting with J. Stephen Tidwell, FBI Assistant
Director of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, and CAIR-LA Executive
Director Hussam Ayloush. The meeting is in response to a recent news
reports alleging FBI monitoring of Muslims in the Irvine area.
WHEN: Monday, June 5, 2006 at 8 p.m.
WHERE: Islamic Center of Irvine, 2 Truman, Irvine, CA
CONTACT: (949) 786-4264, or CAIR-LA, 714-776-1847, E-Mail:
socal@cair.com
-----
CAIR REP DISCUSSES
CALL FOR RUMSFELD RESIGNATION ON MSNBC -
TOP
HIGH BANDWIDTH:
http://www.cairfl.org/video/060601-msnbc-hooper-rumsf.wmv
LOW BANDWIDTH:
http://www.cairfl.org/video/060601-msnbc-hooper-rumsf-lo.wmv
MSNBC: The Situation With Tucker Carlson, 6/1/06
CARLSON: Welcome back. An updated on the aftermath of the Haditha story.
The investigation into what happened in November in that Iraqi town is
not complete. But at least one group is now calling for the resignation
of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. That group is the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, known as CAIR.
It`s spokesman, Ibrahim Hooper, joins us tonight from Washington. Mr.
Hooper, thanks for coming on.
IBRAHIM HOOPER, SPOKESMAN, CAIR: Thanks for having me.
CARLSON: Don`t you think we ought to wait until the investigation is done
and we know what really happened before you start calling for defense
officials to resign?
HOOPER: Well, first of all, I think it`s pretty clear what happened.
There have been no reports refuting the allegations of a massacre that
I`ve seen.
But it`s not just the alleged massacre. It`s the series of blunders and
flawed policies that have come out of the Pentagon since Secretary
Rumsfeld has been there. The looting that was allowed...
CARLSON: Wait. One news story at a time here, though, if you
would.
HOOPER: Yes.
CARLSON: Your organization issued a press release pegged to the story of
Haditha, the massacre of that...
HOOPER: In the press release we mentioned Abu Ghraib.
CARLSON: That`s right. However...
HOOPER: We mentioned the looting that was allowed in Iraq. We mentioned
Guantanamo. We mentioned all these other flawed policies.
CARLSON: It did low in the press release. But the headline is "in
the Aftermath of Haditha we call for the resignation of Donald
Rumsfeld."
Now we don`t know what happened. The military has not commented publicly
on this, as you`re fully aware. It could be that the stories we have seen
in the press are either inaccurate or at best incomplete.
Don`t you think, like the rest of the country, you ought to slow down,
take a deep breath and find out what happened before you start weighing
in, in ignorance?
HOOPER: I think there have been enough eyewitness reports -- really
bone-chilling reports of what happened, and even from soldiers who were
involved in the incident or in the clean-up of the incident to determine
that something happened there. And this is just the straw that broke the
camel`s back.
CARLSON: What do you mean, something happened there? That`s good enough
for you? You`re a -- you`re a public policy organization and
"something happened" is good enough for you to just weigh in
and call for someone`s resignation? Please.
HOOPER: When you have -- when you have babies and women and old men in
wheelchairs shot to death with no apparent reason other than people going
house to house? Come on.
CARLSON: How the hell do you know? I`m not in any way -- I`m not
defending the deaths of civilians. It goes without saying. And
incidentally, I`d like to see you condemn the deaths of civilians in
other instances a little bit more often, as I`ve said before.
But in this case, we don`t know the circumstances under which they were
murdered. And I`m just saying are you helping the discourse by weighing
in before you know the facts?
HOOPER: Even if for some reason this turned out to be a complete hoax, we
have called for Secretary Rumsfeld`s resignation in the past for the long
string of other blunders that have occurred on his watch. And this is
just the latest one. It`s time for him to go.
CARLSON: But I wonder why your organization, of all organizations, is
doing so. You`re not a military organization.
HOOPER: No.
CARLSON: You don`t claim expertise in military affairs. Are you speaking
now on behalf of the people of Iraq? It sounds that way.
HOOPER: First of all, we`re Americans. We`re concerned about America`s
image in the world. Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, the -- all the things that
have happened in Iraq and Afghanistan and different places in the Muslim
world. These harm our nation`s image and interests. We`re concerned about
it, and we don`t want it to continue.
CARLSON: It sounds to me like you`re concerned about America`s sins, real
and perceived, because that does seem to be your focus of your
organization`s efforts. Not America`s image but America`s badness. I
mean, every time we have you on, it`s America has done this wrong with
Muslims, America`s done this wrong with Muslims.
HOOPER: Well, you need to call me about good subjects sometimes.
CARLSON: I wonder how much time you spend on good subjects.
HOOPER: We have an entire Muslims CAIR program this summer. Muslims
volunteer to do good work in communities all across America.
CARLSON: Let me get right to the internal contradiction of what you just
said. You said we`re doing this because we care about America`s image
abroad. If you care so deeply about America`s abroad -- I`m dubious, but
let`s say you do -- then why are you sullying that image by weighing in
on something about which you don`t really know a lot?
HOOPER: We don`t...
CARLSON: But you`re assuming that American soldiers killed these people
in cold blood. You don`t know that, but you`re implying it. Does that
help America`s image abroad? I don`t think so.
HOOPER: We -- we protect the reputation of our armed forces by holding
them and their commanders to the highest standards possible.
CARLSON: Right, and those standards include knowing the facts before
passing judgment. Those standards, I think, apply to all of us, even
CAIR.
HOOPER: OK. I think if you go back and read the eyewitness
accounts...
CARLSON: Right.
HOOPER: ... read the accounts of the soldiers, I think you may have a
different idea about how this came about.
CARLSON: Well, we -- I`m waiting until we know the facts. Mr. Hooper,
thanks for joining us.
HOOPER: Thanks for having me.
SEE ALSO:
NEW 'IRAQ MASSACRE' TAPE EMERGES -
TOP
BBC, 6/2/06
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5039420.stm
The BBC has uncovered new video evidence that US forces may have been
responsible for the deliberate killing of 11 innocent Iraqi
civilians.
The video appears to challenge the US military's account of events that
took place in the town of Ishaqi in March.
The US said at the time four people died during a military operation, but
Iraqi police claimed that US troops had deliberately shot the 11
people.
A spokesman for US forces in Iraq told the BBC an inquiry was under
way.
The new evidence comes in the wake of the alleged massacre in Haditha,
where US marines are suspected of killing up to 24 Iraqi civilians in
November 2005 and covering up the deaths.
The incident is being investigated by the Pentagon. (MORE)
---
NEW REPORTS SAY US TROOPS
KILLED MORE UNARMED IRAQI CIVILIANS -
TOP
VOA News, 6/2/06
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-06-02-voa51.cfm
There are new reports accusing U.S. troops of killing unarmed civilians
in Iraq.
British television has aired a video of several dead adults and children
that Iraqi police say were among 11 civilians killed by US troops in
Ishaqi north of Baghdad in March.
The BBC reported that U.S. officials initially said four people died
during a military operation there.
The new video comes as the U.S. military investigates whether U.S.
Marines intentionally killed as many as 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians last
year in Haditha.
The U.S. also is investigating the shooting death of an unarmed man in
Hamandiya, west of Baghdad, in April.
A defense lawyer says the military will file criminal charges against
seven Marines and a Navy corpsman currently jailed at Camp Pendleton in
California in connection with the incident. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-AZ OFFERS TRAINING ON ISLAM
FOR MILITARY -
TOP
(PHOENIX, AZ, 6/2/06) - The Phoenix office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ) recently offered religious and
cultural sensitivity training about Islam and Muslims to more than 300
military personnel at the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. Speakers
included CAIR-AZ Communication Director Nure Elatari, Imam Omar Shahin,
CAIR-AZ Chairman Mohamed Elsharkawy, and CAIR-AZ Office Manager Bushra
Khan.
The three-hour presentations were followed by questions from
participants, who received free copies of the Quran, Islam's revealed
text, and other educational materials in English and Spanish.
CONTACT: Nure Elatari (602) 312-2223, E-Mail:
director@cairaz.org; Bushra Khan
(602) 262-2247, Email:
officemanager@cairaz.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-LA REP TO DISCUSS
MISPERCEPTIONS OF ISLAM -
TOP
On Friday, June 2, the Islamic Society of Orange County will hold an
event, entitled "Correcting Misperceptions about Islam: Our
Role," featuring CAIR-Southern California Executive Director Hussam
Ayloush.
WHAT: ISOC Presents - Correcting Misperceptions about Islam: Our
Role
WHEN: Friday, June 2, 8 p.m. (PST)
WHERE: ISOC, 1 Al-Rahman Plaza, Garden Grove, CA 92844 CA
CONTACT: ISOC, 714-531-1722, or CAIR-LA, 714-776-1847, E-Mail:
socal@cair.com
---
CAIR-CA JOINS IN MANZANAR
'PILGRIMAGE' -
TOP
THE FLORIN JACL MANZANAR PILGRIMAGE: WALKING IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS
Andy Noguchi and Twila Tomita, Nichi Bei Times, 6/1/06
http://www.nichibeitimes.com/issues/articles/060106/manzanar.html
The 55 sojourners hiked the dusty, parched grounds of the Manzanar
Historic Site on April 29th, walking in the footsteps of the 600 Florin
Japanese Americans forced from their homes in 1942.
Like the Nikkei before them traveling under the cloud of the December 7th
Pearl Harbor attack, this diverse group of Americans of Japanese, Muslim,
Chinese, Jewish, Filipino, Korean, and European ancestry journeyed in the
shadow of 9/11.
This adventuresome crew from the Sacramento area, in this first organized
effort, undertook this 350-mile pilgrimage/8-hour bus ride spanning three
days to traverse the Sierra Nevadas down Highway 395, past Bishop, and
finally arrive at Manzanar. Former internee Hiroko Saigo remarked that,
the ride reminded her "of a long trip to a former destination in
Gila River camp," though a lot nicer, of course.
People on the protracted ride expressed that they wanted to learn
first-hand about the wartime stories of the Issei and Nisei. Some
wondered about what lessons this might hold after 9/11. . . .
The pilgrimage provided a lesson for Dina El-Nakhal of the Council for
American Islamic Relations (CAIR). She "felt the sense of strength
and pride from all the internees," she said. "They had an
amazing resilient spirit - of looking forward." (MORE)
---
CAIR-PHILLY REP TO SPEAK AT CHURCH -
TOP
Daily Local News, 6/2/06
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16726184&BRD=1671&PAG=461&dept_id=17780&rfi=6
The Men's Breakfast Group of Paoli Presbyterian Church, 225 S. Valley
Road, will meet at 6:15 a.m., June 8. Guest speaker Adeeba Al-Zaman,
director of Communications Council, American-Islamic Relations, will talk
on "Overview - Islam and Muslims; Christian/Muslim Relations."
If you plan to attend, call Russ Appler at 610-935-0319.
-----
IL: ATTORNEY SAYS MC
HENRY COUNTY AVOIDING MUSLIM JURORS -
TOP
Charles Keeshan, Daily Herald, 6/2/06
http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=195637
The family of an Algerian national suing the McHenry County sheriff's
office over her jailhouse suicide last year are accusing the county of
trying to move the case out of Chicago to avoid dealing with Muslim or
Arab jurors.
In court papers filed in U.S. District Court this week, the family's
lawyer, Janine Hoft, claims county attorneys want the case moved to
Rockford where they would be less likely to deal with a racially and
ethnically mixed jury.
"Transferring this case would change the jury pool to the detriment
of the plaintiff," Hoft said. "The defendant's motion amounts
to forum shopping to avoid a more diverse jury pool."
The charge comes after the McHenry County state's attorney's office last
month asked that the lawsuit on behalf of Hassiba Belbachir be moved from
Chicago to Rockford.
Belbachir, 27, died March 17, 2005, after jail staff found her in her
cell with two socks tied tightly around her throat. A McHenry County
coroner's jury ruled the death a suicide.
At the time, Belbachir was in custody on a hold from the U.S. Department
of Immigration and Customers Enforcement on accusations she was using a
stolen passport. Her family's lawsuit alleges jail staff knew she was
under great emotional distress behind bars but did nothing to prevent her
suicide. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
JUDGE: SPY CASE HEARINGS WILL GO
ON -
TOP
Greg Krupa, Detroit News, 6/2/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060602/POLITICS/606020426/1022
DETROIT -- A federal judge in Detroit said she will proceed with hearings
in a suit that challenges a domestic spying program run by the National
Security Agency, despite assertions from the Bush administration that
doing so would reveal "state secrets" that affect national
security.
U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor also chided the NSA and lawyers for
the Department of Justice for failing to respond to the court challenge,
brought Jan. 18 by a local resident, Nizah Hassan, the American Civil
Liberties Union and the Council on American Islamic Relations. Despite
having twice extended time for the government, Diggs Taylor said it has
failed to respond. (MORE)
---
WA: SEATTLE IMAM ENDS HIS EFFORT TO STAY
IN U.S. -
TOP
TRACY JOHNSON, Post-Intelligencer, 6/2/06
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/272529_imam02.html
A Seattle mosque leader who has been accused of funneling money to
terrorist groups -- allegations that angered his many supporters in the
local East African community -- gave up his fight Thursday to stay in the
United States.
An immigration judge ordered that Abrahim Sheikh Mohamed, who isn't
charged with any terrorism-related crimes, be deported to Kenya.
Mohamed has been locked up since his arrest Nov. 14 on immigration
violations, and nearly six months of confinement -- much of it in
isolation -- weighed heavily on his decision to accept deportation,
according to his lawyer, Hilary Han.
"He's lived in the United States for almost six years. He has many
ties here, and this is a place where he has been able to be safe,"
Han said. "This was not an easy decision for him.". .
.
Aziz Junejo, who hosts a local cable TV show on Islam, said it was
"a very sad day" for the Muslim community. He said he has known
Mohamed for several years and believes the man gave up his fight "to
keep his dignity and respect."
"If one of our leaders was involved in terrorism, we wouldn't want
him as a leader," Junejo said. "There's just no evidence of
that."
-----
SOUTHLAND
COMMUNITY TO HOST EMERGENCY FUNDS COLLECTION DRIVE FOR INDONESIA
EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS -
TOP
BURBANK, CA (June 2, 2006) - The Islamic Center of Southern California in
conjunction with Islamic Relief will be holding an emergency funds
collection drive for victims of the devastating earthquake in Indonesia.
The collection will take place after the Friday sermon and
prayer.
Community members attending the Friday prayer - the largest Muslim prayer
of the week - will have the opportunity to drop donations in boxes
located at the Islamic Relief collection table.
Media professionals are invited to cover the prayers and the donations
community members will be making.
The powerful earthquake that struck the island of Java on Saturday has
claimed over 6,200 lives and displaced more than 647,000.
Islamic Relief has already allocated over $928,000 for initial emergency
projects and is appealing for a further $3.7 million for the victims of
the disaster. . .
Islamic Relief's post-tsunami activities have benefited about 150,000
people in Indonesia thus far. For its tsunami relief efforts, Islamic
Relief has collected over $29 million of aid in the form of cash, pledges
and in-kind donations.
NOTE: Please include the information below for your audience to make
donations: Islamic Relief -
www.irw.org - (888)
479-4968, PO Box 6098, Burbank, CA 91510
WHAT: Community Collection Drive for Indonesia Earthquake Victims
WHEN: Friday, June 2, 1:00 p.m. (sermon starts)
WHERE: Islamic Center of Southern California, 434 S. Vermont Ave., Los
Angeles, CA
Media Contact: Mostafa Mahboob, Islamic Relief,
mostafa@irw.org, (310) 351-0952
mobile, (818) 238-9520 office
SEE ALSO:
NORTH TEXAS MUSLIMS TO COLLECT FUNDS
FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF -
TOP
IRIS KUO, STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/2/06
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/local/14726676.htm
North Texas Muslims will be collecting emergency funds for Indonesian
earthquake victims after Friday's prayers.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago consisting of roughly 17,000
islands, has the largest Muslim population of any nation. (MORE)
-----
IA: ISLAMIC CENTER HOPES
BROKEN SIGN WAS RANDOM VANDALISM -
TOP
Steven Martens, Quad City Times, 5/31/06
http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2006/05/31/news/local/doc447d2115e0236651769322.txt
CLINTON, Iowa - A spokesman for the Clinton Islamic Centers says he hopes
the apparent throwing of a boot through the sign in front of the center
last week was just a simple case of vandalism.
The broken sign was discovered Friday morning in front of the center,
1500 2nd Ave. S., and reported to the Clinton Police Department. A police
report estimated the damage at $200.
Dr. Qaiser Rasheed, spokesman for the center, said a neighbor reported
hearing squealing tires early Friday. He said the center never has had
problems with vandalism and enjoys a good relationship with the
community.
"We've never had any problems here, only positive sentiments,"
he said.
Rasheed said the center often sponsors programs that are open to the
public, and its members are very open about answering questions about
their beliefs.
He said he had received some phone calls since the incident from people
offering their sympathy.
"We've had very good feedback from the people," he said.
"We hope this is just vandalism." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
NY: NEW CASTLE MOSQUE PROPOSED -
TOP
Gary Stern, The Journal News, 6/2/06
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060602/NEWS02/606020378/1028/NEWS12
NEW CASTLE - A decade-old Muslim group mostly made up of professionals
and young families from northern Westchester has proposed building a
mosque and community center on Pines Bridge Road in town.
The Upper Westchester Muslim Society plans to construct a new building
that would include a prayer hall, a weekend school for children, a
library, a youth center and a conference center. The group bought 8.3
acres in 2004 for just over $1 million.
The property at 130 Pines Bridge Road is a quarter-mile from the Taconic
State Parkway and just up the road from the headquarters of the Maryknoll
Catholic foreign missions group.
The Muslim society has been meeting in a rented space in a Thornwood
shopping center, but has been planning to build a community center since
the group's inception in 1997. (MORE)
-----
UNDERTAKERS OFFER FUNERAL RITES
FOR DIVERSE FAITHS -
TOP
Natalie Y. Moore, Chicago Tribune, 6-2-06
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0606020187jun02,1,6850176.story
While some religious leaders would like to open their own funeral homes,
the cost of construction is a deterrent. When the Muslim Community Center
scrapped plans to build a funeral home this year, organizers continued
sending families to a local funeral home that has been friendly to
Islamic families, said center manager Aqueel Khan. That parlor is Caribe
Funeral Home, 3314 W. Armitage Ave., where half of the services are for
Muslims.
"The price suits us," Khan said. One family used the home and
spread the word, he said. But also important is the ability for families
to wash the body of the deceased, an Islamic tradition that Caribe owners
allow on the premises.
Caribe was opened in the early 1960s by Georgina and Julius Bishop, a
Puerto Rican couple. Initially, they served the city's Latino population,
but about five years ago, their clientele started to shift to serving
more Muslim families. (MORE)
-----
ISRAEL BUILDING NEW WEST BANK SETTLEMENT -
TOP
LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press
MASKIOT, West Bank (AP) - Israel has begun laying the foundations for a
new Jewish settlement deep in the West Bank - breaking a promise to
Washington while strengthening its hold on a stretch of desert it wants
to keep as it draws its final borders.
The construction of Maskiot comes at a time when Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert seeks U.S. backing for eventually annexing parts of the West
Bank as part of a plan to set Israel's eastern border with or without
Palestinian consent.
The Palestinians and Israel's settlement watchdog group Peace Now say the
Maskiot construction amounts to a new attempt to push Israel's future
border deeper into the West Bank. ``It's about grabbing land,'' said
Yariv Oppenheimer of Peace Now. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CANADIAN MUSLIMS RELIEVED TERROR ATTACKS
AVERTED
(OTTAWA, CANADA, 3/06/06) - CAIR-CAN today expressed relief that
potential terror attacks in the city of Toronto have been averted and
applauded the efforts by Canadian security forces to combat terrorism and
other criminal activities.
CAIR-CAN
also said it stands with all Canadians in the pursuit of safety and
security.
Security officials held a news conference Saturday morning to announce
the arrest of an alleged terrorist cell in Toronto. According to reports,
17 individuals, most of whom are Canadian citizens, have been arrested
for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks.
SEE:
Canada Nabs 17 Terror Suspects in Toronto (AP)
"As Canadian Muslims, we unequivocally condemn terrorism in all of
its forms," said
CAIR-CAN Executive Director Karl Nickner.
"Canada is our home and we are deeply concerned about the safety of
our country."
"We stand behind our security forces and the Canadian government in
their desire to protect Canada. We also have confidence that our justice
system will accord these individuals transparency, due process and the
presumption of innocence," said Nickner.
CAIR-CAN is also asking Canadian Muslims to cooperate with security
agencies in order to combat terrorism.
To read the national
statement by 120 Canadian Imams condemning
terrorism and extremism, released last summer, please see:
http://www.caircan.ca/ps_more.php?id=2004_0_6_0_M
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR-CAN Human Rights Coordinator Halima Mautbur,
613-795-2012; CAIR-CAN Executive Director Karl Nickner,
613-853-4111
CAIR-CAN
Council on American-Islamic Relations CANADA
P.O. Box 13219, Ottawa, ONT, K2K 1X4
Tel: 1-866-524-0004
Fax: 613-254-9810
URL:
www.caircan.ca
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/4/06
*
Verse:
Call for Charity Transcends
Religion
*
CAIR-CAN:
Toronto Mosque
Vandalized After Terror Arrests
-
Mosque May Have Been
Vandalized n Retaliation (CTV)
*
DC:
Muslim Staffers on Mission
to Educate Congress (NY Times)
-
CAIR-CA:
Candidates Pitch
to Muslim Voters (SJMN)
*
CA:
Minuteman Protest
Meeting of Muslims, Latinos (LAT)
*
TX:
Muslim Graduates
Walk Fine Line Between Religion, Culture
-
OH:
Children Services Tried to
Steer Kids from Islam
*
Canada:
Film Reviewer Rips 'Obsession'
as Propaganda
*
Muslims Craft
Their Own Video
Games (CS Monitor)
*
DC:
Gallup to Release Poll on Muslim
Women
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: CALL FOR CHARITY TRANSCENDS
RELIGION -
TOP
The Washington Post, 6/4/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/03/AR2006060300398.html
Last year, when my grandmother died, my father told me to read
"Surat Yasin," a chapter of the Islamic holy book often
referred to as "the heart of the Koran." Following the example
of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims read this chapter at sickbeds and in
memory of the dead. So, thousands of miles from where my grandmother was
being buried in Mecca, I pulled my Koran off the shelf and recited out
loud to myself, intoning with the proper pronunciation, or
"tajweed," I had learned in grade school in Saudi
Arabia.
Much of the chapter contrasts belief and skepticism. One verse in
particular stood out to me and made me cry. It speaks of people who
refute the need for charity:
"And when it is said to them, 'Spend
out of what God has given you,' those who disbelieve say to those who
believe, 'Shall we feed him whom, if God please, He could
feed?'" [EDITOR'S NOTE: The Holy Quran, 36:47] To me, the
emphasis on giving to those in need, on not taking God's gifts for
granted, are principles that lie at the heart of Islam. (MORE)
To obtain or sponsor a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
TORONTO MOSQUE VANDALIZED AFTER
TERRORISM ARRESTS -
TOP
Wojtek Dabrowski, Reuters, 6/4/06
http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=N04204306
TORONTO, June 4 (Reuters) - Vandals smashed 30 windows of a Toronto
mosque and damaged nearby cars after the arrest of 17 suspected al Qaeda
sympathizers accused of planning bomb attacks. Canadian Muslims expressed
fear on Sunday that a backlash had begun.
The vandals struck overnight at the west-end mosque, a police official
said on Sunday. A second official said he had no information on any link
between the incident and the arrests, which began late Friday.
"The actual weapon that was used to break (the windows) is
unknown," said secretary Ameer Ali of the International Muslims
Organization of Toronto, which houses the mosque. "We believe it has
to be a heavy instrument, possibly a sledgehammer or a pick ax, or it
could even be a crowbar."
About five cars in a parking lot next to the mosque also had their
windows broken, Ali said. He said the two-story mosque sees about 500
worshipers daily and the organization said the mosque is one of the
largest in North America. . .
Mohammad Alam, president of the Islamic Foundation of Toronto, said the
vandalism may be the beginning of religiously motivated reprisals against
the country's Muslim population, estimated at more than 600,000.
He said he backed the government's efforts to combat terrorism, but
emphasized nothing had been proven in the suspected bomb plot, which has
gripped the country. . .
The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations asked Muslims to
co-operate with security agencies to fight terrorism. (MORE)
SEE:
Canadian Muslims Relieved Terror Attacks Averted
SEE ALSO:
MOSQUE MAY HAVE BEEN
VANDALIZED IN RETALIATION -
TOP
CTV, 6/4/06
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20060604/mosque_vandalized_060604/20060604
A Toronto mosque may have been vandalized in an act of hatred and
retaliation to Islam following the weekend arrests of 17 terror suspects
who were allegedly planning several bombings in southern
Ontario.
About 30 windows and the front door of the International Muslims
Organization of Toronto building in Rexdale were smashed in the early
morning hours on Sunday, treasurer Mohammed Ashraf told CTV.ca.
(MORE)
-----
MUSLIM STAFF MEMBERS ON MISSION TO
EDUCATE CONGRESS -
TOP
NEELA BANERJEE, New York Times, 6/3/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/03/washington/03religion.html
WASHINGTON - The moment Nayyera Haq decided that she could no longer stay
quiet as a Muslim on Capitol Hill came last summer when Representative
Tom Tancredo talked about bombing Mecca.
Asked during a radio interview what should be done if Muslim terrorists
attacked the United States, Mr. Tancredo, a Colorado Republican,
suggested bombing Islam's holy sites, including Mecca.
"That's when I realized there was something really wrong," said
Ms. Haq, spokeswoman for Representative John Salazar, Democrat of
Colorado. "Not just with members of Congress, but as Americans and
our approach to dealing with 'others.' "
By last fall, Ms. Haq had joined with 22 other Muslims on Capitol Hill to
form the Congressional Muslim Staffers Association. Ever since Muslim
staff members began meeting for Friday prayer on the Hill in 1998, they
had talked about organizing a staff members' association, one of the many
groups in Congress based on ethnicity, religion or shared interests.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CA: CANDIDATES DELIVER
LAST-MINUTE PITCHES -
TOP
Phil Yost, Mercury News, 6/4/06
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/14738998.htm
Mark Martinez has been friends with Michael Mulcahy since they were in
theater together as kids. So even though he doesn't live in San Jose, he
was handing out campaign literature Saturday while Mulcahy worked the
crowd at the Tamale Festival, as the race for mayor of San Jose rushes
toward the election Tuesday.
Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez, Councilmen Chuck Reed and Dave Cortese, and
deputy district attorney David Pandori -- along with their supporters --
were just as busy. The candidates picked up the phone, put on their
walking shoes, or chose among the Tamale Festival, the Burbank
Neighborhood Jamboree or
the summer picnic of the Council on American
Islamic Relations. (MORE)
-----
MEETING IN L.A. TO DISCUSS VIEWS
OF LATINOS AND BLACKS DRAWS PROTESTERS -
TOP
Residents and political leaders fill a mosque for the first in a planned
series of talks seeking unity as the Minuteman group rallies
outside.
Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times, 6/4/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-unity4jun04,1,7426272.story
A forum to discuss the viewpoints of Latinos and African Americans on
such issues as immigration and jobs attracted about 200 people -- and 20
protesters -- Saturday night to a mosque near downtown Los
Angeles.
The event was intended to be the first of monthly "black and brown
roundtables" on topics that tend to divide and unite the ethnic
groups, which share neighborhoods in South Los Angeles and other parts of
the region, according to organizer Najee Ali.
Ali, an African American activist and director of Project Islamic HOPE, a
nonprofit civil rights organization, said his goal was to have a frank
forum, even if it triggered verbal fireworks.
"I don't want a meeting where everyone gets together and sings
'Kumbaya.' This is a serious discussion; no holds barred," he said
before the meeting, which was sponsored by the Latino and African
American Leadership Alliance. "The only way both groups can
understand each other is an honest discussion."
In fact, tempers flared before the meeting started.
Protesters from the Minuteman Project -- which wants to stop illegal
immigration by monitoring the border -- lined Exposition Boulevard
outside the Masjid Omar ibn Al-Khattab Mosque near USC. They waved
American flags and carried placards bearing slogans such as "Secure
the Border" and "Stop Illegal Immigration."
As Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton), who is African American,
walked into the mosque, he was taunted by Marvin Stewart, a spokesman for
the protesters. "You have sold the black man out," said
Stewart, who also is African American. (MORE)
-----
TX: MUSLIM HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATES WALK FINE LINE BETWEEN RELIGION, CULTURE -
TOP
Abe Levy, San Antonio Express-News, 6/4/06
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/stories/MYSA060406.01B.muslimprom.825b9e0.html
South Asian Muslim traditions mingled with modern American culture at a
gathering Friday night that was billed as a prom alternative for 13
Muslim high school graduates in San Antonio.
In keeping with Muslim convention, traditional music from India and
Pakistan and the smell of spicy chicken wafted through the air. The young
women dressed in brightly colored salwar kameez and matching scarves,
some bought especially for that night, and the young men wore
button-down, solid-colored shirts and trousers. They mingled, but often
separately, in accordance with their social code; their parents and
family members did the same.
Once during the night, they stopped to pray -- first the men, then the
women.
There were no limos, no trendy tuxedos, no low-cut gowns, no fancy
flowers and, certainly, no couples dancing to raucous music.
In other ways, though, the banquet and ceremony honoring the graduates,
attended by about 350, had its American touches, even its setting: a
Knights of Columbus hall full of Catholic imagery but the beer tap was
dry and the bar shut down. A slide show -- set to American lullabies and
rock songs -- depicted the graduates as football players and wrestlers,
riding bikes in their neighborhood and going on family ski
vacations.
"This is like a balance of two different worlds," said Haleema
Harara, a recent St. Mary's University graduate and the night's keynote
speaker. "Here, we're emulating what our parents expect of us. We
respect our parents' wishes but when we hang out, we have co-ed groups
and talk."
This fine line was the focus of a skit presented during the night called
"My Mom and Prom." Set in a mock living room, it was an
exaggerated statement of the intergenerational angst that high school
proms create in typical South Asian Muslim households.
The mother is conflicted over whether to give in to her son's request to
go to his prom. Her son feels caught between a girl-crazy friend going to
the prom and a devout Muslim friend not going.
"I'm so worried," the mom says. "Are you going to dance
with the girls? Is that acceptable?"
"You have to understand," the son responded. "We face that
every day at school and work. It's how we respond to it that makes the
difference."
The audience erupted in applause. (MORE)
-----
OH: SUIT SAYS CHILDREN SERVICES
TRIED TO STEER KIDS FROM ISLAM -
TOP
Kevin Mayhood, COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 6/2/06
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/06/02/20060602-E6-00.html
A Grandview Heights mother who fought Franklin County Children Services
after her daughters were placed in foster care for a year says that the
agency tried to steer the children from Islam to Christianity.
Hadiya AbdulSalaam, who was cleared of neglect charges last year, has
filed a federal lawsuit in Columbus claiming discrimination and
harassment.
"It's a despicable and horrifying example of abuse of governmental
power," said her attorney, Rex Elliot.
John Saros, executive director of Children Services, declined to talk
about specific allegations, but said there was "no violation of
federal rights as we pursued our effort to provide services to this
family."
The suit, filed Wednesday, contends that caseworkers attempted to
persuade the girls to renounce Islam, in part by falsely reporting that
AbdulSalaam forced her children to work long hours in the family store to
the detriment of their education and well-being, and that she was
physically and emotionally abusive.
It also says the agency, through the foster parents with whom the girls
lived, encouraged the daughters to adopt Christianity. Children Services
also initiated contact with the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority,
which resulted in AbdulSalaam being evicted and made homeless, the suit
says.
AbdulSalaam complained that Children Services refused to place her
daughters with a Muslim foster family, to meet with Muslim leaders and to
allow the family prayers during visits. . .
Makeba and Meserete were returned to AbdulSalaam in July 2004. Two months
later, a Franklin County Juvenile Court magistrate ruled they had been
neglected and inappropriately forced to work.
Judge Carole S. Squire overruled the magistrate in October and said
Children Services had failed to make reasonable efforts to help the
family before placing the children in foster care.
Squire said she was "appalled" a caseworker had told a
counseling center not to let the family hold prayers together.
(MORE)
-----
CANADA: FILM SHOWED MORE THAN ONE OBSESSION -
TOP
Dean Peachey, Winnipeg Free Press, 6/4/06
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/westview/story/3528812p-4077825c.html
AS we waited for the theatre to darken for
Obsession: Radical Islam's
War Against the West, my friend and I talked about the current
"war on terror." The discussion led to parallels in my lifetime
between how the West sees the terrorist threat, and how a few decades ago
we viewed the Communist threat.
Terrorism, I remarked, like godless communism is a perfect enemy. It is
amorphous, it can never be completely eradicated, it is out there and it
is here within our midst. And empires and civilizations need enemies --
preferably ones that can never be completely eliminated, and are always
poised to return and threaten anew.
The film began, and after the repeated opening scenes of bewildered and
panic-stricken New Yorkers and twin towers burning and crashing, the
screen began to draw a map of the world. The world map filled with a
proliferation of Xs marking bombings or terrorist attacks, the ink
filling the world, just like the flowing patches of red that marked the
relentless advance of Communism in the "documentary" films of
my youth. The relevance of our conversation a few minutes earlier was
stunning. Is there nothing new under the sun?
Obsession opens with explicit statements that it is not describing Islam
or Muslims in general. Captions flash on the screen stating that it is
only a minority of Muslims who hold to radical views, and that their
actions are an affront to most Muslims.
I found Obsession's focus on the deliberate cultivation of hatred to be
the production's strongest point. Too often terrorism with an Islamic
flavour is portrayed as religious fervour, rather than as the systematic
construction of an ideology of dehumanizing and demonizing hate, akin to
what the world has seen elsewhere in the white supremacist
groups.
But Obsession is at its essence a predictable product of the propaganda
genre. Proclaim objectivity about the subject. Frame it at the beginning
and end with Edmund Burke's famous quotation about how all that is needed
for the forces of evil to triumph in the world is for good people to do
nothing.
Show the interviewees who hold favourable opinions through flattering
camera angles and clear focus, their faces carefully made up and lit with
studio lighting. These are obviously intelligent, rational, knowledgeable
people. Show all who hold enemy views in grainy, jumpy newsreels or
home-video style that makes "them" look as unattractive as
possible, distorted, even less than human. . .
Pick a point of view and repeat it over and over. Ignore contradictory
evidence or viewpoints. Add enough scenes of blood and carnage for a
Hollywood thriller. Draw repeated comparisons to Hitler and his Nazi
designs for world domination -- complete with a map of the Nazis spilling
across Europe like black ink.
The radical Muslims are at war with the Jews and the Christians. Don't be
fooled like Neville Chamberlain holding aloft the deal-with-the devil
paper bearing both his signature and that of Hitler, proclaiming
"peace in our time."
The painful became the absurd toward the end of the
"documentary" when the focus is on Jews as targets of radical
Islam. The propaganda-laden Obsession shows how Arab news and
entertainment media broadcast images that portray Jews as sub-human or
evil. True, but the irony was laughable, except that no one was laughing
in the Imax. . .
Is Obsession propaganda? Most certainly. Is it offensive? I almost gagged
(Why did I pay $18 to see a propaganda film -- whose pockets am I
lining?). Is it hate propaganda? Probably not in my lay opinion, although
the voiceover of Franklin D. Roosevelt extolling the "Nazi shape of
things to come" while the camera rests on that face of an Arabic
preschool boy holding a gun probably crosses the line, and certainly
curdled my stomach.
But the real whammy was yet to come. Nonie Darwish, who spoke to the
crowd after the screening, said "America needs to see more films
like that."
Darwish is an intriguing individual whom I would like to know and
understand better. She was born a Palestinian Muslim. The man who was her
favourite bodyguard died during Israeli interrogation and her father was
executed by Israeli security forces when she was eight years old. Today
she is a self-proclaimed Zionist.
She went on to describe how in the world today "it's the same hate
speech, propaganda, and us against them." In a telling manner, she
observed, "Before they make you hate someone, they scare
you."
She proceeded to do it. Whereas Obsession at least held the pretence of
not stereotyping whole groups of people, she had no such compunction. As
she warmed up, her speech was peppered with sweeping generalities. The
Islamic radical are not just fringe groups, she proclaimed. They are the
hands of Arab leaders and governments. A Jew can't walk on the street in
Islamic societies without being lynched. "The whole Muslim world is
persecuting non-Muslims."
Moreover, moderate Muslims around the world have failed to denounce their
radical co-religionists, she asserted. By their silence they bear the
shame and share the blame.
That was a hate speech. (MORE)
-----
MUSLIMS CRAFT THEIR OWN
VIDEO GAMES -
TOP
Rhonda Roumani, Christian Science Monitor, 6/5/06
http://csmonitor.com/2006/0605/p07s02-wome.html
Inside the frosted glass doors of Afkar Media, located in Damascus's
newly-built free-zone, software developers are trying to rebuild a
civilization inside a video game.
Set to be released in September, "Al-Quraysh" is a strategy
game that tells the story of the first 100 years of Islam's history from
the viewpoint of four different nations - Bedouins, Arabs, Persians, and
Romans.
One can choose to command any of the armies of the four nations or lead
the army of the main character, Khaled Ibn Waleed, a Muslim warrior who
defeated the Roman and Persian empires and never lost a battle. Or one
can play the role of the Bedouin sheikh, who must earn the respect of his
tribe. The player has the task of building and protecting trade routes
and water sources, building armies, conducting battles, and freeing
slaves.
It's just one of several new games produced in the Middle East with the
idea that video games, like other media, play a role in shaping young
minds and impacting self-esteem. The makers hope "Al-Quraysh,"
named after the prophet Muhammad's tribe, will help to correct the image
of Islam, alleviate tensions with the West, and stoke pride among young
Muslims. (MORE)
-----
DC: GALLUP TO RELEASE POLL ON MUSLIM WOMEN -
TOP
SUBJECT: The Gallup Organization holds a news conference to release
"What Women Want: Listening to the Voices of Muslim Women,"
phase one of its proprietary study, "The Gallup Poll of the Muslim
World."
LOCATION: The Gallup Organization, 901 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. --
June 6, 2006
PARTICIPANTS: Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll; and
Dalia Mogahed, executive director of Gallup Muslim Studies
CONTACT: 202-715-3110 [Note: RSVP required.]
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/5/06
*
Verse:
Say Only What is Just and True
*
Muslims Care:
Group Encourages Volunteer
Work
-
PA:
Muslims Join Interfaith Walk
for Peace
-
CA Muslims Collect Quake Relief
Funds (Antara)
*
CAIR-LA:
Faith in the
Workplace (OC Register)
-
CAIR-MI: Mosque to Educate
Public About Muslims
*
Latinas Balance Catholic Upbringing, Adoption
of Islam (WP)
-
CAIR-MI:
Muslims Rally for
Immigrant Rights (Free Press)
-
ME:
Muslim Worker Wins Bias
Case, Denied Damages
*
Buchanan:
The
Persecution of the Palestinians
*
Army to Omit Ban on 'Humiliating and
Degrading Treatment'
*
MN:
Muslim Candidate Renounces Ties to
Nation of Islam
-
Ellison Denies Charges of
Anti-Semitism
*
Indian-Americans Test Their
Clout on Atom Pact (NYT)
*
Canada:
Mob Harasses
Muslim Worshippers in Calgary
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: SAY ONLY WHAT IS JUST AND TRUE -
TOP
"O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and
(always) speak with a will to bring out (only) what is just and true.
(Then) He will bless your works and forgive your sins."
The Holy Quran, 33:70-71
To obtain or sponsor a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
MUSLIMS CARE: GROUP ENCOURAGES VOLUNTEER WORK
-
TOP
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 6/5/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorial/sfl-edittdislamjun05,0,7826873.story
To their great credit, many Muslim organizations in the United States
have been working to counteract negative views of their religion
resulting from the terrorism of Islamic extremists.
One of the
foremost of these groups is the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
which is conducting a summer-long campaign to show that "Muslims
Care."
The campaign stresses ways in which Muslims can help improve the
communities where they live, with particular emphasis on health awareness
and charity work. CAIR provides a Web site,
www.muslims-care.org , where
people can download a "tool kit" on how to volunteer and Muslim
clerics can get advice on how to promote volunteerism.
As President Bush has noted, the United States is fighting a vicious
enemy, but the enemy is not Islam or Muslims. Organizations like CAIR
prove that.
SEE ALSO:
PA: MARCHING FOR PEACE,
DEMONSTRATING UNITY -
TOP
Joel Bewley, Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/5/06
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/14741624.htm
By appearance, by culture and by religion, the differences among the 300
people in sneakers gathered yesterday outside a North Philadelphia mosque
were clear-cut.
As they prepared to walk more than three miles to promote peace, however,
they were reminded of their Scripture-based similarities - an instruction
to pursue love and justice.
"The truth is not what we see with our eyes and hear with our
ears," said Vince Compher, founder of the annual Philadelphia
Interfaith Walk for Peace and Reconciliation. "The truth is what
goes on in our hearts."
After worship at the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society, the marchers went to St.
Peter's Church in Northern Liberties. From there, they headed to Christ
Church in Old City before walking to Independence Mall and on to Society
Hill Synagogue.
At each stop, they prayed, sang, and learned the lessons of peace taught
by each faith. Each stop reinforced the message that harmony among all
groups is possible.
Compher, a member of the Tabernacle United Church in West Philadelphia,
created the local walk three years ago after hearing about a similar
event in New Mexico.
The group wore white shirts and carried signs with salaam, shalom, and
other variations of the word peace. (MORE)
---
CALIFORNIA'S MUSLIMS COLLECT FUNDS FOR
INDON EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS -
TOP
Antara (Indonesia), 6/4/06
http://www.antara.co.id/en
The Islamic Center of Southern California in conjunction with Islamic
Relief held an emergency funds collection drive for victims of the
devastating earthquake in Indonesia.
The aid collection took place after the Friday sermon and prayer (2/6) at
the Islamic Center, i
nformation from the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) said on Sunday. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-LA: WORKPLACE DEVOTION -
TOP
Concordia University examines the social, business and legal aspects of
bringing faith to work.
YOLANDA SANCHEZ, Orange County Register, 6/4/06
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/money/homepage/article_1169343.php
This is one of the reasons why Concordia University recently established
the Center for Faith and Business. The center provides tools, training
and strategies for integrating faith and work. . .
There are also many networking groups and Islamic banking for Muslim
business leaders, said Tareef Nashashibi, a general contractor and
chairman of the Arab American Committee of the Orange County Republican
Party. But he also does not know of a center focused on the integration
of faith and business for Muslim professionals.
At the Council on American Islamic Relations there are thoughts that
such a center may come to fruition in the future.
"Our community is still in its development phase; hopefully, one
day we will have a similar center," said Munira Syeda,
communications coordinator for the council. "Most business leaders
if they do have questions they will go to a mosque or Islamic Centers
such as the Islamic Center of Irvine." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI: MOSQUE TO EDUCATE
PUBLIC ABOUT MUSLIMS -
TOP
Detroit News, 6/5/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060605/METRO03/606050353/1014/rss03
An informational meeting to educate residents about Islam and Muslims is
being offered this week in the wake of controversy over a new mosque in
Warren.
The "Meet Your Neighbors" symposium will be held from 7-9 p.m.
Thursday at the Warren Community Center, 5460 Arden. Religious leaders
with the city's newly established mosque, the Islamic Organization of
North America, hope to clear up misunderstandings about their religion.
The symposium is also sponsored by the National Conference for Community
and Justice and
the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
-----
LATINAS BALANCE CATHOLIC UPBRINGING, ADOPTION OF
ISLAM -
TOP
Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post, 6/5/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/04/AR2006060400957.html
Every morning, Jackie Avelar wakes up to a predicament. On one side of
her bed is a clock that sounds the Islamic call to prayer five times a
day. On the other side is a statue of Mary. As a Muslim, she wants to
remove it. As a Latina, she can't.
Her father, who is a Catholic from El Salvador, wants the statue to
stay.
"I have to respect him," Avelar said.
So she has found a comfortable balance: She covers the statue with a
photo of her family.
Avelar, 31, constantly struggles to find balance within her family,
within the outside world, within herself. Growing up, she was a
beach-going, tank top-wearing, salsa-dancing girl. Now, she's a devout
Muslim who favors Islamic garments and avoids socializing with
men.
She is the first Muslim in a family that has never known any religion but
Catholicism.
Across the nation, thousands of Latino immigrants are redefining
themselves through Islam, including a few hundred in the Washington
region, according to national Islamic groups and community leaders.
Precise numbers are not available, but estimates range from 40,000 to
70,000.
The conversions speak to a larger evolution of immigrant identity, as a
new generation ingests a cultural smorgasbord of ideas they were rarely
exposed to in their homelands. Today, it's easier than ever to learn
about Islam from Spanish translations of the Koran, Islamic magazines and
Web sites.
But as they embrace a new faith, Latinos face struggles, ranging from
guilt to discrimination, as Muslims in a post-Sept. 11 America.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI: ANTI-IMMIGRATION
POLICIES GALVANIZE HUNDREDS -
TOP
NIRAJ WARIKOO, Detroit Free Press, 6/5/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060605/NEWS05/606050400/1007/NEWS
Chanting "Fix it now!" hundreds of Latino immigrants rallied
inside a Detroit church Sunday to criticize proposed laws and polices
that they say target minorities unfairly, and some announced initiatives
to preserve their rights. . .
A range of churches and groups from across the region participated
Sunday. Members of churches in Pontiac, Ecorse and Detroit attended the
rally, as did members of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations
and the Jewish Community Council. (MORE)
-----
ME: MAN APPEALS FOR PAYMENT OF
DAMAGES IN COURT WIN -
TOP
GREGORY D. KESICH, Portland Press Herald, 6/5/06
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/060605court.shtml
A Muslim man is challenging the verdict of a Portland jury, which last
year found that he was not entitled to any monetary damages even though
he had been the victim of illegal harassment at work.
Abdul Azimi, 38, won a six-day civil rights trial in U.S. District Court
in Portland against Jordan's Meats in April 2005. The jury found that
harassment from his co-workers had created a work environment that
"was hostile to his race, religion or ethnic origin."
Additionally, the jury found that managers at Jordan's knew or should
have known about the harassment and failed to stop it. But the jury also
found that Azimi was not hurt by the conduct, and it did not require the
company to pay him anything.
The company's lawyer said the verdict makes sense. Attorney Lawrence
Winger said Azimi did not lose any wages, raises or promotions during the
time he was employed by Jordan's and never sought medical treatment as a
result of the harassment.
But the lawyer who represented Azimi at his trial said the verdict is
inconsistent and should be overturned.
"It doesn't make sense, what the jury did," said John Lemieux.
"In my mind, one of two things happened: There was some element of
prejudice or they were simply confused." (MORE)
-----
THE PERSECUTION OF THE
PALESTINIANS -
TOP
Patrick J. Buchanan, the American Conservative, 6/5/06
http://amconmag.com/2006/2006_06_05/buchanan.html
"Why do they hate us?" So stunned Americans asked, after 9/11,
when we learned that across the Arab world, many were saying, "The
Americans had it coming."
For a textbook example of why we are hated, consider Gaza and the West
Bank. There, a brutal Israeli/U.S.-led cutoff in aid has been imposed on
the Palestinians for voting the wrong way in a free election.
Immediately after Hamas's victory, Israel halted the $55 million a month
the Palestinian Authority received as its share of tax and customs
revenue. Israel demanded Europe and the U.S. also end all aid to the PA
until Hamas renounces terror, recognizes Israel, and disarms.
President Bush, though he was conducting a worldwide crusade for
democracy and had urged that the Palestinian elections be held and Hamas
participate, obediently complied. For months now, U.S. and European aid
to the PA, half its budget, has been halted.
The early returns are in. "Surgeons at Gaza's biggest
hospital," says the Financial Times, "have suspended
non-essential surgery for lack of sutures, laboratory kits and
anesthetics." Environmental protection agency workers have no money
for petrol to monitor sewage and industrial waste entering the water
supply. Some 150,000 civil servants, 60,000 of them armed security
personnel, have gone unpaid for months.
Supermarkets have to extend credit to customers who have no money for
food. The Washington Post relates an incident that gives a flavor of what
is happening.
"In Gaza's gold market Monday, Nahed al-Zayim stared at the wedding
ring her husband, a Palestinian police officer, gave her six years ago.
She had placed it on a glass counter offering it for sale, joining
several other wives of public employees who had not been paid in two
months.
"Her head covered by a black veil, Zayim said she needed the
proceeds from her ring to buy diapers and milk supplements for her three
children, including Hazem, 4, who tugged at her tunic in the afternoon
bustle. 'This is the last one, we have no more,' Zayim, 28, said of her
ring.". . .
The purpose of U.S.-Israeli policy today is to punish the Palestinians
for how they voted and to force Hamas to yield or to collapse its
government. How does such a policy win hearts and minds for
America?
Terrorism has been described as waging war on innocents to break their
political leaders. Is that not a fair description of what we are doing to
the Palestinians? No wonder they hate us.
-----
ARMY MANUAL TO SKIP GENEVA DETAINEE RULE -
TOP
The Pentagon's move to omit a ban on prisoner humiliation from the basic
guide to soldier conduct faces strong State Dept. opposition.
Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times, 6/5/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-torture5jun05,1,1143219.story
The Pentagon has decided to omit from new detainee policies a key tenet
of the Geneva Convention that explicitly bans "humiliating and
degrading treatment," according to knowledgeable military officials,
a step that would mark a further, potentially permanent, shift away from
strict adherence to international human rights standards.
The decision could culminate a lengthy debate within the Defense
Department but will not become final until the Pentagon makes new
guidelines public, a step that has been delayed. However, the State
Department fiercely opposes the military's decision to exclude Geneva
Convention protections and has been pushing for the Pentagon and White
House to reconsider, the Defense Department officials acknowledged.
(MORE)
-----
ELLISON LETTER ADDRESSES HIS PAST TIES -
TOP
The DFL-endorsed congressional candidate said he failed to study Louis
Farrakhan's positions when he was involved with the Nation of Islam.
Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune, 6/2/06
http://www.startribune.com/587/story/470928.html
State Rep. Keith Ellison, the DFL endorsee in the Fifth Congressional
District race, has sent a letter to the Jewish Community Relations
Council in an attempt to quell concerns about his connections to a group
viewed by many as anti-Semitic.
Ellison said that when he had ties to the Nation of Islam for about 18
months in the mid-1990s he failed to scrutinize the positions of the
group and its leader, Louis Farrakhan, and "wrongly dismissed
concerns that they were anti-Semitic. I should have come to that
conclusion [that they were anti-Semitic] earlier than I did. I regret
that I didn't."
Ellison, who could become the first Muslim elected to Congress, noted
that there has been "much speculation" about his ties to
Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, an organization that is aimed at
improving conditions for black people but has been criticized as being
antiwhite, antigay and anti-Semitic.
Ellison wrote that he saw "in the Nation of Islam, and specifically
the Million Man March [in 1995], an effort to promote African-American
self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, and community economic
development." His relationship to Farrakhan has been raised mostly
on blogs and in political scuttlebutt. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
ELLISON DENIES CHARGES OF
ANTI-SEMITISM -
TOP
http://wcco.com/local/local_story_154125507.html
-----
INDIAN-AMERICANS TEST THEIR CLOUT ON
ATOM PACT -
TOP
MIKE McINTIRE, New York Times, 6/5/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/05/washington/05indians.html
Indian-Americans have mounted an intensive drive to support President
Bush's plan to aid India's civilian nuclear program, spending heavily on
lobbying, campaign contributions and public relations to persuade
Congress to approve the deal.
Officials in Washington and New Delhi have called the agreement historic,
a centerpiece of American-Indian relations. But to many Indian-Americans,
the plan is something more personal: a confirmation of India's emergence
as a global power. And they see the increasingly contentious battle in
Congress as a unique opportunity to demonstrate their budding political
influence in their adopted homeland.
Indian-Americans, a small but fast-growing, affluent and well-educated
group, are not new to lobbying in Washington. But the proposed nuclear
pact has energized them like nothing before. In recent months,
Indian-Americans, as well as the Indian government in some cases, have
invested heavily in proven political tools that have helped previous
immigrant groups break into American politics - hiring lobbyists,
organizing fund-raisers and blanketing Capitol Hill with briefings, phone
calls and petitions. (MORE)
-----
TERROR ARRESTS SPARK BACKLASH
AGAINST MUSLIM CANADIANS -
TOP
http://www.citytv.com/calgary/news_30127.aspx
The foiled terror plot in Toronto has already resulted in a backlash
against Muslim communities across the country. In Calgary on Friday
night, a group of nine men and women in their twenties banged on the
doors and window of the Al-Madinah Islamic Centre before opening the
front door to yell and swear at seven worshippers gathered for a late
prayer.
In Toronto on Saturday night, vandals smashed 30 windows at a mosque and
damaged nearby cars. Toronto police called a joint press conference with
Muslim leaders on Sunday to appeal for calm, saying that such attacks
would be dealt with seriously and harshly by the law. The Muslim leaders
also expressed fears their community would become victims of reprisal
attacks. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/6/06
*
Hadith:
Spread Greetings of Peace
*
Ask Friends, Family to Join
CAIR-NET
*
CAIR-LA:
FBI Says UCI Muslims Aren't
Monitored (OC Reg)
-
CAIR:
Muslims Ready for
Hearing on Spying (Free Press)
*
More Than 400 Turn Out for CAIR-OH
Dinner
-
CAIR-St. Louis Volunteers Help Local PBS
Station
*
U.S. Muslims Try
to Regain Foothold in Politics (SHNS)
-
IL:
Islam-Compliant Financing
Increasing
*
UK:
Intelligence on London
Raid was Wrong (Guardian)
*
Khan:
Muslim Communities Must Root Out Fringe
Elements
-
Canada:
Police
Put on a `Good Spectacle' (Star)
*
Source:
Killing of Iraqi by Marines
'Premeditated' (CNN)
-
DC:
Religious Leaders to Call for
End to Torture
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SPREAD GREETINGS OF PEACE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "O (my) people,
spread greetings (of peace), feed people (in need), keep ties of kinship,
and pray during the night while the others sleep, and you will enter
paradise in peace."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 2, Number 21
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
ASK FRIENDS, FAMILY TO JOIN CAIR-NET -
TOP
ACTION REQUESTED: Please copy the item below and distribute it to your
personal e-mail list or newsgroup.
E-MAIL LIST OFFERS NEWS ABOUT U.S. MUSLIMS
(WASHINGTON, DC, 6/6/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) is inviting friends, family and colleagues of current CAIR-NET
subscribers to receive information about the American Muslim community by
joining the daily e-mail list.
CAIR-NET subscribers receive CAIR news releases, action alerts and
"American Muslim News Briefs." No more than two messages are
sent through the list each day.
To see what type of materials you would receive through CAIR-NET, go to:
www.cair.com
To SUBSCRIBE to CAIR-NET, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
I you have more than one e-mail address you would like subscribe to
CAIR-NET, send the list of e-mails to:
ihooper@cair-net.org
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
-----
CAIR-LA: FBI SAYS MUSLIMS AT UCI AREN'T
MONITORED -
TOP
Official meets with community leaders after an agent's remarks raised
concern.
CINDY CARCAMO and VIK JOLLY, Orange County Register, 6/6/06
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/homepage/article_1171489.php
IRVINE - The FBI and Muslim community leaders met again Monday night, one
in a series of gatherings since 9/11 intended to promote a better
understanding of each other.
The latest meeting was needed, Muslim leaders said, because of a report
by Register columnist Frank Mickadeit last month in which Pat Rose, head
of the FBI's Orange County al-Qaida squad, was quoted as saying her
agency was looking for potential terrorists here through a variety of
electronic eavesdropping techniques.
Rose said the FBI is aware of large numbers of Muslims at UC Irvine and
USC. And she said she was "quite surprised" that "there
are a lot of individuals of interest right here in Orange
County."
Stephen Tidwell, assistant director in charge of the FBI in Los Angeles,
told about 100 people gathered at the Islamic Center of Irvine, that
"we do not, we cannot, we do not" monitor students at UC Irvine
and USC.
"We will set aside whether (Rose) was accurate or it was reported
accurately or not," he said in his opening remarks.
Tidwell explained how the FBI investigates tips and how a threat
assessment is made and sent to agency headquarters in
Washington.
"There are rules and guidelines as to how and why we conduct an
investigation," he said.
In response to a question about Rose, Tidwell said she is
"upset."
"I'm dealing with that agent. I've had long talks with that agent.
She understands that without regard to what her intent was, it has come
to this," Tidwell said.
He answered no when asked whether the FBI is monitoring Irvine's Muslim
community and said, "We would have to have reasonable cause to do
that."
Sabiha Khan, spokeswoman for the Council on American Islamic Relations
in Anaheim, said the meetings have been helpful.
"Thankfully with improved training of the FBI we hear less and
less of the questions about what mosque (Muslims) went to or what imam
they liked to listen to," Khan said.
In an e-mail to the Register after the publication of Rose's comments,
the FBI said, in part: "The FBI does not monitor Muslim student
groups at UC Irvine, USC or other educational
institutions."
But Rose's remarks had touched off an uproar. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR: MUSLIMS READY FOR
HEARING ON SPYING -
TOP
NIRAJ WARIKOO, Detroit Free Press, 6/6/06
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060606/NEWS05/606060396/1007
Local Muslims and civil rights attorneys are gearing up for a court
hearing they say may be the first in the country on the legality of the
U.S. government's domestic surveillance program.
The hearing in Detroit on Monday will feature arguments over a lawsuit
filed earlier this year against the National Security Agency for
eavesdropping on Americans without court approval.
The suit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Michigan
branch of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations and other
groups and individuals who say they fear the government was spying on
them. They are expected to file additional court documents today that
claim the agency's program is unconstitutional. (MORE)
-----
MORE THAN 400 TURN OUT FOR CAIR-OH DINNER -
TOP
(DUBLIN, OHIO 6/6/2006) - More than 400 turned out this past Sunday for
the 9th Annual CAIR-Ohio Fundraising Banquet at the Columbus Marriott
Northwest in Dublin.
The speakers at the event included Imam Siraj Wahhaj of Masjid At-Taqwa
in Brooklyn, N.Y., former Amnesty International USA Chairman Joe W.
(Chip) Pitts III, and Sybil McNabb, president of the Ohio Conference of
the NAACP. The theme of the dinner, which raised more than $100,000 for
CAIR-Ohio's civil liberties work, was "American Muslims: Partners
for Peace & Justice."
"Our community sent a very clear message that the work we do is
vital to the well-being of the Ohio Muslim community and that CAIR-Ohio's
efforts are appreciated," said CAIR-Ohio (Columbus) Director Adnan
Mirza. "We thank all those who contributed to making this event a
huge success and look forward to serving their needs for the betterment
of all of Ohio."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. The CAIR-Ohio Chapter has three
offices - Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Its mission is to enhance
the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio (Columbus) Director Adnan Mirza, 614-451-3232, E-Mail:
director@cair-ohio.com
---
CAIR-ST. LOUIS VOLUNTEERS HELP LOCAL PBS
STATION -
TOP
(ST. LOUIS, MO, 6/6/06) - On June 3, a group of volunteers from the St.
Louis Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-St.
Louis) helped local PBS affiliate KETC-TV Channel 9 raise $50,000 during
its membership drive. Sixteen volunteers took part in the event, which
lasted from 5:30 to 10 p.m.
-----
MUSLIMS TRY TO REGAIN
THEIR FOOTHOLD IN POLITICS -
TOP
ROB HOTAKAINEN, McClatchy Newspapers, 6/5/06
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=MUSLIMS-06-05-06
WASHINGTON -- Of the 11,754 Americans who have served in Congress since
the nation was founded, only one has specified a religious preference
other than Christian or Jewish.
If Keith Ellison of Minneapolis makes it through the primary and general
elections in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, he would make
history by becoming the first Muslim member of Congress.
But in another way, he would not be alone.
After losing political ground in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001
attacks, American Muslims are trying hard to regain traction in the 2006
elections.
Many Muslims say they've been the victims of more hate crimes and
discrimination in recent years and that the only way to fight back is to
become more engaged in politics. They're doing just that, holding voter
registration drives and running candidates from City Hall to Capitol
Hill. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
IL: ISLAM-COMPLIANT FINANCING
INCREASING -
TOP
ASHIR BADAMI, Medill News Service, 6/6/06
http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2006/06/06/business/business/1fa22c683ab6db3c86257184006e780a.txt
CHICAGO | More banks are catering to the Chicago area's growing Muslim
population by offering Islam-compliant financing, but so far it's only
the small banks that are willing to make the effort.
According to Islamic law, or Shari'ah, Muslims are prohibited from
receiving or paying interest.
But most banks generate their principal profits from interest income on
loans, making it difficult for observant Muslims to purchase homes,
automobiles or small businesses.
But increasingly Muslim borrowers are able to obtain interest-free,
Shari'ah-compliant loans developed by individual banks and approved by a
panel of Islamic scholars, or Shari'ah board, which is often a lengthy
and expensive process.
According to Salman Ibrahim, vice president of the Shari'ah Board of
America, the absence of Islamic financing products is not because of
insufficient demand.
"Muslims have been living in this country for generations,"
Ibrahim said, "demand has been there for many, many
years."
Although a few finance companies were probably the first U.S. lenders to
offer Islamic financing, Chicago's Devon Bank and Michigan-based
University Bank, both community institutions, may have been the first
U.S. banks to create Shari'ah-compliant products, starting about three
years ago. (MORE)
-----
INTELLIGENCE BEHIND RAID WAS
WRONG, OFFICIALS SAY -
TOP
Vikram Dodd, Sandra Laville and Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian,
6/6/06
http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1791110,00.html
Senior counter-terrorism officials now believe that the intelligence that
led to the raid on a family house last Friday in a search for a chemical
device about to be used to attack Britain was wrong, the Guardian has
learned.
Counter-terrorism officials were under pressure last night after days of
meticulous search of the house in east London failed to produce anything
to link the two men they arrested to a chemical plot. But a senior police
officer said they had been left with "no choice" but to force
entry into the house because there was specific intelligence of a threat
to public safety.
One official, with knowledge why police acted and what had been found
from days of searching, said the intelligence had been acted on
correctly, but added last night: "There is no viable device at that
house. There is no device being constructed, or chemicals. There does not
appear to be anything there or anywhere else." (MORE)
-----
KHAN: WE MUST ROOT OUT THE FRINGE ELEMENTS IN THE
MUSLIM COMMUNITY -
TOP
SHEEMA KHAN, Globe and Mail, 6/6/06
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060606.wcomment0606/BNStory/National/home
[Sheema Khan is the former chair of CAIR-CAN.]
We thought we were immune. We are not a hated superpower. We did not
go to Iraq. Our multiculturalism policy seems light years ahead of
Europe's dysfunctional immigration policies. We're nice. We're Canadian.
Why would anyone want to commit acts of murder and mayhem on our
soil?
Yet that is precisely what 17 individuals - all homegrown - were
allegedly preparing to do before being thwarted by a phalanx of security
services. The frightening spectre of al-Qaeda-inspired terrorism is now a
domestic reality. . .
As many have pointed out, we must work together with the Muslim community
to root out the fringe elements. At home, this ideology must be fought
using counterarguments that are both rational and spiritual in nature,
based on the Koran and Prophetic traditions. Imams must continue to
denounce extremism at Friday sermons, as they did in a historic national
statement last summer in the wake of the London bombings. Ignorance must
be countered with sound knowledge and appeals to the conscience.
The politics of grievance, combined with the reliance on victimhood
espoused by a minority, do little to empower the Muslim community.
Feelings of despair and helplessness must be replaced by proactive,
workable projects to help Muslims - especially energetic youth - channel
their talents toward helping the disenfranchised. In this regard,
elements of the highly successful social projects developed by Amr Khaled
(akin to Oprah's Angel Network) might be developed here. Mr. Khaled's
programs are rooted in Islamic teachings, providing a sense of identity
aimed at helping all human beings.
In addition, our security agencies and Muslim communities across Canada
must improve working relationships. The past may have been rocky, with
the Maher Arar affair, and Project Thread (the ill-fated police
investigation of 19 Toronto-area Pakistanis) sowing much mistrust.
However, the threat of terrorism requires that both sides move forward in
a constructive manner.
Vilification of an entire group only enhances alienation and mistrust.
Saturday's vandalism of a Rexdale mosque has confirmed the fears of a
community preparing for a backlash. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and
Toronto Mayor David Miller have helped to reassure the Muslim community
by cautioning against a backlash - much like former prime minister Jean
Chrétien did in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001. At the national level, it
would help for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to provide similar
reassurances to a community feeling on edge.
Muslims must continue to take public and private stands against the
scourge of terrorism. One way is to hold a public vigil affirming the
principles of the highly popular "Not in the Name of Islam"
on-line petition, which states: "We, the undersigned Muslims, wish
to state clearly that those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty
in the name of Islam are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also
betraying the values of the faith they claim to represent. No injustice
done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people, and no
act of terror will ever serve the cause of Islam. We repudiate and
dissociate ourselves from any Muslim group or individual who commits such
brutal and un-Islamic acts. We refuse to allow our faith to be held
hostage by the criminal actions of a tiny minority acting outside the
teachings of both the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon
him."
So far, more than 700,000 have signed this on-line.
Finally, let us all come together as Canadians, committed to the founding
principles of this nation. The pillars of Canadian society - tolerance,
compassion and fairness - will be tested. Yet, each one of us must
reflect seriously upon our role in shaping this society for the better,
against those forces who desire otherwise. Are we, individually and
collectively, up to the challenge?
SEE ALSO:
CANADA: POLICE PUT
ON A `GOOD SPECTACLE' -
TOP
Snipers, leg irons, selected evidence, police brass - all calculated to
sway the public, lawyers and security experts say
LINDA DIEBEL, Toronto Star, 6/6/06
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1149460818253&call_pageid=970599119419
"A good spectacle ... theatrical atmosphere ... like 24 ... an
awards show."
Reviews for a Mirvish production, right? Maybe a Hollywood blockbuster or
fast-paced new action series on Fox?
Wrong. It's how several lawyers and security experts describe the sombre,
indeed frightening, events which transpired in the GTA over the past
weekend.
At a news conference Saturday, a dozen of the highest-ranking police
officers in the province gathered to announce that an alleged terrorist
cell had been shut down before it could explode a truck bomb three times
more powerful than the device used in Oklahoma City. They were
circumspect about Operation O-Sage, arguing time constraints in the
preparation of evidence as well as police procedure.
The anti-terrorism task force was careful about the wording of its news
release, saying that the group "took steps to acquire" the
three tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a popular fertilizer used to make
bombs. As well, they laid out selected evidence for the photographers and
TV crews, showing only "sample" bags of ammonium
nitrate.
Meanwhile, under massive police security which included sharpshooters on
nearby roofs and tactical squad officers with submachine-guns, suspects
were brought in leg irons to the provincial courthouse in Brampton.
There, in Room 101, Justice of the Peace John Farnum postponed bail
hearings until tomorrow morning.
For the experts contacted by the Star, these events were as much about
creating an image for the public as about charging the individuals. And
it's an image, they argue, that could hurt the right of the accused - 12
men and five youths - to a fair trial.
Being on message - "on script" as the spin doctors put it - is
a concept more easily associated with politicians than police chiefs. But
for a veteran of the criminal justice system like Toronto lawyer Walter
Fox, it's the obvious lens through which to judge events.
The principal audience, in his view, is the Canadian public.
"Police think they have to present a show of force to advance the
public's understanding that these guys are dangerous," said Fox.
"Does it prejudice the mind of the public? I think so.
(MORE)
-----
KILLING OF IRAQI MAY HAVE BEEN
'PREMEDITATED' -
TOP
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, 6/6/06
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/05/iraq.probes/index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Navy investigators have evidence that U.S. Marines
may have committed "premeditated" murder in the April shooting
death of an Iraqi man in Hamdaniya, a military officer close to the
inquiry told CNN.
The officer, who has direct knowledge of the preliminary findings of an
investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), said
some of the Marines now in pretrial confinement have admitted the
circumstances of the civilian man's death were staged.
Their statements form part of the evidence that suggest the Marines --
from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment -- deliberately murdered the
man, the source said.
"They went after someone, not necessarily this person, but they set
out to get someone," the officer told CNN, referring to the Marines
now under investigation. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
DC: RELIGIOUS LEADERS ANNOUNCE
CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH TORTURE -
TOP
U.S. Newswire, 6/6/06
http://www.usnewswire.com/
WHAT: National religious leaders will hold a teleconference tomorrow,
June 7, at 3:30 p.m. EDT to announce a campaign to abolish U.S. policies
permitting torture and inhumane treatment.
They will specifically discuss a statement to be published next week in
the op-ed pages of the New York Times. The statement, "Torture is a
Moral Issue," is signed by 27 religious leaders from across the
faith spectrum, including Dr. Rick Warren, Rev. Ted Haggard, Rev. Joseph
Lowery, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, President Jimmy Carter, Elie Weisel,
Rabbi David Saperstein and Dr. Sayyid Syeed.
This campaign is especially timely given yesterday's news that the
Pentagon has decided to omit a key tenet of the Geneva Convention that
explicitly bans "humiliating and degrading treatment" from new
detainee policies. As the Los Angeles Times reported, this step
"would mark a further, potentially permanent, shift away from strict
adherence to international human rights standards."
WHO: Religious leaders who have signed the "Torture is a Moral
Issue" statement, appearing in next week's New York Times, will
offer statements and field questions, including:
-- Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, D.C.
-- Rabbi David Saperstein, director, Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism
-- Dr. Glen Stassen, professor of Christian ethics, Fuller Theological
Seminary
-- Dr. Sayyid Syeed, national director, Islamic Society of North
America
WHEN: Wednesday, June 7, at 3:30 p.m. EDT
WHERE: Call-in number: 888-387-8686
Conference ID: 3775956, followed by the pound key
Contact: Jeanne Herrick-Stare, 202-547-6000 ext. 2513 or
jeanne@fcnl.org, or Rev. Richard
Killmer, 207-846-9963 or
killmerrp@aol.com, both for the
National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Web:
http://www.nrcat.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/7/06
*
Verse:
Read in the Name of Your Lord
-
CAIR:
Explore the Quran
Campaign
*
CAIR-CAN: Canadian Muslims
to Seek Summit on
Extremism
-
Mosque Break-In Fuels Fears
(Winnipeg Free Press)
-
CAIR-CAN Rep Discusses Canadian Muslims on
NPR
*
CAIR Rep Attends
Dedication of First Marine Base Mosque
-
VA:
Quantico Islamic Center
Dedicated (Wash Post)
*
CAIR-LA:
FBI Tries to Reassure
Muslims (LA Times)
*
CAIR-CAN:
Top Court to Examine
Detention Laws (CanWest)
*
IN:
'Terrorist'
Graffiti Outside Man's Dorm Room (AP)
*
NJ:
Halal Burrito Offers Mexican
Foods to Muslim Customers
*
Ann Coulter:
9/11 Widows
'Enjoying Their Husbands'
Deaths'
-
View the Ann Coulter Video (NBC)
*
Poll:
Muslim Women Don't Want
to Imitate Western Values
-
Greek Life and the
Muslim Girl (Beliefnet)
*
MN:
Somali Education
Night Sees Growing Numbers
-
NY:
Youth Summit on
Western-Muslim World Relations
*
Report:
Europe Colluded on
Secret CIA Prisons (Reuters)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: READ IN THE NAME OF YOUR LORD -
TOP
"Read in the name of your Lord Who created - created man from a
leechlike mass. Read! Your Lord is the Most Gracious, Who taught by the
pen, taught man what he knew not."
The Holy Quran, 96:1-5
To obtain or sponsor a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR: EXPLORE THE QURAN CAMPAIGN -
TOP
WTOP-AM, 6/6/06
http://media.bonnint.net/wtop/2/237/23784.ram
Certain Christian groups have been giving away free Bibles for years.
Now, a Muslim group is getting in on the act -- for a much different
reason.
-----
CAIR-CAN: CANADIAN MUSLIM,
ARAB GROUPS TO SEEK SUMMIT ON EXTREMISM -
TOP
(OTTAWA, CANADA, 7/6/06) - On June 8, national Canadian Muslim and Arab
organizations will hold a press conference in Ottawa to discuss youth
extremism and how the government and law enforcement officials can
support Muslim and Arab communities in dealing with the issue.
The community leaders will call on Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario
Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Mayor David Miller to hold a summit
to ensure that Muslim and Arab communities are working together with all
levels of government and law enforcement officials, and have their full
support.
WHEN: June 8, 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Charles Lynch Rm. 130 S, Centre Block, Parliament Hill
CONTACT: For more information, please contact Halima Mautbur (CAIR-CAN)
at 613-254-9704 or cell: 613-795-2012; CAIR-CAN Executive Director Karl
Nickner, 613-853-4111
SEE ALSO:
MOSQUE BREAK-IN FUELS FEARS -
TOP
Local Muslims brace for more terror fallout
Carol Sanders, Winnipeg Free Press, 6/7/06
http://winnipegfreepress.com/
WINNIPEG Muslims say a break-in at the St. Vital mosque is the first of
several aftershocks the community expects due to the arrests of terror
suspects in Ontario.
Intruders broke into the Manitoba Islamic Association mosque on Hazelwood
Avenue overnight Monday. The front and back doors were damaged and there
was minor damage inside, said Dr. Ghassan Joundi.
"With the timing, I don't think it's random," said Joundi,
president of the Manitoba Islamic Association. "It was a hate
crime."
There were no graffiti messages left behind, but Joundi said he is
convinced it's fallout from the Ontario arrests and intense media
coverage they garnered.
"If the whole thing is true -- we're still hoping it's not -- then
police agencies did a wonderful job of preventing a catastrophe," he
said. "I don't think the whole community should be blamed,
though."
The suspects in Ontario may have Islamic names and call themselves
Muslims but they have nothing to do with Islam and its belief in peace,
he said.
Joundi was still waiting yesterday afternoon for police to respond to the
mosque break-in. He hopes police will increase patrols in the
area.
Other Winnipeg Muslims share Joundi's concern.
"We dread and fear what's going to happen now," said Rehman
Abdulrehman, 30. There was a sense of relief that officials have made the
arrests but that's being replaced by the fear there will be retaliation
against average Muslim citizens, he said. It's already started, said
Abdulrehman.
"There were racist comments like 'go back home' and
'terrorist.'" (MORE)
---
CAIR-CAN REP DISCUSSES CANADIAN MUSLIMS ON NPR
-
TOP
Are Toronto Arrests a Wake-Up Call for Americans?
Talk of the Nation
National Public Radio (NPR), 6/6/06
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5454321
Canadian police bring 12 suspected terrorists into a Toronto courtroom
for bail hearings. These men, along with five teenagers, were arrested
Friday in a massive sting operation and charged with plotting to blow up
targets in southern Ontario with powerful fertilizer bombs. Guests
discuss reaction to the arrests.
Guests:
Steve Tustin, city editor, The Toronto Star
Faisal Kutty, vice-chair of The Council on American-Islamic Relations
CANADA (CAIR-CAN)
Peter Bergen, author of The Osama bin Laden I Know; fellow at the New
America Foundation
---
ANCHOR: NEAL CONAN
This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan, in Washington.
This morning, Canadian police brought 12 suspected terrorists into a
Toronto courtroom for bail hearings. These men, along with five
teenagers, were arrested Friday in a massive sting operation and charged
with plotting to blow up targets in southern Ontario with powerful
fertilizer bombs. All of the alleged terrorists are Canadian citizens or
long-time residents. All are Muslim. And officials say more arrests could
be coming soon.
In a few minutes, we'll take a closer look at Muslims in Canada, and ask
how Muslim leaders react to these charges. . .
Canada is widely seen as one of the most tolerant countries in the world.
It actively recruits and welcomes immigrants to its shores, and many are
Muslim. In the 1960s, Muslims from South Asia began emigrating there.
Today, more than 750,000 Muslims call Canada home.
For a closer look at this community, we go now to one of its leaders.
Faisal Kutty is vice chair of the Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations. And he joins us today from Toronto. Good of you to take the
time to be with us.
Mr. FAISAL KUTTY (Vice Chair, Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations): Thank you for having me.
CONAN: Tell us a bit about the Muslim community in Canada, which
countries they come from, what kind of jobs they have.
Mr. KUTTY: The Muslim community in Canada is a very diverse,
multicultural community representing, you know, the entire gamut,
internationally. The bulk of them, as you indicated in your intro,
emigrated from - you know, in the early 60s, 70s from South Asia. Since
then, you know, people from Afghanistan came as refugees - Somalia, more
recently, and then Eastern Europe.
It's a very well educated community, has higher education than the
average population. But, unfortunately, a little bit lower, or double the
unemployment rate. But in terms of integration, I mean, it's - we're on
the way there. As, you know, we've struggled through our initial
struggles that every immigrant community goes through. And then now we're
getting into the more establishment phase of getting integrated fully -
more with society.
CONAN: In terms of immigration, I've heard Canada more closely compared
to the United States rather than to countries in Europe, which are less
accustomed to immigrants.
Mr. KUTTY: That's right. I mean, you know, we welcome hundreds of
thousands of people every year. And, you know, for a Muslim community -
Muslim countries represent a big percentage of that as well.
CONAN: And how are Muslims reacting to the news of these
arrests?
Mr. KUTTY: Shock and disbelief. I mean, you know, if the allegations are
true, then, you know, it points to a very serious issue that the
community itself has to deal with, you know. And I think it's - I mean,
the initial reaction is just shock. And, you know, we have a very - a
history of strained relations between law enforcement, or security
agencies and the Muslim community since 9/11.
But because of the shock and the, you know, the threat - the alleged
threat to Canada, all of the organizations, even the ones that were the
most critical, initially issued statements saying, you know, we applaud
the intelligence agencies for averting this disaster. And calling on
Muslims to fully cooperate with the authorities. And that's the position
we've taken.
And, basically, what we're saying is, of course, these individuals are
innocent until proven guilty. And they should be presumed innocent. And
we're calling for open, you know, transparent process with the rule of
laws followed. Then the communities can continue with that confidence
level.
CONAN: And, again, we were talking just a moment ago with Steve Tustin of
The Toronto Star, and recalling Project Thread, an investigation of
Muslims that did not turn up serious crimes.
Mr. KUTTY: That's right. This is part of the baggage that Muslims have,
you know, had issues with the security agencies. I mean, Project Thread,
where 24 individuals were arrested and initially was a big terrorist
case, supposedly. But at the end of the day, none of them were convicted
of any terrorist charges. In fact, all of them were deported on very
minor immigration infractions. And, you know, in addition to that,
there's been instances where a Canadian citizen was, basically, you know,
deported. You know, using the extraordinary rendition, the United
States...
CONAN: Mm-hmm.
Mr. KUTTY: ...had deported the Canadian citizen Maher Arar, and it's
going through a public hearing right now. And, you know, Canada's role is
being questioned in that. You know, how do we hand over a Canadian
citizen and allow for him to be deported to be tortured for
information?
So these kind of fears were there. And then, we also had a lot of
instances where people were claiming to be harassed and pursued by
intelligence agents. Racial profiling is alleged. And, you know, so
because of that, there was a chill factor growing in the
community.
CONAN: Mm-hmm.
Mr. KUTTY: And so, you know, what we've done now is asked the community
to put the trust back in the security agencies and say, listen. We're
going to leave it to them now to prove that they're going to do this by
allowing the judicial process to fully go through, all right? And the new
antiterrorism laws that were enacted right after 9/11, similar to your
Patriot Act, allows for proceedings to be conducted in closed hearings
and also allows for the use of secret evidence.
And we're hoping that that - that the government does not resort to that,
because again, that creates fear for us. Because when you use - you know,
when you have closed hearings and secret proceedings, it makes it easy to
racially profile, it makes it easy to criminalize descent. And we're
hoping that they will - these individuals - what they are alleged to have
done is a criminal act, and they should be prosecuted criminally. And if
they're guilty, the full punishment should be meted out to them, but
using the criminal process and the rule of law. . .
CONAN: Well, just to say that some people did indeed identify the Atlanta
bomber as a Christian fundamentalist, or a Christian identity
fundamentalist. And indeed, the JDL, the first word is Jewish. But
anyway, Faisal Kutty, I wonder if I could get your response to
that.
Mr. KUTTY: I mean, the way I like to look at this is, you know, if these
individuals - and again, the presumption of innocence is there - but if
these individuals have done, you know, what they're alleged to have done,
then they're criminals, okay? They're criminals just like, you know,
immediately afterwards, I mean, at least three mosques in Canada were
targeted by vandals.
I mean, we don't hold the mainstream, you know, society responsible for
that. There are criminal elements from within the mainstream who did
this. And most Canadians would not even think of doing something like
that in retaliation for the actions of a criminal band within our
community.
So I think we have to realize that every society, every community has its
wackos and fringe elements. And that's how they have to be treated. And,
you know, you will not find any support for, you know, what they
allegedly to have done, and the views that they allegedly have espoused
in the mainstream - in the majority of Muslims who live in Canada. .
.
CONAN: And just - has there been any - obviously, innocent till proven
guilty - has there been - they were - this group, allegedly, focused
around one particular mosque in a suburb of Toronto. Are there areas of -
are there mosques that preach - after the first bomb plot against the
World Trade Center, obviously, that was centered in a mosque in Brooklyn.
Are there similar kinds of mosques in Canada where - sort of hotbeds of
preaching these kinds of actions?
Mr. KUTTY: Even the mosques that these individuals - or at least I
believe they said six people, you know, six of these individuals were
supposed to have frequented...
CONAN: Mm-hmm.
Mr. KUTTY: ...even that, the mosque is distancing itself from these
statements, from these comments. And, in fact, the individual, when he
was making that, one of the ringleaders, the over-forty individual who's
in charge here - he supposedly, I guess, the media's projecting him as
the leader for now. He is supposed to have been the caretaker at that
mosque. And from time to time, you know, he has led prayers there or
delivered sermons, not the official sermon, but, you know, he spoke in
there.
So, I mean, you know the official mosque position is not supportive of
it, and - because what happens in a mosque, it's very different from a
church or a synagogue. In a church or a synagogue, you have a leadership,
you have membership - it's very controlled. In a mosque, what happens is,
anybody can walk into any mosque, anybody can speak in any mosque - you
can take a corner.
Now, of course, people are beginning to challenge that. As a lawyer, I
see mosques coming to me now, after this event. And even after the 9-11
bombing, people coming to me - they're putting in place policies, now.
Who can speak, who can post materials. And, in fact, yesterday I had at
least two mosques come into my office. They want written policies - they
want me to help draft written policies on who can speak, you know, how to
control these things.
Because it's funny, you know, people think of Islam as non-democratic,
but when you go to a mosque it's the most democratic. Anybody can walk in
there. Anybody can interpret the Quran. Anybody can say they're the
leader and start talking.
And, in this case here, it's kind of a like an Achilles' heal or a
tendon, here, where it's hindering, you know. It's making it difficult
because nobody can say I have the interpretation. Because everybody makes
interpretations, everybody can lead a prayer, for instance.
If I walk into the mosque, people may push me to lead the prayer. I am
not a cleric and I don't even have training, and, you know, thorough
training in Islam. But if I'm there, ten people may be in the mosque at
that particular time for that prayer, they may say oh Faisal, you lead.
You know what I'm saying?
CONAN: Yes.
Mr. KUTTY: So that may have happened in the situation, so... But to blame
the mosque for it, you know, and I've seen that the mosque has distanced
itself from this thing, so we really can't say that a particular mosque
is involved in this or supportive of this.
CONAN: Faisal Kutty, thank you very much, we appreciate your time
today.
Mr. KUTTY: Thank you very much.
CONAN: Faisal Kutty is Vice Chair of the Canadian Council on
American-Islamic Relations and he joined us from Toronto.
-----
CAIR REP ATTENDS DEDICATION OF
FIRST MARINE BASE MOSQUE -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/67/06) - A representative of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) yesterday attended a dedication
ceremony for the first Islamic Prayer Center on a U.S. Marine Corps
base.
Speakers at the event in Quantico, Va., included Deputy Secretary of
Defense Gordon England and General Michael Hagee, commandant of the
Marine Corps. Islamic Chaplain Abuhena Saifulislam, a navy lieutenant,
began the event by reciting from the Quran.
Among those in attendance was an American Muslim who served in the
Normandy landings during World War II and American Muslim veterans of the
wars in Korea and Vietnam.
CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey P. Saylor, Tel: (202)
488-8787 x3221, (571) 278-4658, E-Mail:
csaylor@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
QUANTICO ISLAMIC CENTER DEDICATED -
TOP
Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 6/7/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/06/AR2006060601529.html
In the official speeches, no one mentioned Haditha. But as the Islamic
Prayer Center was dedicated yesterday at the Marine Corps Base in
Quantico, recent violence in Iraq, including the killing of 24 civilians
in the western Iraqi town, allegedly by Marines, was on the mind of
some.
Aisha Greenleaf Abdul-Mateen sat in a folding chair behind rows of other
folding chairs, listening as Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England
and Gen. Michael W. Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, spoke about
the significance of the day -- the first Muslim prayer center for the
Marines. She sat there as they pointed to the small white building behind
them as a symbol of America's religious tolerance. And she remained there
after they finished their speeches, took off their shoes and walked
inside the center with a gaggle of journalists in tow. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-LA: FBI TRIES TO REASSURE MUSLIMS
IN IRVINE -
TOP
By H.G. Reza, Los Angeles Times, 6/7/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-muslim7jun07,0,6028236.story
An FBI official tried this week to convince a skeptical audience that
Muslim students are not under routine surveillance as agents pursued tips
in the fight against terrorism.
The Monday night meeting at the Islamic Center of Irvine was an attempt
by the FBI to quell criticism that erupted last month after agent Pat
Rose was quoted as saying that the FBI was monitoring groups at UC Irvine
and USC.
J. Stephen Tidwell, FBI assistant director in Los Angeles, denied that
monitoring was taking place. He told the audience that "we still
play by the rules."
But few said they believed him. . .
Some parents expressed concern for their children's future if their names
were included in an FBI surveillance list of students or mosque
attendees.
Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Anaheim-based
Southern California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said he had fielded dozens of calls from Muslims asking if
it was safe to attend mosque services. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CAN: TOP COURT TO EXAMINE
DETENTION LAWS -
TOP
JANICE TIBBETTS, CanWest News Service, 6/7/06
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=117497b5-4fa9-402a-81e9-e165379e96e1&k=83560
Under a shadow of revived anti-terrorism sentiment, the Supreme Court of
Canada will spend three days next week examining one of the most
controversial laws in the country involving terror suspects - whether
they can be detained indefinitely, without charges and without knowing
the case against them.
The accusations of a home-grown terrorist plot are hardening Canadian
attitudes toward terror suspects and the alleged security threat could be
on the minds of the Supreme Court judges, experts said.
There were also cautions that the appeals before the Supreme Court
involve a distinctly different issue than the one surrounding the 15
terror suspects who appeared in court yesterday.
At issue in the Supreme Court is whether three non-citizens suspected of
having terrorist ties can be held in jail without charges indefinitely
and deported based on secret evidence they have no means of
challenging.
Faisal Kutty, vice-chairperson of the Canadian Council on
American-Islamic Relations, said the judges will be put in a
"tight situation" as they try to balance constitutional rights
and national security at a time when Canadian attitudes are hardening
toward terror suspects. (MORE)
-----
IU INVESTIGATES
'TERRORIST' GRAFFITI OUTSIDE MAN'S DORM ROOM -
TOP
http://www.theindychannel.com/education/9335320/detail.html
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University officials are trying to find
who scrawled the word "terrorist" outside the dorm room of a
27-year-old student of Middle Eastern descent.
The unidentified student found the graffiti on a wall in Eigenmann Hall
early Saturday morning.
"He was very upset," IU police spokesman Lt. Jerry Minger said.
"He did not believe anyone would do that to him."
(MORE)
-----
NJ: HALAL BURRITO OFFERS MEXICAN FOODS TO
MUSLIM CUSTOMERS -
TOP
CAROLINA BOLADO, HERALD NEWS, 6/7/06
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzNTkmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5NDQ3OTUmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz
One word describes Islamic dietary restrictions, which forbid pork, while
the other comes from a culinary tradition that makes good use of lard. So
what are the two doing together on a bright yellow awning on Main Street
in South Paterson?
Since opening Halal Burrito in late March, Cindy, Cetin and Yasin Aral
have gotten used to the question. Their restaurant is a California-style
burrito shop with a Paterson twist, a healthful fast-food restaurant that
caters to the Muslim population in the area. They've introduced burritos
to halal eaters who've never had one before and also explained the
concept of halal, which means "allowed" in Arabic, to other
customers.
"Around here, it's such a unique thing, because there's nothing like
this," Cindy said. "We felt that there was a need for something
different in town."
This is pretty far from authentic Mexican food; no pork is used, nothing
is fried and Yasin, who's in charge of the menu, draws from a number of
cuisines to make his burritos, tacos, quesadillas and wraps. They're
filled with chicken breast, ground beef, filet mignon or vegetables.
(MORE)
-----
ANN'S VICIOUS SCREED -
TOP
ADAM LISBERG, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 6/6/06
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/424405p-358034c.html
VIEW THE VIDEO:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200606060006 -
TOP
When their husbands were killed on 9/11, four New Jersey widows tried to
find out why - and now no-holds-barred conservative pundit Ann Coulter is
mercilessly denouncing them as "witches."
"I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so
much," Coulter writes in her new book.
Her brutal words were challenged yesterday on national television by
"Today" host Matt Lauer - and she was slammed by the widows she
derided as self-absorbed, limelight-seeking "harpies."
"I'd like her to meet my daughter and tell her how anyone could
enjoy their father's death," said Kristen Breitweiser, one of four
widows known as the "Jersey Girls."
"She sounds like a very disturbed, unraveled person," added
Breitweiser.
In "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," the uncompromisingly
right-wing Coulter writes the Jersey Girls have no right to criticize
President Bush or any of the failures that led to the terror
attacks.
"These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about
them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by
grief-arazzis," Coulter writes.
"And by the way, how do we know their husbands weren't planning to
divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd
better hurry up and appear in Playboy. . . (MORE)
-----
POLL FINDS MUSLIM WOMEN ADMIRE
WESTERN VALUES, BUT DON'T WANT TO IMITATE THEM -
TOP
Stephanie Ho, VOA News, 6/6/06
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-06-06-voa48.cfm
The Gallup Organization has found many Muslim women admire western
values, but do not necessarily want them applied in their culture. These
findings come from analysis of data Gallup collected in its 2005 poll of
the Muslim World, with a focus on the attitudes of women in eight
predominantly Muslim countries.
The data came from face-to-face interviews with women in eight countries,
Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and
Turkey.
Gallup Muslim Studies executive director Dalia Mogahed calls this the
first wave of polling the organization is doing in Muslim countries.
"By the end of 2006, we will have interviewed Muslims in up to 40
Muslim countries, covering 90 percent of the global Muslim
population," she said.
Of the poll's findings, Mogahed said strong majorities of Muslim women in
nearly all of the countries surveyed believe they deserve the right to
vote, the right to drive, the right to work outside the home and the
right to serve in government. She said many respondents also expressed
admiration for political freedoms and legal gender equality they see in
the west.
But Mogahed added that, while the respondents expressed admiration for
some western values, they did not consider these values necessary for the
development of their society. "Muslim women did not choose 'adopting
western values will help Muslim progress.' In fact, this statement was
least often associated with the Muslim world. The statement most often
associated with the Muslim world was "attachment to spiritual and
moral values is crucial to their progress," she said.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
GREEK LIFE AND THE MUSLIM
GIRL -
TOP
It's not just for do-gooders or party girls anymore. America's Greek
sisterhood is gaining a new group--a Muslim sorority.
Hala Shah, Beliefnet.com, 6/5/06
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/192/story_19205_1.html
When Imani Abdul-Haqq converted to Islam in November 1999, she knew her
life as a Muslim would make her an outsider. She decided that though she
would have to give up some things, she would figure out a way to live an
American life within her faith.
Six years later her mettle was put to the test: As a Guilford (North
Carolina) College student, Abdul-Haqq was unwilling to forgo one crucial
element of college--a chance at experiencing Greek life.
Her determination to meld faith with sorority life led her to co-found
the first ever Greek-Muslim sorority--Gamma Gamma Chi, a haven for young
women looking for sorority sisterhood minus the co-ed parties and other
haram (forbidden) activities.
That first Muslim-Greek sorority was the realization of a cherished goal
for Abdul-Haqq. But the story doesn't end there. As word continues to
spread of Gamma Gamma Chi, Muslim sisters in Kentucky, Maryland, Georgia,
and other states are clamoring for chapters at their own universities.
(MORE)
-----
MN: SOMALI CENTER'S EDUCATION
NIGHT SEES GROWING NUMBERS -
TOP
The event has been held since 2002 and attracts educators, parents and
students.
Marni Ginther, Minnesota Daily, 6/7/06
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/06/07/68471
The first verse of one chapter in the Quran commands, "Read in the
name of your Lord Who created."
"Since Somalis are generally Muslims," he explained, "the
first verse in the Quran is held with favor - a way to remind Muslims
they should seek education."
He attended the event at the Somali Education Center with his friend
Ahmed Aden, also a 2006 University graduate and former president of the
University's Somali Student Association.
The two said they came to see how much progress the event has made and to
show their support for younger members of the local Somali community.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
NY: THE FUTURE OF
WESTERN-MUSLIM WORLD RELATIONS -
TOP
http://www.aidemocracy.org/usislam.cfm
Students and young professionals wishing to make a difference in the
world are invited to apply for the Young Leaders Summit on the Future of
Western-Muslim World Relations, which is taking place on July 8th at the
CUNY Graduate Center in downtown New York City. The summit will bring
together young global leaders from across the world for a day of
workshops, speakers, and discussions on how young people can take
positive action to improve Western-Muslim World relations. Students will
hear from top experts and then have the chance to weigh in with their own
view on the future of this critical global relationship. Confirmed
speakers for the summit include:
o Andrea Bartoli, Director, Center for International Conflict Resolution,
Columbia University
o Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director, Middle East and North Africa
Division, Human Rights Watch
o Joe Lauria, U.N. correspondent for the Boston Globe and investigative
reporter for the Sunday Times of London
o Rev. Raewynne J. Whiteley, Author of "Get Up Off Your Knees:
Preaching the U2 Catalog"
o Laura Bagnetto, Correspondent, Saudi Press Agency
o Masood Haider, President of the U.N. Correspondents Association and
U.N. Correspondent for the Daily DAWN
o Abdelkader Abbadi, UN Correspondent for The Independent in New York,
former Director of the Department of Political Affairs at the U.N. and
former Deputy-Director of Security Council Affairs at the U.N.
-----
EUROPE LED COLLUSION ON SECRET CIA
PRISONS: REPORT -
TOP
Reuters, 6/7/06
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-06-07T110052Z_01_L07492816_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-CIA-PRISONS.xml
PARIS (Reuters) - More than 20 states, mostly in Europe, colluded in a
"global spider's web" of secret CIA prisons and transfers of
terrorism suspects, a European rights watchdog said in a report released
on Wednesday.
Middle Eastern and Central Asian nations played a role in the network run
by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and European governments were not
unwitting victims of the operation, the parliamentary assembly of the
Council of Europe said.
"It is now clear -- although we are still far from having
established the whole truth -- that authorities in several European
countries actively participated with the CIA in these unlawful
activities," Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty
said.
"Other countries ignored them knowingly, or did not want to
know," he said in the conclusions of the 65-page report released on
the body's Web site.
While the report admits it has "no formal evidence" of secret
CIA detention centres, a number of states had clearly colluded with the
system of CIA secret flights and secret transfers known as renditions.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/8/06
*
Hadith:
Begin Every Matter with God's
Praise
*
CAIR Hopes Death of Zarqawi Leads to
Decreased Violence
*
CAIR-CA:
N. Calif. Mosque
Vandalized for 2nd Time
-
CAIR-MI:
Mosque Event Aims to
Calm Fears (Detroit News)
*
Canada:
Muslims Call
for Summit to Address Extremism
-
CAIR-CAN:
Statement
Calling for Summit on Extremism
-
Canadian Muslim School
Vandalized
*
FL:
Judge Erred in
Allowing Removal of Pakistani Juror
*
NY:
Bill Would Ban Testing on
Muslim Holidays
-
MI:
Halal Rice Crispy Treat Launched
(Market Wire)
*
Poll:
Gender Inequality Not
Top Concern of Muslim Women
-
Muslim Women Don't
See Themselves as Oppressed (NYT)
*
Bush Overture to Iran
Splits Israel, Neocons (Forward)
-
Presbyterian Showdown Over
Israeli Divestment
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: BEGIN EVERY MATTER WITH GOD'S
PRAISE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Every important
matter that is not begun with an expression of praise to God is
flawed."
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR HOPES DEATH OF ZARQAWI LEADS TO
DECREASED IRAQ VIOLENCE -
TOP
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/8/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) today said it hopes the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi will help
bring about a decrease in civilian casualties and sectarian violence in
Iraq.
In a statement, CAIR said:
"We hope the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi will
lead to a decrease in the skyrocketing number of civilian deaths in Iraq
and will help slow the downward spiral of sectarian violence gripping
that nation. The violent actions of al-Zarqawi and his followers violated
basic Islamic teachings and resulted directly or indirectly in the deaths
of many innocent Iraqis and foreign nationals."
CAIR has previously condemned many of the hostage-takings, bombings,
beheadings, and other attacks carried out by terrorist groups in Iraq.
The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group has also
challenged the justification for America's presence in Iraq and recently
called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over
reports that U.S. Marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians last November in the
city of Haditha.
SEE:
CAIR Calls on Rumsfeld to Resign Over Iraq Massacre
Earlier this year, CAIR sent a delegation to Iraq seeking the release of
American journalist Jill Carroll, who had been taken hostage in Baghdad.
Carroll was later released by her captors.
Last year, CAIR coordinated a fatwa, or Islamic religious ruling, against
terrorism and religious extremism issued by the Fiqh Council of North
America (FCNA) and endorsed by hundreds of U.S. Muslim groups, leaders
and institutions. The fatwa stated in part:
"Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of
violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for
extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians' life and property through
suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram - or forbidden -
and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not
martyrs."
SEE:
CAIR Backs Fatwa Against Terror
In 2004, CAIR launched an online petition drive, called "Not in the
Name of Islam," designed to disassociate Islam from the violent acts
of a few Muslims.
SEE:
CAIR Launches 'Not in The Name of Islam' Petition Drive
The "Not in the Name of Islam" petition states:
"We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state clearly that those
who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam are
not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of
the faith they claim to represent."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices
and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR-CA: N. CALIF. MOSQUE
VANDALIZED FOR 2ND TIME -
TOP
Police, FBI urged to probe incident as possible bias crime
(SANTA CLARA, 6/8/2006) - The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) today called on local
and national law enforcement authorities to investigate vandalism at a
Milpitas, Calif., mosque as a possible bias crime.
CAIR-SFBA received a report that someone broke into the Dar-us-Salam
Mosque sometime prior to the morning of June 3. Mosque members say the
intrusion was the second such incident in a month. Damage included a
shattered glass wall, a cracked side door and broken donation
boxes.
"Because of the repeated nature of the crimes, we urge that law
enforcement authorities investigate possible bias motives for both acts
of vandalism," said CAIR-SFBA Civil Rights Coordinator Sajidah
Wahdy.
The first incident of vandalism at the mosque occurred May 16, when
morning worshippers discovered the front glass door of the mosque
shattered. Another incident of vandalism occurred at a mobile home
property owned by Dar-us-Salaam several years ago. The property was
sprayed with anti-Muslim graffiti and the teenagers involved were
apprehended.
Local police, while not finding direct evidence of a bias motive, told
CAIR-SFBA they have increased patrols in the area of the mosque.
"We have visited the mosque yesterday and are working with the Imam
and board members to share crime prevention tips," explained
Detective Peter Prolo. He said all leads are being investigated and
additional monitoring has been set up. "I am taking the matter very
seriously."
The Milpitas Police department encourages anyone with information about
the identity of the person responsible for either crime to contact them
at 408-586-2400.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Public Relations Coordinator Sameena Usman,
408-986-9874, E-mail:
sameena@cair.com; Civil Rights
Coordinator Sajidah Wahdy, 408-986-9874, Email:
sajidah@cair.com
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI: MOSQUE RAISES INTERFAITH
ISSUES -
TOP
Gregg Krupa, Detroit News, 6/8/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060608/METRO03/606080362/1041/LIFESTYLE04
Meet Your Neighbors
When: 7-9 p.m. tonight
Where: Warren Community Center Auditorium, 5460 Arden
For information: Call Islamic Organization of North America, (586)
558-6900
WARREN -- Some people believe Christians, Jews and Muslims pray to the
same God. And some make it their business to spread the word.
Muslims and city officials in Warren have cleared the way for the first
mosque in the city, on Ryan near 12 Mile. The process is smoother now
than it was a few months ago, when the Muslims who are establishing the
mosque were confronted by intolerance at a municipal meeting and
elsewhere.
Much of the improvement is due to a dedicated interfaith group of
activists who helped to assuage fears about the mosque and Islam. Today,
those activists are asking residents to "Meet Your Neighbors,"
at a symposium on the shared heritage of faith.
The event is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Warren Community Center Auditorium,
5460 Arden.
"Unfortunately, many Christians are having trouble with this issue
of the mosque," said Steve Spreitzer, the director of Interfaith
Partners for the National Conference of Community and Justice, who helped
organize both the symposium and the months-long interfaith support for
the Islamic Organization of North America Mosque of Warren. "One guy
always tells me, 'Every time I see a Muslim, I think they are here to
take over the country.'?"
The Rev. Sharon Buttry will moderate the symposium. Guest speakers
include the Rev. Gary Schulte, of St. Sylvester Church in Warren; Dawud
Walid, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations in
Michigan; Barbara Sollose, president of the Central Home Owners of
Warren; and Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk, president of the Islamic
Organization of North America. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-CAN: MUSLIM LEADERS CALL
FOR SUMMIT TO ADDRESS EXTREMISM -
TOP
SCOTT DEVEAU, Globe and Mail, 6/8/06
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060608.wmuslim0608/BNStory/Front
Muslim leaders called for a summit among all three levels of government
and community leaders to address youth extremism by the end of the
month.
"Muslim leaders from across Canada are coming forward today in order
to extend a hand to all Canadians so we can face together the problems of
radicalism," said Karl Nickner, executive director for the Canadian
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN).
Most of the Muslim terror suspects taken into custody in co-ordinated
raids in the Greater Toronto Area last weekend were in their late teens
and early 20s. Five of them were young offenders.
The coalition of Muslim and Arab groups said the summit would address
youth radicalization, facilitate integrations of newcomers, and to
explore how to make the RCMP, CSIS, other security forces more
representative of the diversity in Canada.
"Let's remember that the victims of terrorism around the world and
in Canada are equally Muslims and non-Muslims," Mr. Nickner said.
"Terrorism, as many of you know, is antithetical to Islam. It is
basically a perversion of its teachings. Terrorism is not a Muslim issue.
Terrorism is a global issue."
CAIR-CAN sent its request to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario
Premier Dalton McGuinty, and Toronto mayor David Miller yesterday, but
had yet to hear a response.
A spokesman for Mr. Miller's office said Thursday the mayor was very
supportive of the idea and would do everything to participate and
co-operate with the effort. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
STATEMENT BY NATIONAL
CANADIAN MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS CALLING FOR SUMMIT ON EXTREMISM, JUNE 8,
2006 -
TOP
This statement is supported by the Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR-CAN); Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties Association
(CMCLA); Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA); the Islamic Society of
North America (ISNA); Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA); Muslim
Association of Canada (MAC) and the Muslim Students Association -
National (MSA-National).
For all of us, Canada is more than our home; it is our family and our
"vivre ensemble"; a common commitment to build a better world
based on shared values. Canadian Muslims care deeply about the safety of
our country and stand behind our security forces, the Canadian government
and all Canadians in their desire to protect Canada.
Terrorism is antithetical to Muslim belief and is a perversion of its
teachings. Terrorism is a global issue, not a Muslim problem. And we, as
Canadian Muslims, stand firm in our denunciation of this gross ideology.
The victims of terror around the world have been equally Muslim and
non-Muslim.
The Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations, the Muslim
Association of Canada, the Islamic Society of North America-Canada, the
Islamic Circle of North America, the Muslim Student Association-National,
the Islamic Social Services Association, and the Canadian Muslim Civil
Liberties Association believe that it is important for us, if we want to
move forward to protect and safeguard Canada, to take a leadership role
in challenging extremism.
As was mentioned by many others across Canada in relation to the recent
events in Toronto, due process and the presumption of innocence are
integral parts of our Canadian identity. Let us all not race to
conclusions but allow our justice system to work and take its
course.
Nevertheless, leaders of the Muslim community - as we have done before
with former Prime Minister Paul Martin - are actively striving to fulfill
their civic duty. We are gathered here today in order to call on Prime
Minister Harper, Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty, and Mayor of Toronto
David Miller to facilitate a summit meeting by the end of the month. This
meeting should consist of community organizations, youth groups, student
associations and imams. A meeting where Canadians of all different
backgrounds would join together as equals in their common cause for a
safer, peaceful and prosperous nation.
We are proposing a concrete plan and agenda, with measurable actions in
order to address the problem of radicalism in our country. The
organizations gathered here today have the willingness, the expertise,
and the ability to work with our Government, our Security forces and all
Canadians for the betterment of our country. Let us be proactive and work
together now. Let us stand firm in our resolve to have the beauty of our
"vivre ensemble" protected.
---
MUSLIM SCHOOL VANDALIZED -
TOP
MISSISSAUGA NEWS, 6/7/06
http://www.mississauga.com/mi/news/story/3534762p-4084757c.html
Peel Regional Police are searching for at least one suspect after a
Muslim high school in east Mississauga was vandalized today.
Graffiti was spray-painted on a window and wall at the Islamic Society of
North America (ISNA) high school on Sherway Dr. some time between 4:30
p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. today, said Peel Cst. Jennifer Bryer.
She said the letters NBGK were painted onto the school, along with the
letters NBGR, in red paint.
Investigators wouldn't confirm the crime is hate-related, as they are
unable to determine what the letters mean. The force's Race and Ethnic
Relations Bureau is involved in the investigation.
The vandalism comes just a few days after police arrested 17 people,
including six from Misssissauga, alleging they were a terrorist group
planning attacks across Ontario. News of the arrests have garnered
international coverage, and a mosque in Etobicoke has already been
vandalized. (MORE)
-----
FL: JURY-SELECTION RULING
TOSSED -
TOP
A Broward judge erred when he allowed prosecutors to excuse a Pakistani
juror, an appeals court ruled Wednesday.
SARA OLKON, Miami Herald, 6/8/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/14765612.htm
A judge should have asked a prosecutor why he excused a juror of
Pakistani descent, given the risk of discrimination against minority and
ethnic groups in the wake of the war on terror, an appeals court ruled
Wednesday.
The Fourth District Court of Appeal ordered a new trial for Michael
Olibrices, 29, of El Portal. He was convicted two years ago by a Fort
Lauderdale jury of cocaine possession, a third-degree felony. Broward
Circuit Judge Sheldon Schapiro, now retired and in private practice,
sentenced him to 3 ½ years in prison on May 4, 2004.
On Wednesday, the appeals court said Schapiro erred when he allowed the
state to exercise a peremptory challenge against a Pakistani juror named
Mohammed Kahn.
In Florida, prosecutors and defense attorneys are generally allowed six
opportunities each to dismiss a juror without stating a reason. But in
this case, a Broward public defender raised a ''Neil-Slappy'' objection,
alleging Kahn was struck solely because of his race or
ethnicity.
The Neil-Slappy objection stems from two Florida high court decisions,
one in 1984 and the other in 1988, in which the courts feared black
defendants were not getting fair trials because prospective black jurors
were routinely getting dismissed during jury selection.
The provision was later extended to Hispanics, Jews and women
specifically; this explicitly extends the rule to Pakistanis and Muslims.
(MORE)
-----
NY: BILL WOULD BAN TESTING ON MUSLIM
HOLIDAYS -
TOP
Phil Guie, Queens Ledger, 6/8/06
http://www.brooklyndowntownstar.com/StoryDisplay.asp?PID=4&NewsStoryID=3879
Last week, State Senator John Sabini announced that he is introducing
legislation that would prohibit State Regents exams from being scheduled
during two of the holiest days on the Muslim calendar.
Joined by State Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, parents, students, and
leading Muslim educational leaders such as Dr. Ghassan Elcheikhali,
principal of The Razi School, Senator Sabini said that his new bill would
put education back where it belonged: in the hands of students. "The
results of these tests will follow these children through college,"
he said. "No New York City child should have their educational
future put at risk because of some bureaucrats in Albany."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
HALAL SELECT SNACKS LAUNCHES AMERICA'S FIRST
RICE CRISPY TREAT FOR MUSLIMS -
TOP
Market Wire, 6/8/06
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=133343
Halal Select Snacks, a Muslim owned company, has announced the launch of
America's first Halal Crispy Treat earlier this month. The company
unveiled its mouthwatering rice-crispy treat which is expected to reach
Muslim schools, grocers, supermarkets, and mosques throughout the U.S.
and Canada within the next week. Following the success of the company's
Halal Marshmallows (retail $1.75), the new sized Crispy Treat hopes to
generate a promising response from the 7 million strong Muslim community
at a low price of 59 cents each or 2 for $1.
The Halal Crispy produced by Halal Select Snacks uses ingredients and
production processes that meet Islamic dietary rules. Some candies, such
as Rice Crispy Treats and marshmallows, contain gelatin -- which is
mainly derived from an animal source like pork and beef derivatives.
Therefore, popular marshmallows-based snacks have always been off-limits
to American Muslim consumers. The growing emphasis on Halal foods by
American Muslim consumers has opened an entirely new market for candy and
other food products. Halal Select Snacks has focused attention on this
emerging demand from the Muslim community by providing Halal snacks.
(MORE)
-----
POLL: GENDER INEQUALITY NOT TOP
CONCERN OF MUSLIM WOMEN -
TOP
Piet Levy, Religion News Service, 6/7/06
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/192/story_19273_1.html
WASHINGTON, June 7 - Muslim women should be allowed to vote, drive and
work outside the home, but gender inequality is not a primary problem, a
majority of Muslim women said in a new Gallup poll.
The 2005 poll, released Tuesday (June 6), questioned 8,000 women about
their perceptions of life in Muslim and Western countries. Women were
polled in Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
and Turkey. A majority said that women should be allowed to vote, ranging
from 68 percent in Pakistan to 95 percent in Egypt. A majority also said
that women should be allowed to work at any job they're qualified for,
serve in high levels of government and drive cars by themselves. Most of
these countries allow women to conduct these activities legally, said
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM WOMEN DON'T SEE
THEMSELVES AS OPPRESSED, SURVEY FINDS -
TOP
HELENA ANDREWS, New York Times, 6/8/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/08/world/middleeast/08women.html
WASHINGTON, June 7 - Muslim women do not think they are conditioned to
accept second-class status or view themselves as oppressed, according to
a survey released Tuesday by The Gallup Organization. (MORE)
-----
BUSH OVERTURE TO IRAN SPLITS
ISRAEL, NEOCONS -
TOP
Olmert Asks Groups To Keep Low Profile
Ori Nir, Forward, 6/9/06
http://forward.com/articles/7937
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration's offer to open direct talks with
Iran and reward Tehran if it stops enriching uranium is exposing a policy
rift between neoconservatives on one hand, and the Israeli government and
Jewish organizations on the other.
Neoconservative analysts are blasting the administration, saying that
holding talks with the Islamic regime would serve only to embolden it and
undermine the anti-fundamentalist opposition in Iran. They argue that
America's ultimate goal should be to change Tehran's theocratic
regime.
"The administration can't have it both ways. They can't embrace the
regime and still talk about liberty for the Iranian people," said
Iran analyst Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute, a
conservative Washington think tank widely associated with the push for
regime change in Iraq. A former Pentagon official, Rubin added that
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "can spout whatever platitudes
she wants to spout, but at this point, when it comes to liberty and
freedom, she has no credibility."
Israeli officials and several influential Jewish groups, meanwhile, have
refrained from criticizing the new American approach - which some experts
are depicting as the most dramatic foreign policy shift of the Bush
presidency - saying that they support more pragmatic ways to block Iran's
apparent dash toward a nuclear weapon. For Israel and Jewish groups -
despite Iranian calls for Israel's destruction - the fundamental goal is
not regime change, but to block Tehran from acquiring nuclear
weapons.
The split appears to fly in the face of recent high-profile efforts to
paint the pro-Israel lobby as a seamless network dominated by Jewish
organizations and neoconservatives coordinating their activities with the
Israeli government. Most notably, such a view was advanced by two highly
respected academics - John Mearsheimer, a top international relations
theorist based at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, former
academic dean of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of
Government - in a research paper released in March. The Walt-Mearsheimer
paper has triggered an escalating debate on the influence of Israel and
Jewish organizations that has spilled over onto the opinion pages of
major publications, including The New York Times and The Washington
Post.
Recently, with such scrutiny mounting, Israeli leaders asked American
Jewish organizations to lower their profile on the Iran issue, the
Forward has learned. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
SHOWDOWN OVER DIVESTMENT
RESOLUTION SET FOR UPCOMING PRESBYTERIAN PARLEY -
TOP
REBECCA SPENCE, Forward, 6/9/06
http://forward.com/articles/7938
A group of Presbyterian activists is ramping up efforts to reverse their
church's policy advocating divestment from Israel, setting the stage for
a showdown over the issue at next week's General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church (USA).
When the more than 500 national delegates convene June 15-22 in
Birmingham, Ala., for the 217th General Assembly, they will be presented
with a trove of proposals - known as "overtures" - calling on
the church to rescind its current divestment policy. That policy, enacted
two years ago at the last General Assembly, called on the church to begin
"phased selective divestment in multinational corporations in
Israel." (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/9/06
*
Hadith:
One-Third of the Quran
*
CAIR Condemns 'Massacre' of Palestinian
Family
*
NY:
Proposed Law Would Allow
Profiling of Muslims (AP)
-
NY:
Lawmakers Back 'Terror' Profiling (NY
Post)
*
CAIR-CAN:
Politicians Support Idea of
Summit
-
Canadian Muslims Appeal for
Dialogue (AFP)
*
OH:
Muslim Group Helps with Peace
Concert
*
NY:
Muslims Seek Equality
on Calendar
-
NY:
Bill Would Bar Tests on
Muslim Holidays
*
VA:
Marines Dedicate
Islamic Center at Quantico
-
PA:
Islamic Heritage
Festival and Parade
*
ME:
Somali Workers Ease Labor
Crunch
*
Poll Shows U.S.
Disapproves of War (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: ONE-THIRD OF THE QURAN -
TOP
A man once heard another person repeatedly reciting chapter 112 of the
Holy Quran: "Say: 'He is the One God: God the Eternal, the Uncaused
Cause of All Being. He begets not, and neither is He begotten; and there
is nothing that could be compared with Him.'"
The next morning, the man came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) and mentioned the incident as if he regarded the recitation of that
chapter as somehow insufficient. The Prophet replied: "By Him Who
holds my soul in His hand. That (chapter) equals one-third of the
Quran."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 638
To obtain or sponsor a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR CONDEMNS ISRAELI 'MASSACRE' OF
PALESTINIAN FAMILY -
TOP
At least 6 people, including three children, killed while
picnicking
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/9/06) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) today condemned Israel's killing of at least six members of a
Palestinian family, including three children, while they were picnicking
on the beach. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the attack a
"bloody massacre" and asked the international community to
intervene.
According to the Associated Press: "The attack destroyed a tent and
scattered body parts along the beach. . .One tearful man held the limp
body of what appeared to be a girl or young woman. Palestinian medical
officials originally said nine people were killed but then lowered the
toll to six. The confusion apparently stemmed from the extensive damage
to the bodies."
SEE: Palestinians Killed on Gaza Beach
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5065008.stm
In a statement, CAIR said:
"We condemn this brutal act and call on our elected officials to
take concrete actions to protect Palestinian civilians from attacks using
weapons that are paid for with American tax dollars. America's image,
interests and credibility are harmed each time our nation's leaders
remain silent, or even offer support, when Israel treats Palestinian
civilian areas as 'free fire zones' and usurps Palestinian land and
rights.
"We call on President Bush to speak out against Israeli attacks on
Palestinian civilians just as strongly as he has condemned acts of
violence committed by Palestinians."
SEE: US: Israel Has Right To Defend Itself
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1149572651061&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
The Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group recently
called on President Bush to help end the Israeli and international
"siege" imposed on the Palestinian people following recent
democratic elections.
SEE: U.S. Muslims Say 'Siege' of Palestinians Must End
http://cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=2159&theType=NR
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
NY: LAWMAKERS CONSIDER RACE TO
IDENTIFY POTENTIAL TERROR SUSPECT -
TOP
Verena Dobnik, Associated Press Writer, 6/8/06
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--bc-ny--terrorlaw-0608jun08,0,5511994.story
State legislation proposed Thursday would allow law enforcers to consider
race and ethnicity a "terrorist profile" to identify potential
suspects.
A civil rights advocate decried the move, saying it's "anathema to
principles of equality."
The bill, which hasn't yet come up for a vote in either the state
Assembly or Senate, would allow "the use of race as one of many
criteria in the war on terror," said Assemblyman Dov Hikind,
D-Brooklyn. "Suicide bombers and terrorists fit a very specific
intelligence profile, and race and ethnicity is very much a part of that
profile."
He noted that the 19 men who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks all
were Muslims from either the Middle East or Asia backgrounds he said
resembled those of the terror suspects arrested in Canada last
week.
"Let's get real. There is a terrorist profile," Hikind
said.
He said police in both New York and London already are using the kind of
criteria contained in the bill.
The NYPD's top spokesman, Paul Browne, denied New York police use such
tactics.
The department "does not engage in profiling, but follows leads on
criminal or terrorist activity to wherever they lead," he
said.
The proposed legislation would authorize law enforcement officials to
"consider race and ethnicity as one of many factors that could be
used in identifying persons who can be initially stopped, questioned,
frisked and/or searched." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
POLS BACK 'TERROR' PROFILING -
TOP
Dan Kadison, New York Post, 6/9/06
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/64933.htm
Several state leaders came out yesterday to back a controversial
"terrorist-profiling" bill that would allow law enforcement to
use race or ethnicity as one of the criteria to stop or search a person
for terrorism prevention.
"We need to protect New Yorkers, we need to protect Americans, and
this is common-sense legislation," said Assemblyman Dov Hikind
(D-Brooklyn), who first introduced the legislation in the Assembly last
month.
Hikind said the bill - which hasn't been voted on - was crafted because
of continuing threats. He said he doesn't want cops hesitating to stop
potential terror suspects, especially younger Muslim men with Middle
Eastern or South Asian backgrounds, out of fear of reprimands or civil
lawsuits.
"We have to use whatever tools that we would not ordinarily use. In
a time of war, we do things that we would not," said Hikind, who's
voted in the past against racial profiling.
Hikind was joined yesterday near Herald Square by other supporters of the
legislation: Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-Queens), Assemblyman Joseph
Errigo (R-Monroe) and State Senator Serphin Maltese (R-Queens), who
introduced the proposal in the State Senate. (MORE)
-----
CANADA: POLITICIANS SUPPORT IDEA OF SUMMIT -
TOP
Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, 6/9/06
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1149803410365
Canada's Muslim community is asking for high-level political assistance,
including the help of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, to weed out
extremists who are preying on young people.
"We're not here to say we don't have an issue. Of course we have an
issue, but we can't deal with it ourselves," social worker Shahina
Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Social Services Association, told a
news conference yesterday.
"We are part of the Canadian society and so we demand that the
Canadian society come forward and help us to root out
this."
Her group was among several organizations that called on Harper, Ontario
Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Mayor David Miller to hold a summit
by month's end to tackle the problem of marginalized youth in their
community who are falling prey to the pull of radical elements.
Her group was joined by the Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations, the Muslim Students Association, Canadian Muslim Civil
Liberties Association and several other agencies. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CANADIAN MUSLIMS APPEAL FOR DIALOGUE TO
STEM TERRORISM -
TOP
Agence France Presse, 6/8/06
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060608/wl_canada_afp/canadaattacksreligion_060608184543
Muslim groups in Canada reached out for help Thursday to calm angry young
men within their community, to starve extremism and begin dialogue to
bridge gaps in Canada's multicultural mosaic.
"Muslim leaders from across Canada are coming forward today in order
to extend a hand to all Canadians so we can face together the problems of
radicalism," said Karl Nickner of the Canadian Council on
American-Islamic Relations on behalf of five other Muslim
associations.
"One of the problems, I think, with radicalization is the
youth," he said, indicating he hoped Ottawa would organize a
symposium at the end of June to talk about Canadians' security concerns
and goals, and promote tolerance.
"We have to listen to them (youths), we have to allow them to
express their concerns, but we also have to be proactive and give them
the tools to allow them to participate actively in the society."
Nickner said.
"We cannot just expect that the youth are going to know how to
participate in society ... A large part of the population in Canada is
already alienated by our political system. It's no different in the
Muslim community."
His comments come days after the arrests of 17 devout Muslim men and boys
on terror charges that has sparked a vigorous debate about the country's
immigration policies and multicultural traditions. (MORE)
-----
OH: MUSLIM GROUP HELPS WITH PEACE CONCERT
-
TOP
Mary Ellyn Hutton, Cincinnati Post, 6/8/06
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060608/LIFE/606080384/100
When Mason resident Shakila Ahmad and her Muslim friends heard about the
deadly bombings on London's public transport system last July, they knew
they wanted to do something.
"A number of us mothers felt like we needed to get out of this
helpless stage and take a pro-active role in terms of having our voices
heard," said Ahmad, co-founder of Muslim Mothers Against Violence,
an initiative of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. The group was
formed in the aftermath of the London attacks to promote peace through
dialogue.
"We want the voices of mothers and everyday Muslims to be heard,
versus those of the extremists or anyone in the media who wants to play
on negative stereotypes," she said.
Ahmad and Dr. Saba Chughtai, also a founder of MMAV, will join voices
with MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir, in a "teach-in" at 7
p.m. Saturday preceding MUSE's annual spring concert at New Thought Unity
Center, 1401 E. McMillan St. in Walnut Hills. The concert, to be led by
MUSE artistic director Catherine Roma, begins at 8 p.m. (MORE)
-----
NY: MUSLIMS SEEK EQUALITY ON
CALENDAR -
TOP
Ellen Thompson, Queens Tribune, 6/8/06
http://www.queenstribune.com/news/1149791309.html
When it came time for Imani Al-Amin's daughter to take a New York State
Regents exam four years ago, Amin had a difficult decision to make: keep
her daughter home to celebrate the Muslim holiday Eid-al-Adha with the
family or send her to school to take a test that could determine her
future.
"It's like having Christmas and being told, oh well you have to go
take a test forget the celebrations that are going on. Take the test, you
have to prepare for that, then celebrate after," said Amin.
Amin sent her daughter to school, but it wasn't the last time that state
testing interrupted her family's celebrations. When the ELA exam was
first initiated her son was in the midst of fasting, preparing himself
for the holidays and Amin was left rearranging the family's plans. As her
son took the test, she realized there was no such thing as rescheduling
tests when they interfere with the Muslim faith.
Being that the Muslim holy days of Eid-al-Adha and Eid-al-Fitr are
determined by the lunar calendar, Amin said there is often some
fluctuation with the timing of the June Regents and other holidays but
when it comes to the winter tests, where the schedule is set almost
identical each year, there is little to no flexibility in rescheduling.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
NY: BILL WOULD BAR TESTS ON MUSLIM
HOLIDAYS -
TOP
Warren Woodberry Jr.
http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/story/424257p-357992c.html
Sen. John Sabini announces his bill by the Razi School.
Muslim students will no longer have to choose between taking a
state-mandated exam or celebrating religious holy days if legislation
proposed by state Sen. John Sabini becomes law.
Standing with teachers, parents and students outside the Razi School in
Woodside last week, Sabini (D-Jackson Heights) announced a bill that
would prohibit the state Board of Regents from scheduling tests during
the Muslim holy days.
Third-graders at the school were disrupted in January when a
state-mandated test was given during Eid-al-Adha, a time when observant
Muslims do not attend class and when Muslim schools are closed, school
officials said.
"The students should not be forced to chose to test or celebrate
their holiday," said Sabini, a member of the state Senate's
education committee. "It is an extraordinarily bad public policy
that we intend to change."
The holiest days on the Islamic calendar, Eid-al-Adha and Eid-al-Fitr are
multiday observances equivalent in significance to the holiest days of
the Jewish or Christian religious year. (MORE)
-----
VA: MARINES DEDICATE ISLAMIC
PRAYER CENTER AT QUANTICO -
TOP
Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, 6/8/06
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=37734
Staff Sgt. Maydun Shahid said he was "happy to see this day" as
the Marine Corps dedicated its first Islamic Prayer Center on
Tuesday.
Shahid is one of 426 Muslims serving in the Marine Corps who now have a
place to pray at the center, which will be available to Muslims in
uniform until a permanent facility is built in 2009, officials
said.
At the dedication ceremony, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England
praised the roughly 4,000 Muslim Americans now serving with the U.S.
military, saying Muslims have a long tradition of service going back to
World War I.
"Muslim Americans, like millions of other Americans, have always
stepped forward to answer the call when freedom is threatened,"
England said.
He also congratulated the Marine Corps and Chaplain Corps for seeing the
need for a prayer center for Muslim Marines.
Freedom of religion is a paramount American value, one that prompted the
pilgrims to come to this continent more than 400 years ago, England
said.
"At the end of the day we are brothers and sisters in the human
family and we all seek God's blessings on our families and our
work," he said.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee also attended Tuesday's
ceremony and bowed his head when a Muslim chaplain recited from the
Quran. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
PA: A CELEBRATION OF FAITH -
TOP
Rob Watson, Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/9/06
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/entertainment/weekend/14773863.htm
There's a chance to celebrate Islam during the 2006 Islamic Heritage
Festival and Parade. At 1 p.m. today, salatul jumah, the Muslim
congregational prayer service, is scheduled at Independence National Park
(Fifth and Market Streets). At 11 a.m. Saturday, a parade goes from Fifth
and Market Streets to Penn's Landing, launching festivities including
boat rides; Islamic arts and crafts; and performances by the Universal
African Dancers and the Muslim jazz ensemble Healing Force.
The benefit brunch and auction is Sunday at the New Africa Center/Muslim
American Museum and Archive (4243 Lancaster Ave.). Brunch tickets: $20.
Information: 215-386-4090 or 610-352-0424
-----
MAINE: SOMALI WORKERS EASE LABOR
CRUNCH -
TOP
Tux Turkel, Portland Press Herald, 6/9/06
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/business/stories/060609somali.shtml
With Maine's peak tourist season looming, Victoria Kurtz needed more
housekeepers at the 77-room Hampton Inn here. So she bought ads in local
newspapers and job-listing Web sites. She posted notices at area high
schools. No one responded.
"I didn't have a bite," said Kurtz, the hotel's general
manager. "The kind of jobs I'm posting aren't the jobs Americans
want to do."
Then Kurtz made a well-placed phone call. Almost overnight, the Hampton
Inn's housekeeping department was fully staffed.
The Hampton Inn now has 11 African refugees on the payroll, predominantly
from Somalia. The workers live in Lewiston and were directed to the hotel
by the refugee resettlement program at Catholic Charities Maine.
Refugees from war-torn African nations are well represented in Portland's
work force. They also are a familiar presence in Lewiston, where a few
thousand have settled. Now they may help fill an acute labor shortage in
this outlet town's hospitality industry, which has added hundreds of new
hotel beds in recent years. (MORE)
-----
POLL SHOWS U.S. DISAPPROVES OF
WAR IN IRAQ -
TOP
The Associated Press, 6/8/08
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/08/AR2006060800706.html
WASHINGTON (AP) - The death of al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in
Iraq came as more Americans than ever thought the war in Iraq was a
mistake, according to AP-Ipsos polling.
The poll, taken Monday through Wednesday before news broke that U.S.
forces had killed al-Zarqawi, found that 59 percent of adults say
the
United States made a mistake in going to war in Iraq - the highest level
yet in AP-Ipsos polling.
Approval of President Bush's handling of Iraq dipped to 33 percent, a new
low. His overall job approval was 35 percent, statistically within range
of his low of 33 percent last month. The poll of 1,003 adults has a
sampling error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/11/06
*
Hadith:
Treat Prisoners with Kindness
-
We Serve God When We Serve Each
Other
*
CAIR Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Prison Camp
-
Saudis Allege Torture in
Guantanamo Deaths (AP)
-
Lawyer:
'Stench of Despair'
Hangs Over Gitmo Prison
*
CAIR-CAN:
Muslims are
First Line of Defense Against Terror
-
CAIR-CAN Meets with Canadian
Prime Minister (AP)
-
Knife-Wielding Attacker
Threatens Canadian Imam
*
CAIR-LA:
Faiths
Find Common Ground Against Iraq War (LA Times)
-
CAIR-St. Louis Hosts Workshop on
Employment Bias
-
OK:
CAIR-LA Rep to Speak on
'Discontent in the Muslim World'
*
UT:
First Muslim
Student President at U. Named to Board
*
RI:
Journalist Visits Mosque After
Accusatory Column
*
NJ:
Outback Steakhouse, Subway
Cater to Muslims (RNS)
*
MS:
A Muslim Woman in
Mississippi (Clarion Ledger)
-
Poll:
Muslim Women Play Down Gender
Inequality (RNS)
*
DC:
Anti-Muslim Ad About Kosovo in
Roll Call
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: TREAT PRISONERS WITH KINDNESS -
TOP
After a battle, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) noticed that one
of the prisoners of war did not have proper clothing. He looked for a
shirt for the prisoner and found that the shirt of one of his companions
was appropriate. The Prophet then took off his own shirt and gave it to
his companion as a replacement.
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 252
SEE ALSO:
WE SERVE GOD WHEN WE SERVE EACH OTHER -
TOP
Mahmood Jawaid, Sunday Gazette-Mail, 6/11/06
http://wvgazette.com/section/Columns/200606109
According to Prophet Muhammad, God will complain on the Day of Judgment:
"O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited me not." He will
say: "O Lord, and how should I visit you when you are the lord of
the worlds?" God will reply: "Did you not know that my servant
So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that
had you visited him you would have found me with him?"
God will again complain: "O son of Adam, I asked you for food and
you fed me not." He will say: "O Lord, and how should I feed
you when you are the lord of the worlds?" God will reply: "Did
you not know that my servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him
not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found
that (the reward for doing so) with me?"
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR RENEWS CALL TO CLOSE GITMO PRISON
CAMP -
TOP
Congress urged to probe treatment of detainees
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/11/2006) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights and advocacy group today renewed its call to close the U.S. prison
camp at Guantanamo Bay following reports that three detainees committed
suicide at the facility.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
demanded the closure of the camp earlier this year after the Committee
Against Torture (CAT), the United Nations top anti-torture body, said
such facilities were illegal and should be closed.
SEE:
CAIR Supports Call to Close Gitmo
"Every day the Guantanamo Bay prison camp remains open permits
further violations of international norms, damages our nation's image
worldwide and weakens America's credibility in the promotion of
democratic values and respect for human rights in the Muslim world,"
said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
Hooper added that Congress should conduct a full investigation of the
deaths and the treatment of detainees at the camp. He also urged
Americans of all faiths to contact their elected representatives on the
treatment of detainees.
SEE:
http://capwiz.com/cair/dbq/officials/
In April of last year, CAIR and other groups called for an independent
9/11 commission-style investigation into the use of torture by American
military personnel.
SEE:
http://www.cair-net.org/antitorture/
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices,
chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to
enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
SAUDIS ALLEGE TORTURE IN GUANTANAMO
DEATHS -
TOP
LARA SUKHTIAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS, 6/11/06
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Guantanamo_Saudis.html
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- The reported suicides of two Saudi detainees at
Guantanamo Bay intensified Saudi anger at the camp, drawing questions
Sunday about whether the men really killed themselves or were driven to
it by torture.
The detention of more than 130 Saudis at the U.S. jail has long grated on
people in the kingdom, and there was marked skepticism that the prisoners
committed suicide.
"The families don't believe it, and of course I don't believe it
either," said Kateb al Shimri, a lawyer who represents relatives of
Saudis held at Guantanamo.
"A crime was committed here and the U.S. authorities are
responsible," al Shimri said, echoing the general sentiment heard in
the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
SUICIDES RENEWS CRITICISM OF
GUANTANAMO -
TOP
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1102AP_Guantanamo_Suicides.html
-----
CANADIAN MUSLIMS ARE FIRST
LINE OF DEFENCE AGAINST HOMEGROWN TERRORISTS -
TOP
KARL NICKNER, The Montreal Gazette, 6/11/06
http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/showlink.aspx?bookmarkid=3Q791KXD9JD1
[
Karl Nickner is executive director of the Canadian Council on
American-Islamic Relations.]
Despite the extensive media coverage of the alleged terrorist plot in the
Toronto area, we have surprisingly few facts. Even though there is a
dearth of real information, or perhaps because of it, there has been a
considerable amount of speculation.
Many experts have commented on the phenomenon of the "homegrown
terrorist," everyone's reaction is being solicited, and even our
prime minister has seen it fit to comment on the motives of the young
people allegedly involved ("they hate us because of our way of
life").
As more information becomes available, it is imperative that we not lose
sight of certain fundamental issues. Canada is not immune from terrorist
attack. No country is. Radicals exist everywhere and that they exist in
the Canadian Muslim community should be no surprise to anyone.
Whether these individuals are willing to translate their radical ideas
into radical actions is another matter altogether. At this point, 17
individuals stand accused before the courts of engaging in such actions.
It is essential that they be prosecuted fairly and transparently in the
courts and not by the media or the public. This is the essence of the
rule of law.
Our law-enforcement agencies have a difficult challenge and we need to be
supportive of them as they seek to prevent the kind of carnage we have
seen in Bali, Madrid and London. The challenges they face in pursuing
leads and deciding on when to intervene must be difficult, indeed. The
risks of waiting too long or ignoring a threat that might lead to
something serious are too high.
Security agencies cannot achieve their goals of ensuring public safety
without community co-operation. In that sense the Muslim community is
effectively the first line of defence against this sort of
extremism.
And Muslim communities throughout Canada have taken this role very
seriously in recent years. The events of 9/11 have had a significant
impact on Muslims around the world and especially in North America. In
many ways, the events of 9/11 have forced positive action. Most mosques
are open to the public more than ever before. Community leaders have
actively sought to improve ties between Muslim communities and the
broader society. Whereas in some cases extremist rhetoric was previously
dismissed as just chatter, it is now more likely to be confronted. One of
the men arrested is alleged to have repeatedly railed against Canadian
forces in Afghanistan and we now know that the departing board of
directors of the mosque in which he prayed warned the incoming board
against his radical ideas.
However, if the Muslim community is going to be effective in the struggle
against containing this type of extremism, there has to be a very strong
relationship of trust between the community and security
agencies.
This relationship was heavily damaged by the role security agencies were
perceived to have played in the case of people like Maher Arar. The
relationship was not helped by incidents like Project Thread when Muslim
men were rounded up in Pickering, Ont., and the media reported they were
plotting to blow up the local nuclear facility. The men were all
ultimately deported on minor immigration infractions.
Finally, the use of secret evidence and the perceived unfairness of the
security-certificate process have added to the erosion of trust.
Under the previous government, a strong effort was made to rebuild that
relationship. The former prime minister met with representatives of the
Muslim community. The minister for public safety initiated a roundtable
group on security and representatives of the RCMP, CSIS and Canada Border
Services Agencies met with many Muslim communities to listen to their
concerns and establish contacts.
We must allow the courts to determine the fate of the individuals
detained. The supremacy of the law and the equal access of all to its
rule are our first defences against extremism. But irrespective of
whether the charges are upheld, there is much work ahead for all of us to
ensure our country remains safe.
The Muslim community has to continue the efforts that have been already
started toward improving integration and the sense of civic
responsibility. Government and security agencies have to build on
previous efforts to improve that relationship of trust, which has been
badly strained. We are, to use a cliche, all in this together.
SEE ALSO:
CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER HOLDS
CLOSED-DOOR MEETING WITH MUSLIM LEADERS -
TOP
Associated Press, 6/11/06
Prime Minister Stephen Harper held a closed-door meeting with Muslim
community leaders to discuss the fallout from the recent arrests of 17
Muslim terror suspects in the Toronto area.
Participants at the meeting Saturday said academics, activists, and imams
expressed a range of views about the possible motivations of the
suspects, who are accused of plotting to bomb buildings and storm
Parliament, take hostages and behead the prime minister unless Canada
withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. . .
Muslims attending the meeting Saturday included professors from the
University of Western Ontario and University of Toronto, as well as a
representative of the
Canadian Council on American-Islamic
Relations. (MORE)
---
'HATEFUL' ATTACK AT MOSQUE -
TOP
Knife brandished at Imam. Muslim leaders denounce terrorism, pledge to
oust radical elements
ALANA COATES, The Gazette, 6/11/06
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=4cb9ff12-d2e6-4343-a0cb-f6eedb99f3d6&k=32598
A Muslim clergyman was threatened by a knife-wielding man outside a St.
Michel mosque Friday night, escaping uninjured but shaken.
Imam Said Jaziri was chatting with a friend as he locked the Al Qods
Mosque after the evening prayers just before midnight.
Out of nowhere, a man appeared brandishing a butcher knife.
"He said: 'Do you want to die a martyr?'" Jaziri
recalled.
"Then he asked: 'Are you carrying belts full of
explosives?'"
In a telephone interview last night, Jaziri described his attacker as a
seemingly ordinary man who was "full of rage," he said.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR-LA: FAITHS FIND
COMMON GROUND AGAINST WAR IN IRAQ -
TOP
Religious leaders form Interfaith Peacemaking Project in an effort to
affect U.S. policy.
Stephen Clark, Los Angeles Times, 6/10/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs10jun10,1,533523.story
The buttoned-down Episcopalian minister was the first to stand up and
introduce himself. Then came a Jew wearing a yarmulke. Then a Palestinian
Christian attired in black clericals. Next, a Muslim cloaked in an aqua
hijab.
On and on they went, 50 people representing three faiths, their clothing
a reminder of their differences but their presence a sign of unifying
goals: to oppose the war in Iraq, change U.S. foreign policy and find
common ground among three religions.
They gathered in a large meeting room at All Saints Episcopal Church in
Pasadena on Monday as part of the Interfaith Peacemaking Project, a new
initiative that aims to rally Christians, Jews and Muslims against the
war. They began their work by critiquing a speech they heard the night
before by James Carroll, an author, former Catholic priest and, now,
antiwar activist.
Although the discussions remained largely polite and subdued, sparks
occasionally flew. At the table where the mission statement was being
written, the Rev. Ed Bacon, rector of All Saints, suggested saying that
religious leaders were trying to reclaim their religions that had been
hijacked.
"I'm not trying to reclaim religion. I'm trying to reclaim the
discourse," said Hussam Ayloush, director of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations. He agreed that terrorists have received
too much attention but didn't believe that Islam had been hijacked.
"We just feel we don't have the same chance to express our
views." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-ST. LOUIS HOSTS WORKSHOP ON EMPLOYMENT
BIAS -
TOP
(ST. LOUIS, MO, 6/11/06) - CAIR-St. Louis recently hosted a workshop on
employment discrimination issues at Darul Islam Mosque. The seminar was
co-sponsored by the Adult Education Committee of the Islamic Foundation
of St. Louis.
EEOC District Director James Neely and Joan Suarez from Jobs With Justice
offered presentations about employee rights and what should one do if he
or she believes that any discrimination has occurred based on faith,
color, race, age, or ethnicity. Neely and Suarez answered many questions
from the workshop participants.
---
OK: FREE SERIES ON ISLAM SCHEDULED -
TOP
Tulsa World (Oklahoma), 6/10/06
The Islamic Society of Tulsa will sponsor a series of free lectures
titled, "Know Your Muslim Neighbor."
The first lecture will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Al-Salam
Mosque, 4630 S. Irvington Ave. The series will continue at the same time
every other Thursday through July.
Topics of discussion will be:
June 15: "Stereotypes and misinformation about Islam and
Muslims," with a youth panel -- Haajirah Cheema, Nour Habib and
Osman Sheikh -- and an adult panel -- Khadijah Jandhli, Zaheer Arastu and
Mohammed Ishwait.
June 29: "Muhammad: Prophet for Peace or Power?," with Nuredin
Giayash, Michael Egan and Priscilla Khader.
July 13: "American Muslims -- Agents of Peace," with Kamlah
Milad and a national speaker, to be announced.
July 27: "Uprisings and Discontent in the Muslim World,"
with Houssam Ayloush, with the Council on American-Islamic Relations --
Southern California.
-----
FIRST MUSLIM STUDENT
PRESIDENT AT U. NAMED TO BOARD -
TOP
Salt Lake Tribune, 6/11/06
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3924548
Ali Hasnain, the first Muslim student body president at the University of
Utah, has been selected to represent public college students on the state
Board of Regents. He replaces U. student Gaby Kingery.
As a student regent, Hasnain, 23, will serve a one-year term. He is one
of 16 voting members on the 18-member board, appointed by the governor to
set policy for the state's 10 public colleges and universities.
(MORE)
-----
TERROR UN-ISLAMIC, LOCAL MUSLIMS SAY -
TOP
Mark Patinkin, Providence Journal, 6/11/06
http://www.projo.com/lifebeat/markpatinkin/projo_20060611_mark11.82c2921.html
I sat down with four local Muslims whom I had recently insulted in
print.
Not directly, but close enough. A month ago, I wrote a pointed column
asking why moderate Muslims never protest terror. My implication was that
most condone it with their silence.
Now I was in a mosque in Pawtucket with leaders of Rhode Island's Muslim
community.
I looked at Dr. Ali Hassan, a Brown University Middle East studies
professor who is president of the Rhode Island Council for Muslim
Advancement (RICMA).
He had just finished showing me a stack of articles proving that he and
others have frequently denounced terror.
I clearly had not given them credit. . .
Dr. Hassan said he'd noted that I specifically asked in print why no
Muslim has said, "Not in our name."
In response, he had brought a July 11, 2005, UPI article about the Grand
Mufti of Saudi Arabia using those exact words to tell terrorists:
"Not in Islam's name."
A second article was about the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, also saying that terrorist
acts are "not in the name of Islam."
Tod McKenna added: "Those are two of thousands."
(MORE)
-----
NJ: AT LAST, FAST FOOD FOR MUSLIMS -
TOP
Outback Steakhouse, Subway in N.J. cater to strict dietary rules
SULEMAN DIN, Religion News Service
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/living/religion/14786132.htm
ISELIN, N.J. - There is one place in all North America where an observant
Muslim can follow Jared's famous diet -- the two-sandwich-a-day plan that
helped Subway pitchman Jared Fogel lose 245 pounds.
The Subway restaurant that adheres to Islamic restrictions is off Route
27, and it is indiscernible from other Subways -- except for a neon green
sign in the window spelling out "Halal," the Islamic equivalent
of kosher.
In the two years she has served halal food at her Subway, Ruhila Khan has
built a following from across the tri-state area. The success can be seen
in the Sales Volume awards on the wall behind the register.
"I don't have enough space to hang up all of them," Khan said,
smiling. "I did something for Allah, and he has blessed
us."
Rules from the Quran
Halal dietary restrictions are similar to kosher rules. Pork is forbidden
and the slaughter of animals for meat is done under special guidelines,
so the meat remains uncontaminated with blood. Halal rules are taken
directly from the Quran.In New Jersey, which has one of the largest
Muslim populations, restaurant owners and community members say it makes
business sense for mainstream restaurants to cater to Muslims.
(MORE)
-----
A MUSLIM IN MISSISSIPPI -
TOP
Jean Gordon, Clarion Ledger, 6/10/06
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060610/FEAT04/606100317/1022
In a new book about Muslim women in America, Okolo Rashid's story is
featured in a chapter called "The Changers."
It's a fitting title for a woman who helped launch the first museum in
America dedicated to Muslim cultures - in Mississippi.
"To come from where I came from does take a certain kind of
vision," said Rashid, 57, who converted to Islam 30 years
ago.
Rashid's vision is evident in how the International Museum of Muslim
Cultures in Jackson has helped educate Americans about Islam. The
one-of-a-kind museum has drawn more than 30,000 visitors from throughout
the country since it opened in 2001.
Her work with the museum recently gained the attention of Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist Donna Gehrke-White, who featured Rashid in her
new book, The Face Behind the Veil: The Extraordinary Lives of Muslim
Women in America (Citadel Press, $22.95).
The book profiles 50 Muslim women who represent the diverse landscape of
the faith in America. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
IN POLL, MOST MUSLIM WOMEN PLAY DOWN GENDER
INEQUALITY -
TOP
Religion News Service, 6/10/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/09/AR2006060901460.html
Muslim women should be allowed to vote, drive and work outside the home,
but gender inequality is not a primary problem, a majority of Muslim
women said in a new Gallup poll.
The 2005 poll, released Tuesday, questioned 8,000 women about their
perceptions of life in Muslim and Western countries. Women were polled in
Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and
Turkey.
A majority said women should be allowed to vote, ranging from 68 percent
in Pakistan to 95 percent in Egypt. A majority also said women should be
allowed to work at any job they are qualified for, serve in high levels
of government and drive unaccompanied. Most of these countries allow
women to conduct these activities, said
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for
the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (MORE)
-----
DC: ANTI-MUSLIM AD ABOUT KOSOVO IN ROLL
CALL -
TOP
Washington Daybook
1 p.m. Media - News conference
SPONSOR: Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and Rep. Joseph Crowley,
D-N.Y.
TOPIC/SUBJECT: hold a news conference on an anti-Muslim ad regarding
Kosovo in Roll Call newspaper.
DATE: June 13, 2006
LOCATION: Cannon Terrace, Cannon House Office Building
CONTACT: 202-225-2464 or 202-225-3965
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/12/06
*
Hadith:
Make Things Easy
*
CAIR-MI:
First
Challenge to NSA Wiretapping is Today
-
Domestic Spying Program
to be Tested in
Court
*
Study:
After 9/11,
Arab-Americans Fear Police Acts (NY Times)
*
CAIR-CAN:
Who Speaks for
Canadian Muslims?
-
Relative of Terror Suspect
Dismissed from Job (Star)
*
CAIR-San Diego Offers Prayer at
Filipino-American Event
*
NJ:
Muslim Boy Scout Troop Not So
Different (Herald News)
-
NJ:
Muslim Lawyer Seeking Liberty,
Justice for All
-
NJ:
Mosque Gets Township Approval
(Star-Ledger)
*
Conservatives Should
Cringe Over Coulter (Miami Herald)
-
Deadly Intent:
Ann Coulter, Word
Warrior (NY Times)
*
Netherlands Mosque Burned
*
Israeli Lawmaker Threatens to
Assassinate Palestinian PM
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: MAKE THINGS EASY -
TOP
A man once urinated in a mosque and bystanders rushed to beat him. The
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered them to leave the man alone
and said: "You have been sent to make things easy (for the people).
You have not been sent to make things difficult for them."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 149
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR-MI: FIRST CHALLENGE TO
NSA WIRETAPPING IS TODAY -
TOP
Lawyers to argue that program violates Constitution
Henry Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 6/12/06
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.nsa12jun12,0,1737448.story
The National Security Agency's surveillance program faces its first major
court test today before a veteran federal judge in Detroit.
In January, the American Civil Liberties Union,
the Michigan branch of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations and several individuals,
who said they feared the government was spying on them, filed a 60-page
lawsuit seeking to have the warrantless wiretapping program declared
unconstitutional. (MORE)
CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-842-1418, E-Mail:
director@cairmichigan.org; CAIR Legal Director Arsalan Iftikhar,
202-488-8787, E-Mail: arsalan@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-MI: BUSH
DOMESTIC SPYING PROGRAM TO BE TESTED IN FED COURT IN DETROIT -
TOP
Gregg Krupa, Detroit News, 6/12/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060612/POLITICS/606120362
DETROIT -- For the first time in open court, the Bush administration will
defend the constitutionality of a domestic spying program operated by the
National Security Agency during a hearing today in U.S. District
Court.
Civil liberties groups, academicians, criminal defense lawyers, authors
and a Lebanese immigrant who lives in Ypsilanti argue that by targeting
some phone calls for electronic surveillance without first seeking a
warrant before a special court set up by Congress, the government is
violating rights to free speech and privacy.
Because the government admits the surveillance in question is ongoing,
the American Civil Liberties Union and others argue, the judge can simply
declare it unconstitutional.
The Bush administration, however, argues that the case should not be
heard because of its privilege against revealing state secrets that may
affect the national security.
U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor said that before she considers the
government's argument, she will hear arguments on whether she should
summarily declare the program unconstitutional. That issue is set for a
hearing at 9 a.m. today.
President Bush joins Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman
in asserting that he has inherent powers under the Constitution,
especially in a time of war, to conduct such surveillance. Absent a
specific grant of such power by the Congress, however, courts ruled
against Lincoln, Roosevelt and Truman.
"A historical analysis indicates that claims of inherent
presidential power over domestic matters have been rejected," said
Robert Sedler, a law professor at Wayne State University.
In this instance, according to the ACLU,
the Council on American
Islamic Relations and the others who brought the case, Congress has
said that administrations must go to a secret tribunal established by the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1975 for approval of the
surveillance. (MORE)
-----
AFTER 9/11, ARAB-AMERICANS FEAR
POLICE ACTS, STUDY FINDS -
TOP
ANDREA ELLIOTT, New York Times, 6/12/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/us/12arabs.html
In the aftermath of Sept. 11, Arab-Americans have a greater fear of
racial profiling and immigration enforcement than of falling victim to
hate crimes, according to a national study financed by the Justice
Department.
The study also concluded that local police officers and federal agents
were straining under the pressure to fight terrorism, and that new
federal policies in this effort were poorly defined and inconsistently
applied.
The two-year study, released today by the Vera Institute of Justice,
explored the changed relationship between Arab-Americans and law
enforcement in the years since the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Vera
Institute is a nonprofit policy research center based in New York.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR-CAN: AND WHO SPEAKS FOR
MUSLIMS? -
TOP
Many are talking and delivering the `sound bite,' yet there is no unified
voice
PRITHI YELAJA AND TABASSUM SIDDIQUI, Toronto Star, 6/12/06
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1150064106713&call_pageid=968332188492
One broader-based emerging group is the
Canadian Council for
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN). Founded five years ago, the
group, which claims an email contact list of 7,000 but has no formal
members, is known for its media savvy and human rights emphasis.
Its young, energetic staff of five includes spokeswoman Sarah Elgazzar,
24. Based in Montreal, the bilingual and very pregnant McGill grad was
juggling interviews from dawn to dusk last week. Articulate and funny,
Elgazzar admits she's in demand because so few Muslim women deal with the
media. "Representing the Muslim community - and I don't say I do -
is a very big burden to carry on your shoulders. I'm a teeny-weeny woman
who wears hijab and plays hockey and speaks both languages, and I was
born here. That blows people away." (MORE)
CONTACT: CAIR-CAN Human Rights Coordinator Halima Mautbur, 613-795-2012;
CAIR-CAN Executive Director Karl Nickner, 613-853-4111
SEE ALSO:
CASUALTY OF TERROR SWEEP, MAN
CLAIMS -
TOP
HEBA ALY, Toronto Star, 6/12/06
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1150064106851
Days after Ahmed Mohamed's nephew was charged with terrorism-related
offences, his boss called him in for a meeting.
"I had some kind of feeling," Mohamed said, "but I never
thought ..."
Now, one lawyer says he has a case for wrongful dismissal after his
employer laid him off for "being a relative to someone like
that," Mohamed, 39, said.
He had worked for six months as a machine operator in Markham at Kisko
Products, maker of Freezies, hired through an employment agency.
His nephew, Mohammed Dirie, also known as Ali Dirie, was already in jail
for gun smuggling when he was charged last weekend with acquiring weapons
for a terrorist group, in the biggest terrorism-related sweep in Canadian
history.
Mohamed took Monday and Tuesday off work to find a lawyer for his nephew.
When he returned on Wednesday, he said a Kisko official, Randy Josephs,
pulled him into a boardroom and gave him the news.
"He said he's concerned that his business ... basically that he
can't trust me," Mohamed said.
"I tried to argue with him.... He said he already made up his
mind." (MORE)
-----
CAIR-SAN DIEGO OFFERS PRAYER FOR PEACE AT
FILIPINO-AMERICAN EVENT -
TOP
(SAN DIEGO, CA, 6/12/06) - On June 11, CAIR-San Diego participated in an
ecumenical service at the Council of Philippine American Organizations of
San Diego County (COPAO) 2006 Philippine Faire in National City, Calif. A
CAIR representative offered a prayer for world peace and unity. The
Philppine Faire is a celebration of the 108th Anniversary of Philippine
Independence from Spain.
"This was an excellent opportunity for the Muslim community to build
a bridge with Filipino-Americans," says CAIR San Diego Director of
Public Relations Edgar Hopida, who is himself of Filipino
heritage.
CONTACT: Edgar Hopida, Director of Public Relations CAIR San Diego,
858-278-4547, E-Mail:
ehopida@gmail.com
-----
NJ: MUSLIM TROOP NOT SO DIFFERENT -
TOP
SUZANNE TRAVERS, HERALD NEWS, 6/12/06
http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzNTcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5NDc0ODgmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky
JERSEY CITY -- If America's image of a Boy Scout is the rosy-cheeked chap
with a neckerchief in a Norman Rockwell painting, then the boys of Troop
469 offer an image-update.
And if America's darkest image of a Muslim can veer toward that of a
bearded terrorist, then the boys of Troop 469 can counter that,
too.
Troop 469, which was formed six years ago, is one of a handful of Muslim
Boy Scout troops in New Jersey. Like any Scout troop, the troop devotes
much of its time to outdoor activities, which members and Scout leaders
consider opportunities for learning and good, clean fun.
They've gone camping and canoeing in a South Jersey state park, and
learned the correct technique to build a fire in a Jersey City parking
lot.
Like any troop, they also adhere to the Boy Scout Oath: "On my
honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country." The
Boy Scouts of America, the parent organization of all the nation's Boy
Scout troops, is nondenominational, but many troops are affiliated with
churches, mosques and synagogues, and religious beliefs are incorporated
into Scouting programs and practices. So Troop 469 incorporates Islamic
principles into its discussions and activities.
As a result, the troop manages to project the wholesomeness of Rockwell's
portraits with the spiritual foundations of their Islamic faith.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
NJ: MUSLIM LAWYER SEEKING LIBERTY,
JUSTICE FOR ALL -
TOP
JOHN CHADWICK, NorthJersey.com, 6/12/06
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2OTQ3Mzc3JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==
Sohail Mohammed was a Clifton lawyer with a small practice -- well-liked
and respected around the region, but unknown everywhere else.
Then came 9/11.
In the tumultuous, fear-driven months following the attacks, the
collegial immigration lawyer stepped into the center of a national
storm.
Mohammed, just 37 at the time, fought in court for dozens of immigrants
rounded up in a massive dragnet, publicly accused FBI agents of
intimidating Muslims in North Jersey and provoked talk-show host Chris
Matthews when he refused on national television to acknowledge that the
hijackers were Muslims.
"It's a disgrace to link a religion with these terrorists," he
said during an appearance on "Hardball." (MORE)
---
NJ: MOSQUE GETS TOWNSHIP APPROVAL -
TOP
NYIER ABDOU, Star-Ledger, 6/11/06
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/somerset/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1150000836240730.xml&coll=1
Franklin Township officials have approved the first official mosque in
Somerset County in a ranch home that has quietly served as a house of
worship for local Muslims for the past several years.
Sandwiched between two neatly kept homes in the Somerset section of
Franklin Township, the somewhat worn-looking one-story house on Churchill
Avenue doesn't look like a local zoning success story.
But it is, considering the challenges other houses of worship have faced
winning approvals in residential areas in the county.
"We're absolutely thrilled," said Ibrahim Conteh, one of the
imams at the Da'awatu Islamia of Somerset mosque. "We've been
fighting for this for quite some time."
Conteh, a native of Freetown in Sierra Leone, lives in the neighborhood.
He and other founders initially met for pray and religious study at each
other's homes. (MORE)
-----
CONSERVATIVES SHOULD CRINGE
OVER COULTER -
TOP
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/leonard_pitts/14796761.htm
Apparently, it's news that Ann Coulter is a nasty piece of work.
I had rather thought that was the attraction, at least for those people
who find her attractive. So forgive me for being mildly mystified by last
week's headlines about her most recent spasm of trash mouth, i.e., her
attack on four women who lost their husbands in the Sept. 11 attacks. But
then, the attack is vicious even by Coulter's standards: In her latest
book, whose title you won't read here, she savages the widows as
"self-obsessed" and "witches."
"These broads are millionaires," she writes, 'lionized on TV
and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and
stalked by grief-arazzis. I've never seen people enjoying their husbands'
deaths so much."
Evidently, the widow's sins are that they pushed for an independent
commission to investigate 9/11 intelligence failures, they are critical
of the Bush administration, and they endorsed John Kerry for
president.
The nerve of them. . .
Coulter's victims, by the way, felt compelled to release a statement. It
said in part: "Contrary to Ms. Coulter's statements, there was no
joy in watching men that we loved burn alive. There was no happiness in
telling our children that their fathers were never coming home
again."
In a better nation, that would go without saying.
SEE ALSO:
DEADLY INTENT: ANN COULTER, WORD WARRIOR -
TOP
DAVID CARR, New York Times, 6/12/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/business/media/12carr.html
Her sincerity is beside the point as long as people keep taking the bait.
Mrs. Clinton, who is the perfect foil for Ms. Coulter -- ambitious,
allergic to irony, loathed by the people who will line up for
"Godless" -- simply added fuel to a fire that she was
presumably trying to douse. All manner of televised talkfests, including
"Today," welcome Ms. Coulter's pirate sensibilities back aboard
whenever she has something to peddle, in part because seeing hate-speech
pop out of a blonde who knows her way around a black cocktail dress makes
for compelling viewing.
Without the total package, Ms. Coulter would be just one more nut living
in Mom's basement. You can accuse her of cynicism all you want, but the
fact that she is one of the leading political writers of our age says
something about the rest of us.
-----
MOSKEEGEBOUW VLAARDINGEN AFGEBRAND -
TOP
http://www.nu.nl/news/750910/10/Moskeegebouw_Vlaardingen_afgebrand.html
FREE DUTCH-ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
http://www.freetranslation.com/
VLAARDINGEN - Een gebouw in Vlaardingen met op de eerste verdieping een
Turks gebedshuis is zaterdagmorgen in vlammen opgegaan, nadat het
vrijdagavond ook al in brand had gestaan. Dat heeft een woordvoerder van
de politie bevestigd.
Hoewel de politie brandstichting niet uitsluit, heeft zij geen
aanwijzingen dat het gaat om een aanslag. Het Turks gebedshuis aan de
Koningin Wilhelminahaven zit al veertien jaar op die plek en de
verstandhouding tussen de bezoekers en de buurt is prima, aldus de
politie.
Net als bij de eerste brand zijn er geen gewonden gevallen. Bij de eerste
brand liep het gebouw rook- en waterschade op en ging een garage op de
begane grond verloren. Nu staat het hele gebouw op instorten en moet het
zo snel mogelijk worden gesloopt, zo vertelde de woordvoerder.
-----
ISRAEL PARLIAMENTARIAN THREATENS TO
ASSASSINATE PALESTINIAN PM -
TOP
Jeffrey Heller, Reuters, 6/12/06
http://za.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-06-12T082530Z_01_ALL224951_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-MIDEAST-20060612.XML
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A senior member of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert's party threatened Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of
Hamas with assassination on Monday if the group renews suicide bombings
in Israel.
The comments by Tzachi Hanegbi, chairman of parliament's Foreign Affairs
and Defence Committee, followed a sharp escalation of violence along the
Israel-Gaza frontier and a declaration by Hamas that a 16-month-old truce
had ended.
"Yassin and Rantissi are waiting for you, Haniyeh, if you implement
the same stance of liquidating Jews, indiscriminate firing, and suicide
terror attacks aimed at paralysing Israeli society anew," Hanegbi
said on Army Radio.
He was referring to Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a co-founder of Hamas, and
Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, another leader of the Islamic militant group.
Both were assassinated in Israeli missile strikes in Gaza in 2004.
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
'MARINES' CHEER SONG ABOUT KILLING IRAQI
CIVILIANS
Song's lyrics: 'I blew those little f**kers to
eternity'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/12/06) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (
CAIR) today called on the
Pentagon and Congress to investigate a music video posted on the Internet
that seems to show U.S. Marines cheering a song that glorifies the
killing of Iraqi civilians.
CAIR said the four-minute video, called "hadji girl," purports
to be a "marine in iraq singing a song about hadji." (A
"Hajji" is a person who has made the Islamic pilgrimage to
Mecca, but the term has often been used as a pejorative by U.S. troops in
Iraq.) The song, posted online in March, tells of a U.S. Marine's
encounter with an Iraqi woman. It has been viewed by almost 50,000
people.
The song's lyrics include: "I grabbed her little sister and put her
in front of me. As the bullets began to fly, the blood sprayed from
between her eyes, and then I laughed maniacally. . .I blew those little
f**kers to eternity . . .They should have known they were f**king with
the Marines." Members of the audience, not shown in the video,
laughed and cheered wildly for these lyrics.
SEE: HADJI GIRL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTh9ZYS6Flc
Comments apparently posted by other military personnel express approval
for the song's contents. One comment states: "This makes me happy to
be a Marine. But look out! Here comes the rest of the country to call us
evil!" Other comments criticize the video as racist.
"Given the recent allegations that U.S. Marines massacred Iraqi
civilians in Haditha and other areas, we need to determine if this video
is what it purports to be," said
CAIR Executive Director Nihad
Awad. "The inappropriate actions of a few individuals should not
be allowed to tarnish the reputation of all American military
personnel."
Awad called on Pentagon officials and members of Congress to investigate
the video and all other allegations of such conduct in Iraq.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community.
Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other materials dealing
with American Muslim positions on issues of importance to our society. To
reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/13/06
*
Hadith:
Good Character Leads to
Paradise
*
CAIR:
Hate Message Left Near Arizona
Mosque
*
FL:
Relocation of Mosque
Escalates Tensions (Sun-Sentinel)
-
MI:
Don't Stereotype
Muslims (Detroit News)
*
Canadian Muslims
Fearful of Crossing U.S.
Border (Sun)
-
Bail Hearing Put Off in
Montreal Mosque Attack Case
-
Suspects ID'd in
Calgary Mosque Incident
*
For U.S. Muslims,
an
Aversion to Nursing Homes (NY Times)
*
New Bush Aide:
U.S. at 'War
Against Considerable Part of Islam'
*
Yee:
Muslim Chaplain
Says Gitmo Suicides Expected (AP)
-
State Dept. Disavows
Statement on Suicides (NY Times)
*
Israeli Airstrike Kills 8
Palestinians Civilians (AP)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: GOOD CHARACTER LEADS TO PARADISE
-
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do you know what
most commonly brings people into Paradise? It is fear of (displeasing)
God and good character."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1240
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
FBI ASKED TO PROBE ARIZONA ANTI-MUSLIM HATE
MESSAGES -
TOP
Islamophobic signs left at Tempe mosque, Muslim office in
Phoenix
(PHOENIX, AZ, 6/13/06) - The Arizona office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ) today called on local and national
law enforcement authorities to investigate as bias crimes hate messages
left at a Tempe mosque and at the group's Phoenix office.
Officials of the Islamic Community Center of Tempe reported to CAIR-AZ
that a sign attacking the Prophet Muhammad and claiming "Muslims
Worship Satan" was left near the mosque sometime last
night.
Another message on a hand-written sign placed in CAIR-AZ's office window
sometime over the weekend stated "Mohammed Rasool Al Shaytan,"
meaning "(The Prophet) Muhammad is the messenger of Satan."
This is a distortion of the common Islamic phrase referring to the
Prophet as a messenger of God.
"The fact that this person actually went to the mosque and to CAIR's
office would seem to indicate a level of hostility that could potentially
result in more than hate speech," said
CAIR-AZ Office Manager
Bushra Khan. She said local police are investigating both incidents.
Khan said FBI officials should add their resources to those of local
authorities.
In May, Khan was one of several Muslim women who reported being verbally
abused by two people who said they recently saw the movie "United
93" about one of the planes hijacked on 9/11.
SEE: CAIR-AZ Muslims Accosted By 'United 93' Viewers
http://cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=2130&theType=NR
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Bushra Khan, 602-262-2247, 202-276-9227, E-Mail:
officemanager@cairaz.org;
CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
FL: RELOCATION OF MOSQUE INTO
BLACK COMMUNITY ESCALATES TENSIONS IN POMPANO -
TOP
Jean-Paul Renaud, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 6/13/06
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cmosque10jun13,0,3731338.story
Pompano Beach · A clash fueled by angry words has erupted over a plan to
move a mosque from Old Pompano to the northwest part of the city,
underscoring tensions between some in this city's black and Muslim
communities.
The Islamic Center of South Florida wants to move to a largely black,
Christian section of Pompano Beach, where they have bought land meant to
support their growing Muslim membership. But some leaders of the
northwest area -- elected, religious and civic alike -- oppose a strong
Muslim presence entering their neighborhoods.
Muslims "don't contribute a nickel to any cause in terms of
improving the community," said Commissioner E. Pat Larkins, who
represents the area where the mosque would be located. "Most black
folks see them as people that come in to rape the community and go
away."
While Larkins cited frustration with Muslim market owners, others in the
black community gave religious and ethnic reasons for opposing the
mosque.
Elected leaders will consider tonight whether the Islamic Center, which
has operated in the Old Pompano neighborhood on Northeast Sixth Street
for more than 20 years, can build a bigger mosque in the 1500 block of
Northwest 16th Avenue. Larkins said he will ask the city attorney how the
mosque can legally be prevented from opening its doors.
"This is really shocking, and for it to come from a commissioner,
it's really disturbing," said Imam Hasan Sabri, spiritual leader of
the Islamic Center. "We should be working to bring people together
and not create divisions among people." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MI: DON'T STEREOTYPE MUSLIMS;
STRIVE FOR INTERFAITH PEACE -
TOP
Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, Detroit News, 6/13/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060613/OPINION03/606130306/1008/OPINION01
There was not a single American Muslim involved with the September 11
tragedy. Muslim leaders condemn terrorism and have always cooperated for
peace and security.
Yet some in the media started making stereotypical allegations against
Muslims, creating an atmosphere of hate against our community. Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi and other criminals are considered representative of Muslims,
at least the way Steven Emerson, the Rev. Pat Robertson and other
Islamophobic neoconservatives interpret the Quran.
Intimidation, vandalism, harassment, denial of civil rights, job
discrimination and even bodily assault of Muslims has become a real
concern. (MORE)
-----
CANADIAN MUSLIMS
CLAIM BORDER TIGHTER -
TOP
TOM GODFREY, TORONTO SUN, 6/13/06
http://torontosun.com/News/Terror/2006/06/13/1629331-sun.html
Muslims across the GTA say they're fearful of crossing the border during
this busy travel season because of extensive security checks by U.S.
agents searching for terrorists.
"The community is very concerned," said Omar Farouk of the
International Muslims Organization of Toronto.
"Some people are cancelling their trips to the U.S."
Muslim community members said they've faced background checks at the
border since 9/11, but the scrutiny has intensified following the arrests
of 17 GTA men this month.
Farouk's Rexdale Blvd. mosque was forced to install cameras, hire
security patrols and summon police after 28 glass windows were smashed by
vandals following the arrests of the suspects. There have been no arrests
in the incident, which has left the mosque's windows boarded up with
plywood until next week. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CANADA: BAIL HEARING PUT OFF
IN MOSQUE ATTACK CASE -
TOP
Sue Montgomery, Montreal Gazette, 6/12/06
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=a469ae1f-0213-446b-b37d-90ab2e3d432f&k=86300
A bail hearing for a man accused of attacking an imam outside a Montreal
mosque Saturday has been put off until Tuesday.
Pierre Braband, 34, faces one count of uttering death threats, one of
possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes and two counts of assault
with a weapon or threatening assault with a weapon.
He appeared in Montreal court Saturday and pleaded not guilty to all four
counts.
Imam Said Jaziri was leaving the Al Qods mosque in Rosemont with a friend
after the last prayers at about 1 a.m. Saturday when a man carrying a
knife ran toward them and asked the imam whether he wanted to die a
martyr and whether he had explosives strapped to his waist.
Jaziri was able to escape and call police, who arrived shortly after and
arrested the man. (MORE)
---
SUSPECTS ID'D IN MOSQUE
INCIDENT -
TOP
NADIA MOHARIB, CALGARY SUN, 6/13/06
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/06/13/1629476-sun.html
Cops say they have leads on three people thought to be behind a
disruption at a city mosque where strangers barged in and started
shouting racial slurs towards people praying.
Det. Gord Robertson said yesterday cops have tracked vehicles the
suspects drove to flee from the Al-Madinah Islamic Centre back to
locations east of the city.
No charges have been laid, but the investigation is continuing.
Several aggressive people barged into the centre on Falsbridge Dr. N.E.
June 2 while a group were in the midst of prayers. (MORE)
-----
U.S. MUSLIMS CONFRONT TABOO ON
NURSING HOMES -
TOP
LYNETTE CLEMETSON, New York Times, 6/13/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/13/us/13muslim.html
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. - As a founder of the growing Shiite Muslim
community here, Hussein Walji oversaw the building of the area's first
mosque. He directed construction of its youth center, and followers
hailed him as a visionary for adding an auditorium for ecumenical
functions like the M&M picnic for Muslims and Methodists.
But even family members find Mr. Walji's latest expansion uncomfortably
American: he is developing plans for an assisted living and nursing
complex in this Minneapolis suburb.
"I could never do it," said Mohamed Remtula, Mr. Walji's
brother-in-law, his ailing mother at his side in his living room as he
and Mr. Walji discussed the planned complex. "It just is not in our
culture."
Such uneasy discussions are taking place in Islamic enclaves around the
country as more families try to reconcile religious teachings on caring
for elders with the modern realities of their hectic American
lives.
Muslim leaders from Florida to California are eager for a successful
approach to the issue. But early efforts have been a tough sell. Sajda
Khan and her husband, Rahmat, opened Fonthill Gardens, a six-bed assisted
living home in Hawthorne, Calif., for the Los Angeles area's aging Muslim
population. They found a contractor to provide halal meats, included a
prayer room and made enthusiastic presentations to area mosques. A year
later they have cared for two Christians and one Buddhist, but no
Muslims.
"People feel that others will criticize them," said Mrs. Khan,
who is from Pakistan. "You know, 'So and so left her mother in a
facility, and now look at her looking fashionable at the mall.' It's very
frustrating."
For generations, immigrant groups have grappled with the American concept
of housing for the elderly, tailoring it to meet their ethnic, cultural
and religious needs. But for many Muslims, the idea of placing parents in
facilities is still unthinkable, seen as a violation of a Koranic
obligation to care for one's elderly relatives. (MORE)
-----
A BUSH AIDE'S BLUNT WORDS -
TOP
New Adviser Pulled No Punches in His Magazine Pieces
Peter Baker, Washington Post, 6/13/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/AR2006061201479.html
Bill Clinton is a "virtuoso deceiver" and Hillary Rodham
Clinton a "true chameleon" guilty of "self-serving
behavior, comparative radicalism, and dubious personal
morality."
Al Gore is a "mad dog" known to "foam at the mouth."
John McCain is given to "showboating." And Jacques Chirac,
Nelson Mandela, Gerhard Schroeder and Kofi Annan are all "feckless
fools."
Says who? President Bush's new chief domestic policy adviser. While most
White House aides carefully trim their public commentary, they can't take
back what they said before arriving in the West Wing, and few in this day
and age arrive with a more provocative paper trail than Karl Zinsmeister,
who started his new job yesterday. . .
Although Bush avoids casting terrorism as a battle with Islam,
Zinsmeister has not been so reluctant. "First, let's recognize that
we're in a full-blown war; that (contrary to mealy-mouthed platitudes) it
is indeed a war against a considerable part of Islam," he wrote in
2001. Yet he fretted at American sensitivity. "Would you believe
that the number of formal U.S. investigations of how terror detainees are
being treated recently reached 189?" he wrote last fall. "What
mad self-doubt and softness!" (MORE)
-----
MUSLIM CHAPLAIN SAYS
GUANTANAMO SUICIDES EXPECTED -
TOP
DOUG ESSER, ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Guantanamo_Suicides_Yee.html
SEATTLE -- Former Army Capt. James Yee, a Muslim chaplain who served at
Guantanamo, says the three suicides there last weekend are a military and
intelligence failure.
The military failed in its mission to protect the lives of the detainees,
Yee said Monday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
STATE DEPT. DISAVOWS
STATEMENT ON SUICIDES -
TOP
DAVID S. CLOUD, New York Times, 6/13/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/13/us/13gitmo.html
The Bush administration distanced itself on Monday from comments by a
State Department official that the suicides of three prisoners at the
military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were a "good P.R.
move."
The official, Colleen P. Graffy, deputy assistant secretary of state for
public diplomacy, made the comments in an interview on the British
Broadcasting Corporation program "Newshour" on Sunday, a day
after two Saudis and a Yemeni hanged themselves in their cells.
"Taking their own lives was not necessary, but it certainly is a
good P.R. move," Ms. Graffy said. "It does sound like this is
part of a strategy -- in that they don't value their own lives, and they
certainly don't value ours; and they use suicide bombings as a
tactic."
But the State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, told reporters at the
department's daily briefing on Monday, "I would just point out in
public that we would not say that it was a P.R. stunt."
(MORE)
-----
ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE KILLS 10
PALESTINIANS, INCLUDING 8 CIVILIANS -
TOP
IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press, 6/13/06
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - An Israeli airstrike targeting a key figure
in Palestinian rocket attacks killed 10 people Tuesday, including the
militant, two children and three medical workers who rushed to the scene
of an initial blast.
The deaths of at least eight civilians in the Gaza City attack was sure
to heighten anti-Israel passions already inflamed by a weekend blast at a
Gaza shore that killed eight beachgoers. It was also likely to further
complicate efforts by the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas,
to persuade the balking Hamas government to endorse a proposal implicitly
recognizing Israel.
Abbas condemned the airstrike, calling it "state terrorism."
(MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PENTAGON CALLS ONLINE SONG 'INSENSITIVE,'
'INAPPROPRIATE'
Music video 'contrary to the high standards expected of
all Marines'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/13/06) - The U.S. Marine Corps today said it
agrees with a prominent national Islamic advocacy group that a video
posted on the Internet apparently showing Marines cheering a song that
glorifies the killing of Iraqi civilians is "insensitive" and
"inappropriate."
Yesterday, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations
(
CAIR) called on the Pentagon and
Congress to investigate the four-minute video posted in March on the
youtube.com website.
SEE:
'Marines' Cheer Song About Killing Iraqi Civilians (CAIR)
The video, called "hadji girl," purports to be a "marine
in iraq [sic] singing a song about hadji." (A "Hajji" is a
person who has made the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, but the term has
often been used as a pejorative by U.S. troops in Iraq.) The song tells
of a U.S. Marine's encounter with an Iraqi woman. It was viewed by almost
50,000 people. (The video was removed from the youtube.com website after
CAIR issued its news release.)
The song's lyrics include: "I grabbed her little sister and put her
in front of me. As the bullets began to fly, the blood sprayed from
between her eyes, and then I laughed maniacally. . .I blew those little
f**kers to eternity. . .They should have known they were f**king with the
Marines." Members of the audience, not shown in the video, laughed
and cheered wildly for these lyrics.
SEE:
Music Video About Marine Sparks Anger (AP)
SEE:
Video Purports To Show Marine Singing About Killing Civilians
(AFP)
SEE:
HADJI
GIRL
(The video's audio is slightly out of synchronization.)
In a statement, the Marine Corps said:
"The Marine Corps has recently been made aware of a video posted to
a website that purports to show a Marine singing an insensitive song
about Iraqis. The video has subsequently been removed from the website.
The video that was posted anonymously is clearly inappropriate and
contrary to the high standards expected of all Marines. The video is not
reflective of the tremendous sacrifices and dedication demonstrated, on a
daily basis, by tens of thousands of Marines who have assisted the Iraqi
people in gaining their freedom. We agree with the executive director of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations that the inappropriate actions
of a few individuals should not tarnish the reputation of all American
military personnel."
"We welcome the Marine Corps statement, but we also expect that
those who participated in this incident will be identified and
disciplined appropriately," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Awad added that he hoped Congress would conduct hearings on this and
similar incidents.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community.
Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other materials dealing
with American Muslim positions on issues of importance to our society. To
reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
'HADJI GIRL' MARINE APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIMS
NC Marine: 'I apologize for any feelings that may have been hurt in
the Muslim community'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/14/06) - The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (
CAIR) today welcomed an
apology by a U.S. Marine who posted a song on the Internet that the
group, and Pentagon officials, termed "insensitive" and
"inappropriate."
Cpl. Joshua Belile, who lives in North Carolina and recently returned
from duty in Iraq, says the "Hadji Girl" video describing an
encounter with an Iraqi woman posted on youtube.com in March was just a
"joke."
The song's lyrics included: "I grabbed her little sister and put her
in front of me. As the bullets began to fly, the blood sprayed from
between her eyes, and then I laughed maniacally. . .I blew those little
f**kers to eternity. . .They should have known they were f**king with the
Marines."
Belile said that he apologizes to anyone who may have been offended by
the lyrics. He told the
Jacksonville Daily News: "I apologize
for any feelings that may have been hurt in the Muslim community. This
song was written in good humor and not aimed at any party, foreign or
domestic. . .I will never perform this song again, and I will remove all
video and text in relation to this that I have control of."
SEE:
Humor Attempt Falls Flat (Jacksonville Daily News)
SEE:
Military Condemns Music Video On Killing Iraqis (Reuters)
SEE:
'
Hadji Girl'
Video
(The video's audio is slightly out of synchronization.)
"We welcome Corporal Belile's apology and will leave it to military
authorities to determine whether any disciplinary action is
warranted,"
said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.
"Our intent was never to target an individual Marine, but instead to
address the larger issue of insensitivity to the suffering of Iraqi
civilians."
Awad repeated his call for congressional hearings on the behavior of
American military personnel in Iraq and in other Muslim nations such as
Afghanistan.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices and
chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or
202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the American
Muslim community. Subscribers to the list receive news releases and other
materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance
to our society. To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate
AMERICAN MUSLIMS NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/14/06
*
Hadith:
Put Things Right Between
People
*
CAIR-FL Seeks Release of U.S.
Muslims Held By Israelis
*
CA:
Man Who Attacked Clerk
Said He 'Hated Muslims'
-
CAIR-AZ:
Islamic Sites
Targeted With Anti-Muslim Posters
*
CAIR:
NY Congressman
Supports 'Muslims Care'
*
CAIR-FL:
Council Approves
Controversial New Mosque
-
MD:
Schools Won't Get Day Off for Muslim
Holiday
*
CA:
Jury Awards $61M to FedEx
Workers Called 'Terrorists'
-
US Could Lose Muslim Beef Markets
Over Kill Procedures
*
FBI Reaches Out to Muslim,
Sikh Communities
*
Massacre:
Shrapnel Points to Israel's
Guilt (Independent)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: PUT THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN PEOPLE -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Shall I not inform
you of something more excellent than fasting, prayer and charity?...It is
putting things right between people."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 2310
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
CAIR-FL SEEKS RELEASE OF U.S. MUSLIM
FAMILY HELD BY ISRAELIS -
TOP
(MIAMI, FL, 6/14/06) - The Florida office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today called for the release of an
American Muslim family held since last week by Israeli
authorities.
The West Palm Beach Muslim mother and her five children, ages three to
16, were detained over a visa problem from a previous trip when they went
to visit relatives in the Occupied Territories. All those detained are
American citizens.
"We ask State Department officials to demand the immediate
release of this American family," said CAIR Florida Executive
Director Altaf Ali.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices
and chapters nationwide and in Canada.
CONTACT: Altaf Ali 954-298-8214 or 954-272-0490, E-Mail:
Altaf@cairfl.org; Areeb Naseer,
954-272-0489, E-Mail:
Anaseer@cairfl.org
-----
CA: ARMED MAN CONFRONTS SANTA
BARBARA CLERK THINKING HE IS TERRORIST -
TOP
The Associated Press, 6/14/06
http://www.dailycomet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060614/APN/606140820
A liquor store customer was arrested for allegedly pulling a knife on a
clerk he thought was a "Muslim militia terrorist," police
said.
Elias Michael Banales, 31, was arrested and booked for investigation of
brandishing a knife, making terrorist threats and hate crime allegations.
He remained in jail with bail set at $50,000.
Banales allegedly told the clerk at Speedy Liquor and Mart on Spring
Street that "he hated Muslims and that they should all be
killed," according to the police report. The name of the clerk and
his nationality and religious background weren't disclosed.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CAN: DRINKING NO EXCUSE
FOR RACIAL SLURS -
TOP
SUE MONTGOMERY, The Gazette, 6/14/06
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=c1afea13-5cca-46c9-b39e-1ddd216e9994
A handcuffed Pierre Brabant cried in the prisoner's box yesterday as his
mother and sister told Quebec Court his behaviour in attacking and
shouting racial slurs at two Muslim men on the weekend was completely out
of character.
But crown prosecutor Nadia Berube wasn't buying their portrait of
Brabant, 34, as a hard-working bon vivant who liked listening to music
and hanging out with friends.
Nor was she falling for the defendant's story that he'd simply had far
too much to drink Friday night and "lost control."
The allegations against Brabant had to be viewed in the context of the
recent arrests in Ontario of 17 young Muslim men suspected of planning
terrorist attacks in Canada, as well as the Supreme Court challenge on
the constitutionality of security certificates, which began yesterday,
the prosecutor said.
"After the Toronto arrests, vandals attacked mosques and there were
threats," Berube said. . .
Sarah Elgazzar, of the Canadian Council on American Islamic
Relations, said she was disappointed with the decision to release
Brabant. Such attacks, she said, makes Muslims nervous.
"This was obviously a threat to someone who was a symbol of
Islam," she said.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-AZ: 2 ISLAMIC SITES TARGETED
WITH ANTI-MUSLIM POSTERS -
TOP
Rebekah Sanders, Arizona Republic
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0614muslim0614.html
Handmade posters carrying anti-Islamic messages were found less than a
day apart at two Valley Islamic locations, prompting the
Arizona
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations to seek a
hate-crimes investigation.
During afternoon prayers Sunday, around 5 p.m., members of the Islamic
Community Center of Tempe found a white poster board at the mosque with
messages scrawled in black marker attacking the Prophet Mohammed and
Muslims. The 3- by 2-foot sign was taped to a dumpster facing the mosque
but was not on its property. No damage was found, Sgt. Dan Masters, a
Tempe police spokesman, said in an e-mail.
Members reported the incident to the council and to Tempe police, who
took fingerprints and video surveillance tapes from the mosque.
Nure Elatari, communications director for the council, said she was told
the videos include images of individuals and a vehicle.
Employees at the council found a similar white poster taped to their
office door, 202 E. McDowell Road, at 9 a.m. Monday, Elatari said. The
words, transliterated from Arabic into English spelling, distorted a
common Islamic prayer about Mohammed into an insult, she said.
Phoenix police have assigned the case to the bias crimes unit and have
classified it as a "threat" report, said Detective Tony
Morales, Phoenix police spokesman.
"It's really unfortunate. It's sad to see such ignorance lingering
in the community," Elatari said. "It only encourages us more to
promote tolerance and education." (MORE)
-----
CAIR: NY CONGRESSMAN SUPPORTS 'MUSLIMS
CARE' -
TOP
SUPPORTING THE MUSLIMS CARE PROGRAM OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL of New York in the House of Representatives
Thursday, June 8, 2006
Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record, my
heartfelt support for the "Muslims Care" campaign, launched by
the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, to promote volunteerism
in the Islamic community. CAIR is asking Muslims across the country to
volunteer their time for raising health awareness, helping the needy and
supporting activities for youth. Using verses from the Qur'an and Hadith,
the "Muslims Care" tool kit (available in
www.muslims-care.org) is
encouraging local mosques to participate and promote volunteering
programs such as blood drives, health awareness, student tutoring,
etc.
First of all, the "Muslims Care" program has a community
benefits focus, which can potentially bring together people from a
multitude of backgrounds and interests. Moreover, it offers an
opportunity to weave Muslims and Islamic identity into the American
sociocultural fabric, a viable approach to counter the misinformation
that is out there about Islam and Muslims. Lastly, a recent survey,
conducted by CAIR, showed that the majority of Americans promised to
change their views about Islam if Muslims are seen to be concerned about
healthcare, education, economy, issues that plague the average American.
The "Muslims Care" campaign is an excellent way to overcome
this us/them mentality and the prejudices about Islam and
Muslims.
I heartily support this undertaking by CAIR, as well as their other
programs that promote cross-cultural dialogue to enhance the
understanding of Islam.
CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey P. Saylor, 202-488-8787
or 571-278-4658, E-Mail:
csaylor@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR: POMPANO BEACH COUNCIL GRANTS
APPROVAL FOR CONTROVERSIAL NEW MOSQUE -
TOP
http://www.local10.com/news/9367230/detail.html
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- The Islamic Center of South Florida received
the go-ahead Tuesday to begin construction on a new mosque, despite a
fight from some residents in the neighborhood where it would be built who
are opposed to bringing a Muslim place of worship into a predominantly
black community.
The city council voted 3-2 to change the zoning of the proposed site from
residential to commercial, allowing the Islamic Center to erect a larger
mosque on undeveloped land on Northwest 16th Avenue.
Commissioner Pat Larkins was one of the most outspoken critics of a new
mosque. Larkins, who is black, said there is a perception in the
neighborhood he represents that Muslims do not give back to the
community.
"I am not opposed to constructing the facility," Larkins said.
"I am opposed to the conduct of the Muslim business community in our
neighborhood."
Areeb Naseer, a member of the Council of American Islamic Relations,
objected to Larkins' comments, saying that the decision to allow a
new mosque in the neighborhood should not be based on
perceptions.
"I find it very disturbing, to say the least, especially these
comments coming from somebody in the leadership of the city," Naseer
said. "Of all people, I think Mr. Larkins should not be the one
talking about stereotypes or having perceptions and making decisions
based on perceptions." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MD: SCHOOLS WON'T GET DAY OFF FOR MUSLIM
HOLIDAY -
TOP
Baltimore Sun, 6/14/06
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.digest14jun14,0,1995197.story
The Baltimore County school board approved a calendar for the 2007-2008
school year last night that includes a day off for a Jewish holiday, but
none for Muslim celebrations despite years of lobbying by the county's
Muslim leaders.
Members of the Baltimore County Muslim Council have called for the school
system either to cancel classes for two Islamic holy days or keep schools
open for all celebrations except for federal holidays and those required
by state law.
Eight school board members voted unanimously in favor of the proposal,
stating that few students chose to miss school on Muslim holidays in
previous years.
Muslim Council members said they were disappointed, but planned to
continue to lobby school board members and officials.
A ruling of the state Board of Education stated that the school system
cannot cancel classes for a purely religious reason.
Baltimore County school officials have said they began closing school on
Jewish holidays under a previous superintendent because there were high
rates of absenteeism among students and staff at some schools on those
days.
An ad hoc committee of the school board that examined the school system's
calendar earlier this year did not recommend that schools close on Muslim
holidays. The approved calendar includes a day off for Rosh Hashana, but
not Yom Kippur, which falls on a weekend. (MORE)
-----
CA: JURY AWARDS $61M TO TWO FEDEX
DRIVERS -
TOP
Business & Legal Reports, 6/13/06
http://hr.blr.com/display.cfm/id/18566
A jury in Oakland has awarded $50 million in punitive damages and $11
million in compensatory damages to two FedEx drivers who said a manager
subjected them to a hostile work environment because of their ethnicity,
the Oakland Tribune reports.
The two drivers, who are independent contractors for FedEx Ground,
claimed that over a two-year period, a manager directed ethnic slurs,
such as "terrorists" and "camel jockeys," at them
because they are Lebanese-Americans. In the lawsuit, they alleged that
they complained to management but the company failed to take steps to
prevent harassment. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
US COULD LOSE MUSLIM BEEF MARKETS
OVER KILL PROCEDURES -
TOP
Dow Jones, 6/13/06
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=44584
KANSAS CITY (Dow Jones)--U.S. beef markets in some Muslim countries could
be in jeopardy if those countries ever decide to get serious about Halal,
or permitted, slaughter procedures because many U.S. plants don't measure
up, some Muslim kill certifiers contend.
"If the U.S. continues to promote U.S. beef in the Middle East and
continues to turn a blind eye to the method of the blessing and
(continues) doing it incorrectly, the Middle East could stop
buying," said Sam Rayes, co-founder of Tex-Med Beef Co., a Houston
firm offering Halal-certified meats in mainstream supermarkets.
According to Rayes' estimates, more than 50% of U.S. beef exports to
Islamic countries are affected by inadequate procedures.
The questions about the procedures come at a time when the U.S. meat
market is trying actively to build more market share in the region.
(MORE)
-----
FBI REACHES OUT TO MUSLIM, SIKH
COMMUNITIES TO FIGHT GLOBAL TERROR -
TOP
Arun Kumar, IANS, 6/14/06
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1719899,00050001.htm
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a pilot
programme to reach out to community leaders from the Muslim, Sikh and a
few other select communities across nationalities and rope them in its
fight against global terrorism.
Called the Community Relations Executive Seminar Training or CREST, the
programme aims at three things: bridge the trust gap, develop a bond, and
build a level of confidence where the FBI and the community leaders
believe in each other to have an honest and lasting friendship.
CREST has been launched "because if the threat is now home-grown to
a large extent, we have to be looking for it at home," said John
Miller, FBI's assistant director of public affairs briefing foreign media
on the agency's work with counter terrorism, counter-intelligence,
criminal investigation, and cyber crime in New York. (MORE0
-----
REVEALED: THE SHRAPNEL EVIDENCE THAT POINTS TO
ISRAEL'S GUILT -
TOP
Donald Macintyre, Independent, 6/14/06
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article994070.ece
Marc Garlasco, who worked in war zones including Iraq and Kosovo during
his seven-year stint in the US Department of Defence, called for an
independent investigation into the killings after concluding that shell
fragments and shrapnel from the site, the size and distribution of the
craters on the beach, and the type of injuries sustained by the victims
made Israeli shelling easily the likeliest cause.
His assessment came as at least another seven civilians, including two
children, as well as two Islamic Jihad militants, were killed in a double
Israeli missile strike on a VW van in the densely populated Zeitoun
district of Gaza City yesterday. The two children were hit at a nearby
house by flying shrapnel and the civilian dead included three medical
workers from a nearby children's hospital who rushed to help after
hearing the first explosion. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/15/06
*
Verse:
Feed the Needy
*
CAIR-TX:
Man Wrongfully Deported Waits for
Visa
-
CAIR-San Diego:
Faith Leaders for
Peace
*
ISLAM-OPED:
Shut Down the Gitmo
Gulag
*
Judge:
U.S. Has Power to Detain
Indefinitely (NYT)
-
Ex-Detainee Makes a Case (NY
Times)
*
FL:
Opposition to Mosque Adds to Legacy
of Racism
*
WA:
Muslim Students Get Help
Juggling School, Faith
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: FEED THE NEEDY -
TOP
Have you ever considered (the kind of person) who denies the judgment (to
come)? It is (the person) who drives the orphan away with harshness and
feels no urge to feed the needy."
The Holy Quran, 107:1-3
To obtain or sponsor a FREE Quran, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
SEN. CORNYN ASKED TO HELP EXPEDITE VISA FOR MAN
WRONGFULLY DEPORTED -
TOP
(SAN ANTONIO, TX, 6/15/06) - The San Antonio office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Antonio) is calling on Senator John
Cornyn (R-TX) to help expedite a visa for a man who was wrongfully
deported in 2003.
The deportation order against Idriss Barre was revoked in February 2006,
but he is still waiting in Djibouti for a visa to return to the United
States and be with his wife and three children.
"This family has been separated unnecessarily for far too
long," said CAIR-San Antonio President Sarwat Husain. "We urge
Senator Cornyn to intervene in this case so that Mr. Barre may return to
his family."
CONTACT: CAIR-San Antonio President Sarwat Husain, 210-378-9528, E-Mail:
sanantonio@cair-net.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-SAN DIEGO PARTICIPATES IN FAITH LEADERS
FOR PEACE EVENT -
TOP
(SAN DIEGO, CA, 6/15/06)- The San Diego chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Diego) recently took part in a
day-long prayer and fasting event to promote peace sponsored by the Faith
Leaders for Peace at the Federal Building in downtown San Diego.
Throughout the day, event participants shared teachings on peace from our
various faith traditions and invited congregations to join in the event.
Shaykh Taha Hassane, Imam of the Islamic Center of San Diego and also an
active member of the Faith Leaders for Peace, led the mid afternoon
prayer for Muslims.
"We applaud the efforts of the Faith Leaders for Peace for
sponsoring this event and for the promotion of peace for all people and
faiths," said CAIR-San Diego Director of Public Relations Edgar
Hopida.
CONTACT: Edgar Hopida, 858-278-4547, E-Mail:
ehopida@gmail.com
-----
ISLAM-OPED: SHUT DOWN THE GITMO GULAG -
TOP
ISLAM-OPED is a national syndication service of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designed to offer an American Muslim
perspective on current political, social and religious issues. ISLAM-OPED
commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each
market area. Permission for publication will be granted on a
first-come-first-served basis.
Please consider the following commentary for publication.
---
ISLAM-OPED: SHUT DOWN THE GITMO GULAG
By Hussam Ayloush
WORD COUNT: 684
[Hussam Ayloush is executive director for the Southern California chapter
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, American's largest Muslim
civil liberties group. He may be reached at:
socal@cair.com ]
After the suicides of three Muslim detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison
camp, questions continue to be raised about the necessity of a facility
originally designated to hold the worst of the world's deadliest
terrorists.
These suicides were desperate acts committed by prisoners who saw neither
an end to nor a reason for their incarceration. They must have known that
in Islam, committing suicide is a major sin. So what would drive these
detainees to such desperate acts?
There are nearly 30,000 suicides each year in our nation. According to
research data with the Institute of Medicine, 90 percent of these
suicides were associated with a mental illness, in particular,
depression. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have
documented that depression runs rampant among prisoners at the Guantanamo
camp, resulting in an increase in attempted suicides and hunger
strikes.
Many people in the Muslim world were outraged when U.S. Navy and State
Department officials labeled the suicides a "good PR move."
Later realizing the negative impact of these statements, the State
Department took a step back.
In the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, some 750 men belonging to 40
different nationalities were captured and imprisoned at the Cuban base.
Some of the men were picked up in Afghanistan, while others were sold to
American military by those looking to make money. A number of those
detained were as young as 12 to 14 years old.
Desperate and depressed, many detainees tried to commit suicide by
staging hunger strikes, but guards kept them alive through force-feeding,
a practice criticized by the international medical community. They had
been detained for years without ever being told what their crime was, or
without being shown the inside of a courtroom.
In his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush
described the prisoners as "terrorists who once occupied Afghanistan
now occupy cells at Guantanamo Bay."
That same year, Vice President Dick Cheney told the American public that
these were hardened terrorists, capable of the most heinous crimes.
"These are the worst of a very bad lot. They are very dangerous.
They are devoted to killing millions of Americans, innocent Americans, if
they can, and they are perfectly prepared to die in the effort. And they
need to be detained, treated very cautiously, so that our people are not
at risk," he said.
But a report by a professor of Seton Hall University School of Law, who
represents two Guantanamo prisoners, shows the kind of threat these men
really posed.
According to the report, of the 517 detainees studied, only 8 percent
were al-Qaeda fighters. Also, 55 percent of the prisoners had not
committed any hostile acts against the U.S. or its allies. Just five
percent were captured by the U.S. forces, while the rest were sold to the
U.S. by Pakistani authorities, Afghanistan Northern Alliance and bounty
hunters.
Reports of abuse and inhumane treatment at Guantanamo continue. A United
Nations report earlier this year mentioned shackling prisoners, stripping
them, covering them with hoods and blindfolds, using dogs and subjecting
detainees to harsh temperatures, and stated that such abuses violated
international law banning torture. Last month, a U.N. committee said the
prison violated the 1984 Convention Against Torture. The U.N., key U.S.
allies such as Britain and Germany, as well as U.S. Senator John McCain
and others have questioned Gitmo's tactics and called for its
closure.
To this day, most detainees are denied lawyers, a right to a fair trial
or visitation from family members. We are told we are fighting this war
to protect freedom and rule of law, yet we fail to implement those same
principles at Guantanamo Bay.
It would be difficult to fathom the idea of another country taking in
hundreds of American prisoners, accuse them of a crime, and then never
grant them a fair trial, or any trial for that matter.
Those guilty of real crimes should be tried and punished. But those who
are innocent must be released. It is time to shut down the Guantanamo Bay
prison camp and end this dark chapter in our modern history.
-----
JUDGE RULES THAT U.S. HAS BROAD POWERS TO
DETAIN NONCITIZENS INDEFINITELY -
TOP
NINA BERNSTEIN, New York Times, 6/15/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/15/nyregion/15detain.html
A federal judge in Brooklyn ruled yesterday that the government has wide
latitude under immigration law to detain noncitizens on the basis of
religion, race or national origin, and to hold them indefinitely without
explanation.
The ruling came in a class-action lawsuit by Muslim immigrants detained
after 9/11, and it dismissed several key claims the detainees had made
against the government. But the judge, John Gleeson of United States
District Court for the Eastern District of New York, allowed the lawsuit
to continue on other claims, mostly that the conditions of confinement
were abusive and unconstitutional. Judge Gleeson's decision requires top
federal officials, including former Attorney General John Ashcroft and
Robert S. Mueller III, the F.B.I. director, to answer to those
accusations under oath.
This is the first time a federal judge has addressed the issue of
discrimination in the treatment of hundreds of Muslim immigrants who were
swept up in the weeks after the 2001 terror attacks and held for months
before they were cleared of links to terrorism and deported. The roundups
drew intense criticism, not only from immigrant rights advocates, but
also from the inspector general of the Justice Department, who issued
reports saying that the government had made little or no effort to
distinguish between genuine suspects and Muslim immigrants with minor
visa violations.
Lawyers in the suit, who vowed to appeal yesterday's decision, said parts
of the ruling could potentially be used far more broadly, to detain any
noncitizen in the United States for any reason.
"This decision is a green light to racial profiling and prolonged
detention of noncitizens at the whim of the president," said Rachel
Meeropol, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights, which
represented the detainees. "The decision is profoundly disturbing
because it legitimizes the fact that the Bush administration rounded up
and imprisoned our clients because of their religion and race."
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
EX-DETAINEE MAKES A CASE -
TOP
TIM GOLDEN< New York Times, 6/15/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/15/world/15begg.html
When President Bush ordered Moazzam Begg's release last year from the
Guantanamo prison camp, United States officials say, he did so over
objections from the Pentagon, the C.I.A. and the F.B.I. -- all of which
warned that Mr. Begg could still be a dangerous terrorist.
But American officials may not have imagined the sort of adversary Mr.
Begg would become in the war of perception that is now a primary front in
the American-led campaign against terrorism.
-----
POMPANO PITCH ADDS PAGE TO LEGACY OF RACISM -
TOP
FRED GRIMM, Miami Herald, 6/15/06
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14820428.htm
The pastor of Pompano Beach's Antioch Baptist Church proffered an uncivil
notion of civil rights: minority protection as an exclusive franchise,
only available to citizens who can claim an ethnic association with the
historic struggles in Selma, Birmingham and Greensboro. Not to a bunch of
Muslim interlopers.
"This is atrocious," the Rev. Neal declared, after the City
Commission voted not to take up an appeal of a zoning change allowing a
mosque on five empty acres in a northwest Pompano Beach neighborhood -- a
black, Christian neighborhood -- Neal and others kept pointing
out.
"They're taking my civil rights -- civil rights Martin Luther King
and other blacks died for -- and using it to stab us in the back,"
he complained. Neal turned King's ethos topsy-turvy. "The country is
about majority rule. And the majority don't want that mosque in their
neighborhood." (MORE)
-----
WA: MUSLIM STUDENTS GET HELP JUGGLING
SCHOOL AND FAITH -
TOP
David Montgomery, Seattle Times staff reporter
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003062394_prayer15m.html
On Friday afternoons, Nathan Hale High School senior Abdisiyad Adan asks
his fifth-period teacher what he'll miss in class, writes down the
homework for the weekend and leaves school.
Other Muslim students at Nathan Hale pile into Adan's car, and they set
off for the Idriss Mosque a little more than a mile away. By the time
they return from their mandatory Friday prayers, the school day is nearly
over.
Adan's situation reflects the difficulties that the Seattle School
District, and other public schools across the nation, face when dealing
with Muslim prayer. Federal and state law prohibit teacher-led prayers in
public schools, as well as student-led prayers at school events or
religious programs. But laws protect the right of students to pray, and
educators often struggle with how to accommodate students without
disrupting class.
In Islam, prayer five times per day is obligatory. Adherents must face in
the direction of Mecca and engage in a series of ritual movements. One of
the five daily prayers must occur around midday, and on Fridays, the
Muslim holy day, the midday prayer is supposed to occur in a
mosque.
Seattle School District guidelines give school administrators the
responsibility of deciding how to handle Muslim prayer. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/17/06
*
Hadith:
Show Mercy to Others
*
CAIR:
Muslims Look to
African-Americans for Guidance on Rights
-
CAIR:
American Muslims Seek
to Improve U.S. Image Abroad
*
CAIR-Philly:
Misogyny Not Accepted in
Islam (Inquirer)
-
CAIR-San Antonio Asks Senator to Help
Deportee
-
CAIR-CA:
Milpitas Mosque Vandalized
Again
*
NJ Congressman Statement on
'Hadji Girl' Video Incident
-
CAIR:
'Hadji Girl' Marine Apologizes to
Muslims
*
MO:
Islamic Foundation's Leader
Steps Down (Post-Dispatch)
-
MI:
Muslim Cemetery First For
State (Detroit News)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SHOW MERCY TO OTHERS -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "God will not show
mercy to a person who does not show mercy to other
people."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 20, Hadith 375
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
MUSLIMS LOOK TO AFRICAN AMERICANS
FOR GUIDANCE ON CIVIL RIGHTS -
TOP
Omar Sacirbey, Religion News Service, 6/16/06
http://religionnews.com
Many African-American Muslims can trace their Islamic heritage to slaves
who were brought to North America in the 17th century, some 10 per cent
to 30 per cent of whom were estimated to be Muslim. They call themselves,
as a matter of pride, "indigenous Muslims."
Together, black Muslims account for about a quarter of the country's
estimated five million to eight million Muslims, compared with the
estimated 50 per cent of U.S. Muslims who are from South Asian and Arab
countries.
Despite their historic role within American Islam, many African-Americans
complain that Arab and South Asian Muslims who have immigrated since the
1960s have never taken them seriously as partners in the faith, show
little interest in co-operation and have marginalized their role in U.S.
Islamic institutions.
But that may be changing as South Asian and Arab Muslims who dominate
leadership positions in mosques and advocacy groups feel their civil
rights at risk after Sept. 11, 2001. Increasingly, they are turning to
African-American Muslims for their civil rights experience.
Co-operation between the two groups should come naturally, leaders say,
especially after Sept. 11, when many Muslims say they find themselves
enduring what black Americans -- Muslim and non-Muslim -- had endured for
years: job discrimination, profiling, hate crimes, violence and
murder.
"There are an awful lot of places where our issues and interests
converge and on which we find ourselves working together," said
Hilary Shelton, federal and legislative affairs director for the NAACP,
the venerable black civil rights group.
Since Sept. 11, the NAACP has stepped up its co-operation with the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim American
Society and similar groups, opposing provisions of the Patriot Act that
they say infringe on their civil liberties. The NAACP also condemned a
secret program of warrantless domestic surveillance that many believe has
unfairly targeted American Muslims.
Black Americans "went through the struggles of the civil rights era,
and the struggles before that," said
Ahmad Al-Akhras, a native
Palestinian who leads the Ohio chapter of CAIR. "And we learned
from leaders like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King. They paved the way for
people after them."
Last December, Al-Akhras was appointed to the executive committee of the
Ohio chapter of the NAACP. . .
For U.S. Muslim groups, the co-operation with black civil rights groups
has taught important lessons about forming alliances, working the media
and grass-roots organizing, Muslim leaders say. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM-AMERICANS TO IMPROVE
U.S. IMAGE ABROAD -
TOP
By Heather Maher, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 6/16/06
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/06/b47f318d-dcef-4b59-ac09-9a9d33a70805.html
WASHINGTON, June 16, 2006 -- After waging two wars in majority Muslim
countries, and launching a war on terror that catches mostly Muslims in
its net, it's not surprising that some Muslims argue that their community
is under attack from the United States.
Nothing could be less true, according to Yahya Basha, a Syrian-American
Muslim who immigrated to the United States in 1972 and since then has
lived out his own version of the American dream.
Basha is one of four civilian ambassadors the U.S. State Department has
recruited to carry the message to foreign Muslims that the United States
welcomes all religions and rewards immigrants who embrace its democratic
values with opportunities and freedom beyond their dreams. . .
Arsalan Iftikhar -- who works at the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, the largest U.S. group representing Muslim Americans --
says this kind of public diplomacy is badly needed right now, considering
the number of global conflicts that involve Muslims and Islam.
The American Muslim diaspora, he says, is the most economically and
politically empowered Muslim minority in the Western world and that
information needs to get out so people will stop thinking that the United
States is anti-Islam. (MORE)
-----
CAIR-PHILLY: AT ODDS WITH ISLAM -
TOP
Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/17/06
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/14839134.htm
As a practicing Muslim, I find Carlin Romano's commentary ("Daring
to reject the cruelties and abuse of Islam," June 4) at odds with
the actual teachings and practice of my faith. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the
subject of the article, fails to make distinctions between teachings of
Islam and the un-Islamic actions of particular groups or individuals. She
fails to demonstrate that the complained-about misogynistic practices are
grounded in Islamic text or accepted by Islamic authorities.
She instead attributes widespread cruel and inhumane cultural practices
against men or women to Islam. Muslims everywhere are horrified by these
cultural practices. Those who engage in such practices may seek to
legitimize their behavior by claiming Islamic sanction, but one cannot
find support for their actions in the Quran or in the life and teachings
of the Prophet Muhammad. The claim that "Muslim women are virtually
excluded from public and political life" is a misrepresentation. I
am one of many female directors and spokespersons at the North American
offices of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
People of all faiths are invited to participate in a 10-part course CAIR
Philadelphia offers, called "Understanding Islam and Muslims through
History and Jurisprudence." Anyone may order a free Quran at
www.explorethequran.org
or learn more about the Prophet Muhammad at
www.cair.com/Muhammad.
Instead of accepting the arguments of Romano or Ali, I urge you to
engage your Muslim neighbors and colleagues and to explore Islamic
texts and resources to learn for yourself what Islam actually promotes.
Adeeba Al-Zaman
Director of communications CAIR-Philadelphia
adeeba@cairphilly.org
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-SAN ANTONIO: GROUP ASKS CORNYN TO HELP DEPORTEE -
TOP
San Antonio Express-News, 6/17/06
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA061706.deportee.EN.93017635.html
The San Antonio office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
is calling on Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to help expedite a visa for a
former San Antonio man who, according to the council, was wrongfully
deported in 2003.
Immigration authorities in February approved a visa petition for Idriss
Barreh, more than two years after they forced him to return to
Djibouti, Africa, according to a council news release.
The deportation order against Barreh was revoked, but he is still
waiting in Djibouti for a visa to return to the United States and be
with his wife and three children, according to the council.
---
CAIR-CA: MILPITAS MOSQUE VANDALIZED AGAIN -
TOP
Ian Bauer, Milpitas Post, 6/15/06
http://www.themilpitaspost.com/local/ci_3942075
A Milpitas mosque vandalized last month suffered further damage and a burglary this month.
Milpitas Police Department is classifying the crimes at Masjid Dar
Al-Salaam at 90 Dempsey Road as vandalism and burglary, though a Muslim
organization believes the incidents should be investigated as hate
crimes.
The latest incident at the mosque, which is located in a strip mall,
took place between midnight and approximately 5 a.m. June 3.
That night, someone smashed a glass window on the south side of the
building and stole money from several donation boxes inside the mosque,
according to Milpitas police Detective Pete Prolo.
Due to the police investigation, Prolo wouldn't say how much was stolen.
"It was a very, very small amount," he said.
Damage to the mosque included a smashed 8-foot by 8-foot window. The cost to replace the window was unknown, police said.
A previous incident at the mosque that Milpitas police say was
vandalism and not a burglary occurred May 16, reported at about 5 a.m.
That morning, a member of Masjid Dar Al-Salaam discovered a side glass door was smashed, with broken glass strewn on the ground.
No loss was reported. Damage to the door was estimated at $350.
The incidents at Masjid Dar Al-Salaam have garnered strong interest from the
San Francisco-Bay Area Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Sameena Usman, a spokesperson for the group, said the incidents have created an atmosphere of fear among area Muslims.
"The Muslim community has a fear of being targeted," she said, adding
Masjid Dar Al-Salaam had been the victim of a documented hate crime
incident a few years ago. (MORE)
-----
CONGRESSMAN BILL PASCRELL STATEMENT ON "HADJI GIRL" INCIDENT -
TOP
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) today released the
following statement in response to the revelation that a U.S. Marine
stationed in Iraq created and posted on the internet a highly
inappropriate and insensitive song called "hadji girl," which glorifies
the killing of Iraqi civilians:
"I am disturbed by the revelation that a U.S. Marine, who must be held
to our nation's highest standards of behavior, is responsible for
creating and posting a song on the internet that glorifies the killing
of Iraqi civilians. As a Member of Congress I have always supported our
troops, but insensitive actions such as this only serve to diminish our
nation's standing abroad and can only be to the detriment of American
soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, it has been clear to me
that in order to win the War on Terror we must not only pursue military
options, but we must also actively seek to win the hearts and minds of
the Arab and Muslim world. Sadly, the actions of a few individuals have
hurt those efforts and the Pentagon must now rectify the situation by
conducting a full and thorough investigation of this incident."
SEE ALSO:
'HADJI GIRL' MARINE APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIMS -
TOP
http://www.cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=2188&theType=NR
-----
MO: LOCAL ISLAMIC FOUNDATION'S LEADER STEPS DOWN -
TOP
Aisha Sultan, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/17/06
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/82CFB232D7846EE9862571900016C68D?OpenDocument
From settling family disputes to meeting with heads of state, Sheikh
Muhammad Nur Abdullah has been a father of sorts for the Muslim
community in St. Louis, a leading voice for Muslims in America and
their representative to the rest of the world.
After 16 years, Abdullah has resigned from his position as spiritual
leader of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis, leaving a bereft
community and a legacy of building bridges with other faith leaders.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
MI: MUSLIM CEMETERY FIRST FOR STATE -
TOP
Gregg Krupa, Detroit News, 6/16/06
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060615/LIFESTYLE04/606150383/1041
WESTLAND -- Like many Muslims throughout Metro Detroit, Ron Amen had to search for a proper place to bury his mom when she died.
It did not matter that Katherine Amen, an activist, was among the most
prominent Arab-Americans in the area. There was no cemetery solely for
Muslims, and the sections set aside for them in nondenominational
cemeteries were substantially full. And while Muslims prefer to bury
their loved ones the day after the death, the burial of Katherine
Amen's remains was delayed, in part, because of the limited weekend
hours at local cemeteries.
"It was difficult, you know, when a family is mourning, to deal with
it," Amen said. "Islam has its own little burial rites, as do the Jews,
as do the Christians. For one thing, Muslims are supposed to be buried
in an exclusively Islamic cemetery -- if it is available."
Amen's experience, and that of other Muslims in the area, was enough
motivation for the development of the first cemetery in Michigan
exclusively for Muslims, the Islamic Memorial Gardens on Ann Arbor
Trail. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
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To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/18/06
*
Verse:
The Revelations of Abraham and
Moses
*
CAIR-CAN Asks Supreme Court to Uphold
Rights, Security
-
Canada:
City Muslim Leader
Outraged By Hate Mail
*
U.S. Muslim Clerics Seek a Modern
Middle Ground (NY Times)
-
NH:
Volunteers Sought to Build
State's First Mosque
*
TX:
Questions Over Use of Israeli
Info Against Islamic Charity (LAT)
-
CA:
Muslims Leery of FBI Activity
(Orange Co Reg)
*
UT:
Muslim Inmate Says Guards Allowed Post-9/11 Beating
*
Pentagon:
Abuse of Iraqis Not Illegal (AP)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: THE REVELATIONS OF ABRAHAM AND MOSES -
TOP
"To happiness (in the life to come) will indeed attain he who attains
to purity (in this world), and remembers his Sustainer's name, and
prays (unto Him). But nay, (O mankind,) you prefer the life of this
world, although the life to come is better and more enduring. Verily,
(all) this has indeed been (said) in the earlier revelations - the
revelations of Abraham and Moses."
The Holy Quran, 87:14-19
To obtain or sponsor a FREE Quran, GO TO:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
CAIR-CAN, CMCLA ASK SUPREME COURT TO UPHOLD BOTH RIGHTS AND SECURITY -
TOP
CAIR-CAN and the Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties Association (CMCLA)
submitted oral arguments to the Supreme Court last week in the appeals
of the security certificate process. They were the only Canadian Muslim
organizations permitted to appear before the Court in the cases of
Hassan Almrei, Adil Charkaoui and Mohamed Harkat.
Both organizations submitted to the Court that while every effort must
be made to protect Canada, the security certificate process violates
the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"We have encouraged the Court to remember that we can protect our
country without sacrificing the fundamental rights and liberties we all
cherish. We that this is the best way to secure the welfare of
Canadians while upholding the principles that make our nation great,"
said Faisal Kutty, General Counsel for the CMCLA and a CAIR-CAN board
member.
CAIR-CAN and the CMCLA were represented by Toronto lawyers Faisal
Bhabha and David Baker during their presentation before the Supreme
Court on Tuesday, June 13, 2006. Both organizations submitted to the
Court that the security certificate process has resulted in a chill
over the Muslim and Arab communities in Canada. They encouraged the
Court to take into account the values of equality and
anti-discrimination when reviewing the practice, and submitted that
crimes such as terrorism should be dealt with through the criminal
process and not immigration or anti-terror legislation.
To read the CAIR-CAN and CMCLA factum submitted to the Court, please see:
http://www.caircan.ca/downloads/SCC_factum.pdf
"The events of the past month have been a wake-up call to all Canadians
about the danger our country faces," says Karl Nickner, CAIR-CAN's
Executive Director. "But real security means safeguarding both our
country and our values. We must protect both."
The security certificate process has been criticized for the denial of
due process, indefinite detentions, secret hearings, the use of secret
evidence and deportation to countries where torture is likely. Security
certificates are only used against non-citizens.
SEE ALSO:
CANADA: CITY MUSLIM LEADER OUTRAGED BY HATE MAIL -
TOP
Police are examining hand-written note sent to man over comments in newspaper
GREG MERCER, Guelph Mercury, 6/17/06
http://www.guelphmercury.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=mercury/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1150543326669&call_pageid=1050067726078&col=1050421501457
You can live in Guelph for 30 years, but sometimes all it takes is a
hand-written letter spilling hate to make you feel unwelcome.
City police may start monitoring Mohamed Chaarani's home after a letter condemning all Muslims arrived in his mailbox this week.
Chaarani, president of the Muslim Society of Guelph, said his wife is
worried for the family's safety and wants him to step down from the
public spotlight.
"My wife couldn't sleep last night and kept waking me up, saying 'go look through the window,'" Chaarani said yesterday.
"This is unfair to my family. When I received this letter, I felt assaulted."
In the unsigned letter, the author claims to speak for all "true
Canadians." The letter is a response to comments Chaarani made to this
newspaper following the arrest of 17 alleged terrorism suspects earlier
this month.
At the time, Chaarani condemned Islamic extremism and called for peace between all religions.
The author took exception to that.
"How dare you suggest that we must learn to live together! You are a
Muslim and it is your 'kind' that seem bent on destroying this
beautiful country," the letter reads. (MORE)
-----
U.S. MUSLIM CLERICS SEEK A MODERN MIDDLE GROUND -
TOP
LAURIE GOODSTEIN, New York Times, 6/18/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/18/us/18imams.html
Every seat in the auditorium at the University of Houston was taken,
and the crowd was standing in the back and spilling out into the lobby,
straining to hear. The two men onstage began to speak to the crowd in
Arabic, with such flawless accents and rarefied Koranic grammar that
some audience members gaped when they heard the Arabic equivalent of
the king's English coming from the mouths of two Americans.
Sheik Hamza Yusuf, in a groomed goatee and sports jacket, looked more
like a hip white college professor than a Middle Eastern sheik. Imam
Zaid Shakir, a lanky African-American in a long brown tunic, looked as
if he would fit in just fine on the streets of Damascus.
Both men are converts to Islam who spent years in the Middle East and
North Africa being mentored by formidable Muslim scholars. They have
since become leading intellectual lights for a new generation of
American Muslims looking for homegrown leaders who can help them learn
how to live their faith without succumbing to American materialism or
Islamic extremism. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
VOLUNTEERS BEING SOUGHT TO HELP CONSTRUCT THE STATE'S FIRST MOSQUE -
TOP
SHAWNE K. WICKHAM, Union Leader, 6/18/06
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Volunteers+being+sought+to+help+construct+the+state's+first+mosque&articleId=b6c2d695-dc8e-4d86-b41a-977252468e18
Call it an act of faith.
Members of the Greater Manchester Interfaith Council are hoping that
area churchgoers will pitch in to help build New Hampshire's first
mosque.
The idea came up during a recent meeting, while council president Ahmed
Tahoun was updating the group about the mosque the Islamic Society of
Greater Manchester has been trying to build for several years. With
city approval finally in place, volunteers began clearing trees from
the 3-acre Karatzas Avenue property in late May, he told the group.
The ISGM is relying entirely on volunteer labor and donations of money
and materials to build the hilltop mosque, which also will serve as a
community center for the state's estimated 5,000 Muslims.
The Interfaith Council had been looking for its next service project,
according to George Reed, who is the group's treasurer and a member of
the First Church of Christ Scientist in Manchester.
As he listened to Tahoun recount how the entire construction project so
far has been done by volunteers, Reed was struck by the analogy of an
old-fashioned New England barn-raising.
"There are a lot of folks out there in the interfaith community that
can give, that can share, that can give time to help out," Reed said.
"There might be people out there with chainsaws and bulldozers who
might be willing to help out on the weekends."
The project certainly fits with the Christian creed, Reed said: "If the need is known, the need is supplied."
Volunteer labor was how many churches and synagogues were built across
America, noted Mahboubul Hassan, president of the ISGM. And he noted
the success of the Habitat for Humanity organization, which relies on
volunteers to build homes for needy families.
"I think that's a good old way of doing it," Hassan said. (MORE)
-----
QUESTIONS ARISE OVER CASE AGAINST ISLAMIC CHARITY -
TOP
Federal prosecutors rely heavily on Israeli intelligence, court records indicate.
Greg Krikorian, Los Angeles Times, 6/18/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-holy18jun18,1,2606858.story
DALLAS - The Justice Department's criminal case against officials of
the largest U.S.-based Islamic charity relies more heavily than
previously known on Israeli intelligence, court records show.
President Bush ordered the charity shut down in December 2001,
declaring from the Rose Garden that the Holy Land Foundation was
raising money in the U.S. that "pays for murder abroad" by the
Palestinian militant group Hamas.
However, the pending criminal case will place a higher burden of proof
on the claims than required for the president's executive action. And
questions about the credibility of Israeli intelligence are raising
fresh doubts about the Justice Department's case.
Disputes already have surfaced over assertions of political influence,
interrogation methods and allegedly faulty translations. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
CA: MUSLIMS LEERY OF FBI ACTIVITY -
TOP
Assurances that the community isn't under watch meet with skepticism.
CINDY CARCAMO and SONYA SMITH, Orange County Register, 6/17/06
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1184727.php
Marya Bangee doesn't know what to believe. The UC Irvine sophomore
thinks the fact that she's Muslim is the reason she's been singled out
for searches at airports and been scrutinized by police at anti-war
demonstrations.
She's also distrustful of the FBI, uncertain whether the agency is
telling the complete story of whether its employees are monitoring
Orange County's Muslim community.
Her doubts loom a week after Muslim leaders and an FBI senior agent
shook hands and patted each other on the back, concluding a meeting
that addressed conflicting reports as to whether the community is being
watched. . .
The FBI on Friday released a statement announcing that its agents plan
to undergo training at a Los Angeles mosque to learn more about Muslim
religion and culture. "The FBI is committed to ensuring that our
personnel become more culturally fluent so that our investigations are
more effective and respectful," the statement said.
-----
SUIT OK'D OVER UTAH PRISON BEATING -
TOP
Wendy Leonard and Geoffrey Fattah, Deseret Morning News, 6/18/06
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view2/1,4382,640187812,00.html
A prisoner who says guards allowed him to be attacked by other inmates
following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has received court
approval to move forward with a lawsuit filed against the state.
Jacques Dupree Miranda, a 31-year-old African American who is a
practicing Muslim, was granted approval Thursday to file the lawsuit
after U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart found Miranda's circumstances met
a three-part test applied to such cases.
In a 2000 case, Spackman v. Board of Education, the Utah Supreme Court
established a test of circumstances under which a person could seek
damages against a government entity for constitutional violations. The
case involved a Box Elder County student who was not allowed to attend
school.
The state Supreme Court ruled that in order to sue in such cases,
plaintiffs would have to prove they had suffered a flagrant violation
of their constitutional rights, establish that existing remedies to
their damages do not exist under common law, and show that a court's
ruling prohibiting future behavior would be inadequate to protect their
rights.
Stewart found that Miranda's case met those requirements, and the judge ruled he could continue with his civil complaint.
Miranda had been convicted of theft and was being held in the Utah
State Prison when he said he was attacked by death-row inmate Troy
Michael Kell and another inmate in maximum security on Sept. 20, 2001.
According to a Web site run by the Muslim Civil Rights Center, Miranda
claimed the attack left him with a "permanent debilitating injury."
According to Miranda, Kell's cell door was opened while Miranda was in
the common area. Kell allegedly attacked Miranda, calling him
derogatory names about Miranda's religion. Miranda alleges Kell put him
in a choke hold and continued to beat him while he was unconscious.
Miranda said guards stood by and let the attack happen.
According to the Utah Department of Corrections, Kell was found not guilty in an internal prison disciplinary hearing.
Kell, a known white supremacist, was convicted and sentenced to die for
a 1996 fatal stabbing of fellow inmate Lonnie Blackmon, who was black.
Investigators determined Kell stabbed Blackmon 67 times while they were
both inmates at the state prison in Gunnison.
At the time, prison spokesman Jack Ford said the stabbing was believed to have been racially motivated. (MORE)
-----
PENTAGON: ABUSE OF IRAQIS NOT ILLEGAL -
TOP
Report concludes, however, that treatment of detainees was wrong
Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press, 6/17/06
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/news/ci_3949527
WASHINGTON - U.S. special operations forces fed some Iraqi detainees
only bread and water for up to 17 days, used unapproved interrogation
practices such as sleep deprivation and loud music and stripped at
least one prisoner, according to a Pentagon report on incidents dating
to 2003 and 2004.
The report, with many portions blacked out, concludes that the
detainees' treatment was wrong but not illegal and reflected inadequate
resources and lack of oversight and proper guidance more than
deliberate abuse. No military personnel were punished as a result of
the investigation. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/20/06
*
Hadith:
Seven Good Deeds
*
Muslims, Arab-Americans Sue Over
Re-Entry Procedures (NYT)
-
Court Decision Strips Rights
From Foreigners (SJMN)
*
Murder Charges for 3 G.I.'s in
Iraq (NY Times)
-
Grim Report From the U.S. Embassy in
Iraq (Wash Post)
*
Pro-Israel Lobby Targets Professor Juan
Cole (Antiwar.com)
*
IA:
Muslim Youth Camp to Begin
Building in July
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: SEVEN GOOD DEEDS -
TOP
A companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The
Prophet asked us to do seven things: to visit the sick, to follow funeral
processions, to seek God's mercy for someone who sneezes, to return
greetings, to help those who are wronged, to accept invitations, and to
fulfill our oaths and promises."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Hadith 625
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
ARAB-AMERICANS SUE U.S. OVER RE-ENTRY
PROCEDURES -
TOP
NEIL MacFARQUHAR, New York Times, 6/20/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/us/20lawsuit.html
A group of Muslim and Arab-Americans, frustrated by what they say is the
climate of suspicion and fear that dogs their re-entry into the United
States from trips abroad, sued the Department of Homeland Security and
the F.B.I. yesterday, demanding that the courts protect their civil
rights.
The seven main plaintiffs in the class action suit assert that both the
United States Congress and the federal government are ignoring the plight
of innocent Americans harassed repeatedly because of problems with the
terrorist watch list.
The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Chicago by the American
Civil Liberties Union, contends that the courts alone can ensure that
antiterrorism policies do not repeatedly subject ordinary Americans to
detention, questioning, fingerprinting and the like. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
ILL-ADVISED COURT DECISION
STRIPS RIGHTS FROM MANY FOREIGNERS -
TOP
David Cole, San Jose Mercury News, 6/19/06
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/14852343.htm
"What will they do to us if there is another attack? Will they
intern us like they interned the Japanese?"
That is the most common question I get when speaking about
counterterrorism policies and civil liberties to Arab and Muslim
audiences. Until Wednesday, I assured them that such a response was
unthinkable. The Japanese internment during World War II is so widely
recognized as morally, legally and ethically wrong, I told them, that it
could not possibly be repeated.
But after a decision by a federal judge in New York, I'm no longer
confident that I can be so reassuring. (MORE)
DAVID COLE, a law professor at Georgetown University and a volunteer
attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, was co-counsel to the
plaintiffs in Turkmen vs. Ashcroft. He wrote this article for the Los
Angeles Times.
-----
MURDER CHARGES FOR 3 G.I.'S IN IRAQ -
TOP
THOM SHANKER and SABRINA TAVERNISE, The New York Times, 6/20-06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/world/middleeast/20iraq.html
Three American soldiers suspected of killing three detainees in Iraq and
then threatening a soldier with death if he reported the shootings have
been charged with premeditated murder and obstructing justice, Army
officials said Monday.
The accused soldiers, two enlisted men and a noncommissioned officer,
also face charges of attempted murder, conspiracy and threatening in
connection with the deaths of the three detainees on May 9, the Army's
documents showed.
One Defense Department official said investigators had evidence that the
soldiers had released the detainees deliberately before they were shot,
apparently to have a pretext for killing them as they fled.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
FROM THE EMBASSY, A GRIM REPORT -
TOP
From the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, a stark compendium of its local
employees' daily hardships and pressing fears
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/16/AR2006061601768.html
Hours before President Bush left on a surprise trip last Monday to the
Green Zone in Baghdad for an upbeat assessment of the situation there,
the U.S. Embassy in Iraq painted a starkly different portrait of
increasing danger and hardship faced by its Iraqi employees. This cable,
marked "sensitive" and obtained by The Washington Post,
outlines in spare prose the daily-worsening conditions for those who live
outside the heavily guarded international zone: harassment, threats and
the employees' constant fears that their neighbors will discover they
work for the U.S. government.
Click here to view the cable.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/graphics/iraqdocs_061606.pdf
-----
THE ASSASSINS -
TOP
From character assassination to physical assassination, the Lobby and
its agents ruthlessly pursue their agenda
Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, 6/19/06
http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=9170
When John J. Mearsheimer, professor of political science at the
University of Chicago and the heavyweight of the realist school of
international affairs, and Stephen M. Walt, former dean of Harvard's John
F. Kennedy School of Government, published their now famous essay on
"The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," the outcry from all
the usual suspects was stupendous. After all, the professors had
unapologetically said what everyone knows to be true: that U.S. foreign
policy in the Middle East is geared to Israeli and not American
interests. It is a case of altruism sui generis.
If anyone says that - out loud, that is - the price they pay is
exorbitant, and clearly Mearsheimer and Walt were and are prepared to
pony up. Anyone who crosses "the Lobby," as their paper puts
it, risks incurring the wrath of "the Great Silencer." This
means, in plain terms, that anyone who criticizes Israel, or, more
significantly, notices the Lobby's decisive influence over U.S.
policymakers, risks their career, whether it be in politics, the media,
or academia.
In regard to this last, Mearsheimer and Walt report that the Lobby has
recently begun a campaign to "take back the campuses," and I
would point out that their latest victim is Professor Juan Cole of the
University of Michigan. Professor Cole is a Middle East expert, a
distinguished scholar, and an articulate critic of our interventionist
foreign policy. His popular blog, Informed Comment, richly deserves its
name, and he has lately become someone the more in-depth media outlets
turn to when they want knowledgeable commentary about current events in
the region. The news that he was up for an appointment at Yale
University, to head up a new department of Middle Eastern studies, was
just what the Lobby needed to hear to swing into action.
Cole's sin: he, like Mearsheimer and Walt, had noted the inordinate
influence of what The Nation magazine termed "American
Likudniks" on the course of our foreign policy, and it wasn't long
before the appointment was buried in a blizzard of outraged op-eds in the
Wall Street Journal and the New York Sun, while the neocon contingent of
the blogosphere was frothing at the mouth. In what was quite clearly an
organized effort, Joel Mowbray, a smalltime neocon columnist who
specializes in smearing enemies of the Lobby with the tar brush of
"anti-Semitism" - his enemies list includes Gen. Anthony Zinni
and the U.S. Justice Department, which had the temerity to prosecute
admitted Israeli spy Larry Franklin, sent a letter to a good number of
Yale donors, alerting them to Cole's pending appointment and urging
action. (MORE)
-----
IA: MUSLIM YOUTH CAMP TO BEGIN
BUILDING IN JULY -
TOP
Rachel Gallegos, Press-Citizen, 6/19/06
http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060619/NEWS01/60619005/1079
Four months after signing a lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
for approximately 114 acres of federal land north of North Liberty,
building for the Muslim Youth Camp is set to begin in July.
The Cedar Rapids-based Muslim Youth Camps of America will be using the
land for a recreational youth camp in the summers, allow-ing non-profit
groups to use the space during the off-season. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/21/06
*
Hadith:
7 Kinds of People Sheltered by
God
*
BREAKING:
US Wants to Close Guantanamo -
Bush
-
ISLAM-OPED:
Shut Down the Gitmo Gulag
(CAIR)
*
CAIR-LA:
Palestine Crisis Town Hall Forum
*
CAIR-Philly Offers Ten-Part Course on Islam
*
CAIR-LA:
Quit Distorting Muslims' Record (Press-Enterprise)
*
MI:
Ambush of U.S. Islamic Leader in Iraq Shocks Faithful
-
US Soldiers Accused of Killing Iraqi Farmers
*
Muslim Conference Decries Western 'Islamophobia' (AFP)
-
Deepak Chopra:
Try Listening to Muslim World
-
Overcoming Distorted Perceptions (Chicago Tribune)
-----
HADITH OF THE DAY: 7 KINDS OF PEOPLE SHELTERED BY GOD -
TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Seven kinds of people
will be sheltered under the shade of God on the Day of Judgment...They
are: a just ruler, a young man who passed his youth in the worship and
service of God...one whose heart is attached to the mosque...two people
who love each other for the sake of God...a man who is invited to
sin...but declines, saying 'I fear God'...one who spends his charity in
secret, without making a show...and one who remembers God in solitude
so that his eyes overflow (with tears)."
Riyadh-us-Salaheen, Hadith 376
To learn more about the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, go to:
www.cair.com/Muhammad
-----
BREAKING: US WANTS TO CLOSE GUANTANAMO - BUSH -
TOP
http://www.forextelevision.com/FT/AFX/ShowStory.jsp?seq=122033
VIENNA (AFX) - US President George W. Bush said he would like to close
the prison for terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, but a way must
first be found to send inmates there home or put them on trial.
"I would like to end Guantanamo," Bush told a press conference after an EU-US summit in Vienna.
SEE ALSO:
ISLAM-OPED: SHUT DOWN THE GITMO GULAG -
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Hussam Ayloush, The Star, 6/18/06
http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/2006/as-columns-0618-0-6f16q3527.htm
Reports of abuse and inhumane treatment at Guantanamo continue. A
United Nations report earlier this year mentioned shackling prisoners,
stripping them, covering them with hoods and blindfolds, using dogs and
subjecting detainees to harsh temperatures, and stated that such abuses
violated international law banning torture. Last month, a U.N.
committee said the prison violated the 1984 Convention Against Torture.
The U.N., key U.S. allies such as Britain and Germany, as well as U.S.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and others have questioned Gitmo's tactics
and called for its closure.
To this day, most detainees are denied lawyers, a right to a fair trial
or visitation from family members. We are told we are fighting this war
to protect freedom and rule of law, yet we fail to implement those same
principles at Guantanamo Bay.
It would be difficult to fathom the idea of another country taking in
hundreds of American prisoners, accuse them of a crime and then never
grant them a fair trial, or any trial for that matter.
Those guilty of real crimes should be tried and punished. But those who
are innocent must be released. It is time to shut down the Guantanamo
Bay prison camp and end this dark chapter in our modern history.
Hussam Ayloush is executive director for the Southern California
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, American's
largest Muslim civil liberties group. He may be reached at socal@cair.com.
-----
CAIR-LA: PALESTINE CRISIS TOWN HALL FORUM -
TOP
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Southern California
will hold a town hall forum on "Facing the Humanitarian Crisis in
Palestine." Participants will include: Hussam Ayloush, CAIR-LA
executive director; Maher Hathout, Muslim Public Affairs Council Senior
Adviser; Muzammil Siddiqi, chairman of the Islamic Shura Council of
Southern California; and Edward Peck, former ambassador to Iraq.
Date: June 21. 6 p.m.
Location: La Mirada Holiday Inn Select, 14299 Firestone Blvd., La Mirada, California
Contacts: Edina Lekovic (Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)), (213)
383-3443, Munira Syeda (Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)),
(714) 776-1847
-----
CAIR-PHILLY OFFERS TEN-PART COURSE ON ISLAM -
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(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 6/21/06)- Beginning August 1, the Philadelphia
office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philly) will
offer a ten-part course on Islam, called "Understanding Islam &
Muslims through History and Jurisprudence," at the Foundation for
Islamic Education.
This course will approach Islam from a historical and jurisprudence
perspective, covering the foundations of the religion and then building
on the economic, political and cultural institutions that arose in
Muslim societies. It will cover the Golden Age of Muslim civilization
and then discuss its decline. Contemporary issues faced by Islam and
Muslims will also be covered. A final unit will be the involvement of
the U.S. in the Muslim world and its ramifications.
CAIR-Philly has offered the course through multiple educational and
interfaith venues, including Mishkan Shalom, the Unitarian Universalist
Church of Delaware County, and recently, the Paoli Presbyterian Church.
CAIR-Philly Chairman Iftekhar Hussain will lead the course.
WHAT: Course: Understanding Islam & Muslims through History and
Jurisprudence
WHEN: August 1 - 19, 2006, Tuesday and Thursday: 6:30-8:00PM, Saturday:
10:30-12:30PM
WHERE: The Foundation for Islamic Education; 1860 Montgomery Ave;
Villanova, PA
COST: FREE
REGISTER: CAIR-Philadelphia,
cairphilly@cairphilly.org
CONTACT: CAIR-Philly: 215-592-0509, E-Mail:
cairphilly@cairphilly.org
-----
CAIR-LA: QUIT DISTORTING MUSLIMS' RECORD -
TOP
Hussam Ayloush, The Press-Enterprise, 6/20/06
http://www.pe.com
Kyle Collins asks several questions in his op-ed, "Stop excusing
radical Islam" (Perspective, June 11). The Council on American-Islamic
Relations thought readers would be interested in the answers.
1. Why are Muslims so quiet when atrocities are committed in the name of Allah?
It may be argued that Muslims could have done more and used more
creative methods to get their message out, but to say Muslims have been
quiet about their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism is a gross
misrepresentation of facts.
From buying full-page newspaper ads to running public service
announcements on radio and TV, from staging public demonstrations to
coordinating fatwas, Muslims are not silent.
2. Why does it appear that none of the Palestinian suicide bombers is Christian?
Robert Pape says in his book, "Dying to Win - The Strategic Logic of
Suicide Terrorism," that suicide terrorism has nothing do with religion
but is a response to occupation. Pape points out suicide bombers around
the globe include Christians, communists/socialists and even Buddhists.
3. Why do countries governed by religious Muslims persecute those of other religions?
Religious minorities have been present for centuries in the Muslim
world and continue to flourish there. Mosques, synagogues and churches
can be found in such countries as in Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Saudi
Arabia is the exception, not the rule, in the Muslim world. The
restriction on churches and synagogues is similar to that of the
Vatican, which does not allow houses of worship of other religions
within its bounds because it is considered holy to its followers.
4. Why has the Muslim-controlled government in Iran publicly called for the extermination of Israel?
Out of the 57 or so countries that are Muslim-dominated, why pick Iran
as the one speaking for Islam? Iran can no more speak for the worldwide
Muslim community than any one country can speak for the worldwide
Christian community.
It is unfair to point to a fraction of a fraction of people committing
violence as the example of Islam. Today's problems lie with extremists
of all religions. Let us listen more to voices of understanding and
cooperation, and less to those of division and finger-pointing, to
bring about peace for our country and world.
* * *
Hussam Ayloush, a resident of Corona, is executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Southern California.
-----
AMBUSH OF U.S. ISLAMIC LEADER IN IRAQ SHOCKS DEARBORN FAITHFUL -
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Gregg Krupa, Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060620/METRO01/606200350
DEARBORN -- The phones at the Islamic Center of America have not
stopped ringing since evening prayers on Friday, following an
assassination attempt in Karbala, Iraq, on an influential clergyman in
American Islam.
Earlier in the day, gunmen on motorcycles ambushed Ayatollah Sayed
Mortadha al-Qazwini, founder of three mosques in California and father
of Imam Sayed Hassan al-Qazwini, the clergyman at the mosque on Ford
Road, which is believed to be the largest mosque in the United States.
(MORE)
SEE ALSO:
US SOLDIERS ACCUSED OF KILLING IRAQI FARMERS -
TOP
Mark Willacy, ABC, 6/21/06
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200606/s1667845.htm
Iraqi police have accused the US military of killing 15 farm workers during a raid near Baquba, north of Baghdad.
But the US Army says the dead men were all insurgents who had opened fire on soldiers during an operation in the area.
In a statement, the US military says its troops came under small arms
fire from a rooftop as they approached a house during a raid near
Baquba.
It says soldiers and attack helicopters returned fire, killing 15 insurgents.
But Iraqi police and relatives of the dead men say the victims were
poultry farm workers who had been sleeping in the fields when US troops
attacked. (MORE)
-----
MUSLIM CONFERENCE DECRIES WESTERN 'ISLAMOPHOBIA' -
TOP
Karim Talbi, Agence France Presse, 6/20/06
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060620/wl_afp/azerbaijanoicislam_060620100124
BAKU (AFP) - A conference of Muslim countries in Azerbaijan this week
has decried growing Islamophobia in the West in the wake of a furore
sparked by the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in
several European newspapers.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the 57-member Organisation
of the Islamic Conference (OIC) blamed anti-Muslim sentiment on "the
rising dominance of the extremist right wing in Europe" in a report
obtained by AFP and addressed to Muslim diplomats.
The document, which conference delegates are expected to approve as a
resolution ahead of the close of the three-day meeting on Wednesday,
described Islamophobia as "spreading" through Western media.
"This phenomenon has been spreading in the impactful areas of
information, education and art, which are fertile grounds for the
dissemination of the open hostility to Islam and the entrenchment of
hatred against it," it said. (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
TRY LISTENING TO MUSLIM WORLD -
TOP
DEEPAK CHOPRA, Baltimore Sun, 6/21/06
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.chopra21jun21,0,6893038.story
The new watchword phrase for the war is "the way forward in Iraq."
To extricate himself from the quicksand of bad news from that conflict,
President Bush came up with the theme just before his surprise June 13
visit to Baghdad. He told reporters days earlier that he was going to
Camp David "with a lot of my Cabinet members to discuss the way forward
in Iraq, to analyze the new government, to look carefully at what their
blueprint for the future looks like, and to figure out how we can help."
Yet at a time when fewer than one-third of Americans believe that the
Iraq war has made us more secure, how is a deeper commitment to winning
the war going "the way forward"?
Isn't it possible that we would be more secure by trying to understand how Muslims think and feel?. . .
These facts make me breathe a little easier. . .
I realize that millions of Americans either don't want to hear any more
from the Arab world or have fixed negative opinions about those who
practice Islam. But they also want to find a way to avoid a future full
of endless battles such as Iraq.
The beauty of understanding is that it helps clear up one of the chief
causes of war, which is misunderstanding. Frankly, I'm tired of seeing
a billion Muslims as one bogeyman. Isn't it time we asked them who they
really are?
Deepak Chopra, a senior scientist at the Gallup Organization and
president of the Alliance for a New Humanity, is the author of "Peace
Is the Way" and 41 other books. His e-mail is deepak@anhglobal.org.
---
OVERCOMING DISTORTED PERCEPTIONS -
TOP
Javeed Akhter, Chicago Tribune, 6/21/06
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0606210196jun21,0,2954652.story
A longtime friend told me that she recently had to defend Muslims at a
family gathering. One of her relatives was very upset with
Muslim-Americans. "They have never condemned Osama bin Laden" he said.
My friend said that she knew many Muslims, including me and my family, and knew that we abhorred and condemned violence.
There is a perception that Muslims are mute on the question of
terrorism and violence. You hear it on radio and TV, though people who
actually know Muslims tend to disagree. A recent Pew Trust survey found
that those who have Muslims as friends or co-workers had a more
positive attitude toward them. The survey also found that people have a
more negative view of the religion of Islam than of Muslim people; an
example of the "I love my postman but hate the Postal Service syndrome."
The problem is, Muslims make up 1.5 to 2 percent of the U.S. population
and are concentrated in urban centers and work in a handful of
professions. There are great swaths of the country that have no
personal interaction with us.
The events of Sept. 11, 2001, were condemned by most every Muslim
organization in the U.S., as well as by Islamic scholars of all
stripes, traditional and modernist. After Sept. 11, Muslims in large
numbers donated blood and held prayer meetings in mosques. There were
rallies in many U.S. cities to condemn violence and terror.
Yet the perception persists that Muslims have been quiet. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to: cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR TO HOST CAPITOL HILL PANEL ON CLOSURE OF
GITMO PRISON CAMP
(WASHINGTON, DC, 6/22/06) - On
June 27, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (
CAIR) will
host a panel discussion on Capitol Hill to discuss the need to close the
U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
The discussion, entitled
"Should the U.S. Shut Down Gitmo?"
features former Guantanamo Bay Muslim Chaplain
James Yee and
Gene Fidell of Feldesman, Tucker, Leifer and Fidell. Fidell is an
attorney who has worked on cases involving Guantanamo Bay
inmates.
Refreshments will be served. Admission is free, but
seating is
limited.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 27, 2006, 12-1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Rayburn House Office Building, 2nd Floor, Room 2226,
Washington, D.C.
RSVP:
events@cair-net.org
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices,
chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its
mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: CAIR Research Director Dr. Mohamed Nimer, 202-488-8787,
E-Mail:
mnimer@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
AMERICAN MUSLIM NEWS
BRIEFS - 6/22/06
*
Verse: Speak in a Kindly Manner
* C
AIR-CAN:
Canada Must
Not Sell Its Soul for Security
-
CAIR-CAN Welcomes Air India
Inquiry
*
MD:
School Board May
Continue Muslims' Prayer Release (Wash Post)
-
NJ:
Muslims Seek Help from
Courts in Religious Matters (AP)
*
OR:
Feds Want NSA Suits
United for D.C. Trial (Oregonian)
*
A Veil Doesn't Mean 'Oppressed' (USA
Today)
-
Muslim Sorority Opens New Doors
to University Women
*
New Report:
'Islam and the West: A Great
Divide?'
*
Fight Erupts in D.C.
Over Plight of Palestinian Christians
-
Israeli Missile Kills 2 Civilians
in Gaza (LA Times)
*
8 U.S. Servicemen Charged in Death
of Iraqi Civilian (NYT)
-----
VERSE OF THE DAY: SPEAK IN A KINDLY MANNER -
TOP
"And tell My servants that they should speak in the most kindly
manner (to those who do not share their beliefs), for Satan is always
ready to stir up discord between men."
The Holy Quran, 17:53
To request or sponsor a FREE QURAN, go to:
www.explorethequran.org
-----
CAIR-CAN: CANADA MUST NOT
SELL ITS SOUL FOR SECURITY -
TOP
Halima Mautbur, Ottawa Citizen, 6/22/06
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=e138cf3c-46cc-447c-ae92-5f26ff1c0a5a
[Halima Mautbur is the human-rights coordinator of the Canadian
Council on American-Islamic Relations.]
In an ostensibly ordinary moment, two children tossed a ball to one
another under the shade of the trees lining the expansive green lawn of
the Supreme Court of Canada last week.
The scene was more significant than most would comprehend. Ibrahim, 8,
and Yusuf Mahjoub, 6, were trying to find a moment of normalcy during
their anxious trek from Toronto to Ottawa for the court hearings that
will ultimately impact the rights of their father, an accused
terrorist.
Few Canadians would argue in favour of the protection of terrorism
suspects' rights after the fear and shock caused by the arrests of an
alleged terror cell in Toronto earlier this month. However the very
question of how to balance national security concerns with a respect for
civil liberties is currently before the Supreme Court as it examines a
practice known as the security certificate process.
The rationalization behind this process places national security as the
paramount concern. It was designed to deal with the most dangerous of
people, such as war criminals and terrorists, and allows for civil
liberties only insofar as they do not encroach upon security. However,
the conclusion seen in this process is that virtually no rights will be
afforded in the face of security concerns.
Under the certificates, detainees can be indefinitely detained or
deported to countries where they are likely to be tortured. The accused
are never shown the allegations or secret evidence against them. "We
still do not know what case we had to meet," said Matt Weber, the
lawyer of one of the detainees whose certificate was upheld. "We
just know that we lost.". . .
Human-rights groups, law societies and Muslim and Arab organizations
encouraged the court to protect Canada from those who are truly dangerous
-- but without sacrificing our national soul. Certainly, legal processes
must be available to deal with those who are legitimate threats, but
without judicial safeguards like the adversarial system and due process,
how do we ensure no collateral damage?
Under the current certificate regime, there has been tremendous
collateral damage already: with no answers about why their father has
been imprisoned, little Ibrahim and Yusuf stand on the lawn of the
Supreme Court saying they feel like they're in prison too.
SEE ALSO:
CAIR-CAN WELCOMES AIR INDIA INQUIRY -
TOP
(Ottawa, Canada - 06/21/06) - CAIR-CAN welcomes the public inquiry into
the horrific bombing of Air India flight 182 in 1985.
"The victims' families and all Canadians deserve answers on why this
horrific act of terrorism has never concluded in justice," says
Faisal Kutty, Vice-Chair of CAIR-CAN's Board of Directors.
"We hope that this inquiry will be as transparent as possible and
critically examine the issue of how to protect Canadians from terrorism
without allowing rights to be unnecessarily trampled," he
added.
Commissioner John Major, who will oversee the inquiry into the
investigation of the bombing, gave his opening remarks today. His mandate
includes an examination of the CSIS and RCMP investigation of the
bombing, as well as a broad examination of anti-terror
measures.
Last year, a 19-month trial acquitted the two suspects accused of
committing the bombing, which killed 329 people.
For more information, please contact Halima Mautbur at
613-795-2012.
-----
MD: BOARD MIGHT CONTINUE MUSLIMS'
EARLY RELEASE -
TOP
Joshua Zumbrun, Washington Post, 6/22/06
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062101818.html
The Howard County school board has agreed to consider continuing a policy
that has allowed Muslim students to leave school 20 minutes early on
Fridays to attend prayer services.
The five-member board voted Tuesday night not to accept changes proposed
by a policy review committee that would have prohibited the students from
leaving early. The board will study the issue over the next school year.
The board also indicated that it might be willing to continue the policy,
if it would not harm student education. . .
"Constitutionally, we are obligated to make reasonable accommodation
to those who wish to practice their religion," said Joshua M.
Kaufman, chairman of the Howard County Board of Education.
Kaufman said that during the next year, the board must consider how many
students would be affected, what the impact would be on teachers and
whether the policy would be fair or would have unintended consequences
for students of all religions.
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIMS IN N.J. INCREASINGLY
SEEKING HELP FROM THE COURTS -
TOP
WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press, 6/21/06
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060621/NEWS01/60621039/1006
NEWARK (AP) -- When Amira Attia, a 33-year-old pharmaceuticals worker,
and Ashraf Amin, a 35-year-old hospital research assistant, got married
in 2002, they pledged their love for each other.
They also pledged that if the marriage went sour, Attia would get a
$50,000 delayed dowry under an Islamic law concept called a
mahr.
Two and a half years later, the couple split up, and Attia went to court
seeking payment of the mahr.
But in a ruling made public late today, a court in Essex County declined
to enforce the Islamic dowry. It was the latest case in a growing trend
in which American Muslims are turning to the courts to intervene in
religious disputes which previously would have been resolved by community
elders or spiritual leaders.
"More and more Muslims are living here and are going to use secular
courts to address their issues, including religious ones," said
Sohail Mohammed, a Clifton lawyer who was not involved in the case.
"When I first started my practice 11 years ago, we saw maybe two
matrimonial cases a week involving Muslim families; now we see two dozen
a week.
"This is probably just the beginning," he said. "There
will be a lot more to come." (MORE)
-----
OR: FEDS WANT NSA SUITS UNITED FOR
D.C. TRIAL -
TOP
ASHBEL S. GREEN, Oregonian, 6/21/06
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1150858542262640.xml&coll=7
Facing two dozen legal skirmishes around the country over top-secret NSA
surveillance programs, federal lawyers want to shift the battlefield to
their home turf, where they will try to put an end to it all with a
single shot.
In a little-noticed filing, U.S. Department of Justice lawyers on Monday
asked the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate about
two dozen cases, including two from Oregon, before a judge in Washington,
D.C.
Federal lawyers said they intended to seek dismissal of all the suits in
order to protect state secrets.
The move, which did not reach many opposing attorneys until Tuesday,
comes as federal attorneys are expected today to inform a federal judge
in Portland that a lawsuit here would expose state secrets. They are
expected to make the same argument in San Francisco later this
week.
Last week, Justice Department lawyers filed a lawsuit trying to stop New
Jersey from subpoenaing information about an NSA program and defended
another lawsuit in Michigan.
By asking the federal panel in Washington to consolidate all the
lawsuits, Justice lawyers say they are trying to be efficient and protect
national security. But lawyers challenging the program bristled at the
move.
"It sounds like forum-shopping to me," said Jon Eisenberg, one
of the lawyers representing an Oregon Islamic charity that claims it has
proof the NSA illegally eavesdropped on phone calls between the group's
directors and its U.S. attorneys. (MORE)
-----
A VEIL DOESN'T MEAN 'OPPRESSED' -
TOP
Souheila al-Jadda, USA Today, 6/22/06
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-06-21-muslim-women-edit_x.htm
An elderly woman stopped me in the mall the other day to ask what I was
wearing. I told her a head scarf, or hijab, and overdress, or abaya. I
said my Islamic religion requires me to dress modestly and hide the
contours of my body so as not to attract the opposite sex.
"You people are oppressed and submissive," she replied,
questioning why God would want a woman to hide her beauty. She added that
my clothes were just plain "ugly." So according to her, if
women are seen as persecuted based on what they wear, then many of the
world's women from Africa to the Middle East to Southeast Asia would be
considered oppressed.
The head scarf continues to be perceived in the West as a symbol of
religious cruelty. A survey last year by the
Council on
American-Islamic Relations found that more than half of the 1,000
U.S. respondents believe that Islam encourages the oppression of
women.
Actually, many women in Middle East and Islamic countries are free;
others are working to bring about more change. That's probably news to
many Americans. Next week, for instance, Kuwaiti women will participate
in parliamentary elections for the first time in the country's history. .
.
Unfortunately, some men often refer to distorted or false interpretations
of Islam to prevent women from getting behind the wheel of change. Islam
does not prohibit women from seeking education, public office or
employment. But culturally, many men view educated or working women as a
threat. If a wife seeks employment, her husband is viewed as not fully
providing for his family. If a single woman attends a co-educational
institution, she might be considered "loose" for mixing with
the opposite sex.
For these cultural reasons, don't expect a radical feminist revolution in
the Middle East. Reforms will be gradual. With more than 44 million women
still illiterate in the region, access to education remains a top
priority. Employment among women in the Arab region is among the lowest
in the world, 33.3%. Further, many women still live with discriminatory
laws.
But the recent changes in the region are significant because they are
coming from within these societies. Debates about women's rights take
place on local TV programs, in books, newspapers and parliamentary
chambers. Muslim and Arab women, veiled and unveiled, are using their
minds, not foreign armies, to gain freedoms. These increasingly public
debates point to a reawakening in the Arab and Islamic worlds, where
societies are examining their own religion, culture and prejudices to
better understand how to address injustices against women.
It took American women more than 130 years after the signing of the
Constitution to gain the right to vote. It took more than two decades
after that before the women's rights movement truly blossomed. American
women, perhaps more than most, understand that what a woman wears has
nothing to do with having the same opportunities and rights as men. And
as U.S. history shows, a revolution doesn't happen overnight.
Souheila al-Jadda is a journalist and associate producer of a Peabody
award-winning program, Mosaic: World News from the Middle East, on Link
TV. She also is a member of USA TODAY's board of contributors.
SEE ALSO:
MUSLIM SORORITY OPENS NEW DOORS TO
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN -
TOP
New group promotes sisterhood, scholarship, leadership, service
Steve Holgate, Washington File, 6/21/06
http://usinfo.state.gov/mena/Archive/2006/Jun/21-260406.html
Washington -- Fraternities and sororities are an important part of
student life on most American university campuses. These privately run
clubs organized around common interests and activities provide students
with leadership experience, social outlets, support groups, community
service opportunities and housing options.
They offer a home-away-from-home for the roughly half million students
who seek admittance and are selected by current members. Fraternity and
sorority members are often active in campus affairs and maintain a
lifelong social and professional network with other former members after
graduation.
In some people's minds, the "Greek system" - so called because
the houses are typically named with some combination of Greek letters -
is synonymous with partying, but the system includes a huge variety of
organizations, many of which encourage academic excellence and promote
community service. A new national sorority founded on the principles of
Islam seeks to build itself on that model.
Founded little more than a year ago, the Gamma Gamma Chi sorority has
dedicated itself to giving young women the positive aspects of a sorority
experience while maintaining Islamic traditions. While the group's core
principles are Islamic, it opens its membership to all women, Muslim and
non-Muslim, who support its mission. (MORE)
-----
NEW REPORT: 'ISLAM AND THE WEST: A GREAT
DIVIDE?' -
TOP
The Pew Research Center holds a news conference to release a new report,
"Islam and the West: A Great Divide?"
LOCATION: National Press Club, 14th and F Streets NW, Washington, D.C. --
June 22, 2006
PARTICIPANTS: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; former Sen.
John Danforth, R-Mo.; and Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research
Center
CONTACT: 202-419-4332
-----
FIGHT ERUPTS IN D.C. OVER
PLIGHT OF PALESTINIAN CHRISTIANS -
TOP
Ori Nir, Forward, 6/23/06
http://forward.com/articles/8003
WASHINGTON - A battle has erupted on Capitol Hill over who should be
blamed for the plight of Palestinian Christians: Israel or the
Palestinian Authority.
All sides agree that the Christian community in the West Bank faces
existential threats and is dwindling, from 20% of the population 50 years
to about 1.5% today. They bitterly disagree, however, about who should be
held responsible for the decline.
Some argue that the continuing burden of Israel's occupation is the main
culprit; others contend that it is the Palestinian Authority that is
mainly responsible, because it allegedly engages in religious
discrimination and turns a blind eye to the harassment and persecution of
Christians.
The debate itself is not new. Israel and some of its advocates in the
United States have in the past fended off accusations regarding the
negative impact on Christians of Israeli policies in the West Bank by
arguing that intra-Palestinian tensions play a more decisive role in
pushing Palestinian Christians to leave the territories. This time
around, however, the tussle is taking place on Capitol Hill, with
Palestinian Christian activists and their backers attempting to rally the
White House for help, and pro-Israel forces trying to leverage government
support through legislation.
The battle erupted last month, when the powerful chairman of the House
International Relations Committee, Rep. Henry Hyde, an Illinois
Republican, sent a letter to President Bush, warning that "Israeli
actions [in the West Bank] seem to go beyond the realm of legitimate
security concerns and have negative consequences on communities and lands
under their [sic] occupation." Hyde wrote that while America should
support Israel's self-defense, it is "important that United States'
support for Israel not be perceived as involving the affirmation of
injustice." (MORE)
SEE ALSO:
ISRAELI MISSILE KILLS 2 CIVILIANS IN
GAZA STRIP -
TOP
Ken Ellingwood, Los Angeles Times, 6/22/06
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mideast22jun22,1,2659685.story
JERUSALEM - An errant Israeli missile killed two Palestinian civilians in
the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday as Israel defended its airstrikes
against militants after an assault that left three children dead a day
earlier.
In the latest incident, Palestinian officials said, a woman and a man
died when an Israeli missile struck a house at the entrance to the town
of Khan Yunis. At least 13 others, including three children, were
injured. (MORE)
-----
8 U.S. SERVICEMEN CHARGED IN DEATH OF AN
IRAQI CIVILIAN -
TOP
CAROLYN MARSHALL, New York Times, 6/22/06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/22/world/middleeast/22military.html
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., June 21 - Military prosecutors on Wednesday
charged seven marines and a Navy corpsman with premeditated murder,
kidnapping and conspiracy in the shooting death of an Iraqi civilian in
April.
The charges against the eight men are among the first criminal counts
brought in connection with several recent high-profile episodes in which
marines and other servicemen have been accused of killing Iraqi civilians
in unprovoked attacks. (MORE)
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
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URL:
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Mercciful
- MEDIA ADVISORY -
US MUSLIMS REACT TO MIAMI TERROR ARRESTS
(WASHINGTON, DC, 6/23/06) - On June 23, the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) will hold a news conference in Miami to offer the
Muslim
community's reaction to the recent arrest of seven individuals in that
city who
were allegedly planning to carry out terror attacks nationwide. CAIR's
news
conference will be held immediately following a briefing by government
officials.
WHAT: CAIR News Conference Reacting to Miami Terror Arrests
WHEN: Friday, June 23, NOON (or immediately following the government's
news
conference)
WHERE: U.S. District Court (James Lawrence King Building) 99 NE 4th
Street,
Miami, FL (Outside on the steps of the Courthouse)
CONTACT: Ahmed Bedier (CAIR) 813-731-9506; Areeb Naseer (CAIR-FL),
619-301-9091
CAIR National Board Chairman Parvez Ahmed said: "The American Muslim
community
is extremely concerned about these disturbing reports. We stand with
local and
national law enforcement authorities in seeking to keep our nation safe
and
secure."
Ahmed added that CAIR is urging police departments nationwide to step
up patrols
near mosques and other Islamic Institutions to help prevent any
possible
backlash resulting from these arrests.
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 32 offices
and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
SEE: www.cair.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the
Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ASKED NOT TO CALL MIAMI TERROR SUSPECTS
'MUSLIMS'
Sect trains 'through the bible,' worships in 'temple,'
not mosque
(WASHINGTON, DC, 6/23/06) - A prominent national Islamic civil
rights and advocacy group today called on media professionals not to
refer to seven terror suspects arrested in Miami as
"Muslims."
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations
(
CAIR) said media reports indicate that
the suspects are part of a sect called "Seas of
David."
When asked by CNN why group members refer to themselves as
"soldiers," "Brother Corey" said: "Because we
study and we train through the bible, not only physical -- not only
physical, but mentally." Group members also worship in a
"temple," not in an Islamic mosque.
SEE:
Terror Arrests in Miami (CNN)
(The relevant interview is toward the bottom of the page.)
The group bears some resemblance to the cult of Yahweh ben Yahweh,
which operated in the same part of Miami, Liberty City, in the 1980's.
"Given that the reported beliefs of this bizarre group have nothing
to do with Islam, we ask members of the media to refrain from calling
them 'Muslims,'" said CAIR spokesperson Ahmed Bedier. He thanked
U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta for noting that "today's indictment. . .is
not against a particular group or a particular faith."
Bedier urged the government to avoid confusing the public by using
Arabic terminology in referring to the case. In a briefing today in
Miami, government officials did not call the suspects "Muslims," but
did refer to allegations of plans for "violent jihad."
At a news conference earlier today in Miami, CAIR called on police
departments nationwide to protect mosques and other Islamic
institutions from any possible backlash prompted by the mistaken
linkage of this case to the American Muslim community.
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices,
chapters and affiliates nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to
enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote
justice and mutual understanding.
- END -
CONTACT: Ahmed Bedier (CAIR) 813-731-9506, E-Mail:
abedier@cairfl.org; Areeb Naseer (CAIR-FL), 619-301-9091; CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor (CAIR) 571-278-4658, E-Mail:
csaylor@cair-net.org
-----
CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail:
cair@cair-net.org
URL:
http://www.cair-net.org
-----
To reach the list moderator, send a message to:
cair@cair-net.org
To SUBSCRIBE to or UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/cair-net/
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